Chapter 27
Crash
The taste of Elle's lips were lingering in my mind as I woke. I wish I could have stayed there with her, but I couldn't.
Duty had called, the demands on my time now growing even more with the development of my new project. I had to attend a dinner meeting with some of my investors, the disappearance of Walter Lithgow still heavy on their minds.
I'd made sure, of course, that his 'disappearance' wouldn't have a major impact on my project moving forward. I'd waited until he'd played his full role before removing him from the picture.
It still ate away at me - his death. I often woke with images of that evening in my head - my hand gripped tightly on the pistol, my finger locked to the trigger, Jones' hand removing the task from my own. It was a guilt that I'd battled with for weeks, and one that might just live with me for my entire life.
The show would go on though, and my life was now dominated by my new casino. Plans were well and truly in progress now, and I was meeting to keep my investors in touch with everything we were doing.
Yet still, rumors of what had happened with Lithgow continued to seep into every meeting, with the conclusion being firmly drawn that he must be dead. I kept my expression flat during these discussions, trying to press on with the business at hand.
No one would suspect me, of course, and I knew Jones will have done a good enough job to ensure that Lithgow was never found. But still, every time I heard his name, every time those memories came flooding back, I felt a heavypang in my gut.
I lay there now, though, my mind on other things. Dinner tonight with Elle. It would be the first proper date I'd been on in years, ever since I was younger and more innocent. In recent times any time I'd spent with a girl would only lead to one place. Well two places really - my place or hers.
I hadn't had a date in a long time where I genuinely cared for the person, where I wanted to get to know them more and treat them right. The feeling made me quickly realize why Kyle had fought so hard for Alice. I understood that now.
My phone rang loudly on my bedside table and reached quickly for it. I didn't recognize the number. Probably yet another drain on my already limited time.
I picked it up and heard a woman's voice. It was Alice. She sounded worried.
“Crash? It's Alice.”
“Er hey Alice, what's up? Is everything OK?” I'd never gotten a call from her. Something must be wrong.
“Um, well, probably yeah. I was just calling to see if Elle was there with you?”
I sat up in bed. “Elle, no she's not here. What's going on, is something wrong?”
My pulse began rising.
“I just thought that maybe she went off to see you or something. I wasn't sure.” She paused briefly. “It's just that, well, she never came home last night. She went for some air and I didn't see her after that.”
I real sense of worry was now invading me, tinged with jealousy. Did she go home with a guy?
“Um, was she talking with any guys last night?” The words came out blankly. It almost hurt so say them.
“Not that I saw. She was hanging out with Lexi and Tess mainly. I never saw her with a guy, no.”
An odd feeling of relief and growing concern grew inside me.
“So she didn't go home with anyone?”
“Er, no I don't think so. She wouldn't do that.”
“And she wasn't there when you got back? She hasn't come back yet?”
“No. She went outside and didn't come back. I tried calling her but her phone was off. I thought she'd maybe got a taxi home and just gone to bed, but she wasn't there when I got back.”
My heart rate was increasing with every word.
“Have you tried calling again this morning?”
“Lots. It's off or gone dead or something. I'm kinda worried Crash, I was hoping she was with you.”
Visions began flashing through my head. What if she'd been mugged or something...or worse. I scrunched up my eyes and banished the thought from my mind. Maybe she'd gotten too drunk and passed out somewhere. What if someone hadfound her and taken her...
My voice was rushed now, the worry taking over me. “Was she drunk? What shape was she in? Tess, Lexi? Do they know anything? Maybe she stayed with one of them?”
“She seemed OK, a bit tipsy maybe. She was dancing most of the night, she seemed fine. No, I came home with Tess and I've called Lexi and, well, she doesn't know anything.”
“Look Crash,” she continued, “I think I'm gonna go to the police. We're all worried something's happened to her. It might be that psycho ex of hers.”
I surge ripped through my body. Brad. No, he wouldn't dare, not after I'd gone to him at the motel. I'd seen the look in his eyes. He was terrified of me, there was no way he'd risk it.
“It can't be him. He's gone back to California.”
“But what if he came back? Like, I know you warned him off and everything, but the guy's a weirdo stalker. He's not in his right mind Crash. He might have come back. I have to go to the police, tell them about it, about Brad.”
“It's too early Alice, they won't listen to you. It hasn't even been 12 hours yet, they wouldn't commit any effort to it, especially after she'd been out drinking.”
No, I had someone far more capable than the police to call upon. Jones would get the job done.
“Look,” I said, “I'll find her Alice. Don't worry about the police, they're f*cking incompetent anyway. I'll find her.”
....
My Hummer screeched to a halt in the parking lot outside the motel and I jumped straight out. I paced straight towards the door to room 4 and opened it straight up, storming in. A young couple looked around in shock as they dragged the bed covers over their naked bodies.
“Wrong room,” I said, turning and slamming the door shut.
I walked quickly towards the reception and saw the same old woman as before sitting behind the glass.
“The guy who was here before, has he come back?”
She looked up at me in that same detached away as before. “Who?”
“The guy, that f*cking guy I came to see before. Brad. Has he come back?!” My voice was rising, but her expression remained placid.
“I don't know. Maybe.”
I didn't have time for her bullshit.
I slammed my closed fist hard on the counter, causing the entire thing to shake and rattle. The sound and force of it caused her eyes to widen, some emotion finally etched onto her stupid, placid face.
“Did he come back,” I growled again, “and don't f*cking lie to me.”
She looked fearful now. “No, he didn't.”
I smacked my fist down again and roared. “WELL WHERE THE F*ck DID HE GO.”
I knew she wouldn't know. How could she? But I didn't care. I was venting.
“I don't know,” she said, her voice shaking.
Of course she f*cking didn't.
I turned and stormed off to leave the pig to return to her dumb crossword.
“F*ck IT,” I shouted aloud as I thundered back towards my hummer.
I ripped my phone from my pocket and called Jones.
“He's not at the motel. Have you traced his cards.”
“Just done it now. There have been several transactions in California, nothing in this area since you forced him out two weeks ago.”
“So he hasn't been back?”
“Not with any cards in his name. But there is something....”
“YES...”
“He spent over $150 at a gas station in the north of the state.”
My blood boiled. “So he was filling up for a long trip?”
“Looks like it. He could have gotten this far on that, and then back again, depending on his car.”
“OK, find out his licence plate and check if his car's been seen on camera anywhere.”
“That might be stretching things a little Crash. Certain contacts of mine have been getting heat for helping me recently.”
“Well then maybe a bit of extra money will help cool them down. I don't care what you have to do Jones, get me that information. Pay them whatever they need.”
I shut the phone off. I didn't care what it cost, what Jones had to do. I wouldn't rest until I found her.