—How long did that last?
Billy thought again.
—As long as The Count of Monte Cristo, Robin Hood, Theseus, and Zorro. It’s the next left, Emmett.
Seeing the Lincoln Highway marker, Emmett shifted to the other lane and took the turn.
As he drove toward Newark, Emmett could see in his mind’s eye what must have happened back in Nebraska. Having been asked by Emmett to lie low, Duchess had gone into town anyway. （Of course, he had.） Once in town, he must have stumbled on Emmett’s confrontation with Jake, and witnessed the whole sordid business. But if so, why would he have bothered to hit Jake’s friend?
Thinking back on the tall stranger in the cowboy hat leaning against the Studebaker, Emmett remembered his lazy posture and smug expression; he remembered how he had egged Jake on during the fight; and finally, he remembered the first words that the stranger had said: Seems like Jake’s got some unfinished business with you, Watson.
That’s how he had put it, thought Emmett: unfinished business. And according to the old performer FitzWilliams, unfinished business is exactly what Duchess said he had with his father. . . .
Emmett pulled over and sat with his hands on the wheel.
Sally and Billy looked at him with curiosity.
—What is it, Emmett? asked Billy.
—I think we need to go find Duchess and Woolly.
Sally expressed surprise.
—But Mrs. Whitney said they were on their way to Salina.
—They’re not on their way to Salina, said Emmett. They’re on their way to the Wolcotts’ house in the Adirondacks. The only problem is that I don’t know where it is.
—I know where it is, said Billy.
—You do?
Looking down, Billy slid his fingertip slowly away from Newark, New Jersey, away from the Lincoln Highway, and up into the middle of northern New York, where someone had drawn a big red star.
Sally
When we were driving through Why-would-anyone-on-God’s-green-earth-live-here, New Jersey, and Emmett pulled over to announce that we needed to go to upstate New York in order to find Duchess and Woolly, I didn’t say a word. Four hours later, when he pulled into a roadside motel that looked more like a place to drop off donations than to spend the night, I didn’t say a word. And when in the motel’s run-down little office, Emmett signed the register with Mr. Schulte’s name, I didn’t say a word then either.
However . . .
Once we’d found our accommodations and I’d sent Billy into the bathroom to take a bath, Emmett directed his attention right at me. Adopting a measure of gravity, he said he wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to find Duchess and Woolly. It could take a few hours, maybe more. But once he returned, the three of us could have something to eat and get a good night’s sleep, and if we were back on the road by seven in the morning, he guessed they could drop me off in Morgen on Wednesday night without going much out of their way.
And that’s when my allotment of not saying a word was all used up.
—Don’t you worry about going out of your way, I said.
—It’s no problem, he assured.
—Well, whether it is or it isn’t, doesn’t make much difference. Because I have no intention of being dropped off in Morgen.
—All right, he said a little hesitantly. Then where do you want to be dropped off?
—San Francisco would do just fine.
For a moment Emmett looked at me. Then he closed his eyes.
—Just because you close your eyes, I said, doesn’t mean that I’m not here, Emmett. Not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, when you close your eyes, not only am I here, Billy’s here, this lovely motel’s here, the whole wide world is here—right where you left it.
Emmett opened his eyes again.
—Sally, he said, I don’t know what expectations I may have given you, or what expectations you may have come to on your own. . . .
What’s this? I wondered. Expectations he may have given me? Expectations I may have come to on my own? I leaned a little closer to make sure I didn’t miss a word.
— . . . But Billy and I have been through a good deal this year. What with losing dad and the farm . . .
—Keep going, I said. You’ve got my attention.
Emmett cleared his throat.
—It’s just that . . . Given all we’ve been through . . . I think what Billy and I need right now . . . is to make a fresh start together. Just the two of us.
I stared at him a moment. Then I let out a little gasp.
—So that’s it, I said. You think I’m inviting myself on the ride to San Francisco with the intention of becoming a part of your household.