by Bobbi Smith
“Yes, he was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.”
“All this traveling’s been hard on him,” Sarah said sympathetically.
“It’s been hard on all of us, and it’s not over yet,” Angel agreed wearily. They’d fled Philadelphia to escape Michael nine days ago, and they hadn’t stopped running since.
“You’re right about that.”
Angel paced to the window, then turned to her sibling. “Do you remember Anne Taylor?”
“Your friend from school?”
“Yes. Well, her family moved to California several years ago, and though we don’t keep in regular touch, I did just get a letter from her not too long ago.”
“So?”
“So I think we should head for California,” she announced.
“California?”
“San Francisco to be more specific. Anne’s newly married and living there.”
“But it’s so far.”
“Precisely. San Francisco’s a boom town, and I can’t think of a better place to hide. Anne’s always been a good friend to me. She’ll help us find a safe place to stay. Then, all we’ll have to do is bide our time. Once Christopher’s old enough to stand up to Michael, we can go back home.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? As vicious as Michael is, there’s no telling what he might do.” Sarah was worried about involving Anne in their trouble.
“What other choice do we have? Aunt Blanche only met Anne once, and Michael never did. He’s probably never even heard me mention her.” Angel fell silent for a moment, then lifted her troubled emerald gaze to Sarah’s dark, equally worried one. “Besides,” she said in a small voice. “I can’t think of anyone else. He knows all of our close friends and relatives. Anne’s our only hope.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, thinking about the magnitude of their actions. They could just imagine the uproar that had occurred the day their disappearance was discovered.
Though John Hayden had discouraged them in their attempts to prosecute Michael, he had been very sympathetic to their cause. It was his carefully worded advice given the following morning when Angel had returned to speak with him once more that had helped her decide to take Christopher and run. It was their intention to keep the boy safely out of his father’s clutches until he was old enough to take care of himself. It didn’t matter to Sarah or to Angel that their own lives were being completely disrupted. They only cared about protecting Christopher. They had lost Elizabeth. They would not lose Christopher.
Mr. Hayden had willingly agreed to help them in every legal way he could, and they had taken him up on his offer of support with great relief. At his suggestion and through his efforts, they would have access to the money they’d put in a special, secret account away from their regular bank. The lawyer had also promised to begin a check into Michael’s background to see if there was anything revealing or unsavory in his past. Hayden had warned Angel that he probably wouldn’t discover anything but had promised that if he did, he would do everything in his power to get them awarded custody of the boy. Hayden had also agreed to handle any and all the necessary work connected with Christopher’s claiming his inheritance when the time came. Angel had known they had a true friend in their late father’s attorney when she’d left his office that day.
“All right,” Sarah consented, “but how are we going to get to California?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Angel told her, “and the most important thing we need to do is to make things as hard as we possibly can for Michael. He’s going to expect us to take the easiest route, and from what I’ve been able to find out, the most comfortable way is by ship to Panama, where you cross the isthmus there and then sail the rest of the way up the west coast. We have to do the unexpected. We have to keep him off-balance.”
“You’re right.” Sarah smiled. In the past, Angel’s antics had sometimes landed them in trouble, but this time her quick-thinking had helped them escape from Michael unnoticed. They had a head start on him, but God only knew how long that would last. “Your idea to buy the tickets to New York and then have us head west instead was very clever. If you hadn’t thought of that, he would have caught up with us by now.”
“It did work, didn’t it?” Angel remarked, feeling a little proud of how well they’d managed so far. “I just hated leaving without telling Aunt Blanche, but if she didn’t know anything, she couldn’t give us away.”
“I hope she’s not too upset with us.”
“Oh, I’m sure she is, but we did leave her the note.” They’d told her in the missive of their suspicions about Michael and how they were taking Christopher away to keep him safe. They had promised to be in touch when they could and told her not to worry.
“I’m sure that wasn’t much consolation to her, being left in the dark like that.”
“Now don’t go feeling guilty, Sarah. We didn’t have a choice. If we’d stayed, who knows if Christopher would have been alive the day after his tenth birthday?”
“I know, but it’s still so hard to believe. I thought Michael was wonderful for so long.”
“So did Elizabeth, and now she’s dead,” Angel said with fervent emotion. “He’s charming and handsome and as deadly as a snake. That’s why we have to be careful.”
“You’re right.”
Dragging her thoughts back to their current situation, she concentrated on the need to move and move quickly. “That’s why I think it would be best if we split up and go in different directions.”
“Split up?” Sarah stared at her sister aghast. “Are you crazy?”
“Michael’s not going to let us go without a fight. He’s not going to give up.” A tingle of fear frissoned down her spine as she said the words, but Angel ignored it as best she could.
“But that’s all the more reason why we should stick together. We’ll be stronger together!” Sarah argued.
“How strong could we be if he sends some big, mean men after us? There’s no way we could win in a showdown. We’ve got to outsmart him.”
“But we don’t have to—”
“If we separate,” Angel interrupted, “he’ll lose our trail. At best, we’ve got a week’s head start. At worst, he could show up here tomorrow! Sarah, think about it! The more false leads we leave, the harder it will be for him to find the real one that takes him to Christopher.”
“I know, I just want us to be together.”
“I do, too, and we will be just as soon as we all reach San Francisco. Trust me, this is the safest way for Christopher.”
“All right. What do you want me to do?”
“I’ll buy three tickets and go on to New Orleans so it will look like we’re taking the Panama route, but you and Christopher are going to go overland.”
“By wagon train?” Sarah had read accounts of the rigors of crossing the country that way and knew it wouldn’t be easy. She would be a woman alone.
“Yes. It’d be too easy for Michael if we all went on to New Orleans. Once he found out our destination, all he’d have to do is wire someone there and have us intercepted. If he’s close on our trail now, they might even be waiting at the dock for us when we make port. You’ve got to go by land.”
“All right.”
“Good, and I want Christopher to travel with you.”
“With me?” This really surprised her. She and Christopher were close, but it was no secret that Angel was his favorite.
“Michael knows how Christopher and I feel about each other. He’d never dream I’d agree to be parted from him. He’ll be looking for us. You, on the other hand, can dress like a widow for the trip and tell everyone that he’s your son. They should believe you.”
“Christopher isn’t going to like this. He’s come to depend on you so much since Elizabeth died.”
“I know.” Angel’s eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away. There was no time for sentiment. She had to think clearly. “It’s going to be hard on both of us, but I want him s
afe, Sarah.”
“If we go by wagon train, what are you going to do? How are you going to get to San Francisco?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll think of something. We need to concentrate on getting you and Christopher out of town as fast as we can. I heard someone talking down in the lobby when we checked in, and they said that since the new railroad went through to Jefferson City, the trip up to Kansas City has been cut down to about fifty hours now. Most of the wagon trains leave from a town called Independence near there.”
“How soon do you want us to leave?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“We’d better start getting ready, then. I’ll need to buy some mourning clothes.”
At the thought, Sarah lifted emotion-filled dark eyes to her sister’s. In that quiet, poignant moment, they thought of Elizabeth’s funeral and remembered the way they’d deliberately decided to leave their mourning things behind on the day they’d fled. They had wanted to throw Michael off when he attempted to follow them from Philadelphia and had known that the mourning clothes there would draw attention to them and make them stand out. Now, however, nearly a thousand miles from home, Sarah could pass as a widow with a son without fear.
“And we have to come up with a believable story about why you’re traveling to California with your ‘son.’ ”
“Angel?”
“What?”
“You’ll be careful, won’t you? I mean, I’ll have Christopher with me, but you’re going to be all by yourself.”
“Don’t worry.” Angel managed a grin that made her look like a mischievous little girl again. “I’ll be fine. Didn’t I always manage to get out of trouble when I was younger?”
“As I remember it, you always managed to get into trouble, not out of it.”
“Well, I’m older now.”
Sarah couldn’t help but laugh, and they fell into each other’s arms and embraced lovingly. The next few months were going to be dangerous, but they believed in what they were doing. No matter what hardships befell them along the way, they firmly believed that love would give them the strength they needed to see it through.
At mid-morning the following day, the train carrying Sarah and Christopher away from St. Louis moved off down the track on its way west. Angel lingered on the platform watching until it was out of sight.
It was good to know that her sister and nephew were safely away, but a sudden sense of loneliness and unease gripped her. Fear hovered at the edges of her consciousness, and she glanced at the people standing nearby. Nothing seemed amiss. Everyone seemed to have a reason for being here.
Fighting against the terror that threatened, Angel forced the panic away. She scolded herself in annoyance, for this was no time to be weak. She prided herself on being the kind of person who took action when it was needed, and there was still much she had to do. She had to make a plan of her own for getting to California. Gritting her teeth, Angel gave a lift of her chin and started back to the hotel.
Angel’s path from the station took her down Veranda Row past all the fancy stores. She was lost in thought as she moved along the crowded sidewalks. The shoppers were out in full force this morning, and even Angel found herself glancing occasionally into the store windows as she passed by to see what was on display. At the sight of a particularly attractive bonnet, she stopped abruptly to look at it, and it was then that she felt the slight tug on her drawstring purse.
“What? ! ...”
Reacting on pure instinct, she snared the hand of the young boy who was trying to reach into her purse.
“Damn it, lady! What the hell are you trying to do! Let go of me!” He gave a violent yank trying to free his hand from her iron hold.
Angel stared down into the brash, aggressive youth’s dirty, belligerent face, and her first thought was that he reminded her of Christopher. He was approximately the same height and build as her nephew, and he had brown eyes like his, too, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Christopher’s eyes were full of love, warmth, and trust, this boy’s were filled with fury and a sullen wariness as he glowered up at her.
“What did you think you were doing?” she demanded, refusing to let him go.
“I wasn’t doin’ a damn thing!” The boy continued to fight her, twisting and trying to break loose. Every line of his small body was tense as he tried to get free of her.
“Why don’t I believe you?” For all his defiance and fury, Angel could see that he was really scared, and she understood why. He was obviously a street urchin who made his living by picking pockets, and if she turned him in he’d get into big trouble. It angered her that a boy so young, a boy who needed a home, a good meal, and someone to care for him, could be reduced to thievery just to survive. It was no life for a grown-up, let alone a child.
“C’mon, lady. You got no reason to hold me!”
“We’ll see about that.”
Angel wondered distantly how Christopher would have fared if he’d been forced to fend for himself. The thought troubled her as she tried to control the hostile, struggling boy before her. As Angel considered that this boy was probably alone in the world a wild idea came to her. A conspiratorial half-smile curved her lips as she realized the perfection of her plan. This boy needed help, and she was just the one who could provide it. Of course in helping him she would be indirectly helping herself, but what did it matter as long as they both benefited from the arrangement? Without another word, Angel started to walk toward her hotel, forcing him in step with her.
“Wait a minute! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to drag me along? I ain’t goin’ anywhere with you!”
“Do you want to bet?”
The fact that the woman was smiling at him, yet sounding so dead serious left Lucky completely off-balance. He wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but he figured she was probably taking him to the sheriff’s office to turn him in. Lucky grimaced at the thought and increased his resistance. If the sheriff got his hands on him, Lucky knew he’d end up back at the horrible orphanage he’d run away from several years ago. Living on the streets wasn’t easy, but it was far better than the orphan’s home had been. Digging in his heels, he kept trying to break away, but the lady’s grip was strong and he hadn’t eaten in a couple of days.
“Where d’ya think you’re takin’ me?” he demanded of his captor.
“You’ll find out in a few minutes.” Angel’s answer was cryptic as she kept walking.
“Like hell I will!” the boy cursed out loud. He gave another violent, but futile jerk of his arm. Of all the rotten luck! Out of all the women on the streets this morning he could have robbed, he’d had to go and pick on this one! He’d chosen her to steal from because she’d looked so pretty and dainty. He figured she’d be an easy mark and wouldn’t give him much trouble. He’d had no idea at the time that she had a grip like a blacksmith and the disposition of a jail guard or he never would have tried.
As they drew near the cross street that led to the sheriff’s office, Lucky began to fight her in earnest. It shocked him when she came to a complete stop and turned on him, her expression serious.
“You can come quietly with me into my hotel or we can go straight to the sheriffs office. What’s it going to be?”
“The hotel?” Lucky repeated in surprise. He’d thought his fate sealed, but here she hadn’t been taking him to the law at all. She was taking him to her hotel. He frowned, wondering why.
“Well?” Angel asked.
The choice wasn’t really a choice. Lucky certainly didn’t want to go to the sheriff’s office. He nodded his agreement and followed her into the luxurious lobby of the Planter’s House Hotel.
Until that moment, Lucky had only managed to catch peeks of the inside of this famous hotel. Now, seeing the sumptuously appointed lobby for the first time up close with its chandeliers and plush carpets, he was greatly impressed. He gawked openly at his surroundings as his captor led him across the wide room to the stairs.
As they sta
rted up the main staircase, Lucky glanced up at the woman who still held his hand in a death-grip and saw how she held her head high and moved with confident elegance before the stares of the other hotel guests. He wondered how he could ever have mistakenly thought she was delicate. She was as strong-willed as she was beautiful, and as she led him to her room on the third floor, Lucky began to think that maybe he should just play along with her and see what happened. He knew he’d have to be careful, though, for he had a feeling she would know instantly if he were trying to pull something fast on her.
Angel paid no attention to the questioning looks of the other guests as she took the unkempt, poorly-dressed boy directly to her room. She didn’t let go of him until they were inside with the door closed and locked behind them. Only then did she turn her full attention to him, studying him seriously in an attempt to see through the layers of grime he sported from head to toe. His hair was so filthy and greasy that there was no telling the color. It could have been anything from blond to brown. His clothes were little better than rags and hung loosely on his thin, wiry body. It was his eyes, though, that caught and held her attention. A clear, warm brown, they fairly sparkled with a keen, challenging intelligence as they returned her regard with tempered hostility. Angel was so intent upon finalizing her plans in her mind before speaking to the boy about them, that she failed to realize just how frightened the poor child was.
“Why’d ya lock the door? You think I’m gonna run away?”
“You might, but I’m hoping you’re smarter than that. Now, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Angela Roberts.”
“So? What d’ya want with me?”
“First, I’d like to know your name.”
“What’s it to you?”
“I just want to know, that’s all. By the way, you look hungry. When was the last time you had something to eat—or took a bath?” Her nose wrinkled a little in distaste.
“What’s any of that got to do with knowin’ my name? Why don’t you just let me go? I didn’t take anything from you.” His chin took on a mutinous tilt as he clung to his fragile pride.
