“I mailed you a package Monday night. Did you get it?”

“No, not yet.”

“You’ll probably get it today or tomorrow. Katherine, it’s a critical package, and what I just went through proves it. Please watch for it. When it arrives, I want you to take the tapes out of it and hide them. Would you do that for me?”

“Certainly, What’s on them?”

“Important documentation.” Jack was never so glad that he’d mailed off his work early. He still needed some of the tapes transcribed, and he’d debated whether to wait, because he also hoped to get additional interviews, but he’d finally decided to ship the package.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t mailed the cassette he’d gotten from the man at the bridge. Damn, that recording was his only solid piece of evidence. He knew that going back to his hotel room for the tape would be a fool’s errand. No doubt, it was history.

By now, whoever had tried to kill him would have gone through his room and taken everything. He’d bet that there wasn’t a trace of him left in Missouri, except, of course, for his somewhat dented anatomy.

“I’ll explain everything when I see you.” Jack added. “Just know that I’m safe, and I’ll be there soon. And. Katherine, do not under any circumstances tell anyone that you know me.”

“Jack, this is crazy.”

“I know.” Jack paused. “Oh, and Kate.”

“Yes?”

He turned away so that Erma couldn’t hear him. “I love you.” He noticed that the words were coming more easily.

“I love you, too. Please be careful.”

“I will.”

They hung up and Jack turned back to Erma.

“What are your plans?” Erma asked. “We need to get you someplace safe.”

“I’ll get a couple hours of sleep and then head out of Missouri.”

“That’s good – you need to get away from here quickly. If they realize you made it out of the woods alive, they’ll be looking for you. But, for the time being, you’ll be okay here.”

“You’re right. I’d better assume they know I’m alive – the airport is out.”

“I’ve got an idea.” Erma seemed to be enjoying this little game of espionage. “Tonight, when it’s good and dark, we’re going to dress you up with one of my wigs and send you off in my husband’s old car. I drive it periodically to keep it running, and people will just think you’re me. Tonight’s my Bingo night, so if anyone recognizes the car, they’ll see the gray hair and just think I’ve left Bingo early. Of course, you’ll need to scrunch down a bit, since I’m not as tall as you are.”

“Erma, you’ve done enough. I can’t take your car.”

“It’s all right. You’re just borrowing it, and someday you’ll get it back to me. I don’t need it anyway.”

“You’re incredibly generous, but I’m worried they may find out you helped me. I’d better not take the car.”

“I’m not afraid of these people anymore, Jack. They can’t do much to me now. I’ve lived my life, and I want to help you. I have a suspicion that you just might be able to expose these crooks, and if I can make a difference, I will. You take the car. I also have some money here at the house you can take. You shouldn’t use credit cards. Those television movies always show people getting caught when they use their credit cards.”

“Erma…”

She stopped him by holding up her hand. Erma obviously didn’t intend to take no for an answer. “Now, you head off to bed and get some sleep.”

Thirty-five minutes after midnight, on Friday morning, Jack crossed the Missouri state border and began to whistle. A slow smile spread across his face as he stripped off the disguise while still driving. Then he relaxed behind the wheel.

Traveling across the country through the night in a 1979 blue Impala was more enjoyable than Jack would have ever guessed. The large car allowed for plenty of legroom, and he could stretch out as he drove virtually straight through to Washington. Traffic was heavy on the Beltway for a Friday evening. Darkness had fallen by the time Jack pulled up to Katherine’s new address in the seventeen hundred block of Swann Street.

Jack hobbled up to the front door, still sore from the beating and stiff from sitting so long. He rang the bell, praying she would be there. Jack hadn’t told Katherine over the phone when she could expect him. Now, he wished he’d called her while on the road. But he’d been in such a hurry to get there, he’d stopped as infrequently as possible.

After a few minutes, Jack turned to walk back down the steps when the door finally opened. Katherine wore a short white terry cloth bathrobe, her hair dripping wet.

“Jack.” She flew into his arms. “I thought I heard the doorbell, but I was in the shower.”

He grimaced at the impact of her body against his, but ignored the pain. “So you always answer the door so scantily dressed?” he asked against her lips. Then he kissed her. “I missed you,” Jack whispered and kissed her again.

“I missed you, too.” She reached up to clasp his face between her hands. “Look at you. What happened?”

“Later.” He led her inside, then closed and locked the door behind him. “I can’t have the whole neighborhood gawking at this beautiful woman standing half naked for all of Washington to see.”

Katherine looked down at herself and started to laugh. “Beautiful woman? I look like a drowned rat.”

“A very beautiful drowned rat.” Jack kissed her as he picked her up and carried her up the stairs to what he assumed would be the general location of the bedrooms. He walked into the largest one. He gently lay her on the bed.

“Jack. I have so many questions…”

He silenced her with another passionate kiss as her robe dropped away.

They made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms, the first sound sleep for either of them in days. Jack awoke at five A.M. It amazed him that he slept so soundly when he was with Katherine. She seemed to be his cure for insomnia. He had never slept so well, not even with his wife.

He quietly got out of bed, then went down to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, he’d made coffee and a huge omelet to share with Katherine. As he walked back to the bedroom with his spoils on a tray, he heard her call his name.

“Jack?” Sleep still weighted her eyes.

He set the tray on the bed and carefully slipped in beside her, pulling the tray over his lap. As she sat up, he handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

“Good morning.” He kissed her, and then he cut off a piece of omelet with his fork and placed the large bite into her mouth.

“Umm, I didn’t know you could cook. Boy, did I hit the jackpot.”

Jack laughed. “This is the extent of my culinary skills, I’m sorry to say.”

“That’s okay, I can live on omelets.” Katherine took the fork and cut another piece.

Between bites of omelet and sips of coffee, Katherine asked Jack to explain the events that had taken place in Missouri. He told her what he remembered, blaming himself for not being more aware of what was going on around him. He didn’t tell her what he couldn’t prove – that Dailey was the man at the Golden Gate, and that he believed Carolyn was involved in illegal dealings that might include his father’s death.

“Who did it, Jack?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. The last person I talked to was Mark Dailey, and you know the rest.”