“I hear you, Mother. Except she don’t need drug money no more.” He nodded toward the TV.
“You best hurry up then, before she gets away.”
“I’ll contact the police up in New York to go pick her up.”
“Think they’ll do that?”
“Mother, she’s a possible suspect in a double murder investigation,” he said importantly. “Even if she ain’t done nothing wrong, she’s probably gonna be what they call a material witness.”
“Yeah, but you think those Yankee police up in New York gonna care about that? Huh!”
“Police is police, Doris, North or South. The law’s the law.”
Unconvinced of the virtues of her Northern compatriots, Doris snorted and then suddenly looked hopeful. “Well, if she’s convicted wouldn’t she have to give back the money she won?” Doris looked back at the TV, at LuAnn’s smiling face, wondering whether to go out to the trash and try to reconstruct all those lottery tickets. “She sure as heck wouldn’t need all that money in prison, would she?”
Sheriff Waymer didn’t answer. He was now trying to get through to the NYPD.
LuAnn held the big check, waved, and smiled at the crowds and answered a barrage of questions thrown at her from all sides of the vast room. Her picture was transported across the United States and then across the world.
Had she definitive plans for the money? If so, what were they?
“You’ll know,” LuAnn answered. “You’ll see, but you’ll just have to wait.”
There were a series of predictably stupid questions such as “Do you feel lucky?”
“Incredibly,” she responded. “More than you’ll ever know.”
“Will you spend it all in one place?”
“Not likely unless it’s a really, really big place.”
“Will you help your family?”
“I’ll help all the people I care about.”
Three times her hand was sought in matrimony. She answered each suitor differently and with polite humor but the bottom line was always “No.” Charlie silently fumed at these exchanges; and then, checking his watch, he made his way out of the room.
After more questions, more photos, and more laughter and smiles, the press conference was finally over and LuAnn was escorted off the stage. She returned to the holding room, quickly changed into slacks and a blouse, erased all the makeup from her face, piled her long hair under a cowboy hat, and picked up Lisa. She checked her watch. Barely twenty minutes had passed since she had been introduced to the world as the new lottery winner. She expected that the local sheriff would be contacting the New York police by now. Everyone from LuAnn’s hometown watched the lottery drawing religiously including Sheriff Roy Waymer. The timing would be very tight.
Davis leaned his head in the door. “Uh, Ms. Tyler, there’s a car waiting for you at the rear entrance to the building. I’ll have someone escort you down if you’re ready.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” When he turned to leave, LuAnn called after him. “If anybody shows up asking for me, I’ll be at my hotel.”
Davis looked at her coldly. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“Lisa’s father, Frank.”
Davis’s face tightened. “And you’re staying at?”
“The Plaza.”
“Of course.”
“But please don’t tell anybody else where I am. I haven’t seen Frank in a while. He’s been on maneuvers for almost three months. So we don’t want to be disturbed.” She arched her eyebrows wickedly and smiled. “You know what I mean?”
Davis managed a very insincere smile and made a mock bow. “You can trust me implicitly, Ms. Tyler. Your chariot awaits.”
Inwardly, LuAnn smiled. Now she was certain that when the police came for her, they would be directed as fast as possible to the Plaza Hotel. That would gain her the precious moments she would need to escape this town, and this country. Her new life was about to begin.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The rear exit was very private and thus very quiet. A black stretch limo confronted LuAnn as she left the building. The chauffeur tipped his cap to her and held open the door. She got in and settled Lisa in the seat next to her.
“Good work, LuAnn. Your performance was flawless,” Jackson said.