Flamethrower - Maggie Estep [52]
Ruby had just closed the computer when the phone rang. She lunged for it, thrilled that someone was calling, not caring in the slightest who it might be.
“Hello. Tobias here.”
“Oh. Hi.”
“Not who you were hoping for?”
“I visited The Crone.” Ruby cut to the chase.
“See what I mean?” Tobias said.
“See what you mean what?”
“She is a crone, isn’t she?”
“Sort of. But she was nice.”
Tobias grunted.
“She gave me keys to the brownstone, but I didn’t find anything there. I talked to the tenant upstairs.”
“And?”
Ruby didn’t know if she should tell Tobias that Jody had been seen with a guy, very possibly Violet’s groom. She decided not to.
“He hadn’t seen her in a while.”
“That’s it?”
“The Crone thinks Jody’s in Pennsylvania.”
“Pennsylvania?”
Ruby told Tobias about Jody’s cabin. She felt sorry for Tobias when she heard the surprise in his voice. She asked how he was feeling.
“I won’t be able to water-ski,” Tobias said.
“Water-ski?”
“Not that I ever have water-skied, but that’s precisely my point. I’m a cripple now. So many doors have been shut.”
Ruby made sympathetic noises even though she wasn’t feeling entirely sympathetic.
“I’m going to go down there tonight,” she said once she’d expressed enough empathy.
“Down where?”
“Pennsylvania. I don’t like driving on highways. It’s better at night when they’re not crowded. So I’m going tonight. I’ll find a motel once I get close, then go look for Jody’s cabin in the morning.”
“I’ll cover your expenses of course.”
“Good.”
“I’m very appreciative of the efforts you’re making.”
“You’re welcome,” Ruby said.
“So.” Tobias paused. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Fine,” Ruby said, “but there’s a chance my phone won’t work down there.”
“Oh, right.”
“You sure you don’t want to give me a number where I can reach you?”
“I’m sure. I’ll just try you.”
“As you like it,” Ruby said.
Tobias thanked her then hung up.
Ruby went into the bedroom to organize some things for her trip. She had just unearthed a little-used overnight bag when she thought she heard a key in her front door.
She stopped moving and listened. She heard it again. Ruby tiptoed over to the door. Someone was in the hall with a hand over the peephole. Ruby frantically looked around for something she could use as a weapon. Ed’s overflowing toolbox was pushed up against the far living-room wall, and Ruby was about to scramble for a hammer or screwdriver when she heard Ramirez shouting in the hall. Something clanged to the floor. Ruby looked through the peephole again. The hand was gone. Ruby opened the door in time to see Ramirez running down the stairs clad only in boxer shorts and an undershirt.
“Come here, motherfucker!” Ramirez was shouting. Ruby ran down the stairs after him. She reached the street in time to see a black-haired man get into a blue Honda. The car flew forward into traffic.
Ramirez ran out into the street then stood flapping his arms helplessly when he realized he couldn’t catch the car.
“Let’s go find a cop.” Ramirez seemed to have forgotten he was wearing only boxers and his undershirt.
“What good will that do?” Ruby asked.
Ramirez frowned. He had no love for governing bodies and no reason to think what had happened was anything other than a random break-in attempt.
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “I guess. How’d that asshole get in the building though?”
“I don’t know,” Ruby said. “But we have to go