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“I think Ruby was helping her,” came the answer.
A wave of dread crashed over Emma. Ruby frowned as though distracted by the same exchange. But when Emma’s light grasp on her arm turned into a death grip, the salesclerk looked at her in puzzlement.
“Don’t let him know I’m here,” she whispered fiercely. “Please.”
Standing half in and half out of the dressing cubicle, Ruby blinked, but Emma didn’t have the chance to say more. She shrank back as Manuel spoke again, because this time he was right outside the fitting room area.
“Excuse me, Ruby, is it?”
Emma hugged the far wall as Ruby closed the curtain and walked onto the sales floor. “Yes?”
“That lady over there said you might have seen this woman in the past several minutes.”
There was a long pause, during which Emma assumed Ruby was busy studying a picture. “I’ve seen her, all right. She your wife?”
“Yes.”
“Was she supposed to meet you here or somethin’?”
“To be honest, she’s probably not expecting me. But I need to talk to her. It’s very important, maybe even a matter of life or death.”
Emma felt her panic rise. Manuel was so handsome, so polished, so credible. People generally believed what he said. Life or death…Would Ruby fall for it?
“Whose life are we talkin’ ’bout?” Ruby asked.
Manuel’s voice dropped, and Emma knew from experience that he was working to create the illusion of intimacy. “Our son’s.”
“Ya’ll have a son?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t see no boy with her.”
“If I find her, I’ll find him.”
“I see.”
“Can you help me?” he asked.
Of course she could, Emma thought. What woman wouldn’t spill all when she’d been told a little boy’s life hung in the balance?
Forcing her rubbery legs to move, Emma crept toward the curtain and peeked through the crack. There was no way she could slip out unnoticed. The slightest movement would draw his eye.
“I’d love to help you, to save your little boy and all,” Ruby said, “but I’m afraid your wife walked out just before you got here. If you hurry, maybe you can catch her.”
Emma’s mouth dropped open.
“Which way did she go?” Manuel asked.
Emma peered out once more to see Ruby shake her head. “Wish I could tell you, but I was too busy mindin’ my own business.”
Manuel hesitated as though trying to interpret the tone of Ruby’s voice. “How long ago did she leave?”
Was that skepticism she heard? Emma prayed it wasn’t. Believe her. Believe her and go.
“Oh…maybe five minutes.”
“Thank you, señora.”
“That’s señorita,” she corrected.
“Señorita, then,” he replied. His voice told Emma nothing about what he was thinking or feeling. But he left.
No longer able to remain standing, Emma let go of the breath she’d been holding and sank onto the plastic chair in the corner.
Several minutes later, Rudy slid the curtain aside. “He’s gone.”
Damp with perspiration, Emma pulled the front of Preston’s T-shirt away to keep it from clinging to her body. “Thank God. Thank you.”
Concern showed in Ruby’s dark eyes. “You’re white as chalk, girl. You okay?”
“I think so.” Emma wiped her upper lip, then managed a smile. “Why’d you help me?”
“Because I’ve never seen such a desperate expression in all my life as the one on your face when you heard that man’s voice.” Ruby propped her hands on her wide hips and gave Emma the once-over. “Besides, I didn’t like him much. Seemed to think I should do ’bout anything he wanted. Bit too oily for my tastes, if you get my meaning—thinkin’ I’m gonna swoon at his feet with all that señora stuff. I guess he figured I was some kinda fool.”
For once, someone had been able to see through Manuel. It was a good omen, a godsend. Emma felt her lips curve in a weak grin. “I could never thank you enough.”
Ruby started to gather up the merchandise Emma had dropped on the floor when Manuel had arrived. “You gonna try on that top now?”
Chuckling, Emma shook her head. “No, I’ll take my chances with the fit. I’ve got to go.”
“Go?” Ruby held the garments she’d already recovered to her ample bosom. “Girl, he could be standin’ right outside on the street. I didn’t lie to that man just to have you go waltzing out of here and straight into his arms.”
Ruby was right. Quite likely, Manuel was still close by. But Emma couldn’t wait. “I have to get back to my son,” she said. “He needs to eat. Right away.”
A threatening expression darkened her face. “You didn’t leave no child alone…”
“No, of course not. He’s with…a friend.” She had no idea whether she could really call Preston a friend. He was a handsome, mysterious stranger. But somehow she trusted him.
“Well, you gettin’ caught won’t see your son eatin’ any earlier, will it?”
Ruby didn’t understand the urgency of the situation, but explaining wasn’t going to change anything.
“No.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I don’t have one.”
“How’d you get here?”
“I walked.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “I knew I shouldn’t come in to work today. When that alarm went off, I told myself, Ruby, this here’s gonna be too fine a day to spend on your feet in a pair of panty hose. But I’m a responsible worker, see. I couldn’t cancel out at the las’ minute.”
Emma searched her purse for Preston’s phone. She needed to check on Max. Then maybe she could breathe normally again. “Well, I, for one, am glad you came to work today.”
Ruby scowled as she watched Emma punch in numbers. “That cell phone won’t do you any good in here,” she said. “This building’s in a bad spot.”
She was right; Emma couldn’t get the call to go through. “Is there a back door?”
“A back door? Of course. But it has an alarm. Listen up.” Ruby glanced at her watch. “In half an hour, Jackie comes in. As soon as she does, I can go to lunch. You stay in here until then, and I’ll give you a ride to wherever your son is.”
