Midnight Rider
Little Apartment
Paige had ridden the bus several times. But she couldn’t tell why she felt so uneasy this time. She felt nauseated, she felt worry, it was eating at her – like it could only consume her. By the time she reached her stop she had bitten all her nails down short – she ruffled her flat hair and headed for the apartment where she’d find her mother.
It saddened her to see her mother sitting in the same wheel chair she always was. And then to see her little sister have to stand on a chair to reach something in the cabinets. Paige and her little sister both grew up too fast.
“Hey Momma,” she said. “Mind if I stay awhile?”
“Sweetie what happened? Did you lose you job?”
“Something like that.” Paige said reaching above her sister to grab the sugar. “Hi Genie.”
Genie jumped down from the chair and walked into the next room to continue to watch cartoons.
“She’s still not talking?” Paige asked.
“No,” her mother answered. “Her teacher can get her to talk sometimes. But that’s just at school.”
Paige took antoher look at her sister who shared the same glance – but said nothing. “Silly girl.” She said.
“What are you doing here?” her mother asked again.
“Just checking on you guys. Nobody weird had been around have they?”
“Not that I know of, of course I don’t get out much.” She said.
“Then I’ll stick around for a few days.” Paige said.
“What sort of trouble did you get into?”
“None, just a friend recommened I go home – spend some time away from the city.
“Then you’ve been keeping bad company.”
“They’re friends with cops.” Paige insisted, “they can’t be that bad.”
“Then while you’re here I’m going to put you to work, I haven’t had proper groceries for weeks.”
“Yes, I can go shopping for you.” Paige said. “Make a list.”
_______________________________________________
Paige was happy that she could be there to help her mother. She had hoped that Genie had gotten better – ever since their father left she had kept to being quiet, that was she was six, she was nine now and she could talk, she just chose not to. Paige had left the hose to earn money before she was even eighteen. She had to do something, she couldn’t let them suffer.
She was making her way to the grocery store, the closest one being only ten blocks. But unlike all her other walks to the grocery store – she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched, or like she was being followed.
She picked through her anxiety, telling herself it was nothing, she was only being paranoid, anyone would after what happened to her. She entered the grocer looking at all the isles trying to decide the best place to start. She decided to work from left to right; she grabbed a cart and pushed it in front of her while beginning on the first isle. It wasn’t until the third isle when she noticed a tall, yet handsome man at the end. He was wearing a long trench coat, covering what looked to be a professional business suit. She thought nothing of it until she saw his watch. It was a Cellini Rolex, one that she had seen many times on the wrist of Mauricio himself.
Perhaps it was a coincidence.
She moved onto the next isle to find that the same man was at the end of the isle, he wasn’t in the isle rather looking at what good were displayed on the floor between the racks, keeping his distance, but close enough to watch her.
Paige’s paranoia was getting the better of her, and she gave in, realizing it was better to be safe than sorry. She casually let her cart trial behind her as she looked at the many different kinds of dried pasta. She left the cart hidden behind the shelf while she quickly, and quietly left out the front door.
Looking for the nearest place to hide she dashed across the street the moment traffic permitted. She waited at the other end to see if the man exited the grocer, when he didn’t she felt relief. She stepping inside her favorite greasy diner and ordered a cup of coffee while she watched at waited. The uneasiness in her stomach quickly returned when she recognized the white van she had seen drive away the other night. With the light she was able to write down the license plate number.
Paige quickly ducked her head when the Italian finally came out of the grocer looking displeased. She saw him interact with another man in a long coat – he looked angry like he had lost something… or someone.
She headed to the back of the diner where she could find a familiar pay phone. It was riddled with marker graffiti and etched swear words. After thumbing through the yellow pages she found the number for McGinty’s, dropped in fifty cents and let it ring. She clutched the napkin and the receiver in one hand while she turned around to look for any sign of someone else suspicious.
“Iri-i-i-sh Bar, McGint-t-ty’s, this- this is,”
“Yeah yeah, Doc.” She said.
“W-w-w-ho’s this?” he struggled to ask.
“Paige, from earlier?”
“Oh right - right, the nice girl. You’ve FUCK, FUCK.” He started.
“Safe?” she finished.
“yes.” He said.
“Not exactly. Someone’s looking for me. I found some guy trailing me at the store, and a found the van they took Connor in.”
“Leh-Lemme get FUCK Murph. PISS ASS!”
“Yeah.” She heard Murphy’s voice.
“Found the van.” She said quickly.
“Got a number?” he asked.
“Yeah ZKL 535. But listen, they’re here, trailing me.”
“They followed you?”
“Not exactly. They knew where my mom was.”
“And you decided to lay low there? At the only real possible place you’d go?” he asked slightly irritated.
“Look they threatened my family, I came to check on them okay?”
“I can’t blame you for that I guess.” Murphy said. “Look, where’s she live?”
“We’re at Fremont and Bale. Near Cambridge. Little apartment at 313, number four.”
“Okay look, either me or Duffy are gonna show up, -“
Paige didn’t get to hear the rest of what Murphy planned to say, she felt a heavy hand find her shoulder the other took the receiver and listened in on the rest of Murphy’s sentence. Paige carefully slipped the napkin into her pocket – before he put the receiver back Paige managed to say: ”Murphy, don’t, they know.” before he clamped his hand down on her mouth.
Murphy only could hear the struggle between the two people now. He waited hoping to hear that Paige had won, that she had gotten him off her somehow. But soon he heard, ”If you’d like to continue this call please insert…” Murphy clicked the phone down and then quickly dialed Duffy’s number.
“We need to get to her fast, see if you can find or follow the car. I’ll check on the family.” Murphy told Duffy. Duffy quickly relayed news to Dolly before putting on his sirens and heading north. Dolly swung by the bar to grab Murphy before the all began the search for Paige and Connor.
It saddened her to see her mother sitting in the same wheel chair she always was. And then to see her little sister have to stand on a chair to reach something in the cabinets. Paige and her little sister both grew up too fast.
“Hey Momma,” she said. “Mind if I stay awhile?”
“Sweetie what happened? Did you lose you job?”
“Something like that.” Paige said reaching above her sister to grab the sugar. “Hi Genie.”
Genie jumped down from the chair and walked into the next room to continue to watch cartoons.
“She’s still not talking?” Paige asked.
“No,” her mother answered. “Her teacher can get her to talk sometimes. But that’s just at school.”
Paige took antoher look at her sister who shared the same glance – but said nothing. “Silly girl.” She said.
“What are you doing here?” her mother asked again.
“Just checking on you guys. Nobody weird had been around have they?”
“Not that I know of, of course I don’t get out much.” She said.
“Then I’ll stick around for a few days.” Paige said.
“What sort of trouble did you get into?”
“None, just a friend recommened I go home – spend some time away from the city.
“Then you’ve been keeping bad company.”
“They’re friends with cops.” Paige insisted, “they can’t be that bad.”
“Then while you’re here I’m going to put you to work, I haven’t had proper groceries for weeks.”
“Yes, I can go shopping for you.” Paige said. “Make a list.”
_______________________________________________
Paige was happy that she could be there to help her mother. She had hoped that Genie had gotten better – ever since their father left she had kept to being quiet, that was she was six, she was nine now and she could talk, she just chose not to. Paige had left the hose to earn money before she was even eighteen. She had to do something, she couldn’t let them suffer.
She was making her way to the grocery store, the closest one being only ten blocks. But unlike all her other walks to the grocery store – she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched, or like she was being followed.
She picked through her anxiety, telling herself it was nothing, she was only being paranoid, anyone would after what happened to her. She entered the grocer looking at all the isles trying to decide the best place to start. She decided to work from left to right; she grabbed a cart and pushed it in front of her while beginning on the first isle. It wasn’t until the third isle when she noticed a tall, yet handsome man at the end. He was wearing a long trench coat, covering what looked to be a professional business suit. She thought nothing of it until she saw his watch. It was a Cellini Rolex, one that she had seen many times on the wrist of Mauricio himself.
Perhaps it was a coincidence.
She moved onto the next isle to find that the same man was at the end of the isle, he wasn’t in the isle rather looking at what good were displayed on the floor between the racks, keeping his distance, but close enough to watch her.
Paige’s paranoia was getting the better of her, and she gave in, realizing it was better to be safe than sorry. She casually let her cart trial behind her as she looked at the many different kinds of dried pasta. She left the cart hidden behind the shelf while she quickly, and quietly left out the front door.
Looking for the nearest place to hide she dashed across the street the moment traffic permitted. She waited at the other end to see if the man exited the grocer, when he didn’t she felt relief. She stepping inside her favorite greasy diner and ordered a cup of coffee while she watched at waited. The uneasiness in her stomach quickly returned when she recognized the white van she had seen drive away the other night. With the light she was able to write down the license plate number.
Paige quickly ducked her head when the Italian finally came out of the grocer looking displeased. She saw him interact with another man in a long coat – he looked angry like he had lost something… or someone.
She headed to the back of the diner where she could find a familiar pay phone. It was riddled with marker graffiti and etched swear words. After thumbing through the yellow pages she found the number for McGinty’s, dropped in fifty cents and let it ring. She clutched the napkin and the receiver in one hand while she turned around to look for any sign of someone else suspicious.
“Iri-i-i-sh Bar, McGint-t-ty’s, this- this is,”
“Yeah yeah, Doc.” She said.
“W-w-w-ho’s this?” he struggled to ask.
“Paige, from earlier?”
“Oh right - right, the nice girl. You’ve FUCK, FUCK.” He started.
“Safe?” she finished.
“yes.” He said.
“Not exactly. Someone’s looking for me. I found some guy trailing me at the store, and a found the van they took Connor in.”
“Leh-Lemme get FUCK Murph. PISS ASS!”
“Yeah.” She heard Murphy’s voice.
“Found the van.” She said quickly.
“Got a number?” he asked.
“Yeah ZKL 535. But listen, they’re here, trailing me.”
“They followed you?”
“Not exactly. They knew where my mom was.”
“And you decided to lay low there? At the only real possible place you’d go?” he asked slightly irritated.
“Look they threatened my family, I came to check on them okay?”
“I can’t blame you for that I guess.” Murphy said. “Look, where’s she live?”
“We’re at Fremont and Bale. Near Cambridge. Little apartment at 313, number four.”
“Okay look, either me or Duffy are gonna show up, -“
Paige didn’t get to hear the rest of what Murphy planned to say, she felt a heavy hand find her shoulder the other took the receiver and listened in on the rest of Murphy’s sentence. Paige carefully slipped the napkin into her pocket – before he put the receiver back Paige managed to say: ”Murphy, don’t, they know.” before he clamped his hand down on her mouth.
Murphy only could hear the struggle between the two people now. He waited hoping to hear that Paige had won, that she had gotten him off her somehow. But soon he heard, ”If you’d like to continue this call please insert…” Murphy clicked the phone down and then quickly dialed Duffy’s number.
“We need to get to her fast, see if you can find or follow the car. I’ll check on the family.” Murphy told Duffy. Duffy quickly relayed news to Dolly before putting on his sirens and heading north. Dolly swung by the bar to grab Murphy before the all began the search for Paige and Connor.