Day Zero. Chris Jayne

dangerous. I’m afraid.” Lori paused, wondering how to phrase it so that Simone would realize it was very serious, but at the same time would prevent her from becoming so frightened she would freak out. “I saw something I shouldn’t have seen and I’m afraid,” she repeated, “that I might be in danger.” There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. “Until I can work things out, I need to know you and Brandon and Grace are safe.”

      “What happened? What’s wrong?”

      “Simone, I can’t explain right now. You need to trust me.” She paused, still not quite sure what she should tell Simone to do, but then a plan gelled in her mind. “I need you to leave school. Don’t go back to the house. Whatever you do,” she repeated, “do not go back to the house. Did you take the kids to the McDonald’s by their school this morning?”

      “Yes, but…”

      “Just listen, please. The one right by their school? On Ocean, across from the bank?”

      Simone’s voice was more insistent. “Yes.”

      “So, I want you to drive there. Right now. Park around back. I’ll be there in fifteen or twenty minutes and I’ll explain then.” When Simone didn’t say anything, Lori pushed her. “Promise me you’ll leave right now.”

      “Yes, I will but what is it? Have I done something?”

      “No! You haven’t.” This was exactly what she wanted to avoid: a drawn-out conversation with Simone. “I cannot explain right now. I cannot. You need to go to that McDonald’s and wait for me.” Lori paused. “Promise?”

      Simone’s voice seemed tight with tension and confusion, but at least she agreed. “Yes, I will.”

      “Leave right now?”

      “Yes.”

      Lori clicked off, and moved towards the garage, but paused, her stomach sinking, as her eyes rested on Sasha, sitting on the sofa in Sylvia’s front room, her head on the back of the sofa looking out the window. What should she do about the dog? Just last week a story had made the news about a family pet that had been shot at a traffic stop when the dog had jumped out of the car and started barking at the police officer. If things went south, the last thing she needed to be dealing with was a frantic dog. On the other hand, what if somehow she couldn’t get back to Sylvia’s house and the dog was left alone?

      After only a second, she’d come up with a solution, and as soon as she pulled Sylvia’s Escalade out of the garage, and shut the door again, she dialed Michele’s number once more. Her employee picked up on the first ring.

      “My god, Lori. I was just going to call you. Did you hear the news?”

      Lori cut her off. “About Senator Michaels? Yeah. But listen, there’s more to that. Things you’re not hearing on the news. This whole thing has gotten messed up really fast.”

      “What are you talking about?”

      “I don’t want to tell you over the phone. I need to focus on my driving right now. But this could be life and death.”

      “Life and death? Come on…”

      “Just listen.” Quickly Lori gave Michelle the address of Sylvia’s house and explained about the dog. “I need you and Sal to go there right now. Don’t shower, don’t eat, don’t do anything but run to the car and go. The back door is unlocked and the security system is not armed. Go in, open the garage door, pull your car in, close the garage and wait for me. I should be there by eleven thirty.” After a long moment of silence, Michelle, her voice breaking with stress, agreed to do as Lori asked.

      Lori piloted Sylvia’s car out to the main road, feeling enormously relieved that she was in a completely anonymous car. She took a quick glance at her watch. Ten minutes had passed since she’d called the school and she was still about ten minutes away: right on schedule.

      As she drove she flipped through the news channels offered from the satellite radio service in Sylvia’s car. Almost all of them were talking about Senator Michaels’ death, and speculation was already rampant about what the political ramifications of the death would be, but no one had information about the actual murder that was any different from what she’d already heard.

      Suddenly, her phone, lying on the console next to her rang. She didn’t recognize the number, and she stared at the phone’s screen, her heart racing all over again. It could be anyone; the main number for Top Hat Catering was actually her cell phone, but right now she could only assume the worst. Without answering the call, she thumbed the phone off.

      Right on schedule, at 10:55, she approached the school, traveling down Ocean Drive. A red light gave her an opportunity to see the school up ahead. A right turn off Ocean would take her into the pick-up circle in front of the school. It was empty, as it should be at this time of day. The light changed and she drove on, turned on her turn signal and slowed… Then, her heart racing in her chest, she zoomed forward. What in God’s name was she thinking of? There were security cameras everywhere in front of the school. If she picked the kids up in Sylvia’s Escalade, her connection to Sylvia’s house would be known as soon as someone checked the plate with the DMV.

      What now? Should she park the car down the road, and walk in and get the kids, and hope none of the secretaries noticed that she was on foot? Well, so what if they did? It would kill the “on the way to the dentist” story if anyone noticed but so what? They were her children and there was nothing illegal in her taking them.

      Lori paused, then cursed her stupidity. Of course. Simone had a car, and she’d be only a couple of blocks farther down Ocean, at the place where Lori had said to meet. Only two minutes later, she pulled into the lot and spotted Simone’s car immediately.

      Ash-faced, Simone jumped out and grabbed Lori’s arms. “What is the emergency? Are you hurt?” She peered intently into Lori’s face, then looked at the Escalade, confused. “What car is this?”

      “I can’t explain right now. You need to trust me. We don’t have much time. We need to go to the school in your car and get the kids.”

      Simone looked more frightened and baffled than ever, but she nodded without arguing further.

      Lori considered the options. “You drive, okay?”

      “Okay. D’accord.”