Chapter 23 #2
“Bummer.” Joanna looked crestfallen. “Well, what else? My car’s still parked in your spot in the back alley.
How about I let him watch me go home…then we wait for a while to lull him into a false sense of security.
Then I go out my back door, go around the block, sneak around the back, and meet you in the alley.
You climb out a side window into the bushes.
I hide you in the backseat, and drive you whenever you want. ”
“The downtown bus station,” I said.
Joanna looked stricken. “You have to go? Like, go, go? Away? For good? Will you tell me where you’re going?”
“I can’t, Jo,” I whispered. “I don’t dare.”
Then whoosh, I dissolved into tears once again, and she dissolved, too.
Between the two of us, we were a hugging, sniffing, sobbing mess.
I had an unpleasant feeling I was really in for it with the tears situation.
I had so many years of backed-up, suppressed tears and snot to unload.
When they all broke loose, well. God help me.
Joanna gave me a bone-cracking final squeeze to signal the end of the embrace, and a smacking kiss on my tear-wet cheek. “I’ll only agree to do it if you solemnly promise to contact me somehow online after, just to let me know you’re safe.”
“Jo…”
“That’s my one condition. You have to. Swear it, Kat.”
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll contact you. After a while. But I won’t tell you where I am.”
“We’ll just see about that,” Joanna said, cheering right up.
“I’ll give the bushes a shake to signal I’m there.
Looks like Beard-and-Tattoos makes the rounds at intervals, so be sure to time it when he’s out front.
Just slither out the bedroom window, pop yourself into my backseat, keep your head down, and hoopla! Off we go!”
“It’s risky for you to get more involved,” I said miserably. “You should just stay away from the whole thing.”
“Hell, no. This is exciting. And I love it that I can actually help. Let me help you like you helped me.”
I bit my lip, trying not to start blubbering again.
Joanna sashayed out the front door, ogling Shelby as she left. She’d switched into full-on Mata Hari mode, in spite of not being in power-slut clothes, and was twitching her hips seductively as she walked. Shelby ogled right back as she walked away. Go, Jo.
Once Joanna was gone, I got cracking. My go-bag was always packed and ready. I didn’t add much to it, just a few odds and ends of clothing. I left the rest behind.
The go-bag had my new driver’s license and credit card, and a wad of cash I had saved up.
I had a burner phone in there, too. Not because I had anyone to call, but only because not having one was too bleak to contemplate.
Not having one meant not only did I have no one on God’s green earth to call, but also that I never would.
But those were not the kind of thoughts to entertain right now. In fact, thinking at all was inadvisable. It was a time for pure action. I peeled some money from my precious stash. Left a note for the landlady, including a month’s rent and an apology.
Then I lingered over the notepad with hot, wet eyes. There were so many things I wanted to say to Ethan, but what was the point, if I was just going to vanish? Why say them at all? Didn’t that just make it worse, to get all sentimental on the poor guy?
Finally, I just scribbled, Sorry. Thanks for everything. It was wonderful.
I folded it in half, wrote his name on it, and left it on the table next to the landlady’s note. I was done.
After forty minutes of nail-biting vigilance, I saw the hydrangea bushes shiver and quake.
It was time. I checked on Shelby’s position, waiting until I saw him come into view in the front.
Then I ran to the bedroom, slid the window up, shoved out my bag, dropped my battered leather purse on top of it, and hoisted myself up onto the sill.
I forced my way through the bushes, which was a challenge. It had been years since anyone had trimmed them. I was a city girl, so gardening was not in my skillset. The branches clutched at my face and hair. I could barely pull my go-bag through them.
Jo waited in the car, wearing a dark sailor-style cap with her hair shoved up in it.
I think it was supposed to be her disguise.
Her face was bright with excitement. At least someone was having fun.
Joanna was such a sweetheart. It was so irresponsible of me to take advantage of her, but it was too late to go back on the plan now.
I opened the car’s back door, and was faced with a pile of bulky black garbage bags. They appeared to be full to bursting with old clothes, towels, and bedcovers.
“Just get down on the floor behind the seat,” Joanna instructed. “Mom packed those into the car last week. She’s been on me to take those bags to the Goodwill, and I’ve been putting it off. Looks like today’s the day. I’ll just pull a few down on top of you, and you’ll be invisible.”
I tossed my bag in, and slithered into the floor space, feeling claustrophobic as hell when Joanna rolled a couple of black-plastic wrapped bales of fabric down on top of me, blocking out the light. My face was shoved into a mess of fast-food wrappers and plastic Starbucks Venti cups.
The car lurched forward. “So, did you, like, leave a glass slipper for the guy, at least?” Joanna asked.
“Of course not,” I said. “That would defeat the whole purpose.”
“Well, not to throw you in a tizzy or anything, but I’ve been thinking. If anyone on earth could protect you from some shithead criminal, it would be that guy. Along with his own personal army.”
“I can’t use him like that,” I said, resolutely. “I won’t put him and his family in more danger. It’s the wrong thing to do, if I care about him.”
“Of course,” Joanna said. “’Cause you’re in love with him. It’s so romantic, and sad, too, you know? Like Romeo and Juliet. Or Ladyhawke.”
“Jo, dammit, if you make me cry again, I’ll murder you myself,” I warned her.
“Okay, okay,” she soothed. “Not another word.”
But it was too late. The tears were already welling up. Then they spilled over.
The damage was done.