potentially the wrong hands. We were able to track it down, but to repeat this scenario would be a fatal mistake going forward. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Remember this: Gerald Holley is your brother by blood. But he is no longer your brother.”
“I understand.”
The man nodded at me, in turn. “You have two days, and then you will receive a call. It needs to be finished by the time you receive the call.” He turned and walked away, between rows of storage units. It almost felt like I was imagining things, but I looked down at the phone and piece of paper in my hand and knew that I wasn’t. The address was across the country; I turned and put the bag of equipment back in the storage unit. I had a safe deposit box in the city in which I was headed. The only thought on my mind was that I had forty-eight hours to finish the worst part of my life.
Chapter Eleven
I regrouped and prepared at my house; I showered, dressed, ate something and did some research on the address. It was in West Hollywood, California. I wasn’t sure if he had driven my Tahoe there, or flew, but my guess was that he had been able to get the safe opened, put the money in a bag, and headed west. I wasn’t aware of anyone he knew out there; I could only imagine what he could be doing. I decided to make a phone call.
Several rings in, Gerald’s former wife Kate picked up. “Hello?”
“Kate, its Donnie. How are you?”
“Oh, Donnie, it’s nice to hear your voice.” She sighed heavily. “Gerald told me you had been shot, and I came to see you in the hospital, but you were under sedation. I’m so sorry. Are you out now?”
“I am. I didn’t know you had visited. Thanks for coming by,” I said.
“Of course. I was very sorry to hear it.”
I changed gears. “Speaking of Gerald, have you seen him in a while?”
“Only once, a few days after you got attacked. He came by, said he got a temporary job and would be traveling for a while.”
“Did he leave anything with you?”
“What?” She sounded confused. “Like what?”
“Did he give you guys anything before he left?” I asked.
“No.” The confusion was clear now. “Was he supposed to?”
“No, not really. I just wondered if he did.” I had to think of something quick. “I had asked him to give Marie a teddy bear I had gotten for her a while back on a trip. He must have forgotten.”
“Oh. Yeah, he didn’t bring anything with him.”
“Okay, Kate. Thank you. I gotta run. I’ll talk soon. Tell Marie I said hello.”
“Okay Donnie, I will. Talk to you later. Glad you are healing up.”
“Thank you. Talk to you later.”
I hung up the phone, and any possible indecision I had was gone. I was more disgusted by whatever he was doing with the money than what he had done to me. I understood violence; that part made some sense to me. But I couldn’t see abandoning your daughter further when you had a chance to do something good for her. Marie and her mother Kate wouldn’t have needed to know the money was taken from me; he could have told them anything and they wouldn’t have been the wiser. Instead, he headed west, leaving them to struggle.
The future became sharper moment by moment.
***
My flight touched down at Los Angeles International Airport at five a.m. the following morning. Fortunately, I had been able to get some sleep on the late night flight. The only luggage I had was a small carry-on with two sets of clothes, so I was out of the airport quickly. I passed through the exit doors and the warm California air hit my skin, the lack of humidity refreshing. While it was cold still in North Carolina, it was always warm here; I silently marveled at that. The rush of cars and voices was like a blanket; I stood and took everything in for a moment. I went and found my rental car, a Ford Focus, and hopped on the interstate toward Hollywood.
The safe deposit box was at an investment company off of La Cienega Boulevard. I went to
I nodded. “I do.”
“Remember this: Gerald Holley is your brother by blood. But he is no longer your brother.”
“I understand.”
The man nodded at me, in turn. “You have two days, and then you will receive a call. It needs to be finished by the time you receive the call.” He turned and walked away, between rows of storage units. It almost felt like I was imagining things, but I looked down at the phone and piece of paper in my hand and knew that I wasn’t. The address was across the country; I turned and put the bag of equipment back in the storage unit. I had a safe deposit box in the city in which I was headed. The only thought on my mind was that I had forty-eight hours to finish the worst part of my life.
Chapter Eleven
I regrouped and prepared at my house; I showered, dressed, ate something and did some research on the address. It was in West Hollywood, California. I wasn’t sure if he had driven my Tahoe there, or flew, but my guess was that he had been able to get the safe opened, put the money in a bag, and headed west. I wasn’t aware of anyone he knew out there; I could only imagine what he could be doing. I decided to make a phone call.
Several rings in, Gerald’s former wife Kate picked up. “Hello?”
“Kate, its Donnie. How are you?”
“Oh, Donnie, it’s nice to hear your voice.” She sighed heavily. “Gerald told me you had been shot, and I came to see you in the hospital, but you were under sedation. I’m so sorry. Are you out now?”
“I am. I didn’t know you had visited. Thanks for coming by,” I said.
“Of course. I was very sorry to hear it.”
I changed gears. “Speaking of Gerald, have you seen him in a while?”
“Only once, a few days after you got attacked. He came by, said he got a temporary job and would be traveling for a while.”
“Did he leave anything with you?”
“What?” She sounded confused. “Like what?”
“Did he give you guys anything before he left?” I asked.
“No.” The confusion was clear now. “Was he supposed to?”
“No, not really. I just wondered if he did.” I had to think of something quick. “I had asked him to give Marie a teddy bear I had gotten for her a while back on a trip. He must have forgotten.”
“Oh. Yeah, he didn’t bring anything with him.”
“Okay, Kate. Thank you. I gotta run. I’ll talk soon. Tell Marie I said hello.”
“Okay Donnie, I will. Talk to you later. Glad you are healing up.”
“Thank you. Talk to you later.”
I hung up the phone, and any possible indecision I had was gone. I was more disgusted by whatever he was doing with the money than what he had done to me. I understood violence; that part made some sense to me. But I couldn’t see abandoning your daughter further when you had a chance to do something good for her. Marie and her mother Kate wouldn’t have needed to know the money was taken from me; he could have told them anything and they wouldn’t have been the wiser. Instead, he headed west, leaving them to struggle.
The future became sharper moment by moment.
***
My flight touched down at Los Angeles International Airport at five a.m. the following morning. Fortunately, I had been able to get some sleep on the late night flight. The only luggage I had was a small carry-on with two sets of clothes, so I was out of the airport quickly. I passed through the exit doors and the warm California air hit my skin, the lack of humidity refreshing. While it was cold still in North Carolina, it was always warm here; I silently marveled at that. The rush of cars and voices was like a blanket; I stood and took everything in for a moment. I went and found my rental car, a Ford Focus, and hopped on the interstate toward Hollywood.
The safe deposit box was at an investment company off of La Cienega Boulevard. I went to
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