With that comforting thought, she knew she would be ready for her meeting with Detective Westbrook, hoping for the best possible outcome, relying on her unshakable belief that truth and honesty would win out in the end.
EIGHTEEN
Bernalillo, New Mexico
16:30 HOURS
Sarah Marshall couldn’t calm herself down. It was difficult to concentrate following her conversation with Ryan; a thousand different thoughts competed for her attention. She felt remorseful and ashamed. Her mind was still reeling from the profound realization that she had become just as unforgiving as her ex-husband. She paced the house, at a loss for how to respond. Give me strength, she prayed.
Sarah made lists whenever she was feeling out of control. Task lists helped to calm her nerves when she could see the details prioritized. Her biggest worry was meeting Detective Westbrook, but she had several hours before he arrived. In the meantime, there were several calls to make. She decided to call her sister, Sela, then Jeremiah, and finally her father. She frowned, knowing how disappointed each of them would be.
The list was complete: Forget about Westbrook, she thought. First call Sela then Jeremiah and then Pop. Stay in the present…don’t imagine the future. There must be a reason this is happening.
Sarah placed the first call to Sela but was unsuccessful in reaching her. Her luck didn’t improve with the call to her father. She left a brief message for both explaining that Ryan was on the run from the law and out to find Jarrod. She knew that both would return her call as soon as they got the message.
Finally, she steeled herself to call Jeremiah’s cell phone. She was relieved when he directly answered the phone.
“Hi, Mom,” he exclaimed. “What’s up? You don’t usually call this time of day.”
“I’m fine, sweetheart, but your father’s in trouble. Has he contacted you?”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble? Is he hurt?” he asked, blurring his words together, fearing his dad might have been in an accident.
“Take it easy, Jer. Your father’s all right. He and his cousin had another blowup. He’s left the Rio Grande job, presumably to confront Jarrod,” she said, and explained to her only child the details of the story.
“Oh, that’s just great,” Jeremiah exclaimed. “What’s he planning to do when he catches up with him?” he asked rhetorically, realizing there was no way to predict what his dad would do when it came to Jarrod.
“God only knows what he’s thinking,” Sarah replied. “We both know that when it comes to Jarrod, there isn’t a rational thought to be had. But what concerns me most is that your father’s running from the law. There will be a criminal consequence, I’m afraid.”
“I’m coming home,” Jer suddenly said. “I’m caught up on all my work; I won’t be able to concentrate anyway.”
“You’ll do no such thing, mister,” Sarah admonished. “Now who’s not thinking straight? There’s nothing you can do here, honey. I need you to be strong; that includes staying in school while we work this out.”
“Mom, listen to me. I’m already on my way. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“This is too important to stay on the sideline like an obedient schoolboy. This affects me, too. If Dad goes to prison, God forbid… who’ll run the company? Maybe I can talk some sense into his thick skull.”
“Jeremiah John Marshall, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay in Roswell,” she cautioned. “I can handle the business, and this whole thing could be resolved if your father would just stop his irresponsible behavior.”
“Mom, listen. You can ground me, strip my allowance, and take my car-all the things you and Dad do whenever I’m rebellious. But I’m coming home. It’s time for another man in this family to talk some sense into these guys. See you tomorrow…and don’t worry!” he said, disconnecting the call.
Sarah was infuriated. The call had not gone at all like she expected. This was turning out to be one of the worst days of her life. For not the first time, she had the disquieting feeling that her son had inherited some of his father’s impulsiveness. She was so mad she wanted to scream. Damnit! I could just strangle Ryan.
Sarah knew she had to get a grip on her emotions. There was no sense worrying about things beyond her control. But her latest family problems would require a leap of faith greater than she had ever taken.
Please, God, keep my family safe. Give me the fortitude to face this challenge.
NINETEEN
Cheyenne, Wyoming
17:00 HOURS
Ryan Marshall continued to drive north from Denver, along Highway 70 toward Cheyenne, Wyoming. From there, he intersected Highway 80, which would lead to San Francisco across Utah and Nevada. He estimated the thousand-mile trip would take a minimum of twenty hours, but knew he’d need rest and food somewhere along the way. Without much delay, he figured to arrive in Palo Alto by late morning the following day, and would then search out Jarrod. He had plenty of time to formulate a plan along the way, but at the moment, 450 miles of barren desert lay directly ahead.
The monotony of the drive was overwhelmingly boring. No matter how much Ryan resisted, his dominant thoughts returned to Sarah and their life together, raising the boys. There were so many happy memories: NASCAR races, Disneyland, Dallas Cowboy games, fishing trips, and campouts. Even though it was logistically difficult to travel with a handicapped child, they had all become exceptionally resourceful. Ryan resolved early that there would never be a place that Jacob could not go. He designed a nine-passenger van with a motorized lift to accommodate his power chair, and carried a portable ramp that was used to easily traverse curbs, steps, and other impassible access points. The Marshalls were determined that Jacob would lead as normal a life as possible.
This commitment to assure that Jacob attended every function also created unintended problems. As Ryan was passing through Winnemucca, he revisited the memory of losing Jake in the Pecos wilderness one fateful day on a family outing. It was humbling to recall the extraordinary events surrounding this experience, one of the most traumatic in his life as a father.
When Jacob and Jeremiah were just six years old, the family often visited the Pecos Wilderness to pick wild mushrooms, fish for trout, and hunt doves. Mostly they wanted to introduce the twins to the wonders of nature.
On this particular trip, the Marshalls were accompanied by close friends they had known since college, Roman and Sue Hammond. The Hammonds had always been close to the Marshalls and on several previous occasions they had enjoyed camping together, along with their two sons, Gavin and Grant. The two families got along well and the kids each developed a close friendship. They all arrived on a Friday evening to set up camp, planning to return home late Sunday, as was their custom.
Saturday morning began like most others. The men led Jer and Gavin to the Pecos River, where prized cutthroat trout were known to lurk. While Jacob enjoyed fishing when he could get close enough to the water, this particular hike was too difficult for anyone to carry him that distance, the muscular dystrophy that racked his body making it impractical. Jacob grumbled, but with some coaxing, he agreed to remain behind, relying on Ryan’s promise that they would not be gone long. Everyone planned to rendezvous by mid-morning for a trip to Pecos Valley, where the local folks flew radio-controlled planes. Jacob was excited by the prospect.
Jacob was extremely good-natured. He had long ago become accustomed to being left behind on outings that required extended physical exertion. With each passing month, the muscular dystrophy slowly drained precious strength from his frail body, prohibiting aggressive physical exertion. Ryan didn’t feel too badly leaving him behind, however, because Jake had his Tonka toys and his little dog, Minnie, to keep him company.