Part 28 (2/2)

”But- ”I know, but you can't. We have to leave, and fast. I'm all right, I promise, but I want you out of here.”

She didn't like it but saw the sense. She kissed me hard. ”I'll be waiting at my place.”

”I'll come as soon as I can.”

She smiled. It was a wan one, but still a smile, and she let Escott pull her away.

”What about her?” said Gordy, nodding at the stream when they were gone.

”We can't leave her for the cops. We can't chance an autopsy-not on her. And that truck with the box in it has to go.”

”I'll get the boys to fix things.”

Hitch came back then with another mug named Jinky and the shotgun used to kill Norma. Gordy sent them across the stream and into the trees.

”Put his mitts on it, and for Chrissake make sure he ain't got no spare sh.e.l.ls.”

”Yeah, boss.”

”And clean off that knife.”

”Yeah, boss.”

While they were gone we did what was necessary and did it fast.

The trail of rubber flapped and twisted, vibrating and adding its noise to the squeak. Hitch, who was driving, finally shut them off. We made a turn and the blanket-wrapped thing on the floor s.h.i.+fted with the direction change. I moved my feet so it wouldn't touch me.

Silly thing to do.

For the hundredth time Hitch checked the mirror. He was more worried about looking out for cops than not seeing my reflection. He made another turn and we swayed. His speed was cautious, but his driving technique clumsy. He didn't like what was in the back with me and Jinky.

Couldn't blame him.

Jinky was nervous as well and complaining. ”This just ain't done, this cartin'

around. Plug 'em and leave 'em, I sez.”

”Shut up, Jinky,” Hitch said wearily.

He shut up and kept looking sideways at me, uneasy from my silence. His hand never strayed far from the bulge under his armpit. Maybe he was picking up on my feelings of death. I looked at him once, he blanched, and the fear smell came off him, sharp and stinging.

Gordy was in the front pa.s.senger seat and turned his head, noticing something was wrong. I kept looking out the window.”How's your mother, Jinky?” he asked out of the blue.

Jinky was gulping. ”Wha... oh, she's okay.”

”She's doin' okay. Still got that dog? What's its name?”

”Peanuts... yeah, she's still got ”im.”

Gordy, not a great conversationalist, kept him talking until he calmed down.

After five minutes, Jinky looked less likely to make a fatal exit out the door. I shut my eyes and pretended to nap, half expecting to fight off an army of ugly images from the recent past but finding sweet, warm darkness instead.

We drove north along the lake for a long time. I thought vaguely we were going to Wisconsin, but Hitch made a last turn onto a muddy, rutted road that curved into thick trees. The car bounced and slewed. The thing at my feet s.h.i.+fted again, but this time I didn't bother moving.

A little later, the four of us were slogging through more mud and wet leaves.

While Gordy and Hitch carried the rope-tied bundle, Jinky and I used the flashlights.

Jinky came along because he didn't want to be alone.

Twenty feet of dock and a boathouse waited for us at the sh.o.r.eline. Gordy unlocked the boathouse. I couldn't easily go in since most of it was over the water, so I missed seeing them load the thing into the boat. Without any delay they rowed free of the house and out onto the lake.

I sat on the damp ground and watched them. They didn't start the motor until they were small specks in the distance. Human eyes could not see them in that dark, but Gordy was taking no chances.

Jinky alternately paced and squatted, wanting to stay near me for the company, but not wanting to get too close. He'd seen Malcolm, after all, and maybe Hitch had been talking to him.

Jinky was s.h.i.+vering; the wind off the restless lake was cool. He paced around, hands in pockets, jingling the change there. ”We used to use this place a lot,” he said out of nervousness. I let him talk; his voice took me out of myself. ”We used to run some pretty good stuff through here from Canada. Mostly for the boss 'n his friends.

Stuff that was too good for the speaks, they said.”

The boat was at the edge of sight. The wind carried the thin buzz of the motor to us. The boat vanished.

He must have been wondering what I was staring at in the gloom. ”Got hijacked once,” he continued. ”Early out. That was fun. Then we started packin' big rods and that hotted things up. We went to a lot of trouble over that fancy hooch and for what? You get drunk just as fast on the homemade stuff, faster even. Richer, too.

Half those mugs never knew the difference.”The motor buzz was irregular now, the wind affecting it.

”There was this girl I had then, always after me for some of the fancy stuff. I took an empty bottle that still had the label on and put in some of the local make and some tea for color. She never knew the difference, but sure knew how to say thanks.

Not too smart, but she was a lot of fun.”

The buzz changed and grew. I blinked the flashlight a few times to give them a direction to aim for and kept it up until they were close. The motor cut and they rowed the rest of the way in. The bundle was gone and so was the boat anchor and its length of chain.

They got out and Gordy locked up. ”Where to?” he asked me.

My throat was clogged; I had to clear it first. ”Bobbi's.”

He nodded.

The ride back seemed shorter.

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