Elena offered the spoon to him. It seemed oddly intimate, sharing one spoon. But he could see she hadnt eaten much.
Ill wait until youre done.
No, really. Ive had enough.
He accepted the spoon and then dug into the chili. It wasnt too bad. This stuff reminds me of childhood. You know, that chili they served in school cafeterias? The school lunch programs had provided Eric and him at least one good meal a day.... Sometimes the only meal they got.
I wouldnt know. I always brought my lunch.
Shed probably had a lunchbox with some Disney princess on it. He smiled at the thought. Want to try it?
Sure. Might as well broaden my horizons.
When he presented her with the can of chili, like a waiter at a four-star restaurant presenting a sirloin steak, she took the spoon and helped herself to a hefty bite.
So, you never eat canned food? Though Travis knew how to cook, these days he seldom bothered with anything more elaborate than a can of soup or tuna fish.
Daniel doesnt allow canned food in his house. Everything is made fresh. And my mother cooks everything from scratch.
Something about being out in the woods makes even canned stuff taste better. When youre hiking or canoeing, a peanut butter sandwich can be ecstasy.
She was staring at him. He turned away from her self-consciously.
Youre very handsome when you smile. You should do it more often.
Dont have much to smile about lately. You about done with that?
Oh, yeah. I forgot for a moment that Im hogging the only spoon. She handed the utensil back to him. Now that her hunger was satisfied, she might have more incentive to threaten him with the knife, so he was relieved she didnt try anything.
Elena surrendered her spot next to the rock, and Travis took it over. The ground was still warm where her bottom had rested, and he enjoyed the sensation, the secondhand contact with such an attractive part of her body.
Wow, he was obviously hard up.
He finished up the chili and the beans and set the cans aside. There was no trash bag, but he would carry the trash out when they left. Just because he was a desperate felon was no reason to litter.
You want dessert? The canned pumpkin might be tasty. Or I have some granola bars.
No, thanks. Im full. I have to, um, use the bathroom.
Hed been dreading this moment. Once out of his sight, she could run. It might seem the smart thing to do, from her angle. But they were a long way from help. She might find her way to the road in the dark, but he would catch up to her if she did that. And if she went deeper into the woods she might elude him, but she risked wandering all night and becoming hopelessly lost. With no jacket, no proper shoes and no water, she could come to harm.
But what else could he do? He wasnt going to stand over her while she peed behind a bush. The situation would be humiliating for both of them, and her friendly, cooperative mood would come to an abrupt end.
Dont go far.
Can I take the flashlight?
Nope.
Great. You better hope a snake doesnt get me.
Snakes are hibernating this time of year.
With a backward malevolent glance at him, she stalked off into the darkness. Travis took a couple of bites of the pumpkin, but it had a chemical aftertastetoo many preservatives, or maybe it simply tasted of the can. He listened to the sounds of the woods at night. It was peaceful here, just him and Elena and the crickets.
And the coyotes. A long, mournful cry drifted on the night breezea coyote seeking its mate. Soon another cry joined the first, then a third. They werent too far off; maybe a mile.
Elena hurried back to the campsite, her feet crunching noisily in the leaves. What is that?
Uh, coyote?
Its enough to chill my blood. She looked around fearfully, as if carnivorous monsters might appear from any direction at any minute. They sound close.
He opened his mouth to reassure her that they were safe, that the coyotes were just calling to each other and wouldnt bother them. Humans were far too big to be prey for a small critter like a coyote unless the animals were really desperate.
But then he realized he could use her fear and ignorance of the woods to his advantage. If she was afraid of coyotes, she was less likely to wander off in the night and try to escape.
He looked around, feigning worry. They are close. And they sound hungry. They howl like that when theyre hungry.
Do you have a gun?
A gun? No. Why would you even think that?
Well, youre a kidnapper. I just thought you might have a gun.
No. But they wont bother us so long as we keep the fire burning. Coyotes are afraid of...wood smoke.
Elena scurried back into the clearing, standing close to the fire. Do we have lots of firewood? Should we collect more?
Travis eyed the meager pile of deadwood hed collected, most of which had been lying around within twenty or thirty feet of their campsite. Hed been planning to let the fire die down; it wasnt so cold that they really needed the warmth. But after the whopping lies hed just told, he was going to have to keep it burning. Well, he hadnt intended to sleep much tonight anyway.
Ill go get more.
She picked up one of the smaller logs and held it, club fashion. Dont go far. If I see anything move, Ill scream.
Now he felt a little bit guilty for making her so afraid. She hadnt shown that much fear toward him, and he had the capacity to do her a lot more harm than a scrawny coyote.
Travis spent about ten minutes collecting more wood, occasionally checking on Elena to make sure she wasnt pulling another fast one, using the distraction of the coyotes to get him out of the way so she could make a break for it. Then he moved the tarp to the ground closer to the fire and spread the sleeping bag on it again. You can sleep here. Its not the Ritz, and youre probably used to a feather bed and silk comforter at Logans house, but it shouldnt be too bad.
She shrugged. Ive slept in worse places.
Really? When?
She sat cross-legged on the sleeping bag and pulled one end of it around her shoulders for warmth. How about in the bottom of a leaky dinghy?
Yes, that sounded worse. When did you
Never mind. I shouldnt have brought it up. Its something I dont think about often, let alone talk about.
Now he was consumed with curiosity. Shed dropped a few hints that she hadnt always lived a privileged existence, but now he wondered how bad it had been.
Elena, how did you learn to pick pockets?
Its a gift.
A pat answer. So, you dont want to talk about that, either?
She shook her head. The coyotes howled again, and she shivered.
I promise not to let the coyotes get you, okay?
Elena nodded, but she looked as if she didnt completely believe him.
Is there anything you do want to talk about? Its kind of early to go to bed.
She hesitated, staring at him intently as if seeking to see beneath his skin. Why are you willing to exchange places with your brother, to go to prison for him? Isnt your life worth saving, too?
So, she didnt want to talk about bad times in her life, but his life was fair game? He supposed he could say no. But he didnt. Look, I dont relish spending the next few decades behind bars. But Eric... Youd have to know him. He was a special kid even before he could walk and talk. He had this wild, curly blond hair and inquisitive eyes, and as soon as he could talk, he wanted to know everything. His curiosity knew no bounds. He was smart, tooabsorbed everything like a sponge. Youd tell him something once, hed remember it. Youd show him how to do something and hed pick it up immediately, and pretty soon hed be doing it better than you. I taught him how to tie his shoes in five minutes.
So, she didnt want to talk about bad times in her life, but his life was fair game? He supposed he could say no. But he didnt. Look, I dont relish spending the next few decades behind bars. But Eric... Youd have to know him. He was a special kid even before he could walk and talk. He had this wild, curly blond hair and inquisitive eyes, and as soon as he could talk, he wanted to know everything. His curiosity knew no bounds. He was smart, tooabsorbed everything like a sponge. Youd tell him something once, hed remember it. Youd show him how to do something and hed pick it up immediately, and pretty soon hed be doing it better than you. I taught him how to tie his shoes in five minutes.
He made straight As in school. The teachers loved him. The other kids loved him. Yet nothing ever went to his head. He was exceptional in every way, and he knew it, but he still managed to somehow be humble.
The girls were all over him, but he always treated them nice. He had a few different girlfriends over the years, but he was loyal to each one while he was with her.
He got a full-ride scholarship to Stanford, and then he went to law school. He was courted by some pretty big law firms, but he didnt want to leave Houston, so he went with a smaller firm. He could have been a very successful trial lawyerhe was something to watch in the courtroom. But he chose real estate law instead because he didnt like the confrontational aspect of the courtroom or the unsavory nature of dealing with criminals. Hes basically too nice to be that kind of lawyer.
When he met Tammy, he was positive she was the one. They seemed to be the golden couple living the perfect life. They had a gorgeous home, and when MacKenzie was born it was the icing on the cake.
Eric didnt have a malicious bone in his body. I never once in my whole life saw him lose his temper. Which is why its so ludicrous that he would kill Tammy.
We used to go fishing as kids, but I noticed that Eric never baited his hook right. He was hoping a turtle would steal his bait so he wouldnt have to catch anythingso he wouldnt have to clean it. That was how much he hated knives. Cant see him picking up a knife and stabbing someone.
Did you testify at your brothers trial? As a character witness?
No. His attorney was afraid Id do more harm than good, seeing as Im an ex-con. He thought I would have no credibility.
A wariness came into her eyes. Oh. Youve been to prison?
Assault. It was self-defense, but I couldnt prove that, so I pled out. Did eighteen months.
Excuse me for saying so, but Erics lawyer was an ass. If a jury had heard what you just told me... Well, lets just say it would have made them think.