Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

carry. The unloaded rifle was on the seat next to him. Still unloaded, because he hadn’t found any ammunition. He’d taken every knife in every drawer, his final action being to roll the old man’s fingers across one of the blades.
    So the cops would know who the hell they were dealing with. Or at least one of the two. Hopefully the old man would roll on the creepy guy once the cops got involved.
    Marion Morrison my ass .
    Now he held his breath as he turned the key in the ignition, then let it out when the engine turned over. Thank you, God . At the end of a mile-long unpaved driveway he came to an actual road. Right or left? East . Eventually he’d end up at the ocean.
    He didn’t think he’d been taken too far west. The rock form-ations were shale and sandstone . . .  Which you’re only gonna find in Appalachia, son . With a start he realized that it was Gran’s voice he heard. I guess I was listening better on all those hiking trips than I thought . I’m in Appalachia .
    Ford’s lips curved in a smile for the first time since he’d left the theater the night before. Assuming it had been only one night. From the way his head had started to heal, that made sense. Plus, he’d be a lot hungrier had it been more than one night. And he was damn hungry as it was. All he’d found was some beef jerky and canned beans and he’d save that for when he was positively starving.
    Don’t think about being hungry . Just drive until you see a house or another car . A call box on the side of the road . Something . Just drive .
    Baltimore, Maryland, Tuesday, December 3, 12.00 P.M.
    Daphne shivered despite the fact that the heater in Joseph’s Escalade was set to high and she wore his coat.
    She’d need a new coat, because hers had Mike the cameraman’s blood on the sleeve and one of the detectives had taken it as evidence. My coat is evidence . And her blouse would be, too, once she got to the ER. It was soaked with Deputy Welch’s blood.
    ‘I’d almost forgotten,’ she murmured.
    ‘What?’ Joseph asked. He stared straight ahead, his expression grim. He might have been a statue were it not for his forefinger that tapped the steering wheel.
    ‘About the courtroom fiasco. Reggie and his mother. Deputy Welch. I feel . . . disconnected. Like I’m dreaming. But I’m not.’
    ‘No. You’re not.’
    She bit her lip. ‘I left my phone in the pocket of my coat.’
    ‘JD will get it back to you.’
    ‘If it survived my fall. Grayson’s didn’t survive the courtroom brawl. Reggie’s mother kicked the screen in.’
    ‘So that’s why he didn’t call me back,’ he muttered to himself.
    ‘Can I use your phone?’ she asked when he didn’t offer.
    He handed his phone to her. ‘Just don’t look at texts or any of my call logs.’
    ‘I won’t. I just need to call my mother. She was worried before. She’ll be worried sick now.’ Daphne dialed, then frowned when the name of her mother’s dress shop appeared on the screen. ‘Joseph, why do you have my mother’s shop in your contact list?’ she asked him while her mother’s phone rang.
    The shop’s answering machine picked up before he answered and she heard her mother’s voice, stating the store’s hours. ‘Mama,’ she said when the tone had beeped. ‘Mama, it’s me. Pick up the phone. Mama? Okay, now you’ve got me worried. Call me so I know you’re all right.’ She hung up, her frown deeper. ‘She should be there.’
    He glanced at her, his expression unreadable and intense all at once. ‘She’s okay. The squad car JD sent to check on her reported back. She’s fine.’
    ‘How do you know they reported back?’ He’d taken no calls.
    ‘JD texted me a few minutes ago.’
    Something didn’t feel right. Okay, lots of things didn’t feel right . Joseph was acting strangely, even for Joseph. ‘But she should be there. She never closes the shop early.’
    ‘She’s probably been bombarded by calls from the press so she’s screening her calls. I know for a fact that she’s okay. So don’t worry about her.’
    ‘All right.’ Still, something wasn’t right and she didn’t know what it was. ‘Why do you have my mother’s shop in your contact list?’
    ‘Because Paige bought Grayson’s mother a hat to wear to one of those fundraisers you two are always having for the women’s center.’
    Daphne had to think. Hats? ‘Oh. The one at the race track last summer.’ All of the ladies had worn hats, à la Derby Day. ‘What a