Fool Me Once(92)

*

Maya put some distance between herself and the dead body.

She turned off her phone, and then, because she wasn’t sure if the phone could still be tracked, she smashed it against the steering wheel. Thirty miles later, she stopped in a CVS parking lot. She checked the gunman’s wallet. No ID, but he did have four hundred dollars in cash. Perfect. Maya was low and didn’t want to use an ATM.

She bought three disposable cell phones and a baseball cap with the cash. She checked her face in the store’s bathroom mirror. A disaster. She washed up as best she could and threw her hair into a ponytail. She put the cap on and came out looking presentable.

Where would the kidnappers go?

They were probably no longer a threat. There was an outside chance that they’d go to her house and wait for her, but that seemed very risky. The van was likely stolen or a rental or had fake plates, something, so they would probably just call it a day.

Still she had no intention of going to her house.

She called Eddie. He answered on the second ring. She told him where to meet her. He said that he was on his way and mercifully didn’t ask any follow-up questions. This too was a risk, but it was minimal. Still, when she got closer to the Growin’ Up Day Care, she gave the surroundings a serious examination. Interestingly enough, Growin’ Up was almost set up the way you might an army base. You really couldn’t approach it without being seen. There were layers of security. Sure, someone could shoot their way in, but really, with the buzz-locked doors by the entranceway and into each room, you’d be able to contact authorities—the police station was a block away—in no time.

She circled one more time. Nothing suspicious.

When she saw Eddie’s car enter the lot, she pulled in behind him. The Glock was back in her waistband. Eddie parked. Maya parked next to him and got out of the car. She slid into the passenger seat next to him.

“What’s going on, Maya?”

“I need to sign you up so you’re able to pick up Lily.”

“And that weird phone number you called me from?”

“Let’s just do this, okay?”

Eddie looked at her. “Do you know who killed Claire and Joe?”

“Yes.”

He waited. Then he said, “But you won’t tell me.”

“Not right now, no.”

“Because . . . ?”

“Because I don’t have time. Because Claire wanted to protect you.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be protected.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Like hell it doesn’t. Maybe it’s time I helped.”

“Right now,” she said, “you can help by coming inside with me.” She reached for the knob and pulled it. With a heavy sigh, Eddie did the same thing. When he turned his back, when he started to step out of the car, Maya jammed an envelope into the bottom of his laptop bag. Then she got out too.

Miss Kitty buzzed them in and helped them fill out the paperwork. As they took the ID photograph of Eddie, Maya looked into the sun-bright yellow room and spotted her daughter. Seeing Lily made her heart feel suddenly light. Lily wore a smock, one of Maya’s old shirts, and her hands were covered in paint. There was a big smile on the little girl’s face. Maya stood there and felt a hand reach inside her chest and squeeze.

Miss Kitty came up behind her. “Do you want to go inside and say hello?”

Maya shook her head. “Are we done here?”

“We are. Your brother-in-law can now pick her up at any point.”

“I don’t have to call to give him permission?”

“That was what you requested, right?”

“It is.”

“And that’s what we’ve done.”

Maya nodded, her eyes still on Lily. She took one more look at her daughter and started to turn away. She faced Miss Kitty. “Thank you.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” She looked past her at Eddie. “We better go.”

When they were both out in the parking lot, Maya asked to borrow Eddie’s phone. He handed it to her without objection. She signed into her GPS tracking app via the website.

Hector’s truck was back at that Paterson location.

Good. Time to stay proactive. She debated asking Eddie if she could keep his phone, but someone might eventually figure that out and track it. She handed it back to him.

“Thank you.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

When they reached their cars, Maya said, “Wait a second.” She opened the back of her car, found the toolbox, took out a screwdriver.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asked.

“I’m switching our license plates.”

She didn’t think Kierce would put an APB out on her yet, but there was no harm in being overcautious. Maya started on the front bumper. Eddie took out a dime, used it as screwdriver, and started on the back. Two minutes later, they were done.

She started to get back into her car. Eddie just stood there and watched her.

Maya stopped for a second. There were a million things she wanted to tell him—about Claire, about Joe, about everything. She opened her mouth, but she of all people should know that nothing good would come out of it. Not today. Not now.

“I love you, Eddie.”