A String of Beads (Jane Whitefield, #8)(53)

“It’s pretty nice. Not big, but nice. I’ll bet it’s a bear in the winter, though.”

“Is there some part of Haudenosaunee country that’s not a bear in the winter? Some tropical island in the middle of Lake Ontario?”

“Not that I know of, but I can dream.”

“You remember I said I’d know the right place when I saw it?”

“Sure. Is this it?”

“I think so. It’s hundreds of miles from the last place anybody saw you, and it’s not on any of the usual routes people use to get anywhere. It’s a college town, so maybe half the town is made up of strangers from all over the world. Most of them won’t even arrive until early fall. It’s got everything necessary for a comfortable life, but it’s too small to attract creeps. It’s hard to rob somebody you’ll see again in the next week.” Jane turned onto Wheelock Street and kept going slowly, looking at the buildings and the people walking on the sidewalks.

Jimmy said, “It seems pleasant enough. How long do you want to stay here?”

“That’s the next thing I have to tell you,” said Jane. “Not long. I’m leaving you here on your own for a while.”

“You are?”

“Somebody has to go back and find out why people you don’t know are chasing you. There isn’t any way for you to go with me. You’d be recognized.”

Jimmy said, “No. Please don’t do that. At least one of the guys in Avon killed Nick Bauermeister. And one of the guys in Cleveland fired two rounds into our car.”

“You see the problem?” she said. “The number seems to be growing. I don’t know why. And one of these times they’re going to succeed in killing us.”

They stayed at a Marriott hotel in Lebanon near the hospital for the next two nights while Jane found an apartment to rent. She picked one that was on the lower floor of a house near the downtown section of Hanover on Chambers Street and rented it as Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Kaplan. She filled out the application, paid the deposit and a month’s rent with her Melissa Kaplan credit card. She listed her husband’s profession as “disabled veteran” so nobody would wonder why he never went out to work, and hers as “sales” to explain why she was going to be away most of the time. It took less than a half hour before she received the call telling her that the application had been approved. She bought a bed, a dresser, a couch, and a laptop computer. Then she set up an Internet account under Melissa Kaplan’s name. The next day she bought a set of dishes, a table and chairs, filled the refrigerator with groceries, and spent the night on the new couch.

In the morning while they were having breakfast she said to Jimmy, “Today is the day.”

“Are you—”

“Sure? Yes.”

“What time is your flight?”

“No time. I’m taking the Greyhound bus to Boston. The bus stop is at Wheelock and Main, within walking distance from here. Then I’ll fly from Boston to Buffalo, and arrive tonight.”

“I could drive you to the Boston airport. In fact, I could drive you to Buffalo.”

“Not a good idea. I’ve got everything worked out.”

“What’s everything?”

She opened her purse and began taking things out. “Here’s some cash. It’s nearly five thousand dollars. Pay for things with it—food and so on.” She put a thick pile of hundred dollar bills on the table. “The rent, electricity, water, and gas are all paid for a month. If a bill comes due, write in the number of this credit card and sign Melissa Kaplan’s name. Try to keep your fingerprints off things like that. There’s a box of thin disposable rubber gloves in that drawer, and you can use them for handling mail. That reminds me. Don’t write letters to anyone, or use your phone to call any number but my cell.”

“I won’t,” he said. “I’m stupid, but I learn.”

“Just remember all the things I’ve taught you about staying invisible. If you have to go out, do it mostly at night in the car. I’ve filled the tank with gas so you’ll be able to wait awhile before it’s empty again. Keep the tank at least half full in case you have to get out quickly. Don’t start conversations with people, but if they speak to you, smile and answer in a friendly way. After that, don’t linger. Have your fake life story ready, and rehearse it when you’re alone. You know what it has to be—dull, average-guy stuff. Nothing anybody can use as an interesting story about a guy she met at the Laundromat. Wear the clothes I bought you when you go out. Look clean and neat. Before you leave, take a look out the window to see what other men have on that day. Right now the men I saw on the street are wearing polo shirts, shorts, sneakers, baseball caps. Keep the other stuff for evenings or cooler weather.”

Jane looked up at the ceiling. “What else? Be observant, but don’t seem to be staring at people. There’s no reason to believe anybody knows you’re here, so you don’t need to look too hard. The main thing is to remember that every contact is a risk. Minimize risk. Anything I’m forgetting to say? Any questions for me?”

“You know I feel terrible about this, right? The idea that you’re doing something dangerous for me makes me sick.”

“I know that,” she said. “If it helps, I’m not going back to fight any battles. I’m going because if I can find out what we’re running from it will give me a way keep us both safe.” She patted his shoulder and lifted her backpack as she headed for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If you have to get out in the meantime, do it fast, and then call me later.” The door opened and closed, and Jane was gone