“Yeah, can do, boss.”
“Be careful, Luis. Don’t trust Colin.”
“When are you gonna be back?” he asked, concern in his tone.
“Not sure. Hopefully soon.”
“If you need anything else—”
“Take care, Luis. And be safe.”
I hung the phone up before he could say anything more. He had done more than enough already, and I didn’t have much time; I needed to be quick, just to be safe. I dialed another number, and this time it kept ringing. I stared at the phone, willing the asshole to pick up as it kept ringing and ringing. Finally, I heard a click.
“Hello?” came a groggy voice.
“Leary, you asshole. Wake up.”
I heard some muffled shuffling. “Liam, that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Fuck, I thought you were dead, man.”
“Not dead yet, but might be soon.”
“They’re all looking for you, man. The whole fucking Mob is out there.”
“I know. Listen, I need a favor.”
“What can I do?”
I paused, not sure I could trust him. If Colm had gotten to him, maybe offered him something to turn on me, I’d be fucked. But even though Leary was a shady dude and a drug addict, he was still my friend. And I needed him.
“Go to my restaurant, out back. There’s a dumpster across the street. Inside, you’ll find a green box full of papers and shit. It might be in a trash bag, I’m not sure. But get that box, and take it to Fairmount. There’s a statue on Kelly Drive of a cowboy riding a horse with the words “Frederick Remington.” Stick it in the bushes near that.”
There was a long pause and more shuffling. “Can you say all that shit again, man? I’m a little, you know.”
I sighed. Typical fucking Leary. I was hungover, too, but at least I was functional. I explained the whole thing to him again from the beginning, and slowly. He made me repeat it all one more time, which was fine. So long as the asshole didn’t mess it up.
“Okay, I think I got it,” he said.
“And Leary? Don’t get followed.”
He laughed. “That’s about the only thing I’m good at. When should I do this?”
“I’ll go check the drop spot sometime tonight, so do it anytime today.”
“You gonna be okay, man? They’re saying some serious shit about you.”
“If you can get me that box, I’ll be okay.”
“I’ll do it. Consider it done already, man.”
“Thanks, Leary. I won’t forget this.”
“You better not, asshole.”
“Gotta go. I’m tossing this phone, so don’t bother calling it.”
“All right man. Good luck.”
“Thanks. You too.”
I hung up the phone, frowning down at it. After a second, I took the back plate off and ripped out the battery. I put the phone on the pavement and stomped on it, crushing the cheap case. I sighed, looking out at the neighborhood.
I’d find out sooner than I wanted to whether or not I could trust Leary. If he stabbed me in the back, I was done. So much of my plan hinged on the loyalty of other people, people that maybe would be better of rolling over and betraying me. But I had to believe in them. For a second, I thought I knew what Ellie felt like, being at the mercy of other people, your life more or less in their hands. At the very least, even if everything went wrong, they wouldn’t know where the safe house was. Ellie could still survive, even if they killed me.
I stood up and stretched, the hangover starting to ebb. I began to walk fast away from the phone, just in case it had been traced. I doubted it, but it was always possible.
I had a long day ahead of me. I decided I’d get some more food, maybe some books, more clothes, shit like that for Ellie. I could at least try to make her life a little easier. I owed her that much.
The sun was climbing in the sky. Time would tell if I’d live through the day.
Chapter Sixteen: Ellie
I shut the paperback book and tossed it across the room with a sigh. The sun was beginning to set, and Liam had left again about an hour ago. I had spent the day lying around the couch, alternating between reading the books Liam had brought me and staring at whatever was on TV. At a certain point, though, I needed to get up and move around a little, maybe get some fresh air, but I knew that I couldn’t go outside. There was a backyard, but even that was unsafe, at least according to Liam. I wasn’t used to staying cooped up all day and night, and it was already starting to wear on me.
My situation was weird and dangerous and impossible, and I knew he had my best interest at heart, but for some reason I found myself moving between wanting to shove my tongue into his handsome mouth and shoving my fist in there. I ran my fingers over the ugly couch’s old fabric and wondered who he had stolen it from.