In Desperation

24

Los Angeles, California

T he airline agent behind the ticket counter grasped that Gannon needed to be on the next flight to Las Vegas.

“You said one way?”

“Yes.”

“Nothing to check in?” Her keyboard clacked.

“Nothing.”

A printer hummed, then she handed him his boarding pass. “Your flight boards in twenty minutes. The security lines are good. You should make it.” She reached for a walkie-talkie. “I’ll alert the gate agent.”

“Thanks.”

After trotting though Terminal One at LAX and clearing passenger screening, Gannon arrived at his gate, where the agent there confirmed his pass and seat.

“Thank you, sir. We’ll commence preboarding in ten minutes.”

Gannon used the time to call Cora on her cell phone in Phoenix.

“Hello.”

“It’s Jack. Are you free to talk?” But it didn’t matter if Hackett was near her, he could not hold off pushing her for more information.

“Yes.”

“Ivan Peck says he is not Tilly’s father.”

“He’s lying.”

“He says he can’t father children.”

“He’s lying.”

“What proof do you have?”

“He was the only man who…the only one who…”

“Just tell me the truth, Cora!” Heads snapped in his direction; people stared at Gannon. He moved to a private area and dropped his voice. “He said you weren’t waitressing in North Hollywood.” He paused. “Cora, he said you were a hooker.”

As the word hung there, he heard her break over the line and it tore him up inside. He clenched his eyes as memories pulled him back to Buffalo, to when they were just kids. It was his bedtime. Mom and Dad were working extra shifts. He’d taken his bath, gotten into his pajamas, combed his hair, brushed his teeth. Now Cora was reading Paddle-to-the-Sea to him, the part where the forest was burning and flames covered the entire page. Everything was on fire. And now here he was standing in LAX, swallowing bile because his sister, his big sister whom he’d worshipped, had been a prostitute.

Even with his eyes shut, everything was on fire.

Cora was crying now.

“It’s all right,” he said. “Just tell me the truth. Tell me how you are certain he is Tilly’s father.”

“He refused to use protection. He paid double. He was the only one. I was an addict, Jack. I needed money to survive. I was in hell. I was messed up. You could never understand how much shame I felt, why I could never go home again.”

Gannon searched the preboarding area in vain, looking for the right words.

After a moment, Cora found a measure of composure and continued.

“Peck is Tilly’s father. Damn it, did you not see the resemblance?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know. Look, he gave me a lead, so I came here, straight to LAX.”

“A lead?” Hope rose in her voice. “What is it?”

“A guy you used to know. He’s in Las Vegas now.”

“Who?”

“Vic Lomax.”

“Lomax. No. No, Jack!”

“Listen, Cora, I realize Peck may have been feeding me bullshit. I know this is a long shot but he said Lomax was tied to cartels. He might get us closer to people who have Tilly.”

The gate agent announced the first boarding call for his flight over the public address.

“Are you flying to Las Vegas now?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t. I’m begging you to stay away from Lomax.”

“Why?”

“He’s a dangerous monster, Jack. Stay away from him.”

“We don’t have many options here.”

“Lomax is not one of them. He’s in the past, buried, dead to me, Jack.”

Confusion and anger began churning in Gannon’s gut.

“What’s wrong with you?” he said. “Tilly’s life is on the line. We have to try everything. Lomax might know something!”

“Do not go to Lomax!”

“What the hell’s going on? You begged me to help you. Are you telling me everything? Are you playing me? Are you involved in this, Cora? Tell me the goddamn truth!”

“No!”

“Then what the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Jack, please.” Cora swallowed. “In all those years, with everything I went through, my life was a nightmare. It’s still a nightmare. If I lose Tilly… I’m so sorry. I just don’t know anything anymore.”

The long-distance static between them carried her sobs until Gannon heard another boarding call.

“I have to go, Cora.”