I pushed up a cigarette for her to nab. I lit it with my lighter. She took several deep drags, then said:

‘I smoke when I’m anxious – and you’ve got me anxious. Please make that call now. And if you want my help –’

‘That’ll be up to her.’

‘Understood. But if it wouldn’t bother you maybe can you put the conversation on speakerphone … so I can get a sense of what is going on?’

‘I’ll have to clear that with her first.’

She nodded. We finished our cigarettes. We got back into the car. I took a deep steadying breath. I called the new number she’d sent me. She answered after just one ring.

‘Poppa?’

She sounded very much on edge. No surprise there – but it still unsettled me.

‘Sweetheart … where are you?’

‘We’ll talk about that in a moment. I saw all the news online about the violent protest at the abortion clinic and you driving into the middle of it all.’

‘Is it a good idea you being online?’ I asked, remembering some TV show I once saw about Homeland Security and how they were able to trace the whereabouts of anybody if they were on their computer or iPhone.

‘Don’t worry, I read all about your car getting the shit kicked out of it before I had to ditch my old phone.’

‘Please tell me what trouble you’re in.’

‘We’ll get to that. But don’t worry. Besides having a new number I am not checking my email – so they can’t figure out where I am. But where are you? Not at home, I hope.’

‘Been locked out,’ I said, then explained all that happened with her mother and Todor.

‘That fucker,’ she said. ‘Who are you staying with?’

I told her all about Elise and her doula work; how I’d been driving her to and from clinics; how she’d been with me yesterday when we drove into chaos – and how I got the woman she was looking after to another clinic and then discovered that I was legally barred from going home.

‘So she took you in?’

‘It was the best option.’

‘And you’re planning to stay there for a while?’

‘I’ve got no choice – and she’s cool.’

‘You can trust her?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘She’s on our side?’

‘Of course,’ I said, simultaneously wanting to ask her: have you decided that we are on the same side? But that was opening up a discussion that was not appropriate right now – as there were more important things to know. Like how deeply in trouble Klara found herself.

‘Can you tell me where you are?’ I asked.

‘Out in the east of California. A place near Twentynine Palms.’

‘What made you run there?’

‘We’ll also get to that, Poppa. But I’ve got to ask you a question: that woman you’re with … what does she do vis-a-vis abortion clinics?’