by Kelly Utt
Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror. “Alright, I’ll give you that, Marcheline. The car and the guy definitely look like the same one I saw last night on my way to Kingman. He’s following us. What do you want to do?”
21
Bill was growing weary. He hadn’t slept, and he wasn’t holding up well. He wasn’t nearly as young as Ryan and couldn’t handle a sleepless night with the same ease. The sun was blaring brightly in his eyes, adding to his wooziness. He needed a real meal, more than just snacks. And the curvy terrain was making him dizzy. He’d had to resort to urinating in an empty bottle he had in his car since the airport, but he’d need to defecate. He feared that he might soon have to find a container to vomit into if he couldn’t get off the road and take care of himself. He didn’t immediately see a large enough receptacle handy.
When Bill had gotten in the car last night to follow Ryan, he hadn’t been prepared for all of this. He hadn’t known where they were going. Not to mention, the truck ahead of him had three drivers. They could outlast him by a long stretch, and for all he knew, they were planning to drive across the entire country. He was getting desperate.
Bill hadn’t told anyone where he was or what he was doing. He worked alone. The closest thing he had to a partner was a friend on the force in Chicago. Usually, he didn’t get Gary Valcheck involved until a case was all wrapped up nicely, ready for an arrest. But this situation was different. Bill feared he was out of his depth, so he decided it was time to get his friend involved.
He pulled out the smartphone from his bag on the passenger seat and selected Gary’s number. It took the call a minute to connect. Service was spotty. Finally, Gary’s familiar voice greeted Bill on the other end of the line.
“Gary!” Bill said, relieved. “So good to hear your voice.”
“Hey,” Gary replied nonchalantly. “What’s up?”
“I’m in a bit of a bind,” Bill explained. “I want to tell somebody what’s happening. Maybe you can do some investigating on your end to help me out?”
“That depends,” Gary replied, giving his friend a hard time. “What are you into?”
Ryan was driving erratically in the truck ahead of Bill, speeding up and slowing down. He was probably trying to see if Bill would pass them and go on his way. The quick stops and starts were making Bill even more nauseous.
“I’m in Arizona,” he said.
“What are you doing there?”
“I’m following a lead for a client of mine. It took me to Northern California first, and I thought that would be the end of it. But the son-in-law of the woman I’m tailing got into his SUV last night and tore out of town, so I followed. He drove all night long, then met up with his wife, baby, and mother-in-law here in Arizona. They got back on the road almost immediately.”
“Are you by yourself?” Gary asked.
“Yeah, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up. I don’t know where they’re going, but I need a hot meal, a bed, and to use some facilities.”
“Are you sure the lead is worth all of this?” Gary asked. He knew Bill didn’t like to give him any names until things had progressed further, so he didn’t ask.
“I think so,” Bill confirmed. “My client is serving time and his parents don’t think he committed the crime. The woman I’m trailing wrote a letter apologizing for framing him something like twenty-six years ago. If that’s true, it’s a big deal.”
“What was the crime?”
“You know how I do things. Nothing personal, but I’m not ready to disclose that yet.”
“Fine. Why are they driving so far away? Are they running?”
“I can’t be sure, but I called the woman at her office yesterday and spoke to her briefly on the phone. It seems odd that a long road trip would take place the same evening and into the next day. I mean, it seems fishy. Right?”
“You want to give me a name?”
“Not yet,” Bill replied. “At least, I’m not sure yet. I haven’t even talked to my client about it. His dad gave me the letter after it was received at his house a few days ago. This is all fresh. I want to learn more before talking to my client. I suspect this could be a case of an altered identity, and if so, I want to tread lightly. People don’t go to all that trouble for nothing. I want to know what I’m dealing with before I make any decisions.”
“Look, Bill,” Gary said. “We’ve worked together a long time and we’ve been friends for just as long. You can trust me with this. If you want to.”
“I know.”
“So what are you going to do? Do you want me to link up with local authorities? We can have a highway patrol car stop them.”
Bill was silent as he considered his options. He knew they had a baby with them in the truck. He didn’t want to scare the child.
“Give me a while longer,” Bill announced. “Just be on standby, will you?”
“I can do that. I’ll wait for word. We will mobilize a police response whenever you’re ready. Sounds to me like that letter is enough reason to question them.”
“Yeah,” Bill agreed.
He was just about to hang up the phone when the truck in front of him came to a sudden stop, forcing him to slam on his brakes.
“Son of a bitch!” Bill shouted as the front of his rental car slammed into the back of the red and white Bronco, metal buckling under the force of the impact.
“You alright?” Gary asked.
“Yeah, dammit,” Bill confirmed. “They slammed on their brakes and I rear-ended them. The son-in-law is getting out to talk to me. I’ve got to go.”
Then he hung up the phone without waiting for Gary’s response.
22
Ryan was guarded as he walked towards Bill’s side of the car, but he wasn’t afraid like Marcheline. She had told him she had a gun in her bag and had offered to let him carry it, but he refused. He didn’t think he needed a gun for one guy in a little car. Besides, Ryan wasn’t much of a gun person. Neither was Marcheline.
The force of the impact had apparently blown a gasket, because steam poured from underneath the hood of Bill’s rental car. When Ryan reached the driver’s side window, he tapped lightly. Bill was reluctant to roll the window down.
“Hey, buddy,” Ryan began. “Following a little close there, weren’t you?”
Bill stared at Ryan, still unsure.
“Do you hear me?” Ryan continued. “Why don’t you roll your window down?”
Bill hung his head and put his chin against his chest. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to get out of the vehicle and stretch his legs, but he didn’t want to compromise his investigation by interacting with Marcheline and her family. It wasn’t the way private investigators did things. They certainly didn’t rear-end the people they were tailing. He felt like a failure.
Ryan persisted, motioning for Bill to get out of the car. “Hey, buddy, I know you see me, even if you don’t hear me.”
Realizing he didn’t have any other option, Bill finally unlocked the door and stepped outside. He put his hands up in the air, an indication that he didn’t want any trouble and was unarmed.
“I’m really sorry about this,” Bill said. “I was on my phone and wasn’t paying attention. I’ll pay for the damages.”
“Do you think we’re worried about the damages? To this old beater?” Ryan said with a laugh. “Looks like it did far more damage to your car. I’m more interested in why you’ve been following me. Best I can tell, you’ve been tailing me ever since last night… In California. And that’s not a short drive. So, what’s up?”
Bill hadn’t realized that Ryan had identified him last night. He was at a loss as to how he should handle the situation. He had never found himself in this type of tangled mess before. He hesitated. Ryan was nearly a foot taller than Bill, and he was well built. Bill knew he would be no match for Ryan in a physical fight.
“Come on, man,” Ryan persisted. “Just level with me. We’re out here in the desert of Arizona, for Christ’s sake
. No one is around but us. And you just slammed into the back of my truck. There’s no point in playing games. Just tell me what’s happening. Why are you following us?”
“Alright, alright,” Bill said, giving in. “I’m looking to speak to Marcheline Fay. She’s your mother-in-law, right?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan said. “What do you want with my mother-in-law?”
“I spoke with her on the phone yesterday afternoon. I called her office. My name is Bill Henderson. I’m a private investigator based in Chicago.”
“Wow,” Ryan said.
“Here, let me get one of my cards,” Bill said as he reached into his vehicle.
“Easy!” Ryan yelled. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Bill added as he slid the card out from the console, then handed it to Ryan.
Ryan examined the card. Sure enough, it featured the name Bill Henderson, with a Chicago address and phone number.
“What do you want with her?”
“I was hired by the family of a man named Chester Loor. They think he may have been framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s serving prison time.”
“What the hell does that have to do with my mother-in-law?” Ryan asked, even though Marcheline had already told him what it had to do with her. He was feeling protective of Marcheline, and he was surprised that this man had materialized in the Arizona desert. Bill had gone to a lot of trouble for a case that wasn’t a big deal, which meant it probably was.
“My client’s family received a letter from a Marcheline Fay.”
“What kind of letter?”
“Well, I don’t have a copy with me. But in it, she apologized for falsely accusing him. It was very heartfelt. Said she felt guilty about what she had done and didn’t want him to suffer for it.”
“So, you receive a letter and you’re working a case, and it takes you from Chicago to California and then to Arizona? Do I have that right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Bill said. “And at this point, I could really use something hot to eat. Maybe a good night’s sleep and a bathroom?”
“Hey, that’s on you for coming,” Ryan said. “I’m not here to solve your bathroom problems.”
Ryan looked hard at Bill, sizing him up. He was a middle-aged Caucasian man with greasy brown hair balding on top. He was in decent shape, but had a wiry build. He didn’t look like he had the muscle to rough anyone up.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Ryan said as he walked towards the truck. “I’ll be right back.”
When he opened the door and got inside with his family, Marcheline and Sabine were eager to hear what had happened.
“Well?” Marcheline asked. She was doing her best to hold her temper and her anxiety down.
“He says he is Bill Henderson, the private investigator who called you at your office yesterday afternoon.”
“Wow!” Sabine exclaimed. “Mom was right. We were being followed.”
“I told you,” Marcheline said. “Now will you pay attention and listen to me more closely?”
“He’s probably not with the mob, but I have to admit, I’m sorry I doubted you,” Ryan said. “I didn’t mean any offense, Marcheline. It just sounded so outlandish. But here we are in the middle of the desert, with a private investigator following us. You’re onto something.”
Ryan glanced in the side mirror to check on Bill. He was standing outside of his car leaning on the side. It was clear that the vehicle was no longer drivable.
“He’s not going anywhere in that car,” Ryan said. “Which means, we have to figure out what to do with him.”
“You’re exactly right,” Marcheline agreed. “This is a critical juncture.”
“Are you two thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Sabine asked. “Are you going to… Hurt him in some way? Because that would be next level.”
“I don’t know,” Marcheline replied. “Ryan? Your thoughts?”
Ryan tapped a finger on the steering wheel. He was becoming weary as well, having missed a full night’s sleep. His thoughts were sluggish. “Okay, let’s discuss our options.”
“Good,” Marcheline said. “Bill doesn’t seem like such a threat on his own, but I’m concerned about who he has reported our whereabouts to.”
“I agree he’s not a threat on his own,” Ryan said. “I could certainly take him, no problem. He’s not a strong man… Unless he has some secret karate skills we don’t know about.”
They laughed, but immediately felt a little bad to be laughing in such a tense situation. They put on their serious faces and continued to brainstorm.
“So, we could leave him here and let another motorist find him,” Marcheline said. “But then we don’t know who he might talk to.”
“Or we take him with us,” Ryan said.
“Ryan!” Sabine replied. “We have a baby here. Our daughter. Do you want to bring some strange man to travel with us and our baby? A strange man who is after Mom, no less?”
“I hear you,” Ryan said. “I’m not real comfortable with that myself, but we have to consider it. We could tie the guy up and put him in the back. And that way, we could do with him whatever we want.”
“Guillermo would know what to do with him,” Marcheline added.
“Guillermo in Tucson?” Ryan asked.
“That’s the one.”
“I guess the drive time would give us time to think further about how to handle the situation,” Ryan said.
“I can’t believe you two are actually considering putting a strange man in the car with our baby!” Sabine said, exasperated. She was feeling like a protective mama bear, and for good reason.
Marcheline and Ryan looked at each other. They had already made up their minds, regardless of Sabine’s protest.
“I’m sorry, my darling,” Marcheline said to Sabine. “It’s the best thing for right now. There are too many unknowns and we can’t risk leaving him. I don’t want to hurt him, but we need more time to think. Ryan, do we have anything to tie him with?”
“My belt,” Ryan said. “But let me be clear, Marcheline. If we do this, we’re committing a crime. If Bill wants to turn us in and press charges at any point, we’re in a good bit of trouble. It’s kidnapping.”
“I know,” Marcheline confirmed. “But I fear what might happen to us if we don’t take him.”
“Wait, let’s slow this down,” Sabine added. “Kidnapping is a big deal. How about we just offer the man a ride without tying him up? Mom, you could drive, and Amelie and I could move up to the front seat. We could leave Ryan in the back with Bill to keep close tabs on him. Ryan won’t let him threaten us.”
“Do you think he’d cooperate?” Marcheline asked. “Obviously, if he would, that would be the easiest way. If he thinks we’re doing him a favor, then we aren’t in any trouble. No crime committed.”
“Sure. Why not?” Ryan asked. “You change seats and I’ll go talk to him. But that begs the question. Do we still go to Tucson, or should we deviate and change locations?”
Marcheline lowered her brows as she thought. “That’s difficult, too,” she said. “We need to get to Guillermo as soon as possible. And he’s in Tucson. But the more Bill knows, the more of a liability he is, and the more likely we’ll need to silence him.”
“Right,” Ryan replied. “Do you have any other contacts in this part of the country? Does Rande?”
Marcheline he shook her head. “Not that I know of. When I thought about this day in my mind, I didn’t anticipate a scenario like we’re facing. It has me baffled, I admit.”
“Can’t we just drop him off at the next stop?” Sabine asked.
“That goes back to the problem of what he knows and who he might tell,” Marcheline reiterated. She slammed both hands down on the dashboard. “Enough,” she said forcefully. “I’ll use one of the burner phones to call my friend Guillermo. We’re less than an hour from Tucson and I might as well give him a heads up that we’re coming. I’ll ask him what he thinks we
should do about Bill.”
23
It had been even easier to reach Guillermo than Marcheline expected. She called the University, then asked to be transferred to his desk. Luckily, he was there, holding office hours so students could drop in. When he heard it was Marcheline on the phone, he ushered a young teacher’s assistant out of his office and closed the door to give his old friend his full attention.
“Marcheline Fay!” he said cheerfully. “What do you know? I haven’t heard from you in ages. How have you been, old gal?”
“Guillermo,” Marcheline replied. “It’s wonderful to hear your voice, my darling. It’s been a while.”
“Are you still in California?”
“Sort of, yes,” Marcheline replied. “I own… Owned… A winery there. But things have taken a turn and I need your help. Does your offer still stand?”
She glanced out the rearview mirror as she talked, making sure Bill was still in place. He was there, leaning on the side of his car, apparently not planning to cause trouble.
“Absolutely,” Guillermo confirmed. “My offer is good for life. You know that.”
“I’m glad, my friend,” Marcheline replied. “Because I’m about an hour away and I’m going to need the works.”
Guillermo was silent. Marcheline got nervous for a moment, and she thought maybe someone else was listening. She knew this wasn’t a secure line. But she was quickly relieved as she heard her friend scribbling down notes.
“Number of travelers?”
“Three adults and a five-month-old baby,” she said.
“Okay, then. International travel?”
“Hopefully not, but we’re open to that if you think it provides the best... Experience.”
“Ages and genders, please.”
Marcheline continued to provide Guillermo the information he requested, including eye colors and hair colors. She knew he was asking these questions to make fake IDs. She hoped it was safe to be discussing this level of detail on his school phone system. She had no choice but to trust him.