I told her we had seen the man, how he’d been in the booth next to us, how Thomas had met him on the mountain the day after she left; how he was looking for Craig Kowalski, that I didn’t know what to do.

“Did he see Ellen?” she asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Libby, calm down. There’s a bus at two. Go through the mall to the bus stop. Don’t go outside into the parking lot. I’m going to call Wilson and see if he’s home and get him to meet you at the ARCO.”

“No. Not Wilson. Please, Marie. That’s who he’s looking for. We have to stay away from him.”

“Well, get off the bus and go straight to the trail. Don’t hang around on Twenty-Three.”

“Okay.”

“Calm down. He didn’t see her. And it’s Wilson he wants.”

I nodded and tried to stop crying. “Marie, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“How I was when you were leaving.”

“Don’t be stupid. Call me when you get home. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be worried and probably call the National Guard. Get the bus. You have fifteen minutes.”

I went into the restroom. Ellen and Beatrice were both standing there by the sinks.

“We’re going to go now and get the bus,” I said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Libby, what’s wrong?” Beatrice asked. I ignored her question.

We walked out into the mall. Across from us was J. C. Penney’s.

“Hey . . . let’s go say goodbye to Sage.”

The girls followed me. Sage was at the diner counter when we walked in. She must have seen it in my face, because she came straight over.

“What’s up?”

I pulled her away from Beatrice, and told her that we’d seen him. “We have to get back on the bus. Please, Sage. Walk us as far as the Wanamaker’s stop?” Ellen was watching us, and Beatrice was looking at the customers seated around the counter, which was shaped like a kidney bean.

Sage undid her apron and leaned across the counter, putting it on a shelf on the other side. “I’ll be right back, Gretta.”

We went out into the mall again, up the escalator to the next level, and walked down the concourse toward Wanamaker’s.

“You need to stay away from Wilson,” I told her. “Barbie Man is looking for him.”

“I was only on his bike because he saw me on the road on the way to the bus stop.”