Lost in the Shadows

Chapter 6

What was left of the extremely early morning air was chilly as Star stepped outside, having filled all her paperwork out and promised the sleek, dark Italian that she would be back in a night or two. The Zingaro only opened its doors between sunset and dawn, Niko had informed her, to provide shelter, companionship and advice to the down and out of Santa Carla's Boardwalk bums. Star hunched her shoulders and rubbed her bare arms because although the summer slip Tozier had given her was just her style, it wasn't really practical for the cool beach air.

'Star!' The shout made her turn as a tall shadow peeled itself away from a darker group further down the pier. As the silhouette passed under the pale glow of a security light Star recognized her brother.

'Dwayne,' she smiled, turning fully to embrace him.

'Where you been, girl?' he asked as he shrugged out of his heavy leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, leaving himself bare chested. He looked bright and alert, his tawny skin practically glowing and his brown eyes danced as he smiled. 'I lit some candles for you, but when I came back you were gone.'

'Where have you been, more like?' Star demanded, pulling the jacket closer around her shoulders.

'With the guys,' he gestured with his thumb to the shady group stood just out of reach of the pool of light. 'We're out most nights. Life's like one big party right now.' He chuckled which lit Star's fuse. She couldn't see anything funny about the situation and everything she'd bottled up over the last few years jostled for space on her tongue as her anger flared.

'Well I'm glad your life turned out ok, because mine's been pretty shit. Thanks for leaving me to take care of dad all by myself. Thanks for not even dropping in to check we were still alive!'

'Whoa, girl! I did drop by every now and then. Where else do you think the rent money came from? You think dad was still dutifully paying it from his state handouts? You think he wasn't spunking every dime on good-time stuff?' Dwayne was angry too, she could see the spark of hurt flicker in his dark eyes. That made her pause for thought for a second. Star had always assumed the roll of notes she would find near the front stoop every other week had fallen out of her father's pants and scooped it up to put towards housekeeping. She had never known it had come from her brother until now. But still...

'Good-time stuff... is that what you call it? The stuff he tanked himself up on day after day, so he could beat the shit out of me?'

'Star,' Dwayne grabbed her arm but she twisted away like an angry cat, too upset now to be comforted. The group behind them catcalled and whooped, someone whistled and clapped their hands with a laugh.

'How do you even know that's my name now?' she asked, eyes narrowed in curiosity. She had been Ellora when Dwayne had left.

'I walk this Boardwalk just as much as you at night, probably more. I got my own... issues.'

From behind them the roar of one or two motorcycle engines rent the air, growling across the lap of the waves and someone else laughed. Another voice, a high and tremulous female voice, called for Dwayne.

'Is that your girlfriend?' she asked, feeling a little stab of jealousy somewhere deep down. Star had been so concerned with surviving her father's blows, putting him back together and find the money to keep the house running – despite the roll of notes she found every now and then – that she hadn't had much room for anything else. Sure she had Tozier, who loved her in a fatherly kind of way, but somehow it wasn't quite the same thing as having someone to kiss all the broken bits of her together again.

Dwayne shrugged at her question, the long delicate feather he wore in his left ear twirled as it brushed his shoulder.

'Just some girls we picked up earlier.' A shrill laugh rang out again, as an engine revved.