I just have to talk to this man.” As if he heard her, he opened the foyer door again.
Kari turned around. “You said no. Why? How are they going to hurt you? Will they push you down? Or hit you?”
He looked down at Kari and said, “Maybe. They might take her stuff, too.”
Kari turned serious eyes to him. “Why?”
The tall man opened his mouth to answer and then hesitated. He shrugged. “I don’t know.” He raised his eyes to Marley. “I know them, though. I know who... sponsors them.”
Marley looked at him sidelong. The overwhelming certainty that he would die soon did not reoccur, although she still vaguely felt that something unpleasant would happen. That feeling, at least, was one she was used to.
She peered out through the window again. The people surrounding the minivan were laughing and horsing around with each other. They were young and casually dressed, clean-cut and well-groomed. “Sponsor? They look like college students.”
An unexpected smile briefly quirked the corner of the man’s mouth. “You could say they’re interns.”
“Uh-huh. Scary, dangerous interns. And what do you want?”
“For starters, I’d like to find Zachariah.” There was an edge to his voice.
“So would we. I'd like to have a little chat with him about his idea of advance planning.” She looked outside again. Some of the college students were watching them. So was the girl with the dogs.
“How did you end up with his kids?”
She transferred her gaze back to the man. “You know what bothers me about you? How you found me at that park yesterday. How both you and that other guy found me, if you’re not working together. I mean, I left Zachariah a note, but I didn’t include a last name, an address, or an intended schedule. So, okay, if the lawyer guy has been watching Zachariah for a while, the park was a pretty good guess. We meet there a lot. But you just asked me how I ended up with the kids. Which was in the note. So how did you know I was involved? How did you know to find me yesterday if you didn’t see the note? Something doesn’t make sense here.”
He stared at her, his eyes wide. His mouth opened, and then closed again.
Marley looked back out the doors. “On the other hand, that’s the same van Lawyer Jeremy was in yesterday. Which makes me quite uninterested in buying any magazine subscriptions, or whatever they’re selling.”
He cleared his throat and said, “I can distract them.”
“How sweet. I’ll just bet you can.”
He frowned at her and shook his head. Then he went outside and spoke to the teenager with the dogs. Marley shifted her weight uncomfortably. She’d believed the teen was just a random observer, just like she’d hoped the tall man was a random observer the day before. Marley wished the girl didn't look so young.
Kari whimpered. “I want Uncle Zach back.”
Lissa took Kari’s hand and stared out the window. “Somebody made him go away.”
Shocked, Kari said, “Nobody could do that.”
“And Marley’s scared of people out there,” Lissa continued, in a dreamy voice.
“What?” said Marley sharply. “No, I’m not. I was just surprised.” Kari glanced up but Lissa didn’t seem to hear her.
Something clunked in the library ventilation system, and Marley could suddenly smell the wildfire as if she were right beside it. Outside, the tall man and the teenager stopped talking and looked around, and the dogs sniffed the wind. The tall man looked at Marley and frowned again, and then nodded to the teen.
The girl slipped the leashes off her three dogs, and then snapped her fingers and ambled in the direction of Marley’s car and the minivan. The dogs raced ahead of her while the dark man followed behind.
Marley crouched down and put an arm around each of the twins. “We’re going to play a game. We have to get to our car and get inside without the people next to the van noticing.”
Lissa looked over at her. “I don’t want to play a game,” she
Kari turned around. “You said no. Why? How are they going to hurt you? Will they push you down? Or hit you?”
He looked down at Kari and said, “Maybe. They might take her stuff, too.”
Kari turned serious eyes to him. “Why?”
The tall man opened his mouth to answer and then hesitated. He shrugged. “I don’t know.” He raised his eyes to Marley. “I know them, though. I know who... sponsors them.”
Marley looked at him sidelong. The overwhelming certainty that he would die soon did not reoccur, although she still vaguely felt that something unpleasant would happen. That feeling, at least, was one she was used to.
She peered out through the window again. The people surrounding the minivan were laughing and horsing around with each other. They were young and casually dressed, clean-cut and well-groomed. “Sponsor? They look like college students.”
An unexpected smile briefly quirked the corner of the man’s mouth. “You could say they’re interns.”
“Uh-huh. Scary, dangerous interns. And what do you want?”
“For starters, I’d like to find Zachariah.” There was an edge to his voice.
“So would we. I'd like to have a little chat with him about his idea of advance planning.” She looked outside again. Some of the college students were watching them. So was the girl with the dogs.
“How did you end up with his kids?”
She transferred her gaze back to the man. “You know what bothers me about you? How you found me at that park yesterday. How both you and that other guy found me, if you’re not working together. I mean, I left Zachariah a note, but I didn’t include a last name, an address, or an intended schedule. So, okay, if the lawyer guy has been watching Zachariah for a while, the park was a pretty good guess. We meet there a lot. But you just asked me how I ended up with the kids. Which was in the note. So how did you know I was involved? How did you know to find me yesterday if you didn’t see the note? Something doesn’t make sense here.”
He stared at her, his eyes wide. His mouth opened, and then closed again.
Marley looked back out the doors. “On the other hand, that’s the same van Lawyer Jeremy was in yesterday. Which makes me quite uninterested in buying any magazine subscriptions, or whatever they’re selling.”
He cleared his throat and said, “I can distract them.”
“How sweet. I’ll just bet you can.”
He frowned at her and shook his head. Then he went outside and spoke to the teenager with the dogs. Marley shifted her weight uncomfortably. She’d believed the teen was just a random observer, just like she’d hoped the tall man was a random observer the day before. Marley wished the girl didn't look so young.
Kari whimpered. “I want Uncle Zach back.”
Lissa took Kari’s hand and stared out the window. “Somebody made him go away.”
Shocked, Kari said, “Nobody could do that.”
“And Marley’s scared of people out there,” Lissa continued, in a dreamy voice.
“What?” said Marley sharply. “No, I’m not. I was just surprised.” Kari glanced up but Lissa didn’t seem to hear her.
Something clunked in the library ventilation system, and Marley could suddenly smell the wildfire as if she were right beside it. Outside, the tall man and the teenager stopped talking and looked around, and the dogs sniffed the wind. The tall man looked at Marley and frowned again, and then nodded to the teen.
The girl slipped the leashes off her three dogs, and then snapped her fingers and ambled in the direction of Marley’s car and the minivan. The dogs raced ahead of her while the dark man followed behind.
Marley crouched down and put an arm around each of the twins. “We’re going to play a game. We have to get to our car and get inside without the people next to the van noticing.”
Lissa looked over at her. “I don’t want to play a game,” she
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