Doubt (Caroline Auden #1) - C. E. Tobisman Page 0,96
never happened,” Dr. Pensky-Levine said. “Good luck getting that scientist to New York.”
And then the line clicked off.
Caroline sank down to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her body and held herself while she shook, the tension of the last minutes leaving her in fits of electricity. Her nervous system, keyed up to fight-or-flight readiness, twitched, looking for the hazard that had resolved itself.
I got a lucky break, she told herself. Uncle Hitch is safe.
She repeated these two facts over and over until gradually, slowly, the shaking stopped and was replaced with focus. Laser focus.
Caroline stood up, exhaling slowly and deliberately, finding her center again.
Now it was time to do what she’d come to Mendocino to do: get Annie to New York.
Nothing was going to stop her.
CHAPTER 15
Caroline parked in front of Annie’s building and stepped out of the Mustang. Overhead, the moon’s silvery light reflected off the whitewashed siding of the turn-of-the-century structure, making Caroline feel as if she were bathed in a spotlight. Exposed. Dangerously visible.
She paused, her ears straining to detect any out-of-place sounds. But she heard only crickets chirping in the pasture beyond the row of sleeping buildings.
Slipping around the back of the building, Caroline found a door tucked in an alcove with a mail slot. The apartment wasn’t recognizably an apartment. It was obvious why Annie had found it attractive.
Caroline tapped on the door.
Annie opened it a crack, as if she’d been waiting by it.
Upon seeing Caroline, she opened the door and stepped aside.
Entering the apartment, Caroline was struck by how sparse it was. No furnishings filled the living room, except for a single threadbare couch and a small, serviceable television set. This dwelling was intended to be a temporary arrangement, Caroline concluded. Even Annie hadn’t been able to convince herself she’d stay for long.
Whether that was a good or bad sign, Caroline couldn’t yet tell.
She glanced over at Annie, who stood with her eyes downcast and her arms folded across her chest. The overhead lighting reflected off the scientist’s black hair. Dark circles ringed her eyes. A testament to sleepless nights.
“Are you packed?” Caroline asked.
Annie nodded once without looking up.
“Good. Let’s get going. We have a long trip ahead of us,” Caroline said, looking around for Nolan. “Where’s your son?”
“Sleeping.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not so sure about this,” Annie said. “This is a huge risk.”
“Once you testify, you’ll be safe.”
“I know. I understand all of that,” Annie said. “I know I need to get out of here . . .”
Caroline’s eyes traveled back to the packed suitcases by the door.
Suddenly, she realized that Annie planned to leave. But she hadn’t decided where to go yet. Tamping down her alarm, Caroline reminded herself that if Annie had wanted to run, she would’ve already done it. The fact that Annie hadn’t left yet meant she wanted to be convinced to go to New York.
“I know you’re scared,” Caroline said in a quiet voice. “Honestly, I am, too.” It felt good to admit her fear. Especially to Annie, who she knew shared it.
“But this is the right thing to do,” Caroline said. “We both know it.” Again, she spoke for both of them.
“I could leave here for two days, and then this will all end,” Annie said. “Like you said, once the hearing is over, they’ll have no reason to come for me.”
Caroline considered what arguments she could use to try to persuade Annie to join her. She considered what manipulations or subterfuge she might be willing to utilize to win the case. But then she exhaled.
“You’re right,” Caroline said. She was done trying to persuade. Trying to manipulate. “It’s true that it would be safer for you in the short run just to run away instead of coming with me to New York. But I can promise you this: nowhere else will give you your life back. Only testifying in New York will let you come out of the shadows.”
Annie’s dark eyes watched Caroline.
“Think about it,” Caroline continued. “If you reappear after the SuperSoy hearing is over, you’ll have to answer for so much. You’ll be the reason why the SuperSoy plaintiffs got their cases thrown out of court. You’ll have to live with that. Plus, the police will have a thousand questions for you.” She held up her hand. “I stand by what I said—you didn’t kill Franklin. But the police will have hard questions.”
“That’s the least of my worries,” Annie said quietly.
“I understand,” Caroline said. “But this is your chance to stop running.”