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I tried to get him alone before the show, but it was impossible. Word spread like wildfire and all five of the members of Dark Wing came over to congratulate us and talk about their first album—back in 1972—to earn platinum status. By the time all the hugs and congratulations were over, it was time for the opening act to go onstage. I kissed Dale for luck—he grabbed me and hugged me close at the last minute.
“Are you okay?” I asked, searching his eyes. He smiled and nodded but I knew better.
I didn’t want to miss any of their act, but I wanted to find Chelsea and ask if we could arrange some sort of celebration for after the show on short notice. Dale was upset about something Greg had said—but whatever it was couldn’t possibly kill the joy of hitting platinum—and double platinum!
I saw one of the crew—I couldn’t remember his name although I was racking my brain—and stopped to ask if he’d seen Chelsea, but he gave me a message first.
“Hey, Carl was looking for you.”
I frowned. Carl was Chelsea’s second in command.
“Do you know where he went?” I asked.
“Supply room.” He pointed to a door across the hall.
I went over and knocked gently, waiting for an answer. I didn’t get one, so I cautiously opened the door. There were shelves inside loaded with all sorts of paper products from cups and plates to toilet paper for the bathrooms.
“Carl?” I called.
He came around the corner so fast he scared me. He didn’t see me at first. He was mumbling to himself.
“Out of—” He stopped at the door and looked at me, blinking. “Sara! I have a message for you.”
“You do?”
He dug into his jeans pocket, bringing out a piece of paper.
“Here.” He slid by me and started heading down the hall.
I looked at the slip of paper. It was from a pink message pad with a space for To and From, Time, Date and all that, but someone had ignored the boxes and had written, “Sara—your dad is waiting for you in the square.”
Ben.
He was the only one I hadn’t called. But of course he knew we were in town. I remembered the way Chelsea had looked at me every time I told her to refuse a phone call from him. Had she given the note to Carl? I wasn’t sure, but I thought it might be her handwriting. I looked up to ask, but Carl was long gone.
I knew Chelsea wouldn’t let anyone into the square that she didn’t know. She’d been briefed—Dale had made it very clear who we would and would not see. Of course, Ben was on that list. But she’d decided, because she didn’t like my choice to ignore him, to let him in? When I found her, I was going to kill her.
Damnit. I heard Black Diamond going into their second song—Bonnie and Clyde—I could just pretend I hadn’t gotten the message. But I had a feeling, if I didn’t meet him, he’d coming looking for me anyway. And I didn’t want to make a big scene in front of everyone, especially not tonight. I’d go meet him privately, listen to what he had to say, and escort him out to security before Dale ever even knew he was here.
I started down the hallway, headed toward the back of the stadium. The tour busses were parked way in back. The halls were a maze. I kept an eye out for Chelsea but I only saw crew members—identified by the crew silkscreened across the back of their shirts. I got turned around three times and had to ask the crew which way toward the back door. There was more than one, of course, in an amphitheater this big, but I just needed one of them.
I felt like Alice lost in the Queen of Hearts’ hedges. I was finally ready to give up—Black Diamond was likely done with their set by now!—when I turned the corner and found the door. Actually, I found the loading area where big trucks made their deliveries. Those doors were huge, like giant garage doors, and it just reinforced the Alice theme running in my head. Had I shrunk? But no, there was a nice human-sized door on my left and I pushed it open, triumphant.
Spending all day inside made my eyes reluctant to adjust to outside light. It was dusk, a rosy hue on the horizon over the trees. The parking lot was half-filled with cars. This was where the amphitheater staff parked—the ticket takers and concession workers and janitors. Our tour busses were at the very back. I had to walk all away across the lot.
It gave me time to think of what to say. I found myself walking slower and slower as I neared the parked busses. The sun was really almost gone now and I hadn’t brought a flashlight. Well, I’d just take Ben onto the bus and we would talk there. The keys were in the visor—no one could get back here to steal them, and if they did, how in the world could they get out with one?
I ran my hand along the side of our bus as I came up to the passageway into the square on my left. I made the turn, taking the narrow way through, remembering with a smile how Dale had carried me out and had his way with me. And vice versa. Platinum. Double platinum! I was still so excited I could hardly contain it. I couldn’t wait until after the show so we could really celebrate.
Maybe I would even let Ben stay. Time had softened my heart a little. Not much, but a little bit. I had so many questions, but I was afraid of the answers. And worse—I was afraid of the lies. Could I trust anything he said? I was doubtful.
I blinked in the low light, looking for someone, anyone. The bus lights were dark. There was no one here, of course. The band was on stage and the crew was too.
“Sara.”
I froze. The voice came from my left and I knew it instantly. I turned and ran. If I hadn’t put my hair up that morning—I was too tired and it was too late in the day to fix it up by the time Dale and I were done in the shower—if I hadn’t had a nice, neat little handle on the back of my goddamned head, I would have been free.
“Where do you think you’re going, little girl?”
