Rose took Kristen by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Listen to me. You have to go to the FBI. Right now, by yourself. There’s no time to lose.”
“I have to go without you?” Kristen’s eyes rounded, panicky.
“Yes, I have to stop Eileen. If they think she knows what happened to Bill, they’ll kill her before she can breathe a word.”
“But what about you? They’ll try to kill you-”
“No, they don’t know me, and even if they did, I look different than I used to. You hardly knew me, remember? Let’s go, hurry.” Rose hustled to her car with Kristen behind her, tugging at her elbow.
“But I’m afraid.”
“I know, honey.” Rose opened the car door. “But there’s no other way. You can’t go to Reesburgh with me, that’s walking into the lion’s den.”
“Can’t I stay here?”
“In a cornfield?” Rose touched her arm. “The sooner you get to the FBI, the safer you are. Isn’t there anybody you trust, who could go with you?”
“My boyfriend, I guess. Erik. He’s the greatest guy ever, and I dumped him for the senator. He wanted to get married. He’d do anything in the world for me.”
“Then call him, right now. Have him come get you. Go to the FBI in Philly, in his car. Do not stop.” Rose got into her car, twisted the key in the ignition, and looked out the open window. “Call Eileen back, too. If she doesn’t pick up, keep trying. Tell her not to go to Homestead.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll be fine. You can do it. Alohomora.”
Kristen smiled, shakily. “That unlocks things.”
“Whatever. Be safe.”
Kristen straightened up. “Okay. You, too.”
Rose hit the gas, steered the car onto the road, and took off. She flew down the country lane, heading for the turnpike toward Reesburgh, keeping an eye out for cops. She passed one car, then another, barreling ahead in the cool, dark night, the gold stripe at the median glowing in her high beams.
Her heart was pounding, her teeth grinding. She hoped she could get to the plant in time. She’d left from farther away, and Eileen would have a forty-minute head start, unless one of her family members at the hospital had talked her out of going or delayed her.
Rose knew she wasn’t as safe as she’d let Kristen believe. She’d left a major loose end at the plant today. The supervisor would wonder why the new hire had left and he’d probably call Trish, to check up on her alleged cousin. And when Trish told him she hadn’t sent her cousin to the plant, they’d notify security, who’d be on the lookout, especially tonight, with the corporate prom.
Her left hand kept a death grip on the wheel while her right hand fumbled on the seat for her phone. She pressed L, and the phone rang and rang, then went to Leo’s voicemail. She didn’t want to scare him but she couldn’t keep the emotion from her voice. “Babe, call me! I’m on my way to Homestead. Please, hurry-”
BEEP. Suddenly the phone went black. The battery had lost power.
“Damn it!” Rose tossed the phone aside and hit the gas.