Chapter 5
Earlier
Charlie watched his own house from the trees across the street. It was Thursday. His father would leave soon for his morning of volunteering at the Senior Center. While he waited, he went over his plans one more time. He had come home late last night, after Dad was in bed. He had been quiet when he lifted the large hiking pack down from its hook in the garage, quieter still as he carried it upstairs. He was careful, packing. He didn't know how long he would be gone. The pack always carried a rain poncho, dehydrated food, gloves, a good flashlight, matches. He had added several pair of jeans, even more t-shirts, all the clean underwear and socks he had. It was all rolled very tightly, and he managed to cram his lightweight, waterproof hiking jacket in as well.
As soon as his father left, he would finish. New batteries out of the kitchen drawer for the flashlight. Leave Dad a note. Go upstairs and grab the pack, stop in the garage to attach his sleeping bag, tent and cooking gear. He would wear his hiking boots, but there was a pair of tennis shoes in the bag also. He was glad, now, that he already had all of this equipment. Glad that he had some hiking experience. Glad that he was leaving.
When he had it all, he would take a bus to his bank. Set up a trust to take care of all his scheduled payments and house expenses, withdraw enough cash to last for a while. Once he was out of the city, he didn't want to have to use his ATM card. Don would be able to track that.
He thought of his lap top, his cell phone. It would be hard to leave those. Don could use the phone to find him, as well. He would leave his phone here, buy one of those prepaid things at a convenience store before he left. As for his lap top…if he had that, he would only use it, and this trip was about being someone else. Seeing if he could be someone else. Leaving Dr. Eppes behind, for a while.
He had placed a stub of pencil and a small notebook in one of the outside pockets of the pack, though. Just in case Don was right, and all he turned out to be…lost, without it.
He heard a car engine turn over, saw the garage door lift. Alan Eppes backed the car out of the driveway, headed south. Charlie waited a few more minutes, decided that would be sign. When he left the city, he would head north.