Brandon sat away from the cameras in the public library. There were no unmonitored spaces anymore. He was vigilant in avoiding the cameras—always turned away from their prying lens. They’d be looking for him soon, reviewing surveillance tapes. There were much weirder homeless dudes who deserved the camera time. He’d let them draw Big Brother’s attention.
Protected by his hoody pulled over his hair, sunglasses, and beard, he settled into a soft chair and opened The Seattle Times. Nothing of importance. More boring shit about Boeing. He reached for the local news section. Boeing would be old news in less than five days’ time, and his face would be plastered on the front page.
It was too bad that he’d miss the spectacle of his father Frank’s face contorted with the familiar purple eggplant rage and his mother Meryl’s facelift sag in disappointment. His stomach lurched as he flashed on the memory of his mother’s red fingernails, sparkling with her giant diamonds, squeezing his arm, cajoling him to prove to his father that he could excel. His parents would both get their wish—their loser son would make them famous.
They wouldn’t be able to escape the notoriety. The experts would analyze how they, the perfect couple, had fucked up. They’d try to hide at their place on San Juan Island, but everyone would know.
From his little cabin on the remote west side of Kapas Island, he’d enjoy reading the theories of his downward spiral despite his affluent background and doting parents. He’d never see them again since he’d be heading to Jakarta. Courtesy of Boeing. On Malaysian Airlines. He hoped the airlines had its shit together by then. He doubted Frank and Meryl would miss him.
He gasped as he stared at the newspaper. He recognized the woman’s picture under the heading. “Animal Acupuncturist Works with Cat to Find Missing Woman Veteran.”
The meddling blond bitch from the house on 65th. Her picture was featured on the local news section. She smiled at the camera, accepting an award from Cornell. Of course the bitch went to an Ivy League school and won awards. Rage boiled up into his gullet. And she had found Maddy’s friend. He wouldn’t let her interfere in his carefully constructed plans. She was too close. She wouldn’t get any closer.
His hands shook. He’d make sure of it.