Free Long Way Down by Paul Carr Page B

lot, the Chevy’s tires screeching to a halt. She turned off the engine and looked at Sam, her eyes watering and her lips pouting.
    “Please....” Then her lips parted as if to say something else, but remained silent. She reached her hand to Sam’s face and touched his cheek.
    Something fluttered inside his chest, and he wondered if having her close to him might be as fatal as putting a gun to his head. He wished he had the strength to tell her where to go.
    Sam sighed and looked out his window. A pay phone hung from the outside wall of the liquor store, and he decided to try the telephone number from La Salle's safe.
    “I’ll be right back.”
    He glanced at the note, dropped coins into the phone and punched in the number. It rang four times before a man answered and said, “About time you called.”
    Sam listened for a second and his head began to throb. He hung up the phone, walked back to the car and got inside.
    “Who did you just call?”
    Sam looked at her and wondered why things had to be so complicated.
    “I don’t think you know him.”
    “Try me.”
    “His name is Jackson Craft.”
     

Chapter 9
     
    “ W HO’S JACKSON Craft?” Candi asked, her face a question mark.
    “He’s the man whose phone number happened to be in the safe with La Salle’s money.”
    Maybe Jack had been waiting for La Salle to dial the number. Sam didn't know the answer, but he knew Jack Craft, and that man could be up to just about anything.
    “So, what does that mean?”
    “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Sam opened his cell phone and punched in the number he normally used to call Jack Craft. Jack answered immediately.
    “Sam?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Why did you hang up?” Jack sounded like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, just shooting the breeze with an old friend.
    “Well, I guess I might have been a little surprised to learn that La Salle had a pipeline straight to you, especially since you never mentioned anything about knowing him.”
    “Yes, I can see how you might have that reaction.”
    “How did you know it was me calling?”
    “La Salle called about an hour ago and said you had the telephone number. He also said you cleaned out his cash.” Jack chuckled on the other end of the line.
    “How did he know I did it?”
    Jack didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. Probably making up his answer.
    “He might’ve learned about you from those guys who followed you,” Jack said.
    Sam decided to let it go for now.
    “How about telling me what’s going on, Jack.”
    Another pause.
    “Not on the phone. Meet me in the parking lot of the restaurant where we last ate. I’ll be on the far side toward the back at seven o’clock.”
    “Why would I do that? Could be a set-up.”
    “When did I ever betray you, Samuel?” His voice had an edge to it.
    Sam took a deep breath and sighed.
    “Okay, I’ll see you then.” Sam closed the phone and put it into his pocket.
    Candi started the car again and pulled out into the traffic. “Okay, what's the deal?”
    “I’m not sure. He said he’ll tell me about it if I meet him tonight.”
    “You trust that guy?”
    Sam thought about Jack Craft, shook his head and said, “I really don’t know. I need some answers.”
    He decided they would go back to the Palma Hotel, since no one knew they were there, and wait for his meeting with Jack. They ordered room service and were finishing the meal when J.T. called on the cell phone.
    Sam held his hand over the phone and said to Candi, “It's the guy checking on the numbers for me.” He went to the sitting area where a sofa and a picture window overlooked the Atlantic and spoke into the phone. “What did you find out?”
    “Those numbers don't have anything to do with a bank. I checked several, especially those in the Caymans, and none of them resembled that coding structure.”
    “That’s too bad,” Sam said. “Might have been an easy answer.”
    “Yeah, tell me about it. I did have another