Page 31 of The Hitchhikers
“They’re a real pair of crazies. They chopped up her mother.”
Jenny sucked in a gulp of air, a strangled gasp, but the man didn’t seem to take it for anything more than genuine horror and gave her a solemn nod. “Keep yourselves safe.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Simon said. They were at the RV.
The man pushed away from his station wagon and took a couple of steps forward like he still wanted to talk to them. If he came up to the door, would he see Alice tied to the table?
The kids came sprinting back from the bathroom. The mother smiled and patted one on the cheek, then pointed toward the playground. The kids ran away again, yelling at their father to come watch. He glanced at Simon and Jenny one last time, then followed the kids.
The woman stepped out of the station wagon, bouncing her baby, and cooing at him with silly faces. The baby giggled. Jenny watched, transfixed. She could be like that. She could be a fun mother, one who woke her baby with kisses on its belly, who smiled when the baby reached for her or grabbed her hair. She would never mind if the baby had sticky fingers or spit up on her.
Simon stopped at the bottom of the RV steps. He tugged on her hand until she looked at him, and then whispered, “You okay now? You understand why?”
Jenny nodded. The baby. She would do anything for her baby.
CHAPTER 13ALICE
When the couple came back into the RV, Jenny brushed past Alice on the floor and sat at the table with her knees pressed together, her hands on her lap, and her fingers interlocked. One thumb moved restlessly against the other. Was she nervous? Had they decided something?
Alice was torn from her thoughts by Simon pulling on her arms as he undid the belt.
He stepped away, and she slowly got to her feet. Her legs were on pins and needles from sitting cross-legged for so long. She stumbled backward to sit on the bench.
Simon opened his wallet, took out the cash and traveler’s checks, and handed what looked like half to Jenny. “In case we get split up.”
Jenny nodded and cast a guilt-stricken look toward Alice. She returned it with a stony stare. Jenny looked down at the traveler’s checks and frowned.
“There’s a line…” She held up the check, showing him. “It saysCountersignature must be affixed in the presence of the person cashing this check. What does that mean?”
Simon turned toward Alice and Tom. “You heard her.”
“The signatures have to match,” Tom said. “I’ve signed one corner already.”
“You mean these are useless?” The words were barely out of his mouth and Simon was lunging toward Tom. He punched him in the ribs, a meaty thudding sound. Tom gasped and groaned as he twisted his body to avoid a second blow.
“Stop!” Alice jumped in between them, shielding Tom. “We can still try!”
“You screwed me over!” Simon’s chest was rising and falling in angry pants, his hands clenched. Jenny had gotten up and was tugging Simon back toward the kitchen.
“We can go to the bank.” Alice tried to think of what to say. “I’m his wife. Maybe if he signs them twice, we can still cash them. The signatures will match, and I’ll say he’s sick.”
Simon rubbed at his head with one hand, messing his hair. “I don’t like this…”
“Alice is right. We can try.” Jenny was still holding his other hand, grasping it between both of hers, like she was an anchor, holding him back from plunging over the edge.
Silence stretched as Simon thought it over and they all waited for his answer.
“We drove past a bank downtown. We’ll go there.”
The city center was only a couple of streets with painted brick buildings nudged tightly together. Some were short and squat, others tall and skinny, and each awning a different bold color like rows of women at an old-fashioned dance, twirling their umbrellas to get attention. It was the mountain that was the true focal point, though. It loomed in the background, watching over the town, so close that Alice could make out the shape of the individual trees on the bottom.
Simon ordered her to park in a shaded lot at the end of the street, out of sight from the brown-brick bank but close enoughthat they could leave quickly. Alice put on lipstick and brushed her hair. When she was finished, she gave Tom a soft kiss that she hoped provided some reassurance, which she herself didn’t feel, then she picked up her purse.
Simon was waiting with his back against the counter, arms crossed in front of his chest, looking for all the world like a young man enjoying his summer vacation in his tank top and faded denim shorts. Except for the gun in his hand, pointing at Tom.
“If I hear any sirens…”
“I get it.” Alice swallowed hard, licked her dry lips. “I’m not going to do anything.”
