The Big Blue Sky: Chapter Two-Twenty-nine

When Doug awoke it was still dark. He could hear the girls whispering in the back seat. Doug pulled himself up, feeling weak and momentarily disoriented. He pulled the mirror aside and found the girls looking up at him.

“How long was I out?” he asked, his throat parched and sore. The stabbing pain in his temple had not subsided, but instead was replaced by a nauseous thumping pain.

“Dad, you need to go to a hospital.” Megan slid forward and gingerly ran her fingers across his hair. Dana leaned forward beside her.

“Remember when I was a little girl,” Dana began. “When I fell off the monkey bars and the doctor said I shouldn’t sleep for a day because I might never wake up?”

“Right now,” said Doug, “I’m more concerned about you two.”

Doug turned and explored the girl’s faces with his fingers, as if they were rare and precious works of art. Their expressions were strange. They were calm and committed, and Doug wanted to sweep them into his arms as his heart swelled nearly to bursting from pride.

“Dad, we’re worried about you too.”

In glimpses Doug could make sense of bits and pieces. How they all fit together, and how they related to Fallahi would remain unanswerable for a time. The bigger picture eluded him for now. The best he could figure was that whoever wanted Fallahi dead benefitted from framing Doug for murder. What else would explain why he and the girls weren’t dead already? Doug doubted that whoever was behind the murder believed that Doug would escape before the police arrived. No doubt they would come looking for him now. Doug resolved to be ready for them when that eventuality arose.

“Okay, then,” he turned and started the engine. Doug rolled the window down and let the cold night air bring him around. He groaned and washed his hands across his face, then guided the Honda back onto the muddy road.

They headed south through the forest, and caught Forty-one east. Just outside Marquette he pulled into a drive-thru ATM. Doug emptied the account of fifteen hundred in cash. There was a security camera above the ATM. On the back of a bank slip he hastily scribbled a simple note, and held it up. It read:

I AM INNOCENT