Page 120 of Rest In Pink

I shrugged on my heavy combat vest. Double-checked my gear. Made sure I had a round in the chamber of both the forty-five and the M-4. I opened the Gladiator’s door and got in without looking back at the house and headed toward Burney.

Not for the pavilion.

Chapter Fifty-Five

Anemone and I watched Vince race away in his macho Gladiator, with his macho black gear, with his big scary gun, and I was ready to kill him if Mickey didn’t. He was being a protective idiot. I thought of that stupid song Anemone had sung to me when she was trying to tell me about that damn movie, “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling,” and this ass had just ordered me to forsake him.

“Why did you stop me?” I asked Anemone.

“He’s a man,” she said, pretty much summing up most of the problems in the world.

“I’m going after him,” I told her.

“I know,” she said, and handed me my keys and a gun.

It took me a few seconds to realize what it was because it was pink. I thought it might be a cigarette lighter or something, but it was heavy and real.

“You point it and shoot,” she said. “Get as close as possible, and do not hesitate,” and I remembered that Anemone’s first husband had been a hit man for the mob, and that she didn’t take crap from anyone. “It’s loaded, so be careful with it.”

“Okay,” I said, not sure at all.

“And thenyou bring it back,” she said, with an intensity I’d never heard in her voice before. “You arenotdying on me, Liz. I need you.We are not finished.”

I don’t think she was talking about the book.

I nodded and went out to my car.

My hands were shaking and it took me two tries to get the key in the ignition. I had a gun on the seat beside me, pink as all hell but still lethal. I hate guns, but I wanted that one with me. My future was out there somewhere on his way to face a crazy person who would definitely have a gun. And I wasn’t going to forsake my dumbass future.

I checked to make sure the pink gun on the seat next to me wasn’t pointing at me, put my Candy Apple Red car in gear, and headed for the Blue cardboard factory.

Chapter Fifty-Six

I swung by the bank where MaryBeth was waiting with a briefcase at the curb. It wasn’t Navy’s but one she had. Navy’s was in the back seat. But I had to cover my lie with Mickey in case he was watching. MB had been more than happy to play along in a game that she had no idea about. Perhaps she was feeling kind of guilty about keeping the big secret from Liz for thirty-three years?

I rolled up and lowered the window.

“Good morning, Vince.”

“Morning MaryBeth. I appreciate this.”

She handed over the empty briefcase. “How is Liz?”

“She’s fine. Can’t talk right now. I’ll see you later.” I hoped. I looked past her and saw Day watching from inside the bank. Probably wondering what the hell was going on and why he’d been told to come here.

I drove down Main Street then took a right toward Factory Road. I turned in where all the trucks bringing in supplies and driving away with cardboard had turned until twenty years ago.

And, of course, there was Liz Danger sitting in her Candy Apple Red Camry.

Because she’s Liz.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

I had not expected to get to the factory before Vince, so perhaps not having a plan other than backing him up could have used some work. I felt for Anemone’s ridiculous little gun and put it inside my jeans belt, making sure my T-shirt covered the top of it and hoping I wasn’t going to accidentally shoot myself in the thigh. I tried very hard not to throw up. I was a badass. Badasses do not puke in their cars.

I looked at all the empty gaping windows in the factory. The place was huge. Mickey could be staring at me right now. There were two round windows, like eyes, on the top floor, with squared off panes at the bottom, and I had this weird feeling that the building was looking at me, sneering at me, telling me it was going to get me. Mickey was going to get me. He could be pointing a gun at me right now. He could—

Vince’s Gladiator rolled in beside my car, between me and the factory. He was staring at me and, for once, I couldn’t tell how he was feeling since his face was set like stone. He got out and walked around, looking much larger in the black vest and holding the big, black rifle with the scope on it. There was something different about him that I’d never seen before. A grimness. He wasn’t looking at me, he had the rifle to his shoulder and was scanning the factory through the scope.