Chapters (43)
“I think we’re about ready to shoot the sidewalk scene?” the young man said, clearly nervous to be talking to this man. This white-blond-haired man who looked like the devil in my eyes. This man who knew Luna and knew Jones and knew Celeste.
Director? He was the director?
“I’ll be there in a minute, Corey,” the white-blond-haired man said. “I’ve got—”
But I didn’t give him the chance to finish the sentence. I shoved past him and bolted out the door.
I veered away from the front doors wildly, guessing at which would be the faster way to Chris’s car. I’d lost my bearings in the dark building. I tried to jump over a low bush but was too nervous to clear it and tumbled. I let out a grunt as I hit the ground and rolled, my shoulder groaning under the blow. I thought I heard the swish of the door opening behind me but was too panicked to look back. I scrambled, pushing myself back up onto my feet and churning through the grass, cramming the matchbook into my pocket as I went. I turned a corner, nearly colliding with a Dumpster, and my feet hit asphalt. Thank God. I pushed harder, raced faster, until I saw Chris’s car, which was already on the move, coming for me.
I dove into the car, breathing so hard I was gagging. Fucking cigarettes. I pulled the door shut, and Chris took off out of the lot. We were probably a mile down the road before one of us finally spoke.
“I would ask you what happened and why you’re dressed like that,” he said. “But I have a feeling I already know.”
I was breathless from my run, and in no mood for his judgment. “Just keep driving,” I said. The matchbook pressed into my hip, but I didn’t tell him that.
8
WHILE I WAS inside Pear Magic, Chris had spent his time idly searching for Heriberto Abana on his cell phone. He had come up with nothing much. I remembered sitting in his office before the hit-and-run. Heriberto’s name had been searched and searched on his work computer, but, other than some addresses, nothing had really come up. I told him I’d do some poking around when I got home, which, for some reason, pissed him off. I got hit by a car, but I’m not dumb, he’d said. I didn’t point out to him that I never called him dumb. He was being sensitive. I guessed I couldn’t blame him. If I’d lost a big chunk of my memory, I would be sensitive too.