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“Dottie, can you cover for me?” Colette asked in haste, not waiting for an answer. She sped back to her cubicle and dialed Clive’s office number again. Again, the same cordial receptionist answered.
“Dunbar, Wilson and Chase. How may I direct your call?”
“Hi, it’s Colette again. You said Mr. Dunbar was out of town on business? Do you know where?”
“Let me put you through to his assistant.”
“Clive Dunbar’s office. How can I help you?” A familiar voice was on the other side.
“Hi, it’s Colette Petrov.” She could barely breathe.
“Colette. Nice to hear from you. What can I help you with?”
“I need to find Mr. Dunbar. It’s particularly important.” Colette slowed down.
“He went to Toronto on business and was going to meet up with his son at their cabin on Cranberry Lake in upstate New York.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Colette tried not to sound desperate.
“Not until the end of next week. Is there something I can help you with?”
“I don’t think so. But thank you. Please tell him I called. I have the same cell number.” Colette gave it to the assistant just in case. “Thanks very much.”
Colette grabbed her purse and made a beeline to the employee parking garage. She zoomed out and proceeded to Max’s school. The imposter knew where she lived and where she worked. Colette tried to keep her wits about her, not knowing what kind of danger they were in. She phoned the school to let them know she was picking him up. Family emergency was her reason.
Colette remained calm when she arrived at Max’s school. She explained that they were going on another adventure. “For how long?” Max was curious.
“Just a few days.” Colette hoped it would only be a few days before she tracked Clive Dunbar down. If memory served her, she had a rough idea as to where his cabin was located. She had certainly helped Randolph plan a few trips there, but she didn’t have Clive’s cell number. She thought about calling the office again and asking for it, but right now, she wasn’t sure whom to trust. That could have saved her a lot of trouble, but she had to move, and move fast.Think. Think. How many cabins could there be on Cranberry Lake?She would soon find out.
When they got back to Irina’s house, Colette helped Max pack a small bag with three days’ worth of clothing and a few games. She threw a few things together for herself and left her sister a note:
Had an emergency to deal with. Nothing terrible but had to leave town for a couple of days. Will call later. Love, C.
Confident she had not been followed, she packed up the car with a small cooler filled with water and juice boxes. On her way out of town, she stopped at a large bookstore and purchased a spiral-bound road atlas. She also let Max pick out a book. Since she wasn’t sure of the exact location of the cabin, once she got there she would need something that showed the area and the terrain. Sitting in the car, she opened the atlas and saw it would take the better part of five hours to get to Cranberry Lake. She would have to wing it the rest of the way.
* * *
Colette and Max had been on the road for almost four hours. It was getting late, and they were both hungry. Colette decided to stop for the night and get a fresh start in the morning. She pulled out her phone and searched for a decent motel. There were several national chains outside Watertown. From there, it would be another hour to Cranberry Lake. They would get up early, have breakfast, and get back on the road. It would be much better to navigate in daylight. Plus, she needed to rest and regroup. The last twenty-four hours had been alarming.
They pulled into the parking lot of a Courtyard by Marriott and dragged their bags into the lobby. Checking in was no problem, and there was a nice family restaurant several yards across the parking lot. Colette took it as a good sign.
Max was always excited when they would go out for a meal. It wasn’t that often, so it was a big treat when it happened. Colette was happy that Max was in good spirits. She had been concerned he wouldn’t do well with another shuffle. He had been quite fine with the move to Buffalo. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were a loving family and welcomed them with open arms. Colette thought Max was a well-adjusted boy with a positive temperament. He was happy and bright, with a kind, sweet disposition. Colette thanked her lucky stars for that. And today he was all in for an adventure. As long as she could remain calm and make it appear that this was totally normal, Max would respond to her mood. She prayed she had the strength and asked St. Jude, the saint of hopeless causes and miracles, to intervene. And anyone else who might be listening. She smiled, thinking about her former employer. And you, too, Mr. Randolph.
“What kind of adventure are we doing?”
“Remember Mr. Randolph, my former boss?”
“The one who went to heaven?” He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.
Colette smiled. “Yes, that’s right. Well, he has a friend named Mr. Dunbar, and I have something I need to give him.”
“Like a present?” Max asked with wonder.
“Sorta. Like a present.” Colette hoped it would be a welcome gift. It was certainly an unexpected one.
The waitress came by to take their order. “What can I get for you?”
Max was bobbing in his seat. “I would like a cheeseburger, please.”
