was more than enough for them to get started with their new lives. At least she didn’t have to go right out and find a job so they could eat. Sc with money in her pocket, the kids as settled as best as could be expected, and a place to go, she told herself she should feel as though things were going to be all right.
She should… but she didn’t.
God! I can’t believe I’m really doing this! she kept thinking as she stifled yawns behind her hand.
“I can drive if you want a break,” Billy said. He leaned forward eagerly and rested his arms on the back of the front seat.
Cindy smiled, looked at him in the rearview, but caught herself before she laughed aloud.
“Umm… no, I don’t think so.”
“No, honest—I can. My dad let me drive his car a lot.”
“This is the Interstate Highway, Billy. I’d sure have a tough time explaining what was going on if a state trooper pulled us over, and he found a ten-year-old boy behind the wheel.”
A kidnapped ten-year-old boy at that , her mind whispered.
“Yeah, but I can do it. Honest! I know how to shift gears ’n everything.”
“I’m sure you do, Billy, but this car’s an automatic—”
“All the easier,” Billy said excitedly. “Come on. Let me try it.”
Cindy shook her head sleepily. “No, not now. Let’s just take the next exit and find ourselves someplace to spend the night, all right?”
“Yeah… sure,” Billy muttered as he flopped back in the seat, “but I can drive.”
“I’m sure you can, honey,” Cindy said, “I’m sure you can.” She was so tired, her own voice sounded like someone else was talking to her from far away.
2
T he heavy banging on the front door awoke Harry with a start. Not bothering to put on his bathrobe, he tossed aside the bed covers and walked downstairs, wearing only his skivies and a T-shirt. Looking through the fish-eye peep hole, he grunted when he saw who was standing on the doorstep. He had no choice other than to open the door to the full extent of the security chain lock.
“What is it? It’s late, you know.”
Alex Harris glared at him through the narrow opening. The light from behind Harry’s shoulder washed over a wide slice of Alex’s face, bringing out in startling relief every detail of his bloodshot left eye and every pore of his weathered left cheek. Even before he spoke, Harry could tell that Alex was drunk; he could smell the sour wash of beer on his breath.
“Where-the-fuck-are-they?” Alex said, slurring the words into one long word. His eyes jumped back and forth. Harry could tell he was trying his damndest to nail him with an angry stare but was having trouble focusing. Looking past Alex, Harry saw that Alex’s car was parked down by the curb. The engine was still running, sending up a tornado-shaped plume of exhaust into the night.
“Where are who? ” Harry asked. He enunciated each word carefully as he arched his eyebrows in confusion.
“Don’t play stupid with me, you miserable fuck!” The words tumbled out of Alex in a steady, nearly incoherent babble. “I know sure as shit you took ’em! You ’n your fuckin’ wife, so tell me where the fuck they are before I rip this fuckin’ door off its hinges and shove it up your ass! I wanna know where my kids are!”
“I have no idea where your kids are,” Harry said, trying his best to sound meekly innocent.
“The shit you don’t!”
Alex squinted and shook his head like he was an Airedale Terrier with a rat trapped in his jaws. It took Harry some effort to stay calm as he mentally calculated just how secure the security chain was and just how much of a fight Alex might be able to put up. Alex was taller and, because he worked at a manual labor job instead of a desk job like Harry’s, was obviously in better shape; but considering Alex’s present condition, Harry didn’t doubt that he could subdue him if he managed to break into the house. Still, he didn’t want to have to test that theory.
“I know
She should… but she didn’t.
God! I can’t believe I’m really doing this! she kept thinking as she stifled yawns behind her hand.
“I can drive if you want a break,” Billy said. He leaned forward eagerly and rested his arms on the back of the front seat.
Cindy smiled, looked at him in the rearview, but caught herself before she laughed aloud.
“Umm… no, I don’t think so.”
“No, honest—I can. My dad let me drive his car a lot.”
“This is the Interstate Highway, Billy. I’d sure have a tough time explaining what was going on if a state trooper pulled us over, and he found a ten-year-old boy behind the wheel.”
A kidnapped ten-year-old boy at that , her mind whispered.
“Yeah, but I can do it. Honest! I know how to shift gears ’n everything.”
“I’m sure you do, Billy, but this car’s an automatic—”
“All the easier,” Billy said excitedly. “Come on. Let me try it.”
Cindy shook her head sleepily. “No, not now. Let’s just take the next exit and find ourselves someplace to spend the night, all right?”
“Yeah… sure,” Billy muttered as he flopped back in the seat, “but I can drive.”
“I’m sure you can, honey,” Cindy said, “I’m sure you can.” She was so tired, her own voice sounded like someone else was talking to her from far away.
2
T he heavy banging on the front door awoke Harry with a start. Not bothering to put on his bathrobe, he tossed aside the bed covers and walked downstairs, wearing only his skivies and a T-shirt. Looking through the fish-eye peep hole, he grunted when he saw who was standing on the doorstep. He had no choice other than to open the door to the full extent of the security chain lock.
“What is it? It’s late, you know.”
Alex Harris glared at him through the narrow opening. The light from behind Harry’s shoulder washed over a wide slice of Alex’s face, bringing out in startling relief every detail of his bloodshot left eye and every pore of his weathered left cheek. Even before he spoke, Harry could tell that Alex was drunk; he could smell the sour wash of beer on his breath.
“Where-the-fuck-are-they?” Alex said, slurring the words into one long word. His eyes jumped back and forth. Harry could tell he was trying his damndest to nail him with an angry stare but was having trouble focusing. Looking past Alex, Harry saw that Alex’s car was parked down by the curb. The engine was still running, sending up a tornado-shaped plume of exhaust into the night.
“Where are who? ” Harry asked. He enunciated each word carefully as he arched his eyebrows in confusion.
“Don’t play stupid with me, you miserable fuck!” The words tumbled out of Alex in a steady, nearly incoherent babble. “I know sure as shit you took ’em! You ’n your fuckin’ wife, so tell me where the fuck they are before I rip this fuckin’ door off its hinges and shove it up your ass! I wanna know where my kids are!”
“I have no idea where your kids are,” Harry said, trying his best to sound meekly innocent.
“The shit you don’t!”
Alex squinted and shook his head like he was an Airedale Terrier with a rat trapped in his jaws. It took Harry some effort to stay calm as he mentally calculated just how secure the security chain was and just how much of a fight Alex might be able to put up. Alex was taller and, because he worked at a manual labor job instead of a desk job like Harry’s, was obviously in better shape; but considering Alex’s present condition, Harry didn’t doubt that he could subdue him if he managed to break into the house. Still, he didn’t want to have to test that theory.
“I know
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