Page 76 of Glimmer in the Darkness

She took her thumb from her mouth, thinking that if she did what he asked, he might do her a favor. “It’s very pretty, and I can’t wait to play in the waves.”

“And body surf! That’s the best.”

“Uh-huh. First, can you take me to see my… the man who isn’t really my daddy? I just wanna tell him good-bye.”

He snatched the papers from her hand and shoved them back in his pocket. “He doesn’t want to see you, Maryann. He’s forgotten all about you.”

She sucked her thumb again, but he yanked it out of her mouth. “Don’t do that. You’re not a baby.”

Daddy’d told her the same thing, only he’d said it nicer. Let’s quit doing that, precious girl. You’re getting so big.

Daddy was nice. Not like this man.

The man blew out a long breath. “Time to sleep. I’m gonna have to leave really early and take care of those bears so they don’t scare any other little girls. You need to be very quiet while I’m gone. Bears are attracted to noise, and you don’t want them coming back. You need to be quiet, no matter what happens, okay?”

She nodded, imagining bears all around her little cave. “Are you gonna kill them?”

His lips pressed together, and his eyes got all squinty. After a moment, he said, “If they come back around here, I’m gonna have to.” He kissed her forehead. “Hang in there, little sister. It’s almost over.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

This couldn’t be happening again.

At the grocery store in Plymouth where the Lyft driver had dropped Cassidy off, she’d ordered an Uber.

While she waited for the car, she’d purchased food for the road, enough for a few meals. A prepared sandwich for dinner, plus protein bars, crackers, a few fresh apples, and a bag of individually wrapped mozzarella cheese sticks that should last until the next day. She’d also bought another burner phone.

On the ride from Plymouth to her cabin, she’d removed the battery from her old one so it couldn’t be tracked.

Had James been arrested?

She didn’t want to think about how much trouble she’d caused him.

When she stepped into the rented cabin, all she wanted to do was fall into bed. But that wasn’t an option. She had to figure out what to do next. And she couldn’t do that until she had time to process all that had happened. Until she ate a decent meal and got some sleep and managed the headache that had been building in intensity ever since she’d jumped out James’s window, she couldn’t do anything but keep putting one foot in front of another. She wouldn’t think about the fact that she’d been shot in the head. She wouldn’t think about how close to death she’d come, once again, on that mountain.

No. She had to focus.

And she couldn’t stay here. James had picked her up here. He’d have to tell the police about this place. James wasn’t accustomed to being on the wrong side of the law, and he’d said the detective working on the case was his friend. She only hoped he’d give her enough time to gather her things and leave.

She was a fugitive and, by asking for his help, she’d put him in a terrible position. It would have been one thing if they’d found Ella, but they hadn’t.

She wouldn’t think about that yet. Not yet.

After packing her belongings, she threw the suitcase in her trunk and left. She drove toward Laconia, following road signs to an airport. She needed to park in a place where her car wouldn’t stand out—so in a parking lot—but also in a place where nobody would notice her sleeping in the backseat. Or, if they did, where she could come up with a good reason why she was there.

The regional airport seemed like a good bet. It was quiet. No commercial flights, as far as she could tell, only private aircraft. If anybody questioned her, she could claim to have come to pick someone up but found they’d been delayed. Made sense, as long as nobody dug too deep.

Better still would be if nobody noticed her at all.

By the time she parked between two SUVs, the sun had gone down over nearby Lake Winnipesaukee. She ate the sandwich, washed it down with a bottle of water, and then hunkered in the backseat to sleep. She wished she’d thought to buy a blanket and pillow, but neither had crossed her mind. No matter. If nothing else, being a foster kid and then a runaway had taught her how to be resourceful. She pulled enough clothes from her suitcase to keep her warm and use as a pillow. With the lump between the seats and no bedding, Cassidy wasn’t sure she’d sleep. Still, she closed her eyes and prayed that God would shield her from discovery. That He would tell her what to do next. That He would give James wisdom as he dealt with the mess she’d gotten him into.

Mostly, that God would protect little Ella, who was still out there, somewhere. Ella desperately needed a rescuer. Lead them to her, Lord. Or lead me. Keep her safe until she’s returned to her father.

Cassidy had lived a lot of bad nights in her life. Nights hiding her little sister from her mother’s drunken rages. Nights hiding herself from her mother’s lecherous boyfriends. Nights in new foster homes where she didn’t know where a threat would come from, but knew one would. Nights on the run, all alone, after Hallie’s death.

But she’d never had a night like this one.

The nausea hit an hour after she’d settled in to sleep. The sandwich hadn’t settled well, but she blamed the nausea more on the pounding headache. And she blamed the headache on the strain of trying to think. And the gunshot. And the lump she’d discovered on the back of her head.