Whitewash (36 page)

Tallahassee

The car reminded Sabrina of a tank, huge and army green, though Miss Sadie called it Shenandoah green. Sabrina had never seen the old woman drive. Come to think of it, Sabrina hadn’t seen her do much of anything but putter around her patio garden. She had no idea the car existed, stashed inside Miss Sadie’s garage under a cover.

She packed the trunk with the few things she’d managed to gather in the small amount of time they decided they had. Sabrina estimated they had an hour at best before either the police or the man trying to kill her found her condo.

The car’s trunk was enormous and deep. So was the backseat where Miss Sadie spread out her colorful afghans and threw in three plastic garbage bags she had filled with sweaters and blankets. She explained to Sabrina that she could hide under the afghan and if they were stopped, the police would simply think she had old bundles of clothes. It was as though Miss Sadie eluded the police on a regular basis. The whole time she was saying it her voice remained calm and soothing. She made it seem as though they were packing for a summer vacation instead of a last-minute escape.

Lizzie shared the front seat with Miss Sadie and the cooler. The old woman could barely see over the steering wheel though Sabrina had noticed pillows already in place, one for Miss Sadie and one for the cat. From the way Lizzie settled into her spot—the huge white cat curled up into the passenger seat—Sabrina knew the two of them had taken many trips together.

The air inside the car was suffocating even with the windows rolled down. There was no air-conditioning, no radio, but the pristine seats smelled like new and the engine turned over immediately.

“Miss Emilie’s husband bought her this car, brand new in 1947 even though she didn’t like to drive,” Miss Sadie told Sabrina, without looking back at her. Both hands were on the wheel, and she raised her voice so she could be heard over the engine’s hum and the wind through the windows.

“I went to work for Miss Emilie when I was twenty-two years old. Several years later her husband’s fighter plane went missing shortly after the beginning of the Korean War. She didn’t drive this car much after that but she’d never part with it. Made me promise I’d never sell it, either.”

Miss Sadie’s eyes met Sabrina’s in the rearview mirror. “I took good care of Miss Emilie and her girls. Three beautiful girls, all accomplished, successful women now. They still visit with me from time to time, less and less now that their momma’s been gone. Yes, I took good care of Miss Emilie for forty years and in turn, she made sure I was taken care of.”

Sabrina had never heard the old woman talk much about her past. And Sabrina had never asked how she had been able to provide so well for herself. She knew Miss Sadie hadn’t married and had no children. Now Sabrina realized why. She had spent a lifetime taking care of another family and in that brief explanation Sabrina thought she could see absolutely no regret in Miss Sadie’s eyes. It had been more than a job. That was easy to see. Miss Emilie had not only been Miss Sadie’s employer, she had been her family.

Maybe that was what had brought them together. They were two women looking to replace the families they missed. It also helped explain why Miss Sadie was used to taking charge and taking care.

Sabrina had seen signs for Pensacola on Interstate 10, but Miss Sadie evidently wasn’t planning on taking the interstate. Sabrina didn’t recognize any of the surroundings, not that she expected to, but as soon as they started putting miles between themselves and the city, the darkness of the countryside renewed her sense of panic. Panic and also guilt for involving Miss Sadie. She still wasn’t sure what or who she was running from. Or whether running was even the safest decision.

Suddenly, Sabrina felt the car slow down. She saw flashing blue and red lights up ahead just as Miss Sadie started rolling up her window. Even Lizzie left her perch and jumped on top of the cooler that sat between her and her owner, tail swishing from side to side.

“Is it a roadblock?” Sabrina asked, already convinced that the police were stopping traffic, searching for her.

“I don’t believe so,” Miss Sadie said in such a whisper Sabrina thought she might simply be humoring her.

Even though they could see an officer in the road, there was a long enough line of cars that Sabrina found herself wondering if they could just turn around and go back. How serious were the police? Would they send a cruiser after them? There was no way she could ask Miss Sadie to go on a high-speed chase. Miss Sadie with her ten o’clock–two o’clock grip on the steering wheel was having a hard enough time keeping to the speed limit.

As they crept closer and closer, Sabrina could see she was wrong. One car had crashed into another and a third lay on its side in the ditch. There was no search, no roadblock. But as they inched their way around, Miss Sadie following the gestures of the officer patrolling the road, Sabrina felt no sense of relief. Instead, her panic washed over her again. She thought about her car accident last night. For the first time she realized it was no accident.

Tallahassee

The car reminded Sabrina of a tank, huge and army green, though Miss Sadie called it Shenandoah green. Sabrina had never seen the old woman drive. Come to think of it, Sabrina hadn’t seen her do much of anything but putter around her patio garden. She had no idea the car existed, stashed inside Miss Sadie’s garage under a cover.

She packed the trunk with the few things she’d managed to gather in the small amount of time they decided they had. Sabrina estimated they had an hour at best before either the police or the man trying to kill her found her condo.

The car’s trunk was enormous and deep. So was the backseat where Miss Sadie spread out her colorful afghans and threw in three plastic garbage bags she had filled with sweaters and blankets. She explained to Sabrina that she could hide under the afghan and if they were stopped, the police would simply think she had old bundles of clothes. It was as though Miss Sadie eluded the police on a regular basis. The whole time she was saying it her voice remained calm and soothing. She made it seem as though they were packing for a summer vacation instead of a last-minute escape.

Lizzie shared the front seat with Miss Sadie and the cooler. The old woman could barely see over the steering wheel though Sabrina had noticed pillows already in place, one for Miss Sadie and one for the cat. From the way Lizzie settled into her spot—the huge white cat curled up into the passenger seat—Sabrina knew the two of them had taken many trips together.

The air inside the car was suffocating even with the windows rolled down. There was no air-conditioning, no radio, but the pristine seats smelled like new and the engine turned over immediately.

“Miss Emilie’s husband bought her this car, brand new in 1947 even though she didn’t like to drive,” Miss Sadie told Sabrina, without looking back at her. Both hands were on the wheel, and she raised her voice so she could be heard over the engine’s hum and the wind through the windows.

“I went to work for Miss Emilie when I was twenty-two years old. Several years later her husband’s fighter plane went missing shortly after the beginning of the Korean War. She didn’t drive this car much after that but she’d never part with it. Made me promise I’d never sell it, either.”

Miss Sadie’s eyes met Sabrina’s in the rearview mirror. “I took good care of Miss Emilie and her girls. Three beautiful girls, all accomplished, successful women now. They still visit with me from time to time, less and less now that their momma’s been gone. Yes, I took good care of Miss Emilie for forty years and in turn, she made sure I was taken care of.”

Sabrina had never heard the old woman talk much about her past. And Sabrina had never asked how she had been able to provide so well for herself. She knew Miss Sadie hadn’t married and had no children. Now Sabrina realized why. She had spent a lifetime taking care of another family and in that brief explanation Sabrina thought she could see absolutely no regret in Miss Sadie’s eyes. It had been more than a job. That was easy to see. Miss Emilie had not only been Miss Sadie’s employer, she had been her family.

Maybe that was what had brought them together. They were two women looking to replace the families they missed. It also helped explain why Miss Sadie was used to taking charge and taking care.

Sabrina had seen signs for Pensacola on Interstate 10, but Miss Sadie evidently wasn’t planning on taking the interstate. Sabrina didn’t recognize any of the surroundings, not that she expected to, but as soon as they started putting miles between themselves and the city, the darkness of the countryside renewed her sense of panic. Panic and also guilt for involving Miss Sadie. She still wasn’t sure what or who she was running from. Or whether running was even the safest decision.

Suddenly, Sabrina felt the car slow down. She saw flashing blue and red lights up ahead just as Miss Sadie started rolling up her window. Even Lizzie left her perch and jumped on top of the cooler that sat between her and her owner, tail swishing from side to side.

“Is it a roadblock?” Sabrina asked, already convinced that the police were stopping traffic, searching for her.

“I don’t believe so,” Miss Sadie said in such a whisper Sabrina thought she might simply be humoring her.

Even though they could see an officer in the road, there was a long enough line of cars that Sabrina found herself wondering if they could just turn around and go back. How serious were the police? Would they send a cruiser after them? There was no way she could ask Miss Sadie to go on a high-speed chase. Miss Sadie with her ten o’clock–two o’clock grip on the steering wheel was having a hard enough time keeping to the speed limit.

As they crept closer and closer, Sabrina could see she was wrong. One car had crashed into another and a third lay on its side in the ditch. There was no search, no roadblock. But as they inched their way around, Miss Sadie following the gestures of the officer patrolling the road, Sabrina felt no sense of relief. Instead, her panic washed over her again. She thought about her car accident last night. For the first time she realized it was no accident.

Leon figured it’d be a waste of time, but he drove to the Galloway woman’s condo anyway. He had trolled the airport, half expecting to see her there. As soon as the cops started moving in, Leon moved out.

Now a couple of blocks away from her condo he got distracted by a ’47 Studebaker rolling through the intersection. He thought about following it just to check it out. It was a beaut.

Two State Patrol cars were parked in front of Galloway’s condo. Leon drove by and pulled in to the driveway of the only house that wasn’t lit up like some block party. Flashlights lit up Galloway’s front yard. At least they wouldn’t be tripping over any fucking cats like he had the other night. Looked to Leon like there were three of them, but none of them were breaking down the door. They probably didn’t have enough for an arrest warrant.

So where the hell was Sabrina Galloway? And what the hell went wrong? Why wasn’t she there on the fucking catwalk?

The State Patrol hadn’t paid any attention to him, so he backed out of the neighbor’s driveway and headed back toward Tallahassee. A few blocks away he pulled in to a convenience-store parking lot. He’d been so pissed off at the airport that he wound up stealing a cheap-ass Taurus left in long-term parking with less than a quarter of a tank of gas.

Leon filled up and paid with a credit card the asshole owner left in the glove compartment. That’s when it occurred to him that he knew something the State Patrol probably didn’t…
yet.
If anyone had an idea where the hell Galloway had taken off to, it’d be her father. Sane or loony, Leon figured he knew a thing or two about getting someone to tell him what he wanted to know.

He’d make the trip first thing in the morning. For now he’d find an expensive hotel and order some room service, maybe a Pay-Per-View movie, too. No sense wasting a perfectly good credit card.

Leon figured it’d be a waste of time, but he drove to the Galloway woman’s condo anyway. He had trolled the airport, half expecting to see her there. As soon as the cops started moving in, Leon moved out.

Now a couple of blocks away from her condo he got distracted by a ’47 Studebaker rolling through the intersection. He thought about following it just to check it out. It was a beaut.

Two State Patrol cars were parked in front of Galloway’s condo. Leon drove by and pulled in to the driveway of the only house that wasn’t lit up like some block party. Flashlights lit up Galloway’s front yard. At least they wouldn’t be tripping over any fucking cats like he had the other night. Looked to Leon like there were three of them, but none of them were breaking down the door. They probably didn’t have enough for an arrest warrant.

So where the hell was Sabrina Galloway? And what the hell went wrong? Why wasn’t she there on the fucking catwalk?

The State Patrol hadn’t paid any attention to him, so he backed out of the neighbor’s driveway and headed back toward Tallahassee. A few blocks away he pulled in to a convenience-store parking lot. He’d been so pissed off at the airport that he wound up stealing a cheap-ass Taurus left in long-term parking with less than a quarter of a tank of gas.

Leon filled up and paid with a credit card the asshole owner left in the glove compartment. That’s when it occurred to him that he knew something the State Patrol probably didn’t…
yet.
If anyone had an idea where the hell Galloway had taken off to, it’d be her father. Sane or loony, Leon figured he knew a thing or two about getting someone to tell him what he wanted to know.

He’d make the trip first thing in the morning. For now he’d find an expensive hotel and order some room service, maybe a Pay-Per-View movie, too. No sense wasting a perfectly good credit card.