“What would have happened if she hadn’t shot Bobbie?” Glenn asked.
“At the very least, Arthur would be dead. If Bobbie had been allowed to throw another firebomb into the house, I wouldn’t have been able to get to Arthur in time.”
“Want some breakfast?”
“Ummm. That would be great,” Lane said.
“You’re lucky you took me up on the offer, I’m the best cook here,” Glenn smiled.
“I heard that! If you weren’t such a good cook, and my favorite nephew, I’d be offended.” Harper’s wife, Erinn came around the corner with one hand atop her belly. She’d cut her red hair short at the start of the pregnancy. “Does that mean I get breakfast too?” She sat down across from Lane. Seeing the newspaper headline, she picked up the paper, folded it and sat it on an empty chair. She looked out the window. “He’s going to be busy with that snow shovel for a while. He’s furious about the coverage. There’s no mention of the fact that Bobbie was tossing Molotov cocktails at people. How are your hands?”
Lane looked at the stitches scattered across his palms and fingers. “Sore.”
“And the knees?” Glenn asked.
“The same,” Lane said.
“Somebody named Loraine called this morning. She wants you to call her back,” Glenn said.
“Glenn, be a dear and hand him the phone.” Erinn looked at Lane. “Want us to leave?”
Lane took the phone, placed it on its back on the table and pressed the buttons. “No. Usually Loraine does all of the talking. I just listen.” He picked up the phone with his fingertips. It rang three times.
“Hello?” Loraine’s familiar voice comforted Lane. He was suddenly glad for old friends and new family.
“It’s me,” Lane said.
“Cole’s up and talking. You want the summary, or do you want to come and hear it for yourself?”
“The summary, for now,” Lane said.
“You okay?” Loraine asked.
“I will be,” Lane said.
“Arthur okay?”
“He’s got a bump on his head and a concussion. We pick him up this afternoon, I think.”
“Good. Listen, I’m sorry about Riley,” Loraine said. Lane couldn’t reply.
Loraine filled the silence. “We told Cole about his mom’s death when he woke up this morning. He started to talk. Apparently, his mother woke him up that night and ordered him to get in the car. When he asked where Kaylie was, Bobbie told him she was in the trunk. His mother drove to the gas station, filled up the car, bought a pack of cigarettes, and filled a thermos with slurpee. He watched her pour amoxil- you know, penicillin-into the slurpee. They drove out to the campsite. Bobbie made Cole stay in the car while she talked with Charles. Cole watched them at the picnic table. She and Charles drank the slurpee. Cole says his dad got red in the face, then had trouble breathing. Bobbie put on some gloves and helped him into the cab of the truck. Then, she opened the trunk, took Kaylie out, pulled a garbage bag up over his sister’s head, and put her in the back of the camper. After that, she taped a hose to the tailpipe of the truck, shoved it through an open window in the cab, and taped it shut. She turned on the truck and went back into the camper. On the way home, she told him what would happen if he said anything to anyone. The kid remembered every detail.”
“How’s he doing?” Lane asked.
“This is going to take a long time, Lane. The kid appears to be okay, but this kind of experience leaves indelible scars,” Loraine said.
“How’s Jay?” Lane asked.
“He’s not saying much. Just sticks close to Cole and listens,” Loraine said.
“Does he know he probably saved Cole’s life?”
Lane asked.
“I’ll tell him you say so. There’s another thing…”
“What’s that?” Lane asked.
“We need you and Harper for a ten o’clock meeting on Tuesday morning. I want you to promise me you’ll be there,” Loraine said.
Tuesday, November 3
Chapter 24
“ARTHUR’S GOING NUTS,” Lane said.
“Something to do with the head injury?” Harper concentrated on keeping them in the ruts on John Laurie Boulevard. The city crews were still catching up after the record-breaking snowstorm. The roads were sanded, snow covered, and slick.
“Maybe. Or he was tired of our old furniture, so he’s really happy to be shopping for new. The insurance company’s budget has got him grinning. Even Matt’s getting into it.” Lane looked up the road. Soon they’d see the sign in front of Bobbie’s church. He thought about last night’s nightmare. Two crucified children.
“And Martha?” Harper asked.
“Still in the hospital. The cancer is spreading.” Lane kept his hands palm up to keep from snagging the stitches.
“I don’t know what to…” Harper said.
“There’s not much you can say.”
They drove in silence for the next few minutes.
Harper said, “The media has been awfully quiet since those footprints matched up. Then Dr. Fibre came through with a match from the trunk of Bobbie’s car. Man, yesterday was full of good news. Chief came out of this smelling like a rose.”
The road curved. Bobbie’s sign came into view.
It stood tall against a white backdrop of snow. It said, The Truth Will Set us Free.
“Some things never change, I guess,” Lane said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harper asked.
“Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, some people will always believe the lie that was Bobbie Reddie,” Lane said.
Harper let the car coast as they neared a red light. The Chevy crabbed sideways when he pressed the brake pedal. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.” He guided the vehicle out of its skid. “How’s the hotel?”
“Matt likes the waterslide and Arthur likes the food. It’ll be okay for a while.”
The light turned green. The wheels spun. They crept forward.
“I suppose Arthur’s already got a real estate agent,”
Harper laughed.
“As a matter of fact.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I told you he was going nuts,” Lane said. “I think it helps to keep him and Matt busy.”
Harper turned into the mall parking lot. He manouevred around mountains of plowed snow and dodged stranded cars before parking in front of the vet’s office.
Loraine, Jay, and Cole were getting out of Loraine’s Toyota. Cole looked uncertain, and Jay held his nephew’s hand. They stepped through the door. Inside, they found the vet, Dr. Dent, who couldn’t suppress a smile.
“Dr. Ellen Dent.” Harper smiled.
“Come on in.” They followed Dr. Dent into a waiting room. They crowded around the raised examination table. “I’ll be right back.” The doctor stepped out the back door.
Loraine smiled at Lane.
Jay said, “It’s okay, Cole. It’s gonna be okay.”
“Where is he?” Cole asked.
A dog barked when it heard Cole’s voice.
“Eddie!” Cole said.
The dog skidded around the corner on three legs and a cast. Eddie looked hopefully at five pairs of legs, sniffing each in turn, before stopping in front of Cole. Eddie sat on his back legs to look up at Cole.
The boy leaned over and picked up the dog. Cole buried his face in the dog’s fur, grinning when Eddie licked his face.
Lane looked at Loraine who studied him. She shook her head at Lane’s apparent lack of reaction to Cole’s joy.
Lane thought, Years of hiding will do that to you.
Loraine moved next to Lane. “Some day it’s all going to spill out. The longer it takes…”
“The better it will be?” Lane tried to make a joke and failed. He couldn’t forget the sight of Riley’s charred body in the snow.