Mom was snoring softly, her mouth open. I inhaled a long breath. This wouldn’t be easy.
I shook her shoulder.
She snored on.
I shook her again, harder. She swallowed a snort and opened unfocused eyes. “Hunh?”
“Mom, it’s me. You need to get up now.”
“Why?” The question swam up from half-sleep.
“We have to go now. The Bad People will find us here if we stay.”
Her eyes blinked. She turned toward me, one hand finding her chest. “Can’t get up. Too tired.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But you have to.”
“No. Later.” Her eyes closed.
I leaned against the bed and gathered myself, then shook her again.
“Leave me alone!”
“Mom, you have to get up.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“I’m sorry. Just move to the car, that’s all I ask. You can sleep there.”
“No. Here.”
How long had the police been gone? How long until they ran down a judge and got a warrant? Given the attention the media was giving this case, probably not long.
“Here. Let me help you up.” I slid an arm beneath her shoulders and pushed her to sit up. She rose like a puppet, her face blank. Then her arms came up, offended and waving. “No.” She grabbed my arm in her weak hand, trying to pull me away. “I don’t want to!”
“Shh, Mom, it’s okay.”
“I don’t want to get up!”
“I’m so sorry.”
“You can’t treat me like a child. I want to sleep!”
“I’ll get you some tea before we go, how about that?”
“I don’t want tea, I want you to leave me alone.”
Anger chewed at me. This was so unfair to my mother. Who were these men, that they could do this to us?
“Mom, come on now, stand up. You’re almost there.” I nudged her feet toward the floor.
Her jaw locked and her face flushed. Her arms waved more wildly, hands hitting at me. “I’m not getting up!” Her voice rose, panic-hollowed and old. “I’m not.”
“Stop it.” I chased her jerking hands, caught them by the wrists. “You have to calm down. Look at me, look at me.”
“Nnno!” She squeezed her eyes shut and fought harder.
“Mom, pl—”
“No!”
She opened her mouth wide and screamed. A second time, and a third. I let go of her wrists and stepped back, palms up. She shrieked a fourth time, and fifth, and sixth, until I lost count and my head vibrated. The sound bounced off the walls and slashed my ears, my heart.
What if the neighbors heard?
Tears trickled down my cheeks. Why did she do this to me?
My mother’s eyes opened. She glared at me, fists clutched to her neck and chest heaving.
Aunt Margie scurried into the room. “What—?”
“She won’t let me sleep!” Mom thrust a forefinger toward me. “Tell her to leave me alone!”
“Yes, dear.” Aunt Margie bustled over to the bed. “It’s all right now.”
“Tell her to go away!”
“I’m going, I’m going.” I backed up more. In fact, I considered going all the way to the front door. Walking outside and down the street, letting the policeman find me. I couldn’t do this anymore.
Mom’s face scrunched up, and she started to cry. “Why does she treat me like this?”
I leaned against the doorway, soul-sick.
Aunt Margie sat down beside Mom and put an arm around her. “Shh, now, she’s only trying to help you.”
“She’s not helping!”
My aunt patted Mom’s shoulder as she locked eyes with me.
“Did you find it?” I mouthed.
She shook her head. “You can see where I was on the screen.”
I took her cue and left the room, hoping Aunt Margie could calm Mom down. She couldn’t fail any worse than I’d done.
“Listen, Carol, you remember you told me about the Bad People?” Aunt Margie’s voice filtered to my ears as I walked down the hall. In the bedroom I stopped and prayed. “Lord, help me do this. I’m terrible on my own.”
The memory of Mom’s screams still zinged my nerves.
How much time did we have before the policemen showed up? I checked my watch. A new sense of urgency filled me.
With a deep breath, I headed to the desk and sat down. The monitor showed hits from a search for nathan eddington + san carlos. The top links were for newspaper articles about his death. I searched for a few pages, then got a better idea. In California, the tax evaluation on homes was public information. I typed in nathan eddington san carlos tax. Up came a link for the San Mateo County property evaluation for the Eddington house.