Livewire

Chapter 26

Elvira was wailing. Between the sobs he'd been able to make out only a few words. He knew nothing more than he did a day earlier, when Anna told him Emilio was missing. All he knew was that Emilio was still missing. Technically it was long enough to inform the police, but he baulked at the thought. He rang to ask if Emilio had been arrested, despite knowing Emilio would have called Kyle by now if he was locked up again.

He stroked Elvira's arm to try and calm her. Each time she sobbed her body convulsed. The tears on her face carved two lines down her cheeks. He was surprised she had any left inside her by now.

She wiped her eyes with a tissue. "What am I going to do chico?"

"Mama, we'll find him. I promise. I'll comb every street in the city if I have to."

"Gracias Kyle. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You should get some rest, it's late. Trudie and I will start looking. I promise we will call as soon as we know anything."

A few more tears rolled down her cheeks, but Mama Elvira was now more calm. She wrapped her arms around him and he could feel how frail she was in that moment.

She sniffed back the last of her tears. "Gracias, gracias. You're right, I will try and get some sleep. I have been awake since yesterday and I am exhausted."

He waited until he heard her door close. "There's only a few places I can think he would be. We already know he's not in work, or in police custody. His truck is gone too, so finding that might be a start."

"He must have other friends right? Maybe we should ask them."

"He's close to his neighbour Tomaso, but Elvira spoke to him. He hasn't seen Emilio for longer than us. She said he went looking down at the boat shed but it was all locked up"

"Where else could he be?"

"I don't know, but we should check out the usual places, start forming a picture."

"So where first?"

"Castro's."

* * *

He parked his bike beneath the lamppost opposite the entrance to Castro's. The last time he stood there was the night he spent with Angie. That fateful night where everything changed. He pushed himself onward for Emilio.

Castro's was starting to pull in a crowd. It would be an hour or so until the clubs opened and the bar was already getting busy. There was a hubbub inside. The sound of several conversations mingling over the music and occasional click of pool balls bumping together. He took an open spot at the bar and leaned forward, waiting to catch one of the bartenders' attention. She finished with another customer, then walked over to him.

"Hola Kyle. Haven't seen you in a while. Not with Emilio tonight?"

"No. Has he been in recently?"

The bartender tilted her head and tapped her finger on her lips. "It's been a few days at least. More recently than you were last here though."

"Who was he here with?"

"I'm not sure, I didn't recognise them. I think some other guys from the docks."

"Ok, thanks."

They left the noisy bar, heading back out onto the streets. He stood there, with his hand gripping his forehead, racking his brain for anywhere else Emilio might be, or someone else who might have seen him.

"You guys drink a lot, are there any other bars he goes to?"

He shook his head. "No. It's only ever been Castro's. Other than that he drinks beer at the lake or at home."