Long Road to Mercy (Atlee Pine, #1)(53)

Or we might have him, thought Pine.





Chapter

28



CAROL BLUM ADJUSTED the mirror on Pine’s Mustang so she could see better.

It appeared to her that Ed Priest had done well for himself. He and his family lived in an upscale community in Bethesda, Maryland. Their home was a two-story brick painted white, with a three-car side-load garage. The landscape was nicely done, all water-loving flowers and sweeping lawns, which was quite foreign to Blum.

And all that mulch! She shuddered.

She stiffened a bit when the car pulled out of the garage and headed down to the street.

Mary Priest was driving, and two young boys were in the backseat.

As the Lexus SUV passed by, Blum caught a glance at Priest’s profile through the open car window.

The face was pale, the features pinched, the cheeks reddened.

The woman had obviously experienced a hellish time and was probably continuing to do so, although it appeared that Mary Priest and her sons had been released from the protective custody that Pine had arranged.

Blum fell in behind Priest, and the two cars made their way out to one of the main arteries leading into downtown Bethesda. The children were clearly school-age, but it was possible that after what had happened Mary had decided to keep them home from classes.

She followed at a discreet distance in light traffic. The Mustang did tend to stand out.

The Lexus pulled to a stop in front of a building on a side street in Bethesda. The sign out front proclaimed it to be one of those educational centers where kids went to bone up on math and English and other subjects. Priest got out and led her sons into the building, while Blum found an open space across the street.

Five minutes later Priest came back out, but she didn’t get into her car. She started walking down the street. Blum got out of her car and followed.

It was nearly noon, and Blum wondered if the woman was going to do some shopping while waiting for her kids. And then Priest swerved into a building.

Blum quickly followed.

It was a movie theater.

Priest bought a ticket and Blum purchased one for the same movie.

She trailed Priest down the hall and into the theater.

It was empty.

Priest took a seat in the middle, while Blum took the same seat several rows behind.

She settled down and waited. Her first thought was that Priest was waiting for someone, but the woman was not checking her phone or watch or looking toward the entrance. She just stared down at her hands.

As the previews came on, Blum decided to risk it.

She got up from her seat and moved to Priest’s row, taking the chair one over from the woman.

Priest didn’t even look up. She seemed lost in thought.

This gave Blum a chance to study the woman. She looked to be no more than forty, petite with dirty-blond hair that fell to her shoulders. Trim and fit looking, she was dressed in cream-colored slacks, flat shoes, and a light blue short-sleeved shirt that showed off defined, tanned arms. Her Kate Spade handbag sat in the chair next to her.

She dabbed at her eyes with her hand. Then the tears came more fiercely and she put her head in her hands.

Blum opened her purse, took out a packet of tissues, and handed them across.

Priest saw them, jerked up, and looked over at Blum. But when she focused on the older woman next to her, she instantly relaxed, smiled briefly, and thanked her. She took out a few tissues and handed the packet back. She wiped her eyes clear and then blew her nose.

“I…I think it’s allergies,” said Priest, not meeting Blum’s eye.

“I think it might just be life,” said Blum. “I’ve sat in my share of theaters with ‘allergy’ problems.”

Priest laughed lightly and looked embarrassed. “I didn’t even want to see this movie. I just picked it because it was playing now.”

“I did the same thing,” said Blum. “Just wanted to get out and about.”

“I’m Mary.”

“Carol,” said Blum. They shook hands. “It’s nearly lunchtime, if you’d prefer that. At my age, I look forward to meals. And you look like you could use something to eat.”

“I can’t remember the last time I ate. Do you…live around here?”

“No, I’m visiting from another part of the country. I have friends here, but they’re working today. Do you know a good place to eat?”

“I do.”

“Shall we?”

Priest laughed. “I’ve got some time to kill, so what the hell?”

They walked outside, and Priest led Blum over to another street.

“It’s a French-style café. The menu’s good, though a little rich, and I could use some wine, actually.”

Blum nodded appreciatively. “Sounds fine to me. I long ago stopped counting calories and restricting my alcohol consumption.”

“I really look forward to those days,” said Priest wistfully.

They were led to a table in the back by the greeter.

As they settled in and looked over their menus, Blum said, “I know this sounds like a cliché, but I’m a good listener. I have six kids and I’m divorced, and no, it wasn’t amicable. I’ve got lots of grandkids, some I still haven’t seen. I’ve traveled widely and experienced pretty much everything, so if you want to talk, I can give you an excellent armchair quarterback analysis.”