Abby paused the action on the monitor. Hearing Ned’s recitation of his little sister’s distinguishing scars a second time was no less traumatic than the first. She still wanted to cry. Or hit someone. Wordlessly, John handed her his handkerchief and she wiped her eyes. She wondered if he had an endless supply of them.
Even if it were only a movie it would be distressing to watch. But knowing it was the lives of real people unfolding made it nearly intolerable. Knowing it happened to a relative had to be ten times worse. When Abby had her face under control, she turned to look at Brother Greenfield.
His eyes were liquid with tears, and he was mopping his face with his own handkerchief. “So that’s what you two were watching last night. Sorry I jumped to conclusions about what you were up to.” He put his handkerchief in his pocket and shook his head in wonder. “Lord have mercy. Those poor, poor boys are my grandpa and uncle with who knows how many greats in front.”
Patty Ann’s eyes were huge. “Wow. Wow. Wow.”
“I wish that were only a made-up story,” Kate said.
“Times were really hard for blacks around here back then,” Brother Greenfield said. “Even for free blacks. Kidnapping was a common occurrence. You heard what Uncle Henry said.”
“Okay.” Abby turned back to the monitor. “I’m going to lock onto Ned and see if he goes to Hickory Hill.”
Ryan made a production of looking at his watch. “What’s the point? Obviously, this is the wrong Ned Greenfield and…”
“Because, Ryan, it’s not all about me now.” Kate turned to smile at Brother Greenfield. “I’m sorry. Of course you’d like to find out more about your Ned Greenfield.”
“It would be wonderful if we could. Although it’s going to kill me not to be able to tell the family how I found out.”
An acorn landed on his head, and Ned looked up into the oak tree he and Nelson hid behind. A jay screeched and flew off. Ned’s stomach was as nervous as if that jay was hunting acorns in it. They’d pay dearly if anyone discovered they had left the farm. The November wind whipped through his shirt, and he put his hands under his arms to warm them. The sun was sinking fast.
“Don’t worry,” Joseph said. “He’ll come. He always goes into town of a Saturday night.”
Ned took a deep breath and looked over at his brother. Nelson looked back at him, his face a mask of fierce determination. “We get ‘em back.”
Joseph looked as certain. “I’ll make him tell us.”
There was a noise, and a sorrel mare pulling a black buggy came tripping down the lane from the Granger mansion. There was no mistaking the barrel-chested man holding the reins.
“Joseph….” Ned pulled his arm. “You don’t know that man.”
“Don’t worry about me. Just don’t let him see you.” Joseph hoisted his squirrel gun and stepped out of the trees onto the road.
The mare reared furiously. John Granger let out a loud stream of foul curses and sawed on the reins. “You crazy fool! Are you trying to get us both killed?”
Joseph grabbed the mare’s halter and rested his gun on his shoulder. “Where are the Greenfields, Mr. Granger?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, young man.”
“Just tell us where. St. Louis? Paducah?”
“Us? Who else is with you?”
“No one. It’s just me. Now tell me what I want to know.”
Ned held his breath and told himself all they had to do was keep quiet. Even that man couldn’t see through solid oak. Nelson’s eyes were wild, and Ned put a steadying hand on his shoulder.
“Get out of my way, or I’ll run you down, you fool.”
Granger brought his carriage whip down on the mare’s back, and she shrieked in fear and rose up again. Joseph fell back and the gun went off. Nelson moaned and pulled away from the tree. Ned grabbed at his shirt but missed. Nelson stumbled from behind the tree, and Ned made another grab for him.
Granger whipped the reins, and the mare took off, Joseph scrabbling to get out of the path of her hooves. Granger looked back over his shoulder and drilled a look of pure hatred at them. He shouted something they couldn’t make out. It didn’t matter what. The meaning was clear.
“He’ll kill us, sure,” Nelson said.
“That done it,” Ned said. “We got to run.”
“Where will you go?” Joseph asked.
“Better you don’t know nothin’ ‘bout that.” Ned grabbed his brother’s arm. “Hurry. We got to go afore he come back with his gun.”
Nelson grabbed his arm and stared at him wild-eyed. “Mama’s necklace.”
No matter how foolish the idea, Ned found he couldn’t deny his little brother that one thing. “I’ll get it,” he said. “Say your goodbyes to Joseph.” He released Nelson and took off running into the trees, past the salt works, and out to Master Granger’s farm.
At their cabin he stood in the doorway just looking. The wind whistled through the cracks, and the roof leaked when it rained, but Mama had always done her best to make it a home. He gasped and doubled over with the pain of their loss. Somehow he still expected her and Pap and the girls to be there even though his head told him they were long gone.
It was past quitting time, almost time for supper. By now his Mama would have ended her long day up at the kitchen and be making corn mush and frying up salt pork for their supper. His Pap would come in from picking greens in the little patch he worked by lantern light after his own long day smithing for Master Granger. He’d be telling them stories of where they’d go and what they’d do when his indenture was up. Only a little more time, he’d say. Only a little more time.
Nelson barreled past him where he stood at the doorway. “I made Joseph go on home,” he said.
Ned blinked. He went to the ledge on the wall by Mama and Pap’s cornhusk bed and got the penny necklace. Lady Liberty was still shiny, and he’d have to remember to keep her polished like Mama had. He looked at it for a moment and then thrust it into his pocket.
“Hurry, Nelson,” Ned said. “Grab the blanket and let’s—”
Something bashed into the back of his head, and he fell to the floor. He watched through a blood-red haze as Sheriff Dobbs stepped over him and aimed his shotgun squarely on Nelson. “Tie him,” he said, and Ned realized other men were there crowding into the cabin. He felt himself being hauled to his feet, and a blinding pain streaked through his head, causing everything to go black for a bit.
They tied him to the back of a horse with a length of rope. When the horse took off, Ned stumbled but remained standing, surprised to find he could trot along, although each step made it feel like someone was chopping at his head with an axe. He tried to see where Nelson was, but the other horses were in the way, and blood kept dripping into his eyes.
It wouldn’t be long now. There were plenty of good hanging trees in the woods behind the barns. And then his legs went boneless, and he couldn’t trot anymore. He felt himself being dragged over rough ground, and then the blackness came again.
“I’ve lost him.” Abby clicked on the controls but it was no use. They were back in the present and the houses were doing their slideshow again.
“What do you mean?” Kate asked.
“The lock on Ned. Do you think because he passed out that had anything to do with it?”
“Maybe. Try again.”
Abby looked at John and grinned. Sometime during their time-surfing, Uncle Henry had fallen asleep in his chair and was leaning against John’s shoulder.
“Sorry,” she said. “It’s all gone. The church isn’t even available.”
“Did he pass out, or did he die?” Kate asked.
“If they’re going to lynch them, I don’t think I can watch,” Patty Ann said.
Ryan snorted. “They didn’t lynch them—at least not Nelson. Obviously, Henry and Alex wouldn’t be here if they had.”
“That took place in November of 1849,” Abby said. “And Ned was living at Hickory Hill when the 1850 census was taken.”
John looked at her and then over to Patty Ann. “Do you think you can get us back into Miss Granger’s house? If we had a little time, I’m sure we could find out more.”
“I can try. It depends on how she’s feelin’. But…” Patty Ann looked apologetically at Brother Greenfield.
“You all go on,” he said. “No sense me scaring the poor woman with my big, old black self. Only you have to promise to tell me what you find out.” He grinned and leaned over to shake the old man sleeping against John’s shoulder. “I’ve got to get Uncle Henry home anyway.”
“Okay,” Patty Ann said. “I’ll go back and—”
“Wait,” Abby said. “Aren’t we forgetting something?”
“The library and courthouse,” Kate said.
Ryan looked at his watch in horror. “If we don’t hurry, they’ll close and we’ll have to spend another night in this God-forsaken place.” He had the grace to look embarrassed. “Oh. Sorry.”
“But maybe we won’t need any of that. We could just time—”
“We have to go anyway, Kate,” Abby said. “Remember? We never checked out of the motel.”