Fran

The weather was beautiful and it was just like I remembered. When I found out that Cass was still loose, I went to the one place that I could think of. Canya had stayed with me and I with her while we had breaks from school. Now I was there and asking for hospitality. The woman had moved and she had an even better view than before.

The sun was just going down and it looked like it was going to fall into the sea at any moment. Like everything when it ended, there was a burst of color and then the sun was finally melting into the horizon in front of it. I was sitting on the beach on a towel, watching the show. It was the only time since I had left New Orleans that I felt relaxed. Down here it felt like my worries were a million miles away.

Getting into the water, it was just as warm as it had been that day. I liked to think that I could stay here forever, but I know that it wasn’t really the case. The fact was that I had to go back to reality soon enough or decide what I was going to do next. There wasn’t much to do here for a living. It was a great place to visit, but not so much to stay.

I heard my name being called as I swam out. I looked back to the shore and saw Canya waving to me. I wasn’t sure what she wanted, but I made my way back in case it was something important. I had been trying to get a hold of Stephanie, but she hadn’t answered all day. Ever since I left the diner that morning when I saw Lucas and he told me about Cass. I didn’t think Cass knew where she lived, although I still just wanted to hear her voice and make sure that she was okay.

“What’s up Canya?”

Her black braids moved as she looked down for a minute. “You had a phone call, but as soon as you got back up here, I noticed that the connection was gone. Your cell phone is getting blown up, so I figured I might as well bring it to you. Whoever it is, they are trying desperately to get a hold of you.”

I hoped that it was Stephanie. She was my best friend and Cass knew it. He would go after people that I love. That was how he was and I had seen him do it to other people more than once. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that it mattered that it was me. He would hang me out to dry in a heartbeat and that is why I was in Florida. He was going to want his revenge. A part of me hoped that he would just forget about it or at least enough to leave me alone, that after a time he would get bored chasing me and let me be. But the other part of me kind of knew that it wasn’t going to happen.

The number on the phone was from Steph’s house.

“Thanks Canya. I am hoping this is her.”

“What are you into Fran? You know that I won’t push it if you don’t want to tell me, but maybe I can help you.”

“I don’t think so Canya, not this time. Just a bad relationship that ended wrong. He is a little mad so I am giving him time to cool off before I go back.’

She shook her head and her dark cheeks smiled. “You know, I know it is more than that, but like I said, I am not going to push it if you don’t want to talk. But we have been through a lot together Fran. I owe you and I would be more than happy to get that off of my back.”

I disagreed, “No I think I am going to hold that one for a while for when I really need it. I like to think of this as a vacation.”

Canya just kind of nodded. I knew that I should ask for help. I had a feeling that I was in over my head, but what else could I do? I couldn’t get her involved too. I already had enough people that I didn’t want to be seen with me. If she hadn’t lived so far away, I would have worried about coming here. Cass had reach everywhere and though I still didn’t know how far, I hoped the Keyes were far enough to get out of it. There was no telling though, not really.

We talked for a little bit longer and I drank another beer. It was getting pitch black outside, save for the few lights that were next to the houses that lined the coast. I was in heaven and in some ways I never wanted to leave. Why couldn’t it always be like this?

It was of course bittersweet. It seemed like I was just getting started with Lucas. While I had played it like I wasn’t interested, I was and I was sure that he knew it or he wouldn’t have kept trying. Now I had put him in danger and I would most likely never see him again. Never going back to New Orleans was quickly becoming the only avenue that made sense to me. It was sad because I had to wonder what would have happened. The man had the most haunting eyes.

I finally called the number back and listened to it ring a couple of times. I was starting to think that she wasn’t going to answer, but then I heard the phone pick up right before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?”

“Steph, hey it’s me, what’s up?”

“Fran?”

“Yeah, are you okay? You sound kind of weird.” Her voice was low and she talked like she was out of it a little bit.

“Just tired is all. It feels late. Long day at the diner, you know.”

“Sorry I had to bail. Did you have to pick up my shift?”

“Yeah, boss says you better be in tomorrow.”

“I don’t think that is going to happen. Can you tell Ralph I am sorry, but I think I am going to have to quit?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I am not in Louisiana anymore and the tips just aren’t worth the commute back.”

“All of your things are still here Fran. You are coming back, right?”

There was something strange about her voice and the tone of it. It was like she was trying to tell me something with it, but I just didn’t know what it was that she was talking about. I had a feeling that not everything was going okay there. There was something akin to hysteria that was muffled because it had to be. The little hairs on the back of my neck started to stand up and it wasn’t the soft breeze blowing that was doing it.

“Yeah, of course.”

“When?”

“I don’t know, but I am just taking a little time off is all. You know how things go when you have a break-up. How are you doing? Is everything okay?”

She didn’t answer me for a moment and I could hear a noise like she was covering up the receiver so that I couldn’t hear. Was she talking to someone or was I just hearing things? I wasn’t really sure which one it was.

“So you don’t know when you are coming back Fran? You should come back soon.”

“Why, what is going on?” Now I knew it was something and Steph was trying to tell me something. Was she telling me that I really shouldn’t come back and if that was the case, why? What was going on? The questions were burning in my mind and even as I asked a couple of them, I knew that I wasn’t going to get a real answer out of her.

“Nothing, I just miss you is all. We were supposed to go out tomorrow night, remember?”

We weren’t supposed to go out at all. It wasn’t something that we discussed. Steph was still trying to warn me and I got the message loud and clear. All was not well. That was the end of it.

“Yes I do. I should be back by then, but I am not sure. Will you be mad if I can’t make it?”

“It won’t be good Fran. I will have to go by myself and you know how they can get sometimes.”

I closed my eyes. I could have bet right then that Cass was there with her or had been in contact with Steph sometime today. Was that why she hadn’t answered earlier?

“I will try.”

“Where are you Fran?”

“Not too far.”

“Where?”

This was not a question that was coming from her. “You remember that beach that I told you about when I was working with Sal?”

She was quiet for a time. “Yeah, I remember, what about it?”

“Well I made a reservation for a couple of days on the coast over in Biloxi where we were last time. I don’t know, call it a nostalgia tour, but I have just been chilling out and trying to get Cass out of my mind.”

The silence was deafening and I waited for her to answer. The receiver was covered up again and I was sure that it was Cass telling her what to say next.

“You should let me come see you. Give me an address and I will drive over there tonight.”

“I can’t do that Steph.”

I took a deep breath. I was going to have to do something that I didn’t want to do. Of all the things that I wanted to do or needed to do, talking to this man wasn’t going to be one of them. I had a lot to say to him, but on the same token, so did he. The problem was that he was there with my best friend and he was not above hurting her to get to me.

“Why not Fran? I want to see you and you can ride back with me in the Honda.”

Her car was not a Honda and I wondered if Cass was starting to suspect something because the receiver was covered up again. I wished I knew what they were talking about.

“Please Fran. I need to know where you are.”

“Just put him on the phone Steph. If Cass has something to say to me or ask me, he can say it to me on the phone.”

“He isn’t here.”

“Yes he is. Just give him the phone Steph, please. I know what it is that he wants.”

She hesitated and the receiver was covered up again. “Hello Fran.”

“Hey Cass. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to hear your voice again, but I should have known that you wouldn’t let this go.”