“After we get out of here,” Barry said brusquely, and they all agreed it was time to leave Bonnet Park.

25

The Rev was in front of the chapel, looking up into the sky. Afternoon was drawing to a close, but the sun was still blazing away with implacable heat. He took his hat off and waved it in the air, whether to dry the sweat on the hatband or to create some air circulation, Joe had no idea. The boy was with him, and for the first time they looked like they belonged together. Diederik was slightly behind the Rev, as if he were trying to stand in the Rev’s meager shadow. They both looked into the vast blue, their eyes narrowed against the glare, reading the sky to come.

Chuy had been ordering some nail polish online, but he came to look out when Joe beckoned. “Huh,” Chuy said. “Let me check something.” He returned to the laptop and typed something in a search engine. After a moment, he said, “Yep. The prediction is no clouds, for three nights.”

“I figured,” Joe said. There was a long moment of silence, while they both considered the fact.

“Still,” Joe said, as if their thoughts had been spoken out loud, “as long as everyone stays inside . . .”

“Yeah. But isn’t Manfred out of town now? With Olivia and two hotel people?” Chuy was anxious.

“They’re not back yet. Right.”

“Better text them.” Chuy got out his cell phone. “Both of them?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Joe could hear the tiny click of the keypad on the telephone. He and Chuy were tech titans compared to the Rev. The old minister ignored computers and wasn’t even comfortable on his landline telephone. He had grudgingly agreed to have an answering machine attached to the one in his little house only after he had missed the opportunity of some pet burials because grieving pet owners couldn’t get in touch with him.

The Rev and Diederik looked completely at home in their own world just at the moment.

As Joe watched, the older man turned to look at the boy and said something to him, something very serious. The boy nodded, looking nervous, looking excited. He was even taller than the day before, Joe realized. He looked as old as Dillon, the high school junior who bussed at Home Cookin.

That led Joe to think about the Home Cookin family. “Chuy, I have to go talk to Teacher and Madonna,” he said.

Chuy said, “Sure. I’m waiting to hear back from our wanderers. Hey, take Rasta, so he’ll get some exercise.”