The Song of David(42)

“No. It’s a process. And I have to agree to the terms. We all do. But the groundwork is done,” Axel answered, and his expression said it all. He wasn’t euphoric about his windfall, if that’s what it was. He was devastated.

“What the feck is goin’ on?” Andy growled, his Irish so thick it changed the words but not the sentiment.

“Nobody’s seen or heard from Tag?” I had to get that out of the way again.

“Leo saw him last, but that was almost three weeks ago now,” Axel said. He’d told me as much already, but a recap wouldn’t hurt.

“Leo took him to the hospital to get some stitches after he ousted a rowdy at the bar,” I summarized. Leo also took him back home. Millie saw him after that. He spent the night there.”

The guys exchanged looks.

“What?” I demanded.

“Nothin’,” Andy said. “We just like Millie. We’re happy for him.”

I nodded. I liked her too. I was happy for him too. I bit back a curse and plunged back in.

“He spent the next night there too, according to Millie. She said he was in a good mood and seemed to feel fine. He wasn’t overly bothered by the blow to the head, apparently.”

“Not surprised. Nobody takes a punch like Tag,” Cory spoke up, admiring. Wistful.

“He was gone before she woke up,” I continued. “There was a text waiting for her. Told her not to worry about him, that he was heading out of town to see his folks. Said it’d been too long.”

“You called his family?” Mikey asked.

“I did. He never showed up there, and he never told them he was coming in the first place, so they weren’t expecting him.”

“He was gonna drive to Dallas? That’s a long drive. Two day trip, each way. At least. Lots of miles to cover. Have you called the highway patrol?” Mikey asked.

I shook my head. “I did. But I don’t think he ever intended to go to Dallas. I think he was just buying himself time. That paperwork is dated six days ago.”

“Buying some time to do what?” Axel asked no one in particular.

“Buying some time to get his shit organized. To make sure things were covered,” I said grimly.

“Tag made Vince manager about three weeks ago, and Leo got promoted too. But Vince said Tag’s name isn’t anywhere on the bar schedule anymore. He thought it was just because Tag was tired of working so many hours. He was putting in a bunch with Morgan gone,” Axel added.

Cory let loose with a series of expletives that had the others pointing at a water jug already brimming with quarters labeled HENRY on Tag’s desk. It was the swear jar, obviously.

“Your whole paycheck is going in that thing, Mangum,” Mikey sighed, though I had the feeling no one was going to be making him pay up.

“So no one has actually talked to him or seen him for at least two weeks, and Millie saw him last?” Axel reiterated, running his hands through his hair. His blond crew cut didn’t budge.

“Looks to me like his lawyer saw him last,” I said, still reeling from the papers I clutched in my hands.

“How is Millie?” Mikey asked. “What does she say about all of this?”

“She’s a very composed mess,” I answered honestly. “She isn’t saying it, but I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s the reason he split.”

Cory repeated the same string of scalding words that he’s said a minute before.

“No,” Axel shook his head. “No. That doesn’t make any sense. I saw his face when Henry came into the bar that night. It was around closing, and I was keeping Tag company and having a few. Henry comes flying through the door, his feet bare, not wearing a coat. He’d run all the way there, and he was freaking out.”

“Why?” I asked. I hadn’t heard this story yet.

“We didn’t know. You know Henry. He speaks in sports trivia. It’s damn hard to communicate with him. But he kept saying something about Millie, and something had obviously set him off. I’ve never seen Tag look like that. He left Henry with me and was out the door in about ten seconds. You don’t leave a girl that inspires that kind of reaction. We all give Tag a bad time about his women. But Millie’s different.”

“Millie’s different,” Mikey agreed, nodding.

Cory just swore and pulled at his hair.

“What the feck is going on?” Andy asked again. But this time he didn’t sound angry. He just sounded as lost as Tag was.