“I can’t believe this.” Emily’s words hitched. “You’re on your way to the police, right?”
“We can’t go to the police.”
“Why?”
“Because our ‘police’ are the sheriff’s department. And they are the only people who know I put a copy of that video on my laptop.”
Shocked silence. I could imagine Emily’s mind whirling. “Where are you right now?”
“Somewhere off Woodside Road. I hit the bank for some money. I have no idea where I’m going.”
“Come here.”
“That’s the last place I’d go! You think I want to lead those men to you?”
“But you can’t just run.”
“We have to. At least for now. Until I figure something out.”
Emily’s breathing stuttered over the line. “You’re telling me the sheriff’s department is trying to kill you?”
“Maybe they didn’t know that would happen. But one of them told somebody about the video.”
“If they didn’t want to get you killed, they’ll help you now. They’ll protect you.”
“Most of them, yes. But who told? Who can I not trust? And will that person inform someone who’ll come after us again?” Bubbles of air knocked around in my lungs. “If it was just me, that would be one thing. But I’ve got Mom.”
“I—” Emily’s voice caught. She was crying. “So where are you going?”
“To a hotel somewhere. So I can think this through.”
“You can’t stay on your cell phone.”
“Why?”
“They can track you by it, Mom. If people are after you, they can use your phone.”
I pressed back against the seat. I’d never thought of that. “Okay. I’ll . . . turn it off and just use it to call you when we get to the hotel.”
“No. You can’t use it at all. You have to turn it off and leave it like that.”
“Then how do I talk to you?” I couldn’t be cut off from Emily.
“Use the phone in your hotel room.”
“Won’t that show up on my bill? What if they trace me to the room and see that number? It’ll lead them to you.”
“Mom, I’ll be okay. I’m worried about you.”
“No, you won’t be okay!” My voice rose. “They would have killed your grandmother, Emily! Do you think I want them to get my daughter too?”
“They hurt Emily?” Mom leaned toward me, face stricken. “No!”
“She’s okay, Mom, she’s okay.” I squeezed her arm. For her sake I had to get hold of myself. “Look,” I said into the cell, my mind fighting to process, “I’m going to turn off my phone now and drive. I’ll call you in an hour or two from a pay phone. Right now I just need to get out of this area.”
“Promise you’ll call.” Emily’s words caught.
“I will.”
“Mom, I’m so scared.”
Me too, I wanted to say. Me too. “We’ll be okay. I’ll figure this out. Gotta go now.”
“I’ll be praying.”
“Thanks. I love you.”
“Love you.”
I ended the call and turned off the phone.
My head flopped back against the seat rest—just for a second. Then I threw my car into gear and took off down the dark street. We had to get out of there. Rutger had to be somewhere nearby, trolling the streets for my car. Thank goodness I’d gotten gas in Half Moon Bay, and the tank was still almost full.
Heart pummeling, I turned the corner, headed back toward Woodside Road. From there, it would be a quick hop to the freeway. We wouldn’t stop again for a long time.
“Hannah.” Mom plucked at my sleeve. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
Chapter 14
Emily tossed her cell phone on the bed and dropped her head in her hands. How could this be happening to her mom?
“She’s crazy for not going to the police,” Emily said to her darkened room.
Or was she? Her mother wasn’t exactly known for being a conspiracy theorist. And she wasn’t all about drama, either.
Emily swung her feet to the floor and stood. What could she do? Not sleep, that was for sure. The minutes would drag like weeks until her mother called back.
What if she never called back?
Emily’s breath pooled in her chest.
Hand pressed to her mouth, Emily paced her small bedroom until her head was about to explode. What was on that video anyway? Her mom should’ve let her see it. Her work days were all about videos. Maybe she’d see something that her Mom hadn’t—
Online backup.
Emily stopped.
How long had Mom left her computer on after copying that video? Over half an hour? That would be long enough for the auto backup to their shared online account to kick on. Emily had set up the account a few years ago, after her mother’s computer crashed with no backup.