had, on impulse, called Dorothy. But she hadn’t told the woman anything that would give them away. Had she? She’d been just as careful as always.
Claire checked her watch again. Ten-thirty. Finally. She collected her rain slicker and car keys and went to the door to wait. She had unhitched her car from the back of the trailer before the rain started; after lunch she had darted into town and filled up its gas tank. While there, she had bought a sack of nonperishable food for the car and two gallons of water. Her and Skye’s duffel bags were in the camper, stuffed into the storage compartment above the dinette. The pouch of gems was already tucked into her duffel, just in case. She couldn’t chance forgetting them.
That she and Skye might be leaving the carnival tonight was a very real possibility.
It all depended on what Aunt Dorothy said. It all depended on Pierce.
Claire drew in a deep, shaky breath. Even if Dorothy reassured her, she might choose to leave, anyway. The advent of the school year wasn’t that far off; if she and Skye left now, it would give them more time to get set up someplace. That would be good for Skye, it would be good for her, too.
She had laid the groundwork for her and Skye’s departure with Marvel already: she’d told him that they had friends nearby, and if he didn’t mind they would wait out the storm with them. She’d told him that she had asked Chance to watch their camper while they were gone, because of the storm. Marvel hadn’t asked any questions, he had merely nodded and muttered something about wishing he could wait out the storm elsewhere, as well.
Claire rubbed her arms, chilled. She couldn’t go on this way, not knowing, unable to sleep for the nightmares, for the horrible feeling of doom that hung over her and dogged her every waking moment.
Last night the nightmare had been particularly vivid. The monstrous dark bird had nearly had Skye, its great, sharp talons had closed around her. Claire had snatched her daughter away, a moment before the longest of the talons had pierced her daughter’s heart.
Claire had awakened out of breath and drenched with sweat. And she had known, just as she had known every time in the past, that Pierce was close to finding them.
He had never been so close before.
Chance arrived. They spoke little, though the silence between them was heavy with her anxiety and his unasked questions. For one moment, she considered telling him the truth, sharing her fear. The desire to lean on someone, to have someone support her, even if only a boy, was so strong it took her breath. It had been such a long time since she’d had someone to lean on, someone to be strong for her.
But in the end, she knew she could depend on no one but herself. It had always been that way; she feared it always would.
Promising Chance she would be back as quickly as she could, she headed out into the storm.
The trip to town took nearly three times as long as usual because of the wind and driving rain. She had planned to call from the pay phone in the tavern; she hadn’t planned on the place being so crowded. It seemed the entire town of Ridely had decided to wait out the storm drunk.
Claire picked her way through the crowd, heading for the back of the bar and the phone. A woman stumbled over to her and grabbed her arm, though Claire wasn’t sure whether to get her attention or to steady herself. The woman reeked of booze.
“You’re that psychic, ain’t you? From the carnival?”
Several people turned, and Claire averted her face. The last thing she needed was to have a roomful of people able to confirm having seen her.
“Please, leave me alone.”
“Aw, come on.” The woman swayed. “Tell my fortune. I need to know if that big stud over there is gonna take me home tonight.” She laughed and winked at Claire. “I could use a little premonition, you know.”
That’s precognition, Claire wanted to shout. Instead, she leaned closer to the drunken woman. “Leave here, now,” she whispered. “I see something terrible happening to you here.”
The woman paled. “Here?”
“Yes. You must hurry. Tell no one you saw me.”
The woman backed away, eyes wide.
“And don’t drive drunk,” Claire added, “just in case I’m wrong about where I see the terrible thing happening.”
“I live just around the corner.”
“Good. Go. Now!”
The woman turned and ran, stumbling, bumping into people, earning their glances of amused disgust. Feeling almost sorry for the woman, Claire went to the phone. She hated doing that, but she couldn’t chance the woman making a scene.
A stool was positioned in front of the phone; Claire moved it out of the way and after depositing a fistful of change, she dialed. Dorothy answered on the third ring.
“Dot, it’s me. Madeline.”
“Madeline? Thank God! I’ve been hoping and praying you’d call. You must come home. You must! If you do, I know he’ll go easier on you. I know he will.”
Claire’s stomach sank. She knew the answer to her next question, but she asked it anyway. She had to. “What’s happened?”
“He’s found you.”
A squeak of terror raced to her lips. Claire’s knees gave and she sank to the stool.
“Tonight, we all had dinner at the Astor Street house. Pierce was positively preening. He told us that a private investigator had found you. He said that within twenty-four hours Grace would be returned to the family and to Monarch’s, where she belonged. He said you were so close he could smell your stench.”
Claire squeezed her eyes shut, battling for breath. It was her every nightmare coming true; her every fear being realized.
“There’s more. He said he has everything in place and that you’re going to pay for what you did. That you deserved whatever you got.” Dot’s voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “He said you would never see Grace again. Never! I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Claire bowed her head, paralyzed by what she was hearing. The monstrous dark bird was almost upon them. She had been right. She should have trusted her premonitions and gone, weeks ago.
“It’s my fault, Madeline. All my fault. I didn’t mean to hurt you or Grace. I really didn’t. I only wanted you and Grace home, where you belong. I thought Pierce would bring you home and we’d all be a family again. It’s all I wanted.”
Dorothy’s words registered, and Claire straightened. “What are you saying? You didn’t know where I was. You didn’t—”
“Your last call, about the paper. Since you’d seen an article about the benefit, I figured you must be somewhere in the Philadelphia area. Then, while you were talking, someone yelled at you and I…I…”
Now Claire remembered. While she had been talking, a man had wanted to use the phone. He had been loud and insistent. He had called her carnival scum. How could she have been so stupid?
“I
