Squatting close to the ground, Abe saw a rounded divot that pushed into the dirt. He imagined it was the imprint of a bare knee.
Further down the trail, he heard voices and knew the police were moving toward him. He took a final picture, and trotted back to his car.
Abe found Hazel and Liz waiting for him at the diner. They sat before plates of untouched apple pie.
Liz stood when she saw him, knocking over her water glass and sending a rush of lukewarm water into Hazel’s lap. Hazel jumped up and waved her skirt. Liz didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m coming with rags,” Mona called.
“Anything?” Liz asked.
Abe shook his head, and Liz’s face fell.
“But the cops are combing the scene. They’re taking it seriously, which is a good thing. Plus, people are paying attention. If Spencer’s gold sports car or Ben’s green truck was anywhere near Fountain Park, someone will report it.”
“Fountain Park?” Hazel asked.
“It’s a big, wooded area, just like the others,” Abe admitted.
“Which means no witnesses,” Liz fumed.
“It’s different this time, Liz. None of the other girls had this kind of coverage. There are police, news teams, and people on the lookout. This is the case that will shake him loose. I can feel it.”
Mona leaned over the table, sopping up water.
“Thank God for you, Abraham. You’re a good boy. Piece of pie on the house. Tell me your flavor?”
He smiled, not hungry, though he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
“Have any rhubarb?”
“Sure do,” she exclaimed. “Baked it fresh this morning.”
Chapter 43
Orla
Orla woke in the grip of a nightmare. A man had been dragging her through the woods. Her head bounced over roots and twigs caught in her hair. He wore a black hooded shirt and, in the hand not clutching her ankle, he held a shovel dripping blood.
She moaned and opened her eyes - not to darkness, but the flicker of a candle.
“No, please,” she begged, cringing away and lifting her arms, shocked to find them free from their straps.
“It’s okay,” Ben’s voice rose from beside her. “It’s me.”
He stepped into her line of sight, his face lit by the flame.
She blinked at him, breath still clenched in her chest, the remnants of the dream streaming away like black smoke.
“I was dreaming,” she whispered. “Horrible. A man, and…” she trailed off.
Ben held up a glass of water.
“Would you like a drink?”
She gazed at the glass, parched, but hesitated. Why had he come? Had he put something in the water?
When she took it, her hands shook, and a low throbbing pulsed in her head.
She drank and handed the glass back, falling heavily onto the sweaty pillow beneath her.
“Why are you here, Ben?”
He put the glass down and pulled a chair to her bedside.
“I heard Dr. Crow on the phone last night. You’re scheduled for a presentation in the chamber tomorrow. The brotherhood is gathering to witness your,” he pointed at her hands, “abilities.”
The small flame lit Ben’s dark eyes and made him appear ominous, like the dark figure in her dream.
“What will they do?” Orla sat back up, wrapping her arms across her chest, a small comfort she’d rarely experienced since entering the asylum.
“Crow has something special in mind, but he didn’t mention it on the phone. Afterward, he’s going to perform the electro-shock therapy, and then he plans to send you with a doctor who is the director at an asylum in Pennsylvania.”
“Pennsylvania?” The chill of the room moved into her body and settled low in her belly. A cramp took root, and she hunched over, suddenly questioning the contents of the water glass.
“I won’t let them,” he told her, his voice cold and hard.
She looked at him for a long time, and the pain in her abdomen softened, drifted away.
“What are you going to do?”
Ben pulled at his dark shirt, as if it felt too tight.
“I’ve got a plan,” he said.
“Why can’t we go tonight, Ben? Right now?” Orla begged.
He shook his head.
“Orderlies monitor the halls at night. The hallway beyond this one,” he gestured toward her door, “is a violent men’s ward. The orderlies would never let us past without an explanation. They’d call Crow immediately, assuming a patient didn’t see us first.”
Orla shuddered, remembering her near-escape as she plummeted down that dark hallway. What would have happened if she’d made it through the curtains into the hall beyond?
“Crow will transfer you to the chamber first thing in the morning, when the hospital is quiet,” Ben assured her.
“No,” she whimpered, wanting to curl into a ball on her side and weep.
“Please, Orla. Trust me. This is the only way. The best thing you can do is go along with him tomorrow. It will make everything easier.”
Ben strapped her arms back to the bed and slipped out the door.
Orla stared into the black room and knew she would not sleep.
Chapter 44
Hazel
“What are we going to say? Excuse me, Mrs. Crow, can we take a quick peek in your garage?” Hazel asked, pulling her knees up on the passenger seat and wrapping her arms over her shins. She was nervous and already wishing she’d kept her mouth shut when Abe mentioned his spy mission to the Crow and Crow residences. She could have stayed home, finished her book, and waited for his phone call.
He looked at her sidelong.
“I don’t plan to say a word to her. I want to get a look at the other cars, that’s it. I tipped Spencer off about sightings of his gold car, and guess what? A guy jogging near Fountain Park where Amber was abducted saw a blue Lincoln Continental. Virginia Crow drives a black Eldorado. I’d like to know if there’s a Continental in the driveway.”
“I thought you were afraid he’d destroy evidence?”
“I am, but I needed to push him and see what he’d do.”
“And have you considered, what he did was abduct another girl?”
Abe cringed away as if she’d spit at him. He didn’t respond, and she regretted her words.
“I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“If Spencer’s the guy, he was already hunting. He didn’t abduct someone because I pushed him. He drove a different car, changed his M.O. to reduce his chance of getting caught,” Abe told her, glaring through the windshield.
“Why would they have three cars?”
“Because they’re the type, believe me.”
“Okay, let’s say they do. What if they park the third car in the garage?”
“Then I check out the garage. You sit in the car as the lookout. Somebody comes along, honk the horn.”
Abe parked down the road from Spencer’s house.
He disappeared into the woods, and Hazel craned backwards in her seat watching the road, counting the minutes, and wondering what she’d do if he didn’t return.
When someone tapped on the window, she screamed and dove toward the driver’s seat.
Abe gazed at her, an amused expression on his face.