Chapter 12 - Room 17
Police reached the Bluebird Motor Lodge before Jake did because Jake never went.
He sat in Officer Grant’s office gripping the edge of a plastic chair while Dana coordinated by phone.
“Units are two minutes out,” she said.
Jake’s knee bounced.
“Two minutes is a long time.”
“Not compared with four years.”
He looked at her.
She did not apologize for the sentence.
Neither did he.
A radio crackled from Grant’s desk.
“Unit twelve on scene.”
Jake stopped moving.
More static.
Then: “Room seventeen is empty.”
Jake stood.
“No.”
Dana raised the phone to her ear.
“Search the lot.”
Another voice came through.
“Black Ford pickup not present. Clerk says male guest checked out fifteen minutes ago.”
Jake stared at the map on the wall.
“He knew.”
“How?” Grant asked.
Jake thought about the fake complaint, the timing, the motel.
“Todd knows people are looking. He’s staying ten minutes ahead.”
Dana’s phone buzzed.
She read a text.
“The title company canceled the closing after receiving the court notice.”
“Then he has no reason to stay local.”
“That’s what worries me.”
At 10:14, Ben called.
Jake answered on speaker.
“Buddy?”
No reply.
Only wind.
Then Ben whispered, “I’m hiding.”
“Where?”
“Behind a machine.”
“What kind?”
“A soda machine. We stopped because the truck made a bad noise.”
Jake looked at Ray, who had come to the parole office after hearing about the motel.
Ray leaned toward the phone.
“Ben, can you see anything on the building?”
“A big orange fish.”
Ray’s eyes sharpened.
“Any words?”
Ben breathed hard.
“River... something.”
Ray grabbed the map.
“River Bend Bait and Fuel. Highway 27. I know it.”
Dana relayed the location.
Jake heard a truck door slam through Ben’s phone.
Todd shouted, “Ben!”
The boy gasped.
“Stay hidden,” Jake said. “Police are coming.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. Count with me.”
“What?”
“Five blue things. You remember Mom taught you that when storms got loud?”
Ben sniffed.
“Yeah.”
“Find five blue things.”
“A sign. A bucket. A car. A—”
Footsteps approached.
Ben stopped.
May you like
Jake could hear Todd breathing now.
Then Todd said, very close to the phone, “Found you.”
