by Leigh Irwin
“Sorry, Janie, but not this time,” said James. I watched Janie deflate like a balloon, head bowed and lower lip stuck out. I squatted in front of her and lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
“I’m sure I’ll be back for another visit, and we can all take a walk together then,” I said, feeling for the poor little girl.
“Okay, but you have to promise me!” Janie replied, the sparkle back in her eyes.
“I promise,” I said, and crossed my heart. Janie bounded out of the room, happiness restored.
Chapter 28
We walked along the leaf-strewn sidewalk, holding hands. It was cold, the sun just a faint yellow orb above, and I stopped to zip up my sweatshirt and pull up the hood.
“When did you leave last night?” I asked.
“Oh maybe an hour or so after we got home. You were snoring, and I figured you were out till morning,” he said, smiling. “It was kinda fun watching you sleep though. Your eyes were racing back and forth under your eyelids, and once in a while you even smiled. It seemed like your dreams were a lot better than real life, at least right then, and I didn’t want to bother you.” I turned to hug him.
“Thanks. You really saved me last night. There’s nothing like losing both your parents, then your best friend on top of it.”
I nestled into his chest, arms locked around his waist and closed my eyes. We stood that way for a couple of minutes, listening to the wind rustle through the trees.
He pulled back, resting his hands on my shoulders and said, “I’m sure Emma was just reacting—in the moment, as they say. The whole thing must have been a total shock to her.”
“I know. It must have felt like a nightmare. She’d just come home, and she looked so happy. But that’s still no excuse for what she said!” I looked up at him, searching his face, trying to convince him of my position.
“Has she texted or called since last night?” James asked, his brow furrowed.
Sheepishly, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, unlocked it and handed it to him. He scrolled down the list of calls and texts, slowly shook his head and handed the phone back.
“What do you plan to do now? I doubt they called to remind you they hate you,” he said, a lop-sided grin lighting up his face. When I didn’t respond, he said, “Hey! Come on! I was just kidding.”
I debated with myself as we strolled, down a steep hill and up a gentle slope before circling back around to his house. James never interrupted my deliberations, although I noticed him glancing at me here and there. I sighed when his house came back into sight.
“I guess I should call one of them back. I can’t decide if it would be harder talking to Emma or Pam right now. They both must be going crazy, between Keith and me. What would you do?” I asked.
“No way! You’re not getting me into this. You have to figure it out yourself. My only suggestion is that you do it soon, before they call Missing Persons on you.”
“Okay. You’re right,” I said as we walked through the front door. Kim was in the kitchen. First things first.
“I want to thank you for letting me stay last night. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“It was fine. Glad we could help. Do things seem any better today?” she asked. The look on her face was benign, but I sensed that she hoped I’d be leaving soon.
“I think so. I’m gonna work on fixing it right now. And I promise, I won’t ever barge in on you uninvited like that again,” I said, and gave her my most sincere smile. “I really do appreciate you putting up with me.”
“I’m sure things will work out,” she said returning my smile. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought she might have thawed a little.
I straightened up the guest room before I called Pam. After all, she was the one with the driver’s license, not Emma, and I really didn’t want to ask James’ mom for another ride. Pam picked up on the first ring.
“Sam! You had us worried sick!” she said, her voice breaking.
“I’m so sorry. I’m at James’ house. His mom picked me up…”
“I know, which is the only reason I didn’t call the police last night. James texted Emma,” she said.
“Oh. He never said anything. Umm, could you please come get me?” I sat down on the rug, feeling suddenly light-headed.
“Of course I will,” she said, her voice shaking in relief. “But first you have to promise me something.”
“What?” I asked, fearing the worst, but ready to agree to any conditions she set.
“You have to promise me you’ll never run away like that again, no matter how upset you are. I know Emma was horrible last night, and she needs to make amends. She feels terrible. Believe me, I know Emma, and I’ve never seen her so upset,” she said. “But you can’t simply disappear when things get tough. I know this is a very hard time for you, and I want to help you as much as I can, but we need to trust each other. I’m on your side—always.” My eyes filled, and I sniffled, unable to respond.
“Sam? Are you there?” Pam asked.
“Ye-yes,” I choked out through my tears.
“So, do you promise?”
“Yes. I promise. I won’t ever do it again.”
“Okay, good. What’s James’ address?”
I gave her the information, packed up my backpack and found James and Janie in the den playing a board game. Kim sat in a chair nearby, reading.
“Pam’s coming to pick me up. Thank you again for letting me stay,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Sam. I won’t say ‘come back anytime’, but we’ll be happy to have you visit. Right Janie?” Janie was giving me another of her knee-breaking hugs, while James stood by, smiling. The doorbell rang, and Kim stood to answer it, the three of us trailing behind her.
“Hi. You must be Pam. I’m James’ mom, Kim, and this is Janie,” she said, as Janie peeked out from behind her legs.
“Thank you so much for taking Sam in last night,” Pam said. “And thank you, James, for letting us know that she was safe.”
James smiled shyly, grabbed my backpack and walked me to Kim’s car.
I climbed into the front seat, and we started home. I didn’t know what to expect next. Would I get some kind of punishment? Did Emma really hate me, despite what Pam said? And what happened to Keith? Did he ever come home? The questions raced through my mind. I stared out the passenger window, scarcely daring to breathe.
We pulled into the garage, and Pam turned off the car. I studied her profile and decided to ask the easiest question first.
“Umm, I know what I did was wrong. Are you going to punish me?” I tried to look brave, but my stomach felt heavy, like I’d just swallowed a rock.
“Of course not!” Pam reached over and gathered me into her arms, kissing me on the top of my head. “I think you’ve probably punished yourself enough already.” I grinned, relieved. Now for my second question.
“Are you really sure Emma’s not still mad at me?” I asked, fidgeting with the zipper on my backpack.
“She’s as sorry as I’ve ever seen her.” Pam grabbed her purse and opened the car door. The rock in my stomach dissolved, leaving me almost light-headed.
“One more thing,” I said quickly. Pam turned back and waited.
“Did Keith come home last night?” I asked, in a squeaky voice, forcing the words out. Pam looked at me unhappily, and exhaled.
“No, he’s not back. A lot has happened since last night, and we need to talk about it, but right now, let’s get you and Emma back together. I know my two girls need each other.”
I tried to absorb that last bit of information as I jumped out of the car. We found Emma in the den, watching a movie on TV. I stopped at the threshold, feeling awkward and not knowing how to start. Emma glanced up, and then did a double-take.
“Sam! You’re back! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any of it. Please, can we still be best friends?” She ran across the room to meet me. I dropped my backpack and we hugged, laughing and crying at the same time, while Pam watched, smiling.
It felt almost like I’d come home.
Chapter 29
Pam waited until later that afternoon to call us down to the den. Emma and I came in together, me a bit groggy after a nap, Emma looking scared.
“Have a seat, girls,” Pam said, indicating the couch. She watched us cross the room and settle uneasily next to each other.
“There’ve been some new developments. I’ll tell you everything I know, but first I want both of you to remember that we’re all going to get through this. We will be fine,” she emphasized, saying the words slowly and deliberately. Emma and I looked at each other, then trained our eyes on Pam.
“Sam, you know your father’s in jail, and that he’s been charged with the murder of your mother. This isn’t news, but something new has come out.” She paused, searching our faces, then with a determined look, went on. “During his discussions with the police, John reported that Keith helped him escape that night.”
My eyes darted between Emma and Pam, but I said nothing. Emma sat stoically next to me, her feet flat on the ground and her hands folded primly in her lap.
“Can I ask something?” I hesitated. I felt ashamed for my curiosity, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Anything, Sam.” Pam smiled at me encouragingly.
“How did Keith and Dad do it? I mean, how did Dad get away from all those police and that helicopter?”
“From what I’ve been told, your dad called Keith on his cellphone as soon as he left your house that afternoon. You know that old trail your parents made, the one that goes down the back bank?” Emma and I nodded. “Well, there’s another trail, too, a much longer one.” My eyes bugged out, and Emma and I gaped at each other.
“Really! I never knew that. I wonder if Mom knew,” I said.
“I would doubt it. But Keith knew, because he helped your dad make it. Anyway, the point is, it was much easier for your dad to find his way through the canyon than anyone expected. By the time the police started searching for him, your dad was most likely at the bottom already, or close, and Keith was waiting to pick him up.” Emma and I sat in stunned silence. She watched both of us, letting it sink in. Finally, she continued.
“One thing no one ever understood was why he’d take such a risk on behalf of your dad, Sam. This is where it gets a lot more complicated.”
I stared at Pam, not even realizing I was holding my breath until spots appeared before my eyes. I exhaled and quickly drew in another breath.
“At this point, I have to say that I’m reporting your dad’s version of events, Sam. I talked to Keith early this morning, but now he’s been told by his attorney not to share information with anyone, not even me, so this whole mess has turned into a confusing ‘he said, he said’.” She smiled sardonically. “Keith claimed your father was trying to set him up. He said he was at work when all of this happened. Your dad says Keith was the mastermind.”
A thousand questions popped into my head. I forced myself to focus on Kim’s words again, after missing the first part of what she’d just said.
“…So, Sam, your dad was hoping for leniency. If he gave them information on a different matter, maybe he’d get a lighter sentence in your mom’s case. Apparently, the FBI is involved now, too…”
“What? I think I missed something,” I interrupted, completely confused. “What’s the FBI got to do with any of this?”
“Your dad implicated Keith in an international espionage matter, which is something the FBI handles, not the police.” Neither Emma nor I said anything, so she continued. “To summarize, John claimed that Keith recruited him a year or so ago to work for the Chinese government, as a spy, although John says he didn’t know that till much later.” Emma and I stared uneasily at each other. Pam stopped talking, looking frustrated. “Let me back up a bit. I told you it’s complicated. And it’s even more confusing because this is all second-hand. I’m trying to repeat what I heard from Keith, and I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she said, rubbing her eyes.
“Where is Dad now?” Emma asked.
“Sweetie, your dad is in jail. He was arrested in his office Saturday night after he left our house to go back to work.”
Emma’s face fell, and I edged closer to her, stunned. This was so much worse than we ever dreamed. Pam waited, watching Emma closely. Emma sighed deeply and looked at her mother, tears in her eyes. She nodded slowly, signaling for Pam to continue.
“Taking up where I left off, with John’s version of events, Keith asked John to meet him at a bar for a drink after work one night about a year ago. At the bar, he introduced John to some senior executives from a Chinese airline. They offered John a job writing reports for them. I do remember Keith saying John told him that the reports should have contained the cure for cancer, considering how much he got paid. In any event, Keith said he has no idea what’s actually in them.” She smiled sadly at us and paused again. Emma and I shared a look.
“What is it?” Pam asked.
“Nothing, Mom. Is there more?” Emma asked, stone-faced.
“In response to John’s accusation, Keith told me that it was the money that attracted John at first, but it also ensnared him. Keith says he had no idea what they really expected John to do.” She stopped again, gulped and looked away from us. “Here’s the final part. John told the FBI that Keith has worked for these same people for more than twenty years. And in reality, their ‘employers’ are agents for the Chinese government.”
I let out an involuntary gasp, my hands suddenly tingling as if tiny pins were sticking me from the inside out. Emma didn’t move.
“John claimed Dad is a spy? And that he was recruited to be a spy, too? By Dad?” Emma’s voice sounded incredulous, but at the same time resigned.
I sagged back and closed my eyes. The silence was suddenly punctuated by the grandfather clock in the living room, far away, on the opposite side of the house. I counted as it chimed five times.
Chapter 30
I climbed the stairs to my room like I was sleep walking. Emma stayed in the den with Pam, and I heard the soft murmur of their voices. I needed time by myself to think this through, and I knew Emma needed her mother.
It was unbelievable that Dad had not only killed Mom, but that he was a spy for the Chinese government. How in the world had our lives come so completely off the rails? I laid on the bed, propped up by pillows, and stared dully around the room. One thing was certain: My old life was over, done, finished. I sighed, too stunned to feel much of anything. There was a soft knock on the door and then Emma’s voice.
“Sam? Can I come in?” She opened the door a crack, and I waved her inside. She crawled onto the bed next to me, saying nothing at all for a long time.
“You know we never told my mom about all that stuff we found,” she said, turning her head to look at me.
“Yep. I do know that. The problem is, I have no idea where Mom hid it all after we gave it to her, and I don’t wanna search again,” I said, studying my fingernails, which were pretty much nonexistent by that time. I chewed at a rough spot. “The other problem is, if we give that paper to your mom, we’ve pretty much convicted your dad of being a spy. Not only that, but the paper makes it sound like your dad’s the boss, and my dad was the recruit.”
Emma sat cross-legged, staring vacantly. I waited for her to say something. I realized I wasn’t anxious or even worried. I just felt numb to it all.
“I think we need to tell my mom about that file box and everything in it. At least we know Mom will do her best to protect us—after all, she is an attorney,” reasoned Emma.
“But what about your dad?” I asked.
“It’s definitely a lot harder to do the ‘right thing’ when it’ll hurt someone in your family, someone you love…” Emma looked down at her hands. “But I’d never forgive myself if we didn’t tell Mom about all of it, including that piece of paper. I can’t shield my dad…” she trailed off sadly.
I took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully.
“I can’t
argue. Personally, I’d like to pass that whole hot potato on to someone besides us. When should we talk to her?”
“I vote for sooner rather than later,” Emma said.
I shuddered. It suddenly occurred to me what a huge mistake we nearly made. What if we’d given Pam and Keith what we discovered in that file box? Assuming what Dad said was true, Keith was the master spy. What would Keith and/or the Chinese have done to us if they knew what Emma and I discovered? I didn’t even want to think about it. I looked at Emma appraisingly.
“I agree sooner’s better. Do you think your mom’s okay? If she’s not too upset, I think we might as well do it now,” I said tentatively. Emma nodded agreement.
We found Pam in the den, sitting so still she might as well have been a statue. Her eyes looked vacant, like she was a million miles away. The only thing that gave her away was her left foot, rhythmically tapping the carpeting.
“Mom?” Emma said gently. Pam’s eyes came alive as she regarded the two of us.
“What’s up?” she asked, as we settled onto the couch. She searched our faces, and I swallowed hard, waiting for Emma to begin.
“We found something a while ago,” Emma said.
“Okay…” Pam drew the word out, making it sound like a question. “What did you find?”
Emma and I looked at each other, realizing there was no going back now.
“We found a file box,” she said.
“What kind of a file box?” Pam asked, sitting up straighter. Emma signaled me to take over, and I nodded.
“You know, one of those plastic ones with a lid,” I said.
“What was in it?” Pam asked in a more insistent tone. I cleared my throat and continued.
“There were some reports my dad wrote for the Chinese airline and a bunch of cash, and…”
“What?” Pam interrupted, looking stunned.
“Umm, like I said, some reports and a lot of money. But that’s not everything.”
“What else did you find?” she asked.