Chapter 13 - The Wrong Road
Police arranged a safer route for Leah, Micah, and Winnie while Ruth and I stayed behind.
Before they left, I hugged my granddaughter. "You build that city a good school," I said.
"It already has a school. It needs a bakery."
"Then make it the best bakery in the county."
She smiled. I carried that smile with me after the car disappeared behind the building.
Half an hour later, Leah called. Her voice was tight. A black sedan had slowed behind them near a traffic circle. The officer escorting them directed them toward a public safety station, and the sedan turned away before anyone approached the car.
"We didn't see the driver," Leah said. "But Winnie saw someone taking a picture."
"Don't talk about it with her yet," I said. "Let her feel safe first."
Moreno confirmed the officer had documented the incident. We could not prove it was connected to Simon, but the timing frightened all of us. She told Leah to remain at the station until arrangements were checked again.
Ruth stood at the window, looking at traffic move through the intersection. "This was supposed to be Sunday dinner. I was going to make peach cobbler."
"We can make it another day."
"Not until Beth understands what she's done."
I couldn't argue. A family's ordinary plans had become bargaining chips in somebody else's scheme.
That evening Moreno returned with the driver from the SUV in custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant. During questioning, he had acknowledged transporting Doss but denied knowing about any threat against the family. Investigators were checking his account.
Before ending the interview, the driver also mentioned a storage unit Simon had rented. He had carried boxes there after the break-in at Rosebridge.
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"What kind of boxes?" Ruth asked.
Moreno looked at her carefully. "He said they were full of documents about families who refused to sell."
