He turned to face her again, and Kendall saw that his eyes were troubled. What was he thinking? she wondered. If circumstances were different . . .
But they weren't, so speculation on his emotional health was useless and self-indulgent.
She alighted quickly and removed Kevin from his car seat.
"I won't be long," she lied. "You'll be fine here, won't you?"
"Sure. I'll just sit back and take in the scenery."
There was no way to retrieve the provisions she had stashed in the trunk. Maybe she could grab a few things on her way through the supermarket, although her time was limited. "Can I bring you anything?" she offered, wanting to appear as normal as possible.
"A six-pack of beer would be nice."
"What brand do you like?"
"I can't remember. But you should. Dear."
She ignored his sarcasm. "In fact, I do. Back in a jiff."
She felt his eyes like a knife blade in her back as she entered the supermarket. She forced herself to walk slowly, to appear casual and unhurried. Once inside, knowing he would be unable to see her through the reflective glass, she rushed to the pay telephone. Luckily, she had committed the number to memory.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Williams? This is Mary Jo Smith, the woman who called you a few days ago about the car?"
"Why, I was expecting you here any minute. You didn't change your mind, did you? Because I've been telling other callers that the car is sold."
"No, no, I didn't change my mind. it's just that . . .
Remember, I told you that my car was on its last leg? Well, it died on me and won't restart. I'm stranded and can't get to your house. I've got my baby with me, and oh, I don't know what to do!"
She let her voice crack as though she were desperate and helpless.
"Oh, dear, well . . ." Mrs. Williams sounded sympathetic but cautious. She had probably been warned about the scams inflicted on elderly widows. "I suppose I could drive the car to wherever you are."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that! No, no, I'll just . . . hmm. Let me think a moment."
Kendall's tactic worked. "It'll be no trouble really," Mrs. Williams said. "Where are you?"
She gave her the name of the service station she had previously spotted. It was within walking distance of the supermarket.
"That's only five minutes from my house," Mrs. Williams said, pleased. "I'll bring the car to you, we can complete our transaction, and then you can drop me back home."
"I hate to impose this way."
"Don't mention it. I'm anxious to sell the car."
"And I'm anxious to buy it. Desperate, in fact."
That much was true. By now Jim Pepperdyne might have located the man in Stephensville who had sold her his car. She needed to unload it and get another before driving on Dixie highways.
Mrs. Williams confirmed the time and place. "Okay, I'll be there. Five minutes." Kendall hung up the pay phone and headed for the exit at the opposite side of the store from which she had entered.
The automatic doors whooshed open, and Kendall was stopped dead in her tracks.
His leg already ached from the cramped ride into town, but he wasn't going to waste this opportunity to try to find out what was going on.
As soon as Kendall was out of sight, he pushed open the passenger door and reached for his crutches. He got out and looked around.
She was right. It wasn't much of a town. From his vantage point, he could see a generic filling station and service garage, a barbecue restaurant, a barber shop, and . . . a post office!
He set out across the asphalt parking lot, which was as hot as a griddle. In under a minute his shirt was soaked with sweat and his muscles were quivering with fatigue. God, how he despised and resented this weakness!
From the corner of his eye he saw a boy whizzing past on his bicycle. "Hey, kid!" he called.
The boy, whom he guessed to be about twelve, glanced over his shoulder, pivoted the bike on the front tire, and pedaled closer.
"What happened to your leg?"
"It got busted in a car wreck."
"Your head, too?"
"Yeah. My head, too. What town is this? Are we in Tennessee?"
The boy jerked the bike to a halt. He peered closely into his face and broke a wide grin. "Sweet. You're high, aren't you?" He formed a ring with his thumb and index finger, then placed them against his lips and sucked at them as though smoking marijuana.
"I'm not high, I just want to know where I am."
In a stage whisper, he said, "Katmandu, dude. Except ain't you a little old to be getting stoned? I mean, you gotta be at least forty."
"Yeah, I'm ancient. A relic. Now, what's the name of this fucking town?"
"Jeez, you're weird." The kid yanked the bike safely out of reach, remounted, and sped off, pedaling fast.
"Wait, come back!"
The kid shot him the finger.
He glanced around, hoping no one had witnessed the exchange. He wasn't sure he wanted the police alerted to a banged-up stranger asking strange questions. The only reason he wanted to go to the post office was to find out exactly where he was and to see if any of the wanted posters on the walls bore a picture of him.
He gauged the remaining distance and calculated that the post office was farther away than he'd thought. The exertion of crossing the parking lot, along with the heat, had sapped his strength.
How much time did he have before she returned to the car?
How long would her shopping take? How many other items besides his beer did she intend to buy? She hadn't seemed to be in any particular hurry when she went into Suddenly he envisioned Kendall as she had looked entering the store. She had been carrying Kevin, her handbag, and the diaper bag. The diaper bag. If she intended to be in the store only a few minutes, why had she taken the diaper bag with her?
He turned around and began hobbling back toward the supermarket, covering the distance as rapidly as the crutches allowed. "You goddamn fool," he huffed. "Why'd you let her out of your sight?"
He'd had a hunch that she was about to split. That's why he had insisted on coming with her today But what had made him think his presence would prevent her from doing what she was obviously determined to do? Stupidly, he had played right into her devious little hands.
Cursing his gullibility and his handicap, he forced himself to move faster.
"Oh, my God. My God." Kendall didn't realize that she had spoken aloud until she heard her whimpering voice.
Ducking her head, she backed away from the newspaper d ispenser, away from the large picture of herself on the front page. She plunged headlong for the exit.
Before she was recognized, she had to get out of the store.
Had five minutes elapsed? Mrs. Williams would be waiting.
Kendall knew that if she wasn't there in time, the woman might leave.
Then another, more horrifying thought occurred to her:
What if Mrs. Williams had read the morning newspaper and recognized her on sight?
She would have to take that chance, she decided. She had no choice. As she had feared, a manhunt was on and she was the quarry.
Outside, she squinted against the glare of the sun and kept close to the exterior wall of the building. He wouldn't be able to see her from the car, but
"Going somewhere?"
Heart plummeting, Kendall spun around. He was leaning heavily on his crutches. His chest rose and fell with his labored breathing. His hair was literally dripping sweat.
"Why did you get out of the car?"
"Why are you coming out this door? The car's on the other side of the building."
"Oh, uh, I guess I got turned around inside."
"Uh-huh. Why didn't you buy anything?"
Why hadn't she bought anything? Think, Kendall! "Kevin spit up as soon as we got inside. I don't think he's feeling well. The heat or something is making him cranky and upset."
"He looks fine to me."
Kevin had, in fact, never looked healthier or happier as he blew bubbles and batted at her earring. "Well, he isn't," she snapped. "I'll have to come back another time."
She struck off toward the car, which was in the opposite direction of the service station where a puzzled and exasperated Mrs. Williams would be waiting.
She wouldn't be buying another car today.
She wouldn't be making another escape, either.
Chapter 14
"Is Li a Chinese name?"
In response to Kendall's question, the jail guard shrugged his broad shoulders. "think, Jap, who knows? I can't tell one slope from another."
Kendall's reproving glance bounced right off him. He unlocked the small room where she would confer with her new client. As she was ushered in, the accused rapist, Michael Li, came to his feet.
"I'll be right outside." The guard practically snarled the words at the young man.
Kendall closed the door on the guard, turned, and approached Li, whose posture was so rigid that she had an impulse to say, "At ease. " After introducing herself and shaking hands, she indicated that he should sit down. She sat across the table from him.
"Do you need anything? Something to drink?"
"No, ma'am," he replied stoically.
Eighteen-year-old Michael Li had a virtually beardless, smooth complexion and neatly trimmed straight black hair.
He was short and slight. His dark eyes were wary but curious as he watched her reach into her briefcase and remove a legal pad and pen.
"Jail is never pleasant," she said. "Even as I say that, I realize it's a gross understatement."
"Have you ever been in jail?" he asked.
"Once," she answered honestly. "I was arrested while protesting the ban of certain books in the public library."
He nodded with seeming approval.
"I'll arrange bail for you immediately."
"My family won't be able to afford it." He spoke with stiff dignity. "I don't want to burden my parents any more than this unfortunate misunderstanding already has, Mrs. Burnwood."
"I'm sure we can work out a suitable financial arrangement."
"If at all possible, I want to continue going to school," he said. "It's important that I graduate with my class."
"You're valedictorian, isn't that right?"
"That's correct."
"Your parents must be awfully proud."
"Yes, ma'am, they are. I've been offered full scholarships to several universities. I haven't decided on which to accept."
He looked down at his hands and picked at a loose cuticle.
"After this, having to make that decision might not be a problem."
For the time being, Kendall thought it best to steer the conversation away from Mr. Li's future. Reminders of what he stood to lose should things not go their way would be demoralizing. She continued the preliminary interview by trying to get a sense of the young man she would be defending.
"You participate in many school activities and organizations, including the National Honor Society."
"Yes, ma'am. In fact, it was on an NHS trip to Gatlinburg when Kim and I first noticed one another."
"Why don't you start there and bring me up to date."
While taking in the tourist attractions of the Tennessee mountain town, he and his classmate Kimberly Johnson had "started hanging out together."
"After that, we went out regularly. But I never picked her up at her house. We would always meet. She didn't think her parents would approve of her dating me. They consider me a foreigner."
Suddenly his eyes came alight with fierce pride. "I'm an American, the same as Kim. The same as Mr. Johnson. My mother was born in America. My father's family emigrated when he was a baby. He never even learned to speak Chinese and speaks better English than Mr. Johnson."
Kendall didn't doubt that. She didn't know Herman John son well, but she had seen him frequently at the country club.
He was usually tipsy, talking too loudly, telling off-color jokes, and generally making an ass of himself.
She didn't know Mr. Li, either, but he and his wife were to be commended for rearing such a well-mannered, over achieving son.
According to the information she had been given, they were hardworking people, worthy of their son's pride.
Over time Michael Li's relationship with Kim Johnson had intensified. "We're pretty serious," he said solemnly. He admitted that they had been having sexual relations for about two months.
"Responsibly," he added with emphasis. "I'm always protected. And I swear, it was always consensual. I would never do anything to hurt Kim." Tears came to his eyes. "Never."
"I believe you," Kendall assured him. "Now tell me exactly what happened last night."
He and Kim had met at the library to study. They sat at the same table but studiously ignored each other every time they fell under the librarian's baleful gaze.
They left the building separately, but, as prearranged, he joined Kim in the parking lot and got into her car. Not quite able to meet Kendall's eyes, he admitted that they got into the backseat strictly for the purpose of having sex.
"I realize this is embarrassing for you, Michael," she said sympathetically. "But if this charge sticks and you're tried for rape, you'll have to answer much more explicit questions from the witness stand. The prosecutor will be merciless. From now on, it's mandatory that you be candid with me. Can I rely on that?"
He nodded, and she began asking him pertinent questions.
"Did Kim remove her clothing?"
"Only her underpants."