“Hear you’ve been asking about an automobile crash, that right?” a guy with a thick New York accent asked. His hair was swept back, and tattoos covered his knuckles.
The mission on Skid Row brought in the worst of society, many people were on drugs, most violent. That’s why he didn’t bat an eye when he replied, “Yeah. That’s right.”
“Who you work for?” the guy asked, as his pal lit a cigarette even though there was a sign on the wall that said no smoking.
“God.”
The guy snorted and looked at his pals. As quick as a flash he reached over and grabbed Dalton’s head and slammed it against the table, holding it there. “Then perhaps I should reunite the two of you.” He got really close to his ear. “Whatever you’re doing. Stop. You won’t get a second warning. And whoever you’re working for, go back to them and tell them that you found nothing.” One of the men took his phone and had him open it. They deleted the photos he’d taken of the vehicle debris then looked through his contacts and saw the text message to Kelly.
“Who’s Kelly Armstrong?”
“A friend.”
“Visiting Doctor Grossman?”
He shrugged.
The text gave away too many details.
“Who is she?” The man asked in a threating tone.
“A reporter,” Dalton replied, his face red from having it squashed against the table.
“Well you tell her to back off or else.”
And just like that they got up and left, taking his phone with them. The last thing the guy said as he walked out was, “Now we know where you live.”
He observed them leaving, and took note of their license plate. It was a yellow, New Jersey. He repeated the numbers and letters in his head over and over until they stuck.
As soon as they were gone, Dalton hurried around the counter and entered the kitchen where the owner was waiting. “Get out. You’ve brought enough trouble this way.”
“I just need to use a phone.”
The owner stabbed a finger towards the door. “No. Get out!”
He was forced out of the kitchen; the woman wouldn’t listen to reason. Shoved into a night of rain and blustery wind, Dalton shivered under the glow of the restaurant until the owner closed up, turning off the lights. He wasn’t sure how long he waited there before Kelly’s SUV showed up. The first thing he noticed was the damage to the rear. He hurried over and jumped in the back, shivering and dripping wet.
“What the hell happened to you?” She asked.
“I was about to ask the same thing,” Dalton replied. “Drive. I’ll explain on the way. Do either of you have a phone?”
Kelly handed him hers and he made a call that he wished he didn’t have to make.
It went straight to voicemail. Shit.
“Karen. Take the baby and head to your mom’s and stay there until I return. You understand? Don’t stay at the house and take anything that has your mother’s address on it. You can reach me back at this number. What’s the number?” he asked Kelly before hanging up.
“Dalton, what’s going on?” Zach asked.
He brought them up to speed as they made their way to Owego in preparation for the next morning. Zach got all theatrical. “Well that settles it. We are getting the fuck out of Dodge now!”
“We can’t go. Not yet,” Kelly said. “Once I have that report.”
“Oh fuck the report, Kelly. It’s not like it’s going to give us anything. This was a warning. They could have got out and shot us, or killed Dalton. This shit is above our pay grade. I know you want a story but it’s time to pull the plug on this.”
She didn’t reply immediately, perhaps she was used to his outbursts or knew it was better to sleep on it before making a decision.
They ended up getting a motel on the west side of Owego. It was a no-nonsense, two-star abode that wasn’t bad even though Zach complained the moment he saw the dated décor.
That night Dalton got little sleep. Every sound of a car passing by or pulling up made him look out the drapes. He was certain they were being watched. He figured the kid had ratted on them for some cash as he was the only one that knew they were there. Whatever hope they had of using him as a witness was gone.
In the early hours of the morning, Dalton got a phone call from Karen. She’d made it to her mother’s and was safe but man, did she ream him out. His ear was still ringing after he ended the conversation. She’d made it clear that if he didn’t return soon, she was staying at her mother’s permanently. While Kelly and Zach slept, he stepped out for some fresh air and to watch the sun rise. He thought a lot about Jack in those early hours. Was he worth it? Was anyone worth it? Could Jack have ever imagined his life turning out the way it had? Although he wanted to walk away, he couldn’t help but feel that wasn’t the right thing to do. He needed to speak to him again, if only to update him, but that would have to wait for now.
First things first, get the report, speak with the attorney and then get the hell out of there.
“Morning, sunshine,” Zach said as he stepped out and found Dalton dozing on the bench just outside the door. Zach stretched out and rolled his head around. “My whole body aches. I swear I got whiplash last night.”
“Maybe it rattled your brain and knocked some sense into you,” Kelly said coming out and closing the door behind her. “Let’s get some coffee and head over to his office. I want to get to him just as they open up.”
They clambered into the SUV and drove the short five-minute drive into town. As they swung into the parking lot they were met by the sight of an ambulance. Police had already cordoned off the area
