Every Precious Thing

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

“No,” Richard said. “There’s no way to know that for sure. We stick to the plan, leave him here, and get you someplace safe.”

“But what if he’s right?” Sara asked.

They were parked behind the Grand Canyon Camper Village at the north end of Tusayan. Dev had pulled up several minutes earlier, but sat waiting in the El Camino. Logan had spent the time laying out what he had in mind. Now it was up to them to decide. He already knew what he would have to do, one way or another.

“And what if he’s wrong?” Sara’s brother retorted. “Or maybe it’s a trap just to get you.”

“Richard! I’m not the point, remember? Emily is. They’re not going to use her to get to me.” She paused before speaking in a softer voice. “If he’s wrong, then we’ll know soon enough, and we can still disappear.”

Richard clenched his jaw. “I don’t like it.” He looked at Diana. “You don’t like it, either, do you?”

Diana closed her eyes and massaged her right temple. When she opened them again, she gave her brother a halfhearted smile. “It doesn’t matter what we think. It’s up to Sara. But if it were my call, I’d probably say we have no choice.”

“To get out of here,” Richard stated.

She shook her head. “No.”

“But-”

“Richard, our family is bigger than the three of us now. Remember that. There’s Emily and Alan, too.”

He grimaced. “Alan’s not-”

“Yes, he is,” Sara said. “He’s my husband. Your brother-in-law.”

She stared at Richard, challenging him to contradict her. As much as he looked like he wanted to, he didn’t.

“So?” Logan asked.

“Yes,” Sara said.

Logan nodded. “Give me a minute.” He got out of the car and stepped over to the El Camino.

Dev rolled down the window. “Well?”

“Follow us out of here,” Logan told him. “Once you’re on the interstate, I want you to push it, go as fast as you dare. If you get pulled over, that’s fine. But if you don’t, you’ll be able to get there fast. We’ll be coming behind you, but will stay at traffic speed. I can’t afford to have us both delayed by cops. Here.” He handed Dev a piece of paper with a number on it. “That’s Barney’s cell. Call him, and tell him and Pep to be ready to leave in the next thirty minutes. Tell them I’ll call when it’s time. I’m going to keep tabs with Ruth. If possible, I want to time things so that Pep and Barney get on the road just ahead of the doctor and her people. She’ll probably be traveling pretty fast and will overtake them at some point. When that happens, they need to try to stay with her.”

“Pep should drive.”

“I agree,” Logan said. “If they’ve forced my father to tell them where Alan is, they’ll be heading straight to Riverside. We’ll know that soon enough. Callie’s getting Alan and Emily out of town as we speak, which means the house will be empty. I’m hoping we can trap the woman there, and get my dad away from her.”

“And then what? Call the police?”

Logan looked back at the Grand Prix. “If I can convince them of that.”