You Can't Hide by Theresa Sneed (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

her eyes. It stung and she wiped at them, but this time, she did not stop the tears. Crawling on top of the crumpled clothing, she cried herself to sleep.

She dreamt the oddest dream. Papa Joe told her to not give up—to look for little things she could do to get out of trouble—just like Richie Rich.

Upon awakening, she sat up straight. She glanced over at the door. Shielding her eyes from the falling dirt, she pulled on it, but it still wouldn’t budge. Little things, she thought. She poked at the door, until she found a soft part of it that gave a little. Searching the room for something to use, she spied a pile of broken glass in the far corner.

Papa was a whittler and had showed her how to carve on soap. He said never to carve without protecting your hands. She looked around, until her eyes fell back to the pile of clothing. Pulling one of the dirty shirts from the pile, she wrapped it around her hand, and then she scraped at the soft wood, carving thin pieces from it. Much later, the part she had carved was no bigger than a teaspoon. “Little things,” she whimpered.

Ten

Elkmont

Karen spread the map out on the picnic table. “Right here,” she said, placing her finger on Elkmont. “We’re almost there.”

Todd took a bite from an apple he had picked from a tree along the way. “Beautiful country,” he said, gazing up at the mountains.

“Yes, it is.” Karen folded the map. “Okay, Elle, let me see if I’ve got this right.” She pointed to the car. “We’re going to cruise Elkmont until we find her.”

Elle lowered her eyes. “Pretty much.” After her friend let out a long sigh, she continued. “We’re going to knock on every door until we find someone who knew the Snyders.”

“And what are we going say? ‘Hey, we’re looking for Sally Snyder, daughter of a dead cop, murdered by his brother, who is from here?’”

Elle rolled her eyes. “No, we’re going to pretend we’re taking a survey for the town. We’ll say, the town is thinking of building a retirement center and ask them about their opinion.”

“Okay, that’s a way into their homes, but how do you ask them about Merrick?”

“We wait until they sign their names, and then when someone signs Snyder, we—”

“Oh, come on, Elle. We don’t have that much time to interview every resident of Elkmont.”

A puff of air escaped Elle’s throat. “You’re right. Any ideas?”

“Yeah.” Todd tossed the apple in the grass. “Let’s go to the town hall and ask them where the Snyder’s live—they have records there.”

Elle nodded. “That’s a great idea. Okay, let’s head out.”

Pulling up to a gas station, Todd motioned for the attendant to come near. “Fill ‘er up, oh, and, where’s the Town Hall?”

“Down that way.” The young man pointed toward a row of buildings.

“Say, maybe you know. “I’m looking for my uncle’s house—the Snyders?”

His eyes widened. “You mean that Snyder that’s been on the news?”

Todd nodded nonchalantly. “Yep.”

The attended grunted. “Ain’t no Snyders here no more. House is emptier than a swallow’s nest in the winter.” He pointed the other direction. “Thems all buried in the cemetery.”

“No Snyders at all?”

“Not here, mister. Least whys, none that I know of. When the story broke, the only family had already left. House has been empty for seven or eight years.”

Elle was surprised with that news. She leaned out the window in the back. “He had family here?”

“Yes’m, a wife, but no one seen her for years. Some thinks she’s in the nuthouse, she had a reputation of being, y’know—nuts.”

Her eyes widened. “I had no idea.”

He looked at her strangely then spoke to Todd. “I guess you’re here to claim his stuff.”

“Yes, that’s exactly why I’m here.”

“He gots himself a fine home on Summer Street.”

“Really? And that is?”

“Down that street and take two rights.”

Todd paid him, gave him a generous tip, and then took off toward Summer Street. A crooked mailbox in the front had Snyder written across it. “This is it.”

Elle’s heart raced as they passed by the house. Todd pulled over farther down the road, and they got out. The three of them walked up the sidewalk toward the house.

The neighborhood was quiet, with more than one empty house on the street. They bounded up the steps. Elle peered through the windows. The house was fully furnished, neat and organized, not at all what she had expected, except that Merrick had been a stickler for order in Taunton, too. Finding both the front and back doors locked, she leaned against the porch rail. “What now?”

“We didn’t come this far for nothing.” Karen’s voice dropped low. “Get the blanket from the car.”

“A blanket,” Elle said, dumbfounded.

“To put over the broken glass.”

What broken glass, thought Elle, looking back at the windows.

Karen glanced left and right, picked up a rock, and then hurtled it against the window on the porch. “For Sally,” she said.

Todd shook his head. “You think you know somebody,” he said, with a smirk.

Elle hurried to the car and returned with the blanket. After pushing most of the glass away, Karen laid it over the window frame, climbed inside, and then unlocked the front door.

Todd stepped beside Karen. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “My little criminal.” Once inside, they searched the house. “Do you think Sally could be here,” he whispered.

“No. Merrick wouldn’t make it that easy,” Elle said. “He wanted me to come here, but I don’t think he wants me to find Sally right away.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s playing a cat-and-mouse game.” She groaned, deep in thought. “So like him. Merrick wouldn’t have told you where he was from, unless he hoped you’d tell me.”

“No way. I totally fooled him with the lawyer bit.”

“No offense, but he totally fooled you.”

Karen’s mouth fell open. “And you’re just now telling me this? Why did you send me in to see him?”

For Sally, she thought glumly. “I’m pretty sure he’s baiting us, Karen.