Chapter 57
Rachel stared in disbelief out Joe’s Camry window, watching an armada of police scream past. Everything had happened so fast. Now she worried that everything was also spiraling out of control. This was serious. They had information about the whereabouts of a suspected murderer and they were intentionally keeping it from the police. If she hadn’t already broken the law, she was at the very least bending it to the breaking point.
At the time, going with Joe had seemed not only the right thing to do but the only option she had. If she followed Joe, not only could she look after Joe’s well-being during what understandably was a high-stress situation, dangerous for a man with his condition, but also he would lead her to Charlie. But for what? Not only was Charlie delusional, but he was also a criminal and most likely extremely dangerous. Then again, was there some other reason she had opted to go with Joe and track Charlie with this InVision GPS thing? Perhaps there was, she thought. Reaching into her purse, which was more like a miniaturized duffel bag, she fished out the note Alan Shapiro had found in Charlie’s room at Walderman. She looked it over, recalling the phone conversation between them less than an hour ago. The note was as haunting as it had been the first time she’d read it.
When I’m out of here, I’m going to finish the job. One down, three to go. Mac and Yardley die next. The last is still my surprise. I can’t wait for the killing to begin again.
She looked most carefully at the word surprise. The u did in fact have distinct markings and characteristics. It was, as Charlie had said, different from the other letters. But she had nothing against which to compare it.
Her clinical mind couldn’t equate murder with the man she had grown to know and in many ways admire. On more than one occasion she had thought if the situation between them had been different, she could actually see herself with a man like Charlie. Determined, intelligent, not to mention strikingly handsome.
At Walderman, Charlie had shown her his more vulnerable and available side. It was a part of him she believed he kept hidden, not only from his closest relations, but from himself as well. His harsh words their last day together had stung and left her unsettled. But she understood now why he had been so cruel: he’d been preparing to escape, and her presence must have jeopardized those plans. She felt almost relieved to realize it wasn’t personal. What bothered her so? She believed in her heart that Charlie was a sick man. That wasn’t really even a question. But was he a killer? She was a woman accustomed to black and white, turning the sick into the healed. Shades of gray she found most unsettling.
“Charlie didn’t kill anyone,” Joe said. “I know it in my soul.”
His words took Rachel by surprise. It was as if Joe had been reading her thoughts. She folded her arms across her lap. “It’s not for us to decide,” she said. “We’re breaking the law here.”
“So why did you come?” Joe asked.
“Because I wanted to make sure you didn’t get hurt, or worse,” she said.
“Is that all?” Joe asked.
More police drove past. They had seen the wreck outside the Revere Beach Station from a distance. Neither bothered to confirm it was Charlie’s BMW. The police presence alone suggested this was much more than a routine traffic accident. It had taken them only twenty minutes to drive from Belmont to Revere, thanks to the reverse commute traffic. The last location the InVision GPS had provided for Charlie’s car before his signal went dark was right outside this station. With all the police swarming about, Joe didn’t dare step outside his car.
“Charlie has been threatening to kill SoluCent employees for weeks now,” Rachel said. “He escaped from our facility, and since that time at least one high-ranking employee of his company has died. Do you want to have others on your conscience?”
“I want the truth,” Joe said. “I want my family back. My mother is still in a coma, and my brother will be shot on sight if I don’t help him.”
“You can’t control everything, Joe,” Rachel said. “Life doesn’t work that way.”
“I’m going to get my brother,” Joe said. “I can control that. If you’re not going to help me, then you have to get out of the car, Rachel. It’s not negotiable.”
Rachel paused. Technically she hadn’t yet broken the law. If she did find Charlie, she could find some way to turn him in. If she didn’t go, Joe’s life could be in danger. He wouldn’t stop until he found and rescued his brother. She knew that. Would Charlie even turn on his own brother? A Cain and Abel tragedy. Knowing Joe, he would stand by his brother, even if it meant him getting killed. He was stubborn that way. Once his mind was made up, it was made up.
“Charlie told us where we could find him. He’s at Wonderland,” Joe added. “He’s somewhere where he can hide. And I’m going there now. Are you coming with me?”
Rachel unfolded her arms. She looked into Joe’s worried eyes. She thought of Charlie. She felt awash with uncertainty. After a moment that seemed almost eternal, she spoke in a low voice.
“Drive,” she said.