Out of the Storm (9 page)

“Sounds good to me.” Eric stood and patted Bobby on the back. He grabbed his jacket.

Bobby nodded. “See you later.”

“Yeah. I’ll try and get back.” He slipped the windbreaker over his sweatshirt.

“Take your time. The place isn’t going anywhere.”

Chapter Eleven

“Ashley?” Eric called her as he drove to the hospital.

“Hi. I been waitin’ for you. Can’t wait to get home. I…I mean to get out of here.” Her words tumbled out. A long silence followed. Eric had no regrets that Ashley thought of his house as home. He liked the idea.

“Louise picked up some new things you can wear home if you want. Your choice,” Eric said, breaking the long stalemate. “I’ll leave them at the nurse’s station. Call me when you’re ready.”

“Thanks. Something new
would
be nice,” she enthused in her soft drawl. “See ya in a few minutes.”

As Eric was closing his cell, it rang. He opened it, seeing a familiar number. “Buzz?”

“Yep. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.”

His friend sounded tentative, non-committal. Not Buzz’s style. Eric’s throat tightened, wondering if the next shoe was about to drop.

“What’d you find out?” Eric asked, hoping the answer was something he wanted to hear.

“Ashley’s clean. No wants, warrants, no record of any kind.”

Thank God. Ashley wasn’t a fugitive from justice. Eric slumped in his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Buzz. Good to know since I’m about to pick her up.”

“That’s good,” Buzz offered.

Eric knew his friend too well. He was holding something back. “You want to give me the rest?”

“Damn! I knew I couldn’t fool you.” Eric pictured his friend’s ruddy face twisting into a frown.

“C’mon. Give. I need to know the whole picture. What’s going on?”

“That’s the problem. There’s nothing but a driver’s license on file.”

That sounded familiar. Eerily familiar. Shades of Lip’s report on Ralph. “What do you mean…nothing?”

“Nothing means nothing, my friend.” Another silence followed. “Look, because it was you I called in a couple of favors,” Buzz volunteered. “Checked with FBI, Homeland Security, even called a contact the chief had with the Norfolk PD.”

“What are you saying?”

“That everyone has something on file somewhere with somebody. Everyone but Ashley Fitzhugh.”

Eric pulled onto the shoulder, trying to comprehend this latest revelation. First Ralph, now Ashley. Two phantoms?

“What do you think?” he asked. Eric was no detective but his friend was. Buzz was a seasoned pro who knew his business.

He heard loud breathing on the other end. “Well, if I was to guess, I’d say that the girl who showed up at your place wanted to leave some evidence she existed but nothing else. No trail. Nothing anyone could follow.”

“Could she erase her own records?” Eric asked as he stared at the three-foot swells drifting across Nantucket Sound. “Wouldn’t that take someone who knew a lot about technology and computers?”

“Yeah. Lots of knowledge.” Buzz cleared his throat. “Put it this way. I know computers and there’s no way I could do it.”

“She doesn’t seem that…sophisticated.” Eric whispered, more to himself than his friend. “And why would she do that? Why would anyone do it?”

“Can’t say. And I can’t swear that she did. I’m making a big assumption. If Ashley did it, maybe she wanted a casual inquiry to show she existed. You know. Leave a skeleton with no flesh on its bones. Remember, a driver’s license is our primary source document today—the most important ID we carry. If someone wanted to hide in plain sight, it’s the documentation they’d want to leave intact. But to be honest with you, Rick, I’m grasping at straws. I’ve never run across anything like this so I’m guessing.”

“But you think there’s something funky about it?”

“I can’t say for sure. It’s always possible she never got a traffic ticket, went to college, voted, or the half-dozen other things we all do. And it’s damn hard to get a job without a Social Security card but there’s no record she has one.”

“You were able to search for all that information?” Eric asked, checking his watch. He was late.

“Look, I know you’re a superb warrior but not a whiz with technology…”

“I really appreciate this, but I’m late, Buzz. Real late.” Eric wanted to know more but he had to interrupt. “Are you gonna tell anybody about this?”

He heard Buzz’s throaty chuckle. “Tell ’em what? That there’s a girl living with you who’s done nothing wrong and isn’t wanted for anything? The chief would have me in a padded cell!”

“Got it. And thanks. You’ll be hearing from me again if I find out anything more.”

“Just for the record,” Buzz asked. “What does Ashley look like? If I want to dig deeper a description might help.”

Eric pulled the Jeep off the shoulder and back onto Route 28 as he headed toward the hospital. He drew a mental picture of Ashley as he drove. “About five-five, maybe five-six, 110 pounds. On the thin side but pretty. Very pretty. Short dark hair, big brown eyes, nice smile, large dimples…” Eric stopped and cleared his throat.

“Aha. I’m definitely beginning to get the picture.” He could almost see his friend’s smile through the phone.

“What…what do you mean?” Eric asked defensively. “What picture?”

“Why don’t you save us both the trouble and just say she’s hot and you like her.”

“Well, she’s kinda cute but…” Buzz was right. Only a couple of days and it was obvious his interest in Ashley went beyond kindness.

“Okay. She’s cute and I like her. Satisfied, Sherlock Holmes?”

“Yeah, Rick, I am.” His words weren’t judgmental or sarcastic. “Glad you like her. And I’ll keep digging to see what I can find. But Eric…”

“Yeah.”

“Cute or not. Be careful. Looks like there may be more to her arrival than any of us understand. If things start getting strange or out of control, I want you to call me right away. Day or night. Understand?”

“I promise. Anytime I need help you’re number one on the list.” Eric promised, repeating his friend’s cell phone from memory, adding, “Now…I gotta pick her up.”

Eric closed his cell, pulled the Jeep into the hospital parking lot, and exhaled deeply. He felt a strange sense of ambivalence. Part excitement, part anxiety. Eric had to admit he was looking forward to seeing Ashley and bringing her home. Very much! Another part felt concern about who and what she might be and why she wanted to become his housemate.

He entered the hospital and ran up to the second floor, dropping the new clothes with the duty nurse as promised. He waited near her room, staring at his cell but not seeing it. Maybe if he stared long enough an answer to this riddle would miraculously appear. But Eric was a realist. That would never happen.

Twenty minutes later Ashley appeared, holding a plastic bag. Eric looked at her. She wore a timid smile. Everything about her cried innocence. The coy, flippant young woman of yesterday afternoon had morphed into a shy, pretty girl who stood, studying the floor and the walls. Was she as nervous about their arrangement as he was? What about the suspicious lack of info that Buzz had found? Everything about her and this situation cried “Foul!” But till he had something more than a lack of traffic tickets or a missing college transcript Eric would give Ashley the benefit of the doubt.

The new clothes looked great on her. And he couldn’t deny Ashley had a world-class smile. The dimples carved into her cheeks were so big Eric thought he could get lost in them. She wore her thick, dark hair behind one ear. It reflected the afternoon sunlight beaming in through the long corridor windows.
Yeah, she was thin but cute
.
Very cute!
he confirmed as he watched her.

“Hi,” she said meekly, breaking the silence, holding out a slender hand. “Thanks for pickin’ me up.”

“Hi.” Eric returned the greeting, taking her hand, adding, “I couldn’t leave you here.”

An awkward silence followed as Ashley’s face showed hurt while she studied the floor again. “Guess not,” she whispered.

Brilliant!
Eric wanted to kick himself. “I’m sorry, Ashley. I… I didn’t mean it like that.” He shook his head. His frustration went into overdrive as they headed to the elevator. This was not going smoothly.

They exited on the ground floor and followed the green line that promised to take them to the billing department. Eric and Ashley arrived at a small office with a door whose top half was open. A small shelf served as a platform.

A stout young woman appeared in the top half of the door, putting her elbows on the shelf as she surveyed Eric. She liked what she saw and gave him a delicious smile. “What can I do for you,
sir
,” she offered.

“I’d like to settle the bill for my…” Eric stopped and looked at Ashley, not sure how to describe their relationship. “For Ashley Fitzhugh.” The woman behind the desk lost her smile when she saw Ashley.

She disappeared, returning with the bill in a few minutes. “Here it is,” she said, turning it toward him. Ashley’s balance was $5,234.56. “How would you like to pay for that, sir?” she asked, eyes darting back and forth between Eric and Ashley. He pulled out his wallet. Ashley pushed closer, staring over his shoulder at the bill.

“Here.” He turned to look at Ashley. Eric pushed his Visa across the counter. “Or I can write a check.”

The woman took the card. “No, sir. Visa’s fine. I just have to run it through.” She stole a look at the girl on her right and raised her eyebrows.

As she was processing the transaction, Ashley grabbed his arm. “
Je-sus!
Did that paper say $5,200?” She shook her head vigorously. “I was only here two days.” She frowned and gave the billing clerk a nasty look. “Hell, they didn’t do brain surgery!”

Eric looked at the woman behind the counter who’d stopped and raised her eyebrows. “Sir, your card went through all right. Is there a
problem?
” She held the charge slip in her hand.

“Excuse us.” Eric flashed a pleasant smile at the billing clerk and took Ashley’s arm, guiding her away from the desk. “Hospitals are expensive. You were exhausted and sick. You didn’t plan that or come looking for a handout did you?”

Ashley lifted her eyes to meet his. They were soft, sad, and moist. “No I didn’t. Eric, I—” She shook her head slowly. “I’ve always paid my own way. But five thousand dollars? I can’t pay you back or do anything to help with this. At least not now. I…” She pushed aside fresh tears. “I can’t let you do this.”

“I understand how you feel, Ashley.” He took her arm gently. “We’ll work something out, get you a job somewhere. But for now, unless you want to go to court, risk losing Kylie and a lot of other bad things, you’re stuck with me,” he said with conviction. “We’ll figure it out.” Eric smiled confidently and released her. “I promise.” He gave her a nod.

Eric took the charge slip from the payment clerk’s hand. She handed him a pen. “You need to sign here and your…and Ms. Fitzhugh needs to sign this release form.” She pointed. “Here and here. And miss, the doctor would like to have a word with you before you go.” She gestured toward a hallway to the right of the payment desk.

“Me?”
Ashley asked.

The woman behind the desk nodded. “You can wait here, sir.” She pointed to the row of plastic chairs across from the accounting window.

Ashley twisted her mouth into a timid frown as she shot a nervous look at Eric. He followed her with his eyes, giving her a reassuring nod. As he watched her he thought again that Lu had done a good job at guessing Ashley’s sizes. The new clothes fit like they’d been tailored. He closed his eyes, imagining Ashley’s pale, pretty face, the enormous brown eyes, framed by thick dark hair. This was the grown-up edition of the teenager he’d met a lifetime ago—before Afghanistan and Iraq, before the senseless deaths, and before the death of Elaine, their unborn daughter, and the nightmare that haunted him.

Ashley managed a cautious smile as she approached the large double doors leading to the doctor’s private offices. Eric had no idea what the doctor wanted. He wanted to go with her in case she needed help. Just as he was about to she took a deep breath, gave him a tentative wave, and disappeared wearing the look of a prisoner heading to the gallows. Before he could call to her, Ashley was swallowed by the brightly lit corridor.

Eric fidgeted, annoyed with himself for watching and thinking about Ashley so much. He couldn’t help it. No matter what mystery surrounded her there was an undeniable chemistry between them. He liked her. Too damn much for someone he’d only known for a few days.

Attempting to ignore what he was feeling, Eric picked up an outdated
Sports Illustrated
. He stared, thumbing through the pages absently. Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox star second baseman was featured in the article. Eric checked his watch. Was she okay? What were they talking about?

“Eric?” her voice brought him back. She stood in front of him, wearing a smile. “Doc Murray says we can go.”

“You’re sure everything’s all right? You’re all right?” he asked with concern.

She touched his forearm and nodded with a smile. “He’s so nice. Just wanted to make sure I felt okay. Gave me his card.” She held it up proudly. The doctor appeared behind Ashley.

She withdrew her hand quickly and flushed crimson.

“Hi, Doc. Thanks for everything.” Eric held out his hand.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Montgomery.” The doctor shook Eric’s hand firmly. “I’m glad Ashley’s feeling better. She told me about her daughter.” He cleared his throat. “I suggested she could bring her by some Tuesday. We have a free clinic for children. You know. Just in case she needs help.” He gave a her a slight nod and let it go. The doctor’s smile grew as he spoke. “I think you’re in good hands, Ashley.” He nodded toward Eric. “If you need anyone, anytime…you know where to find me.”