Мэри Эндрюс - The Newcomer

“Maybe she didn’t want to worry you,” Letty said.

“And maybe she needs to stop renting rooms to lowlifes and fugitives from the law,” he said. He pointed out the window, where a tow truck was in the act of hitching up the Impala. “Shauna found a loaded thirty-eight under the driver’s seat of their car. I don’t want to think about what might have happened if…”

The chimes tinkled and Ava bustled in. “Hey, what’s going on out there? I’ve been calling and calling, but nobody answered.…” Her face paled when she saw the scrapes and scratches on the faces of Letty and Joe.

“Dear God!” she exclaimed, clutching at Letty’s arm. “Are you all right? Where’s Maya?”

“Letty!” A thin wail drifted from the storeroom.

“Maya’s fine,” Letty said. “She was asleep the whole time, back here.”

The little girl was standing up, rubbing her eyes, with foam peanuts clinging to her knit top. “I’m hungry, Letty.” She held up the stuffed elephant. “Ellie’s hungry too.”

As Letty lifted her niece out of the carton, Maya touched her cheek. “You got a boo-boo,” she said. “I kiss it.”

Back in the outer office, Ava and Joe were deep in what looked like an unpleasant conversation. “You’ve got to be more careful, dammit,” she heard Joe say. “Those two were honest-to-God desperadoes. They used to cook meth for a living, Mom. They had a loaded gun in their car. You’re lucky they didn’t decide to set up a lab in that room you rented them.”

“I know, I know,” Ava said, running her hands through her hair in agitation. “It was stupid of me. I won’t do it again. No more walk-ins. Never again. I swear, Joe.”

“Okay,” he said, his shoulders slumped. “I believe you. I gotta go get those two booked in at the jail.” He pointed a finger at Letty. “We’ll need a witness statement from you for the arrest report. I’ll be back later. In the meantime, put some antiseptic cream on those scratches.”

When he was gone, Ava wrapped her arms around her desk clerk and hugged her tightly. “Oh, Letty, I’m so sorry to have put you in danger. Joe’s right. I should have known better. If anything had happened to you or Maya, I’d never forgive myself.”

Letty hesitated, then awkwardly patted the older woman’s back. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen. I probably shouldn’t have waited so long to call Joe, so it’s partly my fault too.”

“No,” Ava insisted. “This is on me.” She held out her hand to Maya. “Come here, little one. You run ahead upstairs and then I’m gonna order us some pizza for lunch. How does that sound?”

Maya clapped her hands together. “Pizza. Yay!” She scampered off in the direction of the stairs.

“Now, Letty,” Ava said, her expression suddenly serious. “I need to show you something important.”

She walked behind the reception desk and Letty followed. Ava took a key from the ring she wore on a lanyard around her neck and unlocked and opened the cash drawer. The black plastic tray inside held neat stacks of bills, and a slot to one side held coins.

“You showed me that the first day I came to work,” Letty said, puzzled.

Ava took a step to the side. “Reach your hand all the way in the drawer there,” Ava instructed. “All the way to the back.”

Letty slid her hand over the cash tray, extending her fingertips until they touched cold steel. She gave Ava a quizzical look.

“Go on,” the older woman said.

The gun fit in the palm of her hand, snub-nosed and black. Letty stared down at it with distaste.

“You ever fired a gun before?” Ava asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Letty whispered.

“That’s good,” Ava said, nodding. “Most girls like you are afraid of guns. I’m afraid of ’em myself. But I’m more afraid of what could happen if there’s trouble. You know what I mean?”

“I do,” Letty agreed. “But Ava, I don’t think…”

“You don’t have to think. You just need to know it’s there, and know how to use it.”

“Letty, I’m hungry!” Maya’s plaintive voice drifted down from the top of the stairs. She shoved the gun back into the drawer. Ava locked it.

“Coming, ladybug,” Letty called.

15

SHE WAS WATCHING MAYA PLAYING at the water’s edge with another little girl when a shadow fell over her. Letty looked up. It was Joe. But not no-nonsense spit-and-polish Detective Joe DeCurtis. This was Joe Sixpack, bare-chested, barefoot, dressed in gaudy floral board shorts, holding a small Yeti cooler.

“Hey,” he said, looking down at her. “Ava told me you guys were down here. Mind if I join you?”

She shrugged. “It’s a public beach.”

“Wow. Okay. Never mind.” He turned and began to trudge back toward the motel.

Letty regretted the words as soon as she spoke them. She glanced toward the beach, where Maya and the other little girl were busily drizzling wet sand on each other’s legs, and shrieking with delight.

“Joe!” she called.

He kept walking.

She jumped to her feet and ran after him. “Hey. Slow down!”

But he didn’t stop or slow down, so she sped up, caught him by the arm.

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “That was a bitchy thing to say. Come on back, please?”

“I’m good,” he said, his expression flat. “Wouldn’t want to impose.”

“It’s not an imposition.” She bit her lip. “Look, I’m kinda rusty at making new friends. Give me another chance, okay?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” She pointed toward the beach blanket, actually one of the motel’s old floral bedspreads, where she’d set up camp. “Plenty of room.”

Joe followed her back to her spot and looked around. “Where’s Maya?”

“Down there by the water. She’s having a ball. Living her best life.”

He sat down and opened the cooler. “Beer or hard cider?”

“Don’t judge me, but I do enjoy a hard cider,” she said, and he handed her a can flecked with bits of crushed ice. She examined the label. “Three Daughters. Never heard of it.”

“It’s a local craft brewery. One of my high school buddies started a brewery. They’ve got a tasting room in downtown St. Pete. I work security there sometimes if they’re having a big event. It’s pretty good stuff.”

Letty popped the top and took a sip. “Nice and light. Very refreshing. Thanks.”

He leaned back on his elbows and looked out at the horizon. The beach was packed with sun worshippers, polka-dotted with bright-colored umbrellas and beach chairs. Music drifted from radios, and seagulls pecked at something in the sand. A cluster of older women, dressed in modest swimsuits, had set up nearby beneath a pop-up tent, and were playing cards.

“Not bad for March, huh?” he said, glancing over at her. “Looks like you’re turning into a real Floridian. Am I allowed to tell you that I like that bathing suit, or does that make me sound like a perv?”

She’d splurged and bought herself an inexpensive bikini from a surf shop a few blocks away. It was black with hot-pink piping, and showed off her deepening tan. But she felt suddenly self-conscious under the warmth of his gaze.

“Not too pervy,” she said finally. “Thanks.”

Joe nodded at Maya, who was dumping buckets of water into the moat of the castle Letty helped her build earlier in the afternoon. “Who’s Maya’s new friend?”

“Just a little girl who’s here with her parents, visiting her grandma,” Letty said, pointing at the women gathered under the tent. “I think her name’s Esme. I’m so glad that they’re playing together outside in the fresh air. It’s hard, you know? Maya’s either at work with me or Isabelle all week, or cooped up in our room. I feel guilty that I let her spend so much time watching television, or playing the little games I have on my phone.”