Vanessa asked bringing her hand to her forehead.
“It’s at the lake house. Sig and I will go get it.”
“What about Bill, shouldn’t we call the police?” Vanessa asked raising her voice. Eli looked at her squarely, a short silence fell between them. Vanessa knew that look in Eli’s icy blue eyes, what they meant, one way or another Bill was receiving a comeuppance.
Eli escorted Vanessa to Sam’s room and then slipped outside to speak with Sig in the parking lot. “After we bring Sam’s car back, I want you to go to his house. If he’s not there, wait. When he arrives, come and get me.”
***
Hubble was still seething when he turned into a Howard Johnson’s. With his chin and shirt covered in dried blood, he had to get cleaned up before getting on the highway. Reaching for the rear view mirror he angled it downward. Tacky crimson red spots lay across his green undershirt. His lower lip was now swollen to twice its size, a crusty red scab had already formed in the center of the gash, and it hurt like hell. He smiled revealing his now chipped front tooth. That fucking bitch, I hope she ’ s dead.
Clutching his duffel bag Hubble noticed his hands. They were sticky and looked like they had been submerged in beet juice. He got out of the truck carrying the bag with him. A young couple coming from the opposite direction noticed his face and gawked at him. Hubble shot them a loathing stare, causing them to quickly turn their heads.
Entering the motel lobby Hubble bee-lined it to the men’s room. He checked to see if he was alone before locking the bathroom door. The white porcelain sink slowly turned rusty brown as Hubble scrubbed the dried blood off his face and hands. Moving rapidly he changed his shirt, washed up and left no trace of his ever being there.
Questions began to percolate like that giant coffee maker at the prison. Getting back on the highway he could only wonder , how much fucking time do I have? Did Eli ’ s car kill Sam? How long until they figure something out? Shit, for all I know they could be coming for me right now. Gotta stay calm, with any luck Sam ’ s dead. Be in Miami in twenty-four hours, just need to fucking stay calm.
More than anything, Hubble craved a fix. The pull to lose himself in a drug haze seized him hard. Stick to the plan, stick to the plan, almost home free.
***
The sky over Conway was a burnt orange haze when Bill finally got home. What was normally a two and a half hour commute took close to four hours with the traffic. With bone crushing exhaustion he got out of the Jeep and stretched, his eyes felt heavy, like weights had been strapped to both lids. The only thing Bill could think about as he unlocked the front door was a hot shower and some sleep.
Feeling like he had just stepped into a sauna, Bill cranked a few windows open and turned on the ceiling fan in his bedroom. The number three was flashing on his answering machine.
“Hey it’s me, we left Eli’s house early cause of the rain. I hope you had a good day and got lots done. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. Hope to see you soon.”
The next two messages clicked right through. Must have been the wrong number.
Hot water from the shower head felt refreshing, scrubbing his body Bill could feel the grime washing away. His father’s company had been exactly what the doctor ordered. Ben was never one to say something just for the sake of it. It was one of his father’s best qualities. Maybe it ’ s fate his father told him. Perhaps he was right, Bill thought while drying off and putting on a pair of clean boxers.
Looking out the French doors Bill could see the sun setting, a thin yellow sliver of it hung in the sky. It cast long shadows across the vaulted ceiling.
***
Eli was sitting at his kitchen table when he heard a hard knock on the door. Knowing who it was he got up to answer it.
“Hey,” Sig said wiping his feet.
“Bitty made Tempura, you
“It’s at the lake house. Sig and I will go get it.”
“What about Bill, shouldn’t we call the police?” Vanessa asked raising her voice. Eli looked at her squarely, a short silence fell between them. Vanessa knew that look in Eli’s icy blue eyes, what they meant, one way or another Bill was receiving a comeuppance.
Eli escorted Vanessa to Sam’s room and then slipped outside to speak with Sig in the parking lot. “After we bring Sam’s car back, I want you to go to his house. If he’s not there, wait. When he arrives, come and get me.”
***
Hubble was still seething when he turned into a Howard Johnson’s. With his chin and shirt covered in dried blood, he had to get cleaned up before getting on the highway. Reaching for the rear view mirror he angled it downward. Tacky crimson red spots lay across his green undershirt. His lower lip was now swollen to twice its size, a crusty red scab had already formed in the center of the gash, and it hurt like hell. He smiled revealing his now chipped front tooth. That fucking bitch, I hope she ’ s dead.
Clutching his duffel bag Hubble noticed his hands. They were sticky and looked like they had been submerged in beet juice. He got out of the truck carrying the bag with him. A young couple coming from the opposite direction noticed his face and gawked at him. Hubble shot them a loathing stare, causing them to quickly turn their heads.
Entering the motel lobby Hubble bee-lined it to the men’s room. He checked to see if he was alone before locking the bathroom door. The white porcelain sink slowly turned rusty brown as Hubble scrubbed the dried blood off his face and hands. Moving rapidly he changed his shirt, washed up and left no trace of his ever being there.
Questions began to percolate like that giant coffee maker at the prison. Getting back on the highway he could only wonder , how much fucking time do I have? Did Eli ’ s car kill Sam? How long until they figure something out? Shit, for all I know they could be coming for me right now. Gotta stay calm, with any luck Sam ’ s dead. Be in Miami in twenty-four hours, just need to fucking stay calm.
More than anything, Hubble craved a fix. The pull to lose himself in a drug haze seized him hard. Stick to the plan, stick to the plan, almost home free.
***
The sky over Conway was a burnt orange haze when Bill finally got home. What was normally a two and a half hour commute took close to four hours with the traffic. With bone crushing exhaustion he got out of the Jeep and stretched, his eyes felt heavy, like weights had been strapped to both lids. The only thing Bill could think about as he unlocked the front door was a hot shower and some sleep.
Feeling like he had just stepped into a sauna, Bill cranked a few windows open and turned on the ceiling fan in his bedroom. The number three was flashing on his answering machine.
“Hey it’s me, we left Eli’s house early cause of the rain. I hope you had a good day and got lots done. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. Hope to see you soon.”
The next two messages clicked right through. Must have been the wrong number.
Hot water from the shower head felt refreshing, scrubbing his body Bill could feel the grime washing away. His father’s company had been exactly what the doctor ordered. Ben was never one to say something just for the sake of it. It was one of his father’s best qualities. Maybe it ’ s fate his father told him. Perhaps he was right, Bill thought while drying off and putting on a pair of clean boxers.
Looking out the French doors Bill could see the sun setting, a thin yellow sliver of it hung in the sky. It cast long shadows across the vaulted ceiling.
***
Eli was sitting at his kitchen table when he heard a hard knock on the door. Knowing who it was he got up to answer it.
“Hey,” Sig said wiping his feet.
“Bitty made Tempura, you
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