by Geof Johnson
“What does esoteric mean?” Sammi asked.
“Hard to understand.”
“That’s about right.” Nova nodded, then said to Jamie and Melanie, “Hey, you guys look like a couple of professors discussing a math problem in front of a chalkboard.”
Jamie stared at her for a few seconds, then widened his eyes. “A whiteboard! That’s what we need. Then we can diagram this. There are a couple of them in the school in Rivershire. Let’s go there.”
“No, Jamie,” Fred said. “We don’t want to hang out there.”
“I don’t want to sit in a hard classroom chair.” Rollie leaned back and draped his arm on top of the couch behind Nova, close, but not quite touching her shoulders. Nova didn’t seem to mind. Sammi smiled to herself.
“Then I’ll go get one.” Jamie quickly outlined a magic doorway as Fred groaned a complaint. She turned to Nova and frowned at her. “Why did you say that? Now they’re gonna go all-out total geek on us.”
Nova spread her hands and winced, and Jamie stepped through to the dark classroom beyond the open portal. He returned a few seconds later and wheeled a whiteboard into Fred’s living room.
“Great,” Bryce grumbled. “Can’t we go downstairs and watch a movie on Fred’s big TV instead?”
“Little Mermaid!” Sammi said brightly.
“Oh, Sammi,” Fred said with a sigh. “Not again.”
“We’ve been over this fate stuff a zillion times.” Bryce sat up in his chair and gestured at Jamie’s walking stick, which was leaning against the wall nearby. “I thought you wanted to talk about that.”
Jamie paused with a marker in one hand. “Glad you reminded me.” He picked up the carved piece of wood and regarded it for a moment. “Maybe with the whiteboard I can show you more of what happens when I make doorways with this thing.”
“You said it’s like glowing lines,” Fred said with a shrug. “Big deal. I get those all the time when I make potions.”
“Are they like this?” Jamie drew a point on the board and then made lines radiating from it in all directions.”
“No. Mine seem to come from my body and connect with the ingredients of my potion, and then flow on into the earth. I feel connected to everything.”
Sammi pointed at the diagram. “That looks like spokes on a bicycle.”
“Or a spider web,” Bryce said.
“But they go in all dimensions,” Jamie said, “instead of on flat plane like a bike wheel or a web.”
Melanie rubbed her chin as she looked at the whiteboard. “Do the lines look different for different doorways?”
“Um...I’m not sure.” Jamie scratched his head with a fingertip. “Let’s see. I’ll make a doorway to my family room.” Jamie grasped the stick firmly in one hand, closed his eyes and began the outlines of a magic portal. “I see the glowing lines in my head. Let me make one to the school now.” He held out his finger and initiated the spell again, then after a moment, opened his eyes and shook his head. “They’re not the same. Not radically different, just...somewhat shifted, a little.”
“Make a doorway to the three moon world and see what happens,” Bryce said. “We haven’t been there in a while.”
“I’ve never been there,” Nova said.
“Me neither!” Sammi said. “Let’s go!”
“I’m for that,” Rollie said. “You can do a fireworks show for us, Jamie. This is boring.”
Jamie gave Rollie an exasperated look. “Can we finish this first?” Rollie shrugged and Jamie closed his eyes again and began another doorway. He nodded. “It’s different. Again, not by a lot, but now that I’m looking for it, I can see it.” He blinked and wrinkled his brow. “I wonder what it means?”
“I still think it’s like the quantum Earth Internet,” Rollie said.
“Or a brain.” Melanie pointed at the drawing on the whiteboard. “Those could be like synapses.”
“Maybe it’s a map,” Nova said.
“A map!” Bryce sat up straight in his chair again. “That could be it.”
“Of your magic sense of space,” Fred added.
Jamie looked at each of his friends and then regarded the elaborately carved stick again. “Huh. Maybe. I need to talk to Mr. Winston about it again.” Then he looked at Fred. “That reminds me; don’t forget to talk to Momma Sue tomorrow about my problem with the Rivershire town council. I need her and Mrs. Malley to help me come up with a way to stop them from meddling with the school.”
“I’ll remember. But that reminds me....” She turned to Nova. “Did you contact your dad yet?”
“No.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“I don’t know...I just...I don’t know.”
Rollie turned in his seat to face her. “You said you would.” Rollie frowned at her. “Maybe we should do it for you.” Rollie pulled his phone from his back pocket. “What did you say the name of his restaurant was? Belanger’s?” He tapped the screen and grinned. I bet I can find him right now.”
“Gimme that!” Nova reached for his phone, but Rollie stood and turned his back to her.
“Let’s see,” Rollie said, “Atlanta, right?”
Nova stood, too, and tried to reach around him, but he spun away and blocked her with his body. “Rollie, stop!” she shrieked.
“Not ’till you promise to get in touch with your dad. You’d said you’d do it already.”
“I promise, I promise! I’ll write to him tomorrow. Just don’t call him now.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday.”
“Whatever. I’ll write a letter to him tomorrow and mail it on Monday. I swear!”
“All right.” Rollie turned to face her again and pocketed his phone. “But you still gotta go to church with me and my folks tomorrow, too. You told my mom you would.”
“I’m going, but it took me two hours to find something to wear. I finally found a decent dress in the back of my closet.” She blew out a long gust of air. “Been a long time since I’ve been to church.”
“That’s okay, as long as you go tomorrow.”
“Are we done here?” Fred said. “Sammi and I want to go to the three moon world and watch Jamie’s fireworks show.”
“Let’s make popcorn!” Sammi said.
“And bring lawn chairs,” Bryce said. “We can get some from Jamie’s garage.”
“All right.” Jamie shrugged. “I think we’ve done enough for tonight.”
“Finally!” Sammi said. “Something that’s not boring.”
Rollie grunted and said, “Amen to that.”
Sammi searched through the soda cans on top of the picnic table before she found one that she thought was hers. There were two large bowls among the clutter that were nearly empty except for the remains of a few popcorn kernels. Three beautiful moons hung in the sky, two of them full, the other a smiling silver sliver.
Rollie and Bryce stood at the edge of the wide, rocky precipice, hurling stones out over the chasm so that Jamie could blast them while he floated high in the air. The other girls were stretched out in lawn chairs, applauding Jamie’s pyrotechnics.
Sammi turned when she heard Mrs. Callahan call her name, and saw her walking through the open portal from her living room. Mrs. Callahan paused on her way and leaned over to turn down the music from Fred’s boom box that sat on the hard ground.
Mrs. Callahan sat next to Sammi on the bench of the picnic table and rubbed Sammi’s back. “Are you having fun?”
“Unh hunh.” Sammi bobbed her head earnestly. “Jamie’s blastin’ rocks, and we danced a little while ago. Everybody did, even Bryce, and he doesn’t like to.”
“Who danced with you?”
“Most everybody.” Sammi lowered her voice and leaned closer to Mrs. Sikes. “Rollie slow danced with Nova, when Jamie and Fred were dancing in the sky.”
Mrs. Sikes wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially. “Maybe you kids need a chaperone.”
“No. We’re behavin’. Honest.”
“I believe you.�
�� She patted Sammi on the back and said, “It’s your bedtime, little girl.”
“Aw, can I stay up just a little while longer? I’m havin’ fun.”
“I’m glad. I know you’ve been bored all day, and I’m sorry. But you know we have to keep you out of sight, so you have to stay inside.”
“That’s okay, I understand. But tomorrow won’t be so bad ’cause I get to go to Momma Sue’s, and the next day is Monday and I go back to school.”
“You have a lot of friends there, don’t you?”
“All of them are my friends, even Milly.”
“I’m sorry you don’t have any buddies in our neighborhood yet, but you will, soon as the police catch Mr. Gundy. Then we’ll get you a bike and you can play outside like a normal kid.” She glanced at her watch and said, “You can stay up another fifteen minutes, and then you have to go to bed, okay? But try not to get up at dawn tomorrow. You’re sleeping in Fred’s room with her and Nova, and they’ll be grumpy if you wake them up early.”
“I won’t wake them up. I’ll sleep late, I promise.”
They both turned to see a large cascade of colorful sparks drift down from the sky, and the older girls clapped and hooted.
“I think I’ll stay and watch for a few minutes,” Mrs. Callahan said. “It looks like Jamie’s putting on quite a show.”
Chapter 27
Gundy had tried to be patient that day, but twice his restlessness had gotten the best of him and he’d driven into town to look for Sammi. Both times he’d been forced to turn around and leave when he spotted police cars patrolling the neighborhoods he wanted to check.
So many cops!he thought as he hurried back to his hotel. He’d seen three patrol cars the day before, thwarting his search. How can they have so many? Hendersonville ain’t that big.
Somehow, they knew he was there. He’d found another short article in the paper about his wife’s murder, which was accompanied by an old picture of him, taken before he’d shaved his beard and bleached his hair, and it said that police had reason to believe that he was in the Hendersonville area. How do they know that?I didn’t tell anybody where I was going.
He had not been out since he returned, hiding in his room with the curtains drawn, afraid to even go to the nearby Quick Stop for beer. Every slammed car door in the parking lot made him jump, every voice outside made his heart race.
Now he slumped in the chair, one finger absent-mindedly digging into the small rip in the bottom cushion and staring at the television but not seeing it. In his mind, he carefully retraced his steps over the last week, and he couldn’t see how he’d left any clues to his whereabouts. The only person who knew he was there was the night clerk, and he didn’t pay close attention to Gundy’s face and Gundy had checked in under a false name and paid cash.
And they don’t have a security camera. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. I just need to be careful, that’s all. Don’t make any stupid mistakes and be patient. Wait ’til my signs are ready, then go back out and look for Sammi.
After his first encounter with a cop, Gundy had decided to take the officer’s advice and get magnetic signs made for the stolen van: Acme Services. That’s what they’d say. He found a shop on the outskirts of Hendersonville and ordered a matched pair, but after thinking about it overnight, Gundy phoned the next morning and requested a second set of signs for a different disguise.
On the table in front of him was the new fake ID badge he’d been making:
Michael Baxter
NC Dept. of Child Services
ID # 27901
Glued to the top corner of it was a new picture of himself that he’d taken at a photo booth, wearing his suit, bleached hair neatly combed and makeup covering the scar on his jaw. He picked up the white card and admired it for a moment. This oughta do the trick. I’ll get it laminated when I pick up my signs. Put it on a lanyard and wear it with my suit and nobody’ll think I’m Duane Gundy. I’ll be Michael Baxter, government worker.
Until then he had to wait, sitting in his musty hotel room, watching television and smoking. “Dammit Sammi, the things I have to do for you!” he shouted at the ceiling.
But once I get you back, we’ll go away somewhere, maybe out to California, where nobody knows us, and start over, just the two of us. We’ll be happier there, without Brenda gettin’ in the way like before.
Hismouth twisted tightly for a moment as he thought about his dead wife, and he felt a twinge of sadness and regret. Then he shook his head firmly. No. It’s better without her around, just me and Sammi.
Yeah, just the two of us. Me and my Sweetness.
* * *
Fred yawned, waiting on the couch for Nova to get out of the bathroom so they could go to bed. Sammi was already asleep in Fred’s room, and the air mattress was inflated, lying on the floor beside Fred’s closet.
Fred was surprised when her mother came down the stairs, wearing her nightgown and slippers. “You’re up late, Mom.”
“I wanted to talk to you before you went to bed.” She sat next to Fred and patted her gently on the knee. “That was really nice of you to include Sammi in your group tonight on the three moon world. She’s been bored out of her mind all day, and it made her happy to be with you guys.”
“I couldn’t very well leave her out, poor kid. I feel bad for her, just sitting inside all day with nothing to do.”
“Hopefully, it won’t be for much longer. Carl said they have a couple ofpolice cars regularly patrolling neighborhoods, looking for Mr. Gundy.”
“When I go see Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley tomorrow, I’m going to ask them if here’s anything that they can do to find him. They may know of a spell that could help.”
Lisa nodded and took a long breath through her nose. “Fred, you’re really good with Sammi. It makes me wish that I could have had another child, because I think you would’ve been a great older sister.”
“Are you kidding? I would have been a bossy tyrant if I’d had a younger sister or brother. We’d have fought all the time, and they’d probably hate my guts.”
“Maybe before, but...you’ve changed. You’ve mellowed a lot lately. You’re not a tyrant to Sammi at all. You’re sweet to her.”
“Well, that’s Sammi. It’s hard to be mean to her.”
“I think she brings out the best in you, Fred.”
“She brings out the best in you, Mom. And Dad, too. It makes me really glad that Sammi came here when she ran away instead of going someplace else. I don’t think she would be happy anywhere else.”
“No, and she’s going to be even happier once they catch Mr. Gundy.” She gave Fred a half-smile. “Thank you for being such a good big sister to Sammi. I think you’re finally getting your bossy impulses under control. You’re growing up.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing there’s another little girl here to take my place.”
“Honey.” She reached for Fred’s hand and wrapped both of hers around it. “No one could ever take your place. You are my daughter, and I will always love you with all of my heart.”
Fred felt her throat tighten and she tried to swallow. Then she heard the bathroom door open and she said, “It sounds like Nova’s done in there. Let’s go to bed.” She leaned over and quickly kissed her mother on the cheek, then went to join Nova.
* * *
Jamie made a doorway in Fred’s living room and stood aside as Fred, Sammi, and Nova stepped through from Momma Sue’s house.
“So, how did it go?” Jamie asked.
Fred kissed him and set her spiral notebook on the couch. “Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley showed us a couple more hexes we can use in case Mr. Gundy gets too close. Did you make a doorway for your grandparents yet?”
Jamie nodded. “I just got back from Granddaddy’s warehouse.”
“Did his friends have a good time in Rivershire?”
“Apparently. They want to go there again and take a couple of their friends with them. Granddaddy offered them half price for a return visit.”
“So, that’s what? Ten thousand dollars?”
“Plus twenty for the other couple.”
“Dang.” Nova wrinkled her brow. “In my next life, I’m coming back as a wizard. That’s where all the money’s at.”
“It’s all for the school,” Jamie said. “I can’t get rich off of my power. It’s part of the oath I took when I was eight years old.”
“Maybe you need to take a new oath.”
“Jamie doesn’t mind.” Sammi bobbed her head. “He wants to help people. Right, Jamie?”
Jamie shrugged. “It’s kind of a challenge, too, trying to see what I can accomplish. I mean,whatwe can accomplish. Granddaddy is part of this deal, too, just like the rest of you.”
“I’m not doing anything,” Nova said. “I’m useless.”
“No you’re not,” Jamie said. “You were a big help on Friday with Miss Duffy.”
“And you have more to do, still,” Fred said, “if we do what Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley suggested.”
Jamie raised his eyebrows. “With the town council?”
“Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley have a plan. Sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”
* * *
Jamie waited with Fred and Nova by the front steps of the Rivershire courthouse while Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley walked through the glowing doorway he’d just made. It winked out behind the two old witches and Momma Sue looked around with her eyes narrowed critically. “So this is Rivershire?” The voodoo queen nodded. “Nice. We need to come back some time and do a little sightseeing’, Bella, so you can show me around your fine little town.”
“But not now.” Mrs. Malley started up the broad stone steps. “We have some business to attend to, first.”
Jamie hustled ahead of her and held the door for her and the rest of their group. Fred was last, and she paused and patted him gently on the face as she passed him. “You’re such a gentleman.”
“Thank you, madam.” He bowed and followed her inside, where they found the secretary seated at her desk. “Hello, Mrs. Stewart. Are the councilmen in today?”
“Yes, Master Jamie. They are in their chamber.”
“Thanks.” Jamie and his group turned right and continued down the marble-floored hallway without waiting.