5 Highball Exit by Phyllis Smallman Page A

paying you to do a job.”
    “So fire me. We’re going home.”
    By the time I’d gone five blocks I’d broken multiple laws and nearly run over an old couple. Washed by waves of violence, I dredged up every mean word and action Bernice had used against me until every injustice was new and fresh. No way I wanted anything more to do with Bernice. She had a way of cutting your pride to ribbons and turning your soul to dust, so if she was in Tully’s life, he was out of mine.
    It was a long, silent trip back to Jacaranda.
    When we pulled into the driveway, Aunt Kay said, “Feel better?”
    “Not if you’re going to fire me.”
    She sighed. “Just don’t try this again.”
    I headed for the Sunset. At the intersection where I make the left turn to the beach stood the church of perpetual neediness, with a permanent thermometer of donations standing higher than its cross.
    I’m not sure why that sign was so infuriating. Maybe it’s because I was always irritated those days. I was glaring at the sign and telling myself to take a deep breath when the door of the church rectory opened and out stepped Zach Maguire, Holly’s former boyfriend. What was he doing coming out of church in the middle of the day?
    I thought I’d make sure he knew about Holly and see if he could tell me anything about her I didn’t already know. More than that, now that my anger had cooled, I was terrified that Aunt Kay might drop me and I’d lose my chance to save the Sunset. How could I have risked that? Instead of turning left for the Sunset I followed Zach back to the bank on Main Street, pulling into an empty spot beside him.
    The Mexican restaurant next to the bank was sending out heavenly smells, reminding me I’d missed lunch. My stomach growled. “Hi Zach.”
    He lifted his head to look at me. A sad, beaten puppy, he barely knew I was there. “Oh, hi Sherri.”
    “I guess you heard about Holly?”
    It was like I’d struck him. I thought he was going to break into tears. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I know you were close to Holly.”
    He nodded. “Her mother came in today and told me.”
    “Had you seen Holly lately?”
    He shook his head no and then changed his mind and nodded. “I haven’t seen her in over a year. She called me though.” He turned away.
    “Why did Holly call you?”
    His eyes flicked to the bank. I hustled around him and blocked his path.
    “I should get back to work. I told them I’d just be gone an hour.”
    “You went to church, to confession?”
    He looked at me in alarm. “What’s it to you?”
    “Well, I just thought when someone dies sometimes we feel guilty.”
    Zach looked down at the keys still in his hand. “I did something awful.”
    I sucked in my breath but Zach wasn’t paying any attention to me.
    “Holly said she needed help, needed money. I told her I couldn’t help her and then she killed herself.”
    I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Don’t beat yourself up. Holly had no right to expect anything from you. She dropped you pretty quick when it suited her.”
    “I wanted to marry her.”
    Even I couldn’t ask about the baby now. “Did she tell you why she wanted money?”
    He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her since she moved up to Sarasota.”
    “Did she tell you anything else?”
    Again he shook his head. “She just told me she was in trouble and needed money.”
    “Did she mention Angel?” Zach’s head came up and his face flushed. “Who’s Angel?”
    “Oh, just someone she knew. Someone she loved. Maybe Angel helped her.”
    “I hope so,” he said. “I hope I wasn’t her last chance.”
    I went back to the truck and called Aunt Kay to tell her about Zach and to make peace. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know anything about Angel.”
    “He still might know Holly had a baby and where she is even if he doesn’t know her name.”
    “Damn.”
    “You might want to chat with him again.”
    “Why don’t you give me a check to put in the bank and