Chapter Two
After leaving Shanna, Rick decided he’d get home quicker if he biked through town instead of taking the back roads. As he sped on his bike along one of the side streets, he noticed as he rode around the corner onto Main Street that there really had been some trouble at the real estate office where Mom worked. No one seemed to be inside, but it looked like the front picture window had been broken, and a couple guys that Rick knew from Callahan Construction were over there boarding it up, and more than likely measuring the opening for a new window. Dad hadn’t been lying then when he said that something had happened at Mom’s office. Although Rick had assumed that the trouble Dad had been talking about probably had something to do with a change in management or maybe even Mom’s job.
He thought about stopping. But since Mom’s car wasn’t in the parking lot and it was rather overcast at dusk, he’d better get going so he could make it home before dark. The two-lane highways were sometimes hard to follow because of the denseness of trees and foliage blocking out whatever light was peeking through from the sky above.
When Rick arrived home another fifteen minutes later, all the lights were on in the house, and as he walked inside, he could hear Dad talking on the phone.
The conversation sounded pretty serious, and Rick could tell by the look on his dad’s face that something was terribly wrong.
Heading upstairs to his room, he stopped off at the second floor when he heard some shuffling sounds echoing from the master bedroom.
Walking to the door, he halted, watching as Mom finished packing a large suitcase before zipping it up.
“Mom? What’s going on?” Rick asked hesitantly, afraid of how she’d respond.
Her eyes softened. “Rick? I’m going to tell you something that I’m not going to tell Brian or Eric. They need to move forward, and your father is going to do everything he can to make it easier for them while I’m gone.”
“Gone?”
She sighed, opening her arms wide. “Come here.”
When he stepped into the room, Mom wrapped her arms around him tightly.
“You can’t tell Eric or Brian anything about this. But I’m counting on you to keep your dad positive about the future. Brian will probably get to enlist in the Army like he’s always wanted, and Eric only has one more year of high school. In fact, he’s smart enough to finish early and graduate in December,” Mom said, pulling away from him and sitting in the chair nearby.
She inhaled an unsteady breath before continuing, “You’re going to hear some nasty rumors about me and Mr. Mitchum, but what you need to know is that nothing that anyone says will be true. For some reason, there are some criminals who think that the two of us have something that they want, so we’re going into a witness protection program for a short while to keep all of you safe. If these people believe that Aaron and I have run away together, there’s a better chance that they’re going to leave you and your dad and brothers alone.”
Rick just stood looking at her, with his mouth gaped open.
Finally, he spoke. “Who are they, Mom? What do they think you have?”
“We have no idea,” she replied. “Jake Loughlin is going to look into that.”
Rick cocked his head. “The owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn?”
“Also, a former FBI special agent,” Mom replied.
Rick’s eyes went wide.
Mom hesitated before continuing, “I suppose I’d better tell you that Michelle Ashford’s father was found dead in his home office.”
“No.” Rick was horrified. He hadn’t known Mr. Ashford well, but he’d always seemed like such a nice guy. Mrs. Ashford was just the opposite. “When did it happen? His daughter, Michelle, and her boyfriend, Jeff Barton, are two of Brian’s closest friends.”
“Earlier today. Tom Ashford visited our office this morning, and he was found dead later this afternoon, before these men showed up at the real estate office, so Jake thinks everything is connected. They’re investigating Tom’s death as a murder, so no one else can know about this Rick, except you and me and your father. Okay?”
As stunned as he was about what he was hearing, he was still curious. This was a lot of information to reveal to someone like him, who was still considered a kid.
“Mom? Why are you really telling me all of this? What makes you think that I’m going to be able to keep things quiet. Heck, I’m only fifteen.”
“You’re only a few weeks away from being sixteen,” she replied, holding his gaze intently. “You could never really hide it from me and your father, you know.”
“What’s that?” he asked, grimacing.
She snorted. “You know, at first, your dad and I thought you were blowing your allowance on candy and video games, like Brian and Eric would have done. So, when a woman from the community shelter over in Eau Claire made a point of coming up to me at the real estate office and thanking me on behalf of my son, I didn’t have a clue about what she was talking about. I guess one of your teachers sent her there when she wanted to thank you for all your donations.”
Rick hung his head.
“And then there was the call from the superintendent about your high IQ score, which was something your father and I decided not to tell you about, because you’ve always been such a happy kid. They suggested we send you to a more prestigious school, but I’ve always kind of sensed that you were already aware of your skill sets.”
“School’s always come easy for me, Mom,” he admitted. He’d even downplayed answers on tests, just so he wouldn’t be singled out.
“We kind of figured that. Brian always had trouble concentrating on any subject while Eric was bored with math,” she said, giving him a wry smile. “We never had to worry about you at all, which was kind of strange when you think about it. I’m surprised we never figured it out before we got that call from the superintendent, back when you were still in eighth grade.” Mom looked around the room sadly. “I’d better finish packing. Hopefully, your dad will be able to keep himself together with your help. I have no idea how long Aaron and I will have to go into hiding. We’ll be splitting up, of course, so that we have less chance of being tracked.”
When Rick stood, Mom approached, hugging him tightly one more time.
“I love you, Rick, just as I love Brian and Eric. Hopefully, they won’t think poorly of me when I’m not around.”
“I’ll do what I can, Mom, to remind them about the good things,” he whispered, tears in his eyes.
“I know you will,” she replied, beginning to cry. “Goodbye, dear. It’s better if I don’t say goodbye to Brian or Eric. They’re going to be angry for a long while, I’m sure.”
“Goodbye, Mom. I love you too,” he answered, rushing from the room.
Reaching the staircase, he climbed the stairs quickly, heading into his bedroom, falling onto the bed in tears.