'No problem. You might check with Darcy. I think I remember her saying she found a broken necklace on one of the victims.'
'Remember which one?'
'No, sorry.'
'Where did you say you found this?'
'Along the side of the car, down in the mud. Kind of
deep in the mud, actually. I might not have found it except that I was scraping for a soil sample. If it was dropped accidentally, it was also stepped on hard enough to press it into the dirt.'
'You think they might have buried it so it wouldn't be found on them?'
'Who knows. I guess it's possible.'
'So we have this and a partial shoe print on the back doorway.' Pakula stared at the car as if seeing it for the first time. Something didn't add up. The Saturn's hood was smashed in, the front bumper hanging off. There were scrapes where the barbed wire had tried to hold it back. The radiator was probably busted. No windshield cracks, so no heads were busted. But there was something wrong with this picture.
'Is this exactly the way the car was when you guys got out here?'
'Yup. They probably jumped out and ran. Didn't even take time to close the doors.'
That was it, Pakula thought. That was what didn't fit.
'Why are there three doors left open?' he asked. 'And you said the partial footprint was where?'
Wes met Pakula's eyes, and he could see the kid was already thinking the same thing.
'Back doorstep,' he said.
'Can you tell if it was stepping back into the car as if someone was getting something?'
Without hesitation Wes said, 'No, it was definitely on its way out of the car.',
CHAPTER 45
11:33 a.m.
We're headed in the wrong direction.' Melanie said. She had spent most of her life within a hundred-mile radius of Omaha, Nebraska, but even so, she still knew that Colorado was west. They were headed south.
She was getting hungry and tired and the sun was blinding her. She pulled down the sun visor only to be face-to-face with a gold-framed Jesus pin-tacked to the inside fabric of the visor.
'Jesus!' she grumbled and flipped it back in place. She'd rather have the sun in her eyes.
'I'm hungry,' she said, hoping it sounded pathetic enough for Jared to allow them to drive through at the next fast-food joint. Though out here the miles between towns kept getting longer. She glanced over her shoulder at Charlie, who was sleeping with his head propped against the window. His red hair stuck up in spikes and his right fist was tucked under his chin. No use trying to enlist him in her food dilemma.
'I said I'm-' She was interrupted by a package of gra-nola bars flying over the seat into her lap. 'I need some-' The bottle of water missed her head by inches.
'For Christ's sake, be careful. Geez.' Melanie glanced at Andrew, embarrassed. She shook her head.
Charlie snickered, stretched and then added, 'Yeah, can't we stop? I need to take a piss.'
Melanie hid her smile. Finally, she wasn't the only one.
'How we doing on gas?' Jared leaned over the seat to see for himself as if he didn't trust Andrew. 'The next town's Auburn. It should have some kind of convenience store. We'll get gas and supplies. Charlie can take a piss and then we'll turn around.'
'Whadya mean turn around?' Charlie piped up before Melanie had the chance.
Jared handed him the map, opening it to the right panel. ''We'll cut back and head for Colorado.'
'I knew it. I knew we were headed in the wrong direction,' Melanie said to Andrew, but the writer hadn't said a word since they left the farmer's place. In fact, he'd just been staring straight ahead at the road as he drove, his left hand at the top of the steering wheel, barely moving. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses he'd found on top of the visor on his side.
Melanie held off opening the package of granola bars. She could see the town just beyond the next curve. Maybe the place would have slices of pizza or one of those turning roasters with hot dogs. Some of the nicer convenience stores had both. She wanted real food, and only now realized she couldn't remember when she ate last.
Jared hung over the front seat again, getting a better look at the approaching town.
'Can we buy some toothpaste and a toothbrush?' Mel-anie asked. 'How much can we spend?'
'Isn't that just like a woman?' Jared said to Andrew, slapping him on his shoulder as if they were best buddies now.
Melanie cringed, thinking an injured shoulder harnessed up like that must still hurt like hell, but Andrew didn't flinch. He didn't even move. He just stared ahead, like a robot. She hoped he wasn't falling asleep. Her bruised ribs couldn't take another car crash.
'Can we get some Tylenol, too?' she asked Jared.
She figured he owed her big-time for helping him tie up that farmer. She just kept reminding herself that the guy's wife would be home soon, and he'd be put out of his misery.
'That looks good. Pull in over there.' He pointed to what looked to be a freshly painted Gas N' Shop. 'Melanie, check the fucking glove compartment. I need a pair of sunglasses.'
'Yeah, that's what I need, too. Can you pick up a pair for me?'
She dropped open the glove compartment and shoved the contents around-map, tire air gauge, matchbook, a pack of cigarettes and finally a pair of dark-lense glasses. She handed them to her brother as she hesitated in closing the compartment. She'd forgotten how wonderful, almost sensual, the scent of cigarettes could be. Her fingers wanted to grab the pack and tap one out. Just one. God! She'd love to have just one.
'Melanie, you fill up. Charlie, go take a piss but don't take forever. Melanie, did you hear what I said?'
'Can I go in and get what I need?' She turned and glared at him as though he hadn't heard her before.
'No, you're not going in.'
'Oh, come on, Jared. I need some things, and I want some real food.'
'I'll take care of things.'
She scowled at him. 'That's what you always say.'
She had to be careful. She didn't want her whining to push him too far, to send him over the edge. He had never gotten angry enough with her to hurt her or Charlie or even their mother. But she had seen what his anger could do. And she found herself wondering if that's what went wrong in the bank. Did someone not listen? Did someone have a smart mouth?
'I'll get everything you fucking need,' he told her. 'Put the gas in the fucking car, and then you wait.'
She saw Jared checking the gun, and suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore. He shoved it into the waistband of his jeans and pulled the T-shirt over it. He patted it, checking to make sure it was secure.
She wanted to tell him to leave the gun. It had already caused enough problems. She wanted to ask how the hell he could rob a bank and not take any money. Instead, she said nothing. So he'd rob a convenience store with a gun instead of a con. It was easy. It was cheap. She'd probably have done it, too, if she didn't hate guns so much.
One thing she did know for certain was that when you stuck a gun in someone's face they'd do just about anything. They'd beg and plead. They'd even cry like a little baby. Her father had. He'd started crying like a little baby when he realized his empty apology for beating the hell out of Jared and Melanie wasn't going to save him. There had been too many beatings, and it had been way too late for apologies.
'Everybody ready?' Jared asked, startling Melanie. Then he tapped Andrew on his harnessed shoulder again. 'Ordinary Citizen Kane, you're coming with me.'
