“It’s here. Nice young man named Eric showed up at Ricky’s house the other day, claiming to be a friend of yours.”
Eric. Sadness washed over Casey. “He is…was…he’s from Ohio.”
“So he said. Told Ricky all about it. Backs up your story of the mobster, by the way.”
He would. He’d been there when she’d stabbed the thug and watched him bleed to death on the street.
“Ricky brought the bag to me,” Don said. “And made me promise I’d get it to you. He also wants me to tell him where you are when you contact me.”
“Please, Don,” Casey whispered. “Please send me my things.”
He was quiet for so long she thought he’d hung up.
“Okay, I’ll arrange it. Where should I send them?”
She almost sobbed with relief. “Do you remember where Reuben wanted to go on our honeymoon? Before I convinced him otherwise?”
He hesitated, then gave a little chuckle. “Yes.”
“There’s a cheap hotel on the edge of town. The Rest E-Z. Send it there under the name of my maid of honor.”
“I don’t…oh, right. The girl with the freckles on her shoulders. She was a cutie. Ricky tried his best with her, didn’t he, poor schmuck? Someday he’ll find the right girl. So are you staying at this hotel?”
“I will be once you call and tell them your wife is coming, who got mugged at the train station and lost her ID and everything else she owns. They’ll need a credit card number or something.”
He went quiet again.
“Please, Don. I know I’m asking a lot, but I need…I need…” She choked up, unable to speak.
“Okay. Okay, Casey. It’s all right. Don’t cry.”
Casey sniffled. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I haven’t slept in a bed for a week. I’m tired, I’m dirty. I’m just so…so tired.”
“I’ll work it out, okay? I’ll make the call and you can be in the motel within minutes. All right?”
She took a deep, shuddering breath. “All right.”
“I’ll overnight your pack to you. You’ll have it by tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Don. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I know. I wish…when you’re ready to come home, I’ll be here. We’ll take care of things. You do realize the longer you wait to show your face, the deeper you’re in trouble with the law? And with this young man Eric you have a witness on your side?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make things hard for you.”
“I know you don’t.”
Didn’t mean she wasn’t doing it, anyway.
“Casey, about Pegasus…”
Not them. Pegasus. The car company responsible for her husband and baby’s deaths. Their faulty product had ended Casey’s life as she knew it, in a huge fireball of pain and heartache. “Don, I know they want to find me So, me staying lost is better for everybody.”
“I got a call from them a few days ago.”
Casey waited, breathing through her mouth.
“They aren’t looking for you anymore. They’re letting it go.”
Not possible. “But that other car accident. The more recent one. Aren’t they worried about that?” While in Ohio, Casey had discovered evidence of a second crash, in which a man lost his life. Another death Pegasus wouldn’t claim as their own.
“They are worried,” Don said. “Petrified. But they won’t be able to get out of it this time. There’s no doubt it was because of the car itself. They’ve got bigger problems than you now, honey.”
A huge weight lifted from Casey’s shoulders. “I don’t have to hide from them anymore? The man with the face and the woman with the hair? Or Dottie Spears?” The CEO, who had made Casey’s life hell for months, at first acting like her friend, and then as her enemy. Casey had hated her like she’d never hated anyone before.
“No more hiding from Pegasus, Casey. You’re free of them.”
Free. “Now it’s just the cops, who want me for murder.”
“Casey, sweetheart, if you’d just come home, we’d work it out. We have this Eric guy’s testimony, as well as yours. Please—”
“Don.”
“Yes, Casey?” She could hear the resignation in his voice.
“Tell Ricky and my mom I love them, okay?”
“I’ll tell them.”
“But don’t tell them where I am. I can’t…I can’t see them yet.”
Casey hung up the phone and rested her forehead on her hand. Free of Pegasus. She couldn’t believe it. Now, if only she were free from the law, which technically was a lot more dangerous as far as her real freedom went.
“Come on, hon. Let’s get you over to the hotel.” Death was suddenly so close beside her on the bench Casey felt chilled