He had to know I could turn him in right now, if I wanted to. That had to be worth something. Yeah, Victor would like to see me. Talk about the future. Give me some shut-the-fuck-up money. I bet there’s a party going on. Booze, women, everything I needed.
I picked up a piece of mirror off the floor and decided I looked good enough to see this crowd. I shoved the dresser and the door aside and, out of habit, I reached into the bowl on my dresser for my car keys. They weren’t there. Fuck. That’s right, I didn’t have a car and right now, I didn’t give a shit.
It was a fifteen-minute walk but I didn’t care. I needed to forget—at least till the high wore off. Yeah, that’s it.
Forget.
Chapter Five — Mollie
I couldn’t keep my original number. I had to get a new one, which was kind of a pain. At least I had a phone. It was one of those cheap, pay-by-the-minute phones, but I couldn’t afford to be picky. I just needed one to stay in touch with Natalie and all the other people who were important to me. I dialed Jack’s house phone and let it ring about twenty times before I hung up. “Come on, Nellie. Pick up the phone!” I grumbled. I called the jail again.
“Hi, I’m calling in regards to an inmate you have there—Jackson Fitzgerald.” I bit my lip and waited for an answer. “Yes, I’ll hold.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we don’t have Mr. Fitzgerald anymore. He’s been released.”
“Released? Who picked him up? When?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you any information about him. It’s against the rules.” At least she was nicer than the other woman was, so I pressed on.
“Are you sure? I can’t get a hold of him. Do you have a number or somewhere I can reach him at?”
“Yes, ma’am. I am sure. And no, I don’t have a number or forwarding address. ” I mumbled a thank you and hung up. If he were out, he’d have his cell, so I pushed the numbers on my phone and waited. He had to pick up. “We’re sorry, but the number you dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try your call again.”
I had no other way of reaching him unless I went by his house. I wasn’t afraid of Nellie—I was more afraid of Jack’s reaction to his false arrest, and he didn’t have my new number, so I wasn’t expecting a call from him at all. I walked into my room to find a pair of jeans and finish up my calls.
I called Dr. Hopkins’ office next and left my new number with one of the nurses. He didn’t waste any time calling me back.
“Hi, Mollie. Thanks for getting in touch with me. I’d like to talk to you about the fundraiser, if you have a minute.”
My heart sank. I was in no position to help the doctor now. I had nothing for myself, much less the doctor. I’d intended on bestowing a gift to the clinic, but now that was impossible, at least for the moment. By the time I’d get my hands on Mom’s money, it would be too late. However, I was the one had lit the fuse here. I had started this whole thing and I needed to see it through. “Sure, Dr. Hopkins. What can I do for you, sir?”
“I guess you heard about the shooting here in the Village. That kid. Andre Washington was shot and caught with drugs. One positive side effect of all the attention is that people are more aware of the clinic now. I’ve even had individuals come forward and ask how they can help. I think it may now be possible to raise the funds we need, if you’ll help me.”
“That is great news. I’m glad something good has come from that tragedy, though I’m not sure how I can help you.” I struggled a little with how I’d say this. “I’ve had a recent turn of events that’s made getting around a little tougher. I’m also living in a different part of town, so it would be a challenge for me to get to the Village.”
There was a pause. “I understand. I was just hoping that…well, if you can’t, you can’t. I’m sure it’ll all work out. You did great work here, Miss DuBois. I am grateful we had you, even if it was just for a while.”
I felt like something you’d find on the bottom of a shoe. I knew I needed to follow through. I’d started this, and I needed to finish it for my own peace of mind.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Hopkins, what did you have in mind?”
For the next fifteen minutes, I brainstormed with the doctor and we decided I’d make new flyers and we’d hold some kind of event. Maybe a neighborhood barbecue or something more sophisticated like a dinner for potential donors. I promised I’d call him the next day with some more ideas.
I slid on my cardigan and headed out the door. My bus trip to the hospital would take forty minutes since I’d already missed the faster shuttle. I’d been so caught up in my phone call, the time had flown by and going to Jack’s house wasn’t possible now. On the bright side, I was looking forward to seeing Andre and I hoped and prayed that he was doing better—maybe he’d even be awake. That would have been the perfect start to my day, but realistically, I wasn’t sure that was going to happen anytime soon. Sometimes people with that much trauma took days to wake up.
During my long bus ride, I thought about my dad and, of course, Jack. I’d lost everything, at least temporarily, and all for a man I thought I knew. Now I realized I probably didn’t know him at all. Jack, why did you do this? What happened to you? I wiped a tear from my eye. I had to be strong today.
When I got to Andre’s room, it was full of members of his church. I was happy to see Gloria surrounded by caring friends. The boy remained unconscious, but his vitals looked good and I hoped that he’d wake up soon. I didn’t disturb her, but gave her a little wave as I left the room. I was surprised that the nurses allowed so many people to be in the room at once, but I guessed this case tugged on everyone’s hearts. I still didn’t know what to think about Jack. Could he have introduced the kid to drugs? I still refused to believe that. It just didn’t fit with what I knew about him—as little as that was.
I had a short shift at the hospital, which really sucked because I needed as much cash as I could earn right now. I refused to live off my friend and I’d planned on paying her something for allowing me to stay in her apartment. I also had to save for a car because there was no way was I going to hoof it for the next nine months.
I looked around the bus at all the different people and thought how funny it was that I never thought about the bus when I was backing my BMW out of the driveway. Now, I wasn’t a spectator, but a full-blown member of the culture of people that were just trying to get by. I smiled at an older lady who sat beside me. It was like a community— we saw each other almost every day.
“Hello, Mollie, how are you today?” she asked with a pleasant smile.
“I’m doing really well, Francis. You?” She’d told me her name and a bit about her life the last time we’d met. She was sixty years old and worked at a factory on the outside of town. She’d been there over twenty years and still made her way out there every day on the bus, rain or shine.
“I’m blessed today. I have my health, my home and my heart.” She smiled again. “On your way home?”
“Actually, I have to run by the college and turn in some papers. I’m almost finished with school. Nursing major.”
She patted my hand and said, “You’re a smart girl, Mollie. See you soon.” Then she stood up and walked to the door. She turned back to look at me and gave me a little nod. I thought about her as the bus passed two more stops and finally arrived at the college. I grabbed my bag and headed to the financial aid office.
It had been a while since I’d been on campus and it felt good to be back. I had to go to the financial aid office to fill out a loan application and change my address. I only had a few months left, so I couldn’t quit now and once I had access to my trust, I’d have all the money I needed to pay it back. My phone rang and I was digging around for it in my purse when I ran into a hard body.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry!” I looked up and saw Dylan standing in front of me. He looked a bit different from when I saw him before. He’d ditched the sleek dress shirt and pants for jeans and a long-sleeved tee. Instead of a smug
smile, he wore a backpack and looked just as distracted as I did.
“No, I’m sorry. I was…hey…”
“Dylan, right?” I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear and extended my hand, embarrassed that I’d crashed into him.
“Yes, and your name is… honestly, I’m so sorry, I forgot. I should probably lie to you and tell you I remember it, but I don’t. What is it again?” He smiled a killer smile and my heart leapt a little.
“Mollie, Mollie DuBois. It’s okay. So you’re a student here?”
“Yeah, I’m studying to be an engineer.”
“No way! Really?” Color me surprised. I couldn’t imagine Dylan being anything but a jerk. “What kind?”
“Highways, traffic engineering. It’s more complicated than you might think.”
“I didn’t think anything, but it sounds fascinating.” Okay, so that was a lie. I wasn’t fascinated by it, but I didn’t want to appear judgmental about what he was studying.
“How is the nursing going?”
“Just a few more weeks and I’ll be finished. I can’t wait. It’s been a long time coming. You close to finishing?”
“Yeah, last semester then no more racing. I’ll be legit, then.”
He looked surprised when I laughed. Dylan didn’t know that I’d heard this before—from Jack. I felt a twinge of sadness. Jack. “Sorry, you reminded of something. Not related at all.” Feeling stupid that I had, I asked, “You got time for coffee?”
He flashed a bright, easy smile. “Sure, that would be great. I’ve got about forty minutes before my next class. How’s The Perk.”
I smiled and walked beside him. Perhaps I’d misjudged Dylan and God knows I’d misjudged people more than once already. I could fill out the loan paperwork afterward and I’d forgotten all about my phone. I tossed it back in my purse and walked with Dylan to the coffee shop. As usual, it was busy but we managed to score two seats indoors.
Once we got our lattes, we sat down and Dylan gave me a sheepish look. “Listen, I want to apologize for the way I acted the last time we met. I know I behaved like a jerk. It’s just that, well… that dude pisses me off so bad. I found out that he’d been with my girlfriend—ex-girlfriend now, and I was pissed. I guess I went to the hospital to revel in the fact that karma’s a bitch. I know that’s a terrible thing to admit, but I am very sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me. I totally understand. I’ve heard quite a bit of stuff about Jack recently, but I really don’t want to talk about him.” I sipped my coffee and the hot liquid tasted like heaven. I took a deep breath and thought for a second. Yeah, I’d have to process that later, the part about Dylan’s girlfriend. “So, I take it you aren’t seeing her anymore?”
It was his turn to give an ironic laugh. “No, God no. Of course not. I’ve had plenty to keep me busy.”
I leaned forward so I could whisper. “You know, the cops have really cracked down on the races now. I hope you really have quit.”
“I haven’t raced since the last time I raced with Jack.” He sipped and sighed. “You know, cops really want to nail someone for the races. It’s generally harmless fun, but then you get druggies like Fitzgerald who—oh, sorry.”
I nodded in agreement. “So how’s school for you?” I didn’t want to think or talk about Jack. Not even say his name out loud, so I listened to Dylan talk about school, racing and noticed how his eyes sparkled when he spoke. He was actually very handsome, with a perfectly straight nose, a square jaw and a deep voice. So, why was I thinking about a tall, thin rogue racer with blond, out of control hair?
“Mollie, did you hear me?” My phone dinged in my purse and I reached for it.
“I’m sorry.” I pulled out my phone to check it. “What did you say?”
He talked some more about roadway engineering and I tried to look attentive. “Wow, that does sound interesting,” I said, as I looked at the text from Natalie. She was reminding me about the black tie dinner we’d RSVP’d to last month—it was coming up soon. I had to look for a dress—and a date. It was for some animal rights cause that Nat was passionate about and she was letting me know that she had a date for me. Oh, no! Not another one of Nat’s fix-ups.
I looked at Dylan across the table from me. “I know this sounds reckless and maybe kind of forward, but I was wondering, what are your plans next weekend?” I waved my phone at him. “I have to go to this black tie dinner and I need a date. My best friend is threatening to fix me up with her assistant. Would you be free?” To prove to him that I wasn’t crazy, I handed him my phone. He read the message and laughed. I liked his laugh.
“Why not? After all these tests, I’ll need something to help me unwind. I suppose I need to wear a tux?”
I crinkled my nose. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. It was just a thought, but I don’t want to make life difficult for you. It was a wild, random idea anyway.” I sipped my coffee and checked my watch.
“You know, I’ve always been a big fan of wild and random. I’m in. I’ll need your digits, though.” He handed me his phone and I punched my new phone number into it. I called myself to have his number in my phone and handed his back to him.
“There, and thanks. I’ll text her back and let Jay know he’s off the hook.” A few minutes later, I walked out of the coffee shop, alone, and wondered what had just happened. I guessed I’d soon find out.
Chapter Six — Jack
I woke up in a strange girl’s bed and whoever the hell my bed partner was, she’d slept on her stomach. I couldn’t see her face, but her hair looked like Mollie’s—long and blonde. I carefully slid her hair from her face and I knew right away, she was not Mollie DuBois. Oh, yeah, I remember. She’s the chick Victor gave me. The one that tasted like strawberry wine and cigarettes. We’d played hard last night, but now it was time to go. I felt like shit, but I needed to leave. I’d never hung around long afterward. Too many girls would get the wrong idea if I did.
If I looked shitty yesterday, I looked even shittier today. I decided to get a quick shower as quietly as I could, and get out of here. I didn’t know exactly where I was, but from the sounds I’d heard outside, I figured I was still in the Warehouse District. I showered, shampooed and left. My bedmate, Rhianna—or was it Brianna?—I couldn’t remember, but she didn’t move a muscle and I was relieved. She must have been really drunk last night—I know I was. God, I hope I’d used a condom. I pulled my jeans on and found some money in the pocket. Oh, yeah, I won at poker, too. Forgot about that. I smiled.
I stepped outside and breathed in the muggy air. It was another hot one today, then I looked at my watch. Damn, it was three o’clock already. I checked my phone, and although I’d texted my new number to Victor and a few other people, no one had bothered to call me, not even my attorney, and I didn’t want to go home. I was sure the cops would be cruising by and my neighbors hated me. If I was to blame for that drive by shooting, I’d hate to think I’d be putting more people in danger.
On a whim, I decided to go downtown. I had money now, only a few hundred bucks, but maybe a good walk would clear my head.
When I was a kid, I used to love walking down to Artist’s Row on Saturdays and, while I was no artist, I did admire their work and I always came by myself, but I didn’t mind. Strangely enough, no adult ever tried to stop me or question me about what I was doing there. I would stroll through the streets, looking at the 3D chalk drawings, the paintings on driftwood and the wild beer can sculptures. It felt good being here again, in a place where I’d had some happy moments.
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. “Fitz, where are you at?” It was Victor’s froggy voice on the other end.
“Talking a walk, Vic. What’s up?”
“I need you to drive for me today. I’ll give you some cash for your trouble. Won’t take but a couple of hours, but you need to get over here now.”
“When you say drive, do you mean race?” God, I hadn’t raced since the wreck and I didn’t know if I could do it on suc
h short notice.
“No, just driving.”
“Driving what?” This had ‘bad’ written all over it, but I couldn’t pass it up. People weren’t exactly knocking down the door to hire me for anything and I’d shot all my chances with Stockton to hell. “How soon do you need me?”
“Be here in thirty minutes.”
I sighed. “Yeah, all right. I’ll be there.”
I lit a cigarette and walked to the corner. Unfortunately, the bus came before I got there so I had to wait another ten minutes for the next one. While I sat there on the grungy bench, I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled down to where I’d entered Mollie’s number earlier. I didn’t dial it. I just stared at it; I don’t know why. I tapped on the screen and hit ‘Edit’ then my shaking thumb hovered over the ‘Delete’ button. It wasn’t even the right number for her anymore and I couldn’t dwell on possibilities that weren’t possibilities any more. She didn’t need to hook up with a loser like me anyway. She’d already lost so much just for being my friend. I tossed the butt on the street and stared at her name one last name. I hit ‘Delete’ and slid the phone in my jacket pocket.
Bye bye, Mollie.
I walked into the back of the warehouse and, immediately, my hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I guess when you stay in trouble as much as I do, you kind of get a sixth sense about when trouble was going to find you. Here it was.
Victor and a few of his “friends” were talking over the hood of a car—well, talking was an understatement. More like a heated discussion, and my name came up a few times. I didn’t speak Russian, but I was pretty sure Fitzgerald wasn’t translatable, except as Fitzgerald.
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