I'LL TAKE "LIES" FOR $200

We both turn and see Veronica glaring at April anticipating her answer, but before she has a chance to open her mouth, Veronica adds, “Please don't make me come over this seat and snatch you up!!!” I'm totally caught off guard and find myself once again trying to figure out what's going on when April clears her throat and says barely above a whisper, “Please, Veronica, it doesn't have to be like this, let's just...” Veronica cuts her off with a half-laugh, half-chuckle, pulls a gun, points it at her and says, “Let go of the bag.” She looks at me and without speaking motions for me to take the bag from her. I take the bag, which is a lot heavier than it looks and put it in my lap. Veronica looks back at April raises her eyebrows and gives her the 'I'm waiting' look. Now, I'm not gonna lie when I say I'm anxious to hear what April has to say, but much more nervous about what Veronica is gonna do next. April - who looks as if she got caught stealing from the collection plate - hesitantly breaks the silence and says, “I...I mean, we came here to figure out what was going on V...you weren't answering our calls or texts...you were M.I.A...” Veronica shakes her head slowly and methodically, cocks the gun, sighs and says, “Wrong answer.”...

SO WE MEET ONCE AGAIN...

I’m totally caught off guard, how, I mean when did she get in the car. As I step back from the trunk and the keys fall to the ground, I watch and see her slowly pull herself out of the front seat. She leans against the car badly banged up – I mean real bad – dried blood, hair and soot cover her face. Her shirt is hardened with blood, while fresh blood still stains her upper lip from what appears to be a broken nose. I step forward to get a better look and as I do she tells me, “We don't have time to waste, I don't know what you and Robert discussed, but I am the only person that you can trust right now...” I can clearly see she is in pain as she pauses mid-sentence in an attempt to sit back down in the passenger seat. She slowly settles herself in the seat before she continues, “...but forget about the trunk for now and lets get out of here, we will soon have company.” I ask, "Where did you go, and when did you get in the car?" She looks at me and says, "Um, I've been in here the entire time..." I look at her side-ways as I form my mouth to say, "Huh?" - I just shake my head and figure she is out of it or something. I bend down pick-up the keys and as I stand up I think about opening the trunk anyway, but if what she says is true, getting out of here is probably the best and number one option. I hurry around to to the driver side and get in, she shuts her door turns to me and in a soft and timid voice says, “Thank you.” I turn and look at her and that's when my weary brain starts to process, that this is not Veronica, as I move the hair from her face she looks at me and in a very confused voice asks, “What?” I begin to squint and I try to recall, not if, but where I know this woman from. I guess she can tell I’m trying to figure out who she is because she says, “Um, I was at your house a couple of weeks back...(I give her a blank stare) I'm April, your wife's soror...I was helping her move.” I snap my fingers and quickly point at her and say, “yeeeeah...” she cuts me off and finishes my sentence, “I'm the one who found the condom wrappers.” We continue to look at each other and there is a long, awkward silence, a second later I put the key in the ignition and start the car. I back the car away from the tree put it in drive and as I press the accelerator it does pretty much nothing – yeah this car is going no where fast. I'm thinking' though, if I can at least get it to the SUV I might be able to jump it and drive it instead. However, getting over to the SUV takes a lot longer than I would have imagined but somehow I manage. I jump out and try to pry open the hood, it is a struggle to say the least but I do get one side of the hood up when the trunk *slams* and April comes up behind me with jumper cables and crow bar in hand. She stops looks at me and says, “I thought you might need these...I found them in the trunk.” I look at her and hesitantly say, “thanks.” I take them from her and just look at her for a second before I eventually put the crowbar to use. I finally manage to get the other side of the hood up as she patiently looks over my shoulder. I pop the hood of the SUV, attach the cable to both batteries, take a deep breath - look up to the sky to say a quick prayer - turn the key in the ignition and by the grace of God it starts. I get out to help her into the SUV and find her once again in the trunk of the car, and as I walk toward her she quickly does something and slams the trunk shut. When she comes from behind the car I see she has a duffel bag on her shoulder and a little pep in her step. She hurries past me and says, “I had to get my over night bag,” and literally hops in the front seat. I don’t know if I'm trippin', but she seems to be feeling a whole lot better now and before I can ask, she says, “shoot I think I locked the car keys in the trunk.” I think to myself 'Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight' as I bring my hands up to my mouth and place my 2 index fingers on my lips and think for a second, 'am I being played?' I decide to leave it alone for now and just get in the SUV. As I put the car in reverse and back out she asks, “So, what happened to the woman who was with you, is she...” I can't take this anymore, I slam on the breaks, put it back in park, cut her off and ask, “OK, WAIT...WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK, NO BETTER YET, WHO ARE YOU REALLY AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” But before she could answer, a voice from the back of the SUV emphatically says, “Yeah April, tell him why you're here!”...

ON A ROAD IN KOKOMO...

“Hello, Mr. Mann, glad you decided to pick up...for a second I thought you may have taken us lightly...” I cut her off and ask, “OK, who is this?” Now I don't know if it was how I said it or what I said but in a sharp, no nonsense tone she snaps back, “LOOK, you are in no position to (abrupt pause)...” After a moment I hesitantly ask, “Hello...hello?” She comes back on and calmly says, “I'm going to hang up, (the phone beeps in my ear) but you will be receiving directions shortly, be there and don't be late.” She hangs up, and I just sit thinking, I look at the time on the iPHONE (4:55 pm, July 5th), the phone chimes and I see an unread text message from Map Quest, giving me detailed directions to 1337 W. 32nd St. Chicago, IL 60603. Chicago, I'm not in Ohio? I finally start thinking and decide to put this phone to use and bring up the Google Maps app. It takes a while to load but when it finally does, a little blue dot on the screen shows my location to be, Kokomo, Indiana. I look at it again and think out loud, “Kokomo, Indiana?!?” I have no idea where that is but I am not surprised that I’m in a placed called Kokomo. A few minutes later the phone chimes again and a text that reads, 'It's 5:00 pm you have 3 hrs.' I try to text back, but the phone won't allow it, I try to call out but it won't let me do that either. I come to the conclusion that this phone was only meant for me to be reached. So instead of getting frustrated I just put the phone in my pocket and as I do I feel the keys I got from ole boy. I take them from my pocket, look at them in my hand take a deep breath then head to the car. As I'm walking to the car I begin to think of my family and how I missed spending time with them for the 4th. I want to speak with my girls, I wish I knew where they were and how they were doing, I really miss my babies. I feel myself tearing up but I stop to shake it off – I can't afford to get emotional right now. I finally make my way to the – still smoking – car. I look back down the road and ole boy is still slumped over against the tree – I guess I got so caught up in my thoughts I didn't realize I passed him. I look at the keys for a second, then look back at ole boy, close my eyes and recall his last words, 'Reach in my jacket pocket and grab my keys, go to the car and look in the trunk...' I take a couple of steps back and press the trunk release button not knowing what to expect - I hear a click but nothing happens. At this point my heart is racing, but I press it again and again and it just does the same thing. I find the key on the keyring, put it in the lock, and before I can unlock it someone opens the passenger door and weakly says, “wait...”

MAY I TAKE A MESSAGE...

Honestly, I'm not even surprised she is not where I left her – at this point, nothing does. The words of warning, “Don't trust her, she isn't who she appears to be...” keeps replaying in my head. I stand there thinking maybe ole boy was on to something, I mean maybe he was telling the truth – should I believe him? I mean about an hour ago I thought Veronica was dead, now (she) her body is no where to be found – but more importantly this is NOT the first time this has happened. I can't even seem to keep my thoughts and emotions in check when I hear a phone ring and I'm not exactly sure whose phone it is or where its coming from. I open the back door to the SUV and there on the back seat is a phone, but its not the one ringing. I get in, lean over the the front seat and grab the ringing iPHONE out of the box. As I answer I instantly recall a warning I received a few days earlier *Our only suggestion for you is to make sure you answer this (i)PHONE, EVERY TIME we call*. I honestly forgot all about the warning and the iPHONE, I just pray this is the first time since then that they have attempted to call – BUT WHAT IF IT'S NOT? So as calmly as I can, I answer, “Hello.”...