“I don’t think I have enough money for a hotel. Someone stole most of the money Uncle Owen gave me.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not exactly flush with cash myself.” He considered and discarded options, Lizzy silent on the other end of the line. Then he said, “Hey, I know. You can stay at my place, and Eddie can keep an eye on you.”
“Do you think it’s safe to go to your house?”
“I’m not sure anymore what’s safe and what isn’t, but I know I’d feel better with Eddie right next door to you. Plus, the guy who sprung me from the hospital and the minder he sent to Arizona with me probably expect both of us to be headed to Williams, so anywhere away from Williams is a good idea.” He paused. “Hanrick doesn’t have anything that would tie you to Sedona, right?”
“No. As far as he’s concerned, I’m Tracy Coates from Wisconsin. That’s the ID your friend sent me.”
“And you didn’t mention me to Hanrick?”
“No, Philip,” said Lizzy, and Philip smiled at the hint of truculent teenager in her voice.
“Perfect. I’ll give Eddie a call and let him know you’re coming. I don’t see any reason not to use your real name, but I’ll think of some story to tell him about why you’re staying there. I’ll also ask him to give you some money, for groceries or whatever.” He was feeling more optimistic as his plan took shape. “You lay low, I’ll take care of Hanrick when he ventures outside of Williams, then I’ll take you back to Philly and you can nurse Owen back to robust health. How does that sound?”
She was silent for a moment, and Philip was afraid she was going to protest, but then he heard a sigh. “That sounds good.” Then, concerned, “You’re sure you’ll be all right?”
“Me? Absolutely. I have someone helping me—someone I trust—and I’m somewhere where it would be tough for anyone to track me down.”
“Where are you?” asked Lizzy.
“I’m in Arizona, too.”
“You are?” Her voice took on a brightness that made Philip’s heart ache. “Maybe we can meet up!”
“We will—I promise. Not quite yet, but as soon as we can.”
“How did you get out here, anyway? And how did you get out of the hospital?”
Philip gave her an abbreviated rundown of events since he had been driven away from Mercy Hospital in Theo Viklund’s limousine.
“Jeez, it makes Louise Mortensen sound like small potatoes.”
“Yeah. In fact, it sounds to me like Mortensen’s gone from being queen of the board to a pawn. She’s definitely still in the game,” he added hastily, “but I don’t think she’s the one calling the moves.”
“The fewer pieces we have to worry about, the better,” said Lizzy with a weak laugh.
“Don’t forget that Mitchell’s working for Viklund, too.”
“Yeah. Poor Mitchell.”
“I know you can feel an empathy for him that the rest of us can’t, but you can’t let down your guard about him.”
“No, I won’t.”
“You must have a story of your own to tell,” said Philip. “Getting all the way out here on your own.”
“I wasn’t on my own. I met someone …” her voice trailed off.
“Someone …?” he prompted.
“A girl I met helped with the drive.”
“Is she still with you?”
“No,” she said, a hitch in her voice. “I can tell you later. Can I call you after I get to your house?”
He hesitated. “I think you better not. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that the guy who brought me out here won’t be able to find me, but just in case my phone falls into the wrong hands, we should probably limit contact with each other.”
“Okay.”
He gave Lizzy the address of his casita in Sedona. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”
“Okay. Be careful, Philip.”
“I will. You too.”
He waited for a moment for her to break the connection, but when she didn’t, he reluctantly ended the call.
As Philip turned back toward the trailer, he searched for the number for Eddie’s house flipping and rental business, then dialed the number.
“Hey, Phil, what’s up?” boomed Eddie. “You been on vacation?”
“Yeah, sort of,” said Philip. “Listen, I have a favor to ask you—”
“What’s new?” said Eddie with a laugh.
“A young lady is going to be coming by my place shortly, and I’d like you to let her in and give her a key.”
“You sly dog.”
“I’m not a sly dog—she’s the goddaughter of a friend of mine.”
“Okay, okay, keep your pants on.”
“Her name’s Lizzy. In fact, she’s Owen McNally’s goddaughter. You remember Owen?”
“Sure. Owen who was concerned about a tripped security alarm in a house that didn’t have a security system. How could I forget?”
“Someday I’ll buy you a beer and explain that. Anyhow, can you keep an eye on her? Her boyfriend’s looking for her,” he improvised, “and it would be best if he didn’t find her.”
“Gotcha.”
Philip expanded on the improvisation. “Keep an eye out for the boyfriend,” he said, and gave Eddie a description of Mitchell Pieda. “And his mom might be tagging along with him,” he added, trying to keep the grin out of his voice. He described Louise Mortensen. “Also, any chance you could give her the money I gave you for next month’s rent? I should be able to repay it within a couple of days—a week or two at the most.”
“Hey, now you’re hitting me where it hurts.”
“I know—I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency.”
“Yeah, I know.” Eddie sighed. “Okay.”
“Thanks, Eddie—I owe you.”
Philip reached the trailer as he ended the call. Wayne sat on the couch, a beer dangling between his knees, a boxing match playing on the TV at a room-rattling volume.
“Mind if we turn it down a little?” Philip yelled.
Wayne picked up the remote and muted the sound.
“I just got some news.” Philip went to the refrigerator, got a beer of his own, popped the cap, and sat on the couch. “You have any interest in meeting up with our old friend Tobe Hanrick? Just you and me and him? No guards. No bars.”
“You fucking kidding me?” said Wayne, sitting forward. “I’ve been dreaming of that for years. And I know a couple of other guys who have the same dream.”
“No one else, just you and me.”
“Sure, sure.” Wayne snickered. “But there’s going to be one hell of a party when that bastard’s gone. So, how do you plan to manage the ‘no guards, no bars’ part?”
“I hear that Hanrick is going to try to escape.”
“No shit—how did you find that out?”
“Can’t say, but I think it’s legit.”
“How’s he going to do it?”
“I don’t know.”
“When’s it going to happen?”
“Don’t know that for sure either—but my source says soon.”
“So what are we supposed to do?” asked Wayne irritably. “Surround the jail and wait for him to come out, hope we notice him before the guards do? Just the two of us?”
“I don’t think we need to get to him the minute he gets out, we just need to wait for him to surface and then go find him. And he’s not going to slip away unnoticed. There are some scores he’s going to want to settle, and he’ll be sure to do it in a way that everyone knows it was him.”
“So, we wait for him to smoke someone?”
Philip shrugged. “Like you said, if he’s under the radar enough to slip out of Williams, he’s likely going to be too under the radar for us to find him.”
Wayne considered while he drank more beer. “Makes sense. And I guess if I’ve waited this long to have some fun with Hanrick, I can wait a little longer. We going to go to Williams to wait?”
“Actually, I like your trailer better. Who knows where he’l
l surface—I don’t know that being there would give us any advantage.”
“You just like the free room and board.”
“Hey, if you want to give me half the cash we found in the hotel room in Flagstaff, I’d be happy to pitch in for food and beer.”
Wayne waved his beer bottle. “Nah. Mi casa es su casa.”
They both turned to the television. Wayne unmuted the sound but dropped it to a bearable level. After a couple of minutes, he said, “So … you seen Olivia since Oscar died?”
Philip didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “Just at the funeral.”
“Yeah. She didn’t look too good,” said Wayne morosely. “Well, you know, good, but not happy.”
“Yeah, I knew what you meant.”
“Haven’t seen her since then?”
“That’s what I said.”
Wayne took another swallow of beer. “I’m surprised, because I thought you two—you know …” He trailed off when he noticed Philip’s expression.
They drank in silence for a minute, then Wayne said, “I told you what I plan to do when Hanrick’s dead—have a big party to wish that bastard good riddance. What about you?”
“I’ve got a delivery to make to Pennsylvania. Then? No freakin’ idea.”
51
Lizzy pulled into the driveway of the address Philip had given her. The main house was a modest rancher, and she could see a smaller detached building in back.
As she climbed out of the van, a large bald black man stepped out of the side door of the rancher.
“You Philip’s friend?” he asked in a friendly voice. This Philip’s friend? she heard in her head.
“Yes.” She held out her hand. “Lizzy.”
He shook her hand, more gently than she had expected based on his size. “Pleased to meet you, Lizzy. I’m Eddie. Welcome to Casa Castillo. Or Castillo Castillo,” he said with a laugh. Castillo Castillo she heard, accompanied by a psychic chuckle.
He led her to the door of the casita, unlocked it, and stepped aside for her to enter.
If Lizzy had imagined Philip’s home, she wouldn’t have been far off. She stepped out of the tiled entrance area into a living room with a comfortable-looking couch, a pair of cushioned chairs, and several large ceramic pots topped with copper trays serving as side tables. One wall was taken up with shelves holding books, CDs, and small pieces of pottery.
“I’m sure I speak for Philip when I say make yourself at home,” said Eddie. He went into the kitchen and Lizzy could hear him opening the refrigerator door. “Well, as much at home as possible,” he continued. “Not a lot of supplies in the fridge, I have to say.” Wonder what a teenage girl would want? She heard cupboards open and close. “There’s some soup and crackers.”
“That’s okay,” she said. “I have some food in the cooler in the van.”
Eddie stepped back into the living room. “I’m going to the store later today, want me to pick anything up for you?”
“No, that’s okay—I can run over to the store later.”
Eddie looked skeptical. Thought she was supposed to be laying low.
Lizzy wondered what story Philip had told him. “Actually, if you could pick something up, that would be great. Probably best if I just stay here.”
Eddie nodded. “I’ll pick up some stuff—if it’s not something you like, I can use it.”
He popped his head into the bedroom and bathroom. “Everything else looks in order.” He came back into the living room and got out his wallet. “Philip asked me to give you his rent money—” he glanced into the wallet “—but I’m going to have to stop by the ATM first.” He held out two twenties. “Here’s an advance.”
Lizzy blushed and took the money. “Thanks.”
Eddie stuffed the wallet into his back pocket. Seems like a sweet girl. “Don’t thank me, it’s Phil’s money.” He glanced around the casita one more time, checking that everything was shipshape, then handed her a key. “Lock up behind me, and don’t open the door without checking to see who’s out there. I’d also recommend keeping the windows closed and locked—if it gets stuffy you can put the AC on. Keep the blinds closed so no one can see in. It’s a pretty secure little house—I don’t think you’ll be bothered. And if anyone shows up, they’re going to have to walk by my kitchen window.” He grinned. “And I see everything that comes by my kitchen window. Want to get your stuff out of your van?”
He helped her unload, surveyed the room once more, then stepped out the door.
“Don’t forget to lock up.”
“I won’t. Thanks again.”
He waved a hand. “No problem.”
He pulled the door closed behind him and she sensed him waiting on the other side. She flipped the deadbolt, and then heard his footsteps recede toward the main house.
She pulled up her contact list—she had updated it with Philip’s new number since, based on what he had told her, the phone attached to the old number was probably a melted lump in Pocopson. Despite Philip’s caution to her, her finger hovered over his name, but then with a sigh she tucked the phone into her pocket.
She transferred a few items from the cooler to the refrigerator and threw out a couple of items from the refrigerator that were clearly well past their use by date. Then she returned to the living room and looked over the offerings on the bookshelf, pulling out a book about the history of Sedona. She took it to the couch, which proved to be just as comfortable as it looked. After a few minutes, she levered off her boots and lay back. Doors and windows locked, blinds drawn, and Eddie just a driveway away, she closed her eyes and slept.
52
Lizzy was microwaving some soup for dinner when her phone rang. She had already gotten Ruby’s daily text—Everything good here—how are you doing?—and had sent off her reply—I’m fine too. Missing you guys. Maybe Philip had decided it was okay for them to keep in contact. She snatched up the phone and checked the caller ID: Uncle Owen
She stabbed Accept, her excitement veering toward fear. Why was Uncle Owen calling her?
“Hello?”
“Hello, Pumpkin. How are you doing?”
The wave of homesickness that swept over her was almost more than she could bear. She dropped into a chair at the small kitchen table. “I’m so glad to hear from you.”
“I’m glad to be talking to you.”
“How are you doing?”
“Much better. I’m at home now.”
“Yeah, I hear Ruby is taking care of you.”
“Yes, she has been, but she had to leave today. Her brother-in-law passed away.”
Lizzy felt tears fill her eyes. “Oh, no. Poor Ruby.”
“Yes.” He was silent for a moment, and Lizzy pulled a paper napkin from a holder on the table and blew her nose.
“I know we said we’d try to limit contact,” said Owen, “and Ruby told us you preferred not to talk with us because it would make you homesick, but I didn’t want you to worry if you didn’t hear from Ruby.”
Lizzy gave a watery laugh. “I did hear from her. She sent me her text today, just like always.”
“I should have known she wouldn’t let that slip,” said Uncle Owen. He paused while Lizzy blew her nose again, then said, “How are you doing, Pumpkin? Really?”
“I’m …” She was going to say okay, but then everything that had happened to her since she had left Pennsylvania swept over her: squeezing Wilson at the Walmart, having her money stolen by Daisy, learning of Daisy’s death, meeting the horrible Tobe Hanrick and having to listen to his even more horrible thoughts. She thought back to that night in the truck stop parking lot when she had thought she would walk into the desert and never come back—would rid the world of a life that seemed to curse not only itself but everyone else whose lives it touched—but she didn’t want that anymore. She just wanted to go home.
Just click the heels of her Ruby Slippers and go home.
“I’m lonely,” she said with a sob.
“Pumpkin, did something happen?�
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“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She gripped the sodden napkin and took a deep breath. “I’m all right. It’s just—there’s been a lot going on.”
Lizzy could hear Andy’s concerned voice in the background. “Is she okay?”
“She’s upset,” said Owen. “Pumpkin, I don’t like the idea of you being all alone—wherever you are.”
The sound of that familiar voice extinguished any desire she had to continue keeping her location secret from her godfather.
“I’m in Sedona.”
“Sedona?” Owen’s voice was nearly a squawk. “What are you doing there? I thought you were somewhere in western Pennsylvania!”
“It’s a long story, and I’d rather not tell it over the phone.”
“Well, then, we need to bring you back home so you can tell us in person.”
And just like that, the pain that had gripped her heart since she had left Pennsylvania—had, in fact, gripped her heart ever since Uncle Owen had had the heart attack, ever since her father had been shot in a Philadelphia alley—seemed to drop away. She knew it couldn’t be that easy. Louise Mortensen was still out there, now working for the mysterious man who had gotten Philip away from the hospital and away from the police, and evidently Mitchell was working for him as well.
But at least she didn’t have her promise to kill Tobe Hanrick hanging over her anymore. She had done what she could. She had told Philip that Hanrick was getting ready to break out of prison, and beyond that, what could she do? She felt like she should be helping Philip in some way—or maybe trying to talk him out of his plan—but in this matter she felt completely out of her depth. Staying out of his way was probably the best she could do for him.
And as for the others? She’d rather deal with them in Pennsylvania along with Uncle Owen and Andy than hiding like a fugitive alone in Arizona.
“Yes,” she said with a hiccup of relief. “I would love to tell you in person.”
She heard an indistinct voice—Andy whispering something—and Owen said, “One sec, Pumpkin.”
“What’s he saying?” she asked impatiently.
The Iron Ring Page 22