Page 46 of Stalking Stella

Tony scoffs, puffing his chest like he still has something to prove. ‘I ain’t scared of no one.’

Waylynn interrupts. ‘You sure about that?’

Before the words have finished echoing, Waylynn moves. She grabs his hand again – tight, and yanks it forward. With her free hand, she reaches up and pulls down a meat hook from under the butcher’s light. With a practiced flick of the wrist, she hooks the back of his jacket – pinning him to the rail like a side of beef. Tony freezes. His bravado draining out of him like blood on tiles. I don’t move. Just watch.

Tony swallows hard. ‘Alright, alright,’ he croaks. ‘You wanna know about the girl? She’s in deep. She wants to recruit her,’ he mutters. He hesitates, and then spits it out like it’s burning his tongue. ‘She knows the girl’s tied to the Sanchez lot. Just doesn’t know how deep.’ He shifts, tugging against the hook, the metal groaning above him. ‘You bein’ here just confirms it, don’t it?’ he mutters. ‘You wouldn’t be sniffin’ round my shop if it weren’t for your connection to the girl.’ He lets out a dry, wheezing laugh like a cough wrapped in mockery. ‘Just you wait,’ he says, eyes gleaming with something between fear and glee.

‘For what?’ I reply.

‘Until Mrs Pineda finds out you’ve been pokin’ around. She’ll have your guts for garters.’

I nod towards Waylynn, a subtle tilt of the chin. ‘I’m done,’ I say, voice flat.

I turn, behind me, the grinder again roars to life. Tony barely had time to scream as Waylynn moves like a shadow – again grabbing his hand, shoving it into the grinder. The machine snarls, drowning out everything but the wet crunch of bone and steel. I don’t turn back.

Waylynn steps beside me, wiping a fleck of red from her cheek with the back of her wrist. I glance at her, then towards the door.

‘Best we leave Mrs Pineda our own message then.’

Let her find it.

Let her wonder.

Let her know – the Sanchez’s are not done yet.