“Yes, of course.”
Teddy hung up and finished working on his cast. It didn’t look bad. He tried walking on his crutches with it. It didn’t fall off, which was all he’d hoped for. It wasn’t doing a thing to support his leg.
He got a pair of pants from the closet, took the surgical scissors, and slit the outside of the left leg from the cuff all the way up well past the knee. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the pants on over the cast. They fit fine, and hid the slit in the cast, which was on the inside of the leg. He now looked like exactly what he was: an orthopedic patient with a broken leg.
Teddy transformed himself back into Billy Barnett. He put on a clean shirt, and the jacket that went with the pants. He put on his right shoe and sock. His left foot he left bare.
Teddy unlocked the padlock on his closet and took out some equipment, mostly small and portable due to his situation. He chose a couple of handguns, a shoulder holster, a few IDs, credentials and credit cards, and a small makeup kit to approximate the ones chosen. He put them all in an inconspicuous bag such as a tradesman might carry.
As an afterthought, he threw in the Ace Vargas gun that had been sent to Tessa. With luck, he might have use for it.
When he was done, he locked the closet. He took another small bag, filled it with medical equipment, and added clean socks, underwear, and toiletries.
When he was ready he requested an Uber. The app told him a cab was five minutes away.
Teddy got on the crutches and managed to balance the bags. He gritted his teeth and hobbled to the door.
Paco came out of his apartment. He was startled to see another man on crutches coming down the stairs.
“You the super here?” Teddy said, cutting off any inquiry. “I’m in hospital rehab services. We coach first-time orthopedic fracture patients. Your stairs are not up to safety standards. I could have fallen. I don’t want to write you up. If you could just put in a handrail, I’m sure the patient would appreciate it. I’ll pretend I didn’t see this, but I’m going to be back on Monday, if you know what I mean. Would you mind getting the door?”
The super bought it. He not only got the door, he carried Teddy’s bags out to the cab.
Teddy had the cab drive around the block and drop him off at his car, which was parked out of sight from the super. He gave the confused driver fifty bucks for the incredibly short ride and rated him five stars.
The grateful driver happily put his bags in the car for him.
* * *
—
Teddy’s phone rang as he drove off.
“Hello?”
“Mark, it’s Rick. I thought you should know that another man on crutches just came out of your building. He didn’t look like Mark Weldon, but he’s the spitting image of Billy Barnett, and I happen to know Mike Freeman would want me to follow Billy Barnett.”
“Where are you?”
“Look in the rearview mirror.”
Teddy did. Rick was right behind him.
“Good man. Listen, Rick. Give Mike a call. Tell him I’m leaving town and I won’t need his services until I come back, which means you can knock off as of now. First, drop back and make sure no one else is following me. If you can’t spot a tail in the next ten miles, you’re off the clock.”
“Are you sure?”
“Call Mike. He’ll tell you. By the way, you did a good job, and I’ll be sure to let him know,” Teddy said, and hung up.
91
The pilot was shocked to see Teddy on crutches. “Mr. Barnett, what happened to you?”
Teddy grinned sheepishly. “Slipped in the shower. Totally embarrassing. I was on the floor naked when the EMTs got there.”
“Do you want to use the apartment to convalesce?”
“No, but I’d like to use my plane. I assume it’s set to fly?”
“You can fly a plane like that?”
“Why not? I don’t use my left leg much.”
“This must have just happened. Aren’t you on pain medication?”
“Not so you could notice. The doctor prescribed them, but that doesn’t mean I have to take them. Stiff upper lip and all that.”
“I can’t send someone up in your condition.”
“You’re not sending anyone up. You don’t run the airport. You manage a hangar. You do it very well, but you don’t control the air.”
“Peter’s going to want to know why I let you go up.”
“Peter’s making a movie. I’ll be back before he’s done.”
The pilot sighed. “All right. Do you need any help?”
“You can roll it out for me and throw my bags in.”
The pilot stowed Teddy’s bags in the plane and tugged it out the bay door. He watched as Teddy hobbled up to it on crutches.
“I’d feel better if you let me go with you,” he said.
“I know, but I need you here.” Teddy smiled. “Thanks for the launch.”
Teddy climbed into the pilot’s seat and checked the dials. He hadn’t flown in a while, except for his trip with Nigel Hightower III. It didn’t matter. A night’s sleep had done him a world of good. The drugs were wearing off, and he was thinking clearly. And flying was second nature to him.
He laid in a course for Las Vegas and took off.
* * *
—
In Vegas Teddy set down and taxied to a private hangar. The pilot in charge was surprised to see a man on crutches climb out of the cockpit. But when Teddy presented two crisp hundred-dollar bills, he gamely removed Teddy’s bags and helped him to a cab without comment. He understood about things that happen in Vegas.
Teddy told him, “I’ll be leaving the plane for a day or two, maybe three.”
“You got it,” the pilot said with a grin.
Teddy took his cab straight to the New Desert Inn and Casino.
He was not surprised to find a curvy secretary seated at the desk outside Pete Genaro’s office. He smiled. Pete’s taste in female employees would never change.
“May I help you?” she said.
“Pete Genaro.”
She picked up the phone. “Who shall I say is calling?”
Teddy walked toward the closed office door. “It’s too complicated. I’ll just tell him.”
“You can’t go in there.”
“It’s all right. He’ll be glad to see me.”