“I flew into Phoenix, rented a car and drove from there. Then I returned the car in San Francisco and flew out.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this trip?”
“I don’t know.”
Because their mother was a hard subject for both of them. Because the visit hadn’t changed his mind, as he’d probably hoped it would. Because it was easier to pretend, as he had for years, that he didn’t care.
“You could’ve taken me with you.”
“I needed to meet with her alone. Give her one last chance.”
Ellen hadn’t realized it had been her last chance. She’d been trying to convince Vivian as little as six months ago that they could still be a family. But that was so typical of her.
“I told her about The Crew,” he said. “I explained why I joined them and why they wouldn’t let me go. I made sure she understood that they’d use any means available to find me, including her, and that they weren’t going to give up anytime soon. I suggested she leave the area.”
“Advice she obviously ignored.”
“Yes. She felt safe since she didn’t know where I lived or how to contact me. We haven’t been part of her life for so long…I guess she thought they’d continue to assume she was out of the picture. And she met Randall the day I left. After that she forgot about everything else.”
Suddenly the irony of the situation became clear to Vivian. Ellen cared more about the men in her life than she’d ever cared about her kids. Her many romances always came first. Yet, in the end, she’d been alone.
Not only that, but if Ellen had instigated Martin’s murder, it was her fault that Virgil had gone to prison. And it was because he’d joined a gang in order to survive that Ellen had lost her life. What she’d set in motion nearly twenty years ago had come full circle.
Too bad there wasn’t more satisfaction in knowing that. No matter what Vivian believed, she could never wish this kind of death on her own mother. “So why would they kill her now, after all this time?” she asked. “They could’ve gone after her four years ago.”
“They knew we didn’t have any contact, so they didn’t see any point in it. But enough time has passed that…they must’ve decided to take a chance.”
She watched a cruiser drive slowly past, knew the cop inside was probably wondering if they were doing a drug deal. They were standing in a park, just the two of them, and they didn’t have kids, a dog or a picnic basket. “It’s not only that.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s Ink.”
“You think he killed her himself?”
“If not, he’s behind it.” Which meant her worst fears were becoming a reality. “Question is…how close is he?”
“That depends on what our mother told him.”
“She couldn’t have told him much. Maybe she jotted down the numbers I called from, and passed that along, or turned over her phone records. But that’s it.”
“So we have to assume Ink knows you live in Montana. Maybe, through Horse or some other contact, he even has a cop on the payroll who’s been able to trace one of those numbers to Pineview.”
It was chilling to hear Virgil say that. His acknowledgment of how easily Ink could find her made it that much more real. He could be waiting at her house right now. “That’s why I need Rex to bring Jake and Mia to you until this thing plays out.”
“Are you crazy?” he snapped. “No way do I want you there alone.”
“It’s better than having me here with the kids. What if I can’t protect them?”
“What if you can’t protect yourself? Come with Jake and Mia. You can start over. One more time. This is a great area. I’ll pay for the move, whatever you need.”
She wished it could be that simple. She missed Virgil and Peyton. But she didn’t want to leave Pineview, especially because she had no assurance that this would be the last time she’d have to flee. “And when they find us in New York?”
“We’ll deal with that when we come to it.”
The cop appeared again, slowed and parked next to her Blazer. He didn’t get out, but he distracted Vivian, irritated her. The police were present and available when she didn’t need them, but she had no confidence she’d have help when it mattered most. They’d never been able to help her before. “No. I’m finished running. I won’t move again.”
“Then I’ll have to come there.”
“You can’t leave Peyton unprotected!”
“I can’t leave you unprotected, either.”
“This is my choice.”
“You must not be thinking straight.”
Rex wasn’t comfortable having that cop so close. He eyed the cruiser as he leaned against the picnic table. He was shaky, not feeling good. Vivian could tell. But he was trying hard not to show it. “I’m making perfect sense. And that’s what has you so angry. You don’t have a better plan.”
When he didn’t immediately reply, she knew she had him. “Tell me the truth,” she said. “What would you do if you were me?”
“I’m not you. I spent fourteen years fighting with men in other gangs. I’ve had to kill to save my own life, Laurel. Even if I thought you could defend yourself, I don’t want you to experience that. It’s too much. You never forget it. Listen, Peyton’s not due for two weeks. Let me come out there and—”
“No. She could go into labor at any time. Gestational diabetes makes it a high-risk pregnancy. I know how worried you are. Are you really going to leave her? What if she loses this one, too?”
No answer. He was weighing his options, trying to decide, so she gentled her voice and tried to persuade him. “Stay, Virgil. Take care of your family. I’m guessing Ink’s already here. That means I need to deal with it.”
“Why not send the kids but have Rex stay with you?” he asked.
Vivian shot Rex a sideways glance. “Because Rex needs help himself.”
“What kind of help?”
“You know what kind of help. Get him into rehab as soon as he walks off the plane.”
“That’s bullshit,” Rex said. “Give me my damn phone. Rehab can wait.”
She stepped out of reach. With a cop watching, he wouldn’t force the issue. “We have no idea how long this situation might take to resolve itself. One week? Two? A month?” she said to Virgil. “Rex is barely hanging on. He won’t admit it because he’s a stubborn fool but he needs help.”