He turned back to his food. The pressure on the back of his head increased, spreading around to his temples. It was a strange, fizzy sort of feeling—like when your foot falls asleep. Trefill squinted and rolled his neck; had to be a headache coming on.
You can’t eat the food.
Lorraine’s thoughts shot into his brain as if sent by a hypodermic needle. Trefill gasped and looked wide-eyed into the container in his hands. He couldn’t eat it, not now! If he ate it, something terrible would happen!
“Stupid,” he growled, “it’s food, just friggin’ food!”
And his eyes didn’t see anything but his dinner.
But his mind insisted that the container was full of danger, of evil, of disease.
Don’t eat! Don’t eat! Don’t eat!
“Damn!”
The room began to sway around him, the fizzing in his head changing to the buzzing of bees. Bees that stung, over and over, leaving burning pain behind. Trefill cupped his hands over his ears, the takeout box falling to the floor. He screamed in agony against pain that wasn’t even real, a worst-case scenario of “Chinese restaurant syndrome” from lo mein that did not contain even a dash of MSG.
Lorraine climbed slowly from the bed, staring at him, unable to believe she’d done this to him.
Lorraine! Get up! You have to run now!
Lorraine didn’t argue with Marty. She jumped out of the bed, raced to put her shoes on, grabbed the money valise, and headed for the door. As Trefill struggled with unreal fears and pain, she ran down the dark road to dubious safety.
34
JULIE LAY WIDE-AWAKE in bed long after Samantha herself had retired for the night. She curled herself around a big stuffed bear that Samantha had won for her at Rocky Point Park. It wasn’t a fancy toy, just a cheap carnival prize made of magenta plush with felt eyes, stuffed with Styrofoam pellets. But it was special to Julie because Samantha had tried so hard to win it for her. She closed her eyes and remembered the way Samantha had thrown ball after ball at a pyramid of bottles.
Samantha was the best person that Julie had ever known. She was certain of that, even though she could not recollect where she had come from. She knew now that she’d never been to the Cliffside Home, and that Mr. Henley (whoever he was) had tricked Samantha. Julie did not even try to understand why. Maybe Marty would explain it all to her, when she saw him.
She knew she was going to see him. No matter how much she protested, there was some power beyond her ability to resist that called her to the place where Marty waited. He had said others were coming too. She had to go. It was the only way to find out who she really was. And she believed Marty when he told her something terrible would happen if they didn’t unite.
A single fat tear rolled across Julie’s nose and onto the bear. She hugged him more tightly. She didn’t want to leave Samantha, but she had to know what Marty knew. She just had to know!
It was a long time before sheer exhaustion finally pulled the little girl into sleep. She dreamt of darkness, and brilliant light, and being in something moving very fast. When she woke up she remembered the roller coaster and the fun house at the park. But somehow she had a feeling that the dreams weren’t about those rides.
When she closed her eyes again, she heard a familiar voice calling to her. Marty came, and as she was drifting off to sleep again, he told her exactly what she had to do.
Samantha was awakened early the next morning by the sound of the dogs barking. It wasn’t their normal “we’re hungry” bark, but something closer to howling. It was so unusual that she didn’t hesitate to get out of bed and investigate. Pulling on her robe, she hurried down the hallway, glancing into Julie’s room as she passed. The bed was empty, and unmade.
Julie always made her bed the moment she got up.
Now Samantha ran, down to the kitchen. She opened the back door and looked out at the yard. The sensation she felt just then was so unexpected, so abrupt, that her breath was taken away. The yard seemed very big this morning; very big, very quiet, and very empty.
Something was wrong.
A chill began to rush through Samantha’s blood. It was almost like the anxiety attacks she’d experienced when she’d tried to call the police. But there was nothing here to provoke such an incident.
She tried to fight it, tried to tell herself it was ridiculous. She was just tired from so much activity. That was why the yard seemed to be floating in front of her, through a mist of gray.
Something is wrong with Julie!
Her own mind shouted the words at her. Samantha ran through the house, room by room, trying to find the child.
“Julie?”
There was no response. Samantha fought the sense of panic that threatened to devour her.
“Julie!”
Surely the child had heard her by now. Samantha was being gripped by an overwhelming feeling of terror. Why wasn’t Julie answering? Where could . . . ?
The barking had reached a crazy pitch, as if Sunday and Lady had gone mad. Samantha left the house and ran to them. Sunday and Lady cowered around her, whining, their tails tucked underneath them.
They were afraid of something.
Samantha crouched down.
“What is it, kids? What? Has something happened to Julie?”
Oh, God, I don’t even want to think. . . .
At the sound of the child’s name, both dogs’ ears perked straight up. Sunday gave one sharp bark.
“Do you know where she is?”
The dogs ran to the door of the kennel. Samantha got up, opened it, and followed them.
When she saw where they were headed, Samantha realized Julie must have gone to the little adobe. That explained why the child couldn’t hear her. But why were the dogs so nervous?
The sense of foreboding fought to come back again, and it was beginning to win the battle. She was certain that, when she opened the door, she’d find Julie lying on the floor, like Henley had been.
Stop it!
Samantha pushed open the door of the little adobe. She was relieved to see that Julie wasn’t in here, but it was questionable relief. The dogs were still whining, still sniffing around as if trying to find something.
She knew at once that something was different in here, but it took her a moment to see what it was.
There was an afghan in the middle of the floor, and two pillows from the couch. For some strange reason, it seemed that Julie had come here last night to sleep. Samantha moved the afghan and found an open book. It was an atlas, opened to a two-page spread of the United States. A large red circle had been drawn to the right side, encompassing a portion of the eastern seaboard and part of the Atlantic Ocean. An arrow had been drawn from Ashleigh Creek, Colorado, to this vast area.
Samantha looked around further and found a flashlight. She picked up the blanket to discover her purse. She picked it up. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised her wallet was gone.
She was shaking inside, but she forced herself to remain calm. Wherever Julie had gone, whatever the atlas meant, she couldn’t have gotten very far. Samantha knew she needed help. She carried the things back to the house and called Wil Sherer.
In his usual manner, he hung up without saying good-bye. But he seemed to arrive at Samantha’s house with the same abruptness. Wil was a man who did not waste words or time.
Samantha knew her eyes were puffed and bloodshot from crying. She splashed icy water into them, for what it was worth. But Wil was perceptive enough to see how distraught she was. Once before, Samantha had wanted him to put his arms around her, just because she needed the comfort of another adult.
This time, he did it. Without a word he encircled her in his sturdy embrace, offering her the strength of his support. She held on to him for just a moment, then pulled away. Feelings were stirring inside of her, feelings she did not have time for right now.
She swallowed. “She’s taken my money. I was going to do some major grocery shopping today, so there was two hundred dollars in my purse.”
>
“When was the last time you saw her?” Wil asked gently. He was the one who led Samantha into the living room and made her sit down on the couch. He sat beside her.
“Right before I went to bed,” Samantha said. “It was nearly midnight. She must have gone out to the playhouse sometime after that.”
She pointed to the coffee table, where the atlas lay open. Wil reached for it and studied the altered page.
“What do you suppose it means?” she asked. “Where is she headed?”
“You mean, where in the East?” Wil asked. “She’s circled a large area. I don’t know why it includes so much of the Atlantic. Could just be a child’s sloppiness.”
“Julie was never sloppy,” Samantha said.
Wil was thoughtful for a few moments. Samantha watched him, as if his expression would reveal an answer to her problem. But he shook his head.
“It gives us half the country to search,” he said.
“What about the picture I gave you?” Samantha asked, hopeful. “Has anything come of that?”
“Not yet,” Wil said. “But it’s still early. Look, we have to start somewhere. If she is heading east, someone instructed her to do so. The fastest way to get her there would be by airplane.”
“Who’d sell an airplane ticket to a child?”
Wil met her worried gaze.
“Who’d erase a child’s memory and leave her with a perfect stranger?” he asked. “Someone’s got to be behind this. It wasn’t Henley, although he seems to have been a pawn.”
Samantha made a face to remember the condition of Henley’s body, but quickly lost the expression.
“I haven’t had time to read the papers,” she said. “Did the police find him?”
“I called them,” Wil said.
Samantha looked surprised. “But then they must know we were there!”
“They know I was there,” Wil said. “I didn’t mention you or Julie. I gave the information to an old friend of mine working in that precinct. There’s more to the story, Samantha.”
Samantha straightened herself. What more could happen?
“Do you remember how it seemed Henley had been skinned alive?”
Samantha’s expression told Wil she didn’t want to be reminded.
“That isn’t what the Union Fort police found,” Wil said. “They found a skeleton, in perfect condition. Nothing of the flesh was left.”
Samantha turned away, hugging herself.
“Who could be doing these things?” she demanded. “What do they want with Julie?”
Wil reached across the couch to touch her arm. The gesture made her turn to him again.
“We’re going to find her,” he said. “I think she’d start her journey by airplane. I’ll check the nearest airport and see what I can find out. In the meantime, I want you to call your friend Barbara.”
“Why?”
“Two reasons,” Wil said. “You need a friend right now. And she’s known you long enough that she may be able to fill in some blanks.”
Samantha looked befuddled. “What does that have to do with Julie?”
“I’m not sure,” Wil said. “But somehow I think there is a connection. Find out if she knows anyone in the East. It could help us narrow down the search area.”
Samantha stood up. “Barbara is off-duty right now. She’s probably sleeping. But I’m sure she’ll understand.”
Wil stood up and tucked the atlas under his arm. “I’m going to take a closer look at this.”
They walked to the back of the house together. Samantha grabbed her purse from the kitchen table, unhooked her car keys from their peg, and led Wil out the back door. He waited for her while she tended to the dogs; then they went to their respective vehicles.
Wil took hold of Samantha’s arm.
“Be careful,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m not doing anything dangerous.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Wil said. “I wouldn’t be too quick to trust anyone.”
With that, he walked to his car, leaving Samantha to wonder why he’d given her such a grim warning when she was on her way to the home of her very best friend.
She backed out of her driveway, then followed Wil’s Firebird for a few minutes. They parted ways, Wil heading north to the airport. Samantha kept her mind busy as she drove, trying to think how she would approach her good friend. She didn’t want Barbara to think she didn’t trust her.
In truth, it wasn’t that she was worried about Barbara’s reaction to her question. It was just that, if she didn’t occupy her mind, she’d dwell on Julie and the danger she might be in at that moment. And if she did that, she’d become too upset to do anyone any good.
She reached Barbara’s apartment. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw that her friend’s car wasn’t there. But she knew that Barbara sometimes used the double garage, renting space from the family that owned the house.
As Samantha exited the car and walked up the driveway, she saw a little girl digging in a small garden. A child with rippling dark hair.
“Julie!”
She was so overwhelmed with excitement that her heart nearly stopped when the little stranger turned around. It wasn’t Julie at all. Samantha bit her lip.
“Oh, sorry,” she faltered. “I thought . . .”
The child was looking at her in a distrusting way. Samantha managed a smile, then went up to Barbara’s door and knocked.
“Nobody’s there,” the girl said.
She stood up and came to stand on the steps. Samantha saw now that she was several years younger than Julie.
“Barbara’s out?”
“Ms. Huston’s gone,” the child said. “She came to Daddy this morning and gave him all the money she owed him and then she put her things in the back of her car and then she drove away.”
Samantha knew at once what had happened. Barbara had taken Julie!
“Did she say . . . ?”
She stopped herself. There wasn’t much use in talking to a young child.
“Is your daddy home?”
“ ‘Course not,” the child said. “He went to work. Mommy’s here.”
In a few moments Samantha was talking to the landlady.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Barbara didn’t tell us where she was going. But she did seem to be in a hurry.”
“Did she have a child with her?”
The woman thought a moment, taking off her glasses to chew on an earpiece.
“Not that I noticed,” she said. “But it was so early it was still dark. I couldn’t tell.”
Samantha mumbled a thanks and turned away. She was filled with confusion and anger. Why had Barbara done this?
“I’m going to find you,” Samantha said furiously as she drove away. “I’m going to find you and make you tell me what you did with my Julie.”
She was too angry to realize she had used the word “my.”
Needing his help, Samantha decided to drive up to the airport to find Wil. It was a small one, just outside Boulder, and it wasn’t hard to find him. His unusual good looks and broad shoulders made him stand out in the crowd. His eyebrows went up, his face registering surprise to see her.
“Barbara’s gone too,” she said breathlessly. “The landlady said she left very early this morning. She couldn’t tell if she had a child with her.”
“Julie was seen here a few hours ago,” Wil said. “One of the ticket clerks was able to identify her from the copy I made of that Polaroid.”
Samantha sighed deeply. They’d just missed her!
“Where did she go?”
“Barbara bought a ticket to Newark, New Jersey.”
Samantha grabbed his arm, her eyes full of hope. Wil hated to see that expression. It was the kind of face parents wore when they heard their child had been found, right before they were told the bad news.
But Julie, he believed, was still alive.
“I wish I could tell you more right now,” he said, and his heart skipped a beat
as Samantha’s expression darkened, “but at this point there’s no way of knowing where they’re headed.”
Samantha ran her fingers through her hair.
“There must be millions of people in that part of the country,” she said.
Wil took hold of her arms. “We don’t have time to worry, Samantha.”
She looked up at him, her watery eyes hardening with determination.
“What do we do next?” she asked.
“You know what Barbara’s car looks like?”
Samantha nodded.
“It’s a good bet she’s left it in the parking lot.”
“Do you think she plans to come back for it?”
Wil shook his head. “Not if she’s kidnapped Julie. She’ll try to disappear. I think the car is probably abandoned in one of the short-term lots.”
“Then let’s go find it,” Samantha said.
They hurried out of the building to begin their search. Wil took one half of the lot, while Samantha took the other. Twenty minutes later, exhausted and sweating from the heat of the sun, Samantha recognized Barbara’s old Mustang. She shouted, and Wil came running. He had a crowbar in his hand, borrowed from his own trunk.
“Great,” he said. “Let’s open it and see what we find.”
Samantha opened her mouth to ask how he was going to do it, but then she remembered it had been easy for him to get into Henley’s house. He had the lock picked in seconds. He pulled the door open, then gestured for Samantha to get inside. Then he went around the back and used the crowbar to open the trunk. Except for a spare tire, it seemed empty.
“I’m going to leave this up to you,” he said. “Check every square inch of the car, especially inside the seats. I’ll open the trunk too. I want you to bring everything you find to me at my office in an hour.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see what I can learn about Barbara Huston,” Wil said. “If I can connect her to a city in the East, we may be able to learn where she’s going with Julie.”
He turned and left without saying good-bye, hurrying to get his job done. This time Samantha didn’t ponder his occasional abruptness. She set about her own task, determined to do whatever she could to get Julie back again.
Cries of the Children Page 20
