Previously Loved Treasures (Serendipity #2)(68)

On the way back to the station, Joe kept a sharp eye out for the cars that whizzed past him. He watched for a green Pontiac, the 1960 green Pontiac Max drove. The car rattled and coughed so you could easily enough hear it coming. Joe remembered it from Max’s earlier visit to the gas station, and he knew exactly what he was looking for.

Max had to pass the station. It was the only road out of town. Now it was just a question of waiting and being ready.

As soon as Joe arrived at the station, he told Frankie he could go ahead and leave.

“I got fifteen minutes yet,” the kid answered.

“Abe ain’t gonna know,” Joe said. “So take off.”

“I owe you one.” Frankie gave a grin and disappeared out the door.

Joe lifted the key off the hook where it was kept and checked that the tow truck was parked out back. Then he waited. It was nearly an hour before he spotted the green Pontiac turn at the corner of Graymoor.

When Max drove past, Joe Mallory had already locked up the gas station and was waiting in the truck. He sat there until the car went a block beyond the station, then pulled out and followed at a distance. On a road that zigzagged back and forth and ran through stretches of farmland where there was not even a shadow of moonlight, it was not easy. Rose Hill was an hour away, and there were a number of times when he nearly lost sight of the Pontiac. When that happened Joe clamped his hands to the steering wheel and pressed hard on the gas pedal, edging closer until the Pontiac was again visible. Once they ran through a patch of fog, and before Joe knew what happened he was a scant two car lengths behind Max. A feeling of panic whooshed through him. He clicked off the headlights and drove for more than a mile in darkness black as pitch. To Joe driving through the dark of night was nowhere near as risky as having Max spot the headlights behind.

When the glow of Rose Hill came into view, Joe’s heart began to thump hard against his chest. Rowena was here, he could feel it.

Three blocks into town Max pulled onto a side street and parked the car. Joe stopped the tow truck on a far corner where he had a clear view. He watched as Max climbed out of the car and went into a building with apartments above a row of stores that were closed for the night.

Once Max disappeared into the building, Joe got out of the truck and walked down the street. Not wanting to be recognized, he wore a baseball cap pulled low on his forehead. Backing into the shadows on the opposite side of the street, he stood and watched the building. After several minutes a light came on, and he could see shadows of people in the room. Max was easy to identify, small as he was. The woman was farther away, but Joe knew it wasn’t Rowena. This woman was full and round, whereas Rowena was tall, narrow, and lean.

Joe stood there for more than an hour, but nothing changed. He heard laughter and music, but there was no sign of Rowena. “Sooner or later,” he grumbled and returned to the truck to wait.

When Max left Maggie Sue’s apartment it was after four in the morning, and when he pulled away from the curb Joe missed seeing it because he’d fallen asleep.

~

A glimmer of sunlight bounced off the fender and woke Joe. The first thing he looked for was Max’s car. Gone. He glanced at the clock—seven-ten. By now Abe had arrived at the locked-up gas station and discovered the truck missing. “Shit,” Joe said.

He’d figured to get the truck back before Abe got there; now it was too late. Joe knew he’d be canned for what he’d done, so he had nothing more to lose. That’s why he decided to stay in Rose Hill and find Rowena. Once found, he’d toss Rowena and Sara into the truck and take them back to Mackinaw. That would be it. He’d explain to Abe and maybe even get his job back. If he didn’t, so what? It was a lousy job to start with.

What Joe failed to realize was that Abe had already called the sheriff and reported the truck stolen.





Watching





The next morning when everyone gathered around the breakfast table, Max was missing. It was not all that unusual, because he was hit-and-miss on breakfast, and if his disposition was sour he was likely to miss dinner also.

On this particular morning the group seemed in a happier mood than usual. None of the missing items had yet been discovered other than Louie’s shoes. While he maintained that someone had stolen the shoes from under the round chair in the parlor, most everyone else believed it to be simply a case of forgetfulness.

“They’ll show up soon or later,” Caroline assured him. Then she began talking about the new book she’d begun to write. “I’ve found my true voice, and I’m writing a story about Grandma.”

Of course with everyone contributing bits and pieces of stories they felt should be included, breakfast stretched out until eleven o’clock. Rose served two more trays of biscuits, slices of honeydew melon, and leftovers of ham, and when everyone finally stood to leave the table they all agreed that lunch would be unnecessary. Even Louie.

“Don’t worry,” Rose whispered in his ear, “if you get hungry, just come in the kitchen and I’ll fix you a snack.”

Shortly after the residents had all gone their own way, Max emerged from his room and whooshed out the door. He jumped in the car and headed for town. This time he passed right by Maggie Sue’s apartment and headed for the drugstore. He bought a fresh roll of film, then went home and loaded it into his camera. He never noticed the tow truck that pulled out behind him as he drove past Maggie Sue’s apartment building.