Face the Music

Chapter 8

"I don't believe you," I told her quietly. She didn't look at me. She turned back to the door and tried to wrestle her stubborn key out of the lock. "Ella, every time I see you it's like you're looking over your shoulder. What are you scared of?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Damn key," she murmured as she struggled with the lock. I reached around her and unlocked the door with one quick twist. 

"Hey! What're you--" She protested. I opened the door and dragged her in the empty restaurant after me. 

She looked at me with wide eyes, saying nothing.

"Tell me what you're scared of. I want to help you," I said. It wasn't my place to step into her life. Nothing she did was really any of my business, but I was curious about her and something told me that she didn't have many people she could trust. 

She laughed without humor and looked at the floor. "Is that the best pick-up line you could come up with?"

I was suddenly angry. She thought I was just trying to get a date. That I only wanted to help her to get her into her pants.

"This isn't about our date!" I hissed. "This is about you running scared. You're looking over your shoulder for a problem that I might be able to solve for you."

"God!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Can't you just leave it alone? I don't know you, you don't know me. I can take care of myself, and I sure as hell don't need any help from a stranger."

"I realize that I don't know you, and that your life is none of my business, but no one deserves a life full of fear! You don't seem to have a lot of trustworthy people in your life, and I want to be one for you," I exclaimed. Her glare softened a bit. 

"I know think you can help, and I realize I haven't been very grateful for your concern. I do appreciate you wanting to help, but you don't need to get involved in my life. I don't want you to."

"I can help," I argued. She narrowed her eyes at me. 

"You have no idea," she said sadly, shaking her head. 

"Ella!" I said loudly, testing a theory. I closed the distance between us quicker than necessary, and just as I expected, she jumped and stumbled back until her back was against the wall. "This is what I mean," I said softly, backing away from her again. I felt bad for scaring her, but it had proved my point.

"What?" she said, eyeing me fearfully. 

"You're trembling."

Ella's eyes filled with tears. "Well, I don't know you. And you just scared me a little, is all."

I shook my head and looked at her. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Are you afraid of Gabe?" I asked, taking a shot in the dark. Maybe she'd been lying to protect Gabe. Maybe the guy they'd beat up in the alley really hadn't been trying to hurt her, and she didn't want him to get in trouble. "You don't have to lie. I've seen this before. Rich boys don't like competition and they have enough resources to take what they think is theirs. You don't have to protect him. If he's hurting you, I can help."

Ella looked at me like I'd just killed a fly on her forehead. Her reaction made me sure that I was way off base.

"No!" She cried. "I've already told you that Gabe is my friend. He doesn't abuse me!" 

"Sorry," I said, holding up my hands. "You're not giving me much to go on so I took a guess. You are afraid of something, though, right?"

For a moment she looked like she was going to argue, but she didn't. Her bottom lip trembled and she nodded her head. 

"I know you think you can take care of yourself," I said. "But--"

"I'm not scared for me." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm scared for you. You'll be better off without me."

"Ella, what the hell does that mean? I know that we're strangers, but I've never wanted to help someone as much as I've wanted to help you," I surprised myself by blurting out the truth. Ella wasn't buying it. 

We were interupted by my very intoxicated friend from the beach, who'd told me that Joel was dealing drugs. He stumbled up, much to my irritation, and opened the door.

"Hey Tony," Ella greeted him. "Are you okay?"

" 'scuse me!" Tony spoke from the doorframe, ignoring her question. "I don' mean to 'inerupt, bu' I have a note for you, my frien'." He slurred, handing me an envelope. On the front, much to my horror, it said FOR BEN. I hid the envelope from Ella's view and looked at Tony, who was openly staring at Ella's breasts. 

"Tony?" I said. No response. "Tony!" I snapped and he looked at me. "Who gave this to you?" 

"Can't tell you. No way no how." He giggled a little, and just before I could punch him in the face he fell over and began to snore. I scowled at his inert form and sighed in frustration. I looked back up at Ella and started to speak again.

"Ella--" But she was done speaking to me.

"I need you to go now," she said. So I went.

***

After I'd left Burger Joe's, I opened the envelope that had my name - my real name - on it. No one except the CIA was supposed to know I was here, and they'd never be so careless as to send me a note with my real name on it. Anything I was about to find in the envelope wasn't good.

Inside I found a note and photo. The photo was of Ella and me speaking to one another earlier in the day, when she'd cancelled our date. It was just before Gabe and his friends showed up. The note said: AIMES. GET OUT OF TOWN. SHE COULD GET HURT. Ice spiked through me. No one else could get hurt because of me. Enough people had payed the price for my carelessness.

I bought a beer and sat in the sand to watch the party. My mind was reeling.

Someone knew I was here, and they probably had connections to Loretto. I assumed they knew I was going after him, which is why they wanted me to leave town. I sighed in frustration. The job had gotten harder now that someone was looking for me, and now that Ella had been threatened. Loretto had connections everywhere - I was sure he even had people working for him inside the agency.

I watched the party-goers as they got rowdier. I didn't see Collins, but I was curious to hear what he'd found out about Joel. Maybe he knew Loretto, and I could finish the job before things got messy.

I saw Ella and Gabe sitting in the sand across the fire from where I was. I watched him carefully, the way he hugged her, or nudged her playfully, or made her laugh. He never kissed her. Never crossed a line that made me think Ella had been lying about them being 'just friends.' I couldn't picture him beating someone into a coma just for asking Ella on a date, but I guess drugs make a crazy person more insane.

I shook my head, confused. Things weren't adding up. As I watched the two of them, Ella stood, allowed Gabe to hug her tight, and she took off up the beach toward her house. I thought about following her, but decided against it. Instead I pulled out my phone and texted Collins.

WHERE ARE YOU?

A few moments later he replied,

BACK @ THE MOTEL. NO HOT GIRLS @ PARTY.

I chuckled and typed,

I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. Then I stood and went to talk to Collins.