Read Online Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Garth Stein
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Jenna’s problem. His problem was dealing with the psychiatrists, not Jenna.
The old VW shuddered when he downshifted and turned into the driveway. He nudged the door closed with his hip and climbed the two brick steps to the back door. Holding the coffee bag in one hand and the muffin bag in his teeth, Robert opened the back door. As he set his things down on the kitchen table, he heard a long beep and the clicking and whirring of the answering machine. He ran to the bedroom and grabbed the phone, but it was too late. The person who called had left a message and had already hung up.
He pressed PLAY and waited for the tape to rewind. The voice that came on sounded strained, a little too cheerful and buoyant. It was Jenna.
“Hi, it’s me. Where are you? Look, sorry about last night, but . . . I’m . . . I’m going away for a few days. I need to get away. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you when I get a chance. I love you.”
Robert could feel his heart thumping in his chest; he could hear it pound away. He listened to the message again.
She was outdoors somewhere. She sounded rushed, confused. Sorry about last night, I’m going away. That didn’t follow. If she was sorry about last night, she should be coming back. I need to get away. From what? From me? Get away to where? Was she calling from an airport? No, that would have been inside. Robert definitely heard birds in the background. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you when I get a chance. What’s that supposed to mean? One of the basics of couples therapy is to work out problems verbally. You can’t run away. This didn’t make sense. Jenna loves to talk about problems. She could talk for days about their relationship. She wouldn’t just leave. She can’t sleep by herself. This is a woman who is so afraid of being alone she cannot sleep in a bed by herself. She didn’t come home last night, so she has no clothes or anything. Where could she go?
It’s her parents. They’re hiding her. She took a plane to New York and is with them.
No, that doesn’t make any sense. She would have had to wait until this morning to get a plane, and she’d be on it right now. How could she leave a message? Air-phone. And the plane is flying through a flock of geese with the windows open. A gaggle of geese. A flock of seagulls. I ran, I ran so far away.
Robert picked up the phone and dialed Jenna’s parents in New York. Jenna’s mother answered.
“Hello, Robert. Did you hear anything?”
“She left a message.”
“Left a message? You were out?”
“Well, I have to eat, you know.”
“Couldn’t you have ordered in?”
Spoken like a true New Yorker.
“Look, Sally, she left a message and it sounded very strange. She said she was going away for a few days. Where could she go? She has no clothes or anything. Tell me the truth, is she on her way to you?”
“Well, if she is, she certainly didn’t call first. But I can’t imagine. Why would she fly all the way across the country? Is there something going on between you two that we don’t know about?”
“No. I’m telling you, she freaked out last night. Went into some psychotic episode. Just like the old days.”
“Robert.” It was a man. Myron. Dad.
“Myron, I didn’t know you were on the line.”
“I’ve been listening. Are you implying that she’s back on those pills?”
“I’m not implying anything, Myron, I’m stating the facts. We live in a world of cause and effect. You figure it out.”
“Robert, please,” Sally broke in. “It’s been a year and you know she doesn’t take those pills anymore.”
“Sally, I have to be honest. I really don’t know what Jenna does anymore.”
“Are you sure she hasn’t been abducted?” Myron asked after a pause. Abducted? Carjacked? Kidnapped? “You said the message sounded strange.”
“Yeah, strange. But not that strange. Why would someone kidnap her and then let her call in?”
There was silence all around. Abducted. That was
The old VW shuddered when he downshifted and turned into the driveway. He nudged the door closed with his hip and climbed the two brick steps to the back door. Holding the coffee bag in one hand and the muffin bag in his teeth, Robert opened the back door. As he set his things down on the kitchen table, he heard a long beep and the clicking and whirring of the answering machine. He ran to the bedroom and grabbed the phone, but it was too late. The person who called had left a message and had already hung up.
He pressed PLAY and waited for the tape to rewind. The voice that came on sounded strained, a little too cheerful and buoyant. It was Jenna.
“Hi, it’s me. Where are you? Look, sorry about last night, but . . . I’m . . . I’m going away for a few days. I need to get away. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you when I get a chance. I love you.”
Robert could feel his heart thumping in his chest; he could hear it pound away. He listened to the message again.
She was outdoors somewhere. She sounded rushed, confused. Sorry about last night, I’m going away. That didn’t follow. If she was sorry about last night, she should be coming back. I need to get away. From what? From me? Get away to where? Was she calling from an airport? No, that would have been inside. Robert definitely heard birds in the background. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you when I get a chance. What’s that supposed to mean? One of the basics of couples therapy is to work out problems verbally. You can’t run away. This didn’t make sense. Jenna loves to talk about problems. She could talk for days about their relationship. She wouldn’t just leave. She can’t sleep by herself. This is a woman who is so afraid of being alone she cannot sleep in a bed by herself. She didn’t come home last night, so she has no clothes or anything. Where could she go?
It’s her parents. They’re hiding her. She took a plane to New York and is with them.
No, that doesn’t make any sense. She would have had to wait until this morning to get a plane, and she’d be on it right now. How could she leave a message? Air-phone. And the plane is flying through a flock of geese with the windows open. A gaggle of geese. A flock of seagulls. I ran, I ran so far away.
Robert picked up the phone and dialed Jenna’s parents in New York. Jenna’s mother answered.
“Hello, Robert. Did you hear anything?”
“She left a message.”
“Left a message? You were out?”
“Well, I have to eat, you know.”
“Couldn’t you have ordered in?”
Spoken like a true New Yorker.
“Look, Sally, she left a message and it sounded very strange. She said she was going away for a few days. Where could she go? She has no clothes or anything. Tell me the truth, is she on her way to you?”
“Well, if she is, she certainly didn’t call first. But I can’t imagine. Why would she fly all the way across the country? Is there something going on between you two that we don’t know about?”
“No. I’m telling you, she freaked out last night. Went into some psychotic episode. Just like the old days.”
“Robert.” It was a man. Myron. Dad.
“Myron, I didn’t know you were on the line.”
“I’ve been listening. Are you implying that she’s back on those pills?”
“I’m not implying anything, Myron, I’m stating the facts. We live in a world of cause and effect. You figure it out.”
“Robert, please,” Sally broke in. “It’s been a year and you know she doesn’t take those pills anymore.”
“Sally, I have to be honest. I really don’t know what Jenna does anymore.”
“Are you sure she hasn’t been abducted?” Myron asked after a pause. Abducted? Carjacked? Kidnapped? “You said the message sounded strange.”
“Yeah, strange. But not that strange. Why would someone kidnap her and then let her call in?”
There was silence all around. Abducted. That was
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