Flamethrower - Maggie Estep [40]
“My wife won’t kill you.”
“No, she won’t. No one will because I’m not doing it.”
“Please?” Tobias asked, sounding weak, innocent, and nearly sincere.
Ruby hesitated. She realized she wanted to know where her psychiatrist had gone and why. “Have I piqued your interest?” Tobias asked. “I can wire a thousand dollars into your bank account tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
“Yes,” Tobias said.
Ruby wasn’t in a position to turn down a thousand dollars.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said.
“Really?” He sounded giddy.
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t guarantee any results.”
“I understand.”
“And you still have to pay me. No matter what.”
“Give me your bank’s phone number and your account number.”
Ruby thought this over for a minute. Wondered if Tobias was trying to steal her identity. Decided there wasn’t much to steal.
“Sure,” she said. She gave him the information.
“So?” she said after Tobias had written it down.
“So what?”
“Where do I start? Where do you think she is?”
“Oh,” Tobias seemed surprised, as if he’d expected to have to beg Ruby to get started. “You should go to our brownstone first. Make sure she’s not there.”
“How do you want to get keys to me?”
“I don’t have them. She’s had the locks changed and taken out a restraining order in case I went off the deep end.”
“Ah. So. Exactly how am I supposed to get in?”
“I imagine you’ll have to call The Crone.”
“The who?”
“One of Jody’s lovers from years ago. They keep in touch. She’s an awful woman. But Jody dotes on her and confides in her. The Crone has keys, I’m sure.”
“Ah,” Ruby said. Her head was spinning at this information.
“I realize this is more information than you might want about your psychiatrist’s past.”
“Probably, but I’ll live.”
Tobias laughed.
“So you want me to call this crone person and ask for keys to the brownstone?”
“Actually, yes, that would be lovely.”
Lovely wouldn’t have been Ruby’s adjective of choice. She wrote down The Crone’s phone number and learned that her given name was Millicent.
“I’ll have the money in your account by tomorrow morning,” Tobias said.
“And how am I supposed to get in touch with you?”
“I’ll call you,” Tobias said. “Thank you,” he added before hanging up.
Ruby hung the phone up. Stinky meandered over, opened his mouth, and let out a long, slow meow.
“I know the feeling,” Ruby said, running her hand along Stinky’s spine. He bumped his head against her legs then wandered off.
Ruby went into the bathroom and threw water on her face. The bruising was nearly gone, but she looked gaunt. She’d probably lost five pounds in the ten days since she’d found Tobias’s leg in the fish tank. Normally, she’d be thrilled to dip below her standard 118 pounds. Now, she didn’t care. She ran a brush through her hair, trying to talk herself into worrying about her appearance. It didn’t work. She walked back out of the bathroom and stared at the phone. She thought about calling The Crone. She pictured a sagging woman with a hook nose. Then revised the image. Surely Ruby’s fiery psychiatrist wouldn’t have had a sagging, hook-nosed lover. She picked up the phone and punched in the numbers. It rang three times; then a brutish-sounding woman barked “Hello.”
“May I speak with Millicent, please?” Ruby used her sweetest voice.
“Who wants her?” the voice asked.
“My name is Ruby Murphy. She doesn’t know me, but I’m a friend of Jody Ray’s.”
“Friend? I’ve never heard of ya.”
“Is this Millicent?”
“Yeah, Millie. That’s me.”
“I got your number from Tobias,” Ruby said.
“What’s that fuck doing handing out my number?”
“Jody seems to be missing. Tobias thought you might know where she is.”
Millicent grunted. Ruby had to admit, she did sound like a crone.
“Tobias seemed to think you might know where she is,” Ruby repeated.
“What, and I’m gonna tell him?” Millicent was incredulous.
“We’re worried about her,” Ruby said innocuously.
“Who’s we? What are you, his piece on the side?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Sorry. The guy’s a creep. I guess