Hotline to Murder

was the hillside. It was steep, and it had a ridge that extended for some distance along the north side of the park. But the first trails they saw that led to the ridge appeared to go straight up.
    “If they have to climb one of these,” Tony said, “only the fittest and healthiest are going to get into heaven.”
    They looked around some more and found an official trail that snaked up the west side of the hill and then went along the crest, according to a map they found at the trailhead. It did not ascend as steeply as the others they had seen. They decided to climb it and did so, slowly, to allow for Tony’s knee.
    The dirt path was wide enough for a four-wheel-drive vehicle to navigate. They walked east along the ridge and found several roofed shelters where hikers could receive a temporary respite from the unforgiving sun that baked the brushy hillside, parched from a summer without rain. They could see a substantial sweep of the Los Angeles basin. It was like looking over a calm sea—but the sea in this case was composed of houses.
    “I’ll bet this is beautiful at night,” Tony said, “with all the city lights. You can picture millions of people peacefully going about their business.”
    “Or in some cases, not so peacefully,” Shahla said. “Maybe we should have told the police that we talked to Nathan and that Tina is with him.”
    “If we told them that we talked to him by cell phone they might try to call him. If they did, don’t you think he would suspect that we’d tipped them off?”
    “That I had tipped them off. You’re not with me, remember? But you’re right. Of course, they may try to call him anyway.”
    “That’s the chance we have to take. But we can be sure they’re working on it from the church angle. Maybe they’ve found the good reverend.”
    “And maybe not. Los Angeles is so big. How are we going to find Nathan if he doesn’t call back?”
    “If he comes here, we’ll find him. And this looks like a logical place.”
    Tony tried to exude confidence. Shahla looked vulnerable. He placed a consoling hand on her arm. They held each other for a while. Tony pictured a battery charger connected to a cell phone to recharge it. In this case, both of them were the chargers and both of them were the cell phones. They were trying to recharge each other—with courage and hope.
    ***
    It was 5:30 when the cell phone rang again. Shahla and Tony had eaten more fast food a while ago. Shahla had lost her appetite, but Tony said they needed to eat to maintain their energy levels. She forced herself to swallow, but this time the food was tasteless, and she realized that if Tina was killed, the whole world might be tasteless for a long time to come.
    They were sitting at a picnic table in the Kenneth Hahn park, surrounded by the green grass. The grass must be regularly watered or it would look like the brown brush on the hillside. Tony was making notes. He said he was writing a plan of action, in case Nathan didn’t call again. Shahla suspected he was doing it primarily to try to keep his spirits up.
    Shahla was holding the phone when it rang. She activated it and said hello. Nobody answered and at first she thought it might be a hang up. But there were noises in the background. The line was still open.
    “Nathan? Is that you?” There were times when it was just too difficult to stay silent.
    “Are you alone?”
    She wanted to snap, “Of course I’m alone; let’s get on with it,” but she forced herself to modulate her voice and said evenly, “Yes.”
    “Are you still…interested?”
    “Yes. Where should I meet you?”
    Silence. Had she pushed too hard? But acting passively hadn’t gotten her very far.
    “Have you got a car?”
    “Yes. I can meet you anywhere.”
    “You’ll have to give it up.”
    “The car? If I’m going to heaven, I won’t need it anymore.” It was difficult for her to speak those words. She watched Tony’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. He was showing signs of impatience again.
    Nathan named the two streets of an intersection and said, “Meet me there in an hour. Make sure you’re alone.”
    Shahla repeated them out loud so that Tony would hear them. “Is that where the Ascension is going to be?”
    “I’ll drive you from there.”
    “What about Tina?”
    There was a pause. Then Nathan said, “I will release Tina at that time. Unless she wants to be part of the Ascension.”
    “Let me talk to her.”
    She heard a click.
    “Tony,