thought that maybe I might need a coat for the trip. It’s a little bit chilly
outside.” When nobody challenged the trench coat, she looked at the Hat Man and
said, “Would you mind bringing down my luggage, sir? I left it at the top of
the stairs.” She figured they were less likely to search the bag if she acted
like she wasn’t hiding anything. She was right. Glad to be getting on with
business, the man jogged up the steps, grabbed her bag, and jogged back down.
“I’ll just put this in the car and give you a moment for the goodbyes,” he said
before walking outside.
The silence that he left behind was deafening. Finally, Vera
stepped forward and hugged Cleo as hard as she could. She started crying again
and speed-walked out of the room. Darwin crouched down and put a hand on Cleo’s
shoulder, looking straight into her eyes. “Just think of it as field work,” he
said. His nose started to turn red, and he pulled her in for a fierce hug
before quickly walking up the stairs. Then, it was just Cleo and Helen.
She had reached the conclusion that her mother wasn’t going
to say a word. Cleo sighed and turned toward the front door to meet her fate,
but a hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up into her mother’s beautiful,
tear-streaked face. “Be good,” whispered Helen. “Just be good , and then
you can come home.” Cleo nodded and turned to leave. She barely heard the
whispered “I love you” as she pulled open the front door. By the time she
reached the driveway, she had almost convinced herself that she had imagined
it. It was the first time Helen had ever said those words.
Cleo decided to dwell on that later. If only she had known
Santo’s phone number, a lot of heartache (for both of them) could have been
avoided. But at this point, she was only focused on survival. As she walked to
the black Jaguar, she was already working on a plan to escape from the Hat Man.
To throw him off guard, she smiled sweetly and thanked him when he opened the
rear door for her.
It was a very nice car, and so the toffee leather seats were
supple and smooth, and the child locks worked on both rear doors. Cleo’s dreams
of a dramatic tuck and roll on the highway were destroyed when she jiggled the
door handle. The man just looked at her over his shoulder and smiled, his eyes
unreadable behind black Ray Ban sunglasses, and then he turned up the radio
without comment and increased his speed. In an inexplicable twist, Cleo would
later be bizarrely attracted to men who wore fedoras and listened to Ella
Fitzgerald. But today, she was deeply angered by this sort of man. She searched
the rear passenger area for something heavy to throw at him, but there was
nothing. All she could do was scowl at the back of his head, something that did
not go unnoticed each time the man checked his rearview mirror. The fact that
he grinned only angered her more. By the time they reached the school, Cleo
would gladly have shoved the Hat Man in front of a bus. But alas, there were no
buses at the Harper Valley School for Girls.
10
The Hat Man parked at the entrance and removed her suitcase
from the trunk before opening her door. With his hand firmly gripping her upper
arm, he led her through the heavy wooden doors of the main building. A stern
woman in a gray suit stepped forward and took the suitcase to search it (which,
luckily for Cleo, involved a cursory toss of the contents and a quick sweep
with a metal detector wand). Meanwhile, the Hat Man led Cleo into a carpeted
waiting area and pushed a buzzer discreetly hidden in the wallpaper pattern
beside a set of walnut pocket doors. Moments later, a ridiculously beautiful blonde
woman opened the doors and smiled at them.
“Welcome,” she said merrily, as though this were the Emerald
City of Oz. “Right this way!” She turned and gestured for them to follow her
into a large office. After moving behind the biggest desk Cleo had ever seen,
the woman indicated
outside.” When nobody challenged the trench coat, she looked at the Hat Man and
said, “Would you mind bringing down my luggage, sir? I left it at the top of
the stairs.” She figured they were less likely to search the bag if she acted
like she wasn’t hiding anything. She was right. Glad to be getting on with
business, the man jogged up the steps, grabbed her bag, and jogged back down.
“I’ll just put this in the car and give you a moment for the goodbyes,” he said
before walking outside.
The silence that he left behind was deafening. Finally, Vera
stepped forward and hugged Cleo as hard as she could. She started crying again
and speed-walked out of the room. Darwin crouched down and put a hand on Cleo’s
shoulder, looking straight into her eyes. “Just think of it as field work,” he
said. His nose started to turn red, and he pulled her in for a fierce hug
before quickly walking up the stairs. Then, it was just Cleo and Helen.
She had reached the conclusion that her mother wasn’t going
to say a word. Cleo sighed and turned toward the front door to meet her fate,
but a hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up into her mother’s beautiful,
tear-streaked face. “Be good,” whispered Helen. “Just be good , and then
you can come home.” Cleo nodded and turned to leave. She barely heard the
whispered “I love you” as she pulled open the front door. By the time she
reached the driveway, she had almost convinced herself that she had imagined
it. It was the first time Helen had ever said those words.
Cleo decided to dwell on that later. If only she had known
Santo’s phone number, a lot of heartache (for both of them) could have been
avoided. But at this point, she was only focused on survival. As she walked to
the black Jaguar, she was already working on a plan to escape from the Hat Man.
To throw him off guard, she smiled sweetly and thanked him when he opened the
rear door for her.
It was a very nice car, and so the toffee leather seats were
supple and smooth, and the child locks worked on both rear doors. Cleo’s dreams
of a dramatic tuck and roll on the highway were destroyed when she jiggled the
door handle. The man just looked at her over his shoulder and smiled, his eyes
unreadable behind black Ray Ban sunglasses, and then he turned up the radio
without comment and increased his speed. In an inexplicable twist, Cleo would
later be bizarrely attracted to men who wore fedoras and listened to Ella
Fitzgerald. But today, she was deeply angered by this sort of man. She searched
the rear passenger area for something heavy to throw at him, but there was
nothing. All she could do was scowl at the back of his head, something that did
not go unnoticed each time the man checked his rearview mirror. The fact that
he grinned only angered her more. By the time they reached the school, Cleo
would gladly have shoved the Hat Man in front of a bus. But alas, there were no
buses at the Harper Valley School for Girls.
10
The Hat Man parked at the entrance and removed her suitcase
from the trunk before opening her door. With his hand firmly gripping her upper
arm, he led her through the heavy wooden doors of the main building. A stern
woman in a gray suit stepped forward and took the suitcase to search it (which,
luckily for Cleo, involved a cursory toss of the contents and a quick sweep
with a metal detector wand). Meanwhile, the Hat Man led Cleo into a carpeted
waiting area and pushed a buzzer discreetly hidden in the wallpaper pattern
beside a set of walnut pocket doors. Moments later, a ridiculously beautiful blonde
woman opened the doors and smiled at them.
“Welcome,” she said merrily, as though this were the Emerald
City of Oz. “Right this way!” She turned and gestured for them to follow her
into a large office. After moving behind the biggest desk Cleo had ever seen,
the woman indicated
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