Page 24 of The Last Grift
There was nowhere safe.
“Fuck, I am so fucking stupid.” The truck swerved again as he swiped at his cheeks and the tears tracing down them.
He didn’t know what to do. He might as well end everything. End it all. He’d do the unthinkable before he let them send him back to jail. But he was too much of a coward and couldn’t even think the word. There were things he wanted to do before he died. Meet a girl. Go to the Daytona 500 just once. Was that too much to ask?
Instead of turning into Smitty’s, Gordon followed the road, lost even if he knew exactly where he was. Again, the truck swerved under his shaky single-handed grip on the steering wheel. He needed to get off the street before he caused an accident.
The dark route curved and seemed to disappear up ahead. Since there were no streetlamps this far out, the stars practically blazed—or they would, if it hadn’t been cloudy. The twin beams from his headlights touched briefly on the dead wild grass and thickets that lined the side of the roadway. This was a dangerous spot, the hedge offering drivers just the illusion of safety. However, there was not much on the other side of the scrub; the island dropped almost straight to the sea.
It gave Gordon an idea. Maybe it would work long enough so he could come up with a real plan.
This eastern edge of Heartstone Island was sparsely populated, only a few houses scattered here and there, many ofwhich were second homes that were vacant during the offseason. Gordon knew that Greta Harris and her wife, two of the permanent residents, were away on vacation—they’d stopped in for gas on their way to the airport. They’d been full of smiles and so happy. Gordon had done his best to hide the stab of envy he felt. He didn’t want to go so far as Thailand, but he wouldn’t turn down some kind of vacation with a friend.
Braking, he pulled off the road, the scrape of blackberry brambles against the side of his truck sounding overly loud to his ears. But that could have been due to the rush of adrenaline making his heart pound. Now that he had a plan, sort of, Gordon could breathe again.
And think.
Turning off the engine, he flicked off the dome light and cracked the door open. His left arm pulsed and throbbed while simultaneously feeling like it was on fire. For a minute, he just sat there trying to gather his thoughts. He didn’t set the parking brake. Quickly, he glanced up and down the road. He was alone, no headlights approaching from either direction.
He eased out of the driver’s seat but not before grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder, almost forgetting his injury in his haste and using his left hand. The pain stopped him. He sucked in a gulp of air, this was the only choice.
“Thanks, truck, I’m sorry.” Gordon slapped the side of the Nissan like it was a living animal instead of a heap of metal. Then he went to work, ignoring the pain that rocketed up and down his arm and the increasing wetness that soaked his sleeve.
At first the truck resisted, almost as if it knew its coming fate, but Gordon was strong and determined. And scared. Ignoring the blood, he set his backpack down in the wet grass, then bent and pressed his shoulder against the tailgate.
After a tense minute or so, and one finalhard shove, the Nissan plunged over the edge and down the steep embankment. He was glad it was dark so he couldn’t watch his beloved truck rumble down the hill to its doom, but he still sighed at the sound.
Hitching his pack up over his shoulder again, Gordon started down the dark road.
THIRTEEN
GABRIEL
Wednesday Morning
“I tookthe liberty of calling Gordon anyway, but I had to leave a message,” Elton informed Gabriel the next morning. Gabe had the impression that leaving a message was unusual. The old man stepped back to let Gabriel into the house. “Even if you can’t pay him much, it will be good for him to have something extra. Consider it a favor to me. Besides, you won’t get theTicketup to snuff without help.”
Gabe resisted rolling his eyes. Even they ached after his long night.
“Well, it will take that much longer.” He gave Gabriel a long once-over, taking in the extra rumpled two-nights-in-his-car appearance. “Wherever you slept last night, doesn’t look like it was the Hilton.”
Gabriel figured his eyes were bloodshot, although he’d avoided looking in the rearview mirror. He was also aware he smelled unpleasant, earthy and sweaty. His five-o’clock shadow feltlike it was turning into a more defined scruff, and he knew his beard was starting to show the silver flecks he hated.
He wouldn’t want to run into his doppelgänger at the grocery store.
“It wasn’t even a Motel 6.” Gabriel narrowed his eyes when the name Elton had mentioned registered. “Gordon,” he repeated slowly. Just how many Gordons were running around the Heartstone Island area these days? “Bit younger than me?” Gabe lifted a hand to point a finger at his own face. “Has a distinctive scar?”
Elton’s brows drew together, creating a fuzzy snow-white slash across his forehead. “How do you know Gordon?” His demeanor flipped from pleasant to suspicious, and Gabriel couldn’t blame him for it.
Gabriel considered his answer as he scratched the back of his neck. A shower was at the top of his to-do list, but he figured he should see about getting the boat cleaned up first so he’d have somewhere to sleep.
“We happened to meet before I got here yesterday. I had to fill the Honda’s tank.”
Elton nodded, and his expression lightened as if it was the most normal thing in the world for Gabriel to have randomly met a mutual at the gas station. And maybe it was in this small and apparently tight-knit community. How long would it be before the ranger turned up, and would he be Elton’s nephew or some other relation?
Thinking about Gordon reminded him of the unpleasant interaction with Calvin and Dwayne. Violence was generally not Gabe’s first choice, and he still felt vaguely nauseous about what had happened at the gas station. But no matter what, those two were always going to be bullies, and if he saw either of them again, he knew his palms would be itching to bang their heads together.
Since he was trying to lay low, never encountering them again was for the best, but Gabe was starting to think it might be impossible on Heartstone.
