Part 59 (1/2)
”Where?”
”Somewhere Harry can't hear us.”
”My porch. Or your shop.”
”I'm on the way.”
”Do you have someone to watch the shop?”
”I'm closing it.” She hung up.
Holly suddenly felt cold. Whatever made Marty decide to come over had to be urgent. This was her busiest season, and Marty very seldom locked the door against potential customers. She might be an ex-flower child who still liked her hair long and clothes flowing, but she also wanted to survive. She had become what she had once most hated: a capitalist.
Marty was on her doorstep in less than five minutes.
Liz gave Harry a gla.s.s of milk and some cookies, then found a movie she'd rented and he hadn't seen yet.
Then she went outside and sat on the steps with Marty. ”What is it?”
”All of a sudden, I started getting a lot of queries about your work,” Marty said. ”At first I thought it was the novelty, but I just received a call from someone in New Orleans.”
Fear froze Holly. She prayed her face didn't reflect the pure terror she felt.
Apparently not. Marty continued as if the world hadn't just ended.
”She was worried. She was afraid she might have made a mistake. She said two people--a man and a woman--came in looking for one of your metal sculptures. They started out by saying that they had seen one and wanted one for themselves. When she said she would try to find one for them, they said something else altogether. One said she was your sister and feared you were in danger. The other said he was a detective. The woman did look a little like you--same eyes, she said. They appeared so worried....”
”And Mary--” Holly caught herself.
”Mary Sartain.” Marty confirmed the name. ”She'd seen your sculptures when hunting through craft websites. She showed it to these two people.”
”I don't have a sister,” Holly said hopelessly. It didn't matter what she said. Her house of cards had finally tumbled. She hadn't thought it would happen. Not after all this time. What a fool she had been.
”I can stall them,” Marty said, ”but all they have to do is ask anyone here a few questions about a woman who sculpts with metal. A woman and her son.”
”Thank you for telling me,” Holly said. She had to start packing. She had to leave immediately. ”When did she talk to them?”
”Yesterday. Then she worried about it all night. She called me this morning.”
”Thank you. I have to go....” Her voice trailed off. She felt cold, so cold. And numb. She didn't want to lose what she'd gained here--a home, friends, a sense of belonging as she'd never had in New Orleans.
”What's wrong, Liz? Tell me. I'm not going to judge you. I was involved in some nasty things years ago. I have no right to judge anyone. It's obvious you and Harry need help.”
”I can't get you involved.”
”I am involved. I'm your friend. So are Doug and Russ. Let me call Doug.”
”He's a lawman.”
”He's also in love with you.”
”I can't do that to him. I can't make him choose between duty and me.”
”I can't imagine anything you could have done that would make him have to choose.”
”Imagine the worst possible thing.” She couldn't keep it in any longer. ”It's in the envelope I gave you.”
”An abusive husband?” Marty probed.
”If he was only that.”
”Then what?”
There was no resistance left. She had just regained her life. She loved this life. She knew Harry was happy for the first time. She knew she was.
”My husband tried to murder me. I woke up to noises in the house. Someone with a gun, and the key to our house, and the numbers to our alarm system.”
Marty didn't say anything, just waited.
”I used my husband's gun. I shot him. Harry was in the house and--”
”Dear G.o.d,” Marty said. ”And I thought you were a timid soul.”
”I was. I am.”
”The h.e.l.l you are. You picked up and ran and made a life for yourself. But did you ever think about going to the police?”
”My husband is a state senator. lie's running for Congress. He's very powerful.” She hesitated, then added, ”So is my father.”
Marty's face screwed up in a frown. ”Your father?”
”He's ... he's ...” How do you tell someone your own father probably tried to have you killed? A father who was also one of the most respected jurists in the state of Louisiana.
Marty stood. ”You can tell me later. Right now we're getting you the h.e.l.l out of here. Get Harry. I know a place you can stay about fifteen miles from here. No one knows about it. I always thought I might need a place to hide. There's plenty of canned food. A well. Worse comes to worst, I'll take you across the border. They will never find you then.”
”I don't have papers for Harry.”
”A few of my friends have questionable backgrounds as well. In an hour, I can get a forged copy of a letter of permission from your husband to take him across the border. Now come on and get off your a.s.s. Ten minutes and we'll be on our way. I'll take care of this sister of yours.”
”They might come after you.”
”An old activist like me? Let them try. Now about the sister--do you have any idea who it could be?”
”No. It's just me. I always wondered why there wasn't another child. My mother once said it was my father's fault, that she wanted a dozen little girls like me.”
She heard herself and trembled. It was long ago. Her mother had wanted a doll, and that was what she'd made Holly into. Holly shook her head and rose. ”I'll be ready in a few moments.”
”You can follow me. I want you to have a car.”
Holly didn't waste any more time. She'd wasted enough.