The Shade of the Moon (28 page)

Friday, July 31

The days leading up to the funeral had been punctuated with phone calls. But now the
house was quiet, and the ringing of the phone startled him.

“Jon Evans?”

“Yes.”

“This is Sergeant Hawkins at the police station. We found your missing grub.”

“I’ll be right there,” Jon said, hanging up the phone.

He raced to the bus stop, but when he didn’t see any buses coming, he began running
to the station. It wasn’t until he was almost there that he realized he could be running
into a trap. Sarah’s father wasn’t the only one who knew Miranda was Jon’s sister.
Ruby knew, also. And if she’d told the police, they could be waiting for him.

I’m a claver, Jon thought, rehearsing his arguments for the police. She’s a grub.
There’s no proof Miranda and I are related. Ruby was lying. All grubs lie. Or maybe,
to be charitable, she misunderstood something Lisa had said. Or maybe she was making
it all up because she hated Lisa, hated Jon.

The important thing was what had she done to Gabe. That was what the police should
be concentrating on. Where was Gabe?

When Jon walked into the police station, he saw the police had been trying to find
that out without his prodding. He winced at the fresh bruises on Ruby’s face.

“What’s she told you?” Jon asked. “I’m Jon Evans. It’s my half brother who’s missing.”

“I’m Sergeant Hawkins,” the police officer said. “I called you a few minutes ago,
Mr. Evans. You sure this is your grub?”

Jon nodded. “Her name’s Ruby,” he said. “She used to look prettier.”

The sergeant laughed. “This is Officer Summers,” he said. “He’s been having a little
talk with the grub about everything she knows.”

“Mr. Jon,” Ruby said, “I don’t know where Gaby is. I swear I don’t. I woke up with
a terrible headache, and the gun went off and Gaby was gone. Honest. I looked all
over for him and I couldn’t find him. I went outside to look, and I kept looking and
looking, and I never could find him. You believe me, don’t you, Mr. Jon? You know
how much I love that little boy.”

Jon could see the terror in her eyes. He only hoped no one could see the fear in his.

“Why don’t I take her home?” he said. “I might do better getting the truth out of
her there.”

“Sorry, Mr. Evans,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “No can do. This little grub’s a runaway.”

“I understand that,” Jon said, the way a friend of Tyler Hughes’s would. “She ran
away from my home, and that’s where I’ll take her back to.”

The sergeant shook his head. “Grubs don’t contract to people,” he said. “They contract
to the enclave. She didn’t run away from you. She ran away from the enclave. Grubs
that do that get punished. That’s the law.”

“What’ll become of her?” Jon asked, trying not to look at Ruby, at the bruises and
the tears and the terror.

“Jail, until we got a truckful to send to the mines,” Sergeant Hawkins replied. “Once
she gets there, well, a pretty girl like this one will keep busy enough.” He and the
officer laughed.

“How long will that be?” Jon asked. “Before there’s a truckful?”

Officer Summers shrugged. “I’d say we’re about halfway there,” he said. “Enough potka,
enough Sundays off, a couple of weeks maybe.”

“Please, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said. “I’m begging you. Save me.”

Officer Summers slapped her. “Keep your mouth shut, grub,” he said. “This is none
of your concern.”

Jon didn’t want Ruby to be sent to the mines. None of what had happened was her fault.
But even more than that, he didn’t want Ruby stuck in a jail cell telling whoever
would listen that Miranda was Mr. Jon’s sister, Mrs. Evans’s stepdaughter. By now
Sarah was probably safe in Virginia and Alex was on his way to the town Matt had told
them about. They were all right. But Jon wouldn’t be.

“What if I marry her?” Jon asked, almost as startled by the words as the policemen
seemed to be.

“Marry her?” Sergeant Hawkins said. “Marry this grub?”

“Yes,” Jon said. “Right now.”

“I never heard of that,” Officer Summers said. “A claver marrying a grub. Can he do
that?”

“I don’t see why not,” Sergeant Hawkins replied. “No law against it that I know of.”

“Fine,” Jon said. “Good. Give her to me, and we’ll get married. Then I’ll take her
home and find out what she did to Gabe.”

“Wait a second,” Ruby said. “Maybe I don’t want to marry you.”

“So what?” Jon said. “We’re getting married. Let her go, Sergeant Hawkins. The church
is only a couple of blocks away. Reverend Minter can perform the ceremony.”

“Not so fast,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “Yeah, you can marry the grub. No law against
that. But you can’t take her home and act like nothing’s changed. You marry a grub,
you can’t be a claver. It’s that simple.”

Jon wasn’t going to be a claver much longer if Ruby started talking. “Fine,” he said.
“We’ll go the church, get married, go home, get my things, and leave Sexton.”

“You’d do that for her?” Officer Summers asked. “Give up being a claver for some little
grub?”

“It’d be worth it to me to find out where my brother is,” Jon said. “Besides, she
looks better in bed. Can we go now?”

“You can’t go back to the house,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “That’s the rule. You marry
a grub, you can’t go back. Understand? I’ll go to the church with you, and we’ll find
the reverend and he’ll marry you. Then you give me your claver ID badge and get the
hell out of here.”

Jon knew the sergeant was making up the rules as he went along, but he also knew he
had to get Ruby as far away from Sexton as possible. He needed to protect them both.

“Look, the kid is probably dead,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “The grub killed him, or
maybe his mama did. You still want to get married? You can change your mind, and we’ll
put the grub in jail, where she belongs. There are plenty of other grubber girls,
and they look pretty much the same in bed.”

“I’ll marry her,” Jon said.

“Don’t say you weren’t warned,” the sergeant said. He grabbed Ruby’s arm and pulled
her off the chair. “It’s your wedding day, grub girl,” he said. “Congratulations.”

“Here are the cuffs,” Officer Summers said, tossing a pair to the sergeant. “Don’t
want the bride making a break for it.”

Jon watched as the sergeant cuffed Ruby’s wrists. He told himself it didn’t matter,
none of this mattered. He loved Sarah, but she was in Virginia, lost to him forever.

If he wanted to stay alive and out of the mines, this was the only thing to do. The
marriage was meaningless. Somehow he’d shake Ruby off and find Miranda and Alex.

The sergeant half dragged Ruby the few blocks to the church. “She sure isn’t crazy
about marrying you,” he said.

“Yeah,” Jon said. “I’m the only one who’s crazy.”

The sergeant laughed. He laughed pretty much all the way to the church.

Lisa’s funeral had been there the day before, Jon thought. Reverend Minter had said
the eulogy. Now he was being approached by the sergeant and asked to perform a quick
but legal marriage ceremony.

“You sure about this, Jon?” Reverend Minter asked. “I don’t want you rushing into
something if you’re not one hundred percent certain.”

“I’m certain,” Jon said. “Look, Reverend, I’ve known Ruby for a while. I have very
strong feelings about her.”

The sergeant laughed even harder.

Jon ignored him and Ruby, who looked like she wanted to kill all of them. “Just perform
the service,” Jon said. “Then we’ll leave Sexton and get out of your hair.”

“Keep it short,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “This one is real impatient.” He held up Ruby’s
cuffed arms.

“Do you have a ring?” Reverend Minter asked.

Jon shook his head.

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” the reverend said. “All right. What are your full names?”

“Jon Evans,” Jon said. “Jonathan.”

“Ruby,” she whispered angrily.

“Come on, girl,” Reverend Minter said. “What’s your last name?”

“Tell him to let go of my hands,” Ruby said.

“Sergeant, please,” the reverend said.

Sergeant Hawkins let Ruby’s arms drop.

“Maybe you could remove her cuffs?” Reverend Minter asked.

“She stays cuffed until she’s out of Sexton,” the sergeant replied. “Think of them
as her wedding ring.”

Jon nodded. “Ruby, tell them your name,” he said. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Grub,” Ruby said. “Ruby Grub.”

Sergeant Hawkins struck her hard against her cheek.

“No!” she cried. “That is my real name. Ruby Grubb. G-R-U-B-B.”

The three men burst out laughing. When one of them stopped, one of the others would
make a joke about really marrying a grub, and they’d laugh all over again.

Reverend Minter was still snorting when he began the ceremony. “Do you, Jonathan Evans,
take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to honor and cherish
her, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, to be faithful
only unto her?”

“I do,” Jon said.

“And do you, Ruby Grubb”—and here the reverend cracked up again— “do you take this
man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to honor and obey him, for
better or worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, to be faithful only
unto him?”

Ruby nodded. The sergeant kicked her.

“I do,” she mumbled.

“Take her wrist,” the minister said. “Now repeat after me. With this ring, I thee
wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed,” Jon said, holding on to the handcuff.

“Look, Reverend, could you speed this up?” Sergeant Hawkins asked.

“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the reverend said.

Sergeant Hawkins tossed the handcuff key to Jon. “You may now uncuff the bride,” he
said. “Give me your ID badge, Evans, and get going.”

Jon uncuffed Ruby and then removed his badge. He hoped the sergeant didn’t see him
shaking. It was one thing to participate in this sham of a wedding. It was another
to give up the badge that had protected him for so long.

Sergeant Hawkins grabbed the ID badge and then cuffed Jon to Ruby. “All right,” he
said. “Sooner the two of you are out of Sexton the better.”

“Good luck, Jon,” Reverend Minter exclaimed as the sergeant pushed Jon and Ruby onto
the street.

“Keep walking,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “Don’t make me hurt you on your wedding day.”

Jon kept his head down, hoping no one he knew could see him. He knew it didn’t matter,
that he’d never be back to Sexton, never see the people he’d shared his life with,
but still he felt overwhelmed with shame. He was no longer a claver. As far as Sergeant
Hawkins was concerned, he was no better than a grub trespassing on Sexton property.

At least Ruby was keeping quiet. Jon understood she’d never thank him for saving her
from the mines, but he knew what he was giving up for her. And because of her.

The sergeant walked behind them and alternated prodding Jon and Ruby with his gun
butt. When he had to, Jon pulled Ruby along, making her walk even faster.

They got to the gate. The sergeant showed his identification to the guard. “I’m uncuffing
them now,” he said. “Then they’re out of here.”

“You can let them loose,” the guard said. “I got them in my sites.”

Sergeant Hawkins uncuffed Jon first, then Ruby. He pushed them out of the gate, out
of Sexton.

“Get the hell out of here,” he said. “Don’t either of you show your faces in Sexton
again.”

For a moment Ruby stood still. Then Jon grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the
gate.

“Come on,” he said. “The highway’s this way.”

“What makes you think I’m going with you?” Ruby asked.

“You want to live, don’t you?” Jon said. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and held it
tightly as they began walking away.

“Hold it, mister,” Ruby said. “I can see the sun. Which way you taking me?”

“East,” Jon said.

“White Birch’s west of here,” she said. “Why ain’t we going west?”

“Because we’re not going to White Birch,” Jon said. “Now, come on, Ruby. The guard
can still shoot us. We’ve got to get moving.”

Ruby stood still. “I’m going home to White Birch,” she declared.

Jon wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. But Ruby in White Birch was almost
as dangerous as Ruby in Sexton. She could still talk. She could still be overheard.
Jon could still be found.

“You’re coming with me,” he said. “You married me, Ruby.”

“I didn’t want to!” she cried. “You all made me.”

“Nobody made you,” Jon said. “Nobody can make a person get married. Not if they really
don’t want to. A minister married us, Ruby. A man of God. And you vowed you would
obey me for the rest of your life. That was a vow you made to God, and if you break
that sacred vow, you’ll be damned in hell for all eternity. I say we’re going east.
We’re going east.”

“What’re you going to do to me?” she asked.

Jon shook his head. “I’m not going to do anything to you,” he said. “I never did,
and I’m not about to. But we have to get moving. It’s for your sake, Ruby. If you
go back to your parents, the police will find you. They’ll blame you for Lisa’s death,
for Gabe’s kidnapping. I’m taking you someplace where you won’t get hurt. Once we’re
there, we’ll decide what to do next. All right? You know you can trust me. I’ve never
hurt you.”

“You’ll be sorry,” she said, but she began walking in Jon’s direction.

“I’m sorry now,” Jon said. “Come on. It’ll be dark soon. Let’s get some distance between
us and Sexton while we can.”

Ruby scowled. “Don’t come anywhere near me tonight,” she said. “I don’t care what
God thinks. I ain’t gonna obey you that way.”

“Fair enough,” Jon said. “Let’s go.”