And by the sound of Derrick’s slightly nasal voice. “Already up and at ’em, huh? It’s your lucky day. You get a shower.”

Bob hit the stop button on the treadmill. He must have typed all night. His body might be in this room, but his mind was still in the world of Eyes of the Forest.

What would happen next? He could almost feel it. Almost see it, but it was as if he was peering through fog on a dark night. Ken would die, Bob knew that much, but not by the headsman’s axe. The truth of King Tristan’s murder would be revealed. Orwen, now King Orwen, would battle Rowan, the peasant rebellion’s leader. The battle would be infinitely complicated by the arrival of the Armies of the Night, which threatened to wipe out all humankind. The unicorns might ally themselves with humans or follow their own self-interests. And Jancy would finally have to choose between Orwen and Rowan—or would she? Suddenly Bob wasn’t quite sure.

Derrick was unlocking the shackles from the cable. Slowly Bob became aware of how his ankles were throbbing, rubbed raw despite new socks.

“Come on.” Derrick straightened up. After the shower, Bob would ask to wear two pairs of socks. Maybe request some sort of padding. But even if the boy denied him everything, it would still be a joy to climb back up on the treadmill, to put his fingers to the keys, and to let the story unfurl.

Somehow Bob had become Ken Pipem, singing despite captivity and the threat of death, weaving a story despite—or perhaps because of—the all-enveloping darkness.

BRIDGET

Compact and Discreet

It was up to her now, Bridget thought, driving home from the police station. First she had to figure out where Bob was, and then she had to rescue him. It seemed impossible. But she had to try.

Once home, she went straight to her computer and typed in Joanne Dart and Mt. Hood, both in quotes. Nothing. She tried substituting cabin for Mt. Hood. Still nothing. There must be property records someplace, but she had no idea how to access them, or if it was possible to start with the owner’s name and then work back to the address. And who knew if Joanne even owned the cabin? It could belong to a friend or family member. It could even be that she was taking advantage of a cabin only used in the summer.

Maybe Bridget could follow Joanne until she returned to wherever she was holding Bob.

Bridget put her fingers back on the keyboard. But now she substituted address for cabin. This time she got results. She clicked the top link.

We found 6 records in 6 states for Joanne Dart in the US. The top state of residence is California, followed by Arizona. The average Joanne Dart falls into the age group of 61–80.