Chapter 146

"In ten or fifteen minutes."

"I'll just wait twenty minutes and call back. Thanks a lot."

I called Candice's home. She answered. I said, "Bill is in Yakima. Get the kids and go now, Mrs. Cannon!"

"OK!"

I drove to a car rental place and rented a white Chevy Suburban. The woman behind the counter said it would be a few minutes; they wanted to wash it for me. I asked them to leave the outside dirty but vacuum the inside and it would be great. Ten minutes later I was headed for the big truck stop in Gresham.

Candice called from Hood River. Her car was quiet. Her kids must have guessed something was up.

"Do you know where the big truck stop is in Gresham?"

"Yes."

"There is a motel behind it. Park next to a dirty white Chevy Suburban. When you're parked or worried call me."

"OK." She hung up.

I went to the motel and checked in. I asked for a room as far from the highway as possible. The woman gave me one on an upper floor way at the back of the motel. I registered as Mr. William Stevens. No one asked for identification. The pictures of presidents I paid with seemed to be enough identification.

In the room I used the bathroom. I disconnected the phone and took the wire with me. I didn't want any phone calls made from the room.

I waited for Mrs. Stevens and her kids downstairs in the Suburban. It seemed like forever. At three twenty on that gray afternoon a shiny black Ford Expedition pulled in next to me. Candice drove with a teenaged daughter sitting next to her and a slightly younger boy leaning over from the back into the front.

Candice had seen the Suburban but not me. She dialed my number and I answered.

"Look in the Suburban."

She did, and jumped. I got out and walked to her window. It was open when I arrived. Both kids looked at me with suspicion.

"What have you told them?"

"Everything I know. They knew he was fooling around. Why the Suburban?"

"We're leaving your car here. I didn't know how many kids you had so I got a vehicle sort of like yours but less easy to spot. Let's get your stuff and yourselves transferred and be gone."

"I need to go." The daughter said. I tossed her the room key and pointed. "We need to get out of here in the next half hour. Then things are going to get ugly."

All three shot me looks that were loud questions. I waved them to the room and they went. I transferred their stuff to the back of the Suburban. Within ten minutes they were back. I had the son run back to the room and toss the key on the bed and close the door tight when he left.

Mom sat up front with me and the kids leaned forward. When I was headed west into Portland I told them what I knew, briefly what was on the DVD's and about Susan. Candice was surprised to learn that she owned everything. She was also surprised that her husband was stealing her blind. I was introduced to her children: Mark and Anna. Anna was seventeen and a senior. Mark was fifteen and a tenth grader. Mark wanted to hurt his Dad for what he was doing. Anna stayed very quiet and cried.

We arrived at Susan's office. She met us at the door. We were graciously ushered into her office and she outlined what was happening. Three times her phone rang and she took notes each time. Bill had been served on the farm outside Yakima. He got so angry he took a swing at the Marshal and will spend at least tonight in the Yakima jail. He cannot make bail because the judge there asked how much cash he had on him and then set bail at $15,000 dollars cash or bond.

"What about Charlene?"

"Charlene is sitting in his car in Goldendale. She had dinner with the cash she had in her purse but discovered she doesn't have a credit card or a debit card that work. She doesn't have enough money to drive home."

"I don't know if it might be of value but there are two more DVD's at the cabin. Shall I go get them?"

"Yes. And I'll have you do something else as well. The foreman of the farms is living in Trout Lake."

Mark said, "Miguel Cervantes."

"Yes. Miguel. I want you to deliver a letter to him. Mrs. Stevens I want you to read this over and if you agree I want you to sign it." She handed Candice a letter and she read it. She finished and looked up.

"I've been a housewife for eighteen years and now I own and need to run a million dollar farm?"

"Correction, farms. There are five. Not million dollar, millions of dollars. The land alone would get you seventy million if you sell it. Will you sign?"

"What is it Mom?"

"It is a letter making Miguel the manager of Green Leaf Farms. I'm offering him $130,000 a year and 2% of the yearly net profits. Yes, I'll sign."

She did. Susan folded the letter and handed it to me.

"I see you got another truck. Take it when you go to Trout Lake. Deliver the letter, get the DVD's and get back here. On the way back give the Suburban back. You also need to move. Bill is going to figure out that you had something to do with this. He's likely to come hunting for you."

"Charlene has a key and a map."

"You have about twenty-four hours to move. Get your stuff tonight and you can use the spare bedroom in the house I rented for Mrs. Stevens. The house is a six bedroom house. Here are the keys and directions. The house is fully stocked with anything you might need. If there is something you want that isn't in the house, don't go out! Don't call Domino's. You must disappear for a few days. Here is a number for my assistant Lance. He knows he's on call to assist you in any way he can. He's getting a bonus so use him."

Half an hour later we were in the house. It was huge and very nice. Mark went to the kitchen and discovered that whoever stocked the place knew about teenagers. Pizza, brots, lots of sodas, chips and other teen staples were ready for his use. His sister discovered three pre-made salads and some flavored water. I went to my apartment and cleaned it out. It took two trips to the car with stuff. I left the little bit of food and locked up. By eight o'clock I was in the house with the Suburban hidden in the garage.

Candice met me as I carried a few things into the house. She had a sandwich, some chips and a beer for me. I tossed my stuff on an unused bed and accepted the sandwich. The four of us sat in the living room and talked.