the FBI and tell them you know exactly where it is because you’ve seen it with your own eyes, then they’ll give us anything we want.”
“And what exactly do you want?”
“Probably Australia. A nice house, plenty of money for my mother. New car. Maybe some plastic surgery. I saw that once in a movie. They rearranged this guy’s entire face. He was dog ugly to start with, and he snitched on some drug dealers just so he could get a new face. Looked like a movie star when it was
over. About two years later, the drug dealers gave him another new face.”
“You’re serious?”
“About the movie?”
“No, about Australia.”
“Maybe.” He paused and looked out the window. “Maybe.”
They listened to the radio and didn’t speak for several miles. Traffic was light. Memphis was farther away.
“Let’s make a deal,” he said, looking out his window.
“Maybe.”
“Let’s go to New Orleans.”
“I’m not digging for a body.”
“Okay, okay. But let’s go there. No one will expect us. We’ll talk about the body when we get there.”
“We’ve already talked about it.”
“Just go to New Orleans, okay?” . The highway intersected another one, and they were on top of an overpass. She pointed to her right. Ten miles away, the Memphis skyline glowed and flickered under a half-moon. “Wow,” he said in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
Neither of them could know that it would be his last look at Memphis.
THEY STOPPED IN FORREST CITY, ARKANSAS, FOR GAS AND
snacks. Reggie paid for cupcakes, a large coffee, and a Sprite, while Mark hid on the floor. Minutes, later, they were back on the interstate headed for Little Rock.
Steam poured from the paper cup as she drove and watched him inhale four cupcakes. He ate like a kid—
crumbs on his pants and in the seat, cream filling on his fingers, which he licked as if he hadn’t seen food in a month. It was almost two-thirty. The road was empty except for convoys of tractor-trailer rigs. She set the cruise control on sixty-five.
“Do you think they’re chasing us yet?” he asked, finishing the last cupcake and opening the Sprite. There was a certain excitement in his voice.
“I doubt it. I’m sure the police are searching the hospital, but why would they suspect we’re together?”
“I’m worried about Mom. I called her, you know, before I called you. Told her about the escape, and that I was hiding in the hospital. She got real mad. But I think I convinced her I’m safe. I hope they don’t give her a hard time.”
“They won’t. But she’ll worry herself sick.”
“I know. I don’t mean to be cruel, but I think she can handle it. Look at what she’s already been through. My mom’s pretty tough.”
“I’ll tell Glint to call her later today.”
“Are you going to tell Glint where we’re going?”
“I’m not sure where we’re going.”
He thought about this as two trucks roared by and the Honda veered to the right.
“What would you do, Reggie?”
“For starters, I don’t think I would have escaped.”
“That’s a lie.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“Sure it is. You’re dodging a subpoena, aren’t you? I’m doing the same thing. So what’s the difference? You don’t want to face the grand jury. I don’t want to face the grand jury, so here we are on the run. We’re in the same boat, Reggie.”
“There’s only one difference. You were in jail, and you escaped. That’s a crime.”
“I was in a jail for juveniles, and juveniles do not commit crimes. Isn’t that what you told me? Juveniles are rowdy, or delinquent, or in need of supervision, but juveniles do not commit crimes. Right?”
“If you say so. But it was wrong to escape.”
“It’s done. I can’t undo it. It’s wrong for you to dodge the law too, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely not. There’s no crime in avoiding a subpoena. I was doing fine until I picked you up.”
“Then stop the car and let me out.”
“Oh sure. Please be serious, Mark.”
“I am serious.”
“Right. And what’ll you do when you get out?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ll go as far as I can, and if I get caught then I’ll just go into shock and they’ll send me back to Memphis. I’ll claim I was crazy, and they’ll never know you were involved. Just stop anytime you feel like it, and I’ll get out.” He leaned forward and punched the Seek button on the radio. For five miles they listened to Conway Twitty and Tammy Wynette.
“I hate country music,” she said, and he turned it off.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
“Sure.”
“Suppose we go to New