Helpless

Chapter 74

Tom turned to Jill. “Get inside the house,” he said. “Stay out of your room. Stay in the basement. Don’t move until I come for you.”

“Dad, what is it? What’s going on?”

Tom kept his voice calm and controlled. “Just do as I say,” he ordered.

Jill fled into the house.

Tom didn’t know what he should tell Jill. Was Tanner lying? Could Lindsey really be dead? Were the police coming to arrest him? Tom didn’t have time to think through the possibilities. He only had time to ready an escape. He’d been arrested for a crime that he hadn’t committed once before. He wasn’t about to let it happen again.

Distract and evade.

If it came to it, that was what he would do.

Distract and evade.

Tom needed to survey his best exit points. He crouched low and kept to the side of the house. Where possible, he used trees and shrubs to keep himself hidden. Oak Street was clear. But if Tanner was telling the truth, the street would soon be active with police. He picked this as the place where he’d set the distraction.

Next, Tom crossed to the back of the house. The ravine where Kelly fell and died had an 8 percent grade. He’d have to descend into the ravine and climb back up the other side to get to Pine Street. Beyond Pine Street lay hundreds of acres of conservation land. Tom knew the Shilo topography better than most. He knew he could get away.

Tom returned to the house, where he slipped inside through the basement back door. He saw Jill standing there, waiting for him. She was pale and looked frightened.

“First thing I need you to do is relax,” Tom said. He put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “Take some deep breaths. I need you with me.”

Jill nodded.

“Some people are coming for me,” Tom said. He remained calm, which helped Jill. “I’m pretty sure they’re coming to arrest me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” She’ll never forgive you for lying to her, he thought.

Jill nodded again, but more slowly. “You’re not leaving without me?” she cried. “You can’t leave me alone.”

“No. Never. But listen to me. We need to separate for a short while. Do as I say and we’ll be together again soon.”

“Why do we have to separate?”

“You’ll slow me down if we stick together. It’s me they’re after, not you. But you’re not safe on your own, either. I’m not going to leave you alone for long. I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Now I’m going to tell you exactly what to do. I’m going to give you very specific instructions. You’re going to follow my instructions exactly as I give them to you. Do you understand?”

“I think so.”

“Don’t think, Jill. Be decisive. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Jill said.

“Okay, we’ll need to do some things first.”

“What things?”

“Go upstairs. Hurry. Grab all the hair gel you have. There’s hydrogen peroxide under the sink in the upstairs bathroom. Grab that too. Then get the rubbing alcohol from the first aid kit. Bring it all back downstairs to me, along with every Ziploc bag we have.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Jill.

“While you’re doing that,” Tom said, “I’m going to build the detonator.”