Willow Smoke (100 page)

The
lights
in
the
car
went
off
momentarily.
Why
wasn’t
it
moving?
Was
something
wrong?
Not
now!
She
stared
out
the
window.
Who had
fired
the
gunshots?
Was
it
Reggie?
Or
Clint’s
detectives?
Where
was
Maxine?
What
must
she
be
thinking?
If
she
was
even
alive.

Daisy
shook
the
tears
away.
She
had
to
think.
She
had
to
maintain
some
cool.
She
had
to
think
through
her
escape.

Where
would
she
go?
Paddle
Dreams
Unlimited?
No.
Reggie
would
expect
that.
She
had
to
warn
Nick.
Why
hadn’t
she
put
the
cell
phone
on
her
belt
rather
than
leaving
it
loose
in
the
pickup?

She
wanted
to
crawl
into
a
hole.
No,
she’d
be
safer
in
a
crowd.
No
way
would
she
let
Reggie
find
her
alone
in
an
alley.
She’d
go
downtown.
Where
hundreds
of
people
would
witness
his
rage.
And
maybe
if
she
were
lucky,
she’d
find
a
cop.

She
pressed
her
nose
against
the
dirty
window
and
her
eyes
rounded
in
horror.
There
was
the
stumbling
figure
of
Reggie
Lassiter
making
his
way
up
the
sidewalk toward
the
platform
stairs.
Clearly,
he
was
in
pain.
He
appeared
to
be
dragging
his
right
leg.
She
couldn’t
have
caused
that
much
damage
with
the
willow
stick.
He
must
have
been
shot
by
Clint’s
men.
But
where
were
they
now?

The
train
lurched
suddenly,
throwing
Daisy
forward
in
her
seat.
She
laughed
hysterically and rubbed her forehead.
Better to
get a bump from the train
that was
finally
moving
than
from
whatever
Reggie
had
in
mind
to
do
to
her.

She
leaned
back
and
breathed.
She
was
free,
at
least
for
a
while.
She
had
a
plan.
“Bear,” she whispered, “I’ll protect you,
and you can protect me. It’s
Christmastime.
There
will
be
lots
of
people
downtown.
And
Reggie
has
no
idea
where
we’re
headed.”

- o -

“She
did
what?”
Nick
stared
at
the
phone
in disbelief.
“Why
the
hell
didn’t
they
stop
him first?”

Nick
pinched
his
nose.
“Yeah,
I
know
they’re
not
superheroes.

“How’s
your
man
doing?
Good.
Then
what
happened?”
Nick
listened
closely
to
Clint Travers. “Son of a bitch. Well, that’s
that.

“How
about
Maxine?
Good,
I
think.
So
no
one
knows
where
Daisy
fled
to.

“You’ve
got
your
people
combing
the
streets.
That’s great. Just great. It’s
Christmastime.
She’ll
be
hard
to
find
in
the
crowds.

“No,
she
won’t
come
here.
She’d
think
she’d
be
putting
me
in
danger.
No,
she’ll
run
the
other
direction.
Downtown.”

Nick
leaned
back
in
his
chair
and
tried
to
breathe
normally.
“I’ve
got
a
hunch
where
I’ll
find
her.
Yeah,
I’ll
let
you
know
if
I
do.
And
my
cell
is
on
if
you
come
across her first. Yeah, let’s check back in two hours no matter
what.”

Nick
grabbed
a
jacket
and
raced
out
into
the
reception
area.
Tom
turned
away
from the receptionist to stare at
Nick.
“You
going
to
a
fire
or
something?”

“It’s
Daisy.
She’s
had
a
fight
with
Lassiter
and
ran.
I’ve
got
an
idea
where
she
might
be
heading.”

“I’ll come along. Let me
get my coat.”

“No!” Nick grabbed Tom
by the arm. “Stay here just in case she comes here. I
doubt
she
will.
But
if
she
does,
I
need
someone
I
can
trust
who
can
handle
trauma.”

Tom
pressed
his
lips
together
and
nodded
in
agreement.
“Suppose
you’re
right.
You
call
if
you
find
her.
I’ll
let
you
know
if
she
shows
up
here.
But
I
don’t
figure
she’d
want
to
lead
Lassiter
here.”

“Exactly.
I’ll
be
in
touch.”

Nick
turned
the
key
in
the
ignition
of
his
Triumph.
A
light
drizzle
continued
to
fall.
The
windshield
wipers
whisked
away
the
water.
Was
he
right?
It
was
Christmastime; that was the
key.
Would
the
child
inside
Daisy
flee
to
that
place
of
her
Christmas
childhood
dreams?
He
sure
hoped
so.
Macy’s
would
be
crowded.

And
that
was
where
he
wanted
her—in
a
crowd,
where
she’d
be
less
apt
to
do
something
crazy
or
catch
pneumonia
than
if
she’d
gone
underground
in
the
back
streets
of
Chicago.
The
weatherman
had
said
the
drizzle
could
turn
to
sleet
or
snow.

Nick
turned
on
the
heater
and
pulled
out
of
the
parking
lot.
He
expected
either
option
was
a
likely
choice
for
Daisy.
He
prayed
that
her
fond
childhood
memories
would
win
out
and
lead
his
woman
to
safety.