I wasted no time telephoning the Leblanc's number to encourage my wife to return home. The phone rang to voice message! Betsy had driven our only car so I wasn't able to drive over there myself. I was in a panic. I could think of no one to call! Then I remember Detective Jackson. I fished his cell number out of my pocket and dialed. He picked up as Betsy came in the door.
"Jackson here. It's pretty damn late."
"Sorry. This is Ben Gustefson. False alarm. My wife was overdue and I was concerned. She just came in as you answered."
"Should I be concerned why you're concerned?"
"No. It's just after last night, I'm still on edge. I apologize for bothering you." I waved Betsy over and she snuggled next to me on the sofa.
"Too bad. I was hoping you might have had a revelation. Have you heard from you buddy in California? He hasn't returned my call."
"He buried his mother today. I didn't want to disturb him." I was getting very good at evading the truth without actually lying. "When I do talk to him, I'll tell him to call you."
"You do that, and have an unconcerned night. And remember those three little numbers; 911."
I turned to my wife as I hung up the phone. "You had me worried."
"I'm sorry. Everything caught up with me and I needed time. Their house was so lonely, and a little scary without them. I know Martha had her days when I could have killed her but I loved her too. We had fun together. I can't imagine not seeing her or holding little Claire again."
"It's so unlike her. Quinn must have insisted they leave the way they did. I'm sure that's why he returned east. He probably thought we'd have talked her out of leaving, or at least into leaving their new identities with us."
"We wouldn't leave like that, would we; without telling the others?"
"Not without establishing some way of staying in touch."
I read Martha's note to us and brought Betsy up to date on my conversation with Julie. She agreed it was Julie's place to tell Howie about the letter she sent and how it impacted the rest of us. Knowing Howie, I felt certain he loved her enough to forgive her. While I dreaded frightening my wife further, I knew I owed her the information on the motor home. I waited until we were in bed for the night before I told her. She took the news well.
"There are hundreds of tourists passing through Keene now that the warm weather is here," she said. "Seeing an out of state plate isn't unusual, especially on a vehicle designed for travel."