Jon felt certain Krantz was the intruder and although he never heard him leave, he suspected he was gone when the obnoxious alarm siren abruptly came to a stop. And yet Jon was hesitant to move. For two reasons. First and foremost, he wasn’t positive that Krantz was gone. Second, he wasn’t sure he could get up from the floor where they’d been sitting. His leg burned like fire, and every muscle in his body ached. And so he remained on the floor with Leah, enclosed in silence in the darkened room. His ears still ringing from the security alarm, Jon wondered if this was how it felt after an air raid.
“Krantz must’ve called the security company,” he whispered to Leah, “to turn that alarm off.”
“Uh-huh.” Her voice sounded shaky, and who could blame her? Not for the first time, he thought she’d been impressively brave through all this. Not everyone could keep their cool as she’d done. Still, he knew that she had to be tired and as he turned on the flashlight, he could see the strain lines on her face.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
She just nodded.
“It’s pretty unnerving,” he admitted quietly.
“Yeah. Now what?” She looked at him with frightened eyes.
“We’ve got to get out of here—and get help—soon.” He felt foolish for stating the obvious. But just because it was obvious did not make it easy.
“How?”
“I was thinking about the ATV again,” he said. “At some point this morning, the police shift has got to change. Krantz has been on for at least twelve hours now. Even if he volunteered to put in overtime, I can’t imagine any responsible captain letting him stay on the clock. I think our chance is coming up soon.”
“But what if Krantz doesn’t let up—even if his shift ends?”
“Well, it seems he’d have to turn his car in. That would get him out of here for a while...don’t you think?”
“I guess so.”
“So I’ve been trying to concoct a plan.”
“Yes?”
“As soon as it seems like the cops are gone, we’ll drive the ATV down to the jetty. But from there, we’ll have to hoof it. It’ll be a rough hike for about a mile, but once we reach the beach road, it’s only a couple miles to town—and the phone should get some connectivity even before we get to town.”
“That sounds doable.” Her eyes lit up with hope.
“Yeah...” He frowned at his bandaged leg. “And even if I couldn’t make it all the way, you should be able to get there without me, Leah.” He grimaced. “You might even have a better chance on your own. Make better time anyway.”
“I can’t just leave you behind.” She looked at him with such tenderness that he felt a catch in his throat. “We’re in this together, Jon.” She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, sending a warm feeling rushing through him—almost enough to camouflage the pain surging through his leg.
“I’d be okay if you went on ahead,” he assured her. “I’d just lie low somewhere. You could send help for me later. It might be our only chance, Leah.”
She frowned. “Well, I guess we’ll have to see how it goes.” She brightened. “But what if we came to a house where someone was home—couldn’t we stop to use a landline phone?”
“Remember what we heard on the radio last night, Leah—anyone who’s listened to the news will still think we’re dangerous wanted criminals. They’d probably slam the door in our faces and call the police. Too risky.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“And once we get on the road, we’ll really have to watch for traffic. We’ll have to hide if we see anyone around—not just cops.”
“Right.”
She reached over to his bandaged thigh, gently pressing down a loose edge of adhesive tape. “Do you really think you can walk okay—for up to three miles and parts on rough terrain?”
“I’m not sure.” He frowned. “I hate to admit it, but it hurts a lot more today.”
“I was worried about that.”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” he confessed.
“Not surprising. I should probably replace your bandage and—”
“I don’t think we should waste the time.” He reached over to where Ralph was just sitting up in bed. “How you doing, old boy?”
“Should he have another tranquilizer?” she asked. “In case Krantz comes back?”
“I think he’ll be okay.” He scratched Ralph’s ear.
“He really does seem pretty laid-back. I hadn’t gotten that impression when he’d gone after Krantz.” She smiled. “But he was trying to be a hero.”
“My mom originally got Ralph for me,” he confessed. “She thought I was lonely and could use a dog. When I declined the offer, she kept him instead. So I guess he’s sort of mine. Going after Krantz was out of character for him. He usually is even-tempered and quiet. He must have wanted to protect you.”
“He’s a sweet dog.”
“I’ll go see about the ATV now. I’ll do a quick cop-check while I’m down there. I really think our chance to get out of here is imminent.”
“Sure.” She stiffly got to her feet, groaning as if her muscles were aching, too.
“And we should eat something.” He used the side of the club chair to pull himself to his feet.
“And have some fluids.” She picked up a water bottle from one of the boxes they’d hauled up there the previous night.
Jon poked around in another box. “I don’t think there’s much food left from last night up here, but I’ll bring something up from the kitchen when I come back.”
“Be careful,” she warned him as he pushed the desk away from the door. “It’ll be daylight soon.”
“That light should work in our favor as far as hiding in the house. We can see out better than they can see in now. And it won’t be so easy for cops to look into the garage while I’m gassing up the ATV.”
“And you know that the ATV works?” she asked.
“I’m going to find out.” He attempted a brave smile. “Say a prayer.”
She nodded with a genuine expression. “Believe me, I will. I honestly think that prayer is about all we have going for us right now.”
He hated to admit it, but he thought she was right. The chances of getting the old ATV to start up without a hitch seemed small. Still, it was worth a try.
* * *
After Jon left, Leah lit the candle, then she poured from her water bottle into Ralph’s bowl, urging him to drink. While he lapped at it, she dug through the boxes until she found a can of dog food and coaxed him to eat. Although the dog had relieved himself in the basement last night, he didn’t seem to be wanting out now. Not that she could do much about it anyway. And she suspected he’d be safest if he were confined to this room. She’d put some paper down for him.
“Come on, little guy,” she said. “Eat up. Your body needs the nutrition.” While she waited for him to eat, hoping a full tummy would help make him sleepy, she dug out the radio, turning it on with the volume so low that it was barely audible. The music, though not her favorite style, was comforting. Plus it was a good distraction.
After Ralph finished the food, she picked him up and gently held him in her lap. She wasn’t sure who was most soothed by this, but as she stroked his wiry brown coat, she felt herself relaxing ever so slightly.
The radio was tuned to the same station her mom used to listen to—back before Alzheimer’s had started taking over. Leah remembered how she’d sometimes teased her mom for listening to the oldies. What she wouldn’t give for Mom to even recognize these old tunes now—or sing along to the lyrics the way she used to. Occasionally Mom would hear a song and it would register with her for a few moments—but like the morning fog, it would fade away. And for the most part, she seemed like an alien...a stranger who was lost in a foreign world.
Kind of how Leah felt right now. As if everything familiar had been ripped away from her—turned upside down. As if anything and everything was a potential threat. Well, except for Jon. Having him around made a huge difference. Leah couldn’t even imagine how she would’ve handled all this if Jon hadn’t been with her. Or what she’d do if anything happened to him. She held her breath for a moment, intently listening, but hearing only the sound of the waves and the radio playing quietly. She assumed the silence of the house below meant that all was well. At least for the moment.
She prayed for him, praying that he’d be safe. And that the ATV would start—praying that it wouldn’t make noise to draw anyone’s attention and that Jon would have the right mechanical skills to get it going.
She thought about Jon down there working on the ATV. She liked the fact that, even though he was an attorney, he still knew how to fix things. She’d been impressed that he’d been rebuilding his carburetor—that he could work with his hands. She’d never told anyone this before, but she’d always dreamed that she’d marry someone who knew how to fix things. Oh, she didn’t want that to be all they could do, but not having had a dad at home—and having seen too many things go unfixed—it had seemed important to her. A childish secret that she’d kept for years. In the short time she’d known Jon, she’d observed many admirable qualities. The sort of traits she would appreciate in a husband.
Not that she expected Jon to propose marriage to her! She might be feeling slightly crazed over the recent chaotic upheaval in her life, but she wasn’t delusional. For sure, she’d felt an instant attraction to this guy—one that seemed to go both ways—but under the circumstances, well, it was a little hard to actually know if it was real or not.
As she scratched behind Ralph’s ears, she vaguely wondered about Stockholm Syndrome...but wasn’t that when victims fell for their captors? Jon was hardly her captor. If anything, he’d gotten into this mess by trying to help her. It warmed her heart to remember how he’d jumped to her rescue. But in the next instant, a chill went through her as she remembered how Krantz had attempted to kill Jon. And how Krantz probably wouldn’t back off until they were both dead—or locked behind bars.
She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself again as she focused on Ralph and the quiet music from the radio. A song her mom used to love was playing now. Something about Mona Lisa’s smile. Leah turned the volume up a hair to hear it better, trying to make out the lyrics of the slightly haunting tune. But as she listened to someone singing about a “lovely work of art,” her attention shifted to the disturbing portrait. Monica’s beautiful image was still face forward, leaned against the other canvases. And she seemed even more stunning today than she had been last night.
Leah imagined Jon painting this portrait...and the love he must’ve been feeling as he captured the image of this woman. She’d sensed those strong emotions in his charcoal sketches of her, too. She’d suspected from the get-go that Monica was more than just an attractive subject. And, despite feeling foolish for it, Leah had felt jealous about it. Oh, it made no sense. It wasn’t as if she and Jon were a couple—although she wished they could be. She could imagine them together—under different circumstances. But knowing he’d had this other woman in his life—this gorgeous woman—well, that just seemed to put the kibosh on the whole idea.
His reply when she’d asked him about Monica last night hadn’t exactly been encouraging. She’d hoped he’d say something like, “Oh, she was just a friend who modeled for me. No big deal.” Or perhaps he’d say she was his sister, although he hadn’t mentioned a sister. Instead, his answers had seemed vague—intentionally vague—which gave her the impression that he still had feelings for her. And, really, why was she thinking about all this now? Here she was in a life-and-death situation, and she was worrying about some woman in a painting?
Seeing that Ralph was nearly asleep, she gently laid him in the crate. Then she went over and put the portrait of Monica back where it belonged—behind the others as it had been when she’d found it. Some stones really were better left unturned. As she sat down in the club chair, she heard the local news coming on, signifying the top of the hour. And sure enough, it was 6:00 a.m.
“We have breaking news in Cape Perpetua,” the newscaster began. She listened as he repeated the same information from last night about the “assault on a police officer and possible drug cartel couple on the lam.” Although this time he compared Leah and Jon to Bonnie and Clyde, which seemed a pretty gigantic leap. The news folks probably enjoyed sensationalizing the whole thing.
“In the latest breaking news update, which police have linked to the wanted couple, a woman from The Willows assisted living facility is reported as missing.”
Leah gasped as she picked up the radio, holding it closer to hear.
“Leah Hampton was a part-time employee at The Willows. According to facility manager Barb Glasner, Miss Hampton’s mother, Ellen Hampton, is a patient in the nursing-care section. The fifty-two-year-old reportedly went missing early this morning. Police suspect that Leah Hampton and her unidentified companion are responsible for Ellen Hampton’s disappearance from the care facility.” The newscaster quoted Barb Glasner again, claiming that only someone with insider information, like an employee, would be able to sneak a patient out unobserved.
“Anyone who has seen, or has any information, regarding the whereabouts of Leah Hampton or Ellen Hampton or the as-yet-unidentified male are urged to contact local authorities at once. As we remind our listeners, these two criminals are considered extremely dangerous. Do not approach or engage with them. Call 911 if you see them.” This was followed by full physical descriptions of all three of them and the insinuation that Leah’s mother would be at physical risk if she was with her daughter and her dangerous friend as suspected.
Leah’s heart pounded in her throat as she absorbed this horrific news. Where was her mother? How could she have gone missing? She felt outraged to think that the police were blaming her for putting her mother in danger. That wasn’t just a flat-out lie, it was certifiably nuts! Leah had spent the last two years devoting her life to her mother, doing all she could to keep her mother in a good care facility and even working there part-time to help with the expenses.
Krantz had to be behind this somehow. But how? And why on earth would he want to kidnap a poor sick woman suffering from Alzheimer’s? What did he possibly hope to gain from that?
Before she could even begin to answer this question, she heard loud footsteps clumping up the stairs. She turned off the radio and listened as the heavy steps drew closer and then, before she could do anything, Ralph jumped out of his box and, despite her attempt to hush him, started barking at the door—the door she had neglected to barricade with the desk and bureau. And now it was too late!