Part 38 (1/2)
43.
Keely knocked on the door to Dylan's room.
”Come on in,” he shouted.
She opened the door and forced herself to smile at him. Dylan removed his headset and looked up at her. ”What did that detective want now?” he asked.
Keely shook her head. ”Nothing much. Details. About Ms. Chase's death. Nothing important.”
”Mom, you look sick. What's the matter?”
”I don't know. Maybe I'm coming down with something. Listen, honey, I've just had a great idea.”
”What?” he asked suspiciously.
”Well, I was thinking . . . since you have to do research on the Supreme Court, why don't we just get in the car and take a drive down to Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.? It's only an hour and a half from here. You and me and Abby. We could get a room, and tomorrow we can tour the court. It would give your paper a lot of . . . authenticity, you know. You could take some pictures of the building. I could get a picture of you in front of it!”
”Mom, I'm not in fifth grade anymore. This is not 'How I Spent My Summer Vacation.' ”
”I know,” she persisted. ”But I still think it would be a good idea. You could talk to some people who work there. You said yourself you're going to need extra credit to make up for the lost time.”
Dylan peered at her. ”I thought you didn't feel good.”
”I'm fine. It's just a little trip. I think it's a good idea,” she cried.”What's wrong with it?”
”I can't,” he said. ”I have an appointment with Dr. Stover tomorrow.”
”I'll reschedule it,” said Keely.
”Mom, I'm tired,” he complained. ”I don't want to take a trip.”
She knew he was tired. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he'd been listless ever since he'd gotten home. But she had to get them away from here. ”You can rest in the car. We'll take your medication with us.”
”Thanks a lot, Mom. Always thinking of my welfare.”
Tears rose to her eyes at his bitter sarcasm. ”I'm trying to do what I think is best,” she said hoa.r.s.ely.
”What's the matter?” he asked, frowning.
”Nothing's the matter. Hasn't enough bad stuff happened around here that I might just want a change of scene?”
Dylan folded up the cord on his headset and turned off the power on the CD player. ”You never did this before,” he said.
Keely wiped her eyes quickly with the side of her hands and sniffed.”Did what?” she asked.
”Ran away,” he said.
She was about to protest his description, but then she stopped. She couldn't.Put it another way,she thought. ”Look, Dylan. I'm not asking you to go to Alaska,” she said. ”A quick little road trip to Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C. Is that too much to expect? I know you're tired. I wouldn't ask it if I didn't think it was important.”
”Why?” he said stubbornly, staring out the window. ”Tell me why and I'll go.”
”I told you why.”
”You're lying,” he said.
Keely was about to lash out at him for his insolence. Then she stopped herself. He was right. How could she scold him for that? She took a deep, shuddering breath. ”Okay,” she whispered. ”Something terrible is about to happen. To someone we . . . know. I don't want to be involved in it. I don't want any part of it. I want to be far away.”
”Who?” Dylan asked. ”What's going to happen?”
”I don't want to get into it. I don't want to say any more about it. Believe me, you'll know soon enough.”
”Just tell me who it is,” he insisted.
”Dylan . . .”
”Come on, Mom.”
Keely hesitated. She recognized that implacable expression in his eyes. She had seen it in the mirror often enough lately. He was not going to let her off the hook.All right,she decided. Hiding it would just postpone the inevitable. He would know soon enough. It couldn't take the police long to put it together. ”It's Lucas,” she said. ”Okay? It's Lucas.”
”What's going to happen to him?”
”I think he's going to be arrested,” she said.
”Is that why the cop was here?”
”No,” she said. ”That was . . . something else.”
”So why is he going to be arrested? Is it serious?”
”Very serious,” she said.
”What did he do? Some legal fraud or something?”
”No, Dylan. This is a matter of life and death. Okay? And that's it. That's all I'm going to say. Now, I want to leave, as soon as possible. Can you do it without an argument? Can you trust me? Just this once. Trust me and pack a bag.”
Dylan sighed. ”All right,” he said. ”I guess so.”
ABBY FELL ASLEEPin her car seat almost the moment they hit the highway. As for Dylan, Keely let him play whatever CDs he wanted, as long as the noise didn't wake up his sister. It kept him occupied. There was no need to talk. Every so often, she would point to the map and he would look at the pa.s.sing signs and tell her when to expect the next intersection of roads. Otherwise, they rode in silence.
The Dolly Madison Motor Lodge was in a quiet area outside of Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C., and it was dark when they pulled into the parking lot. Keely read the sign. ”This looks nice,” she said. ”Restaurant, indoor pool, Jacuzzi, cable, c.o.c.ktail lounge with live music.”
”Cool,” said Dylan. ”Four old fat guys playing 'Stranger in the Night.' ”
Keely responded with a thin smile. ”We'll skip c.o.c.ktails,” she said.