Guts over Fear

CHAPTER 5: The Move

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"Come on Joey!" Eva yelled at her brother in frustration.

"I'm going, I'm going, hold your horses," Joey ran out of the apartment to Joe's car.

Linda was supposed to drive Joe's car to Marcos' apartment, and Joe was to drive the moving truck. It wasn't much they were moving: beds, TV, clothes. The refrigerator and stove belonged to the apartment. Linda's sofas were ratty so they had trashed them. Marcos had an okay, man sofa that was nicer. As sparsely furnished as his apartment was, it had everything needed.

Joe waited patiently for Eva to load Darla into her car seat. Joey threw his belongings in the back seat and sat at the passenger side. Linda was nowhere in sight. She knew today was moving day and was a no show. She had been gone since yesterday morning. Eva had tried reaching her at several spots, all claimed ignorance on her whereabouts. It was already past 4 and keys had to be turned back in to the landlord by 5. Eva walked over to Joe.

"I'm taking one last look and then I'm dropping off the keys," Joe nodded and watched her leave. Eva ran up and swept around the house for the 15th time. Nothing was left behind. She went to the first floor office and knocked on the door. The manager greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Here are the keys Mr. Lee," She handed the keys to him. "Do I need to sign anything?"

"Well your cousin does, is she outside?" He sat on his chair.

"No."

"Will she be available later?" He kept the smile on.

"I don't think so," Eva shook her head as she exhaled in frustration.

Mr. Lee looked her over and knew what it meant. Even before Eva and Joey came to stay with her, Linda would come home drunk and would at times leave her daughter with a neighbor for hours. There were many occasions her rent was late and she was always belligerent towards him. Ever since they arrived, he dealt with Eva only and it had been smoother.

"Do you know how to forge her signature?" He asked, her head snapping up.

"Do I?" She smiled boldly at him as she walked toward the document he was handing her.

Eva signed a spot on sloppy version of Linda's handwriting. He reviewed it and smiled satisfied, nodding his consent. Eva said her goodbye and walked outside. She started for the driver side of Joe's car. As she took the keys from her pocket, a police car slowly made its way by the street. The passenger smiled at her and with his right hand fingers made a gesture of a gun, and the motion of him shooting her. His smile turned into a sneer and the car rolled out fast.

Joey was sitting opposite of the street so had not witnessed this. Joe had watched it all. His jaw tensed as he saw the gesture the police officer made. He had the sudden urge to follow them and follow through. He knew Marcos would want him to stay with Eva and Joey. It might be a distraction, he thought. He dialed a number and gave the man on the other line the plate number and let him know it was L.A.P.D., he hung up the phone as Eva walked to him.

"Did you see that too?" Her eyes shone with worry.

He nodded as he hung the phone up, "It's taken care of." She eyed his phone, her slight hesitation made him tense.

"I'm not waiting for Linda."

"I didn't expect you to. I'll follow you," She said this as she walked towards the car.

They pull out of the street without a second look back. Eva cautiously aware of her surroundings as she drove away to their new home. She had began to think for a second that they'd be okay. The media wasn't stalking Linda's apartment as much and weird calls weren't made as often. She didn't need to speak with detectives for a while. Things had started to look good. But as soon as she put her guard down, they showed themselves up.