Savich thought about Autumn. He tried contacting her once again before they boarded the plane, but she didn’t answer.
52
GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thursday
Savich held Sean close, smoothed his fingertip over his boy’s left eyebrow. He felt such blessed relief that he was all right. Sherlock was tickling his ribs. Sean was laughing and yelling at Astro to save him. Astro was jumping on them, yipping his head off, his tail whipping back and forth so fast it was a blur.
Savich smiled over at his mother, who stood close, watching and smiling too, a plate of chocolate-chip cookies in her hand. Behind her stood Congressman Felix Monroe from Missouri, a widower of ten years, and he too was smiling as he watched. Savich didn’t know the congressman well, since he’d just begun seeing his mom. Savich felt funny about it but knew he shouldn’t. He looked over at his mother, saw the worry in her eyes that she managed to hide from Sean.
Dillon? Are you there? Where are you, Dillon?
Savich said, “Sherlock, take this monkey, stuff a cookie in his mouth. I’ve got to take a call.”
“Autumn?”
He nodded.
“Thank God. Go, Dillon. Hey, sweetie, let’s go scarf down some of your grandmother’s cookies, okay? I can see Felix is drooling for some, too.”
“Astro loves cookies,” Sean told Felix. Sean considered Felix cool since he’d showed him how his iPhone worked.
“Your mom’s right. I do too,” Felix said. “Your grandmother makes the best I’ve ever eaten.”
“But you can’t give Astro any chocolate, Sean, it’ll make him sick.”
And naturally, the first question out of Sean’s mouth was “Why?”
Savich walked swiftly from the living room, down the hallway toward the kitchen, and into the half bath on the main level of his mother’s house. He closed the door, then closed his eyes for the simple reason that it immediately cut all distractions. Autumn? Are you all right? Your mom? Ethan?
He saw her then, clear as day, her back pressed against a wall, her legs drawn up to her chest, her hair in a tangled ponytail, tear streaks dried on her pale cheeks. She didn’t look hurt, but she did look wrung out.
Tell me what happened.
Blessed guessed I called you before, Dillon, back at Ethan’s house. He told me he’d kill Mom and Ethan if I called you again, so I couldn’t take a chance until now. We’re in a motel somewhere. I’m in the bathroom. I heard him tell Ethan and Mama that we were going back where I belonged. I don’t belong at that bad place with my grandmother, do I, Dillon?
No, of course not. I won’t allow that, Autumn. Neither will Ethan and your mama. Tell me how you managed to call me now.
Blessed wanted to go to sleep, so he tied Mama and Ethan to chairs. I think he was afraid if he left them and went to sleep he couldn’t control them anymore. He locked me in the bathroom, told me he’d know if I called you, but I don’t believe him. He doesn’t know, does he, Dillon?
No, he doesn’t know. It’s all right. Thank God Ethan and Joanna were alive. Good, Blessed’s asleep. Is Grace there?
No, Dillon. Grace is dead. Ethan shot him with his rifle.
One down. Do you know where this motel is? Did you see the name of the motel?
She thought and thought. He saw tears come to her eyes.
Too much, too fast. She was just a little kid, a couple years older than Sean, and here he was questioning her like he would an adult. But again, he saw she was looking thoughtful, focused. He felt a strong pull of affection for her, and admiration. She was smart, she had grit. Even this young, she hadn’t frozen.
Did you drive a long time, Autumn?
I don’t know, Dillon. I slept because I was so tired. I think Blessed did all the driving. I don’t know why he didn’t have Ethan or Mama drive. Maybe you can’t drive when you’re stymied.
That’s possible. Tell me about the highway you were driving on. Was it big? Lots of Lines going both directions?
Yes, it’s real big, with a million cars. Blessed pulled off an exit and bought us some Wendy’s hamburgers, then he looked at a motel across the road, but he shook his head and drove onto this old road. He pulled up to this motel.
Did you see the name of a town?
I don’t think so.
Did you see the name of the motel?
She frowned and her fingers began to fret. I can’t remember it, just some old sign—it’s orange and some letters are missing.
If only he could help her remember. Autumn? I want you to close your eyes and listen to my voice, okay? Don’t worry about Ethan or your mama, don’t worry about anything, just try to relax and listen to me. Will you try?
She nodded, then cocked her head to one side and obediently closed her eyes.
Good girl. Now, get comfortable, that’s it, lean back against the wall put your hands on the floor, and pretend you’re floating in a swimming pool.
Bless her, she did exactly what he said. He saw her small hands, palms up, on the cracked linoleum floor beside her. He watched her fingers uncurl.
Autumn?
Yes, Dillon.
That’s really good. Now, you were eating your hamburger. In the car?
Yes. Blessed went in and brought back bags of food. I was sitting in the front seat beside Blessed. Mama and Ethan were in the backseat. They were just sitting there, like they were dead, but they’re not—
He saw her breathing hitch, saw her stiffen up. It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay, I promise. Your mama and Ethan will get through this. That’s it, just don’t worry about anything right now, listen to my voice. That’s right, that’s good. You were eating, all right? Did you have mustard on your hamburger?
No, Dillon, I like catsup, lots of catsup. I squeezed a whole bunch from those little plastic packets, more than Mama usually lets me have. I know it’s bad, but—
A little more catsup is all right, your mama wouldn’t mind. Was your hamburger good?
It was real good. Blessed was eating a hamburger too, and a bag of french fries, but he didn’t put catsup on them. All Mama and Ethan did was stare straight ahead and eat. I wanted to talk to Ethan and Mama, but when I turned around they didn’t even look at me.
I know, sweetheart, I know. Now, Autumn, Blessed started up the car again, right? And he drove away from the highway.
She nodded, never moving. Yes. He drove us down this little road, but just a little ways. Then he smiled, and he pulled into this bumpy parking lot and stopped the car by the office. He has a horrible smile, Dillon.
I know. I’ve seen it. What kind of car are you in, Autumn? He held his breath, this was right out of the blue, he couldn’t really expect her to know, to even under—
It’s a white van. He had Ethan steal it out of somebody’s driveway not long after we left Titus Hitch.
Okay, you were sitting in the front seat in front of the motel. Did you see a sign?
Yes.
Describe it to me.
It’s kinda old, a real ugly orange color, and the sign isn’t hanging exactly straight.