Page 43 of Married With Lies

“Drive safe.” He waves my black card. “No doubt the kids will give this a workout.”

“Let ‘em.”

After one more shrewd look around to make sure that nothing is out of the ordinary, I head for the door. If I wasn’t in such a hurry to leave Vegas behind I’d probably stop for a meal. As it stands, the sooner I get out of here the better.

12

CALE

My father owned a Mustang. A vintage model from the early seventies in the color blue.

When I was really small he’d sometimes haul me into his lap and let me ‘steer’ the car into the small detached garage next to our house. Typically my mother would be watching from the kitchen window and then she’d emerge from the side door to scold him with a laugh. He’d pull her into his arms and plant a kiss on her lips.

These memories of my parents manage to be both vivid and fuzzy, like a show I watched a long time ago when I was half asleep.

Over the years I’ve magnified such scenes in my mind a thousand times. I’d never be able to tell you what my parents were wearing or any other words that were spoken on those days but I’m sure of the sound of my mother’s laughter and the sight of her dark hair swinging as my father spun her around. I wish there were more videos of them.

The bright mayhem of Las Vegas was left behind hours ago and now I’m cutting straight through the heart of Arizona. Traffic has been light and the drive is easy with no bridges or toll bottlenecks to deal with. This sleek rental Mustang has nothing in common with my father’s prized vintage car but it feels good on the road and I don’t need more than that for this trip.

While I’m driving I tend to prefer podcasts to music, especially if I’m making an effort to stay awake. The one I’ve been listening to for the last hour is all about preppers. While I’m not a prepper and will never be a prepper, I’ve got to admire the commitment, even if I’m on the opposite end of the scale. I don’t tend to keep more than three edible items in my fridge. The future isn’t a theme I like speculating about.

Flagstaff is dark and sleepy this hour. Many miles of driving still lay ahead. The prepper host is now talking to a guy who dug an underground tunnel that was a quarter of a mile long. It leads from his garage to the nearby woods. He plans to use it to escape from the feds if they come knocking on his door. He also dug a cellar out in those woods, which he keeps stocked with food and provisions.

“I can outlast the bastards,” he says with pride. “Just let ‘em try it.”

I’m not so sure. It probably wouldn’t take anyone with more than a few brain cells very long to locate the tunnel and follow where it leads. Then again, if the man’s tunnel helps him sleep soundly at night then good for him.

“On our next episode,” says the cheerful host, “we’ll be talking about survivor skills in the event of a large scale nuclear attack.”

I’ve had enough apocalypse content for the night. Anyway, it’s just about time to stop for gas and food. I’m considering taking the next exit when my phone lights up. I answer immediately.

“Luca.” My gut tenses as I wait to hear my brother explain why he’s calling in the middle of the night.

“Didn’t wake you, did I?” He yawns, meaning there’s obviously no emergency.

“Nah, I’m on the road.” I check the dashboard clock. “Are you up early or partying late?”

“Neither. I have an exam in three hours. Studied until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, fell asleep at my desk and woke up in a puddle of drool. Figured I might as well call you since you had to cut the call short yesterday.

“Sorry about that.”

“Where were you? Sounded loud.”

“Las Vegas.”

He snorts. “Didn’t go there to acquire another wife, did you?”

“Not exactly. Business trip.”

There’s a beat of silence on the other end. It’s pretty unrealistic to think that my brother has no idea what I do as Richie’s chosen sidekick. Still, I hold out hope that the worst version doesn’t reach his ears.

“Just a casino grand opening,” I say to fill in the blanks and set his mind at ease. “Uncle Richie’s latest venture.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I talked to him on Wednesday.”

“Did you?” I prefer to think that if Luca’s out of Richie’s sight then he’s also out of Richie’s mind.

“He’s taking Aunt Donna to the Keys for their anniversary next weekend. They’re going to stop in Miami and he wanted to make sure I’d be around for a quick visit.”

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