“—without getting us back out again?”
“No.”
“Do we have a signal?” he asked.
Remi pulled out her cell phone and checked the reception. “Nothing.”
“Damn. We still have that map?”
Remi rummaged through the glove compartment, found the map, and opened it. After thirty seconds she said, “Sam, there’s nothing out here. No houses, no farms—nothing for miles.”
“Curiouser and curiouser.”
Ahead, the Lucerne’s brake lights flashed once, then again, then turned right and disappeared behind some trees. Sam pulled up to the turn and slowed just in time to see the Lucerne’s taillights turn again, this time left into a driveway about a hundred yards down the road. He turned off the engine and rolled down the passenger window. Through the trees they could see the Lucerne’s headlights go out, followed by the sound of a car door opening then closing, followed ten seconds later by another.
Then a voice: “Hey . . . don’t!”
Frobisher’s voice. Clearly agitated.
“Well, that settles it,” Sam said.
“Yep,” Remi said. “What do you want to do?”
“You drive to the nearest house or wherever you can get reception and call the police. I’m going to—”
“Oh, no, you’re not, Sam.”
“Remi, please—”
“I said no, Sam.”
Sam groaned. “Remi—”
“We’re wasting time.”
Sam knew his wife well enough to recognize the tone in her voice and the set of her mouth. She’d planted her feet and that was that.
“Okay,” he said, “but no stupid chances, okay?”
“That goes for you, too.”
He grinned at her and winked. “Am I anything but the epitome of caution?” Then: “Don’t answer that.”
“In for a penny—” Remi started.
“In for trouble,” Sam finished.
CHAPTER 5
Headlights still off, Sam slowly steered the BMW up the road, trying to avoid potholes, until they were within fifty yards of the driveway, then shut off the engine.
Sam said, “Will you please wait in the car?”
Remi frowned at him. “Hi, it seems we haven’t met.” She stuck out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Remi Fargo.”
Sam sighed. “Point taken.”
They had a brief strategy/what-if/worse-case-scenario talk, then Sam gave her his sport coat and they climbed out.