G'Day USA (22 page)

Okay.

Assuming the wing-nut who texted me was on the level, the cops were definitely barking up the wrong tree.

Of course, he could just be some insane asshole wanting to make my life more miserable.

‘
Whatever-the-fuck. I’m getting tired.’ I stood and turned and almost ran into Ann. ‘Jesus, girl. You scared the crap out of me.’

She had the remnants of my dress around her neck like a scarf. It didn’t look too bad, actually.

She moved in and gave me a hug. An awkward, uncomfortable hug.

‘
Thanks hon. How you been?’

She looked very concerned. ‘Did I hear you say someone besides the police was looking for you?’

‘
It’s nothing. Some crazy thinks they can threaten me and I’d take it seriously.’

‘
Crazy like me?’

‘
You’re not crazy.’

Ann smiled and hugged me again. ‘You’re very nice to say that. You’re in the minority. I’m worried about you. You’re too good to be living on the streets.’

I took her by the shoulders. ‘Honey,
no
body should be living on the streets. Why are you? No, forget I asked. It’s your business, not mine.’

She took me by the hand and led me into an alcove, a hidey hole about a block away. It was a space about twice the size of my bathroom with a couple of thin mattresses on the floor. Light filtered in through a high window from an outside streetlight. ‘Spend the night here. You’ll be safe from whoever is looking for you.’

The place was remarkably clean. I sat on one of the mattresses and leaned back against the wall. ‘What is this place?’

Ann sat on the other and leaned against the opposite wall facing me. ‘It’s an old storage room. When they renovated this building a few years ago it was left over. Too small for an apartment and they had a new storage room somewhere else. The owner is an old friend and lets me bunk here, as long as I keep it clean. It’s clean, right?’

‘
Spotless. I don’t know how you do it with all the sand.’

She smiled. ‘You’re too kind.’

I had to ask. ‘Why are you living in a place like this? You are one of the most lucid people I’ve met in this city.’

She laughed. ‘You’re catching me on a good day. I don’t know what it’s called. I can’t remember the name. But I have episodes. Unpredictable episodes. I start feeling very irritable and it’s like a blind slides over my thoughts. I can’t formulate coherent sentences. I’m lucky to remember my name some days. When it’s really bad I just stay in here.’

‘
Surely you can get medical help for that.’

‘
The insurance only covered treatment for twelve months. I can’t afford the meds.’

‘
You’re not crazy. Very intelligent. What were you doing before all this happened?’

‘
Finance. I was in the accounts department at one of the chain department stores.’

‘
And they wouldn’t help you out?’

She shrugged. ‘Business, not a charity.’

I shook my head. ‘Doesn’t seem fair. Would have thought they’d take care of you.’

‘
Such is life. Play the hand you’re dealt.’

‘
You don’t have family who can help?’

‘
I’m a loner just like you. Had a horrendous fight at Thanksgiving about three years ago. Punched my brother in the face so hard I broke his nose. Kicked my dad in the balls and threw his laptop through the plate glass window in the living room. The window didn’t open, by the way. Really
through
the window.’ She grimaced. ‘Not one of my better days. Haven’t talked to any of them since.’

I was laughing. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, but that sounds like a good Australian party. I would have paid money to be there.’ I caught the look on her face. ‘Oh, Ann, so sorry. I know it hurts. You’ve never tried to contact them? Where do they live?’

She was shaking her head before I was finished talking. ‘Forget about my family. I have. What was this I was hearing you say about someone looking for you? The police?’

Awkward conversation for 200, Alex. ‘The police are looking for me, yes. They think I did something I didn’t do.’

‘
They think you killed Bart Sweeney.’

‘
Exactly. You’ve been following the news.’

‘
I know you didn’t. Wish I could help you. But I’m talking about “the someone else”. Who else is looking for you?’

‘
You don’t need to get involved .’

‘
I already am. Technically I’m harboring a fugitive and obstructing by not telling the police you’re here. So spill it before I lose my cognitive abilities. Maybe I can help.’

I told her about the threatening text messages, bad spelling and all and how I wasn’t sure it the guy was for real or not. ‘Except he knew my fake plans to go to Oxnard and Tustin.’

‘
Better safe than sorry. At least he can’t find you here. You should get rid of the phone.’

‘
Oh can’t ditch the phone. I’ve reached high scores in Angry Birds.’ I laughed at the look on her face. ‘I’ll show you later. I do have a new number, though. A friend got it and loaded credit on it.’

I turned on the new phone and sent a text to Marty.
“Need you to front me some money. You can take it back from my earnings. Talk to the money guy. $100,000 should be good. If you can do more that would be even better. By the way, this is my new number.”

Ten seconds after I pressed send, the phone rang.

‘
Marty, is that you?’

‘
Ellie? Did you just send this text?’

‘
About the money, yeah. Can you do it?’

There was nothing but breathing on the phone for almost a minute. I could picture him holding his forehead like it was going to pop off. ‘I don’t know. That would drag me right into the middle of it and I could end up spending the next ten years of my life in a prison, missing the pampered existence I currently have.’

‘
You change the contract so it says you get 20%. Maybe 25%. Pre-date it. Bring it with you when you bring the money and I sign it. It’s all legit and no way to trace my bag of cash back to you.’

‘
I gotta think about this. I’m not comfortable helping you run when you should be turning yourself into the police.’

I looked at Ann. She shifted her position and leaned forward. I held up my hand to keep her from talking. ‘I can’t go to the police until I understand why I was set up.’

‘
You think someone intentionally set you up.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘You’ll need proof.’

‘
Of course someone set me up. My gun, my hair, my prints. How could it be anything else? You going to do the money or not?’

‘
I’ve got your number. I’ll let you know tonight. I need to talk this over with financial people to see the best way to do it.’

Well it wasn’t an outright “no”. ‘Thanks Marty. Appreciate it.’

He hung up without answering.

‘
Marty is a friend of yours?’

‘
My manager-agent. I guess you could call him a friend. He’s a great guy. Always helping. Hopefully he can pull through this time.’

‘
That’s a lot of money.’

‘
I know. I feel embarrassed sometime how much they pay me to make believe. And then there are people like you and millions others who can’t make ends meet.’

‘
That’s the way of the world, Ellie. You can’t change it. You entertain millions of people, allowing them to escape their boring humdrum world for a couple of hours.’

Ann had removed most of her coats. She was wearing a polyester pair of slacks and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

‘
Kind of you to say, Ann. Close to three hours of entertainment, by the way. Listen, what’s the deal with all the jackets? You gotta be dying in the heat.’

She looked embarrassed for the first time since I’d met her. ‘I do get hot. And when I’m in mental shape like I am right now, it’s very uncomfortable. But when I fade I need them on. Gives me a sense of safety. I learned a long time ago to wear them all the time I’m not in this room. The shift happens at unpredictable times. I’m a blubbering mess if I shift to the crazies and don’t have the jackets on. Better to be uncomfortable some of the time than a gibbering idiot most of the time.’

I leaned over and gave her a hug. ‘Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I wish I could do something.’

‘
Your problems are a lot worse than mine, Ellie.’

I didn’t answer her as my phone vibrated with an incoming message. ‘Hey, maybe something from Marty.’

It wasn’t. It came from the same number I’d received the earlier threatening message.

“
Changing the phone number isn’t enough to hide from me. You need to change the phone too. But even then I can find you. I know where you are now. Do you know where you’ll be this time tomorrow? I’m dead sure I do.”

Freaking me out was becoming a habit with this guy.

Ann sensed something I guess because she scooted over and sat beside me. ‘What’s it say?’

I gave her the phone. I was trembling a little. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. There’s no way he could find me. Was there?

Ann handed the phone back. ‘That’s freaky. That’s a brand new number.’

I shuddered. It felt like a cold breeze blew across the fine hairs on the back of my neck. Shit. I re-dialed Marty’s number.

He answered quickly. ‘The cops are here. I told you I’d call you back.’

‘
How long have they been there?’

‘
Since we hung up last time.’

‘
Did you give anyone my new number?’

The tone of his voice changed. ‘No problem, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and the answer to your question is no.’ He hung up. Someone must have been close to him and he didn’t want them to overhear.

‘
He didn’t give anyone the number.’ I looked at Ann. ‘And he said the police have been there since he hung up last time.’

‘
So he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to text you.’

‘
Exactly. What the fuck?’

‘
So turn the phone off, and get some sleep. You look exhausted. You’re safe here. Relax.’

‘
Fucking hell, Ann. Some freak out there is saying they are going to kill me and they’re sending a message to a number I JUST GOT. How in the hell am I supposed to relax?’ Ann backed away from me. I had frightened her. ‘Oh, jeez, I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m exhausted. It’s not even 8:00 and I’m falling asleep. Thank you very, very much for your hospitality. I’ll take you up on your offer.’

I turned off my phone. Looked around the little nook and rested my head on a small pillow. I was asleep before I counted a single sheep.

Chapter Twenty

Perkins accepted the glass of ice water from Lily. ‘Thanks. But I still need you to answer my questions. When was the last time you saw Ellie Bourke, and where?’

Marty rubbed his forehead, worry lines etched on his face. ‘I’ve told you a thousand times, the night of the premiere. I haven’t seen her since then. The last time I saw her was just before you and I were standing outside the theatre and she didn’t show. I take it you’re having problems picking her up.’

‘
She’s wily. She’s been telling people she’s been going to Oxnard or Tustin, but her phone’s been located in Venice, close to home, twice.’

‘
Yet you still can’t find her.’

‘
It’s only a matter of time. I’ve put another request in to locate her mobile. Odds are high she’ll still be in the area.’

‘
Ever wonder why she hasn’t moved from there?’

‘
It’s comfortable. She’s familiar with the area. There are people there who will help her, even at the risk of being charged with obstruction.’ He looked close at Marty. ‘I sense you are also one of those people.’

‘
Sense? What are you, Jedi?’ He caught the look from his wife. ‘Okay, yes. I’d help her if I could do it and not get in trouble. But clearly I’m going to get into trouble if I do anything at all to assist her.’

‘
Sir, you’ll be in trouble if she contacts you and you don’t notify us. Don’t even think about helping her.’ Perkins looked through his notebook, like a habit; something he did while he was thinking. ‘We believe Ellie may try and leave the city.’ He looked up. ‘Not Oxnard or Tustin. Those were intentional misdirections. I think she’s planning to sneak into Canada or Mexico and head back to Australia. She would need money to run. You, as her manager, would be the most logical place for her to turn. If she does, you need to inform us immediately. Understand?’

Marty was left-coast liberal and rankled at being told by authorities to do anything. ‘I’ve already cut ties with her. I seriously doubt I’ll hear from her again.’

His wife opened her mouth to say something and he walked on it. ‘If you’ll excuse us officers, or sergeants or whatever you are, my wife and I have a late dinner to get ready for.’ He looked at his wife and shook his head slightly. ‘You ready yet, dear?’

Perkins gestured to Stanfield. ‘Let’s go partner. I didn’t get an invite to any Hollywood shindig. Think we should call it a day anyway.’

Stanfield held up his phone. ‘Perkins, message back from the last trace request. No joy.’