Lilly Pt. 02

But what did I know?

I headed back into town and pulled into the only filling station there. It was closed, but all I needed was the payphone. I always called Mr. Hazleton after a drop, letting him know how things went. He liked to keep tabs on all his associates, making sure everyone was satisfied on their end. Lilly was still sound asleep, she was using her vest as a blanket, and it wasn't covering much let me tell you.

Right off the get I could tell something was off. I heard his wife Samantha hollering in the background, and Mr. Hazleton was hollering right back, telling her to calm the fuck down.

I asked him, "Is everything all right Mr. Hazleton?"

He told his wife to shut up then asked me, "How is Valentine, Lawrence?" What he really meant was, did I make the drop? Was there any trouble?

I told him Valentine was just fine, which meant, yes I made the drop and no, there wasn't any trouble. I'd keep my being late to myself. His wife was still hollering. Mr. Hazleton covered the talking end of the phone but I heard him yelling back at her.

"Listen, Lawrence," he said, "I need you to write this address down." Being the professional I am, I keep a ballpoint pen in the glove box, and I had the foresight to bring it with me to the payphone. He gave me an address to a house somewhere in Valley. Nearly all the way back to Omaha.

"Lawrence, there's someone there I need picked up and brought back to Papillion, you understand?"

I didn't actually.

I was the drop guy, not the pickup guy. I ain't a taxi driver and I ain't never kidnapped a person neither. But Mr. Hazleton sounded dead serious about this 'someone' and I wasn't one to ask questions. I said yes, I understood. Except for one last detail.

"Who should I be asking for?"

When he told me, I looked over my shoulder at the K5 and Lilly Hazleton was sitting up, staring straight back at me through the window.