We made one more stop before driving to the cemetery. The sun had slipped away, a red band of sky spreading just above the treetops. The air was considerably cooler, and the wind increased. Huge flocks of black birds moved across the sky, migrating.
I drove behind the grocery store to an area near its loading dock. No one was back there after hours, and when I dropped the car into park, Caitlin looked over at me.
“Why are we here?”
“I need to ask you something. I’ll only ask one more time. Are you sure you want to do this?”
She didn’t blink or hesitate. “I’m sure.”
“Nothing will be the same if we go there and do this,” I said.
“I know. That’s what I want,” she said. And then, after a pause, she added, “Is anything the same anyway?”
“No,” I said. “But sometimes there are chances to turn back and sometimes there aren’t. I think we’re at a point where it’s going to be hard to turn back.”
She took a deep breath. It almost looked like she shuddered.
“I’m ready,” she said.
I’d been thinking about the setup of the event all morning, the logistical aspects of making what was supposed to be a trade. All I had to do was bring Caitlin to Colter, let them see each other, and I would be able to extract the information I wanted. The difficult part would be pulling back at the right moment, making sure Caitlin left with me and not with him.
“I want you to get in the backseat,” I said.
“Why?”
“How do I know you won’t just run when you see him?” I asked. “If you’re in the back, I can have some measure of-”
“Control?” she said.
“Certainty,” I said. “Certainty that you won’t just run.”
“I won’t run away. I promise. Do you believe me? I won’t run away. I’ll do what you want.”
And I did believe her. Her eyes were clear, her voice level.
“Okay,” I said. “But I do want you to get in the backseat. And stay down.”
She didn’t argue further, and she didn’t even bother to get out of the car. Like a little kid, she wormed her body over the front seat and into the back. She landed with a light thud.
“Okay?” she said. “Happy?”
I made sure the child locks were activated.
I knew Caitlin was behind me. I sensed her. But I felt alone in the dark. Very alone. The wind picked up again, scuffling leaves across the parking lot, and I shivered.
No turning back.
I drove to the cemetery.