Austin breaks the silence. “So. How’d Lady Margaret make all of her money?” Jenni giggles and I feel a little defensive, but no one answers, so he tries again. “Well?”
I look out the window. “She married a wealthy man.”
Jenni giggles again. “She totally pulled an Anna Nicole Smith, Amy. Admit it.” Austin’s face remains clueless. Jenni sighs. “Anna Nicole Smith was a very young, very busty, and very fake blonde who married a very rich, very old man for his money.”
Austin answers. “Oh. So you’re saying Lady Margaret was a gold digger?”
My nails dig into my palms. “I don’t know if you’d call her that exactly. She was working at a country club when she met her husband. She was his caddy.”
Austin snickers. “Sounds like she taught him more than just golf.”
Jenni laughs out loud, and I roll my eyes before answering. “Whatever. They were happy together. What’s so wrong with that?” I look over at Austin and change the subject. “What’s your uncle’s name so I know who I’m looking for?”
Austin blinks a few times. “Um… his last name is Martinez.”
Jenni sighs. “Great. So we’re going into a huge police department in a big city looking for a Hispanic cop with the last name of Martinez. That might take all day.”
I turn around in my seat. “Relax, Jenni. He’s a detective, so that should make him easier to find.”
Austin looks in the mirror. “So Jen-ni, where you going to college next year?”
She puts her hands in her lap and sits all prim and composed. “I was planning on going to a state college. It’ll save on tuition.”
Austin chuckles. His eyes light up as he looks at her in the mirror. “Didn’t get into M.I.T., huh? Big brother’s shoes are pret-ty hard to fill.”
Jenni’s eyes narrow through my visor mirror, and I smile, because I know what’s coming. “For your information, pretty boy, I did get into M.I.T., but I turned them down.” She smirks at him. “I just wanted to see if I could.” She looks down at her hands. “I’m going into nursing and a state college will save me tuition money. I don’t need a fancy school attached to my name to help people.” She turns sideways and looks out the window. “So choke on it.” I hold in my laughter.
Austin gives her a sheepish smile mixed with admiration. Jealousy shoots right through me. What’s that about? “You got into M.I.T.? You really are a brainiac.” Jenni doesn’t answer, but a small smile creeps out of her, until the other part of her sentence catches up to Austin, as he flashes her his killer smile, which I hate to admit even I’m not completely immune to. “You think I’m pretty?”
Jenni lowers her eyes and shakes her head back and forth. “I didn’t mean that. I was just repeating what the other girls say about you.”
Austin nods his head and grins some more. “So you and your girls were talking about me.”
Jenni’s face is red. “What? No.. I mean..”
Austin laughs. “Cat got your tongue, miss M.I.T.-know-it-all?”
Jenni stares out the window and says nothing, but I know she’s fuming, so I lean over and turn on the radio to fill the awkward silence.
Austin swats my fingers. “Don’t touch my stereo.” Soon, the sounds of Los Lonely Boys fills the car, and I wish I hadn’t touched the dial. My annoyance grows as I catch Jenni bopping to the only band Austin will listen to in the rearview mirror.
I pull the envelope out of my purse and read over the letter once more. I listen hard for the voice of reason, or any excuse to stop the madness taking over me, but it’s too late. I’ve fallen under the spell of Lady Margaret once again; the spell that led me to running through the sprinklers on my front lawn in my underwear when I was ten years old, much to the horror of my mom’s visiting garden party ladies while Lady Margaret waved a 20-dollar-bill of bribery at me from my upstairs window; the spell that led me to calling my 8th grade crush on the phone and professing my love after having two midnight shots of whiskey with Lady Margaret in the kitchen after everyone else had gone to bed.
My alcohol-induced bravery still brings shame to my cheeks as I recall blonde-haired, brown-eyed Kevin’s sleepy voice on the other end “Who is this?”, to which I nervously replied “Lady Margaret” before hanging up the phone and fleeing the room, barely making it to the toilet to puke up my whiskey and nerves. Thankfully, Kevin moved away that summer, and I never saw him again. Sadly, Lady Margaret was banned from our house after my mom came downstairs to shut off the lights and found her somewhat inebriated sister lounging at the kitchen table with a bottle of Jim Beam and two empty shot glasses while I hugged the sides of the toilet down the hall.
Following that debacle, my only communication with Lady Margaret was done by snail mail, as my Aunt boycotts technology of any kind. A barking hand in my ear interrupts my daydreaming, and I lean sideways and hit my head on the window. I turn on Austin. “You’re such a turd.”
Austin smirks at me before sing-songing. “We’re he-ere.”
I hop out of the car and grab my evidence box. I channel the courage Lady Margaret assured me I have.
Jenni opens the back door, and steps out beside me. She slides her arm through mine and speaks low and firm. “For Lady Margaret.”
I march forward, excited at the idea of seeing a bunch of cops behind their desks like in the movies; so I’m a little put out when I go through the double doors only to find a row of glass windows with three women sitting behind them. I scan their faces and look for the friendliest one. I settle on the grandmother in the middle. I approach and set my box on the floor.
Before I can say one word, the severe-looking young woman on the end raises her voice. “Are there biohazardous materials in there?” I ignore her questioning, and instead focus on the grandma.
“Hello. I’m here to see Mr. Martinez, please.”
The young woman gets up out of her chair and stands behind the grandma. The woman blinks repeatedly while managing to look as stern and hyped up as a librarian on crack. “I said, are there biohazardous materials in there?”
I glance at Jenni, whose eyes dart back and forth, a sure sign she’s on the brink of hyperventilating. I grab Jenni’s forearm and squeeze it as I answer as forcefully as possible. “The nature of the contents in my icebox is not your concern. I’m here to see Detective Martinez. I need to speak with him about what is in this box.”
The standing lady crosses her arms across her chest and stares me down, but I refuse to cower. “I need to know what is in that box.”
The grandma does an enormous eye roll that is completely Mean Girl-worthy before spinning her chair around to face the nosey woman. “Technically, you do not. If these women want to see Detective Martinez, then that is their prerogative. Go sit down, Karen.”
Jenni chokes on her laughter, and I struggle to hold mine in, as I glance over at the woman’s desk to confirm that Karen is her actual name. The grandma turns back to us. “Excuse me a second.” She picks up the phone and speaks. “Detective Martinez, please come to the front. Detective Martinez, please come to the front.”
I stare back in awe, as Jenni leans forward. “Thank you, Cherri.”
The grandma winks at the two of us. “You betcha.”
I peel my fingers off Jenni’s arm. I’m amazed at how well things are going. Since we are the only ones in the room, I continue standing and avoid all eye contact with Karen, who seems determined to burn a hole in my forehead with her hateful stare.
A side door opens, and a man in jeans, belt, and a polo shirt steps out. “Hello, I’m Detective Martinez. Please step into this side room with me.” We follow him into a room where he shuts the door. “How can I help you ladies today?”
I choose my words carefully. I don’t want to give any more information than necessary. “I received this box by registered mail today. Inside is a finger. I have reason to believe it belongs to my great Aunt Evalina who joined a survivalist-type cult, and they may have poisoned her. I would like it tested, please.”
The detective puts his hand on the box. “May I?”
I nod my head. “Yes, please.”
He pulls off the lid and digs the Ziplock bag out of the ice. He holds it up. “It’s a finger.” He looks at me. “Are you sure this finger belongs to your aunt, as in your mother’s sister?”
I nod my head. “Yes, sir. If you look at both sides, there is a rose tattoo with thorns going up the inside of the finger. That’s how I know it’s hers.” My voice cracks, and I have to look away as I wipe a tear from my eye.
He puts the finger back in the ice. “This is most unusual. When is the last time you had direct contact with your aunt?”
I swallow hard and hold back tears as I recall with great clarity my aunt holding me close and hugging me tight the morning after my 8th grade graduation while my mother stood guard close by like a warden, impatiently eyeing her watch. “Four years ago, detective. But we’ve written since then. Before this came, I hadn’t heard from her in about eighteen months. I guess now I know why.” He gives me a strange look. “She wasn’t always in a cult. The last two letters I wrote to her came back to me. I mailed them to her old address because I didn’t know she’d moved until this came.”
He studies me so long it becomes uncomfortable. I try not to fidget under his watchful gaze. “Did she write you a letter that came with this box?”
I nod my head. “Yes.”
“Can I see it?” I pull it from the envelope reluctantly. I hate letting him see the full contents of the letter, as it is rather personal. I keep the addressed envelope. I watch his masked face void of emotions, as he reads the letter. There is uncertainty in his face. “I don’t know. This seems like a lot of trouble to go to for an elderly lady who could possibly have dementia. Maybe she’s just embarrassed this conman got the better of her.”
Jenni pipes up. “Or maybe she doesn’t want this evil man to keep on killing! Do you really want to stand by and do nothing while the next Jim Jones or David Koresh happens? Or worse, what if he’s like Keith Raniere, and he’s enslaved a bunch of young girls? Think of the notoriety you would receive if what she is saying is true and you don’t do anything about it! There could be human trafficking involved! You have the evidence right here in her pointer finger! All you have to do is test it.”
The detective doesn’t look too convinced. “I don’t know. The state’s always on our asses as it is about spending too much money. Lab tests cost money.”
I grab his hand. “Please sir, this is all I have left of my favorite aunt. She must have been convinced or she would never would have chopped off her own finger. You read how much it upset her to do it.”
The detective stands up. “I’d like to make a copy of this letter.” He looks at me again. “Don’t go doing anything foolish. I’ll let you know as soon as I have the results back. If there really is a cult in Wyoming, you two should stay far away from all that. The last thing we need is for more people to go missing. There’s some real crazies in this world.”
I cross my ankles and my fingers on my hand that’s underneath the desk as I nod my head. “Of course, sir. That would be a very bad idea.”
He nods and appears satisfied with my answer. “I’ll be right back.” He marches out in his no-nonsense way with my letter.
I turn to Jenni, whose eyes are lit up as she squeezes my hand hard. “He’s going to test it! He’s totally going to do it. This is so Awe-Some,”
The detective returns and hands the letter to me. “I mean what I said, girls. Stay out of Wyoming. It doesn’t sound like anything good could come from trying to find that place. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Just let me take this finger to the freezer, and I’ll be right back with the paperwork.”
He walks out with the box, and I crack the door open to watch that the coast is clear. I grab Jenni’s arm and pull her out of the room and through the double doors before I run to the car and hop in. “Austin, let’s go. Now!”
Austin peels out as he backs up. He floors it without hesitation, and we race away from the station. “Where’s the fire?”
Jenni stares at me. “What about the paperwork? He doesn’t even have your number.”
I nod my head. “And he’s not getting it either. I saw the look in his eye. He’s totally going to test that finger. I’ll call him back when I’m ready.”
Austin looks over at me. “What is going on? Why wouldn’t you tell him your name?”
I smack his arm. “Because he told us not to go to Wyoming! That’s why! I don’t need a nosy detective following me around on my epic road trip.”
Austin’s face breaks out in a huge grin. “We’re going? We’re really doing this?”
I look over at him, frowning. “This is my rescue mission. Why are you coming?”
Austin looks wounded for half a second. “Hello. I have a car and you don’t. And, I’m already involved.” Stubbornness must be written all over my face, because he keeps going. “I’d hate to have to tell your mom what’s really going on.”
I side eye him. “You wouldn’t.”
He grins unashamedly. “Oh, I totally would. You’re not going there by yourself. I want in.” I look at him again. The wheels are turning in his brain as he starts in. “Now, here’s how it’s going to go down. You and I are going to have like a knock-down drag-out ugly fight at home that’s going to drive our parents crazy, and they’re going to be stressing about the tension between us for the next couple of days. I’m talking mega silent treatment and overkill resentment. We’ve got to pull out the big guns.”
I’m not following. “Okay, why?”
He grins again. “Wait for it, Am-y. After a few days of pure hatefulness between the two of us, when I invite you to a weekend at the lake with a couple of my friends, and you reluctantly go for it, and we halfway get along, they’ll jump at the chance of us going off together just to get us out of the house.”
Jenni nods her head in the backseat. She leans forward and slaps his shoulder. “That’s genius, Austin.”
He winks at her in the mirror. “Thanks.” Suddenly the air feels charged. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear my best friend is blushing. This cannot be happening.
I sigh with disgust. “But how are we going to convince Jenni’s parents to let her go with us?”
Jenni’s eyes get huge. “I never said I was going with you! Why would I want to bust into a missile silo full of armed survivalists? That’s plain nutso.”
I peer in the mirror at Jenni. “Come on, Jenni, it’ll be an awesome road trip! Nothing but miles of open highway from here to North Dakota. And I need another person between Austin and me. We might kill each other without a buffer.”
Austin raises his eyebrows at her in the mirror. “Going to be some beautiful starry nights out on the road. I bet we’re gone five days—seven days tops. Prison breaks can’t take that long. We need you.”
Jenni’s caving, I can tell. “I don’t know. What about spending money? I’ve been saving every dime for college for the last four years. I can’t blow it now.”
Austin slaps the dash. “Taken care of. Aunt Evalina sent Amy a huge payday. I’m talking bricks of cash.”
Jenni’s eyes get big. “For real?”
I nod my head. “Yep.” I turn to her. “Are you in or out?”
Jenni shakes her head back and forth, smiling. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. I’m in.” She sits back in her seat. “I’ll be so grounded when we get back, but it’ll totally be worth it.”
I look at her in the mirror. “Are you sure, Jenni?”
She nods her head, giving me a small smile. “Yeah. We’re only young and dumb once, right?”
I wink at her in the mirror. “I believe the terms audacious and bold are in order.”
Jenni does another eye roll. “Amy. You can wrap coal in a box with fancy wrapping paper and a big old bow, but inside, it’s still coal.”
Austin snorts. “What are you two jabbering about now?”
Jenni answers. “Amy’s got her rose-colored glasses on again. I’m just keepin’ it real.”
I stare back at Jenni and give her half a stink-eye. “You sure you want to come, funsucker?”
Jenni giggles. “Yeah. One of us has to make sure you get out in one piece.”
Austin looks over at me. “Fo-cus, Am-y. Google that town on your phone. How many hours is it?”
I dig out the envelope and type in the name of some obscure town I’ve never heard of. “It’s about twenty-three hours if you go straight up.”
Austin makes a face at me. “Wait a minute. You said my uncle told you to stay out of Wyoming.”
I nod my head and grin. “He did, and I told him we would. He never said anything about North Dakota, though.”
Austin shakes his head. “Wow. You told the detective a story, and he bought it. You might have a little of Lady Margaret in you, after all.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I can’t help it if he assumed it was in Wyoming. I never said it was, but I never said it wasn’t.”
Austin laughs a little. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re going near summertime. That’ll help. At least we won’t run into snow.” He eyes Jenni in the mirror. “I’d bring a light jacket and a sleeping bag, just in case.”
I raise my eyebrows. “What do you know about North Dakota nights, Austin?”
He winks at me. “I’ve been around some, Amy. You don’t know everything about me.”
We pull up to the house to drop Jenni off. She leans over my shoulder as she climbs out. “Amy. Send me a snap of that brick. Show me the money.”
I laugh. “Alright.”
She shuts the door and runs up to her house. Austin stares after her. I pinch his bicep. “Don’t be checking out my best friend. There’s plenty of other girls.”
His face gets all serious. “Yep, but they ain’t half as smart as she is. She’s kinda cute too.”
I smack him hard. “I mean it. She’s a nice girl. And you’re a player.”
He looks all wounded. “How do you know I’m a player? Besides, why you sayin’ that to me when you’re makin’ eyes at her brother?”
I stare back at him, furious. “That’s completely different. Her brother barely knows I exist!”
Austin’s eyes get big. He stares past my face. I turn around. Jim leans on my open window. He winks at me, giving me a once-over. “Hey, Amy. Nice..” his eyes rove over me again, and my face flames “shoes.” His eyes find mine again. I try to form words.
Austin leans over the console and hangs out in front of me. “I believe the words she’s searching for are thank you.”
I cough-choke under Jim’s steady gaze. “Thank you.”
He smiles, and his dimples peek out at me. “I’ll see you around.” He turns away and struts across the yard. I roll up my window and lean my seat back until I disappear. I turn toward Austin who’s doubled over with laughter.
I punch him in the leg as hard as you can punch someone from the reclined position. “I sooo hate you right now. Drive. Please drive.”