Finally, when he was certain they were being followed, he said quietly, “Molly, look back and see if you can get the license plate number on the Civic two cars behind us. It’s fairly new and gray. Be as discreet as you can. We don’t want them to notice us looking.”
She didn’t even change expression, but he saw the panic in her eyes, followed by a hard coldness, the look she’d given him when she’d burst into the cabin that first morning.
She looked back at Emma. She was staring out the window, her piano box still hugged to her chest. She didn’t appear to have overheard them.
They were nearly to their turnoff when she could finally make out the license. “It’s F A R B three-three-three. That’s too easy. Are you sure they’re following us? It’s a ridiculous plate.”
“No. But I’m not about to take any chances. You got your gun?”
“Oh yes. What do you want to do?”
“Let’s turn and see what they do. It’s two guys, right?”
“As best I can make out. They’re being really careful to hang back. I can’t tell yet if it’s the same two guys. My cell phone is at home getting recharged.”
“That’s all right. We’ll call in the number as soon as we get home.” If we go home hung silently in the air between them.
Emma said, “Ramsey, I can make out an A and an R in the license. I remember those letters really well. They’re in our names. I need another reading lesson.”
He looked at Molly, who just said, “That’s great, Em. I got the A and the R, too. F and B are tougher letters. We’ll make up words this evening so you can learn them.”
“We shouldn’t have gone out for my piano. That’s how they got us. It’s all my fault.” Her small face was pale.
Ramsey said clearly, “Nothing is your fault. Don’t say that again or I’ll have to keep you away from hot dogs for a week. Don’t be afraid, Emma. We’ll take care of you.”
“Listen to me, Emma,” Molly said, turning in the front seat to face her daughter. “If anyone tries to get you again,
I’ll shoot them, even if it’s the president. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Make sure your seat belt’s tight.”
“Yes, Ramsey.”
They turned right onto Alpine Meadows Road. The River Ranch Motel was sprawled out on the left-hand corner, a landmark for some time, a ski shop of nearly equal age on the right. It looked closed down. There was still some spring skiing, but not enough to lure more than half a dozen cars into the parking lot of the River Ranch Motel. He prayed the car wouldn’t turn right after them.
The day was bright and would warm to about sixty degrees. Ramsey said, “Hey, Emma, you want to go hiking with me this afternoon? We might get lucky and see some neat wildlife-foxes, deer, lots of birds, rabbits.”
The clothes he’d bought her were perfect. He was trying to distract her, but it wasn’t working. “You game, Molly?”
“Maybe. We’ll see. Are you hungry, Emma?”
“I don’t know, Mama. I’m still trying to see the men in that car. Do you think they’re the same men who were in Colorado, at that restaurant?”
“I don’t know,” Molly said. “They’re not close enough to tell yet.”
Ramsey looked behind him. The car had turned, dammit. There wasn’t another car between them now. They were hanging back about forty yards. “Okay, they’re after us. I’m going all the way down to the ski resort. There’s a big turnaround. Then we’ll head to Tahoe City. It’s only a couple of more miles east. I’m not about to let them get anywhere near our house.”
He saw that Molly had taken her Detonics out and was holding it loosely by her leg. He’d put his Smith & Wesson underneath the front seat, loaded and ready to go. There were only about fifty cars at the ski resort and a couple of dozen four-wheel-drive vehicles parked up close to the ticket windows. The snow already looked slushy. The people who were here were either really serious skiers, or didn’t know better. He slowly drove by the front of the resort, making the large lazy circle back onto Alpine Meadows Road, heading back toward the main road again.