Can he handle what Randy will have to say? Lane thought. “We’ll be there in five minutes. We’ll handle the TV crew.”
“The car’s all packed. The lawyer told me to lock up the house and leave it. He’ll take care of the rest.”
“Good.”
“Just have to give Miguel a call,” Beth said.
“What?”
“I’ve left it to last for a reason.”
“But -,” It’s too important to leave to the last, Lane thought.
“He won’t be able to talk me out of it now. The decision’s made.” She looked at the wall where the picture of her mother and father had hung. It was packed away in a suitcase in the trunk of the Dodge.
“I’ll call when we get there,” Lane said.
“Thanks.” Beth hung up.
Lisa was singing in the shower. “LEAVIN’ ON A JET PLANE.” The words to the song stopped when she gargled.
Beth reached into the watch pocket of her jeans, pulled out a folded piece of paper and opened it. She tapped a series of numbers.
The phone rang twice before an exotic female voice said, “Miguel Rapozo’s Tunisia office.”
“Connect me with Miguel. Please.” She thought, It’s way after office hours over there.
“I’m sorry. Miguel, I mean Mr. Rapozo, is in a meeting. Can I take a message?”
“It’s a family emergency,” Beth said.
“DON’T KNOW WHEN I’LL BE BACK AGAIN,” Lisa sang.
“Another one?” The secretary’s tone was a mixture of skepticism, condescension and sarcasm.
“That’s correct,” Beth said.
“A moment.”
Beth patted her pocket, checking for car keys and the envelope. Inside the envelope were two thousand dollar bills and a note explaining that Lisa’s one-way plane ticket was paid for in cash. That was all. No warning that the lawyer was sending a copy of the will. No hint that the inevitable accusatory phone call from Judy would remain unanswered. By that time Beth and Ernie would be gone. She realized the note might well be their final contact. Beth felt a combination of release and regret. Just Ernie, Scout and Beth. All that was left of her family. And she knew, for the first time, how Ernesto must have felt after the death of his wife.
“Hello?” Miguel was angry.
“Miguel.” Beth felt angry at having to beg.
“Yep.”
“Ernie’s sick. We’re moving into Nonno’s house. You can reach him there,” Beth said.
“You sure that’s wise?” Miguel said.
Sure I’m sure, she thought, Do you think I’d come crawling to you if I wasn’t sure? Instead she said, “Yes.”
“All right, then.”
“And we’re going to be needing the van,” Beth said.
“Up to you,” Miguel said.
She heard the dismissal in his tone of voice. That had been the way of it. It was up to her to take care of their son, up to her to make the funeral arrangements, up to her to turn a blind eye to his affairs. Always, up to her. “Goodbye,”
she said.
She went upstairs to the door of her Mother’s room. The bed was a confused mass of pillows and rumpled sheets. Lisa’s denim purse perched at the foot of the mattress. The purse was open. Pink sanitary napkins and wads of thousand dollar bills lay side by side. What the hell is Lisa doing with all that money? Beth thought.
“LEAVINNNNN ON A JET PLANE!”
Beth thought, Why is she waiting for an inheritance when she has all of that money? She shook her head as she moved past the bathroom to Ernie’s door.
All the packing had been done after two this morning while Lisa snored. Beth had just finished at four AM when Ernie screamed himself awake.
Beth thought, Where did all of that money come from?
The shower stopped.
Beth moved for the stairway. She checked to see if she was about to trip over the oxygen line snaking its way up the stairs and into her Mother’s room. You don’t need to do that anymore, she thought.
The carpet on the stairs rubbed the soles of her feet like a memory.
The sound of the television greeted her as she stepped off the bottom stair. “Orangutans have no need for human contact.” In the background there was the grunting of an ape.
“PBS,” Beth said to herself. Ernie stayed on the safe channels. One naturalist program after another. Lisa, on the other hand, spent every waking moment watching the news and interrogating Beth.
Beth stepped into the family room. Ernie sat in the easy chair with blank eyes staring at the screen. Scout was next to him. Her eyes were closed while both ears stayed erect and alert.
“Ernie?” Beth said.
He looked at her. Scout’s eyes opened.
“We’re leaving right after Lisa,” Beth said.
Ernie smiled.
She looked at his belt. It was cinched two notches in from the old line worn across the leather. How much more weight will he lose in a week? she thought.
The doorbell rang.
Scout barked and bounded for the front door.
Beth followed, reached the door and peered through the peephole. The man in the fish eye had on a white shirt, tie and jacket. She opened the door part way. Scout growled.
“Taxi,” the man said.
“She’ll be right out.”
“Been waitin’ five minutes already,” the driver said.
“Sorry.” Beth shut and locked the door. “Lisa, the taxi’s here.”
“ALREADY?”
“It’s been here for five minutes,” she said.
“I HEARD THAT!”
Beth cursed under her breath, “Bull shit.” Bent low, holding Scout’s collar, she walked to the family room. “Ernie, take care of the dog.” Scout jumped up and licked his face.
At the back door, Beth lifted Lisa’s blue bag. “Try traveling light, Lisa.” She unlocked the back door and opened the screen. She took quick short steps down the driveway where concrete burned the soles of her feet. Looking beyond the black taxi, she saw the van with V CHANNEL stenciled on the hood. Beth heard the van’s door slide open when she stepped to the back of the taxi. Using both hands, she heaved Lisa’s bag into the trunk.
Hopping off the pavement, onto the sidewalk and then the cooler grass, Beth looked across the street. A man backed out of the van’s side door. The driver’s door opened.
Ralph Devine raised an arm and pointed at her, “Ms. Rapozo, a moment of your time.”
She turned and, in spite of panic and the burning concrete, walked at a steady pace, stepped through the gate and closed it behind.
“You’ll have to talk to me sooner or later!” Devine said.
Beth stepped inside the house, making sure to lock the inside door. “Lisa!”
“WHAT!” Lisa stood in the hallway with wet, straight hair. She rummaged through her denim purse. “WHERE’S MY TICKET?”
Beth kept her voice free of any sarcasm, “It’s in your hand.”
“NO WAY!” Lisa glared back before glancing at the ticket in her left hand. “OH.”
“Taxi’s waiting,” Beth said.
“I KNOW!” Lisa pushed past in a cloud of peach perfume. The scent caught at the back of Beth’s throat. She
reached into her pocket and pulled out the envelope addressed to Judy. “This is for your mother.”
Lisa turned, spied the envelope and snatched it. “MY INHERITANCE!” She stuffed the ticket into her bag.
Beth watched, knowing what would happen next.
Lisa ripped the envelope in half. Peering into one half, she reached in and pulled out half of two $1000 bills. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THERE WAS MONEY INSIDE?”
“It’s for your mom.” Beth pushed the fingers of her right hand through her hair.
“THAT’S ALL?” Lisa peered into the other half of the envelope.
“More than you deserve.” The words were out before Beth could think.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! AFTER ALL THAT’S HAPPENED TO ME, I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”