Ellen McKenzie 04-Murder Half-Baked by Kathleen Delaney Page B

man. A cheater, yes. Verbal abuse, he was an expert. But he’d never hit me or made me fear for my life. And he’d never touched Susannah. If he had …
    “How about a traffic stop? By the cops.”
    Nathan and Anne looked at each other, and then they both stared at me. “A traffic stop would be perfect. That way we’d know where he was.” Nathan exchanged another look with Anne. “I could make sure we went another way, only … how can we do that?”
    “I have an idea.” Janice and her children were going to get to San Luis Obispo. Safely. “It happens that I know the police chief.” I grinned, and suddenly Anne looked hopeful. “Which means I know some of the staff. I could give Ida a call and see if something could be arranged.”
    “Who’s Ida?” Nathan asked.
    “The dispatcher. She’s great, and she adores Dan.”
    Anne gave a short laugh. “Let’s hope she adores you also. You’re willing to try this?”
    “Sure.” I gulped, wondering just how much I was overstepping my boundaries . I didn’t care. The vision of th e child clinging to her mother, the spilled orange juice as th e woman tried to hold the glass steady, the look in the eyes of those children, the smell of real fear, overwhelmed any reservations I had. Ida was getting a phone call.
    “Okay, but you’ll need some information. First, his name is Hamilton Winter.” Anne stopped and waited, evidently to see if I reacted. I did.
    “ The Hamilton Winter? The local weatherman?”
    “Unfortunately, the very one.” She studied my face. “Surprised? Don’t be. You never know who’s going to be an abuser, just like you never know who’s going to leave his family high and dry. Not supporting your wife and kids is just as abus ive , in its own way, as beating them to a pulp. It just kills them more slowly. Now, how about that phone call?”
    “I’ll need more than his name. Can you find out what kind of car he drives? And his license number would come in handy.”
    Anne gave a grim little smile. “Would save some time, wouldn’t it ? ” She turned to Nathan, who nodded and left the kitchen. He was back almost immediately, dragging a navy blue duffel bag filled to more than capacity. Judging by the knobby lumps, clothes were n o t its only contents . Margaret followed , carrying a Mickey Mouse backpack, equally over stuffed . I wondered how it would feel to have everything you owned, your whole life and your children’s, reduced to one overstuffed duffel bag and a backpack advertising Disneyland.
    Janice appeared, Emily on her hip and Ian hanging from her arm. She clutched a slip of paper. “Here. This is the license number. He drives a Lincoln Town Car. What are you going to do?” Her eyes were large and round with anxiety, the lines in her face too deep for a woman her age . B ut her expression held a faint glimmer of hope as she handed Anne the paper.
    “See if we can get you out of here in one piece.” Anne took the paper, read it, and handed it to me. “Okay. I think this is all you’ll need.”
    Gina walked into the room before I could pick up the phone. “What’s going on?”
    “Janice’s husband saw them when they left the doctor’s office,” Nathan said. “We’re trying to get them out of here and down to the safe house in San Luis Obispo.”
    “What kind of car does he drive?”
    “A Lincoln Town Car,” Anne said. “Why?
    I watched Gina take a deep breath. I think we all knew what she was about to say. “A Lincoln just passed here going slow. A sort of tan colored one. ”
    I thought Janice was going to pass out. Gina grabbed Emily and, with her other hand, lowered Janice onto one of the stools. The child started to howl. Janice reached out for her. The child knelt on her mother’s knees and immediately buried her head in her neck.
    “Mom?” Ian pushed up close to his mother. “Is Dad going to come in here?” His eyes were blinking, as if he were fighting tears . “Does he know we’re in