Deanâs jaw. It was downright miraculous. âIâll vouch for the fact that heâs a reformed man. No more pyrotechnics.â
âOf course Iâm sorry.â Matt tried to look sincere. Which wouldnât have been so difficult if Natalie hadnât just out-charmed him. âI promise Iâll tell all my billiards buddies this is the place to come.â
The big manâs shoulders relaxed. âI wouldnât have thought youâd have the guts to show your face again.â
âWe had to talk to a couple of your regulars,â Natalie interrupted. âJoey Roberts and Leland Stafford had seen a young woman weâre trying to find. Maybe you saw her yesterday evening when they brought her here.â
Dean looked marginally interested. âMaybe. What did she look like?â
âTwenty-five years old, Pakistani â never mind, hereâs her picture.â Matt pulled Yasmineâs head shot from his pocket. âShe had on a lime green outfit, one of those loose, gauzy dress things with pants.â
Dean took the picture and nodded. âYeah, I remember. Tiny little thing, noticed the big brown eyes and funny outfit. Wondered what the heck she was doing with Joey and Leland.â
Natalie bounced on her toes. âJoey said she went into the restroom, but he lost track of her after that. Did you see where she went?â
âShe asked me if Iâd call her a cab, so I did, on my cell. She waited by the bar talking to Jason until it came.â
Natalie gasped, and Matt wondered if heâd ever been that excited about doing his job. âDid you notice which cab company?â She pulled out her pad and pencil.
Dean looked up at the sky. âYellow, I think.â
âYellow.â Natalie wrote it down as if the bouncer had narrowed their search beyond three-quarters of the cab service in Memphis. âWhat time was it when they picked her up?â
âNearly six â happy hour was just about over.â
âYellow Cab, six oâclock.â Matt took Natalieâs notepad, scribbled, and stuck it in his pocket. âLetâs go. Thanks, Deano.â Halfway to the car, he looked over his shoulder. Big Dean was standing right where theyâd left him, head down. Compunction needled Mattâs conscience. Leaving Natalie, he walked back. âTell your brother Iâm really sorry about the fire. I shouldâve already come to him to apologize.â
The bouncer looked up, face softened. âBig of you, man. Apology accepted. Just donât bring no more fireworks to celebrate the holidays, okay?â
âYou got it.â Matt offered a hand, which Dean took in a crushing grip. Then, chuckling, he accompanied Natalie to the car. âGuess Iâm lucky I got off with a smashed hand and messed-up hair.â
âUm-hm. Youâre welcome.â Natalie waited for him to open her door.
âWhat? Iâd have brought him around eventually.â
âYeah, after he tossed you through the window.â
âPorkyâs doesnât have any windows.â Matt sighed. âAlright! Thank you, Condoleezza Rice, for your masterful diplomatic skills. Nobel Peace Prize coming your way.â
Natalie grinned and slid in.
As they drove, she was so quiet that Matt glanced at her. âWhat?â
She bit her lip. âIs there a lot of that kind of stuff in your history?â
âWhat kind of stuff?â
âFights. Fires.â She circled her hand. âYada yada.â
He hesitated, his motherâs voice ringing in his ears: Be careful where you go and whose company you keep, Matthew. The consequences of your choices will follow you around the rest of your life.
The ironic thing was the biggest train wreck of his life had occurred after his decision to follow Christ â or, more precisely, because of it. If heâd kept George Fieldâs crimes to himself, he wouldnât be in this