Chương 6
Sarah was drinking water.
Alvarez lowered her voice.
“Russell Dane is in custody.”
Walter turned back.
“He was found at a motel ninety miles north. Detectives recovered his vehicle. We’re obtaining warrants before searching property connected to him.”
“Good.”
“It’s a beginning.”
Walter almost said it was an ending.
He knew better.
The photograph arrived at the police laboratory in a sealed evidence envelope that afternoon.
Two days later investigators confirmed it had been printed at a public library branch nine miles from Claire’s house.
Surveillance footage from the library still existed because the photograph had been printed recently.
The person on the recording wore a baseball cap and large sunglasses.
Walter watched a still image Alvarez showed him.
He knew immediately.
Claire.
Not because of her face.
Because of the way she stood.
One shoulder slightly higher than the other, as if carrying an invisible purse.
“She sent it.”
Alvarez nodded.
“Looks that way.”
“Then why didn’t she walk into a police station?”
“We’re trying to establish that.”
Walter pushed the photograph back.
“She knew Sarah was there.”
“Yes.”
“For at least two months.”
Alvarez did not answer.
“Longer?”
“I can’t tell you yet.”
“How much longer?”
“Walter.”
He hated when she used his first name.
It meant bad news.
“How long?”
“We have reason to believe Claire knew within the first week.”
Walter stood.
The small interview room seemed suddenly airless.
“Fourteen months.”
“Yes.”
“She knew for fourteen months.”
“We believe she became aware very early.”
“And she left her there.”
Alvarez’s eyes did not move.
“Yes.”
Walter walked to the wall.
There was nowhere else to go.
He put his palm against the painted cinder block.
“You’re going to charge her.”
“She has already been charged in connection with Sarah’s confinement. Additional decisions will be made as evidence develops.”
“Good.”
“That doesn’t mean Russell and Claire had the same role.”
“I don’t care.”
“I know.”
“No, you keep saying that like it means something.”
Alvarez closed the file.
“It means I’m not going to argue you out of being angry.”
Walter turned.
“She had a phone.”
“Yes.”
“She drove around. Bought groceries. Went to work.”
“Yes.”
“She slept in a bed every night.”
“I assume so.”
“My daughter knocked on a metal door hoping somebody would hear her.”
Alvarez said nothing.
Walter’s voice cracked.
“And that woman went upstairs.”
He left before Alvarez could answer.
Sarah was discharged five days after the rescue.
She did not go home with Walter.
That surprised everyone except Sarah.
A victim advocate helped arrange temporary housing in a furnished apartment used by a local nonprofit for people leaving unsafe situations. The address was kept private from media and from most extended family.
Walter found out after Sarah had already moved.
He tried not to take it personally.
He failed.
“So I’m unsafe?”
They were sitting in the hospital cafeteria when she told him.
Sarah stirred powdered creamer into coffee she did not drink.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You’re going somewhere I can’t know the address.”
“For now.”
“I’m your father.”
“I’m aware.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Walter sat back.
Sarah looked tired rather than angry.
That made it worse.
“You think I’m going to tell somebody?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
She folded the paper creamer packet into smaller and smaller squares.
“I need one place nobody can come to unless I say.”
“I wouldn’t come if you told me not to.”
Sarah looked at him.
Walter heard himself.
He rubbed his face.
“Okay. Maybe once.”
“Dad.”
“Twice.”
She almost smiled.
Then the smile faded.
“I spent fourteen months with doors I couldn’t open.”
Walter stopped talking.
Sarah placed the folded paper square beside her cup.
“I need to be the person who opens them now.”
He nodded.
It hurt.
He let it.
“All right.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I at least fix anything in the apartment if it’s broken?”
“No.”
“What if the toilet runs?”
“I’ll call somebody.”
“Those people will charge eighty dollars to jiggle a chain.”
“Then I’ll pay eighty dollars.”
“That’s robbery.”
Sarah laughed.
The sound startled both of them.
Walter looked down at his coffee.
“Fine.”
Sarah wiped at one eye.
“Fine.”
The first week after Sarah left the hospital, Walter returned to work.
He repaired heating systems for a commercial maintenance company. His supervisor, Ed, had covered for him so many times during the search that Walter had stopped knowing how to say thank you.
On his first day back, Ed handed him a work order for a dentist’s office with a broken rooftop unit.
“You sure?”
Walter looked at him.
“You asking if I remember how air conditioners work?”
“I’m asking if you want to be here.”
“No.”
Ed nodded.
“Good enough.”
They drove to the dentist’s office.
Walter spent two hours replacing a fan motor while Ed complained about his fantasy football draft.
Normally Walter would have told him he did not care.
That day he listened to every word.
At lunch he ate half a turkey sandwich in the truck.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Sarah.
You busy?
He called immediately.
She rejected the call.
A second message arrived.
I said text.
Walter stared at the screen.
Sorry.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Can you bring me the blue blanket from my closet?
Walter typed:
Yes.
He deleted it.
Sure. When?
Saturday. I’ll meet you at Linda’s.
He stared at the words meet you.
Not come over.
Meet.
He typed:
Okay.
Then, after thinking too long:
Need anything else?
No.
He put the phone down.
Thirty seconds later it buzzed.
Actually yes. The cheap strawberry cereal.
Walter smiled.
That Saturday, Linda cried when Sarah walked into her kitchen.
Sarah said, “Please don’t.”
Linda cried harder.
Sarah stood there awkwardly until Walter’s sister wiped her face with both hands and laughed at herself.
“Sorry. I’m being an idiot.”
“A little.”
Linda hugged her only after asking.
Walter noticed that.
Everybody was learning.
May you like
The visit lasted thirty-seven minutes.
Sarah ate cereal from one of Linda’s soup bowls because Linda had thrown away the old chipped breakfast set. They talked about nothing important.
