Mr. And Miss Anonymous (16 page)

T
he television was on, the sound low, and the remains of a late-night room service dinner sat on the table. Winston was curled up on the couch next to Lily and Pete, who were cuddling in the corner. Pete was stroking Lily’s hair. She smelled like summer and warm sunshine rolled up together. After all these years he’d found her. The gods were truly smiling down on him. He gave her a little squeeze. Lily snuggled even closer.

“I’m sorry, Lily. For so many things. Right now this all seems to be about me and the boy. We haven’t even touched on your…you. I just want you to know when we find Josh, we’re moving into high gear and will find all of them, and we’ll start with you and any children you might have out there. I just want you to know I never make a promise I can’t keep. The fact that you haven’t said one word about your needs is mind-blowing to me.”

“Pete, it’s okay. Right now, Josh is the most important thing to both of us. My turn will come soon enough. But, I think we need to be realistic and recognize the fact that all the others… We might never be able to find them. We’ll do the best we can and hope it’s good enough. We have good people watching over us and helping, so we should be grateful for that. Tessie won’t let us down. I just feel that in my gut. As a woman, with a woman’s intuition, I feel the boy is going to be okay. Josh is smart, Pete. Look at what he’s accomplished so far. If he stays focused, he’s going to come out of this okay. Now, let’s talk about something else for a little while. Tell me about your ranch in Montana.”

Pete chuckled. “It’s great, Lily. Big Sky Country. The cleanest, clearest air in the whole world. The house is pretty big. Six thousand square feet. Perfect for a bunch of kids and animals. Speaking of animals. I have a herd of cows and nine horses there. Plus two barns and one milk barn—everything is electric and climate-controlled. In a separate building I have an indoor tennis court and a heated pool, a Jacuzzi, and a steam room. The main house has a state-of-the-art kitchen. Open beams with green plants growing all over them and up the fireplace. It has one of those racks that hangs over the island with dozens of copper pots and pans. Latest appliances. You can actually cook in the fireplace. Out-of-this-world bathrooms, stone with waterfalls and recessed lighting that makes you look really good. The floors are heated throughout the house. The master bedroom is actually a suite that’s bigger than this whole villa. The views from all the windows are totally breathtaking. They tell me that’s what women look for in a house. A glorious deck that surrounds the house for summer pleasure. The house has six fireplaces, all fieldstone. You could roast an ox in any one of them.

“The only thing it lacks is a woman’s touch. At the moment there’s lots of leather in the place. I guess the decorator believes that myth that men like deep dark leather furnishings. I think it’s kind of cold in the winter. You might want to change all that.”

Lily snuggled even closer. “It sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to see it. How often do you get to go out there?”

Pete laughed so loud Winston woke up, then looked around and went back to sleep. “I went once for the grand opening. Stayed a day and a half. The decorator and builder were a little miffed at me, but I had to get back to work. Oh, did I tell you it has its own helicopter pad? I have one of those, do you?” He made it sound like he was bragging about a new vacuum cleaner.

Lily giggled. “You’re just showing off. Don’t want one of those, the rotors mess up your hair when they’re twirling around. Nope, I just have a company plane.”

“Winston loves going up in the twirly bird. He can even buckle his seat belt. He’s going to love living out there in God’s country. Do you know how to bake pies, Lily?”

“Doesn’t everyone? The short answer is
yes.
What’s your favorite?”

“Banana cream, followed by strawberry rhubarb and after that blackberry, and I really love blueberry.”

“So, most any kind of pie will do, is that it?”

Pete chuckled. “That pretty much sums it up. What’s your favorite food?”

“Anything Italian. I make a pretty mean lasagna. Well, I used to. I haven’t cooked much lately.”

“No kidding. Anytime I have a choice, I pick Italian food, and second, Japanese.”

Lily sat upright. “No kidding! I love Japanese food.”

“God Almighty, do you have any idea how lucky we are that we found each other?” Awe rang in Pete’s voice.

“I know. I think about it every second. We should go to bed, Pete. It’s late. What’s on our agenda for tomorrow?”

“I don’t have a clue. I guess it pretty much depends on what Tessie comes up with. Now that the boy is gone, I don’t have a clue where he might go. He’s probably hitchhiking to Outer Mongolia. Kids today are fearless. He could be lost to me, Lily.”

“Don’t even
think
that, Pete. That kid isn’t going anywhere far. He’s going to stick around to see how this all plays out. He’s gone to ground. That means he has survival skills of some kind. I think in the end, he’s going to find us, not the other way around. It’s a gut feeling, but it feels right to me.”

“Let’s go for a walk, Lily. I always like to walk around my yard at home before I go to bed. Looking at the stars relaxes me.”

“Do you make a wish?” Lily teased.

“Always. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wished that I would find the right person to spend my life with. I always wish that I can be as happy as my parents. I think you’ll like my mom and dad. I know they’ll love you. They’re simple people, Lily. Stuff, big bank accounts, fancy cars—none of that means a thing to them. My mom lives for the county fair where she can enter her quilts and jam. She always wins. My dad’s passion in life is fixing tractors and tinkering with his pickup truck. Growing up, I remember how his dream was to someday own a John Deere tractor. You know what, Lily, he cried the day I showed up with one. My dad cried. This great big guy who looks like a bear, hugged me and cried. Jesus, in that one minute, I would have tried to climb to the heavens to get him the moon and the stars if I could have.

“When I had a car dealer deliver a brand-new truck, he sent it back and called me up to tell me I shouldn’t waste my money like that. It was the fact that he called long-distance that made me sit up and take notice. My parents do not, ever, ever, make long-distance calls, so I had to bite the bullet and accept his decision. Mom, now, that’s a different story. She didn’t have one bit of trouble accepting the Ford Thunderbird so she wouldn’t have to depend on my dad to drive her around. She wears her apron when she drives it. Don’t ask!” Pete laughed.

“I love them already. You said something about a walk…”

Josh backtracked his way to town as he kept up a running conversation with Tom.

“I have to find a telephone book. I know that Mr. Dickey lived in the Castle Gate Apartments, but that’s all I remember. Maybe I should take a taxi if I can find the address.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t. Never leave a trail if you can help it, Josh. Taxi drivers log their trips. You’re going to have to hoof it. Look for an all-night fast-food joint. There’s bound to be a phone booth with a phone book. Someone inside will probably be able to give you directions. You have to do this in the dark, buddy. Once it gets light out, you’re a sitting duck.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I’m really tired, Tom. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”

“Sounds to me like you’re whining, Josh. Knock it off. Look, there’s a hot dog stand. C’mon, look smart now, pick up your feet, and move. Stop shuffling. Get some hot food, coffee. That’ll wake you up. You need to be alert from here on in.”

Josh did as ordered. He tripped up to the Hotdog Haven and headed straight for the phone booth at the end of the building. He cussed under his breath when he realized the lightbulb was burned out in the booth.

“Look alive here, buddy, it’s not the end of the world. You have the penlight in your pocket. Did you forget that?”

“Yeah, I did forget.” Within minutes, Josh had the tattered book up on the skimpy shelf and was leafing through the pages. He sucked in his breath as he rolled the little light down the pages. He almost blacked out when he saw the name he was looking for: Dickey, A, 9 Castle Gate Apartments.

“Got it, Tom. Boy, what a relief. What time is it?”

“I don’t know, Josh. I told you, time here is irrelevant. Go get some food and coffee. Looks like an older man behind the counter. He can probably give you directions. You have to keep moving. Hey, get the works on the hot dog. Relish, onions, mustard, sauerkraut, and chili.”

In spite of himself, Josh laughed. “I’ll keel over if I eat that.”

“Humor me, buddy. Sheila wants one, too.”

The hot dog stand was almost deserted except for two men who Josh thought might be hobos or street people. He stepped up to the counter and ordered two dogs with the works and a large black coffee.

Josh watched the older man with the crippled hands as he fixed the hot dogs and handed them over. Why was such an old man working in the middle of the night? He made a mental note to ask Tom, who knew everything. Josh paid for his food and waited for his change.

The man’s hands shook as he counted out Josh’s change. He looked like a grandfather. “Sir, do you know where Castle Gate Apartments are?”

The man’s voice shook almost as much as his hands. “Sure do, young fella. I live there. In the cheap seats. Two sections, one for people with more money, then the other one for people like me on a limited income. What number are you looking for?”

“Apartment 9.”

“That’s where I live. I’m in 16. I can make you a map while you eat your food. It’s not far. Did your car break down or something?”

“No, I don’t have a car. I’m looking for a friend to spend a few days with. How far is ‘not far’?”

“Maybe three miles. A young fella like you can get there in no time. Eat your food before it gets cold. I just cooked those wieners a few minutes ago, so they’re fresh.”

Josh savored every bite of food in front of him while Tom kept up a running commentary about everything and nothing. The coffee was so strong and bitter, he felt as if his eyeballs were about to stand at attention.

The two homeless people shuffled toward the counter, where Josh could hear them thanking the man behind the counter. They called him Charlie. Somehow or other, Josh thought the man named Charlie gave the two men free food. He hoped he was right.

Josh finished his coffee and carried his trash to the container by the front door. He walked back to the counter and waited patiently until Charlie handed over the map that would take him to Adam Dickey’s apartment.

“Thank you very much, sir.”

“You’re welcome, young fella. We had some excitement at the Gate a while back. One of the tenants was shot and killed at the school where he worked. The FBI came out and talked to all of us. The manager was pretty upset. She said she wouldn’t be able to rent out the apartment if people found that out. Those fancy boys told her she couldn’t rent it out anyway because, while it wasn’t a crime scene exactly, it had to do with a crime scene. At least that’s what I think he said,” Charlie said fretfully.

“So, it’s not rented?”

“No, one of my neighbors told me the man who lived there was paid up for six months, and the FBI knows that. They told Clarissa, she’s the manager, if she tried renting the apartment before the rent ran out, they’d throw her in jail. They had that yellow tape all over the place. It’s not there anymore, though. Don’t know if kids took it down or if the FBI took it down.”

Six months. He could hide out for six months. Not likely. Josh thanked the man for the information and the map. At the last second, he handed over a dollar for a tip.

Outside in the dark, Josh looked down at the map and started off.

“Sometimes you just step in a bucket of luck, right, buddy?”

“Yeah. But three miles is a hike in the middle of the night. Cops are patrolling like crazy,” Josh said.

“Just look like you know where you’re going. If anyone stops you, you have a destination in mind, 9 Castle Gate Apartments, or you could say 16 Castle Gate. You aren’t doing anything wrong, just walking to a destination. How were the hot dogs?”

“Terrible. You wouldn’t have liked them. That coffee was so strong and bitter it curled the hair on my chest.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire—you don’t have any hair on your chest,”
Tom said. “
I’m up for a jog, how about you? Sheila is going to get there before us. Boy, can she run! You gonna let a girl beat us?”

“Not likely!” Josh called on all his energy and sprinted off. Thirty minutes later he skidded to a stop, his breathing shallow, at the entrance to the Castle Gate Apartments.

Even in the dark there was nothing appealing about the apartment complex. Dead brown grass could be seen under the halogen lighting. Rusted wagons, bicycles without wheels, and assorted broken-down toys littered the small patches of lawn in front of most of the apartments. Junkyard cars were everywhere, some minus doors. Most with flat tires. Josh just knew wild animals lived in these rat traps.

“Okay, get the ice pick ready so you don’t have to hang out too long by the front door. Go in and don’t turn on any lights. I betcha if you just give the pick a few twists the door will fly open.”

Tom was wrong. It took four twists of the pick and lots of jiggling before the door swung open. Josh was inside in a heartbeat. He thought he could smell Old Spice aftershave or cologne, something Mr. Dickey wore all the time.

“Let your eyes get accustomed to the dark before you walk around. The walls in this place are probably paper-thin. You don’t want to make any noise. Get out your penlight and shine it downward. All the blinds are pulled, and I didn’t see anyone outside, so I think you’re probably safe. You can take a shower before you go to sleep. I like the fact that there’s a dead bolt on the inside of the door. Once you lock the door, no one can get in. Okay, okay, you can move now. Leave your shoes by the door so you don’t track in any dirt. Cops look for stuff like that.”