Rivered

by Carolina Mac

  Mason smiled as he slipped the tape thing over his head. He picked up the notebook the guy had dropped and strolled back to the marked-off press area. Nobody even gave him a second glance as he walked through the crowd of noisy reporters and found himself a tree to lean on. He’d wait out of sight until she came out.

  A half hour passed before lights came on and he saw one of the TV stations setting up for an interview on the front walkway. Edging closer, he noticed all the talking heads were getting their mics ready. Mason pushed his way through and thought the second row was ideal. He’d be able to see her perfectly and hear what she was saying.

  Doctor Rodriguez came out the door with her helper, that ugly looking woman he’d seen a couple times, and the guy in the dark suit—the one he’d seen at her house. Her long dress was bright blue and shiny, and Mason liked it almost as much as the gold one.

  She knows blue’s my favorite color.

  “Good evening, everyone.” Virginia smiled at him and waved, and Mason knew she’d seen him. His heart pounded in his chest as he listened to her short speech about wanting to be Governor of Texas and what it meant to her.

  Fantastic speech.

  While her security people escorted her to the waiting limo, Mason ducked out of the press area and ran for the Camaro. Breathing hard after running several blocks, he cranked up the engine and tried to catch up. He lost sight of the limo for a few minutes, but it didn’t matter. He knew the way to her house.

  Realizing he was shaking and panting for breath, Mason loosened his grip on the wheel, and tried to focus on driving. He stepped on the gas and soon caught up—the limo was three cars ahead of him.

  Feeling happier than he had in days, Mason relaxed and cruised along behind as the limo left downtown and cruised into the hills on the west side of the city. Her driver pulled the big beast into her driveway and Mason drove past. Down the street, he steered the Camaro into a driveway, turned around and headed back to make a second pass.

  IN A BLACK SUV, Gene Wyman, State Security assigned to Doctor Rodriguez, followed the limo with two members of his team, one riding shotgun and the other in the back seat. He turned into the Doctor’s driveway and was about to park when he caught sight of the red Camaro in the rear view.

  “There’s the red Camaro,” he hollered. He rammed the Escalade into reverse, spun backwards onto the street and gave chase. He caught up as the red car was turning around in a neighbor’s driveway farther down the street.

  MASON SAW THE SUV coming towards him as he pulled out onto the street. He sped up and in the rear view, he saw the black truck make a quick U-turn. Tires squealed as the SUV shot forward. “Shit he’s coming after me.”

  Mason stomped his boot down hard on the gas pedal and the Camaro took flight. He screamed past Virginia’s house doing over a hundred and never let up. At the next intersection the light was green, and he sailed through. Two more blocks and he hung a right looking for the fastest way out of the city. After covering a few blocks with the hammer down, he lost the SUV. He hit seventy-one north and kept the speedo on the edge of a hundred all the way home.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Monday, August 13th.

  Blackmore Agency. Austin.

  ON THE WAY to his computer, Blaine passed the open boxes on the floor of the office. He paused, leaned down and peeked in the second box and noted it was full of documents and other things like his report cards from school and pictures he’d drawn in kindergarten. He’d have to examine each item, but he couldn’t do it today. He inhaled a big breath, tried not to think about the family he’d lost and got to work.

  He booted up his computer and started research on Nate Wall. Nothing came up, so he tried motorcycle licenses issued to people named Wall in the State of Texas and got hundreds. This would take a while. He narrowed his search to within fifty miles of Austin and got rid of a lot.

  Lily came in carrying a mug of hot coffee for him and he smiled up at her. “I’m trying to find Nate Wall.”

  “Maybe Nate is short for Nathan,” she said, “Might have his full name on his DL. Anything I can help with?”

  “Did you find the album lady?”

  “Yep, she can start your pictures by the end of the week. Want me to drop them off on my way home?”

  “Could you, Lil?”

  “Yep, I’ll put the box in my car right now, so I won’t forget.”

  “You can start on body shops or paint shops with the name Wall in the registration.”

  Lily picked up the box of photographs. “Yep, that should narrow things down a lot.”

  Cherokee Junction.

  BECCA WAS EXHAUSTED from her late night at the roadhouse, but it had been one of her best nights ever. The tips were decent, and on her break, she peddled her drugs in the parking lot and sold most of what she had. On Friday, she’d have to make another trip to Austin.

  She got out of bed to use the bathroom, then crossed the room to check on Nate who was sleeping on the sofa with a blanket over him.

  He moaned as she padded towards him in her bare feet, then thrashed around making sounds that weren’t words and pushed the blanket away.

  “You hot, Nate?” She touched his forehead and it was damp. His hair was wet. “I think you’ve got a fever.” She jogged back to the bathroom, ran water on a cloth and squeezed most of it out. She folded it and laid it on Nate’s forehead like she used to do with Farrell and Neil when they were little. Tears burned behind her eyes when she remembered them both having chickenpox at the same time.

  I wonder how big my boys are now?

  Harlan woke and called to her, “Nate okay, baby doll?”

  “No. I think he’s running a temperature, Harlan.”

  Harlan sat on the side of the bed and reached for his boxers. “What should we do?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Becca. “I’m thinking he needs like penicillin or an antibiotic for infection.”

  “Where would we get that?”

  “Prescription, but we don’t have one.”

  “I’m gonna go next door and ask Willis if he has any shit like that in his medicine cabinet. He’s always thinking he’s sick and he goes to the doctor regular.”

  “Okay, I’ll watch Nate.”

  Becca got dressed and was making coffee when Harlan came back with the guy who owned the garage they were living in. She took a good look at him and thought he might have been in the Silver Spur a couple of times. His black hair was going gray and he was tall and looked fit, but something was off about him. He seemed unsteady on his feet. Maybe he was drunk.

  “This is Willis, Becca. He wants to look at Nate.”

  Becca pointed. “Help yourself.”

  Willis touched Nate’s forehead and nodded. “Yep, fever. High one too.” He dumped a bag of plastic pill containers on the low table and sorted through them, picking each one up and reading the dates. “Most of them are expired, but this one ain’t too bad. June—hardly old at all.”

  Harlan took the container from him and tried to read the name of the drug. “What’s this one gonna do for him, Willis?”

  “These are all antibiotics I had for one thing or another. They all do the same fuckin thing. Kill infection. Don’t matter where it is or what caused it. Your body don’t know the difference.”

  “Okay, then,” said Harlan, “I’ll get a glass of water and get a couple of these babies down Nate’s throat.”

  Blackmore Agency. Austin.

  FARRELL’S CELL RANG while he sat on the back steps with his second cup of caffeine. He was waiting on Blacky to come up with something on Nate Wall, so he could go bring the fucker in. He checked the screen before he answered. Annie. His heart thumped in his chest, he loved her so much.

  “Hey, Annie, I miss you.”

  She paused, and he knew something was wrong.

  “What happened, Mom? Is it Jesse?”

  She spoke in a whisper. “Neil’s gone and so is the Wrangler. I don’t know where he went.”

  “Just s
ince this morning?”

  “Uh huh. He was here for breakfast, hardly ate anything. I was at the barn with a new foal and when I got back to the house he wasn’t here.”

  “He’s allowed to use the Wrangler, ain’t he?”

  “Not without asking, and not without telling me where he’s going. He knows the rules and he never bends them. He’s such a good boy.”

  “Did you call his cell?”

  “I did, and it’s turned off.”

  “Why would he turn off his phone?”

  “So, I couldn’t call him?”

  “Jeeze, Mom, I don’t know where he would be. He didn’t go to open the store by himself, did he?”

  “Nope, I called down to the store and Janie was there. Her turn to open and she hadn’t seen him.”

  “Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Soon, okay, honey? I’m worried.”

  “Yep, soon, Mom.”

  Fuck, Neil, I know exactly where you are you little shit.

  Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.

  ANNIE ENDED her call to Farrell and tried Brian’s cell. She hadn’t talked to her brother-in-law much lately since he’d insisted that she get out of Jesse’s life and stay out. Brian was a shit, that was a fact, but she wanted to know how Jesse was. He’d insisted on going home and she’d argued against it.

  Brian answered on the second ring. “Annie?”

  “Hi, Brian, I wondered if you saw Jesse this morning and how he was doing?”

  “Of course, I saw him,” Brian snarked at her. “I live with him. And he’s doing poorly, thank you very much. As soon as you’re involved, my brother is one step closer to the grave.”

  Annie pressed end and choked back a sob. Her cell rang, and she hoped it was Farrell. Nope. Jesse.

  “Hey, cowboy, how are you this morning?”

  “Better, sweetheart, but you know... it’s all relevant. Umm… I wonder if you could do me a huge favor.”

  “Sure, Jesse, you’re my husband. What do you need?”

  My ex-husband, but that was a mistake.

  “Charity is asking for Ty and I want to see him too. It’s an imposition to ask you to drive up here to get us and take us to Austin, but that’s what I’m asking. I should have stayed with you like you wanted me too, but I didn’t have clothes and diapers and baby food for Charity.”

  “I’ll come over and get you. You pack up what you’ll need for a couple of days and when we get back from the hospital you can stay here with me.”

  “I need… right now, I need to be with you, Ace. I need my wife.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  Blackmore Agency. Austin.

  TRAVIS ARRIVED at work, poured himself a coffee and strode down the hall to Blacky’s office. “Gene called this morning. The Camaro came around Ginny’s place again last night and he got the tag number.” Travis pushed the piece of paper across the desk.

  Blaine looked up from his screen. “Was the car just driving by or was it parked in front of Ginny’s house again?”

  “Driving by, then Gene chased him through the city until he lost him.”

  “Where was the car headed when he lost sight of it?”

  “Gene thought it was heading towards seventy-one north.”

  “North? Okay, good information. Give the tag to Lil and let her run it through DMV.”

  “Where’s Farrell?”

  “He’s on an errand. Back soon.”

  “Something else happened last night that was weird,” said Travis. “Gene said he got a copy of an assault report from Austin PD because it happened at the venue where Ginny was speaking.”

  “What was weird?” asked Blaine.

  “One of the reporters sat in his van until it was time for Ginny to come out of the hotel and give her interview, and when he got out of his vehicle, some guy knocked him out and took his lanyard with his press pass. When the reporter came to, he was under his truck.”

  “That’s nuts,” said Blaine, “and that’s all that was missing? His tag?”

  Travis nodded. “Yep. He still had his wallet.”

  “I get it,” said Blaine. “You think the Camaro guy might have been trying to get closer to her.”

  “Possible it’s the same guy, but it could have been some other nutcase. People in the news seem to attract crazies like ants to sugar.”

  “Go interview the reporter. I can tell you want to get his take on it. Too many sightings of the red car, and now this? Something is definitely swirling around Ginny.”

  “I think so too. Thanks, boss.”

  Downtown Austin.

  NEIL CAUTIOUSLY CRAWLED along in the morning traffic. He hadn’t thought about it being Monday morning in the city and what he would be facing on his way to the park, the only thing on his mind since the first minute he’d seen her, was finding his mother.

  Will she want to see me? Will she be happy?

  The closest he could get to the park, was a spot about three blocks away. He fished in the pocket of his jeans for money to feed the parking meter. How long would he be? No idea. He shoved coins in the slot until it said he was good for an hour and ten minutes. Should be long enough.

  He jogged towards the park and broke out into a sweat. Morning, but hot as hell already.

  Hope there’s some shade in the park.

  The bench where he’d seen his mother sitting was empty. No one around. Neil had imagined that the drug dealer would be sitting there, but he wasn’t. Once around the park and all he saw was a couple of mothers with baby strollers.

  He crossed the road to a chili dog vender and bought a cold Dr. Pepper. He walked back, leaned up against a tree and drank his soda while he decided what to do next.

  Wonder how long I’m gonna have to wait? I should call Mom.

  Neil fiddled with his phone trying to decide whether he should tell Annie where he was, so she wouldn’t worry, but he voted to wait a little longer and shoved his cell back in his pocket. When he glanced at the empty bench again, it wasn’t empty.

  The drug guy sat at the end of the bench smoking, a large Starbuck’s container in his hand. No sign of his little lunch bag full of…whatever. Neil thought he was about the same age as him—eighteen or nineteen.

  Neil strolled over, his soda can in his hand and sat down. “Hey,” he said.

  “Get out of here, kid.” The guy waved him off. “This is my bench.”

  “Public property,” said Neil, “Anybody can sit here. Can I ask you a couple questions?”

  “Do I look like Google to you? Beat it.”

  Neil wasn’t put off and moved closer. “Last Friday I saw a blonde woman here on your private bench making a buy. I want to know her name.”

  “You look young for a cop.”

  “I’m not a cop. I’m trying to find… somebody.”

  The guy chuckled, then took a sip of his coffee. “And you think you can find her in this park?”

  “I could if you’d help me.”

  “Hey, I’m a business man. I ain’t got time for no bleeding-heart work. Hear me?”

  “Just tell me her name and I’ll vacate your bench,” said Neil.

  “Give me a reason and I might think about telling you.”

  “Umm… I think she might be my mother.”

  The guy grinned and peered at him. “Now that I’m looking at you closer, you do look a bit like her.”

  “Will you tell me her name? Please?”

  The guy held out his hand. “What’s it worth?”

  “I go to school.” Neil fished in his pocket. “This is my last ten bucks.”

  Drug guy whipped it out of Neil’s hand. “Becca. Her name is Becca, and that’s all I know. She’s a customer and nothing more. I ain’t got a data base, kid. I don’t bother with details.”

  Neil was on his feet and pacing. “I knew it was her.”

  “Are you sure, kid?”

  Neil nodded, and his blond curls flopped in his face. “When will she be
coming back?”

  “Why? You gonna wait here till she comes back?”

  “Course I am, if I have to.”

  “Okay, I’ll save you waiting all fuckin week and screwing up my business. She only comes on Fridays.”

  Neil stuck out his hand. “Thanks, man. I mean that.”

  The guy shrugged and lit up another smoke.

  “What does she drive?” asked Neil.

  The drug guy squinted like he was thinking hard. “Seen her get out of a pink truck once.”

  “A pink truck?”

  FARRELL CROSSED the park as Neil was leaving. He gave a shout out and Neil stopped to wait for him.

  “Sorry, Farrell, you told me not to do this and I did it anyway. Are you mad at me?”

  “I’m mad as hell that Annie is crying, cause she thinks you ran away or some fucking thing. You’ve got some explaining to do to her when you get home.” Farrell pointed to a bench at the edge of the park. “Sit down there.”

  “I didn’t mean to make Mom cry, honest, Farrell. I just had to find out if I saw our real mother or not.”

  “And did you?”

  Neil nodded. “Yeah, I did. I talked to the drug dealer and he said her name is Becca.”

  “Fuck,” said Farrell. “I didn’t want it to be her. Do you know what kind of a miserable disappointment you’re in for?”

  “Maybe it won’t be a disappointment. Maybe we’ll all be happy we found each other.”

  “Fuck, Neil,” Farrell pounded his fist into his other hand and winced in pain. The knife wound in his back was taking forever to heal. “It won’t turn out like a fuckin fairytale. I guarantee it.”

  “You don’t know for sure.” Neil finished his drink and crushed the can in his hand. “She comes on Fridays, and I’m gonna come back here and wait for her.”

  “What? That asshole told you she buys drugs on Fridays?”

  “He didn’t say she buys drugs, but she comes on Fridays. That’s what he said. Why would he lie?”

  “Because drug dealers are all liars and thieves and worse.”