Chapter 10 chapter Ten

They arrived at Westwind Mansion near dusk, fussing over the damage to the car, Caro's swollen lips, and the bag on Bucky's forehead, the little man who looked like a cricket.Jamie had been told firmly and clearly not to talk about the dramatic gunshot wound.He looked like he was about to explode, but he still held back and didn't say anything. After they cleaned up, Sam called up to the office again and told Bill Starch about the accident.Then, on a sudden impulse, he heard himself say, "I know this will cause considerable disruption to the day-to-day work of the firm, but this is my personal situation, Bill, and next week I'd like to ask A week off."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while, and then Bill said, "You don't have anything urgent to do at the office recently. Does Clara know what you have scheduled?" "She knows everything. She also knows what to cancel and what to schedule: what has to be dealt with first. She can provide the background information you need. Johnny Couric can also handle some cases." "Well, my partner, I hope you can sort out all the problems." "That's what I mean, Bill, thanks." After the phone call, he went back to Caro's room and sat at the small desk with a pen and paper to help him focus.He tried to use logical deduction to determine whether it was possible for Cady to find out that they were hiding in Shu Fulun.

He made a short list of everyone who knew about it.He asked Jamie and Nancy, and they both swore seriously that they hadn't told anyone but Tommy, and Nancy was sure Tommy hadn't told anyone.He also confirmed with the hotel owner, after a skilful bunch of innocuous lies, that no one ever inquired about Mrs. Borden; phone.The mail was delivered directly to the office, and all his mail to Kai Luo was posted by him himself.The chances of Cardi being able to track them down to Suvron are pretty slim.He recalled some possible opportunities to be found out, and decided that those were unlikely, so he didn't have to worry about it at all.

In the end he was sure Suvran was safe.Just be careful and stay safe.He knew he could not act effectively if he based his actions on hunches and superstitious warning signs.He had to find a starting point.Sufulun is very safe, so Sufulun can be used as a very suitable base to carry out operations here. From Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they did nothing.Rest and sedatives had greatly improved Caro's mental state.They swam in the sun, once in the rain, and once in the moonlight.They eat well and sleep well.Then slowly, hour by hour, a solution took shape in Sam's mind.It was almost impossible for him to deal with at first, but then it got easier and easier.That thought was so alien to his nature that it even disgusted him, because to do so would be tantamount to subverting all his values ​​and the rules by which he had always lived.He knew that this internal struggle had produced a noticeable change in his outward demeanor, and he had seen Caro gazing at him thoughtfully several times, and he knew he looked sullen and absent-minded.

Monday's weather was muggy.At ten o'clock in the morning, he pulled Kailo out who was playing tennis, and then took her to row a yellow boat.The sky in the east was the color of copper, and the weather seemed about to turn bad, and now and then a damp wind would whip up waves on the water before sinking into a dead silence that seemed to wait.Caro sat in the stern of the boat, wearing white shorts and a red vest, and she dipped her fingertips into the water as she let him row the boat into the middle of the mile-long lake. He put away the dripping oars, and the boat went along smoothly for a while, then stopped.He lit two cigarettes and handed her one.

"Thank you, you've been weird lately, you know that?" "I know." "Now is the time to come out with everything." "Yes, but first I ask a question. How do you feel now?" "It's better, I think. If it happened again, I could break down again. Now that you've convinced me that we're safe here, and because our whole family is here, I feel better. But I'm not very happy. You say it's safe here, but my three babies are over there, in the lake half a mile between us, and unless I can see them and touch them, I won't Wouldn't really feel at ease."

"I know." "Why do you want to know how I am? Other than polite curiosity." "I want to do something that I can't do alone." "What's the meaning?" "I've thought twice. I want to kill Cady." "Of course I would, but..." "It's not just talk. I mean I'm going to plan it, set a trap, kill him, and destroy him. I'm going to murder him, and I think I know how to do it." She stared at him for what seemed a long time, then she looked away as if shyly. "It's not a murder, it's an execution."

"Don't help me rationalize this. It's murder, and it could go wrong, but as long as we play it safe, we'll be fine. Are you brave enough to help me?" "Yes. So you're doing something so you don't just sit around and watch your kids and don't know which one to lose. Yes, Sam, I can help you, you can trust me, I won't break down again. Waiting will break me, action won't." "I'm hoping so, your part is a lot harder than mine." "Tell me," she said. She leaned forward, her black eyes intent on him, her tanned arms folded in her lap.He looked at her and thought how well her legs had grown, how strong and alive she really was.A gust of wind turned the boat around, and the copper clouds in the far horizon were higher, and the water on the lake behind her looked dark.The black lake and sky make the white houses on the shore at the end of the lake more vivid.

It was a strangely important moment for him, a moment of dramatic unreality.He didn't think it could be Sam and Caro, a couple.He had always thought he knew the woman and himself.But it was time for a change, and there was a new tension and excitement between them, but there was something unhealthy about it, something rotten. "Tell me, Sam." "You can help me plan this. I only have...a rough idea. It started because of something the Sheriff said, and I haven't thought through all the details. We're leaving the kids here, Nancy You can take that responsibility."

"How do we tell them?" "Of course we can't tell them what we want to do. We can come up with a story, some plausible-sounding lie. You and I go home, we've got to bet he's going there, especially It's if he thinks you're the only one in the house. We have to find a way to make it look like that, and we can't risk giving him the chance to snipe at you like he did when he sniped Jimmy last time. I've been thinking about our family Terrain, if you're in the side yard, or at the back of the house, and at night when you can be clearly seen in front of any of the windows at the back of the house, he'll have a chance."

"Of course. Where are you then?" "I could hide somewhere in the house and wait for him to come." "Won't he know it's a trap? Won't he feel it?" "Maybe, but we have to make everything look okay, but I haven't figured out the details of that yet." She bit the corner of her thumbnail. "What if you hide upstairs in the barn?" "That would be too far away from you. I should be in the house with you." "If we can design a communication system, it won't be too far away. Didn't Nancy and Sandella pull a signal line a year or two ago?" "It's the wire I pulled for them, and I know that wire is still on it," Sam said. "I can sleep in Nancy's room, and you can reconnect the signal wire." "But why in the barn where the children play?" "I thought about how we'd make it look okay. You could go out in that MG, and I'd go out in the station wagon, like I was going to do some shopping. I could pick you up somewhere, and you lay on the road the car, and when I got home I drove the car straight into the barn and went into the house with a bunch of shopping and we could buy enough food for you to leave upstairs in the barn. I think that It’s a way to keep the other party from knowing that you’re back.” "But what if he doesn't see me leaving home?" "He will also see that one car is missing. If we use other methods, he will probably see you come back." Kailo replied. "I can wait until night before sneaking into the house." "If you want to look like I'm the only one in the house, the best thing you can do is that I'm in the house alone. If he's watching, he'll assume I'm the only one in the house and he'll go in. Let's do it." "We must make sure we can deal with him." "I use the little Woodsman pistol I had before, and you use the new one. There are many things I can do to make sure I have enough time to keep him out. Things like stringing pots and pans Put it on the stairs, and he'll make a noise." "Can you handle it, Caro? Will you?" "I know I can." "Then there is another question, what if we... succeed? Then what should we do?" "Uh, so that's how he breaks the door? I mean, aren't you legally allowed to shoot a thief? And the police know him, right? He's a criminal, we're not calling the police Is that all right?" "I... I think so. I think it's okay. I thought about the incident that happened on the road, which can provide more data for the police." Sam said. "But there's still a lot that can go wrong, and that's not a good thing for us, is it?" "Of course, you're right. I didn't think very clearly." "We can, dear, we must." "We cannot be careless. Not even for a minute. We must be calm, as cold as ice." "What if nothing happens?" Kai Luo asked. "Something will happen. He can't wait any longer. He wants to get this done as soon as possible. Shall we go back tomorrow?" "Today, dear, please. Let's go today, get started, and then it'll be over. Row back now, please." They set off after lunch.On the way to Ellenton to retrieve the MG, they discussed whether Nancy believed the lie they had told her at all.Their car slowed in torrential rain and strong winds that blew off tree branches.Nancy was very serious about taking care of her two younger brothers, and tried to make it clear that she didn't think it was wise for them to go back and urge the police to try to catch Cady now.She didn't think it wise to live at home, and she said they should stay at a hotel in New Essex, and she hoped the two of them would not leave.But if they had to go back, she would definitely take care of Jamie and Butch and keep them out of trouble. They got home after five o'clock.Parked the two cars in the barn and hurried into the house with the luggage.The rain had stopped and the trees were dripping.As they walked across the lawn, Sam noticed that he shrugged his shoulders and picked up his pace, keeping as far as possible between Caro and the hill behind the barn.They breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the safer front porch.He felt a little absurd, imagining Cady sprawled out on the wet hill behind him, cheek against the butt of his gun, finger on the trigger, stalking them with the telescopic sight.He couldn't be quite ready, but, then again, it would be equally absurd to assume he wasn't ready and to think he wasn't ready. Before dark Sam went to the attic window at the back of the house and scanned the hillside carefully with his binoculars.He wished there weren't so many bushes, not so many big gray stones, not so many cliffs. Before dark, they also walked through the house together to determine where it was safe.They decided not to use the kitchen at night.She can use the study and Nancy's room.After dark, he ventured outside again to make sure that the two lit rooms could not be seen from the outside.He walked around the house with a revolver in his hand, walking cautiously, stopping and waiting in particularly dark places, listening carefully. When he got back inside, he found he had been out too long.Kai Luo hugged him tightly, and he felt her body trembling.He locked the doors and windows with extraordinary care, checking each door and window twice.They slept in their own bedroom, Caro in his bed, his arms around her, his gun under the pillow.The bedroom door was locked, and they learned a trick from cartoonist Ruby Goldberg's cartoons, using ropes to make tripping traps made of pots and pans, and put them on the stairs on both sides. Tuesday, August 6th, was a sunny day.After breakfast, he checked the warning system, and Caro drove out with him to buy batteries.Before going out, he inspected the station wagon carefully. Every time they went between the main house and the warehouse, they walked very fast.Every time he raised his eyes to look at the mountains.He became more and more convinced that Cady was in ambush.Even if they run around, Cardi doesn't think it's weird. The warning system still works, and after a thorough review, they decided what kind of signal to use.On the hour when she was awake, she would press the toy transmitter three times very quickly, and he would reply with the same signal.She would leave Nancy's room only when absolutely necessary, and for as short a time as possible each time.They were sure that if Cady barged in, she would hear it.And as long as there is a suspicious sound, she will press the button of the transmitter and send out a long signal. They didn't feel excited, and they didn't feel like a game.No kidding, the tension was strong.They didn't say much more than necessary, and both of them avoided looking each other in the eye, as if they were doing something they were both ashamed of. "I think we're all set," he said. "How long should I wait before I follow you out?" "I don't like this part the least. It shouldn't be too fast, but I don't want you to stay here alone." "I'll be fine. We must take the risk. It's eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, okay?" "Ok." He looked at her, worried for her.She touched his arm lightly. "It won't be that bad in broad daylight, really. I'll be careful, and I'll be fine." He kissed her quickly and found her lips cold and dry and unresponsive.He stood on the porch and waited until he heard her lock the door before leaving.He reversed the MG, made a quick turn, and drove straight towards the village.He took the car to Bao Lu's garage for engine maintenance, and from there walked to the new supermarket at the other end of the village.He bought a nice flashlight, and food that he thought he'd need.The closer it was to noon, the more nervous he became.The horn sounded in the village to tell the time of noon.Cold sweat trickled down his chest.At twelve past five, just when he was beginning to feel panic and suspicion, she came in through the front door, paused, looked around, saw him at last, and came straight towards him. "Meet Betty Hynes on the way," she said in a low voice, "and I had to throw her off very rudely. Did you get everything you wanted?" She chose a few more. "I think we should hang out for a while, my dear. If I'm out shopping, I can't go back so soon, and you should buy two books and go back to read." He didn't know the exact moment when he became against their carefully crafted plans again.He thought they could do it, he thought they could handle Cady.But there are too many dangers in it, too many things that can go wrong.And the whole plan seemed completely out of character with the two of them.He had a feeling that even if the plan worked, it would turn their world into a jungle from which they could never escape. "I'll drive," Sam said as they walked to the station wagon. "What? What are you doing?" "I'm going into town, we're going into town. I'm going to try talking to Chief Dutton again." Her voice trembled. "So far, he hasn't done anything, and he won't do anything. In this way, there is no benefit at all. Let's implement our plan." "I must try one last time." He smiled sadly with a cold look. "Just because of my strong belief in law and order." "He won't do anything, and will thwart our plans." "Don't cry." "But this brings us back to where we came from. We just wait and wait and we're scared to death every minute." Team Leader Duton went out, and after waiting for more than forty minutes, he returned to the police station.The empty room where they sat and waited was frustratingly empty.Passers-by would look at them, a quick glance, neither interested nor curious, and Kylo sat numbly with a hopeless expression on his face. Eventually a Home Service officer came to them and took them to Dutton's office.