Chapter 5
five
. . .
Sadie
Ilooked up from my phone. A text with a skull and crossbones emoji had popped through from an unknown number.
I stared at it for a long time. The emoji itself was kind of kid-like, light-hearted and fun looking, like a cartoon, but the meaning couldn't have been more grave.
I blocked the unknown number … again, but it seemed I was going to have to ditch my phone.
I turned it off and set it down on Gigi's wobbly kitchen table.
Noah was a longshoreman, so he was up and out the door before the sun rose.
I wondered how he could handle such a taxing, dangerous job after only a few hours' sleep, and it was definitely only a few hours.
I sipped my coffee that was now cold enough to be considered bitter water, but it helped the headache I'd developed overnight.
It might have been the clamor of lovemaking in the next room or just the stress of knowing I was being hunted by a heavyweight fighting champ, but I woke up with my temples throbbing and the top of my head ready to split open.
A key wiggled in the door. I jumped to my feet, glanced around and snatched up a mean looking potato peeler.
I held it like a sword and my coffee cup like the world's most ineffective shield.
The door opened. I sighed and dropped back down onto the chair.
The resulting plop made my head throb more.
I reached up and rubbed my temples. "I think we're going full migraine here. "
Gigi dropped the shopping bag on the table in front of me.
"Well, you probably deserve it, but I bought you some extra-strength migraine meds and the other things you asked for.
I'm surprised you didn't add bleach, a shovel and a jumbo garbage bag to the very suspicious list. By the way, the burner phone is only good for like, I don't know, five texts and a call.
Couldn't really tell because I don't know shit about data size.
And you're sure you want to go white? I could do some highlights in a lighter color. "
I shook my head. Gigi was a hairdresser by trade and color was her specialty, but I wasn't looking for sun-kissed highlights for a night out. I wanted to change my appearance drastically. And since I didn't have enough money in my account to even get my nails painted, plastic surgery was out.
Gigi walked to the fridge and pulled out a yogurt. She popped it open and dug a spoon into it. "I'm so friggin' sore right now."
"Too much information, pal, and trust me, I can only imagine.
You weren't exaggerating about stamina, and since my last good romp was back in Brazil with Anton, the two-timing asshole, I have forgotten all about that soreness and all the other good shit that comes with it.
So do your bestie a favor and spare me the details of your wondrous sex life. "
"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the couch. If I have to color your hair, you'd better take two of those super-nuclear pills. They'll wipe out the headache and hopefully the attitude, as well."
"I'm sorry, Gi. Just stressed." I opened the bottle and swallowed two pills.
"Considering I'm bleaching your hair and just bought you a burner phone, I kind of figured that. Am I going to hear the details of your plight yet?"
I scrunched up my face. "Not yet but soon." I had no idea if that was a lie or not. It did darkly occur to me that I might meet a terrible end because of that photo and then I'd never earn recognition for it. I needed to devise a plan for that, too.
Gigi held up her yogurt. "Want one? It's pineapple coconut. Pretty tasty."
I pressed my hand against my stomach. "Can't think of eating till this headache is gone."
"Suit yourself but those pills will burn a hole right through your stomach lining." Gigi dropped her empty yogurt in the trash and snapped up the bag of hair supplies. "Let's get this over with."
Gigi's flip-flops clapped the hallway floor as we walked into her bathroom. The bed was in such disarray it was hard not to laugh. "Looks like there were some serious acrobatics going on in here."
Gigi shrugged. "You didn't want details, but there are some good ones."
Gigi set a chair down in her bathroom. She had recently gone dark red with her hair color, and it worked beautifully with her copper brown skin and green eyes.
I stared up at our reflections. "I like the new hair color, Gi."
She took a moment to touch her hair. "Noah loves it. Did I tell you he wants to move in with me?"
"Are you sure these walls are insulated enough for that? I mean, you do have neighbors."
She waved her long pink nails through the air. "Stop. We weren't that loud." She paused and looked at me in the mirror. "Were we?"
I nodded. "The decibels were certainly up there.
" It was nice to have some girl talk and forget about my troubles, but as she set the bleach tub down on the counter, it all came back to me in stomach churning waves.
My hair was a dishwater blonde, a lovely way to describe blondes who really didn't win out on the gene pool roulette table.
Still, I didn't mind the color or the shoulder length.
I was able to put it up in a ponytail, so it didn't get in my way on photo shoots.
I reached up and fingered the ends of my hair. "Think I'm going to have to go shorter."
"With your face, that won't be a problem.
You could go bald and still be gorgeous, but I don't suggest it because of all that sunblock and stuff.
" Gigi stared at me, and her eyes twinkled with enthusiasm.
"I've been dying to do a pixie cut on someone.
Short and spiky, perfect for white hair and for someone like you. "
"You mean because my brothers always called me Pixie?"
She laughed. "I forgot about that. Should we go for it? It will give you a completely different look, which is what you're going for, right?" Her mouth dropped to a frown. "Sadie, you'd tell me if you were running from an abusive boyfriend or stalker or someone like that, wouldn't you?"
"No, it's nothing like that." And it really wasn't, though I was definitely running from a dangerous man. But I was certainly not the object of his obsession. That mental quip made me smile.
"What's that about?" Gigi asked as she pulled on protective gloves.
"Nothing, just my head is feeling better."
"That's good. Oops, better open the window. This stuff reeks. It'll bring that headache right back."
A few hours later, the headache had been mostly zapped by the migraine medicine, but it'd also left me jittery.
I downed a bag of pretzels hoping to calm the jitters but only ended up thirsty and with a stomachache.
At least my hair looked awesome. Leave it to my bestie and the hottest hairstylist around to make my hide-in-plain-sight hairdo into a cool new look.
My hair stood up in all the right places, and the color was an icy punk white.
"I'm good," Gigi said.
"You sure are. How much do I owe you?"
"On the house this time but those roots will grow in fast. That is if you live to see that day," she said with a grim expression. "You've got me very freaked out."
I got up from the chair and hugged her. "It'll all work out, and don't worry, I'm leaving soon. I don't want to put you in any kind of danger. I know a place I can go."
Gigi sat on the edge of the counter and tilted her head. "Sadie, don't tell me you're going to go to your parents' house. Your dad will have a heyday with this. I can hear him now. 'Why are you always in trouble, Sadie? Why can't you learn from your brothers? Be smart for a change.'"
Gigi wasn't far off on her speech. We'd grown up together, and she knew too well how my dad spent my entire childhood comparing me to my three brothers.
I was never good enough at sports or all the cool boy things.
I liked to take pictures. That's what I did.
And when Dad upset me, Mom would just smile and pat my arm and tell me that my dad loved me.
That was a stretch for sure, but it made her feel better to say it.
The whole family dynamic made it easy for me to take an overseas photographer's assistant job after a year of college.
Dad blew his stack about it, which was the gravy on top.
I'd been traveling the world for a long time and only came back a year ago to attend my beloved Grandma Jojo's funeral.
My only regret about traveling was not spending more time with her, but we'd kept in touch through video chats and long letters. My mom never had time for either.
"It's best if you don't know too much," I said. Saying it sounded dramatic and also depressingly true.
Gigi stared at me for a long moment. "Are you fucking serious right now? How am I supposed to feel knowing you're out there being chased by some diabolical monster?"
"Not diabolical or a monster. I just have something that, well, it's a big deal."
"Yeah, the photo you've been chasing your whole career, and now it has you in danger." She sighed and hugged me briefly. "Please keep in touch and let me know where you land."
"I'll keep in touch but pick up when you don't know the number. Burner phone, remember?"
"Shit, how could I forget?"
I'd already folded up the blanket and shoved my clothes into my bag.
We hugged again, and I walked out. I pulled out my phone to text my friend, Lyle, then remembered I'd turned it off for now.
He'd never pick up for a number he didn't know.
I planned to head to his house and hoped he was around.
I needed to use the darkroom in his basement.
He was big on asking questions, too, but he'd understand if I told him it was top secret.
Like me, he was always chasing that life-changing picture.
I finally had one, only I wasn't sure it was worth all the trouble.