“They start out about two a.m. I know that because I’ve seen ’em. It’s less than an hour drive each way, and it takes about a minute to get the pop. Anybody sees them and asks why so early, they tell ’em they can’t sleep, just go to the clinic and shoot the breeze. But I know for a fact that doesn’t happen. What happens is those boxes get driven a good ways from here and are dropped off at designated spots.”

“Okay, but where do they pick them up?”

Oliver might have found that out and gone there.

Shirley stood and stumbled down the blackened timbers to her car.

“Shirley, where are you going?”

“Where I’m going is getting the hell out of here. I’m done with Divine. Should’ve left a long time ago.”

Annabelle raced after her, grabbed her shoulder. “Please, Shirley, it’s my dad. Please. He’s all I’ve got left.”

“I already said way too much. Booze talking.”

“Can’t you tell me something? Anything? To at least point me the right way?”

Shirley hesitated and then looked at the ruined trailer and then back at Annabelle.

“Okay. But you’ll have to think about it real good.”

“All right.”

“When is a bottom changed into an ass?”

Annabelle immediately looked puzzled. “What?”

Shirley let out a drunken giggle. “Like I said, you think about it. When is a bottom changed into an ass? You want to find your daddy bad enough, you’ll come up with it.”

She staggered to her car and got in.

“Are you okay to drive?”

Shirley poked her head out the window. “Hell, honey, I been driving drunk since I was thirteen.”

Shirley peeled off and Annabelle raced to the van, which was hidden down the road and behind some trees. When she got there she found four men waiting for her instead of just two. And the new pair had guns.

Chapter 69

CHAPTER 69

DINNER CAME right at six-thirty; two trays pushed through the slots. Knox and Stone took them, sat down on their cots and started to eat.

Knox pointed at the carrots on the plate. A few moments later the toilet flushed and the vegetables spun down the metal bowl and out of sight.

Stone was cutting his meat, which was a little difficult considering he only had a flimsy spoon to work with, when his eye caught on the edge of white poking out from under his plate. He nudged Knox with his elbow as he slid the piece of paper out. He unfolded it and began to read, while Knox looked anxiously over his shoulder.

I was the guard at the door when the nurse finished with you. I was a friend of Josh Coombs. Tomorrow in the rec yard. Just follow my lead. Flush this note.