Spencerville

Spencerville, or halfway at Louise’s. I’d give her a letter to mail to you from her post office—I never trusted the people at the Spencerville post office. They gossip.”
    “I noticed all your letters were postmarked outside of Spencerville.” He smiled. “It sounds like you two enjoyed yourselves.”
    “We were like schoolgirls. Anyway, there’s not much excitement out in Chatham County, and this was almost as good as the soaps.”
    “Yes, but… letters are one thing—helping you run off with a man is another.”
    “She’ll wish us well.”
    “Will she be safe from Chief Baxter?”
    “Her husband, Larry, is pretty tough. Nice guy, but he hates Cliff, and Cliff is afraid of him. Larry is also an honorary deputy sheriff in Chatham, and he’d like nothing better than to tangle with Cliff Baxter.”
    “Okay, just so they both understand.”
    “I’ll talk to them and tell them we’ll be there Saturday at… what time?”
    “There’s a two-fifteen direct flight to Washington. If we leave your sister’s at ten, we’ll make the flight.”
    She nodded. “All right. Cliff will leave early with his friends. I’ll pack and drive out to Terry’s house—I’ll put my things in shopping bags and cardboard boxes, so if my keeper sees me packing the car, he won’t get suspicious.”
    “Do you watch spy movies?”
    “I was Phi Beta Kappa. My brain still works.”
    “I see that. You know, I’ve been in police states where the cops weren’t as much trouble as here.”
    “They’re stupid. Anyway, I should get to Terry’s about nine. You can get there earlier if you want. They’ll be expecting you. We’ll have a cup of coffee, I’ll give them letters to mail to Tom and Wendy, we’ll say good-bye, and Terry will go speak to Mom and Dad.”
    “Have you eloped before?”
    “Keith, I’ve run away a thousand times in my mind. I wish I’d had the nerve to do it for real, but I’m glad I waited.” She looked at him and said, “I never thought I’d run off
with
you, but I always fantasized that I was going to join you somewhere.”
    “I’m sort of overwhelmed.”
    “
You’re
overwhelmed? I can’t believe this is happening. My head is spinning, my heart is fluttering, and I’m so in love I can’t see straight. I feel happier now than I’ve felt since the day before you got your draft notice. I knew nothing would be the same for me after that.”
    “I thought it would. You understood it better.”
    “Darling, we both understood, but we hoped for the best.” She thought a moment, then said, “People make stupid mistakes in their twenties, but we can’t judge ourselves two decades later. We had a great six years, Keith, and I thank God I had that time with you. God willing, we’ll have the rest of our lives together.”
    Keith couldn’t say anything, but he took her hand and kissed it.
    She took a deep breath. “I should go. Do we meet again before next Saturday?”
    “No, it’s not safe, and don’t call. I’m concerned about a phone tap.”
    She nodded. “I can almost guarantee my phone calls are recorded at police headquarters. That’s why I called you from a pay phone. Do you think your phone—?”
    “Maybe. And possibly the Porters’. Will you be all right at home?”
    “I’ll try. Yes, I will. I won’t give him any cause for suspicion.” She looked at him. “You understand?”
    He nodded.
    “Do you still have Terry’s address?”
    “I think, after twenty years of addressing envelopes, I might remember it.”
    “You still have a sarcastic streak in you. I’ll work on that.”
    “No, darling, you’ll learn to live with it.”
    “Okay, I get real bitchy that time of the month, and the rest of the month, I have a smart mouth.”
    “Looking forward to it.”
    They stood a moment, then she said, “I don’t want to walk away.”
    “Then stay.”
    “I can’t… I have errands that should be done before he gets home, or he’ll wonder where I’ve been all day.”
    “He sure keeps a tight leash.”
    “He sure does. You never did.”
    “And I never will.”
    “You don’t have to.” She put out her hand, and he took it. She said, “You have a good day now, Mr. Landry. I’ll see you next Saturday, and we’ll run off together.”
    He smiled, then made eye contact with her and said, “Annie… if you change your mind…”
    “No, and neither will you. Be there, Keith. Red brick Victorian. Off County Road 6.” She kissed him, turned, and hurried