Margaret Carroll - A Dark Love

Caroline Hughes left her husband on a scorching Monday in

Caroline didnt doze despite the rhythmic motion of the bus

His wifes disappearance brought on a panic attack that was

Caroline must have dozed sometime during the night. She had

Caroline settled into a state that was neither full wakefulness

After a day and a half, Carolines Amtrak train arrived

Sleep was the first element to disappear from Porters new

Caroline woke at dawns first light, cocooned inside the lumpy

After the paralysis of his initial shock, Porter reverted to

Caroline awoke to a room bathed in soft amber light.

Porter stared at the computer screen glowing grayish green in

The day turned out sharp and clear, the coldest since

How was work? Lindsay Crowley stood in the doorway of

Tom Fielding took a sip of his double latte. Still

Bingo.

Nan took a sip of coffee. Weathers turning.

Porter Moross woke up shivering. His office was eerie, unfamiliar

Ken drove through town and then out past his house

Porter started driving west the next day. He pulled over

Caroline fell into bed exhausted but happy after her afternoon

Tom Fielding had spent a restless night, wedged onto an

Caroline spent the early part of the day working at

Porter was not prepared for the pleasure he derived from

Porter swung the SUV onto Storm Passs tiny Main Street.

Caroline spotted two familiar cars in Nans drive, and two

Porter settled on the blue plate special. Half a chicken

Moving shadows on the snow caught Porters attention. He sniffed,

Scout raced across the yard to Caroline and Ken, barking

Ken woke early and let himself out. The air had

Maebeth Burkle looked out her kitchen window and frowned. What

Caroline waited until she heard Kens Jeep drive off then

The man on Kens driveway had empty eyes and the

Caroline stashed her stuff in Nans Buick and ducked back

The forest was awash in shifting, swirling snowflakes. The Jeep

Maebeth Burkle leaned against the flimsy white pillow and drifted

The Buick was losing speed. The old car slowed whenever

Ken kept a close watch on Bell, every muscle in

Gus hit the play button on Kens answering machine, offering

Ken stared at the handgun. His mind struggled to make

Snow continued to fall from a sky that had turned

Caroline. Her real name. The sound of it was a

Seeing Porter again was like watching a corpse rise from

Moross reentered the cabin, lugging a five-gallon tin of kerosene,

Porter reappeared on the porch.

Ken was paralyzed.

The storm passed, turning the town into a shimmering landscape

W ASHINGTON , D.C.
M ONDAY

C aroline Hughes left her husband on a scorching Monday in September. It was just after nine oclock in the morning, but already the cobblestone streets of Georgetown shimmered under a heat so intense it made breathing difficult and thinking almost impossible.

She stepped outside and paused, as though she had nothing more important to decide than which direction to take the dog on his morning walk. She had rehearsed this moment in her mind a thousand times.

Porter was watching from his office window.

The heat from the red brick sidewalk worked its way up through the thin soles of Carolines Keds and beyond, to the thick layer of currency she had stashed inside. Mostly hundreds, with some twenties mixed in. Four thousand dollars in all.

She looked right and then left. Pippin tugged at his leash, dancing around on the hot sidewalk.

Okay, handsome, now or never, Caroline spoke softly to the dog. Her hands shook so badly she nearly dropped the leash. She glanced at the ground-floor window of their townhouse. Inside, she knew, he had a good view of her from his leather wing-backed chair.

Caroline forced a smile to her lips and gave a quick nod. It was their signal. Which meant she had twenty minutes. She forced herself to saunter the short distance to the end of the block. She turned left onto Wisconsin Avenue, Georgetowns main thoroughfare. Once around the corner she quickened her pace, walking more swiftly now but not fast enough to attract attention.

The Yorkshire terrier trotted, ears erect, happy to be out.

Reaching into the slender pocket of her Capri pants, she pulled out her and Porters passports. She pushed them deep into an overflowing waste can and kept walking. If her passport was missing he might think she had traveled overseas. Keeping it with her brought a risk of identification that she could not afford. Tossing his bought her time.

Caroline Hughes had just made herself disappear.

The bills inside her sneakers slipped against her bare feet, and bunched around her insteps. Halfway down the block, she hailed a cab, her breath coming in shallow, uneven bursts. She had gone far enough that he wouldnt see brake lights even if he walked out onto the front stoop right now. Not that he would have reason to do so.

She reached for the door, half expecting Porter to grab her from behind before she could get in. Her sweat-slicked hand slipped from the handle. She tried again, heart pounding so hard blood roared in her ears. She scooped Pippin up and climbed in, her arms and legs shaking like rubber. She exhaled as her cab headed down Wisconsin to M Street and into Foggy Bottom, a short distance she had walked many times. Every second counted now.

Caroline ducked her head, letting her long brown hair fall forward like a curtain around her face. The driver paid her no attention, speaking rapid-fire Farsi into a walkie-talkie mounted on the dash.

Pippin scrambled to find his footing on the seat beside her. He let out a small whine, as though he, too, was afraid.

From her pocket, Caroline withdrew a small package of aluminum foil and unwrapped a wad of cream cheese. It contained a pill from the vet, left over from a supply given last year to help Pippin sleep on an airline flight. She had six more in reserve.

Bottoms up, friend, she whispered. Were free.

The Yorkie took one sniff and gobbled it down.

She peeled two bills from the stack inside her sneaker as the cab slowed to a halt. Two twenties, already damp with sweat. Head down, she pushed a twenty over the seat and placed the other in her back pocket. She counted the change and gave the driver a good tip. Not too big. Nothing that would attract attention.

She scooped the dog into her arms and entered CVS. Collecting a basket, she made straight for the hair care aisle. She chose a box of hair dye and added scissors, a comb, and a small bottle of shampoo before moving on. Next she picked up toothpaste and a toothbrush on her way to the sundries aisle, praying the zippered beach totes would still be on sale. They were. She grabbed one, along with a pair of oversized sunglasses and a floppy hat before heading to the baby aisle to get a small bowl for Pippins food. To this she added a package of dog food, bottled water, and several packs of cheese and crackers, even though the thought of food nauseated her.

She waited in line to pay, hoping the other customers couldnt hear the pounding of her heart. Despite the soaring temperature outside, her hands had turned cold and clammy. Her mouth was dry, making it difficult to swallow. She hoped she wouldnt faint. At least there wasnt much worry of seeing anyone she knew. She had no real friends in Washington, D.C. Porters business acquaintances would be working at this hour.