a side road, made a U-turn and awaited her return to the highway.
Sidney punched in her calling card and phone numbers. It seemed an
eternity before the machine picked up. There was a slew of messages.
From her brothers, other family members, friends who had seen the news
and called with questions, outrage, support. She waited with growing
impatience as the messages plodded on. Then she sucked in her breath as
the sound of a familiar voice reached her ears.
“Hello, Sidney, this is your Uncle George. Martha and I are up in
Canada this week. Enjoying it very much, although it’s very cold. I
sent your and Amy’s Christmas presents early like I said I would.
But it’s coming in the mail instead because we missed the damn Federal
Express and didn’t want to wait. Be on the lookout for it.
We sent it first-class, certified mail so you have to sign for it. I
hope it’s what you wanted. We love you very much and look forward to
seeing you soon. Kiss Amy for us.”
Sidney slowly put the phone down. She didn’t have an Uncle George or an
Aunt Martha, but there was no mystery about the phone call. Jeff Fisher
had impersonated the voice of an old man pretty well. Sidney raced back
to the car and got in.
Her father looked sharply at her. “Did he call?”
Sidney nodded as she gunned the car and drove off with a squeal of
tires, throwing her father back against the seat. “Where the hell are
we going so damned fast?”
“The post office.”
The Bell Harbor Post Office was located in the middle of the town
center, its United States flag whipping back and forth in the punishing
wind. Sidney pulled up to the curb and her father jumped out. He went
in and then came out again a couple of minutes later, ducking his head
to get back in the car. He was empty-handed. “The day’s mail shipment
isn’t in yet.”
Sidney stared at him. “You’re sure?”
He nodded. “Jerome’s been the postmaster up here ever since I can
remember. He said to check back around six. He’ll stay open for us.
You know, it may not be in today’s bundle if Fisher only mailed it two
days ago.”
Sidney banged the steering wheel fiercely with both hands before laying
her head wearily down on it. Her father put a big hand gently on her
shoulder. “Sidney, it’ll get here eventually. I just hope whatever’s
on that disk will clear up this nightmare.”
Sidney looked up at him, her face pale and her eyes jumpy. “It has to,
Dad. It has to.” Her voice cracked painfully. If it didn’t? No, she
couldn’t think like that. Brushing the hair out of her face, she put
the car in gear and headed out.
The white van waited a couple of minutes and then pulled out of an
alleyway and followed them.
“I can’t friggin’ believe this,” Sawyer roared.
Jackson looked at him with clear frustration. “What can I tell you,
Lee, it’s a blizzard out there. National, Dulles and BWI are all shut
down. Kennedy, La Guardia and Logan are closed too. So are Newark and
Philly. It’s tied up flights all across the country. The whole East
Coast looks like Siberia. And the bureau won’t release a plane to fly
in this weather.”
“Ray, we have got to get to Bell Harbor. We should’ve been there by
now. How about the train?”
“Amtrak’s still clearing track. Besides, I checked–the train doesn’t
go all the way through. We’d have to take a bus the last leg. And in
this weather sections of the Interstate are bound to be down. Plus it’s
not all highway. We’d have to take some back roads. We’re talking
fifteen hours at least.”
Sawyer looked as if he were about to explode. “They could all be dead
in one hour, much less fifteen.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. If I could spread my arms and fly, I
would, but dammit, I can’t,” Jackson angrily retorted.
Sawyer calmed down rapidly. “Okay, I’m sorry, Ray.” He sat down. “Any
luck getting the locals rounded up?”