Getting about five miles from the restaurant, she stopped long enough to see what she had in her backpack.There was money in one of them, her checks from the last few months cashed and lying in neat stacks.She had food enough to get her by this evening, but she’d have to find something that would tide her over until tomorrow night.Plus, she had several changes of clothing that would do her for a while and a wig.It had seen better days, but she was going to use it only if necessary.And today it felt like it might be more necessary than ever before.
She’d been prepared for this for the last six months.Jamie told her to be ready to go.That as soon as the place was gone—he’d never said how it would be gone, but he did tell her there would be fire—she was to light out like the police were after her and she’d stolen the biggest gem on this side of the United States.She took him at his word.
Now she was on the run and without much in the way of information.She had an idea what had gone on at the restaurant, but not knowing if she was right or not, she kept her mouth shut.She’d thought that the restaurant was doing too well to be out in the middle of nowhere and without the customers that seemed to be avoiding the place.She did the dishes; she knew how many people were eating at the place nightly.
“Fentanyl.”She had figured that was what Jamie was trying his best not to tell her about it.Theentire ground floor of the place had been closed for years.She figured that there must have been about thirty workers down there, from the cars that were always in the lot, and that they were making and selling the fentanyl right out the front door.
Her boss, Mr.Shadows, certainly not his real last name, seemed to have wads of cash on him all the time.When the restaurant ran out of something, he’d peel a few hundred off of his pocket and tell Jamie to take the company van and run to the store and get it.It didn’t matter what it was, either, from steaks to lettuce.He’d come back with the van loaded up, and she’d have to help him unload it all.
She never seen enough people in the place to justify that amount of food coming in, but she kept her mouth shut.Jamie would talk to her on breaks.And his stories would terrify her to no end about what was going to happen to the place should the police or someone who had more firepower come along and decide that they’d had enough.Enough what, she would never know unless it was in the paper, but she was glad to have been able to get away from the place before anyone wanted answers from her.She didn’t have any.
The little town where she lived was perfect for where she wanted to go.They’d notice a stranger in town, which was why, for the past six months, she’d made sure that she’d been seen by just about everyone around.She’d even taken jobs that were there just so she’d have a presence in town.Not knowing what was going on, she made sure that she’d be able to hide in plain sight when the time came to disappear.
She’d even known that McGee was the new chief of police in town, and he didn’t even realize that she’d babysat his kids one night recently.She was good at making herself hide out and had done it for so long that she was sure that she could do it for the rest of her life and not be caught.
Hailey decided that she could go into the greenhouse to spend a couple of days.There had been work started on it earlier in the year, but it had stopped.There was heat in the place now, for which she was grateful, and figured that she could stay in it for the rest of the fall and into winter.She’d already gotten herself a post office box with her name on it.All she had to do was collect it once a week, and that would be another place that people would see her at.
Situating herself in the greenhouse office, she was able to use the big bags of soil for a bed.They weren’t as soft as a bed, but they were warm with the heat of the office that she’d carried them into.In addition to a bed, she also had herself a table with the desk and a little heater that someone had left behind.There was even a hot plate that she could use, but she was slightly afraid of it.The plug was frayed, and she didn’t trust the wiring around it.She would only use it if she were there all the time.She didn’t want to burn down the place just because she wanted her soup hot.
Fixing herself some ramen noodles for dinner, she was set up about as well as she could be and still have food and water.After taking an inventory of the place and then figuring out different ways to get in and out, she felt that she was safe here until spring.She didn’t know if they were going to start the greenhouse up again or if they’d abandon it, as it looked to her like they had.
The next morning, she didn’t even bother trying to look for a newspaper.It only came out once a week, and she’d be lucky if the news in it wasn’t about a month old.Mostly, it kept up with the local sports teams and what they were doing, but it rarely, if ever, had a front page that would tell you something that you’d need to know, like a restaurant that had been shot up and people killed.She’d be better off trying to get information from the town librarian rather than the newspaper.She’d be able to answer questions, too.
Going to the pizza place in town around ten, she asked if they had any work for her.They usually did, and she was glad that she could work today.They never asked her for her phone number.Whenever she had free time, she would go in and ask.It was also a good way to hear things.She was hoping that the town would be abuzz about what had gone on at one of the biggest restaurants in town.
By the time her shift was over and she’d signed up for tomorrow too, she heard three different versions of what had happened at theGolden Sheep.She was going to have to get more information, but the police had made sure that no one could get into the parking lot, and there were no cameras around either.
The first version was that the place had blown up from a gas leak.She knew that one wasn’t right.They never mentioned the dead bodies, nor did they talk about how the Feds were there either.It had been a big deal to have the Feds around because the owner had blown it up for tax purposes and insurance.She didn’t believe that one to be true.
Nor did she think the second one she’d heard was true.It said that the gas leaked again, but since it didn’t blow the place up, they only just had to evacuate.Again, no mention of bodies or dead people, so she didn’t hold out much hope of that one being true either.She’d seen at least four of the dead and thought about number three.It had the most truth to it.
There was no gas leak, but it did mention that the place had been gone over by the Feds.It was said that Mr.Shadows had been arrested, but that was easy enough to get wrong.No one had seen his body as yet, and they were speculating on how he might have been taken out of the picture.It talked about how there were other agencies around and that they weren’t allowing anyone within a mile of the place.The road had even been blocked off.
The thing was that she had it in her head that the place was selling some kind of illegal drugs.Whether it was fentanyl or not, she wasn’t sure, but there was something going on.Just as she was clocking out of the pizza shop, they got a big order for ten large pizzas and five large salads.It could only be one family that ordered like that, and the Penningtons were not ones to mess with.They had a way about them that scared even her.Plus, they were big men who were soft-spoken.The kind of combination that would get a person into trouble with them.She stayed long enough to get the pizzas in the oven and the salads made.It was good money working for the town’s only pizza place, and they were always busy.
~*~
Gleason and Raphael went in to get the pizzas.This was an unplanned dinner with the family, and he was glad that Creno’s was able to accommodate them tonight.As soon as he picked up the salads, he could smell the pizzas cooking in the large oven.He loved hot pizza and loved it spicy as well.Creno’s had the best hot and spicy around as far as he was concerned.Rapheal got half the pizza boxes, and he was going back in to get the rest of them.
“That girl is back working.”He’d heard about the woman.Girl her family called her.She never stayed still long enough for them to get to know her, but he’d not seen a problem with it.Raphael thought that she was being suspicious, but he thought that she was just being cautious.“Don’t you wonder where she came from?I do.I think she’s being cagey when I’ve asked for her name, too.Most women are happy to give us their number.”
“Maybe she just doesn’t like you.”Rapheal rolled his eyes.“Well, she might not.I’ve known a couple of women who think we’re too cocky.Perhaps she’s one of them.”
“I’m not cocky, nor am I being paranoid.I’ve heard Kinsey say that about me and her.”They put the pizzas in the back of the car and wrapped them up with the blanket that was forever in the back seat.When they were on their way, Raphael turned to look at him.“Have you ever noticed how she seems to disappear after a few comments to her?I think she’s hiding from someone.”
“I think you should just leave it alone.”He wasn’t going to, and he didn’t waste his breath on her and him again.“What kind of pizzas did they get?I hope at least two of them are the hot and spicy.I’ll have to fight Wylie for one if not.He loves them more than I do.”
“They got three.Apparently, Rosie likes them spicy, too.I just like plain cheese when we’re all together.I like my ice cream plain vanilla, too.I enjoy the simple things in life.”Gleason decided there was no talking to some people, and Raphael was one of them.“I’m going to have Ara investigate her to see what’s going on with her.”
“Don’t do it.You’re just going to piss her off, and that won’t be good.What if she’s one of our soon-to-be wives?It won’t be good family get-togethers if she’s going to be pissed off at you all the time.No more pizzas either.”He said he’d take his chances.“Besides, Ara is trying to figure out what happened at theSheep.He said that the county morgue was out there loading bodies when he tried to drive by.”
“I’ve heard about that.They’re not saying what happened there, but I’m to understand that the Feds have taken over the investigation.Whatever is going on, they sure have a lot of firepower out there.I had to turn around and go back the other way when I was headed to Columbus yesterday.They’re not allowing anyone within a couple of miles of the place.”Rapheal said he’d heard it was drugs.“I don’t know why not.The couple of times I’ve been there, the parking lot looks full, but the restaurant is dead.Just me and another table.Could be that they’re running drugs out of there from the basement.”
“Yeah, I forgot it had a basement.Remember playing around the building when it was being renovated all those years ago?”He said that he did and then brought up the girl again.“I doubt very much she had anything to do with it.Whatever happened out there, it’s going to come out that it was just a gas leak, and that will be the end of it.”
“I don’t know.Why would the Feds be out there if it were just a gas leak?I’m betting that they’re making meth or something.Remember how we thought they were putting in a lot of heat for the place when we were screwing around?I think it might be drugs, and we’re going to find out that the girl had something to do with it.”He asked him when he’d gotten so paranoid before.“I’m not.I just read a lot of murder crime books.I’m reading one right now that talks about how this entire family was caught making meth in their basement.It wasn’t until a cartel went in that they were found out.That’s probably what happened out there.”
“You need to get laid.At the very least, get out and date more.And quit reading those books.They’re going to get your ass in trouble.”They were home in a few minutes, but Raphael kept talking about theSheep.He had the entire household talking about it while they got dinner.He was sure that they were all just humoring him, but he couldn’t tell.Gleason just wanted to eat his pizza in peace and quiet.That wasn’t going to happen with this family.
