He smiles a gappy, brown-toothed smile that makes her cringe.
“Nine hundred and sixty dollars?”
“That’s right.”
He rubs his fingers together. “Like they say in the movies-”
She looks at him blankly.
He rubs his fingers some more. Then says, “Show me the money.”
“I’ll have to show you tomorrow.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m getting it first thing in the morning.”
“The fuck’re you talking about?”
“They rang out the shift while I was in the shower.”
“You let them take your money?”
She sighs. “You act like it’s never happened before. I’ve got a receipt.”
Bobby puts his hand out. “Cough it up.”
Willow shows him a piece of paper that explains she earned twelve hundred ten, minus her stage fee of two- fifty, for a net of nine-sixty.
“I can’t believe you have to pay those bastards two hundred and fifty bucks to work for tips.”
“It’s been like that since I started.”
He squints. “Whose signature is that?”
“Gary’s.”
“Where’d he learn to write?”
She shrugs. “Kindergarten?”
He laughs. “What time tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll have it long before you wake up.”
“Make sure you do.”
“Can I go to bed now?” she says.
He gives her a long, hard look, but stands aside to let her pass.
“Nice ass,” he says, as she enters the room.
7
Willow and Cameron.
Friday, 8:30 a.m.
“Maybe he’s skipping work today,” Cameron says, between yawns.
“It’s Friday. He’s going to work.”
“It’s eight-thirty, Willow.”
“So?”
“We got here at six-fifteen, right?”
Willow pauses a minute, then says, “You’re right. I’m going in.”
She climbs out of the car, crosses two well-manicured yards, walks up to Chris Fowler’s front door, and rings the doorbell.
Waits a few seconds, rings it again.
And again.
She moves to the living room window, puts her hands on either side of her face to block the glare, and peers inside.
Nothing.
She rounds the house and looks through the sliding glass door of the den.
Nothing.
She goes to the backside of the garage, peeks through the window, and sees the same burgundy Escalade she saw last night when Chris pulled up and opened the garage door. But Chris’s black Mercedes sedan is missing.
Assuming his name is Chris.
Could he have used a fake name?
Willow walks back through the front yard, opens the mailbox, and removes a thick stack of bills and magazines. She riffles through them. The bills were sent to Christopher Fowler. Most of the magazines, to Kathy Fowler.
Willow walks back to her car and tells Cameron they’ve lost Chris.
“Lost him?”
“His car’s gone.”
Cameron shakes her head. “I can’t believe we sat here all this time. It makes sense he’d go to work early if his wife’s coming home at noon.”
“Her name’s Kathy. Her car’s still in the garage.”
“What now?”
“We come back at noon and wait for them.”
“You think he’ll be with her?”
“Yup. He’ll probably pick her up at the airport. When they get home, we’ll knock on the door and have a little chat with him.”
“In front of Kathy?”
“That’ll be up to Chris.”
8
Dr. Gideon Box
Friday, 8:45 a.m.
The auditorium at Wentworth Christian Academy is as packed as you’d expect on graduation day. I slip inside and try to blend in with the dads standing against the back wall. The principal introduces the faculty, and tells a lame joke that elicits polite chuckling.
The man on my right leans into my face space, practically touching my ear with his lips.
“Proud papa?”
“Friend of the family,” I say, staring straight ahead.
“Which one?”
“Excuse me?”
“Which kid are you here to see?”
Instead of answering, I say, “Which one’s yours?”
“The tall one, second row, all the way on the left.”
“Nice looking young lady,” I say.
“We’re going to keep her,” he says, chuckling.
Before he has a chance to annoy me further, the kids sing a song. Then another. Then the principal goes to the podium and announces the name of the little girl I came to see.
Shelby Lynn Meyers.
Valedictorian.
Who ever heard of a sixth-grade class having a valedictorian?
But Shelby’s special. She strolls to the podium full of life, and delivers a three-minute speech in a crisp, clear tone. She tells the audience how lucky she is to be alive, how seven years ago she came within an inch of dying. She talks about how she woke up in the hospital after her ordeal and realized every day is a precious blessing, a gift
