"Watch it. You're getting my raincoat all wet." I swallowed the knot in my throat.
She stepped back, looking me over.
I smiled.
"Oh, you!" Then she started to cry again.
I cried too. She hadn't made it out of the accident without a scratch as I'd believed.
I moved in with Ruby. Kyle didn't approve but he kept his opinion to himself.
Neither Ruby nor I ever mentioned Nick.
I pruned her roses and ran errands with her, and she helped me look for a town house in Dana Point. By the time I closed escrow, Ruby was able to drive.
The day after I moved into my new place, she showed up at my door with a black kitten. Flash. It was a brand new beginning for each of us. That was four years ago. Four years of boring predictability. I would give anything to go back to that monotonous dullness, anything.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I sat at my kitchen table, eyes closed, searching for logic in this senseless situation. Shivers traveled through my body, but my hands burned hot against the cold glass of water and my mind's eye fought images of Kyle, Ruby and Larry.
Evening cloaked my home and my spirit. All my crying left me so drained I couldn't think straight. Poor Kyle. I couldn't bear to think about him in some dungeon-like, dangerous jail. I called the police department, trying to find out the address and the name of the detention place where Kyle was being held. Maybe I could call him, visit him, anything. Too soon, I was told, call back later. Between fits of desperation I phoned Bonnie's office, but reached a recording. Why did Kyle hire Bonnie? Larry's friend. How did Larry fit into this? Larry and Bonnie and the disposable phone I was instructed to answer. I had left the phone somewhere upstairs, and it was still there, unanswered. I kept the whole house dark and hoped by now even the most dedicated reporter would have given up and left.
The loud ring of the house phone startled me. I let the machine answer. "Damn it, Lella, I know you can hear me. Pick up the phone." Larry's voice was low and angry. I didn't move.
"Lella, I'm going to be at your front door in a minute. You can open the door or I'll let myself in. I don't want to attract attention, but if you don't care, we'll do it your way." A brief silence, then I heard the knob of my front door turn like magic. I jumped up and unlocked and yanked open the door. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of showing off his lock-picking skills. The outside lamp framed his silhouette, and I got a whiff of his aftershave when he came in.
"You can turn on the light. The reporters are gone. There's a smash-up on Ortega Highway with some drunken celebrity. They'll be busy for a while."
I didn't move. We stood so close I felt his body heat, but it didn't warm my heart. He stepped away and went to turn on the dining-room chandelier. When the light hit, my swollen eyelids burned like open wounds. If he noticed he didn't acknowledge it.
"I brought you some food."
I didn't want his food; I wanted to hurt him the way I was hurting. All my troubles began with him. I had a perfectly ideal life and that perfect life had been blown apart the day he called about Ruby.
He stood by the dining-room table, studying me. I sensed it even though his face was shaded and I couldn't see his eyes. He wore the same jacket he had on when he drove me to meet his friend Bonnie. He pretty much looked the same way he did this morning, and if new emotions found their way into his soul, he concealed them well.
"I brought you some food," he repeated, and put a brown bag on the table. A bag with the Cannon logo on it.
He folded his jacket over the back of a dining chair then pulled out containers from the bag. My silence didn't seem to disturb him. Soon I saw a plate, silverware, butter and rolls on the table. I got curious, and he knew it. He took a step in my direction and gave me the slightest smile. "I didn't know what to get you so I brought the same food you ordered when we went there for dinner. It's still warm. I made sure." He remembered? Another step. He held out his hand and waited. I fought the urge to touch him, the urge to hide my sorrow against his heart. Feelings, old and not so old interwoven, sparring for control, announcing their power over me. No.
"You really should eat. Not eating isn't going to help." He spoke with the same tone of voice I used when Kyle was little and sick. I should have felt insulted, but at a deeper level I knew that such caring wasn't something Larry did often or randomly.
"I'm not going to eat, okay? You should go home."
"Lella, you may hold the key to Ruby's disappearance. You knew her better than anyone else. If she's out there, we'll find her, but you need to help."
I looked him in the eyes. "I want to talk to my son. Where is he?"
"I'm not sure where he's being held. He'll probably call you soon. He will call on your landline, collect. Make sure you answer. They aren't allowed much time and other inmates will be waiting to use the phones." A pause. "And every word gets recorded."
Someone knocked on the front door. I looked at Larry, not sure what to do. He put a finger on his lips. "Shhh."
We waited. His hand found mine on the table. The knocking grew louder.
"Ask who it is," he whispered in my ear. He got up and walked toward the door.
"Who is it?" I said.
"Mrs. York, it's me, Audrey. Your neighbor."
Larry turned his head, his eyes searching mine. I nodded yes, I knew her.
"Mrs. York, I heard about Kyle." She sounded concerned.
I hurried to open the door.
Audrey hesitated then came in. She looked at me, at my swollen face, and then at Larry. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, like nervous people do. I had to introduce them and found myself mystified. Who was he going to be tonight? Larry the lover, Lieutenant Devin, Bonnie's friend or someone entirely different?
"I'm Larry Devin." He shook her hand, solving my dilemma, if only temporarily.
"I heard it on the news. They think Kyle did something to that friend of yours? The one who picked up your mail and fed your cat?"
I nodded. "I didn't know you met Ruby."
"She was very nice. I didn't talk to her until my aunt came over to visit. Well, she wasn't really our aunt. We called her Aunt Millie because she sometimes took care of us." She must have noticed the puzzled look on my face. "My brother and me."
"Where is David?"
"He's asleep. Tomorrow we need to get on the road very early. We're going back home for the funeral. Aunt Millie's funeral."
"I'm so sorry." The whole conversation felt unreal. Larry watched, pretending great interest.
"Her death was so unexpected. She drowned. It's so sad. One day she's here visiting, and a few days later they find her in the river." Audrey sounded crushed. Her eyes avoided mine. Tears glistened on her lashes.
"Did you live far away?" Larry's voice surprised us.
"We moved here from Parker, Arizona, after my dad was transferred. We still don't get to see him often, but I like to be near the beach."
Larry grasped my arm, moving closer, almost between Audrey and me.
"You say your Aunt Millie came to visit and met Ruby?" His voice had that calm charm he used on me when he asked me to dinner. What the hell was he up to?
"Yes. I had no idea Aunt Millie was coming, and we weren't home. Your friend—Ruby—kept her entertained until we got back. Apparently they had a lot in common. They were the same age and the same astrological sign. Aunt Millie believed very much in those sorts of things. A friend had given Aunt Millie a ride here, but she didn't have a ride back, so Ruby offered to take her home."
"To Parker?" I remembered what Kyle said about Ruby stopping to see him in Palm Springs. "She had gone to Parker to drop off something for Tom," he'd said. Maybe that was why she'd offered the aunt a ride? But Tom was already dead when she swapped the car in Palm Springs. None of this made sense.
"I'll have to leave you, ladies." Larry checked his watch. "I have an appointment with a friend and I'm running late. Nice meeting you, Audrey. Sorry about your loss." H
e turned to me. "Talk to you later. Answer your phone."
He must mean the phone Bonnie gave me, the one I hadn't answered. Then he left. I didn't want him to go, but didn't want him to know that I wanted him to stay.
"Audrey, I'm not sure what's going on with Ruby and Kyle." I paused to control the surge of hurt at the mention of my son's name. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Not really." She was still standing by the door, doing the balancing trick with her feet. "Could you keep an eye on my place? I'll be back day after tomorrow. We're only spending one night up there. Maybe my dad can make it too. My dad is a commercial pilot. He was in England when I found out." She turned to leave. "Can you tell Kyle that I'm thinking of him?"
I nodded and she left. I locked the door behind Audrey and went to sit in the kitchen. Flash came out of nowhere, checking her empty food dish. I stroked her back, my mind still sorting out what just happened. Something Audrey said triggered a reaction in Larry. Suddenly he not only listened, but he asked questions. About Parker and the aunt. The aunt who drowned.
The house phone rang. I picked it up on the second ring and accepted the collect call with trembling hands and my voice quivering.
"Mom." Kyle's voice started the flood of tears again. "Mom, don't cry, please. We need to talk. I only have a few minutes. I didn't do it. Whatever they think I did to Ruby, it isn't true. I would never hurt her; you know that."
"I know, Kyle, I know. We must get you home. Why did you hire Bonnie?"
"I didn't hire Bonnie. I thought you did."
What? "When did you first talk to her?"
"When you saw me in court."
"Wait, didn't you ask for a lawyer when they arrested you?"
"Sort of. I tried to call you, but you weren't answering, and Carolyn was at that event waiting for me. It all happened so fast. The next thing I knew I was in a cell, and then in the morning I was in court."
"I need to get you a real lawyer."
"Bonnie isn't a lawyer?" He paused. "Mom, I've got to hang up or I'll get in trouble. These people don't kid around, Mom. Sorry, got to—" Click. Silence.
I forgot to ask what jail he was in. He didn't hire Bonnie. Larry had to be more involved in this mess than I first thought. But why? I felt manipulated, used.
All my pent-up emotions turned into anger. I grabbed the containers from Cannon and dumped them in the garbage. Too bad I couldn't do the same to the bearer. I hated the whole world. If only I could get my hands on Ruby. I wished the astrologer had been right. A dead woman would have not swapped cars with my son. Oh, God!
I turned off the lights and went upstairs to my bedroom, aware I wouldn't get much more sleep than the night before. I sat on the unmade bed. Should I take something to help me sleep? Tissues littered my bed from the previous hours of crying. Ruby's chart was among the tissues. I remembered something Audrey said about her aunt. "They had a lot in common, same age, same astrological sign." Mio dio. The Ponte Vecchio encounter flashed in my mind's eye in every detail. The only thing I gave to the astrologer was Ruby's birthdate and Los Angeles as the place of birth. No specific time, no details. Who knows how many baby girls could have been born that same day in LA County? Dozens. Hundreds! One of them could have been Audrey's aunt, the one who drowned. The chart of a dead woman could be the chart of any woman born the same day as Ruby. Why didn't I think of that before wasting time and energy over a stupid astrological chart, a worthless piece of paper? I tossed the tissues and the chart into the waste basket, then went to the bathroom to wash away my tears. Tonight I would sleep. Tomorrow I would fire Bonnie, hire a real lawyer and get Kyle home. I would not think about Larry, and I would find Ruby.
Flash hopped onto the bed, stretched and then settled next to me. I looked at my faithful pet. Here we were again, the two of us. I scooted closer to Flash and leaned over to turn off the light.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
9:00 a.m. I stood in my kitchen, fully dressed. Already had my two cups of coffee and cherry yogurt. I fed the cat and was ready to go.
I took a deep breath and picked up the phone. Before I could punch in a single digit I heard a voice. "Good morning, Lella!"
What? I must have answered the phone before it had the chance to ring.
"Lella, it's Bonnie. How are you?" Ticked off and unprepared to speak to you? "I hear you want to fire me."
"Excuse me?"
"I spoke to Kyle. You can't fire me because you didn't hire me."
"Who hired you, and why?"
"Your son signed the retainer today. Larry 'hired' me originally. I assume out of guilt?"
"Guilt? About what?" Hundreds of thoughts fought in my mind for a chance to leap from my lips to her ear. Instead I sat, stunned by her statement. I let the silence build because I didn't know what to say.
"Lella, you need to trust me." She ignored my question. "I'll take good care of your son. I promise you."
"How is Kyle?" I attempted to head the conversation to a different direction in the hopes that Bonnie would forget my earlier question. I wasn't sure I could handle the answer.
"Not too happy about the situation, but he's getting a better understanding of how the system works and what we need to do to get him home."
I felt a surge of anger. If she was going to take care of Kyle, she would have made sure he didn't have to spend the night in jail. "When can I see him?"
"Late this morning. He is at the men's facility, very close to the courthouse where we were. You'll need identification. Don't bring anything of value inside with you. Dress modestly. No open-toed shoes. Lella, you must be strong. He's a good kid. Let's stick together and sort this mess out." She stopped talking, but somehow I knew she wasn't done. I heard her take a deep breath. "Did you talk to Larry?"
"About what?"
"About the missing woman, Ruby Russell. I understand you're best friends."
I hesitated. "I saw Larry last evening, but he was in a hurry." I avoided the Cannon details. "I guess we didn't get to talk about Ruby. What do you need to know?"
"I'll put together a list after I see Kyle. I'm expecting a complete police report."
She said goodbye. She didn't wait for me to answer her before she hung up on me.
I will not cry. I couldn't cry. Flash rubbed against my leg. She sensed my despair. I went upstairs and, like a mechanical doll, I changed from my suit to slacks and a sweater. Removed my jewelry, grabbed my purse, my car keys and out the door I went. I will not cry.
Driving always had a calming effect. Away from phone, television and distractions, I could sort out my thoughts and make sense of my often negative reasoning. Or I could have a good cry and feel renewed afterward.
Larry hired Bonnie to represent Kyle out of guilt. Guilt about what? Larry never met Kyle. Their paths never crossed. I needed to talk to Larry. I left the house feeling so stressed and confused that I couldn't remember if I put the cell phone in my purse. There was no way of pulling off the freeway. I didn't want to miss the visiting hours. I had no idea how long it would take me to find parking and fill out whatever forms were needed to get to see my son. The Larry puzzle would have to wait.
Much to my surprise, everything went well. The sheriff ran a smooth operation. Waiting for Kyle to get to the phone was the most painful part before the visit. I wasn't sure how I would react, how he would look or sound. The shuffling of his shackled feet when he exited the courtroom still tore my heart to pieces.
Then I saw him. He sat, and we looked at each other, separated by a thick glass. I was unable to reach over to touch him, to hold his hand. I wasn't even sure this was a private conversation. I remembered Larry's warning. "And every word gets recorded."
My brain knew it was my imagination, but my heart decided Kyle had lost weight overnight. We each picked up a phone.
"Hi, Mom." His voice didn't sound like his voice at all.
I swallowed my tears. The last thing Kyle needed was a weeping mother.
"Mom, what's up with you and Larr
y Devin?"
"What?" I felt my mouth open and stay that way, like a fish on a hook.
"Bonnie said your friend Larry is picking up the tab for my defense, and I'm sure it's not a small bill. Is he someone from the mission? A friend of Dad's?"
"No, no. Larry's a—retired detective…who…" I stopped short of saying "who won the lottery."
"Well, he is also a friend of Bonnie's. Maybe she's giving him a discount. Why do you want to keep Bonnie as your lawyer?"
"She came over last night after I called you. She isn't the type of lawyer who gets pushed around. Some of the guys, I mean the other, you know, prisoners"—I could see the embarrassment on his face when he mentioned anything related to the prison—"they must know who she is. They were high-fiving me, like I won the lottery." I blushed when he mentioned the lottery. Damn you, Larry Devin. I nodded my encouragement as he went on. "She stayed for over an hour. I understand much better what this is all about. It's just a matter of figuring out where Ruby is holed up with my Porsche, and I'm out of here."
I looked at him a long time. Was this my Kyle? I came here to comfort him, a ton of tissues in my pocket, and instead he was cheering me up. "Kyle, you are so right. Where can she possibly be? Certainly the police must be looking for her and your Porsche. Perhaps we can think about places she may be at and then we can compare notes? Do you have access to writing material? Should I go get you some?"
"Mom, that's a good idea. I have paper and a pencil, and I'll work on it. Do you think maybe she went back to Parker after she left Palm Springs with my car?"
We spent the last ten minutes analyzing more places Ruby was likely to be, but the big question was left unasked. Why? Why would Ruby put Kyle's life in jeopardy? Regardless of where she was, surely she must read the papers, listen to the radio and watch the news. Unless—the chart of a dead woman. Stop it.
"Mom, you don't need to hurry here to see me every day, really. I'm in a section for people who haven't gone to court yet, and it's not so bad. I'm a big boy, you know." He killed me and kept on smiling. It was likely a ton wouldn't be nearly enough tissues.
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