The Great Escape

by Amanda Carpenter

  Chapter One

  Dee careered around the corner of the wall that effectively shielded the restaurant’s customer’s view of the back, and she skidded for a moment on wet, newly washed floor. Then, as her rubber-soled shoes gripped the tile, she catapulted past the employees’ break area and burst into the women’s dressing room, silver-blonde hair flying around her head in a golden tangled aureole. After a first, surprised stare, Kim, the head waitress, who had been sitting and smoking at the break table, rose hastily and hurried to the door that Dee had disappeared into, knocking on it worriedly.

  “Hey, babe, are you okay?” she called out. She was a large, rather heavy girl, with long brown hair that was presently twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck. The knot was beginning to slide to one side, giving her an untidy appearance.

  “No!” Dee shouted, the sound muffled through the closed door.

  Kim tried the door and found it locked. She knocked again, harder. “C’mon now, Dee! Open up and let me in. Is Kathy watching the floor while you’re back here?”

  “Yes!” she shouted again, and there was an instant of silence before the door opened swiftly. Dee peered out at Kim with huge, dilated blue eyes. “Get in here!” she hissed, and Kim found herself unexpectedly dragged into the room as Dee reached out one small hand and yanked her in by the shoulder strap. The door slammed shut behind them both. After hauling the other girl in so precipitously, Dee backed away and surveyed her warily. She had her locker wide open, and her street clothes were spilled out of it. A canvas knapsack lay on the floor. She whirled, pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans over her slim legs and zipped them up. Then she reached behind her and unbuttoned her uniform skirt, throwing it carelessly into a corner and tugging on a plain cotton blouse. Off came the white work shoes and she started to pull on diminutive tennis shoes. By that time Kim had begun to come out of her shock.

  “God, Dee!” she gasped incredulously, ogling the smaller, slight girl. “What the hell are you doing? Do you want to get fired?”

  “I’m going home sick!” Dee snapped, tugging frantically at her shoelace that had become knotted. All her movements were suggesting a feeling of urgency and haste, and this finally began to register with the older girl, who began to look even more worried than before.

  “Listen, kiddo, if you’re in some kind of trouble, I think you’d better tell me about it,” Kim said slowly, narrowing her eyes and lowering her brows.

  Dee was perched on a shipping crate that doubled as the only seat in the tiny changing room and she had her head bent over the knot as her thin fingers worked furiously to get it loose. The strings came untied, she slipped the shoe on, and then she looked up, blonde hair falling into her eyes and making her look like a tousled English sheepdog puppy. The blue eyes peered out of the hair until she shoved it back impatiently. “Kim, you’ve got to try and cover for me with Brett. Tell him I suddenly got violently sick and I had to go home,” she pleaded hurriedly. “Tell him I died—I don’t care what you tell him, but just let me go home!”

  The older girl leaned thoughtfully against the wall, her eyes never leaving Dee’s face. “Just what happened?” she asked quietly.

  “I—I can’t tell you all of it,” Dee stammered out nervously, her hands plucking at her small knapsack. “I’m in trouble. I haven’t done anything wrong, or illegal, but I am in trouble, and this fellow has been looking for me for a long time. He just walked into the restaurant, and—he can’t find me! I just happened to look outside and I saw him, so I was able to tell Kathy to tell him that I’d gone home sick before he came inside… Kim, I have to leave, whether it’s all right or not—I have to! Call Sherry—she’d come in to work the rest of my shift. I’ll bet Brett can’t get too angry if she’s in working when he gets back.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Kim replied, chewing her lower lip. “When he gets back and finds you gone, he’s going to hit the roof. It won’t matter if you were really sick or not, he’ll just be mad that you went without waiting to ask him first.”

  Dee started to shove the rest of her things either into her knapsack or into her locker, jamming the combination lock on afterwards. She hadn’t really expected to be feeling this hunted dread again, and that old familiar nervous churning in her stomach was back. Her jaw angled out stubbornly. “I don’t care if he gets mad or not,” she uttered grimly. “I’ve got to go. I don’t have much time!”

  Kim watched her, puzzled and wry. “All I have to say is that it’s a good thing you’re a favourite of Sammy’s,” she said, dryness tingeing her voice as she mentioned the restaurant’s manager. Brett was only the assistant manager and couldn’t fire anyone without Sammy’s approval. “You just might get away with this madness and still have a job left.”

  “Oh, shoot!” Dee skidded to a stop outside the dressing room at Kim’s words. “I’d better write Sammy a note of explanation, just in case. Can I borrow your pen? I locked mine up with my uniform.” She took the pen that Kim proffered her and scribbled madly on a paper napkin, biting the end of the pen from time to time and grimacing.

  “Just in case of what?” the other girl asked her curiously. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she was very envious of the younger girl. Dee was something of a mystery to most of the restaurant staff at Dandy’s, and though no one but Sammy knew very much about her, she was well liked by everyone for her cheerful, pert manner, and her hard work.

  Dee hesitated fractionally before answering. She had thoughtlessly said what had been on her mind, meaning just in case she wasn’t able to come back, but she couldn’t tell Kim that. “Why, just in case he really gets angry, of course.” Sammy was the only one she had told the whole truth to, because she had wanted him to know and understand in case something like this were to happen. He was a gentle, kind man in his forties, and he had an abundance of patience. Dee had instinctively trusted him ever since he had hired her. His sympathy and understanding had meant a great deal to her in the past. When she finished the note, she taped it shut to avoid curious perusal from anyone but him, then handed it over to Kim as an added safety measure. “Could you see that nobody but Sammy gets this?”

  Kim knew what she had meant and grinned. Aside from Sammy, Kim was the person who knew the most about her, which wasn’t much. Dee found her trustworthy and loyal, and if she was at times a bit too crude for Dee’s taste—well, that was the restaurant business, and it was overlooked for friendship’s sake. “You mean, see that Sammy gets it and not Brett, is that it?” she replied with a short laugh. “My pleasure, sugar. Now, let me go out to the front and see if that fellow is still here before you take off.” She turned to go and bumped right into Kathy, who had come up behind the two of them. “What’re you doing back here? Now who’s watching the floor?”

  Kathy, a tall, gangly girl with a wide, wide smile, answered, “Jerry is watching the door while he mops. That guy is gone, Dee. He left a few minutes ago, but I couldn’t come back to tell you because I had an order to take out. He probably will be back in as soon as he finds that you aren’t at home like I told him you’d be. I lied and said you didn’t have a telephone.” She looked from one girl to the other, curiously. “She’s leaving without asking Brett? I don’t want to be around when the explosion comes.”

  “It can’t be helped,” Kim sighed, still watching Dee. She smiled. “You’d better skip along, darlin’. I’d say you have about twenty minutes before he’s back here asking us embarrassing questions. If he talks to Brett, we’re all goners.”

  Dee wanted to let go of her control and sink into the panic that threatened her calm, but she couldn’t let herself. She’d come too far to make any stupid mistakes now, and the most important thing was to keep her wits about her. “Thanks, you two,�
�� she said, and impulsively threw her arms around them each, hugging hard. Surprised, embarrassed, and quite touched, the two girls hugged her back briefly before pushing her away.

  “Hey, cut that out, kiddo! Anyone would think you were going to your death, the way you’re acting now!” Kim laughed, although she couldn’t help the strange look she sent to Kathy. “Do you—need any money or anything? I’ve got something stuck in the bank that I can help you out with. You aren’t in debt, are you?”

  The irony of that made Dee snort a mirthless laugh. “No, I’ve got plenty, thanks. I just have to stay away from that man we saw—Kathy, will you remember what he looks like in case he’s in again to look for me?”

  That made the other girl chuckle heartily. “Dee, sometimes you say the silliest things! I’d remember that man any time…don’t tell me you don’t find him handsome? He’d be good for it, wouldn’t he?”

  Kim emitted a groan. “And I had to miss him! I’ll have to be sure to keep an eye out in front, in case he does come along!” The two laughed together, while Dee winced.

  “I suppose he’s good-looking, if you go for the hard type. I’ve just gotten used to thinking of him as being on the other side, I guess. This isn’t making much sense to you, I know, and we’re wasting time. His name is Mike Carridine, in case he happens to introduce himself, and he’s a private investigator. Could you tell him I might have appendicitis, or something, and he might want to check the hospitals, since he missed me at home? He couldn’t know that I saw him, and so he won’t know that you might be lying. It should keep him busy for a little while, don’t you think? I’m going to need all the head start I can contrive…’bye, Kim, and thanks!”

  A few minutes later, Dee stuck her head cautiously around the corner of the employees’ entrance, looking around with great care. Finding the back parking lot empty, she ran over to Kim’s car and scrabbled at the lock with the key. Then she threw open the door and slid behind the ancient vehicle’s wheel, turning the ignition quickly. It roared gustily, the muffler having rusted away some time before, and she knew she was going to have a headache from the fumes by the time she got back to her apartment.

  It was nice of Kim to let her borrow the car. They had arranged for Kim to take a cab (on Dee’s funds) to Dee’s apartment, and she could pick up her car keys from the landlady who lived on the ground floor. That way Dee could leave right away, without waiting for a cab herself.

  She had plenty of time to think, as she drove through the downtown of Akron to the cheaper, rougher part of town. She would have to run away, again. It was sad in a way, because she had begun to feel settled in this city. She had spent close to nine months working at Dandy’s, and it would hurt to leave her friends. She had managed to put away some money after her few living expenses, and she’d begun to hope that she could go to college in the fall, but of course now that was out. She would need every penny that she had saved to relocate herself again. It just might be enough to see her through until her eighteenth birthday, just under two months away, if she skimped on meals. The end was in sight, she knew, but she was so tired of running and so discouraged at the moment, it didn’t seem to matter any more.

  She rolled down the car window to let the cool keen wind of March whisk through the confines of the interior. Kim smoked too much, and the inside of the car smelled like a tobacco factory. A pothole made the car lurch, and then she was pulling to a stop just in front of a red light.

  Her hands were shaking. Running away…she was always running away. With a burst of fury she cursed the man, Mike Carridine, with a round fluency that she had picked up while working at the restaurant. Then she laughed, remembering how shocked she had been at some of the things she’d heard at Dandy’s. One gets accustomed to crudity and swearing fairly quickly, in an atmosphere like that.

  Carridine was good at his job, she’d give him that. Anyone who could sift through the series of red herrings and false trails that she had left behind her in only nine months had to be good, very good. She hadn’t expected him to be so fast. He must be a bloodhound with a very sensitive nose. She would have to keep on her toes, keep her head and use her quick mind to get out of this one.

  Nine months ago. She drove automatically as she thought back, an oddly bitter and ugly twist to her pale lips. It was a lifetime ago, that nine months, a thousand lifetimes ago. The thought of giving up and going back was intolerable.

  She shifted the car and in spite of her serious thoughts, had to chuckle at the very human-like groan it gave as it accelerated slowly.

  She was approaching her street, her eyes alert, wary, searching. She slowed, and then, instinct warning her, pulled over into a gas station lot to call the restaurant quickly. Kim’s voice answered briskly, and she cut across the other girl’s greeting. “It’s me. Has Carridine been in yet, Kim?”

  “Yes,” the other girl answered brightly, “we do have carry-out. How can I help you?”

  Dee thought rapidly at this odd reply. “He’s right there at the counter and you can’t say anything, right?” That was good. It meant that she could get to her apartment safely.

  “That’s right, carry-out coffee is by the cup, no refills,” was the reply. This was going to be frustrating, she could tell.

  “Is—is he having coffee? Is that what you meant? Hell, what a way to have a conversation!” she muttered, running her hand through her blonde hair and rumpling it even more. A gas station attendant passed by and leered at her suggestively, so she turned her back to him.

  “That’s right.”

  “Just answer yes or no, and I’ll try to ask the right questions…did you tell him that I might have appendicitis?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did he take it—Damn! Did he seem to believe it?” She didn’t know what she would do if he didn’t believe that one.

  “I don’t know the price of that. The assistant manager isn’t back from the bank yet, so I can’t ask him. It’s a specialty item and not listed. You could call back in a few minutes, if you’d like.”

  “Now what in the world does that mean?” Dee retorted, exasperated. She heard a muffled laugh from the other end of the line. “You don’t know if he swallowed the story or not, and you want me to call back later? How will I know if he’s gone or not? You could call me at the apartment as soon as he leaves. D’you have my number?”

  “Yes, I think so. I’ll just call you then, when I know for sure. He should be back in about five minutes or so.”

  “I really could scream,” Dee said conversationally. “Does that mean that he’s almost done with his coffee?” This was not going very coherently.

  “…there, I’ve got your number,” Kim told her, voice quivering. She gritted her teeth in frustration. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I find out the price. Thank you.”

  Dee bolted out of the phone booth as soon as she had hung up the receiver. She had so very little time! She reversed the car with a loud roar and shot off down the road. A quick turn to the right had her pulled on to her street and soon she was parked beside a large old house with peeling white paint, heading for the front door at a run. It wasn’t much of a head start at all, and she was beginning to be swamped by that panic. The feeling of being pursued was nerve-racking, to say the least. It could so easily lead to paranoia.

  She called out as she let herself into the house and heard slow shuffling footsteps come down the hallway. Mrs. Gordon smiled at her cheerily. “Why, hello, dear. You’re home from work early, aren’t you?” she piped brightly. “There was a nice young man here about a half an hour ago asking for you—”

  Dee took a deep breath, for patience. “I know, Mrs. Gordon—he came in at work. Look, I’m not feeling well. Could you do me a favour?”

  “Certainly, my dear.”

  “Do you remember my friend Kim, from work? These are the keys to her car. She’s going to be picking it up later. Could you give them to her?”

  “Of course,” the elderly lady replied, taking the keys in o
ne gnarled hand. “But aren’t you going to be home? If you aren’t well, you should—”

  “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment,” Dee lied, crossing her fingers childishly behind her back. “Have to go and get ready—thanks, Mrs. Gordon!” She didn’t give the old lady any time to react, but hurried up the stairs to her tiny apartment. It was really converted from two bedrooms, with a minuscule bath and kitchenette put in. There was a shower stall with no tub, and it was possible to sit on the stool, reach with one hand to turn on the shower and reach with the other hand to turn on the sink taps. One person could turn around in the tiny space; two was a terrible squeeze.

  Her kitchen was as tiny, with a refrigerator that reached her waist and the ancient stove and sink exactly one step away. The kitchen and the bathroom had been built into one of the two bedrooms, and the other was her living area, with a single bed doubling as a couch, with huge throw pillows against the wall as the back. She had a portable television on a stand across the room and green potted plants all over the place.

  It wasn’t quite the Ritz, but it was cheap and well within her budget, and she had decorated it in yellows, browns and oranges with, of course, the green from the plants. One entire wall held her paperback collection, the one luxury that she had allowed herself with the money left over from paying her bills. All the rest of the money had gone into the bank.

  Once inside, she didn’t waste any time. Her movements were brisk, quick, and economical. She whisked around the small apartment, pulling out her suitcase and all the clothes on hangers. She threw it all on the couch-cum-bed and then went to make a quick call to a taxi company, making arrangements for a cab to come around in half an hour. Then she started throwing things in the open suitcase, practice and adrenalin making her swift. While her hands were busy, her thoughts were too, vivid images from the past coming before her attention. Would she have run away if she had known how hard it was going to be? Who could really know that for sure? She rather thought she would have, though. As she remembered, she hadn’t really had any choice.