Chapter 13 #2
He gripped the wheel a little tighter as a tick of tension started in his cheek. What would she say when she found out he was in recovery? That’d probably be the end of it, not that he could blame her after losing her mother to drugs. “I can’t imagine how tough that must’ve been.”
“I wish she could’ve met Ty. She would’ve been crazy about him.”
“Anyone would be. He’s the best kid.”
“What’d you talk about on the way to school?”
“Surfing and wet suits and having respect for the power of the ocean. He said he’s been taking swim lessons since he was a baby.”
“He’s a very good swimmer—in the pool. He’s been a little intimidated by the ocean, but he’ll never let you see that.”
“That’s good to know. He’ll have a life vest on. Hopefully, that will make him feel more confident, and of course, I’ll be right there with him. I was a lifeguard back in the day.”
“I can picture that.”
“There’s some stuff we should talk about before you let me spend more time with Ty.”
“What stuff?”
“About me being in recovery, for one thing.”
After a long pause, she said, “How long have you been sober?”
“I’ve been clean for eleven years.”
“Clean. Not sober?”
“Both. I was addicted to heroin.”
“Oh.”
“I know that’s a lot to hear, but it’s been eleven years, and I gave up everything, drugs and booze.” After a pause, he said, “You might not want me around after you hear the whole story.”
“Are you willing to tell me the story?”
She deserved to know the truth about him, so he nodded.
“You don’t want to?”
“It would kill me if you were to look at me differently, and people often do when they find out about my past.”
“I promise I won’t look at you differently,” she said.
He slowed to a stop at a red light. “Even after what happened to your mom?”
“You’re not her, and I promise I won’t look at you differently.”
“Don’t make a promise you might not be able to keep.”
He’d no sooner said those words than a car smashed into them from behind, sending his vehicle into an active intersection, where another car hit the front of the SUV.
“What the fuck? Are you okay?”
“I… I think so.”
Carson jumped out of the car to confront the guy who’d hit him from behind, but that car was long gone. The lady driving the car that hit the front of the SUV got out to check the damage to her car.
He swiped at something on his face, saw blood on his hand and went to check on Cresley, who was still in the car. Carson opened the passenger door, released her seat belt and helped her out of the car. As she stumbled into his arms, he realized she was crying.
“Are you hurt, honey?”
“N-no. Just shaken up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. I just… I’m a single mom. I’m all he has.”
“I get it.” He settled her on a bus stop bench. “Let me deal with the cops, and we’ll get you to that meeting.” He’d call an Uber to take them.
“I’ll reschedule. It’s fine.”
Carson massaged his aching neck as he went to meet the LAPD officers who’d responded to the scene. “Someone hit me hard from behind. Pushed me into the intersection.”
“Anyone hurt?”
“Just shaken up,” Carson said.
The police officer handed him a paper napkin. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m okay.”
The woman in the car who’d hit him in the intersection said she was uninjured, too.
“I saw it happen,” a younger man said. “A black Honda Ridgeline hit the Range Rover, then did a U-turn and headed back up the hill right after.”
“Son of a bitch,” Carson said to the cops.
“I know who it was. My friend, who’s with me, is being harassed by an ex.
He’s shaking her down for money in exchange for dropping a custody matter.
He’s under an RO and required to stay a thousand feet from her and her son, but he was seen in her backyard last night.
You guys responded, and crime scene detectives took a footprint from the garden. ”
“What’s his name?”
“Marlon Beckett.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
Carson recited the last known address he had for Beckett in Century City.
“He’s escalating because she refuses to cede to his blackmail.
I’m a legal investigator for Remington Family Law, and we’ve had eyes on him.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him dealing, which I reported to the LAPD a couple of weeks ago. ”
The officers took notes and statements from others who’d witnessed the accident.
“Is your vehicle drivable?” one of them asked.
“I’ll have to check.”
“Go ahead and do that. We’ll call a tow if you need it.”
Carson grimaced at the sight of the Rover’s smashed-in front and back ends and the broken glass on the pavement. With the police directing him, he got into the SUV and backed away from the crash scene, then moved to park at the curb near where Cresley waited for him.
“I’m good to go,” he said to the officer.
He handed Carson a card. “There’s a link to where you can access the report within twenty-four hours and add any details we might’ve missed.”
“What are you doing about Beckett?”
“I’ll put out a BOLO to Patrol,” the officer said, which meant be on the lookout.
Carson handed him a business card. “Can you let me know if you locate him? My friend is scared of what he might do next.”
“I’ll call you if there’re any updates.”
“Thank you.”
Carson went to collect Cresley. He extended his hand to help her up, steadying her when she would’ve stumbled again. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“Yeah, just shaken up. What did they say?”
“There was a witness who said we were hit by a black Honda Ridgeline.”
Cresley gasped. “Marlon? He’s the one who hit us?”
“I think so, and then he hightailed it back up the hill.”
“Are they going to arrest him?”
“If they can find him.”
“This is insane! He could’ve killed us and other people, too.”
Cresley’s phone rang. “It’s Ty’s school.”
“Put it on speaker.”
“Hello?”
“Ms. Dane, Mr. Beckett is here wanting to check out his son. Since he’s not on the pickup list, we assume he still doesn’t have your permission?”
“He absolutely does not have my permission. Call the police. They’re looking for him after he smashed into my friend’s car and took off. Don’t let Ty anywhere near him!”
“We won’t. Don’t worry. I’m calling the police now.”
“I’ll be right there.” She ended the call and gave Carson a pleading look. “Get me to my son. Please.”