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For the first time, I noticed that a black leather duffle bag sat on the floor, partially obscured by one of the couches. Obviously, he’d been planning to bug out as soon as he thought the time was right.
I wanted to curse my crummy timing. For all I knew, if I’d come over even ten minutes later, he would have already been on his way and I could’ve avoided this whole disaster.
But the universe had sent me to be here in this particular moment. I could only hope it knew what it was doing.
“This way,” Boden said, and he led me out of the living room and into the kitchen, and then through a side door that gave access to the property’s long driveway. It might’ve been quicker to go out the front, although this way, there was much less chance of anyone spotting us as we got into Emily’s Mustang.
Which I knew was probably the point.
I sat quietly as he backed out of the driveway. “Where’s your car?” he asked.
“Just down the street, behind that silver Chevy.”
A nod as he scanned the street. No one seemed to be around.
“Give me your phone.”
Oh, hell no. “I’m not going to call anyone — ”
“Maybe you’re not,” he cut in. “But this way I’ll know for sure.”
Defeated, I dug the phone out of my purse and handed it to him. He shifted in the car seat so he could slide it into his back pocket.
“Get out and head home. I’ll follow you — and don’t try anything stupid. This thing can blow the doors off your Volkswagen.”
I wanted to be offended on my car’s behalf…but I knew he was right. Meekly, I got out of the Mustang and headed over to the Beetle, then slid into the driver’s seat. As I buckled the seatbelt, I found myself praying that one of the neighbors would emerge from their house and demand to know why Boden was driving Emily Porter’s flashy new car.
But no one appeared, and I found myself letting out a resigned breath as I navigated my way back to Broad Street and the building that housed both my apartment and my store. I had to wonder what Boden would do if I suddenly veered off course and made a beeline for the police station — the Globe station, since of course, it was much closer than the headquarters for the San Ramon tribal police.
Unfortunately, I didn’t possess that sort of nerve, mostly because I knew Boden Marsh was just crazy enough to rear-end me or attempt some kind of pit maneuver if I did anything out of line. While I didn’t fear bodily injury on my own behalf, I definitely didn’t want any innocent bystanders dragged into this whole mess.
Well, at least any more than already had been, I thought, feeling a wave of sadness at what he’d done to Emily Porter.
I parked behind the building, and Boden followed suit. Since no one else was back there, he probably had decided it was better to stick close than worry about whether anyone would see us together.
He approached as I was unlocking the back door. I didn’t say anything, only went inside and let him follow me up the stairs to my apartment.
Because I’d been in such a hurry when I left, I hadn’t engaged the alarm system. As soon as we were both in the apartment, I said, “This will only take a couple of minutes. Do you want a glass of water or anything while you wait?”
There…that sounded normal, didn’t it?
“I’m fine,” Boden replied. A jittery nervousness seemed to have overtaken him, because his fingers played with the silver skull belt buckle at his waist, and once again, he rocked back on his heels. “Just hurry…and leave your purse here.”
Clearly, he was only willing to trust me so far, even though he already had my phone. I realized then what a tightrope I walked, and a spasm of fear made my throat clench. Even if Calvin had gotten my text message, he would have gone over to Emily Porter’s house to find me.
And he’d be way too late.
Since I didn’t know what else to do, I pulled out my overnight bag and threw a pair of jeans, a skirt, and a couple of T-shirts and tank tops inside, along with several changes of underwear. Into theen suitebathroom to fetch an assortment of toiletries and a hairbrush and comb, and I thought I’d amassed a collection of items that made it look as though I really was ready to go on this crazy road trip, even though I still couldn’t quite believe any of this was really happening.
No sign of Archie, either. I’d noted in passing that he’d already eaten the food I set out for him, even though it wasn’t quite six-thirty yet. So much for his much-vaunted dedication to a strict schedule. Most likely, he was sleeping off his meal somewhere and wouldn’t even realize that anything had gone wrong until it was way too late.
I emerged into the living room, overnight bag dangling from one hand. “Ready!” I said brightly. “Which way are we headed?”
“East,” Boden said. He’d brightened upon seeing the bag I held, as if somewhere in the back of his deluded mind he’d maintained one shred of sanity that told him I might not be as willing a participant in his crazy scheme as I’d pretended to be. “No one will expect us to go that way.”
I had my doubts, but I knew to keep them to myself. About all I could do was hope that Calvin would be able to put the pieces together and figure out what had happened to me.
If Chief Lewis even let him. If he suspected Boden Marsh had kidnapped me from my apartment, then that crime was firmly in his jurisdiction.
