KnockOut (13 page)

TITUSVILLE, VIRGINIA

Monday morning

Ethan walked into his kitchen to see Autumn throwing kibble to Lula, Mackie, and Big Louie. She was laughing. When she saw him, she gave him a huge smile. “Ethan, when Big Louie slides, you can hear his fingernails scraping the floor.”

He leaned down and hugged the little girl. She was wearing a pink T-shirt with tulips on it. “You sleep okay, kiddo?”

She hugged him back before she nodded. “Mama didn’t. She had a nightmare and started moaning. I had to wake her up.”

“No wonder. So much has happened. I’m glad you didn’t have a nightmare too. Would you like a bowl of Rice Krispies and some toast?”

She nodded and threw another piece of kibble to Lula, who went flying out of the kitchen after it.

“It was the last one,” she said, and rubbed her hands on her white shorts. “I hope you catch Blessed today, Ethan.”

From the mouths of children. “I do too. Everyone’s trying, Autumn. Sit down now.” He poured cereal in a bowl and handed her the milk. As she poured it, she said, “I’m going to try to call Dillon again tonight.”

She took a big bite and chewed while he pushed the bread down in the toaster, then stared at her. “Dillon? Who’s he?”

She grew very still. She looked scared.

He came over to her, knelt down beside her chair. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I’m not supposed to say anything.”

“Anything about what? About Dillon?”

“Even my mama doesn’t know about me calling Dillon. I didn’t want to tell her. I knew it would upset her, and she’s so scared right now, so worried about me. But I know she was going to tell Uncle Tollie.”

Tell him what?

The toast popped up. He frowned as he buttered and added strawberry jam to each slice, one for him and one for Autumn. “Here you go. My mom made this jam; it’s pretty good.”

She gave him a guilty look and ducked her head. She didn’t eat, only sat there. Big Louie trotted over and laid his head on her leg. She began petting him.

Ethan waited.

He said, “Did you use your mom’s cell phone to call Dillon?”

Autumn cocked her head to one side. “No, I don’t know his number.”

What was going on here? “Then how did you call Dillon?” She kept her head down, petting Big Louie faster.

“Autumn, sweetheart, you’ve got to know you can tell me anything. If you’ve got something to say that will help me help you, you should tell me.”

She looked up at him then, and sighed. “Uncle Tollie would help us, but he’s not here. You’re here, Ethan.”

Ethan nodded and waited.

She looked him straight in the eye and said, “I called Dillon last Thursday night, real late. I think he was asleep. I haven’t been able to speak to him since then. He hasn’t been there.”

“How did you do that?”

She closed her eyes a moment, then whispered, “Mama will be mad at me.”

He waited, impatient now, wondering what she was doing.

“I called him because I saw him on TV, standing in front of a bank. He stopped a bunch of bank robbers. He was a hero. I knew he could help us, so I waited until it was real late and then I thought hard about him, made him clear in my mind, and he was there and he could hear me and see me too, just like Daddy when he was in prison. He wasn’t scared or anything. I told him Mama and I were in big trouble. I’m going to try to call him again tonight, when it’s real late again.”

What was he to say to that?
Some imagination you’ve got there, kiddo, but could you eat your cereal and throw kibble to the varmints and get back to the real world?

He said instead, “What did Dillon say to you when you told him you and your mama were in trouble?”

“Well, I had some problems because I hadn’t spoken to anyone like that since Daddy died. He knows my name but not my last name, and he doesn’t know where we are. I’ve got to call him and tell him so he can come and help you find Blessed.”

Joanna walked into the kitchen, carrying Lula in her arms. The small smile fell off her face when she looked at her daughter. She grew very still. Lula meowed, and Joanna set her on the floor. “What, Autumn? What did you say to Ethan?”

Autumn didn’t say a word. She took a big bite of her toast and kept her head down.

Ethan said, “She told me she spoke to someone called Dillon last Thursday night, like she used to speak to her daddy, and she’s going to try to call Dillon again tonight to come help us. Has she told you stories like this before, Joanna?”

Autumn whispered, “Dillon’s a hero. Remember, Mama? He shot those bank robbers in Washington. I called him, just like I called Daddy, and he talked to me.”

“Oh, Autumn, baby, you didn’t. I told you—” She broke off and gave a sideways look at Ethan. “Well, never mind, we can talk about this later, Sheriff. I’m hungry. How about I make some pancakes?”

“No,” Ethan said, walking to her. “I don’t want pancakes. I want to know what’s going on with Autumn. Did you believe her story about speaking to her father in her head when he was in prison hundreds of miles away, and speaking to this Dillon last Thursday night? Is that why you doubted her story about the cemetery, because she’s told you stories like this before?”

Joanna wrapped her arms around herself and began pacing the small kitchen.

“Joanna?”

Autumn said, “Mama, I told Ethan we were going to tell Uncle Tollie, and he’s not here. We need to tell Ethan, explain it to him.”

Ethan said, a hint of sarcasm breaking through, “I’d sure appreciate anything you deign to tell me about all this, Joanna.”

That got her. She drew up and stared him straight in the eye. “Very well, Sheriff, I will. Autumn has a special gift, one I didn’t believe at first either until I met the Backmans in Bricker’s Bowl and saw what Blessed could do. She inherited it from her father, and I think that’s why they want to get her back, because she has the same gift her father had.”

“You mean that Autumn has the ability to do the things Blessed can do?”

“No, she can’t hypnotize people. But I believe Autumn can speak telepathically to some people. Not all that many people, but naturally with her father, and it seems this Dillon as well. Autumn, you really called this man who killed the bank robbers?”

Autumn nodded and took a small bite of her toast.

Joanna said, “He was crazy, what he did. What if there had been children in that bank?”

“He’s a hero,” Autumn said again, her chin going up. “He was real nice to me, Mama. I mean, he was surprised when I called him, but he didn’t freak or anything like that. We talked. But I’ve tried to get him a bunch more times, but he wasn’t there. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you’re so worried about me, I didn’t want to scare you more. And you told me not to talk to anyone except Uncle Tollie.”

Ethan looked from one to the other. He wasn’t angry for the simple reason that he’d had to accept Blessed as a reality. He didn’t want to believe any of this, but there was Blessed, always Blessed, and Autumn was Blessed’s niece. “Can you speak to your mother telepathically, Autumn?”

Autumn shook her head. “I wish I could, but Mama can’t hear me. I don’t try to talk to people anymore. If they hear me, they think they’re crazy. Well, there was the boy at the gas station, and he liked talking to me in his brain, once he got used to it. He called me dude. He’d say, ‘Hello, dude.’ He was always wanting to borrow money from me. He thought I was a teenager, like him.”

“Try to talk to me, Autumn.”

She did try, and so did he. He concentrated on her, concentrated on relaxing, on opening up, but nothing happened. He had to admit he was relieved.

Joanna said, “I overheard Shepherd say she knew Autumn had her father’s gift. The only thing is, I don’t really know how she knew it.” Joanna broke off and looked at her daughter. “Oh, no, you didn’t say something to them, did you, baby?”

“She sneaked it out of me, Mama. She was handing me a glass of really bad lemonade and she asked me—like she wasn’t really paying attention or she didn’t care—if I spoke to my daddy very often and I nodded before I thought about it. She smiled at me and said when my daddy was young, he could always call her from wherever he happened to be. She’d always been sorry she couldn’t talk back to him when he called her, but she couldn’t, but she bet I could, couldn’t I? I nodded. I told her I could talk to Daddy anytime because it never cost any money.

“She said she just knew my daddy hadn’t called her in more years than even she could count, and wasn’t that sad? I didn’t think it was sad because she’s so scary, but I didn’t say so. She said she’d tried and tried to call him, but it never worked. She asked if I would try to talk to her in her head, but I knew that wasn’t good. I ran away. I’m sorry, Mama.”

Joanna hugged her tightly. “It’s all right,” she said, though she knew it wasn’t okay at all. “I can see how it happened, sweetie.”

She looked at Ethan. “Martin never hinted that he had a gift. It was probably all tied up in his mind with his family, and he wanted no part of it. It was only after he went to prison that he called to Autumn telepathically, maybe because he missed her so much. She was only four years old, but he got right through. Apparently they could see each other while they spoke, so he did see his daughter growing up. Martin didn’t want Autumn to tell me about it until she was older because he knew I’d be upset, most likely not believe her, think she was sick. Then he died unexpectedly and Autumn told me.

“I knew Autumn was grieving him terribly, and I thought she was imagining it, that it was her way of not letting him go. But after visiting the Backmans, I believe her. I’ve talked to her about it for a very long time this past week, and she’s told me things her daddy said that she couldn’t have known about without his telling her.

“I wasn’t ready to tell you or anyone, Sheriff, because I haven’t figured out yet how I can protect this child, not only from Blessed but from anyone else who would take advantage of her. But I will do anything to keep her out of the Backmans’ hands. Anything.”

For the first time in his professional life, Ethan felt uncertain to the soles of his size-twelves. Joanna obviously believed it all, but she couldn’t prove it to him, or to anyone else. He was an earthling, and he felt like someone had thrown him into an alternate universe. Something within him fought against believing it, demanded more proof. But there was Blessed.

Always Blessed.

GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Monday evening

They arrived home about nine o’clock, the Porsche’s gas tank nearly kissing empty. They were greeted by a hysterical Astro, who’d been chasing kernels of popcorn Sean was throwing to him. Gabriella was on the living room floor, laughing as Astro jumped over her, back and forth, chasing more popcorn. They joined in the game but not for long. Both of them were exhausted.

Autumn called him at midnight.

Dillon? Are you there?

Autumn? That’s you, isn’t it? Where have you been? Are you all right? I tried to call you but you didn’t answer.

He turned on the bedside lamp. He was clearer to her now. She saw he had black whiskers. She could see his dark eyes. He looked wonderful.

She was so happy he was there she nearly burst with it.
Hello, Dillon. I’m okay but just barely. I’m sorry you didn’t get me. I’m kind of new at this, just you and Daddy, really. Ethan told me how you were off chasing bank robbers.

Yes, I’ve been real busy here. I’m sorry. Tell me your last name, Autumn, and where you are. Who is Ethan?

I’m Autumn Backman, and my mom and I are in Titusville, Virginia, with Sheriff Ethan. He’s real nice and wants to help us.

Can you turn on a light, Autumn? I can’t see you as clearly as I’d like.

No, my mama’s asleep next to me. I don’t want to wake her up.

A beat of silence, but she saw a brief smile on his mouth.
Tell me what’s been happening.

She told him about Sheriff Ethan Merriweather and his three pets, particularly all about Lula, who always caught the most kibble. She told him how maybe the sheriff really believed now that she was talking to Dillon, but…
He doesn’t want to believe me because it’s weird and I’m a little kid. People don’t want to believe you when you’re only seven.

She told him how Blessed put the whammy on Ox, but Ethan had helped snap him out of it with a hard kick to his chin, how they’d been looking for Blessed, but he was hiding real good.

I need you, Dillon, my mama needs you. You’ve got to catch those bank robbers so you can come here and help us. Things are bad. Blessed is here. Blessed is scarier than the Phantom of the Opera.

Then she floored him. She told him about the dead people in Bricker’s Bowl, told him about Shepherd and Grace. She didn’t wink out once, her voice and face steady.
Mama and I got away and drove to Titusville, but Uncle Tollie wasn’t here. He knows a lot of people, Dillon, but he’s old, maybe too old for you to know him.

What’s his full name, Autumn?

Tollie Tolbert.

She saw him scratch his chest. Then he smiled at her, sort of embarrassed because he’d forgotten she could see him.
I know about Tollie Tolbert. He was an FBI agent, just like me. Everyone called him T Squared, you know, because both of his names begin with a T. So he lives in Titusville, Virginia, and you and your mama know him. I’m relieved, Autumn, because Tollie’s tough, doesn’t take grief from anybody. He knew my dad, worked with him occasionally in New York. My dad always said Tollie could make a witness talk faster than opening a can of tuna fish. He had this evil-eye thing going. Where is he, Autumn?

In a place called the Everglades. That’s in Florida. He hasn’t come back yet. We’ve been waiting for him.

Okay. Ah, maybe I’d better give you my cell phone number. Can you memorize it so you won’t have to turn on a light and wake up your mama?

He repeated his cell number three times, listened to her repeat it after him each time.
Good. Now, Ethan was right. I’m up to my neck here in a pile of bad guys. I’ll call him in the morning, maybe get to Titusville in the next couple of days. How’s that?

I wish you were here right now. I don’t know if Ethan’s a hero like you are.

I’ll bet you Ethan is a real big hero. He’s watching over you and your mom now, isn’t he?

Savich clearly heard a woman’s voice say, “Autumn, sweetie?”

And Autumn said, “Mama, I’m talking to Dillon like I told you.”

He heard nothing else. Autumn said,
Mama doesn’t want to believe I’m really talking to you, Dillon, but she says hello.

Hello to your mom too.

Will you get Blessed?

I’ll do my best.

Thank you, Dillon,
and she was gone.