“I’m just trying to figure out how to go at him,” I said. “David.”
“He’s gonna go nuts,” Bella said. “I can promise you that.”
“It’s not the nuts part that worries me. It’s the severing ties part I want to make sure happens. And to do that, I need a plan.”
“What does that have to do with my phone?”
Jackson squealed and we both looked over. He stared at his collapsed castle, his balled-up hands waving in frustration. He tossed his shovel and bounded down to the water.
“I’m looking for some help from a friend,” I said.
“I thought you weren’t talking to anyone.”
“He’s the one guy I trust.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said. “And he’ll know what to do. He sort of…specializes in this kind of thing.”
“Specializes? That sounds crazy.”
“You have no idea. But I trust him. Completely.”
She nodded and we watched Jackson splash along the edge of the waves, kicking up water. He sprinted away from us and nearly ran into the legs of a man walking toward him. The man spun and smiled at Jackson, said something to him that made Jackson smile. The man continued walking and then glanced in our direction.
Tall. Dark hair. Dark skin. Sunglasses. White T-shirt, black shorts. He held up a hand and gave me a quick wave.
I leaned forward in my chair.
“You know him?” Bella asked.
He walked slowly up the sand toward us and I blinked several times. “Yeah. Actually, I do.”
“Really?” Bella said. “Is he the friend you were talking about?”
“No,” I said, standing up, completely confused. “That’s Liz’s brother.”
THIRTY-ONE
I hadn’t seen Alex Santangelo in a couple of years. The last time I’d seen him, Carter and I had helped him get out of a jam that involved Zip and I never expected to see him again. He and Liz weren’t close and he’d spent most of his adult life in the drug world. She’d cut him off and didn’t even know that I’d helped him out. So to see him walk up the sand to me was more than just a little surprising. It was a shock.
“Hey, Noah,” he said. He held out his hand and pushed the sunglasses from his eyes to the top of his head.
We shook. “Alex.”
“You look surprised.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He looked from me to Bella. “Hi. I’m Alex.”
“Bella.” They shook hands. “That was my son who almost took you out down there. Jackson.”
“Ah, yes. I told him I thought he was a sea creature.”
“He’s a creature alright.”
Alex smiled at her. “He’s cute.”
“Thanks.”
Alex looked at me. “So.”
“So.”
He waited, his expression clear.
“I haven’t seen you since…in a couple years,” I said. “Running into you here is a little weird.”
Confusion spread across his face and we stood there awkwardly for a moment.
Bella stood. “I’m gonna go check on Jackson.”
She trotted down the sand toward her son.
“Look, if you’re in trouble with Zip again, I’ve got nothing for you,” I said when she was out of earshot. “I’m knee-deep in my own shit and I don’t have time…”
“Hey,” Alex said. “Whoa.”
I closed my mouth.
He ran a hand over his forehead, wiping away the perspiration. “I got out, Noah. Totally.”
I didn’t say anything because I found that hard to believe. For years, I hadn’t even known Liz had a brother. When we ran into him one day, she gave me the story and it wasn’t pretty. Got into dealing at an early age and it spiraled out of control. She’d cut ties with him because he’d let her down so many times. She’d finally had enough. And the only reason I’d helped him was because I wanted to do something for Liz, whether or not she knew about it. So I was skeptical.
“The day you and Carter saved my ass, I started pulling out,” he said. “I was tired. Tired of looking to score, tired of not knowing who was on the other side of the door, tired of disappointing everyone. So it took me awhile, but I cut out.”
“What are you doing now then?” I asked.
“Working construction,” he said. “And I’m back in school. Getting my degree.”
“No drugs?”
“None,” he said, looking me square in the eye. “Free and clear.”
His eyes drifted away from me, toward the water. “When Liz was killed, that’s when I decided on school. I was out, but just spinning my wheels, no direction. But after all that, I decided I wasn’t going to waste any more time. Day after the funeral I went over to Mesa, enrolled and made a plan.”
I winced at the mention of her funeral. I hadn’t gone. And it wasn’t that I wished that I’d gone. It was just something I didn’t like to think about.
“So I’m good,” he said, turning back to me. “I think that I always thought I’d have time with her, you know? Eventually, I figured I’d get my act together and I’d fix all of the damage I’d done. Same kind of lies every loser tells himself to justify what he’s doing. I was no different. But I always meant it, at least in my head I did. Then she was gone.” He paused. “I may have missed out on having a relationship with her while she was alive, but I can make sure she’d be proud of me now. It’s all I have.”
I nodded and was envious for a moment. At least he had something to tie himself to her. I felt like I had nothing.
“So what the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
A crooked smile spread across his face. “Carter sent me.”
THIRTY-TWO
“Carter sent you?” I asked. “To me?”
“He said he got an email from you,” Alex said. “Something about Zip.”
My brain spun.
“He said he was going to email you and let you know I was on the way,” he said.
“Yeah, well, he must have forgotten.”
He studied me for a minute, then slid the glasses back over his eyes, the sun getting the better of him. “You’re wondering why the hell he sent me, right?”
“Crossed my mind, Alex,” I said honestly. “Like I said, last time I saw you was, I thought, the last time Carter saw you, too.”
Alex nodded and stared out toward the water. “Fair enough.” He cleared his throat. “A few days after the funeral, I came looking for you. To talk to you. But you were…already gone.”
I shifted my feet in the sand, uncomfortable under the weight of his words.
