Page 82 of Kiss Across the Universe
Chapter Thirty-Two
The next morning, Joe broughtthe truck around to the front of the house. “I’ll take you to Canmore. Then I can swing by the offices in Calgary on the way back,” he said.
Alannah couldn’t think of a way to tell him that driving them there wasn’t necessary. She glanced at Kit, who didn’t look at her as he wiped up the last of the egg on his plate with a piece of toast, and said, “Thanks, Uncle Joe. If you drop us at Clay’s I can get my truck back.”
Alannah relaxed just a smidgen. Clay’s wasn’t the house, at least. The idea of Joe driving them right up to the house made her deeply uneasy, but she couldn’t pin down why. Everything was making her jumpy, this morning, including Kit’s distant manner with her.
After her second big mug of freshly brewed coffee, Alannah climbed reluctantly into Joe’s back seat. Maryann stood on the front porch and waved them off as Joe got the truck moving.
The day was bright and clear, the sky cloudless and pale blue. It seemed too lovely a day to hold the horrible possibilities that had spent the night roiling about in her mind.
There was no road through the mountains that would take them directly to Canmore, which lay just on the other side of the peaks. Instead, they would have to drive nearly all the way to Calgary, then come up north again to Canmore, in a big U around the end of the eastern chain of mountains that formed the valley Canmore was located in.
It was at least a two hour journey, and that put off the moment she was dreading for a while. Alannah tried to relax and watch the land sweep by, and the mountains shift and change color as the day broadened.
They arrived in Canmore shortly after eleven. Joe seemed to know Canmore well, for he steered through the side streets and brought the truck to a halt in front of Clay’s garage. The sign over the open garage doors matched the notepad that Kit had been using last night.
Inside the big shed, Alannah could hear the knock of steel on iron, and the unmistakable sound of a compressor-driven bolt driver.
“I’m gonna drop you and head off,” Joe said. “Not least because I don’t want Clay handing me the bill.” He laughed loudly.
Kit slapped Joe’s shoulder. “Suits,” he said. “Thanks, Joe.”
“Just make sure Alannah gets home safe and sound,” Joe said.
Kit didn’t answer, but from the way Joe grinned, Alannah suspected Kit had rolled his eyes.
She was glad to climb out of the truck. She had been walking for three days, and now, two hours of sitting made her feel cramped and stiff. She wanted to shake off the stiffness. The fear was back in her middle, making her feel sick. She wanted to be able to move fast, if she needed to.
Kit stood next to her, the pack between them and leaning against his knee, as they waved Joe off.
Alannah stirred. “I should pay for the repairs to your truck,” she said.
“We’re not getting the truck,” Kit said, picking up the pack. He looked around. The garage was just one of a strip of light industrial businesses on this side of the road. On the other side were small houses that looked quite old. This was clearly one of the oldest sections of Canmore.
“We’re not?” Alannah said, puzzled.
Kit shook his head. “I was thinking about it, on the way here. I don’t like the idea of just driving up to the house. Not now I know about the basement. It seems smarter to arrive without being seen.”
“I figured you thought I was being hysterical about Iron Grey still being in town.”
“Yeah, well…” Kit rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve got me dancing the paranoid dance now, too.”
“But you’re still going to insist on me jumping us to the house,” she pointed out.
Kit shouldered the pack. “If there’s a situation we’re walking into, then hanging back will just waste time. Let’s jump there, and find out one way or the other.”
She couldn’t dispute the logic, even though she longed to. Her fear was rising like gorge, now Kit had confessed his own instincts were nipping at him.
“There’s a lane over there, to the back of the houses,” Kit said, nodding across the road. “We can walk down there, get out of sight.”
Then jump.
Alannah swallowed and nodded.
They crossed the road, which was empty, and walked over to the lane, then down its length for a hundred yards. The other end of the lane looked as close as the opening behind them when Kit stopped, looked in both directions, and nodded. “Here is as good as it gets.” He held up his arm, for Alannah to step under.
She made herself move, her legs and arms sluggish and heavy. “What is the time?” she asked, her voice tight and high. “The exact time?”
