Stone glanced after him and then turned back to Abby. “I’m sure he keeps you busy.”
“That’s one way of putting it. You have children?”
“I did. She’s not alive anymore.”
“Sorry to hear that. Danny’s used up about seven of his nine lives and I feel like he took mine right along with his.”
“Were you against him going away? You said you cried a lot.”
“What mother wouldn’t with her only child saying good-bye?”
“Then you’re glad he’s back?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Besides, it’s more likely than not that he’ll be gone again before too many more suns come up. Won’t break my heart again, at least I keep telling myself that.”
“Has he left before?”
“Talked about it a lot, but never pulled the trigger. I guess I’d made up my mind it always would be talk. Then he threw me a curve.” Her voice shook a little as she said this last part.
“Any particular reason he decided to do it this time?”
“It’s hard to tell why Danny does anything. Bullheaded, just like his father.”
“Danny said he died in the mines.”
Abby took her time putting the last forkful of pie into her mouth. “He did. You said you lost a child. How about your wife?”
“Died too. Long time ago.”
“What’ve you been doing with yourself since?”
“This and that. Never stayed in one place too long.”
“Did you get out of the army right after Nam?”
“I hung around for a while. Nothing too exciting.”
“No pension from Uncle Sam?”
“Didn’t stay long enough.”
Their conversation trailed off and a while later Stone took his leave, resisting her invitation to drive him back to town. There was sorrow in that house, despite the luxury and designer touches, for one simple reason: the source of the wealth was death.
“I guess you’ll be heading on soon,” she said as she stood by the front door.
“I’m a lot older than Danny and I still haven’t made up my mind what to do with the rest of my life. So I think I better get to it.”
“Thanks for helping my son.”
“He seems like a good young man, Abby. Just needs a little direction.”
“It would’ve been real good if the direction had taken him out of here and kept him there.”
She closed the door, leaving Stone standing there puzzled. Telling himself again that this was not his business, he walked out to the road and made his way back to town. The sky was lit with stars, which was the only light there was. As he drew closer to town, he heard something. At first it seemed to be the moan of an animal and it occurred to him that in this part of the country it would not be unheard of to run into a black bear or maybe even a mountain lion. As he continued to walk along the moan became more recognizable.
Stone picked up his pace. The church and the graveyard were just ahead.
He cut across the road, entered the churchyard, made a beeline for the graveyard, and then stopped when he saw it. Or rather him.
The sobs racking him, Danny was lying sprawled on top of the fresh grave of Debby Randolph.
CHAPTER 23
THE TALL MAN SLIPPED inside the building, hung a left, grabbed an elevator, rode it down, entered the tunnel, skimmed along underneath the streets of Washington, D.C., arrived at another building and turned down a long hall. When he passed one door, it opened and a big hand grabbed him and yanked him inside, slamming the door behind him.
Reuben Rhodes let Alex Ford go. The agent smoothed down his jacket collar and turned to scowl at the others there arranged on busted-up government-issued furniture and packing crates.
“You said the second door on the left,” Alex snapped.
“Brother Caleb got it wrong,” Reuben said. “He meant the first door on the right and we didn’t want to call you on your cell in case they put a trace on it.”
“And he thinks we can lead him right to Oliver,” Caleb replied. “But we can’t. Thank God.”
“Don’t be thanking God yet, Caleb. He knows where we are and our connection to Oliver. They’ll use that.”
“How?”
Annabelle answered. “Leverage. To reel Oliver in.”
Caleb exclaimed, “What do you mean? Use us as bait? That’s preposterous. We are United States citizens. Knox is a public servant.”