agent for the day,” Eli added seriously and nearly laughed because maybe he’d drunk the Kool-Aid and was turning into Finn.
They said their goodbyes and left. “It was clever getting her to pass you the book. I’ll have to remember that,” Daniel said casually as he drove Eli back to collect his car. “How about if we call and pick pizza up for everyone on the way back?”
Eli just nodded. Daniel was confusing the hell out of him. In any other life, Eli could work with Daniel. He didn’t ask unnecessary questions, just calmly got on with things, and seemed to be clued in on how Eli worked. Could work. Daniel had been great with Bo. For a second a warm feeling trickled through him. An alien one.
Was it satisfaction?
Then he remembered what he was here to do, and the chill crept back in. You couldn’t trust cops. You especially couldn’t trust social workers. Other people had normal lives, not him. Not since the day Carl Ramsay had ended his.
“Mr. Ramsay?” Eli had dropped the cleaning bucket and scrubbing brush and sobbed his relief as he had gotten out of his car, and rushed over to him. He had laughed and ruffled his hair.
“That’s quite a welcome.”
He had cried and could hardly get the words out. How scared he was. How he wanted to go home. He didn’t believe Callum. Mommy had always said you could trust policemen, and it was them that had called Mr. Ramsay when Mommy hadn’t woken up.
But Mr. Ramsay had looked down at him and frowned. Said he didn’t understand. He was in a wonderful place. Other children to play with, and a yard to run around in. He bent down to Eli’s level and told him he was lucky.
Lucky.
And said if he didn’t behave, he might get sent to somewhere not as nice. Then Caffrey had appeared on the doorstep and shaken hands with Mr. Ramsay as they went inside. And Eli had felt so betrayed because he understood he didn’t believe him. He’d only seen him once more after that when he’d appeared maybe a year later with another boy. Eli hadn’t bothered explaining to the boy that the man whose hand he clung to wasn’t the lifeline he thought he was.
And Callum had said it wasn’t that Ramsay didn’t believe him.
He simply didn’t care.
About thirty minutes outside of Tampa, Eli noticed the temperature gauge started going up on his Honda Civic. He gritted his teeth, slowed a little, and hoped like hell he would make it to a gas station at the very least. When the smell of burnt toast wafted up from the floor and the car started vibrating, Eli barely made it to the next rest stop. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or embarrassed when Daniel pulled in behind him.
Eli blew out a breath and got out. “Problem?” Daniel asked, also getting out of his. Eli didn’t bother answering the obvious for a few seconds but then relented.
“I was lucky to make it here.” He glanced around. It was a basic place. A parking lot, grassed area with a couple of picnic benches, separate dog area, restrooms, and some vending machines. He’d managed to coax the car to the far end where the semis usually parked so he was out of the way.
“Jacob has a friend that can tow it.”
Of course he has. But to be honest Eli wasn’t sure it was worth it. Rust and sheer dumb luck had held it together for the last eight months, but then he couldn’t just leave it here either. Eli nodded, and Daniel got on the phone.
“I’m just going to the restroom.” It looked quiet enough. He didn’t like stopping in these places because of the looks he got, but not knowing how long he was gonna have to wait for the tow truck, he had little choice. He noticed a big semi turn on its engine as he went inside. There was just a guy finishing up that barely glanced his way, and Eli was out and walking back to the cars in a moment.
“They’ll be about an hour,” Daniel confirmed as Eli returned.
“Then you go back.” It was pointless Daniel waiting.
Daniel shook his head. “They’ll take it to his garage. We can go…” But Eli wasn’t listening; he’d heard something, and he swung around staring into the trees past a wire fence.
“What is it?” Daniel asked, his hand going to his gun.
Eli held a hand up and shook