Telling Fortunes in Phoenix

Eddie

When Eddie left Parks’ house he returned home and accessed the unmarked car assignments. The car that neighbor Jim had told Eddie about was used exclusively by a Detective Carson Blake. Apparently the man didn’t use his own car at all; the vehicle returned to the motor pool only for maintenance and repairs. Eddie recalled the dour man slightly. Blake had been with Vice for years while Wyatt worked Homicide or Property Crimes, so their paths rarely crossed.

Eddie dug further and found that the man had arrested Sara Parks for obstruction of justice and that she was down at the South Buckeye facility because of some kind of overflow situation. This did not ease his mind. Why did his daughter have the phone number of someone awaiting trial at Tent City? What case brought Blake to this fortune teller’s house? He didn’t dare make any further inquiries; he had overused the police system today and didn’t want any superiors turning their attention on him. What now?

He dialed his partner’s cell phone.

“Hey, Eddie,” said Gavin.

“Listen,” Eddie said, “Are you busy?”

“As a matter of fact I am.” Gavin sounded happy. “Got rescued from paperwork by Vice. This guy Blake got a hot tip and brought me with him to Ajo. Some illegals in trouble, we’re on a rescue mission.”

Eddie started feeling light-headed again but reeled himself in. No time for that.

“Ajo? Why aren’t the local police dealing with it, or Border Patrol?”

“He’s been warned the good guys might be part of it so we’re sort of unofficially checking it out.”

“Huh.” So much for asking Gavin to see what Blake was up to. And it seemed there was some word of dirty cops.

“It might just be a false alarm, but he thinks time is short so he grabbed me and we ran out here,” Gavin said. “But what was it you called about?”

“Oh some penny-anty stuff on that home invasion case. Never mind, you got your hands full.” Eddie’s fingers worried at his lower lip. “In the old days there was always trouble near the border. We’d just run the folks back into Mexico and call it done. Nowadays they’ve got to be brought in and seven different agencies’ll want paperwork. Meanwhile the illegals are in jail and we’re paying their room and board.” Eddie paused. “Where are you now?”

“We stopped for gas in Ajo,” Gavin said, “I’m waiting by the car for Blake.”

“Don’t tell him I called, okay?” Eddie said. “I’m not strictly s’posed to be working on my off times. Some folks are real sticklers.”

“Sure, Eddie. I gotta go.”

Eddie was doing everything he’d ever learned about stress relief and shock treatment for himself at this point. He knew he couldn’t think well with this amount of anxiety bubbling around but he couldn’t just leave it, either.

He had three cell phones. The one he’d just used was dedicated to work, though he also used it as his main phone. He kept one strictly for his daughter to reach him with. He didn’t ever want her to be sent to voice mail but he also couldn’t just hang up in the middle of a work related call. Both of these were high tech phones that he kept with him at all times. His third phone was for calls to Johni. It was a cheap burner and he replaced it frequently. He picked it up now.

It rang twice, was picked up, then went to dial-tone. He hung up and called again and the phone rang and rang. No answer.

He wandered into the living room and flung himself into his Strato-lounger. His daughter had gotten into his computer then played hooky from school. A woman she knew was in jail and the detective who’d arrested that woman was with Eddie’s partner. Those two were about to descend on Johni’s ranch where five illegal aliens, who knew Eddie’s face, were drugged and imprisoned. And somewhere there were five more illegals. The children.

Strong, honest, brave. In the heart of his heart, this was how Eddie saw himself and he knew his daughter saw him in the same light. Even in adolescence, when other kids showered their parents with contempt, he was her hero, tough and just and bigger than life.

Slaver, murderer, trafficker. This is how Eddie would be described if Johni’s house of cards fell down. If Julia found him out she would despise him all her life. If the Mexicans were interrogated he would be thrown in prison. Right this minute he should pick up and run. He’d make some calls, make sure Julia was taken care of. But that would be the end. The end of Eddie Wyatt, respected law enforcer. The end of fatherhood. He would never again see the only person in the world he cared about.

He cranked his chair into a reclining position and stared at the ceiling. Maybe everything would be alright. His daughter would be home for dinner soon and he could scold her about her truancy. Johni wasn’t answering her phone because she’d gone to Casa Grande with the merchandise. Blake and Gavin would show up to an empty ranch.

He could not remember ever feeling this helpless. The pros and cons swirled through his mind on shorter and shorter loops until, against all reason, he fell asleep.