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Renay shared the boardinghouse address she’d given him earlier and the buggy pulled off.
“I let Welch know you’d be delivering her package tonight,” Renay said.
Beside Raven in the backseat sat Braxton. He draped an arm over the seat’s top edge, and she slid closer and rested her head against his shoulder. It was almost over.
There were a couple of lights on inside the boardinghouse when they drove up, and Raven prayed one of them belonged to Welch. She had no idea what she’d do if the detective wasn’t there. She wouldn’t put it past Welch to be elsewhere as a way to purposely prolong their servitude. The landlady, an elderly White woman, answered the door. She took one look at Raven and said, “Too late for visiting.”
“I’m not here to visit. I have some papers to give to Annabelle Clarkston. She’s expecting me.”
The woman appeared skeptical, but said, “Wait here.”
She returned shortly. “Her room is the second door down the hall. You have five minutes. No more.”
Raven offered her thanks, made her way to the designated door, and knocked.
“Who’s there?”
“The person you’re expecting.”
Raven didn’t want to give her name in case the landlady or someone else might be listening. The best way to disappear was to leave no trace, clues, or connections behind.
The door opened. Raven handed Welch the tube and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Welch hissed.
Raven stopped.
“I need to make sure this isn’t empty. Come inside.”
It was the last thing Raven wanted to do, but if this small concession led to never seeing Welch again, she’d make it.
Inside the room, Raven waited and watched while Welch pried the cylinder open and extracted the document. After unfurling it and studying it closely under a lamp, Welch smiled. “This is it.”
Raven wanted to verbally flay her for forcing Raven’s family to do her bidding, but decided it served no purpose. Instead, she put her contempt into the parting glare she shot Welch’s way as she exited.
The ride to Maisie’s house took an hour. It was out in the country, and the moonless night was so pitch dark, she was glad Marshall had agreed to drive them. Inside the house when they arrived were her mother, Harrison, and her Charleston cousins. Hugs and smiles were shared before the serious talk began.
Braxton stood off to the side with his father and watched and listened as Raven relayed the events of the past few days, the discovery of the hidden cylinder, and their encounter with Aubrey Stipe. She passed the IOUs to Renay, who said, “I know a local Republican newspaper publisher. He may be interested in these.”
With that taken care of, Hazel spoke. “I received a wire from Eden yesterday. She and the immediate family are on their way to cousin Dane’s in Texas. The number of deaths back home is now close to two thousand and she thought they should leave.”
Braxton was stunned, and from the faces of the others in the room, he wasn’t alone.
Hazel continued, “As of this morning, Mississippi isn’t allowing any trains from or to Louisiana, and some of the other bordering states are considering the same. There are deaths as far north as Memphis. In light of that, I’m going north to Boston with Harrison until the end of August. Raven, I purchased Boston tickets foryou, too. Neither of us needs to go home right now. It’s too risky. That also applies to you, Renay. Once we’re done here, sail to Cuba and stay with my brother, or go to St. Augustine or Savannah and stay with family there, but don’t go home to New Orleans. I don’t want to bury you. We’ve all cried at enough funerals because of the fever.”
Braxton remembered Raven’s recounting of the family members who’d succumbed to the disease in the past. He turned his attention her way. Would she balk at Boston and choose to go to Cuba or one of the other places Hazel mentioned instead? He didn’t want her going home, either. If she decided not to come to Boston, he’d be disappointed, but it was better than worrying about burying her. As if she’d heard his thinking, she looked over and held his gaze for a few moments before refocusing on her mother. He wondered what she’d do. He was selfish enough to want her with him even if the time equaled no more than a month. He’d awakened with her beside him the past few days, and he wanted more. Along with more of her smiles, kisses, and the enthralling scent of roses on her skin.
Raven said, “Once Stipe wakes up, he’s going to be furious. When he realizes we’ve left, he’ll probably be at the station in the morning looking for us.”
Hazel said, “I agree. I packed our nun habits in case we needed them, and I’m glad I did. Wecan claim to be from the Order back home or the one up in Baltimore. Harrison and Braxton can play the role of Order employees assisting us in travel.”
Braxton was impressed. The family always seemed one step ahead, and in this case he was thankful. Stipe would indeed be furious and moving heaven and earth to find them. He’d be looking for a married couple, however. Not two nuns. He spoke up. “Stipe won’t recognize you, Da, but he will me, so I should probably shave.”
“Good idea,” Raven said.
The talking went on for a short while longer, and once everything that needed to be discussed was handled, it was time for bed.
Brax hid a yawn behind his hand. Seeing it, Maisie said kindly, “Brax, there’s a tent out back with a cot inside. You’re welcome to it.”
