Free Disposition of Remains by Laura T. Emery

you would know,” Misty chuckled.
    I panicked as Wilbur and Misty both turned to me for an answer. Evan had never looked to me to make a decision, and when I would contribute one, it was always met with harsh criticism. I finally had complete freedom. There were millions of different options for me, and yet I couldn’t come up with a single one.
    “I’ll take you back,” Wilbur offered. “I could check in on the Arizona boys on the way back home.”
    I looked at Misty.
    “Arizona boys? Please translate.”
    “Wilbur owns a company that specializes in traveling to hard-to-reach places.”
    “In Arizona?”
    “All over, actually,” Wilbur replied. “But Arizona does have a couple of spots.”
    “Well, if you don’t mind,…” Misty said to Wilbur.
    “Not in the least. I enjoy the company.”
    Misty texted Paul to inform him of our plan B, and asked if Evan was still there harassing him. Paul texted back that Evan had grudgingly vacated the premises only after Paul tried to convince him that there was some sort of mistake. That process, according to Paul, had taken almost forty-five minutes. He’d even let Evan make a sweep of the house while he kicked my phone under the couch.
    “Do you want to go back for your phone now that the coast is clear?” Misty offered.
    “That’s all right; I don’t think I want or need it,” I said. “But it would be great if Paul could run it over with the truck a couple of times.”
    When we arrived in Las Vegas, Wilbur drove Misty to her condo first. It was a modern building with a pool and all the amenities. The inside was a stark contrast to the outside. It was a modern-day hippie haven. It even contained a meditation corner. The smell of incense was still lingering from what must have been days before. I gave her a hug while silently hoping that I would have the opportunity to see her again before the end came knocking. I thanked her profusely for taking me along on her adventure.
    Wilbur then drove me to the Imperial Palace parking structure. As his car ascended the switchbacks of the claustrophobic garage, Wilbur asked, “Are you gonna stay in Vegas?”
    “I don’t think so. He tracked me down with the credit card already. I just have to find some quiet motel somewhere that will take cash.”
    I pointed upward.
    “I’m parked on the roof.”
    He drove to the roof, but there was no sign of my car. I knew exactly where I had left it. We drove up and down throughout the entire parking structure. The car was gone. Wilbur parked and accompanied me to the concierge desk.
    “No, Ma’am. We keep a list of all the cars that have been towed. Yours isn’t on it,” the concierge explained, showing us the roster.
    “It’s gotta be Evan. He called my room a few hours before we left for Sedona. He knew I was here. He must have taken it.”
    Wilbur was outraged.
    “It’s one thing for him to chase the woman he loves…if that’s what this is all about. It’s another thing to try to bully you back before you’re ready .”
    He tried to talk me into filing a police report to teach Evan a lesson, but the only thought that ran through my head was life’s too short . For me, the cliché was never truer. I didn’t wish Evan any real ill will; I just wanted him to leave me alone until I could get my head screwed on straight.
    Instead, Wilbur and I walked across the street to Caesars Palace, which had a Hertz Car Rental station. I figured that even if Evan found out that I’d rented a car, by the time I was off the property, I’d be safe. But Evan had reported all of my credit cards as stolen. It was all I could do to convince the rental agency not to have me arrested for identity theft. Fortunately, they agreed to simply drop the matter and let me leave.
    “Why don’t you come with me?” Wilbur suggested. “There’s something I think you should see.”
    I knew that seeing anything of Wilbur’s would probably spell trouble for me, but my alternative was becoming a