Like Dandelion Dust

by Karen Kingsbury

  Beth stood too, so they were eye-to-eye. “What was Jack doing in Miami?”

  Then, as if something came over her, Molly’s expression eased. “Beth . . .” She sounded kind, almost apologetic. “I’m so sorry. How long have you been thinking about this?”

  “Since yesterday, for sure.” Beth took a few steps back and sat on one of the pool lounge chairs.

  Molly took the one next to her. “Jack was working with a document specialist, something about the deed to the building we’re buying. He’s done all his paperwork in Miami.”

  Beth wasn’t convinced. Not then, and not later that afternoon when she was home mulling over everything Molly had said. Real estate transactions for property in West Palm Beach would take place here, not in Miami. Certainly whatever documents were needed, they could be picked up in town.

  The evidence was still more than Beth could ignore. And she was running out of time to do something about it. The money, the phony passport place, the almost casual way Molly and Jack seemed to be handling what was happening with Joey. They were like pieces of a puzzle, and suddenly the picture seemed too great to ignore.

  It was against God, against the law, against everything right and true for Molly and Jack to take Joey and run. They could get killed or arrested. They could lose both Joey and their freedom forever, all at the same time. With everything in her, Beth wanted to believe that her suspicions were outrageous, impossible. That her sister would never do such a thing.

  But there was one detail Beth couldn’t deny. Something Molly herself had said a few weeks ago. She said she’d lay down her life for Joey if she had to. And wouldn’t she be doing exactly that if they ran? Giving up life as she knew it, everything about the old Molly Campbell, all so she could keep being Joey’s mother?

  There was only one way to make sure it wouldn’t happen, to know for certain she’d done everything in her power to stop her sister from making the greatest mistake of her life. Beth knew the social worker’s name. Molly had talked about the woman countless times in the past few months.

  Allyson Bower.

  She worked in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Child Welfare Department—Beth knew that, too. And with those two bits of information, in three quick minutes she was on the phone, being transferred to Allyson Bower’s office.

  On the fourth ring, a machine picked up. Beth took a deep breath, and when the recording asked the caller to leave a message, she waited for the beep and began to talk.

  “Mrs. Bower, you don’t know me. This is Beth Petty, Molly Campbell’s sister.” She paused. “This is a very hard phone call to make, but I think you should know I’m very concerned that my sister and her husband might be thinking of running, disappearing with Joey.

  “As you know, we’re leaving the country a week from today for a work trip to Haiti. I have a suspicion that the Campbells will take false passports with them on that trip. They also have access to an awful lot of money.” Tears choked her throat. Her hands shook. Molly would never speak to her again if she knew about this call. She coughed a little. “Please, Mrs. Bower, if this concerns you, call me as soon as you get this message.”

  Beth left her number, and then hung up.

  There. She’d done everything she could do. The social worker would get her message, and if Molly was lying to her, it was only a matter of time. Allyson Bower would stop them before they had the chance to do something stupid, something they would regret forever. They didn’t have to give up Joey. There was still time for legal intervention, time for God to work a miracle on their behalf. But if Molly and Jack ran, there would be no turning back, not ever.

  Beth’s head pounded. She took two Tylenol and stretched out on the sofa. The kids were playing in the kiddie pool out back, and dinner was an hour away. Not that she could bear the thought of eating. Her stomach was in knots. Making that call was the hardest thing Beth had ever done.

  Now she could only pray that Molly never, ever found out. If she did, there would be no need to worry about whether her friendship with Molly would end because Molly would be in prison or living in some foreign country.

  If Molly found out about the call, Beth would’ve killed the relationship herself.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  They were in Joey’s room, tucking him in and making sure his suitcase was packed for the morning. Molly’s head was spinning so fast she could barely complete a sentence. They were just hours from setting their plan in motion.

  “I won’t see that other mommy and daddy on this trip, right?” Joey wore his dinosaur pajamas that night, the ones with the shorts and short sleeves. The Florida humidity was in full force, and even with their air conditioning, the room felt muggy.

  “No, buddy.” Molly sat on the edge of his bed and smoothed his sweaty bangs off his head. “This is a special trip with just us and Aunt Beth’s family.”

  “What about Gus?” Over the past few months, Gus had made a regular habit of sleeping on Joey’s bed. He was sitting on the floor now, patiently waiting for Molly to move so he could take his place.

  Molly could feel her heart breaking. “Not Gus.” She reached down and patted Gus near his ear. “He’s going to a doggie day care.”

  Joey giggled. “I bet he has fun there, Mommy.”

  Molly wanted to weep. “Me, too.”

  Jack had gone down the hall to get something, and now he came back with his guitar. Before life had spun so wildly out of control, Jack had often come into Joey’s room at night with his guitar. They’d turn off the lights and Jack would play something soft and melodic, something he’d made up or something retro from the Eagles or Boston.

  Now Jack motioned to the suitcase. “All packed?”

  “Yes.” She leaned down and gave Joey butterfly kisses with her eyelashes. “Want a backrub, buddy?”

  “Okay.” He smiled at her. “The other mommy does that for me, too.” He started to turn over, but he held her look a second longer. “She’s nice to me.”

  Molly gulped. The other mommy was nice? She covered her surprise. “That’s good, honey . . . I’m glad.”

  “But the man . . . he’s still really mean.”

  “I’m sure.” She looked at Jack. He’d heard every word, she could tell by his expression.

  Jack played three songs, all lullabies he’d written. When Joey was asleep, they tiptoed out of the room. They had a lot to talk about and only a few hours left before they got on the plane.

  After Jack put his guitar away, they met on the front porch. Even with the sticky night, it felt better being outside. It made the whirling thoughts in Molly’s head somehow manageable.

  They sat in the glider, the one that just perfectly fit the two of them. The crickets were louder than usual, and Jack leaned his head back, peering at the starry sky. “It’s our last night here.”

  “Yes.” Molly pulled her feet up onto the glider and hugged her knees. “I have so many questions still. Tell me again what you did today.”

  Jack looked calm. “Everything’s done.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “I transferred the money. It went through half a dozen accounts all designed to break up any paper trail.”

  “And it’ll be in our account in the Caymans the day before we get there?”

  “Yep.” He kicked his feet up on the porch railing. “I double-checked. The instructions I gave the banker in Sweden were very clear. Wait twelve days and send the money on.”

  “And you’re sure the money made it to Sweden?”

  “Before noon today.”

  “You made it look like it was going to an escrow account, right? From our savings?”

  “Right. That way when the authorities interview Beth and she tells them we were purchasing a commercial building, everything will line up. At least for a little while.”

  “What about the Realtor?”

  “He’ll hear about our disappearance and assume the deal is cancelled.” Jack was unruffled by her questions. “He’d have no reason to contact anyone about a broken real
estate deal. Happens all the time.”

  “Okay, what else?” Her heart was going double-time. After all the talking and planning, she was suddenly scared to death. The way she’d felt since Beth asked her point-blank if they were running. “I’ve got our entire photo library on CDs and jump drives, all packed in the suitcase.”

  “Good.”

  The photos had been Molly’s idea. She couldn’t leave her past life without bringing photographs. At first she’d tried to imagine packing a dozen albums, but then she remembered. Since they’d adopted Joey, all their photos were taken digitally. All they needed were the CDs and a back-up copy of the files on a jump drive. They could make new photos when they got situated in the Caymans.

  Late at night when she couldn’t sleep, she’d scanned special photos from before Joey’s adoption into a file. Then she carefully put each photo back, so that when people went through their belongings, nothing would be out of place, no sign that they’d been planning this.

  Molly packed only one photo album—the one Beth had made her when she graduated from high school. Also one small file of Joey’s artwork. Otherwise everything was being left behind.

  Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I cancelled our life insurance policies, effective today.”

  “Good. I like that.” It was something they’d discussed a few weeks ago. If they didn’t cancel the policies, and if eventually everyone presumed they’d drowned or been kidnapped or killed by a street gang in Port-au-Prince, disbursement on their policies would have to be made. Beth and Bill would wind up with at least half, since Molly’s parents were both dead.

  “I like it, too. We’re not trying to get an illegal life insurance payout. We just want our son; that’s all.”

  “Exactly.” She hugged her legs a little tighter. “What else?”

  “You’ll take Gus to the kennel at seven in the morning. You’ve already called and set everything up, right?”

  “Right. Last week.” Molly started to shake. What were they doing? It still felt like something from a terrible off-Broadway production. People had kids taken away from them; it didn’t happen often, but it happened. How many times did a couple run away with their child? And why hadn’t she heard of anyone getting away with it? She clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering. “What else?”

  “Beth hasn’t asked you any weird questions lately, right?”

  “Not since the pool.” She’d already told Jack about that conversation. “I think she believes my answers.”

  “Okay. Then we’re all set. The getaway is something we have to figure out once we’re in Port-au-Prince.” He stood and leaned on the railing.

  Molly couldn’t sit still another moment. She joined him, leaning against his shoulder and staring out at their front yard. The yard they wouldn’t see again after tomorrow.

  He laced his fingers with hers. “What are you thinking?”

  “A lot.” She let her head hang for a moment. Strange that she was shaking. It had to be almost ninety degrees out. She looked up and studied the stars. “I remembered something the other day, something Joey and I watched last Christmas.”

  “Mmm.”

  “It was a cartoon, a half-hour show on the birth of Jesus. The story of the Nativity.”

  “You thought of that the other day?” Jack gave her his most charming smile.

  His look settled some anxious part of her heart. In her new life, the one that would start tomorrow, she would have Jack and Joey. Despite all the other losses, having them would be enough. Once they got through the next week, they’d find their way together. She nodded. “Yes. After Jesus was born, there was this evil king. He wanted to kill baby Jesus.”

  “Okay, an evil king . . .”

  “Right, and an angel came to Mary and Joseph in a dream and warned them. They got up and left for another country. Then and there, no warning.”

  “Ah . . .” He looked at her, his eyes dancing in the starlight. “Sort of like us.”

  “Right.”

  They were quiet for a minute, listening to the sound of the crickets and croaking frogs in the marsh on the other side of the neighborhood. “I keep thinking about Joey’s dandelion.” He breathed in slow through his nose. “That day at the park all I knew was I couldn’t let him go. I wanted to disappear.”

  “Like Joey’s dandelion dust.”

  “Yes.” They were quiet again.

  Molly wondered if he could hear her heart beating. No matter how many times they went over the details, she was still terrified. They weren’t the sort of people who did this kind of thing. They were good people, law-abiding people. What if they weren’t good at being bad? She pressed her forearms against the railing. “What about God’s will?”

  Jack smiled at her, the sort of smile he gave Joey when Joey talked about Neverland. “God’s will?”

  “Beth said she’s been praying for God’s will. Bill, too. If God’s will is for Joey to be with us, won’t it happen anyway? Couldn’t all of this be for nothing?” She didn’t pause long enough for him to say anything. “But what if it’s God’s will for Joey to go to the Porters?”

  “You mean, if it’s God’s will for him to leave us, then somehow he’ll leave us no matter what we do? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was quiet, sad. Beyond afraid. “What if that?”

  Jack took a moment before he answered her. “I’m not sure about God’s will, Molly. I told you, we can talk about that later.” He put his arms around her and together they straightened and eased their way into each other’s arms. “All I know is that my plan is going to work.” He held onto her shoulders and looked intently into her eyes. “It is, Molly. Nothing’s going to happen to us.”

  Through that night and as the sun started to come up, it was the only thought that made even breathing possible. Nothing was going to happen to them. Nothing. The plan was going to work.

  It had to.

  Joey wasn’t quite asleep. He lay there petting Gus and staring at the ceiling. There was something he hadn’t told his mommy and daddy, and he felt bad inside about it. Last time he was at that Ohio house, where the Indians played baseball, the mean man told him scary things.

  He said Joey was really his little boy, and he was the real daddy. Joey told the man no, that his real family was here in Florida. Then there was something else even worse. The man came really close to his ear and he said, “If you say that again, little man, I’ll give you a spanking you’ll remember forever.”

  Then the man pushed Joey’s head into the pillow for a long time. It was scary down there. His breaths were tight and small and he hoped the nice lady would come and make the man stop.

  When she did come, she yelled at the man.

  Joey looked at Gus. His eyes were open ’cause he was a good friend, that’s why. “Hi, Gus . . . know what?”

  What? Gus said with his eyes.

  “I don’t ever wanna see that mean man again. And maybe I won’t have to. Know why?”

  Why? Gus said.

  “Because I asked God.” Sometimes Gus forgot things even when he’d told him a hundred times. “’Member, Gus? I asked God to go with me on the trips to Ohio and He did. So I asked God if I could please stop taking the trips so I could be home with Mommy and Daddy and you.”

  Don’t forget Mr. Monkey and the bears.

  “I know, Gus. I won’t.” He reached over and picked up Mr. Monkey. “But I can’t be with Mr. Bear because I left him at the Ohio house. Under the bed. Know why?”

  Why? Gus made a whining sound.

  “Because he made me think of that mean man every time I saw him o’ course.”

  Gus yawned and closed his eyes. He didn’t like to talk much at night. That was okay. It gave Joey a reason to talk to God again, ’cause God never, ever fell asleep. He asked Jonah at the pool last time, and that’s what Jonah said. God stays awake all the time. In case we need to talk to Him about something.

  “God . . . it’s me, Joey. I as
ked You before, but I think I’ll ask You again. In case You were busy last time.” He looked out the window. “God, please, could You tell the judge that I don’t want to go back to Ohio? I just want to be here with my family. Mommy and Daddy and Gus and Mr. Monkey and Mr. Growls. And that’s all.”

  He thought for a minute. “Oh, and Aunt Beth and Uncle Bill and the cousins. Especially Jonah.” He closed his eyes. Sleep was easy after he talked to God. “Thank You, God.

  “Gee this name, amen.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Beth had never felt so sure of anything in all her life. The social worker never called her back, and now it was nine o’clock, the night before the mission trip. She hadn’t confronted Molly again about the possibility that they might run, but even so, she felt the strain in her relationship with her sister.

  In the past few days she asked Molly about the hearing—the one that was supposed to buy them more time with Joey. Even with the tension between them, Beth expected Molly to get excited about the hearing results. If they were good, anyway. Instead Molly only shook her head. “It was postponed until next week.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “The attorney still thinks he can get us more time. We’re believing him, Beth. What else can we do?”

  Nothing Molly had told Beth in the past few months could actually be verified. So Bill had snooped around and called Paul Kerkar, the Realtor. He mentioned his brother-in-law’s purchase of a medical building and asked whether Paul knew of other similar properties.

  “Perhaps.” Paul was pleasant, not suspicious about the call.

  “Jack tells me he’s closing on the deal any time now—is that right?”

  “In the next few weeks, for sure. The building inspection showed the need for a roof repair. That has to be done first.”

  Bill worked his way out of the conversation. Afterward he looked at Beth and held up his hands. “It’s legit. Jack and Molly are buying a building in West Palm.”