Chapter 46
It’s highway driving most of the way to Nina’s.
But I have four hours to go, nearly to the New Brunswick border.
I glance at my gas gauge. I’ll need to stop before I get there.
And I need a restroom and some water, so I’ll have to stop anyway.
Thank God for the money my helper left me.
I just hope it’s enough for the gas I’ll need.
My head is spinning, but adrenaline is keeping my eyes open.
There are only a couple of cars on the road with me. It’s Maine and the middle of the night. I feel the encroaching presence of pine trees and other vegetation in the darkness along the highway, and I search the roadside for a sign that there is civilization and a gas station coming up soon.
I glance in my rearview mirror periodically, looking for Alex. I didn’t see anyone behind me as I left Cheshire Lake or entered the highway, but I’m sure I heard his footsteps overhead as I fled through the back door. Maybe he decided not to follow me. I can only hope.
A sign finally appears advertising a gas station and a diner at the next exit. I pull off.
The gas station is dark, closed. Of course it is.
But I park and cut the engine. One of my old jackets is on the back seat and I slip into it.
Luckily, my gas situation isn’t dire yet.
But I do need to relieve myself, so I head around back.
Mom and I used to camp in the summers, the only vacations we could afford, so it’s not like I haven’t peed in the woods before.
The air is pungent with pine and rotting things, but I take care of business and get back on the road.
There’s a car behind me now. Did that stop give Alex time to catch up? I slow down. The car passes me, and I start breathing again.
I wonder if Alex is tracking my phone, or maybe he had his mechanic put a tracking device on my car while they had it. I wouldn’t put it past him, and that thought adds to my terror.
My eyes feel like sandpaper and I’m starting to feel the fatigue that lurked behind my anger and fear.
I turn on the radio and turn up the volume.
A mournful Pearl Jam ballad emanates from the speakers.
I love this song, but I need something louder, something to keep me awake.
I jab at the radio buttons. I hit nothing until a twangy country melody fills the car.
I have no idea who the singer is, but it’ll help keep my eyes open.
My mind circles round and round. I can’t believe that I was taken in by Alex.
But I so wanted to be. So wanted that father whom I’d built up in my mind over thirty years.
And I was at a low point—divorce, Mom dead, the loan sharks—no wonder I was dazzled by his wealth and fame and his charm.
My father is a charming man, like so many evil people before him.
You can’t easily trap victims if you aren’t charming.
Well, Nina said she could help me, and I hope to God I’m doing the right thing going to her.
But I want to put distance between me and Alex.
I won’t feel safe until I’m far away from him and Cheshire Lake.
I glance at my phone. I’ll text Nina when I get close.
I should be there about sunrise, or a little before.
I drive through the night. When it gets close to five, the traffic increases slightly. And I see a sign for a gas station. I pray that it’s open because I’m nearly on empty. I let go a grateful breath when I see the lights on. The station is a little run-down, but it’s open.
I pump gas, looking back at the roadway the whole time, hoping that Alex is still at home back at the lake. Inside, I grab a water bottle and a granola bar, and I’m on my way.
I text Nina. I’ll be at her place in about a half hour. I don’t wait for a reply as I turn back onto the highway.
It’s still dark as midnight. Then I notice a car behind me.
Too close. Its headlights cutting through my vehicle.
I try to see if it is Alex’s Mercedes, but the light blinds me.
I speed up, but the car hangs with me. My heart rate starts to ratchet up.
The cars stays with me for a couple of miles.
I slow down to see what he will do. Thankfully, he passes me, and his taillights disappear down the road. I cry with relief.
Siri tells me to take the next exit.
As expected, the town is small. But, thankfully, the lights are on in some of the buildings.
People are getting up and starting their day.
I slow to a stop at a red light and glance behind me.
No one has followed me off the highway. I have another mile to go to get to Nina’s road.
I pass a police station and that reassures me. They won’t be far away if I need them.
My phone rings. Noah. I pull off into a store parking lot to answer.
“What’s going on, Emma?”
I try to catch my breath. “I left Cheshire Lake. I’m on my way to meet a woman who texted me and told me that she can answer all my questions.”
“Who? What woman?”
“He locked me in the attic,” I stammer. “Alex drugged me. I think he knows what I found out. That I know about him.”
“Oh my God. You’re okay?”
“Yes. I’m driving. A town up near the Canadian border.”
“Did you call the police?”
“Not yet. I’m going to once I get somewhere I feel safe.”
“All right. Be careful. I’m on my way back. My flight leaves in an hour.”
We say our goodbyes, and I drop the phone back in the cupholder.
I turn off the main street onto what looks like a country road. No streetlights. And I start to get antsy as the darkness makes it seem like I’m headed into oblivion. Then I see a sign for Nina’s Retreat just like I saw on her website.
I turn down a dirt road and gravel crunches beneath my tires. I stop and grab my phone. Nina has texted me back.
Glad you’re coming, Emma. Be careful.
I glance in the rearview mirror. But all is dark and quiet behind me.
As I wind down the little road, sunlight starts to flicker between the trees.
A pasture opens up on one side and what looks like the outline of a barn appears in the distance.
Then I hear a rooster crow and that makes me smile in spite of everything.
A little white house with an old truck in the driveway comes into view.
There’s a small gravel parking lot beside the house and I pull in, cut the engine, and take a deep breath.
Walking up to the front door, I can feel my heart hammering. If this Nina is a kook of some kind, I’ve had it. I’m in the middle of nowhere. I clench my phone in my pocket. Hope I have a signal way out here in case I need to call 911.
The door opens before I can knock. A tall woman with short blond hair stands there. She’s late forties, early fifties maybe. Fine lines trail her blue eyes. She smiles and steps aside to let me in.
“Hello, Emma. I’m … Nina.” There are tears in her eyes.
Two large dogs, one a German shepherd, the other one a huge, fluffy mix of some sort, follow her as she leads me into a cozy farmhouse kitchen. The room smells of coffee and baked goods, and I shiver for a moment thinking of Ruth.
“I’m sorry to burst in on you like this,” I stammer.
“I’m thrilled you’re here.” But her eyes look troubled, and she glances back toward the front door. “Please sit. Coffee?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Nina goes to the counter. She wears jeans and a flannel shirt and looks every inch the country woman.
We’re both seated with our coffee. I sip the rich brew gratefully. The air is still and silent. Finally, I blurt out, “How did you know my mother?” My voice is shaky.
Nina leans back in her chair, glances at the ceiling. “I met Lana once.”
“When? In Albany?”
“Years ago. But not there.” Nina seems to look through me, searching for an old memory. There is something familiar about her.
She draws a deep breath, swallows. “My name wasn’t always Nina Garrett.”
I feel myself shaking.
“Emma, I’m Mary Spencer.”