She shuddered to think of what this experience would be like if she were managing Gibson’s campaign instead of Diane’s. She’d probably have to keep her pregnancy hidden until the moment she gave birth. And then she doubted she’d have a job to come back to.
“Well, you know I’m here for whatever you need,” Bill said, practically bouncing with excitement. “Trips to the store, foot rubs, extra time with Millie so you can take a nap . . .” He remembered the tie dangling around his neck and returned to the mirror, excitedly looping the fabric around itself into a quick, sloppy knot. He frowned, loosening it and starting over.
“Right now, I just need you to be cool for this debate,” Veronica said, laughing as Bill made an exuberant mess of his tie yet again. “You’re acting like a kid who ate all his Halloween candy at once.”
“I feel like I just ate all the Halloween candy at once,” Bill said, finally tying an acceptable Windsor knot. “But I can be cool. See? Look how cool I am. Cool as a cucumber.” He moved around the bed doing a leisurely two-step, smiling as he took Veronica in his arms, continuing to dance to the sound of Millie babbling to herself in the bed.
“Very cool,” she agreed, matching his steps.
He dipped her slowly back, then kissed her neck. “Congratulations,” he said softly, his lips brushing her skin.
She straightened, draping her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Congratulations.”
He smiled against her lips, then released her suddenly, leaving her slightly off balance. “Oh, honey, do you mind if we run by the school real quick before the debate?” Bill asked. “I just need to get something from my office.”
She sighed, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. “That’s all the way in the opposite direction.”
“I know, but if we leave soon, we’ll have plenty of time to swing by and still make it to the debate early. It’ll only take a minute.”
“Okay,” she agreed, smoothing her hands over the front of her skirt. She wondered how much longer she’d be able to fit into it before she’d have to pull her maternity clothes out of the attic. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she’d packed them all away? “As long as it’s fast.”
“In and out,” Bill said. “You’ll barely even notice we stopped. I promise.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
KARL
His fort didn’t feel safe anymore.
After Robbie and his friends destroyed it, Karl considered going back to assess the damage, but couldn’t bring himself to make the trek through the woods. After yesterday, he could barely force himself to set foot outside his room.
Not that inside the room was much better. His fort had been the safest place in the world. No one knew about it but him. If that wasn’t true, then there was nowhere they couldn’t find him. Nowhere they couldn’t hurt him.
He hadn’t slept last night, tossing and turning in his bed, seeing Robbie climbing through his window or popping out of his closet every time he closed his eyes. His house didn’t even feel safe anymore. After all, everyone knew where he lived. He was easy to find. What was to stop Robbie from coming after him while his parents weren’t home? Maybe the safest place to be was actually anywhere but home.
His parents had to head into town early to set up before the debate. They’d be manning a table in the lobby of the community center, passing out stickers and pamphlets rooting for Franklin Gibson. Karl had no interest in that, but he asked to accompany them into town anyway, thinking that as long as he stuck to public spaces, he’d be safe from Robbie.
He spent an hour playing Donkey Kong at the front of the Food Mart as shoppers milled in and out of the store. The large window gave him a good view of the parking lot, and he took comfort in the store’s bright fluorescent lights, the low rumble of shopping cart wheels, the shuffling footsteps and benign questions of shoppers. It wasn’t very busy tonight, but there was still always someone within earshot.
He was digging through his pocket for another quarter to feed to the game when he glanced outside to see Justin walking through the parking lot, his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. His hands were jammed deep into his jacket pockets and he appeared lost in thought, his head bowed, hair falling into his eyes. He was still wearing his torn jeans from the day before, his stride marked with a slight limp.
Karl started to raise his hand to wave—but then froze, the contents of his stomach congealing into a tight ball. Trailing behind Justin, keeping their distance but still obviously following him, were Robbie, Steve, and Kevin. They kept their eyes locked on him, none of them speaking. Steve leaned over to whisper something to Robbie, who grinned, nodding enthusiastically.
Karl stood still, heart pounding, the quarter clutched in his hand growing warm and sweaty. He watched the boys as they followed Justin around the back of the building, never glancing toward the store, where Karl belatedly realized he would’ve been fully visible, framed by the window. Swallowing, Karl looked around, hoping to see an adult who had noticed what he had and might intervene, but the people in the store continued to go about their business, maddeningly unaware of the situation outside.
“Can I help you with something?”
Karl spun to see a man in a red Food Mart vest blinking at him with polite interest, hugging a clipboard to his chest.
“I, um . . .” He glanced toward the front window again, suddenly second-guessing himself. None of the boys were visible anymore. For all he knew, they were all long gone by now.
Justin had scared them off twice before. He was probably fine.
Karl should at least check first, before asking for help.
“Everything okay?” The man peered at him over his clipboard.
Karl nodded. “Sorry,” he mumbled, heat flooding his face as he turned and rushed from the store.
Once outside, he looked around the parking lot, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Tentatively, he crept around the side of the building in the direction Justin and the others had been headed, tiptoeing down the cracked delivery drive. As he approached the back of the building, he began to make out the low hum of voices punctuated by a series of dull thuds drifting from behind the dumpster.
Karl held his breath, venturing toward the edge of the drive, trying to catch a glimpse of the speakers without them noticing him. The outside of the lot was rimmed with spindly trees, and he stuck close to them, hoping to blend in with the tangles of branches.
Robbie, Steve, and Kevin were standing over someone on the ground, taking turns landing quick kicks on all parts of their body. Karl couldn’t make out the face of their victim, but it had to be Justin. Of course they were mad at him for interfering in their torture of Karl. Twice. And Karl knew all too well how far Robbie could take things when he was mad instead of just bored.
He had to help him. But by the time he went back into the store to find help, it would be too late.
Karl looked around, searching for something he could use. About ten feet from where the boys huddled around Justin, a thick tree branch, about the length of a baseball bat, lay on the ground. Karl made his way toward it, crouching slightly, his arms stiff at his sides, his eyes glued to Robbie’s back.
Beeeeep.