Everybody Loves Evie by Beth Ciotta Page A

was stunned by Pops’s lengthy sentences as much as his thoughtfulness. As he’d said, a last-minute ticket wouldn’t be cheap. If Woody could help…“Is it illegal?”
    Beckett’s mouth curved. “We call it creative. ” He turned to Woody. “Round trip. Philadelphia to Indianapolis.”
    â€œReturn date?” Woody asked.
    Beckett looked at me and my insides churned. “I don’t know. I…you see…” What the heck. I blurted a condensed version of my brother’s story, bracing myself for snorts and scoffing when I summed up with, “I’m worried someone’s swindling my mom.”
    â€œSweetheart scam?” Tabasco said.
    Gina shrugged. “Maybe she’s just letting her hair down.”
    â€œLet’s find out.” Beckett looked at Woody. “Book two one-way flights, plus a rental car.”
    â€œI’ll ready your suitcase,” Pops said, and limped from the room.
    Gina stood. “Hold up, Jazzman. What about the senator?”
    Beckett rocked back on his heels, considered. “He lives just outside of Hammond. How far is that from your hometown, Twinkie?”
    I blinked. “Hammond, Indiana? We’re talking about a senator from my home state?”
    â€œYes and yes. How far?”
    â€œTwo, maybe two and a half hours.”
    He looked at his team. “I’ll drive up and interview the senator’s wife in person.”
    â€œSo we’re taking the case,” Gina said. “Because if we don’t, seems to me we’re facing something more permanent than suspension.”
    Beckett didn’t comment. Either he didn’t care or he wasn’t concerned.
    His silence triggered hard stares and confrontational body language. I wasn’t sure what I’d stepped into, but I hoped it worked itself out before I returned.
    â€œYou can’t come with me, Beckett,” I said. “How would I explain you to my family? Chameleon’s covert and you’re a Fed. What if I’m wrong? What if there’s no swindle? What if my mom is having an affair?” I clamped my hand over my mouth as soon as the words flew out. Crazy talk.
    â€œDidn’t you say something about a high-school reunion?” Beckett asked.
    â€œA civic theater benefit with high-school alumni. Yes, but—”
    â€œWill the others bring their husbands?”
    â€œYes, but—”
    â€œDo you have a boyfriend?” Pops asked.
    I thought about Arch, looked at Beckett. I forced my fingers not to scratch. “No.”
    He smiled. “You do now.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    M ILO STARED DOWN the rental-car representative—a pale, thin-lipped kid with slicked-over hair. Pee-wee Herman’s younger brother. “What do you mean there are no available cars? I have a reservation.”
    â€œYou had a reservation, sir. You canceled it.”
    â€œI didn’t.”
    â€œYou did.” Pee-wee passed him a computer-generated form. “Says so right here.”
    â€œNo one has luck this bad,” Evie grumbled from behind. “Not even me.”
    Nonstop flights had been sold out, doubling travel time to four and a half hours. To aggravate matters, due to misinformation, they’d missed their connecting flight. Stranded at the Cleveland airport for what seemed like days. Now this. Milo glanced down at the sheet, glanced up at the representative. “My girlfriend and I have been traveling for—” he checked his temper and his watch “—ten hours. We’re exhausted, we’re frustrated and we’re expected. I need a car. Stick. Automatic. Compact or luxury. Whatever you’ve got.”
    â€œBut I don’t have anything, sir. There are several conventions in town. Good for us, bad for you.” He passed Milo back his credit card. “Sorry.”
    â€œUnbelievable,” he said to himself as he turned to Evie. Only she wasn’t there. She