𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞

XXII

Doris realized, on the train ride back into New York on December 7, that if Mom- Helen Jones- ever found out about all that had happened to her, everyone she'd met and everywhere she'd been, she'd be in deep trouble.

Or, since Helen had murdered Doris' real mother, Doris herself might even be in mortal peril. One thing was certain– there was no going back now.

She'd reached the point of no return, which frankly didn't at all feel like a bad thing because she'd much rather be on this side of it all. In contact with her aunt Eva, her real aunt Eva, about to be in contact with her real surviving parent, getting to spend time with her real brother.

If Helen did care to do anything about Doris' having run away, though, Doris figured she already would have done it. Helen knew where Eva lived; she would probably check for the letters and find a substantial amount had vanished with Doris. It wouldn't be hard to piece together. Doris only hoped that Helen wouldn't somehow try to go after Dad.

But that was impossible; no one could possibly go after Dad and get away with it, what with how heavily his building was guarded. And besides, he couldn't go anywhere, the universe couldn't let him go anywhere without first giving Doris the chance to finally meet him.

She took the extra step of reassuring herself that yes, it was fine and yes, Aunt Eva's would still be open and safe, free of Helen Jones. And so was her father's place. She hoped it was safe, she joked to herself, because it was where she was going.

But she couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was off- or that something very soon was about to be off. The train could derail, the passenger in front of her could turn out to be a lunatic and suddenly hold a knife to her throat; she might be hit by an ignorant taxi driver once she'd gotten into the city.

Or none of that might happen. It was probably just her anxieties about Helen hanging over into her rational thoughts.

Probably.