Change of Heart 2

by Scarlett Edwards

  “He got you a fake passport. Why not one for himself?”

  “Or,” I say, trying to imagine myself in Rich’s place, “maybe he didn’t. What if he used his real name to draw attention away from us? As a distraction? To give you and me time to get away.”

  “Holy shit!” Min gasps. “Penny, you’re right! I just don’t understand how Rich could possibly expect you not to go after him. I’ve only known you for a few days, and even I know you you’d go after him.”

  I bite my lower lip. “I may have promised him that I wouldn’t do that yesterday.”

  “What?”

  “It was hypothetical!” I defend. “He said he wanted me to put my safety first. He wanted me to promise. I did, but only after he swore he’d talk to be me before making any big decisions.”

  “Rich always sticks to his word. He expects everyone else to as well. It’s this romantic notion he’s always had in his head. That’s why he did it, Penny. If you promised him, your word would let him do this!”

  “He backed out of his promise first. That nullifies mine.”

  Min smiles. “I like the way you think, girl.”

  “Thanks. Now, we’ve got to get moving. Every minute we delay gives Rich another minute to get farther away.”

  “Hold on.” Min catches my arm as I start out of the room. “Penny, I know you’re worried. So am I. But, if we both run into this without a plan, things are bound to end up badly.”

  “I have a plan!” I insist. “We go find Rich and stop him from doing whatever he’s about to do.”

  “It’s not that easy. He could be anywhere right now. If he flew, he’s probably already halfway to New York.”

  I sit down hard on the bed. “So that’s it?” I feel my despair trying to break free. “Are we already too late?”

  “I don’t know,” Min says. She sits down beside me. “I know it feels like we have to do something right away, but we need to take a step back. Figure out our best course of action. Plan it out, and then stick to the plan.”

  “Yes,” I nod. “Right. That makes sense.”

  “First thing we have to do is figure out today’s flights to New York. I’ll get my laptop.” Min runs out of the room.

  I’m left waiting on the side of the bed. The same bed Rich and I made love in so many times over the past few days. Who knew that he’d been planning on leaving me here the whole time? Now that the initial rush of adrenaline upon finding his letter has started to wane, I can better understand how I feel.

  I feel… betrayed. Loving someone is about trusting them with your life. With all your secrets. Trust has always been a difficult thing for me. I learned, early on, that the only person I can really trust is myself. With Rich, I was starting to question that assumption. If I love him, it means I should be able to trust him, too.

  Love makes people do crazy things. I don’t doubt that Rich thinks leaving me like this is a good idea. It’s probably noble and chivalrous in his mind. All he really accomplished is breaking my trust.

  Min returns. She has a laptop under her arm and a second manila envelope in her hand.

  “I got one, too,” she says. “Damn! I should have seen it earlier! It was lying on the kitchen table.”

  “Why didn’t you notice it before?” I ask.

  “I thought it was Rich’s, so I didn’t look,” she says. “It didn’t even occur to me to pick it up.” She tears the seal and dumps the contents on the bed. Another passport falls out. She flips it open and shows me the first page. Her picture is there, next to a fake name.

  “Bastard brother didn’t even leave a letter,” Min says. “What was I supposed to do if I found the envelope before you? What was I supposed to think?”

  “Hey, there’s something else in here,” I tell her, reaching into the envelope. My fingers brush something smooth and glossy. I pull it out.

  It’s an old photograph. I hand it to Min. As soon as she sees it, her face falls. She blinks rapidly, trying to hide the sudden tears in her eyes.

  “The asshole,” she whispers under her breath. Her voice cracks. “He really does think he’s never going to see us again.” A lone tear falls, staining the photograph. She wipes it away with her thumb.

  “Hey, hey,” I console her. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to let him do that,” I reassure her, rubbing her arm. “I made you a promise too. Remember? I said I’d keep Rich safe. I don’t intend to back off now.”

  I look at the photograph over her shoulder. It’s a picture of a little boy pushing his younger sister on a swing. Rich’s red hair and green eyes are unmistakable.

  “It’s the only picture we have of us together,” Min explains in a tiny voice. “Rich took it with him when he left home. I didn’t know if I would ever see him again. I didn’t… I didn’t even know he still had this picture, after all these years.”

  “We’ll find him, and you can shove the photo right back into his big, stupid hands yourself.”

  Min smiles and gives a little sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” She dabs at her eyes. “If either of us has reason to cry, it’s you. I can’t believe how composed you are.”

  “Trust me,” I say, squeezing her arm. “Going through everything I have with your brother has left me with a lot of practice keeping my composure.”

  ***

  “Five flights leave for New York today,” Min says from behind her laptop. “All route through Sea-Tac in Seattle. If Rich is flying, that’s his only choice.”

  “And the bike is gone,” I confirm. I’d run down to ground level to check.

  “Right. So we’re stranded here, while Rich is probably just about to take off,” Min groans.

  “You found his flight?” I look over Min’s shoulder. “Which one?”

  “Right here.” Min points to the screen. “Alaska Airlines flight 4832.”

  “Got it,” I nod.

  “Here’s the airline’s number.” Mine writes out a phone number on the back of the envelope. “You want to call and ask, or should I?”

  “I’ll do it.” I take the envelope from her and run down to the lobby payphone. I drop a quarter in and dial the number.

  A cheerful female voice picks up. “Alaska Airlines customer service, how may I assist you?”

  “Hi. I’m calling about a passenger on flight 4832, leaving from Seattle to New York?”

  “I’m sorry Miss, but company policy prevents me from disclosing information about our passengers.”

  “I understand that,” I say quickly. “You don’t have to give me any information. But, it’s very important that what I tell you gets to the right people. I’m calling for Richard Blackthorne.” I spell out his last name. “I’m his wife. He has a life-threatening peanut allergy. He just left for a business trip. Usually, he has his medication with him. But, I just found it at home. I know you serve peanuts on the flight. If even a speck brushes against his skin, he’ll go into anaphylactic shock.” I make my voice shake with worry. “Please, I know you can’t tell me anything. But, it’s so important that Richard knows he doesn’t have his meds.”

  “Mmm…. Flight 4832, you said?” the ticket agent asks.

  I pump a fist in the air but keep the excitement from my voice. “Yes, that’s right. Going to New York.”

  “Hmm.” I hear keys clacking on a keyboard. “Does he usually fly first class, or coach?”

  I freeze. “Uhh…”

  “Oh! Never mind,” she interrupts. “There he is. Richard Blackthorne, right? Okay. I’ll let our flight attendant know.”

  “Please do,” I say. “I’m very worried about him.”

  “Don’t be, Miss,” she assures me. “Our customers are our first priority. Your husband’s going to be fine.”

  “Thank you. That’s a huge relief.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Is there anything else I can assist you with—”

  I drop the receiver and leave it swinging from the phone as I race back to Min.

  “He�
�s on the flight!” I exclaim as soon as I see her.

  Her eyebrows go up in surprise. “You got them to tell you that?” she asks.

  “Not directly.” I wink. “It took a bit of creative storytelling on my part.”

  “Good job. Looks like you were right. He used his real name—”

  “—to draw attention away from us,” I finish Min’s thought.

  “Yes.” Min turns her laptop to me. “The redeye to New York leaves at midnight. Rich made us those passports. We’d better make use of them.”

  ***

  We pack fast and light. I don’t have many things, and Min leaves most of hers behind.

  Outside, we find a cab. Rich gave us everything we need to move around undetected. We’re going to take advantage of it.

  The drive to the airport is long and quiet. We’re both morose. Sensing our mood, the driver turns down the radio and avoids small talk.

  I chew my lip as I stare out the window. I recognize some stretches of the highway from my trip with Rich. I’m worried. Min and I have done everything we can, but what if we’re still too late? What if we can’t find Rich in time? What if he gets hurt before we can stop him?

  I try to keep those thoughts to myself and put on a strong front for Min. In truth, I think she’s doing the same thing for me. The strength we’re projecting is a fragile illusion.

  Min takes my hand and squeezes once. I look over and give her a tight smile. Both of us need to be strong. Not even for each other. For Rich.

  Time passes. My body feels like it gets strung tighter with every hour. I imagine Rich somewhere high in the air on that damn plane. What misguided sense of righteousness would send him off like that?

  Suddenly, I realize we’re passing through an area I know very well. “Take a right!” I exclaim. “The next exit!”

  The driver swerves to change lanes immediately. Momentum throws me against the door. A honk blares behind us, two, three…

  “What the hell was that?” Min demands of our driver. “Are you trying to get us killed?”

  “You asked me to turn,” he shrugs.

  I explain myself quickly to Min. “We’ve got six hours before our flight takes off. And we’re already close to the airport. Right?”

  “Twenty minutes away, depends on traffic,” the driver offers.

  “I lived here,” I continue. “This might be the last time I’m ever going to be in the area. I owe it to my roommate, at least, to explain what the hell has happened to me.” If she still lives in the apartment…

  “Okay,” Min agrees. “Just, next time, tell me before making a decision like that?”

  “Sorry. I only thought of it when I saw the exit.”

  We pull up outside the building I used to call home. It looks… exactly the same as before. Like nothing’s changed.

  Everything has changed for me. It’s almost shocking to discover that elsewhere in the world, life has been going on as usual.

  I pay the driver with part of the money Rich left. A gust of wind cuts through my jacket. I shiver a little in the cold.

  “Here goes nothing,” I tell Min. We walk into the lobby. The building does not have an elevator, so I lead Min to the stairs. I fill her in on what she doesn’t know as we climb.

  “The night I met your brother is the same night my roommate got us evicted. I gave her the rent money, but she ended up spending it on drugs,” I finish with a grimace.

  “What are we doing here, then?”

  “Well, thanks to Rich, I pretty much disappeared without a trace. Abby might not have been the perfect roommate, but I think she still deserves to know what happened to me. We moved here from California together.”

  “Do what you need to do,” Min says. “But if you say you got evicted, how are you going to find the girl?”

  “I still have my belongings in the apartment. The landlord may have changed the locks, but he’s not cruel enough to have thrown out his tenant’s things.” At least, I hope not. “Worst comes to worst, I can leave a message for Abby with him.” I touch the locket at my chest. “There’s nothing inside the apartment I really need.”

  I open the door to the hallway and go through after Min. There’s a smell of smoke in the air. Somebody has probably burned dinner.

  When we’re in front of my door, I take out a key, take a deep breath, and try the lock.

  It doesn’t budge.

  I sigh. “So much for that.”

  “Hold on.” Min steps in front of me and kneels down. She brushes her fingers against the wood. “There’s a new layer of paint here,” she says. “Only around the lock. And look! A door guard. Was that always there?”

  “No,” I say.

  “Looks like somebody forced their way in, then,” Min says. “They only put those guards on after there’s been a break in. Look around. The other doors don’t have them. Do you think it could have been your roommate?”

  “Abby? No.” I shake my head. “She might be a little wild, but she would never break into an apartment.”

  “Then, unless you believe in coincidences, I think some of your new friends have been here.”

  I shiver. Suddenly, the empty hallway feels a lot more ominous. “I don’t know if coming here was such a good idea,” I whisper.

  “Me neither,” Min agrees. “But we wouldn’t have known about this if we hadn’t.”

  “If the landlord had time to fix the lock, it means the break in wasn’t recent. A day or two ago, at the earliest,” I say, trying to find comfort in the situation.

  “Probably,” Min agrees. “But it means that we have to be more careful from now on.”

  “Yes. Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me bad vibes.”

  Chapter Four

  The landlord lives in the building next to mine. Both properties are his.

  “Are you sure about this?” Min asks right before we walk into the second building.

  “I have to know what happened,” I answer. “And as much as I hate to admit it, I’m worried about Abby. What if she was inside when they broke in?”

  “Even if you guys got evicted?” Min raises an eyebrow.

  “Maybe she found some way to piece together enough for rent. I don’t know. But she relies on me for half. The least I can do is tell her I’m not coming back.”

  Min considers me for a moment. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

  I blink. “Excuse me?”

  “To give up everything you have for my brother—to leave everything behind—takes real devotion.” She smiles. “He’s so lucky to have you. I’m lucky to call you my friend, too. But Rich? I don’t think he even realizes the extent of your love.”

  “Well, we’re going to have to make him see things clearly then,” I say. “Right after I kill him for leaving us the way he did.”

  Min laughs. “You’re not the only one who wants to wring his neck.”

  “We’ll do it together,” I tell her. “But only after we rescue him from the biggest mistake of his life.”

  She looks at the door. “Shall we get this over with, then?”

  I nod and lead the way inside. The landlord lives on the ground floor. His apartment has the only set of double doors in the building.

  I set my feet before them, take a deep breath, and knock.

  Bang-bang-bang.

  There’s no answer. I look at Min, and raise my fist again. Just as my knuckles are about to strike the wood, the door opens.

  A sleepy-eyed Abby appears in the doorway. For a second, I’m too shocked for words. Her golden hair is in a mess, and she’s wearing a huge, grey t-shirt that falls past her knees.

  “Abby?” I stutter.

  “Penelope?” Her eyes go wide in recognition. Without warning, she launches herself at me. I’m enveloped in a monstrous hug. She holds me so tight I can barely breathe. After a second, I notice she’s crying.

  Gently, I ease her off. She dabs at her eyes to wipe away the trailing mascara.

  “Never do that aga
in!” she scolds. “Never disappear like that again, Penn! You hear me? Never!”

  I’m taken aback by the intensity of her words. I never knew she cared so much. She certainly didn’t show it before.

  “Abby, what are you doing here?” I ask.

  “What am I doing here? What are you doing here, Penn? When I didn’t see you again after you left that night with the stranger, I thought you were mad at me at first. But then when you didn’t come back the next day, or the day after, I started to worry. You didn’t respond to my texts or my calls. I thought—I thought something bad had happened to you. Half the campus police force is out looking for you!”

  “They are?”

  “Of course they are, you idiot! I was the last person to see you, and I saw you leave with that guy. I told them everything I remembered when they came to ask me questions. They didn’t say it. But, I could tell: They thought you’d gotten yourself kidnapped—or worse!”

  I give a weak smile. “Actually, that’s not so far from the truth.”

  Abby shakes her head in disbelief. “Penn, I’ve been up day and night fretting about you. I know I pissed you off that night. I kept thinking, ‘If it wasn’t for me, she would have never left with that stranger…’ Oh my God!” she gasps, “And when they broke into our apartment and nearly torched the entire building, I didn’t know what to think!”

  “What?” I exclaim. “Abby, slow down. Somebody almost burned down the building?”

  “They started a fire in our apartment,” Abby says. “If it wasn’t for the new sprinklers they installed last summer, the whole building would be gone. Holy shit, but I can’t believe you’re actually here!” She wraps her arms around me in a second hug. When she lets go, she notices Min for the first time. “Who’s that?” she asks.

  “This is Min,” I say. “The sister of the guy I left with that night.”

  “Hi,” Min offers.

  “His sister?” Abby asks, incredulous. “Jesus Christ, Penn. So he’s not a serial killer, then? I knew you were kidding when you said my suspicion wasn’t far from the truth. Where’s that hunk now?”

  “I wasn’t kidding, Abby. His name is Richard. He’s the reason we’re here.”