car.”
“But I wouldn’t—”
His mother put her arms around him, rocking him gently back and forth. He felt her breath in his ear, and she spoke in a soothing voice. “I know you wouldn’t do it on purpose, but you weren’t in your right mind.”
More paranoia, along with panic and desperation, gripped his mind. He hated violence and would never hurt anyone. But this wasn’t the first time he’d done something so out of character, nor the first time someone had witnessed his ferocious antics and turned him in. And each time, the solution had been to change his medication and the madness had subsided. For a while.
“You have to leave here,” his mother said.
“Where … where’ll I go? I have no place to go.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll think of something later, but right now, it’s not safe here. If they put you in prison, you’ll die there. They won’t help you.” She moved back, her hands on his shoulders, and shook him gently. “You have to go.”
He nodded. “I … I’ll find somewhere to hide.”
“Maybe you can come back later. They can’t stay here forever and wait for you.” She held up a finger. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.” She stepped inside quietly, easing the door closed behind her.
He waited on the porch, glancing fearfully around. His mind was spinning out of control, and he found it hard to think, feeling agitated, filled with terror of the unknown—terror of the future.
This was the first time he had actually hurt anyone and he was afraid, unsure what to do. No one seemed to understand him. No one even cared enough to try to understand.
At the last visit to the shrink, the doctor had informed him there were no new medications to try. At first they seemed to work, but he slowly deteriorated into madness—a madness that had now resulted in the death of an innocent woman.
The door opened again and his mother stepped out, a plastic grocery bag in one hand. She handed it to him. “There’s some food in here. Enough for a couple of days. And your meds are in here too. Make sure you take them every day.”
He looked into her eyes, frantically seeking answers, where to go, what to do. There was no response from her troubled eyes, no solution on her worried face.
“Go now,” she said.
Adam took one last look into the uneasy eyes of the woman who took care of him. The woman who was there after his father died, and the woman he might never see again. One last fearful look, then he turned and shuffled across the lawn, disappearing behind the garage, back the way he’d come.
He was alone in an uncaring world with only his unstable mind to guide him.
There was no one he could depend on anymore. Not even himself.
Chapter 13
Tuesday, 3:21 p.m.
JAKE SAT AT THE desk in the office, browsing MapQuest to find the exact location of Virginia Thorburn’s house. He printed out a map of the area surrounding 112 Mill Street, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket.
Matty poked his head in the doorway. “I’m home, Dad. Where’s Mom?”
Jake pushed back his chair and looked at his son. “We have to go out for a little while. Your mother ran next door to see if Chrissy will watch you.”
“No problem,” Matty said. “Kyle and I have stuff to do anyway.”
The back door opened and closed.
“It sounds like she’s back now,” Jake said as he stood, heading for the kitchen. “We won’t be gone long.”
“No problem,” Annie said when Jake entered the room. “Chrissy’ll watch him. Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Jake said.
Matty said goodbye and ran out the back door.
Annie got her handbag from the counter and followed Jake outside, and they got into the car. Earlier, she had looked up Virginia Thorburn’s phone number and called her under the pretense of a sales call, finding out the woman would be home until 5:00. That gave them lots of time.
Jake started the car, pulled from the driveway, and
“But I wouldn’t—”
His mother put her arms around him, rocking him gently back and forth. He felt her breath in his ear, and she spoke in a soothing voice. “I know you wouldn’t do it on purpose, but you weren’t in your right mind.”
More paranoia, along with panic and desperation, gripped his mind. He hated violence and would never hurt anyone. But this wasn’t the first time he’d done something so out of character, nor the first time someone had witnessed his ferocious antics and turned him in. And each time, the solution had been to change his medication and the madness had subsided. For a while.
“You have to leave here,” his mother said.
“Where … where’ll I go? I have no place to go.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll think of something later, but right now, it’s not safe here. If they put you in prison, you’ll die there. They won’t help you.” She moved back, her hands on his shoulders, and shook him gently. “You have to go.”
He nodded. “I … I’ll find somewhere to hide.”
“Maybe you can come back later. They can’t stay here forever and wait for you.” She held up a finger. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.” She stepped inside quietly, easing the door closed behind her.
He waited on the porch, glancing fearfully around. His mind was spinning out of control, and he found it hard to think, feeling agitated, filled with terror of the unknown—terror of the future.
This was the first time he had actually hurt anyone and he was afraid, unsure what to do. No one seemed to understand him. No one even cared enough to try to understand.
At the last visit to the shrink, the doctor had informed him there were no new medications to try. At first they seemed to work, but he slowly deteriorated into madness—a madness that had now resulted in the death of an innocent woman.
The door opened again and his mother stepped out, a plastic grocery bag in one hand. She handed it to him. “There’s some food in here. Enough for a couple of days. And your meds are in here too. Make sure you take them every day.”
He looked into her eyes, frantically seeking answers, where to go, what to do. There was no response from her troubled eyes, no solution on her worried face.
“Go now,” she said.
Adam took one last look into the uneasy eyes of the woman who took care of him. The woman who was there after his father died, and the woman he might never see again. One last fearful look, then he turned and shuffled across the lawn, disappearing behind the garage, back the way he’d come.
He was alone in an uncaring world with only his unstable mind to guide him.
There was no one he could depend on anymore. Not even himself.
Chapter 13
Tuesday, 3:21 p.m.
JAKE SAT AT THE desk in the office, browsing MapQuest to find the exact location of Virginia Thorburn’s house. He printed out a map of the area surrounding 112 Mill Street, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket.
Matty poked his head in the doorway. “I’m home, Dad. Where’s Mom?”
Jake pushed back his chair and looked at his son. “We have to go out for a little while. Your mother ran next door to see if Chrissy will watch you.”
“No problem,” Matty said. “Kyle and I have stuff to do anyway.”
The back door opened and closed.
“It sounds like she’s back now,” Jake said as he stood, heading for the kitchen. “We won’t be gone long.”
“No problem,” Annie said when Jake entered the room. “Chrissy’ll watch him. Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Jake said.
Matty said goodbye and ran out the back door.
Annie got her handbag from the counter and followed Jake outside, and they got into the car. Earlier, she had looked up Virginia Thorburn’s phone number and called her under the pretense of a sales call, finding out the woman would be home until 5:00. That gave them lots of time.
Jake started the car, pulled from the driveway, and
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