R Is for Ricochet

cause her to lose her balance and flop over in her plate.
    Reba had a lighted cigarette on the ashtray in front of her. She was drinking a Bloody Mary.
    Oh, perfect, I thought.
    "You want one?"
    "Why not? It's after ten," I
said.
I reached into the McDonald's bag and unloaded the goodies while Reba made me a drink and set it at my place. I looked at Misty. "You're not having a drink?"
    "I got bourbon in here," she said, pointing to her coffee with a red-lacquered nail.
    I sat down and doled out hash browns and Egg McMuffins, leaving the cinnamon buns, orange juice, and coffee in the center of the table. "Sorry if I seem rude, but I'm starving to death." Neither seemed to object as I unwrapped my Egg McMuffin.
    There was a blissful few minutes while the three of us munched. I figured business could wait. I didn't have a clue what we were doing anyway.
    Reba finished first. She wiped her mouth on a paper napkin she kept wadded in her fist. "How's Pop?"
    "Not that well. I'm hoping to talk you into going home."
    She took a drag of her cigarette. The house felt chilly and I marveled at her bare arms and legs. I tried a sip of Bloody Mary – largely vodka with a thin mist of Bloody Mary mix on top, like blood in a toilet bowl. I could feel my eyes cross as the burning liquor went down. She said, "Does Holloway know?"
    "What? That you left the state? That'd be my guess. Cheney told me he'd be getting in touch with her."
    "Lucky I'm having fun."
    "Mind if I ask why you left?"
    "I got bored being good."
    "Must be a record. You lasted ten days."
    She smiled. "Actually, I wasn't all that good, but I got bored anyway."
    "Is Misty in on this?"
    "Meaning, can we talk in front of her? She's my best friend. You can say anything you like."
    "You blew all the money, didn't you? Salustio's twenty-five grand."
    "Not
all
of it," she said.
    "How much?"
    She shrugged. "Little over twenty. Well, maybe more like twenty-two. I have a couple of thousand left. I figure there's no point talking to him if I don't have the rest. What am I supposed to do, offer him small monthly payments until I've satisfied the debt?"
    "You have to do something. How long do you think you can duck a guy like that?"
    "Don't worry about it. I'm working on it. I'll figure it out. Anyway, maybe I'll be back in prison before he catches me."
    "That's a happy thought," I said. "I don't understand why you can't go back to Santa Teresa and talk to Vince. There's still a chance the feds can cut you a deal."
    "I don't need to make a deal with the feds. I got something in the works."
    I turned to Misty. "She's nuts, right? I mean, how nuts is she?"
    "Might as well leave her alone. Truth is, you can't save anybody but yourself."
    "I'm afraid I'd have to agree with you there," I said, then to Reba, "Look, all I want is to get you back to Santa Teresa before shit comes raining down on your head."
    "I get that."
    "So why don't we leave it at this? You know where I'm staying. I'll hang out until seven tomorrow morning. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll drive back alone. But I gotta warn you – at that point, I'm calling the Reno PD and telling 'em where you are. Fair enough?"
    "Oh, thanks. You think that's fair? Calling the Reno cops?"
    "As fair as you're going to get. You'd be wise to spend time with your dad while you can."
    "That's the only reason I'd go back, assuming I do."
    "I don't care about your motive – just getting you there."

    I went back to the motel, where I spent one of the most wickedly enjoyable days I've experienced in some time. I finished one paperback novel and started the next. I napped. At 2:30 I bypassed McDonald's and ate at a rival fast-food place. Afterward, I would have taken a walk, but I really didn't care what was out there. Reno is probably a very keen town, but the day was hotter than blue blazes, and my room, while glum, was at least habitable. I slipped my shoes off and read some more. At supper time, I called Cheney and brought him up to speed.
    I went to bed at 10:00 and got up at 6:00 the next morning, showered, dressed, and packed my bag. When I got down to my car, I found Reba perched on her suitcase with her duffel at her feet. She had on the same red shorts and tank top she'd been wearing the morning before. Bare legs. Flip-flops.
    I said, "This is a surprise. I didn't think I'd see you."
    "Yeah, well, I surprised myself. I'll go with you on one condition."
    ''There aren't any conditions, Reba. You go or you don't. I'm not going