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Chapter 76 - Sharing Stories

The deputy was the first to get out; it looked like the trooper was using his radio.

“Where’s the citizen who called in the complaint?” the deputy asked.

“That would be Bobby Davies, on the roof there,” Tamara said. “Would it be better if we wait till the trooper gets here so we don’t have to repeat?”

The deputy didn’t look that happy about it, but agreed.

“To orient you, deputy, ah...” she looked at his name tag, “Wymers, the guy trussed up over there is a kidnapper...”

“Wait, that’s a person? I thought it was a few feed bags. Is he injured?”

“Just his pride,” Tamara reassured him as the trooper came over to them.

“Howdy, Mark, you got this run?” the trooper greeted the deputy.

“Yep, Hank, this’ll be one fer th’ books.”

The trooper looked at Tamara and Winnie. “Y’all the complainants?”

“I guess she is. Winnie, here. I’m Tamara Alexandre; I helped Winnie get to safety.”

“Okay, folks, I’m Trooper Laringer and y’all met Deputy Wymers. Did I miss anything important, Mark?”

“Just a suspected kidnapping perp hog-tied over there. Well, he’s actually wrapped in a net,” Wymers pointed. “They say that he’s undamaged so he’ll keep till we’re done.”

“Jesus. Okay, if y’all say so. Are we still even in Virginia? My GPS shows the line’s right smack dab here.”

“The cabin over there’s in Virginia fer sure. The line is...” he looked to the north.

“The owner told me it’s just past the tree line,” Tamara offered, pointing to a spot about fifty feet away. “Running east and west. And I have that guy’s confession recorded on my cell that he kidnapped Winnie here; that’s why I restrained him like that, but Winnie can tell you more about what happened.”

The trooper shook his head. “This is one for the books. Okay, y’all want the lead here, Mark? It’s yer county.”

“Lead for this shit, Hank? Excuse me, ladies, but this is really weird. I’d normally say yes but we have a suspected kidnapping that was claimed to have occurred in an adjoining state and the suspected perp is in ours...” He looked at Winnie. “And you say that he abducted you?”

Winnie nodded. “Yes.”

“I think that the lead needs to be the state, then, Hank,” Wymers told him. “This investigation’ll cross state lines so the AG’s office will need t’handle this fer sure.”

“Thanks, buddy, I owe y’all. Hope it’s a simple writeup. Heard that a guy phoned the complaint in, though. Is it one of them...?” He pointed to the cabin where the men were working.

Tamara interrupted, “I mentioned this to the deputy; it was the son of the owner here. With no cell service out here, we sent him to find a land line when they arrived this morning. He has no other knowledge of what happened here yesterday, though. Winnie can tell you what happened to her ‘cause, unfortunately, it is complicated. We think that a sex ring is trafficking orphaned girls and she got caught up in that.”

Both officers were startled at hearing that and Winnie began.

“I think that Tamara’s right; they were selling the girls. My name’s Awinita Nelsey and before the group home, I lived in Randall County, maybe five miles out of Betsley. That’s West Virginia.”

She went on to tell them about her time in the group home, her sale, and her escape, ending with Tamara’s finding her.

“Damn, this one’s above my pay grade but it sounds like that there county has some garbage they need to clean up,” Laringer commented. “Okay, Tamara is it? Y’all were hiking in West Virginia and y’all came across Winnie hiding in some bushes. In y’r own words, tell us what y’all did.”

Tamara nodded and told them how she had led Winnie to safety and about the following day when they heard the tracking hounds.

“So the perp got a tracker?” the deputy asked.

“Yep. I’m convinced he had nothing to do with her kidnapping since when some of his hounds ran off, he left to go round them up.”

“Y’all mean that them hounds just left the track and run off?” Laringer wondered. “Now that’s somethin’ weird in itself... So y’all were here when the perp came to the cabin?”

“Correct. He demanded that his property be returned. I had my phone with me and when he showed up, I started the voice recorder. Let me play the recording.”

She did, and Laringer told her to hang onto the phone but that he would need to take it for evidence before he left.

“The perp sure did incriminate his self there, I’d say. But I think that the evidence from the group home would be essential,” Wymers offered.

“True. Glad it’ll be out of my hands then,” Laringer grunted. “Let’s go unwrap the perp.”

When they got to him, the kidnapper began shouting at them that he was being held prisoner and being tortured. Both officers ignored him while they checked out the net.

“Damn, how the hell did y’all do this? A snare trap or something? How...?” Laringer wondered.

“I have a large-size net gun I’ve been developing,” Tamara told them. “It’s basically like a popgun but shoots a big net out.”

“I’ve seen them but them nets‘re very lightweight,” Wymers commented. “CO₂ cartridge?”

“No, it’s electromagnetic. Something like a magnet propels the net,” she replied. “Oh yeah, almost forgot. He had a gun and knife on him. Don—the owner here—cut them off of him. We didn’t touch the holster or knife sheath with our bare hands. They’re sitting over there on the top of that box.” She pointed.

“Excellent, thank you,” Wymers said.

“Okay then, sir,” Laringer said to the kidnapper. “What’s y’all’s name?”

“Not saying and you can’t hold me. I haven’t done anything.”

“Fine. Call yuh John Doe then for the purpose of this statement. Y’all are under arrest for suspicion of kidnapping of a minor, possession of a lethal weapon during the commission of a felony, and other crimes to be specified later as our investigation progresses...”

Laringer continued to Mirandize the kidnapper.

When he finished, Tamara spoke. “Hey, make it easier to get him untangled. Just cut the net off him; that’s fine with me.”

“Good idea, Ma’am. Hey Mark. Help me roll this guy over to get the cuffs on him,” Laringer asked Wymers. “And pat him down for any other weapons. Since he fails to identify his self, check for a wallet and ID. Okay? I’ll start cutting off the net... thanks, Ma’am.”

She had brought him an auto rescue knife tool from her SUV’s emergency kit.

“I actually have a knife like this in my Batman utility belt here, but I’ll use yers, since it’s yer net,” Laringer grinned at her. “I’d like to see yer popgun, too, after we undo this gift wrapping.”

It took several minutes to cut the net free. Wymers found the kidnapper’s wallet and ID; he had a Virginia address. He then called his post by radio and learned that the man was a serial sex offender and the deputy knew at once that a legitimate adoption would have never been approved by a court in any jurisdiction.

Just before the two officers frog-marched their arrestee to the trooper’s car, he stopped his complaining and whining long enough to tell them that he needed to urinate.

“Damn, I don’t wanna have to clean up piss in my vehicle,” Laringer muttered. “Hey Mark. I got a set of belly chain cuffs in my vehicle. Let’s switch him to those so he can use that outhouse to take a leak.”

While their prisoner was using the privy, Tamara showed the officers the propelling section of the net gun. She had picked up the plastic launching cylinder and showed them that too. Laringer had grabbed a few evidence bags and secured the weapons, then took Tamara’s phone. He looked at it and then at her.

“This is a pay-as-y’-go phone, right?” he asked. “Why... if it’s not too personal...?”

“I don’t mind,” Tamara said. “I use burner phones when I don’t want to be contacted, like here. I was on a personal retreat to recharge myself after a very busy spring and summer. I needed to get away from everything for a week. I don’t need it back—oh wait. I have the receipt for the phone with my name. That’s useful, right?”

“For sure. Otherwise the legal guys would be contacting y’all for yer ownership proof, so thanks.”

She dug the receipt out of her backpack and gave it to Laringer and he popped that into the evidence bag with the phone.

“Y’all said y’don’t need it back,” he confirmed.

“Yep. Want it in writing?”

“Y’all don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Let’s see.”

She grabbed a pad out of her backpack and jotted a quick note. Looking at the phone’s receipt in the evidence bag, she copied the phone’s MEID and signed the note, including her driver’s license number. She gave the note to Laringer who gave her a big smile as he sealed the note in with the phone. Then he gave her his card with the complaint number marked on it.

“Y’all are makin’ my job lots easier, so thanks,” he told her as he opened the SUV’s back hatch and locked the evidence bags in the safe box there. “Y’all’ll be hearin’ from the AG’s office soon, I ‘spect. And note that I didn’t tell y’all that y’needed t’ get Winnie back t’ West Virginia. But she needs t’git lawyered up real quick, y’hear? Legal Aid helps folks who have no resources, like Winnie.”

“Thanks for everything, Trooper Laringer,” Tamara said. “I’ll make sure she has the best representation possible.”

“Y’all are good people. Now stay safe and best of luck.”

Deputy Wymers had already left after saying his goodbyes and then with a wave, Laringer pulled out and headed for the trail down the hill.

Winnie turned to Tamara and hugged her. “Tamara, thank you, thank you. I’m so relieved. But what happens now?” she said, looking a little uncertain.

“First, let’s check with Don. If all’s well here, we pack and head out. The first stop, you need clothes and everything else. Did you have any possessions when you were put in foster care?”

“Just a few clothes and I outgrew a lot. See how short these jeans are?”

“Any stuff from your home?”

“They wouldn’t let me take anything...” The tears began again.

“We’ll see what we can do about that. It seems to me that there must be some kind of judicial process needed to settle the estate of a minor orphan. Anyway, clothes and any other stuff you need.”

“Tamara, I have no money...”

“Hush. I do, and the only purpose for money, as far as I’m concerned, is to do good deeds for people. Let’s ask Don if everything’s okay. Hey, Don,” she called.

He was still working on the roof, replacing shingles.

“I see y’all’re done and we’re rid o’ that piece a’ shit,” he called back. “Everything square now?”

“For now. I’m gonna get Winnie home and settled and then the legal crap starts. Also taking down that crooked operation over yonder.”

“Good fer y’all. Hey, everythin’s just fine here so y’all can head out when y’want. Thanks fer y’business and hope y’all recommend my little palace here,” he chuckled.

“I had an amazing time here, Don, and I’ll never forget the things I learned about myself this week. So thanks.”

She went inside. “Help me get this stuff back in my SUV, okay?” Tamara asked Winnie.

Together the two of them loaded Tamara’s vehicle and with a wave to her hosts, she pulled out.

When they reached the paved road, Tamara asked, “Winnie, please don’t be offended, but I noticed that you don’t seem to have much of the local speech mannerisms. I hear just a little of the local lilt when you speak. How come it’s different?”

“Ah... I speak like Papa did, I guess. And he would correct me if I got sloppy. He told me that he worked hard, by listening to the TV, to speak ‘properly,’” she made finger-quotes, “‘cause he said it helped in his state job.”

“Oh, that’s impressive. So when your papa became your guardian, you were about three years old?”

“Uh huh. Gramma was alive then and I remember an elderly aunt too. But Gramma was sick; I think it was diabetes, and she died when I was seven. That’s when Papa retired from the state. My aunt had died earlier and I never knew any other relatives.”

“That’s so sad, losing everyone you know,” Tamara said gently. “I hope that things will be much better for you now—I’m sure they will. So we’re headed home now, but I don’t plan to phone anyone until we get closer to home tomorrow. I’m loving this electronic silence.”

“Tamara, you gave away your cell phone...” Winnie began, but Tamara popped open the console between them and took out a phone.

Winnie’s eyes almost bulged out when she saw two more cell phones in there.

Tamara laughed, “I got into the habit of keeping several burner phones for off-the-grid use. Long story, but I find having them useful. You take this one till I get you a regular account. The bigger one in there is my main phone, but the one you have has all my contacts loaded too.”

“Tamara, this is...” and the tears threatened to flow again.

“Hush again, sweetie. Life dealt you some of the worst hands ever so far. Consider that Lady Luck is sitting in your lap now. While we drive, tell me about your schools and where you are academically.”

“I’m a year behind, basically, but in elementary I was a top student. I lost a year in the foster system and ‘cause the witch would sometimes keep us from going to school. We had to do housekeeping.”

“How much housekeeping... what were there? Six girls?”

“Sometimes eight or nine. She had a side business. A fleabag motel. She made us clean the rooms and stuff.”

“Oh jeez, slave labor. This gets worse with every telling. Okay, do you mind talking about school? The subjects you took, what you liked, how far you got?”

“Sure. School was the bright spot of my days. Let’s see. Last fall I was fourteen years old and in eighth grade...”

They spent the next hour and a half talking about Winnie’s school progress and that’s when they reached Interstate 81, after a brief stop for lunch at a fast-food place. It was 2:30 p.m.

“Let me check the car’s GPS to find some shops. We’re about 200 miles now from where I live and that’s four hours’ drive, at least, with the traffic and construction now. Add three hours to shop—now stop shaking your head, Winnie, you’re getting a nice wardrobe. Especially if you’re gonna be seen in public with me.”

Winnie frowned, then giggled.

“And a nice sit-down dinner. Okay, I was planning to get home on Sunday anyway and was gonna sight-see on the way, so I did plan for an overnight stop. So here’s the plan. We’ll go to Harrisonburg now. There’s a nice little college there, James Madison University, so there should be some cool trendy shops...”

“Tamara? Don’t you need to let someone know you’re bringing me home with you?” Winnie asked timidly.

“I told everyone that I was incommunicado until Sunday afternoon and I’m sticking with that. You have no idea how free a feeling this is without having a dozen people call me every hour to get my decision or opinion...”

Winnie was looking at her, eyes wide and mouth open. “Are... are you important?” she whispered.

Tamara laughed. “It seems some people think so, but no; I’m just me. Winnie, I’m just a grad student. I have a few inventions, but there are lots of people who do. Anyway, I told everyone who matters not to dare to try to contact me unless, god forbid, someone was in the hospital.”

“You said you have money, though...”

“Yeah, I did. Some people think having money makes them important, but money is just a tool for me to improve other people’s lives. The disadvantaged. Let’s talk about nice stuff, not boring stuff. We’ll stop and find some cool shops, have a nice dinner, and stay at a nice hotel. Tomorrow morning I want to go to Luray Caverns; it’s not far off our route and I’ve heard wonderful things about it. Then we’ll head home.”

“What’s those caverns?”

“Many millions of years of water moving through the underground limestone layers of rock carved out a huge cave system, their flyer says. They even have an organ down there that plays music on the stalactites.”

“Ooo. That sounds rad. Okay, that should be fun.”

~~~~

They had a blast shopping. The girls hit a number of trendy shops and looked at large selections of vintage styles, joggers, graphic t-shirts, denims, sportswear, stylish school-friendly styles, and some dressy styles. They had fun in a lingerie shop and selected a few sexy underwear items plus a dozen or more utilitarian choices.

“Now get nothing that covers more than bikini undies do,” Tamara told Winnie, to her amusement.

“But I don’t have a boyfriend to appreciate them,” Winnie pouted.

“Yet,” Tamara stated to more giggles.

And they looked at dresses but Winnie wanted to wait for an occasion before getting a suitable dress.

And shoes. Tamara suggested several kinds, including athletic shoes.

“Winnie, do you like sports?” Tamara asked at one point. “Like in P.E. Is there any sport you like, say running or swimming? Basketball? I play volleyball myself and I like running too.”

“Um, yeah. I like running too. I’m like my ancestors; Native Americans were very physical people and the Cherokee have a tradition of running. I have good endurance and I do an hour of exercise a day when I can. I think I’d like gymnastics ‘cause I have good coordination. I can do back flips and walk on my hands. But I’m a bit old for that. Kids start that early, don’t they?”

“No idea, sweetie. But if you do it for fun and not to compete, why not give it a shot?”

“Well, sure, I guess. Yeah, swimming’s nice too... oh, I’ll need a suit, right?”

Tamara grinned at her. “To swim at school, sure. But my prof has a private pool and it’s clothes-free...”

Winnie stared at her. “What do you mean ... um ... no clothes... shit, Tamara, you guys are nudists?”

Tamara nodded at her, smiling gently. “Yep. Basically all my close friends and their families are. My own folks, no, but they’re very tolerant of the rest of us. Listen. Nobody is forced. I mention it now ‘cause the topic may come up in casual conversation and I didn’t want you to be surprised and embarrassed by not knowing about it. Sure, let’s check out the swimwear too. But first we need to get you some decent footwear. You’ll need some really good running shoes...”

They were tired after four hours of shopping including a trip to a big discount store to get two pieces of luggage for Winnie’s clothes, assorted toiletries, and personal feminine items.

Tamara drove to a nearby chain hotel where her company had a corporate account and registered; again Winnie watched, wide-eyed.

“Tamara, you must be important!” she insisted. “They treated you like a queen or something.”

“Nope; just good corporate relations. Treat the guest well.”

When they got up to the room, Winnie giggled. “Sleeping on the floor again tonight?” she teased.

Tamara grinned at her. “As a matter of fact, I am, and this time I’m gonna use a rock for a pillow,” and they both cracked up laughing.

“Okay, after dinner, let’s bring the rest of our loot up and your new suitcases too. We’ll model our new clothes for each other. This hotel’s restaurant is actually a good chain brand and they have a nice diverse menu. Hungry?”

Winnie got a faraway look. “I think I’ll be hungry forever,” she whispered. “There never was enough food in the group home and I was in a growth spurt...”

Tamara hugged her with moist eyes. “Besides the lawyer, another imperative is a physical for you, my dear.”

~~~~

The next morning, they were up early for a nice continental breakfast and then checked out to drive to Luray. Tamara planned to get there when the attraction opened. They both had a marvelous time and Winnie thought that she was falling in love with geology.

“All those rock formations and the gorgeous colors,” she gushed. “How Nature carved out such beauty. My people’s beliefs don’t really have gods or goddesses; we’re a very spiritual people though, as Papa taught me. I mostly was taught to believe that the spiritual and physical worlds are as one. But seeing the awesome power of Nature displayed here is almost convincing evidence that she is a deity worthy of veneration.”

“If you like geology, then in high school you should take the earth science class and chemistry,” Tamara told her. “Both of those subjects are very interesting. Chemistry is the somewhat more difficult class, though. When we get you settled, we need to get you into high school.”

“You haven’t told me what your plans are for me, Tamara,” Winnie prompted.

“I haven’t, have I. Well, pending what the lawyers do, I’d like you to live with us, that’s Peter and me. Peter’s my boyfriend and we’ve committed to each other. We’re only one step away from being engaged.”

“And you want me to live with you?” Winnie asked incredulously. “I would love that. But what about Peter?”

“The two of us share the same thoughts, our thinking is so much alike. I’m sure that he’d agree. We will need to see about the legal part of your status, though, but you’ll never be in a foster home again, sweetie.”

Winnie hugged her. “Thank you, Tamara.”

It was noon when they got on the road back to Tamara’s Baltimore apartment. When she was about two hours away, she turned on her third burner phone; she didn’t want to deal with the absolute ton of messages and emails she knew that she had gotten during the past week; they’d come flooding in when she turned on her primary phone. She’d deal with that avalanche tomorrow. There were no messages on this phone, but only Peter, her family, Emma, Greta, and Werner had this number.

She called Peter using the car’s Bluetooth and he answered before the first ring had stopped.

Laughing, she teased him, “Sitting on the phone, waiting for my call, huh?”

“Actually, yes, darling, I was. Have you been completely off of the grid this week?”

“That’s exactly right. Total silence and it’s been great. There was zero reception where I was. I can’t wait to tell you what I learned... it’s so awesome. And I have a little surprise...”

“Um, couldn’t be bigger than the surprise here, darling...”

“That can wait. This is more important. We picked up a stray. This poor little girl was about to be sold into a sex-trafficking operation. It was her strength and knowledge about living in the forests that kept her safe till we found each other. And I’m bringing her home because she has nowhere else. Let me introduce you. Peter Winsberg, next to me is Awinita Nelsey and she goes by Winnie.”

“Hello, Peter,” Winnie said softly.

“Hi, Winnie. That’s a really beautiful name, Awinita. It sounds like it’s Native American. I hope that’s not insulting...”

“Oh no, Peter, that’s really sweet. I’m Cherokee and my name means ‘dove.’”

“Peter, honey, we—the two of us—believe that the group home that she was sent to is part of a crooked operation to get teen girls. They seem to be really careful in how they work and they’re very selective. I think that the operator of the group home and at least one caseworker are involved and I wouldn’t dismiss the idea that a judge is too. This is in one county in West Virginia, but there could be other places that use that model.

“I put together an email for you in our hotel room last night and I’ll send it to you now. It has all of the details about Winnie’s situation that I got from her and some of my theories too. Could you see if you can get that email to Mason as soon as you can? I don’t have his address in my contacts. ... one sec ... okay, it’s sent. I know that he has a big footprint in Maryland and Virginia. Not sure about West Virginia.”

“Um, he does have some... ah, got your email. Grandpa has some influence there. I think it’s more with the congressional delegation than the state government, but that’s still quite an influence. Let me read this and I’ll phone him first... he doesn’t like to get hit with things like this cold. I’ll explain what you found and then forward your message.”

“Super! You’re a sweetie. No problem with Winnie in the spare bedroom, right?” Tamara asked.

“Of course not! We need to help her as much as possible,” Peter said, his voice filled with emotion. “We certainly need to take care of her. When will you arrive?”

“Maybe two hours? Listen, the traffic is getting heavy here... oh, construction zone coming up. I need to concentrate now. Be a dear and call my folks, will you? And tell them what’s going on.”

“Sure thing. Missed you and can’t wait. Love ya.”

“Me too. Lots to talk about. Gotta go.”

Tamara disconnected, switched on the “Driving Now; Do Not Disturb” message on her phone, and noticed Winnie sniffling.

“He sounds just like you, Tamara,” Winnie said. “I heard it in his voice—he hasn’t even met me and he cares for me. Only Papa cared for me and now two people do.”

She was weeping openly now.

“Winnie, now cut that out or you’ll have me crying too,” Tamara scolded gently. “I won’t say that I told you so, but didn’t I say that Peter would accept you?”

Winnie giggled through her tears. “I think I understood what you said, if you said what I think you said.”

Tamara rolled her eyes at that and Winnie giggled again.

Winnie went on, “If you’re a grad student, what does Peter do?”

“Oh, sorry. Yes, he’s in grad school too. We’re both at Johns Hopkins.”

“Oh my, that’s a good school. See, I knew you were important! And who’s Mason?”

“Let me tell you about our families, Winnie...”

Tamara spent much of the next hour and a half telling Winnie about her and Peter’s families and answering her questions. It gave Tamara quite a different perspective, seeing the families from an outsider’s point of view.

“So Mason is a politician?” Winnie asked when Tamara had reached him in her biographical sketches.

“We think that he is,” Tamara chuckled. “But a politician for politicians. He doesn’t hold any office but he helps people get elected to their offices. Does that make sense?”

“Sorta. And I heard you say a name, Emma. Is she in your family too?” Winnie asked.

“A very special family member. Emma’s my mentor, my faculty sponsor, and my business partner. She taught me how to marshal my creativity, how to plan my work effectively, and how to focus on my objectives. She gave me my first opportunity to create something truly valuable and guided me without being overbearing. She showed me how to be a true scientist and how to be a mentor to others in my turn.”

“Oh my, what a powerful endorsement that is,” Winnie whispered. “So she’s a professor.”

“Professor of physics and research professor of applied physics at the APL—that’s Hopkins’ world-famous Applied Physics Laboratory near Baltimore. She’s also a Nobel Laureate in Physics. When she was just fourteen years old too, mind you. And she has a faculty appointment in physics at Cambridge University in England.”

“That’s another well known university,” Winnie mused. “How did you get to meet her?”

Tamara went into the description of the Clarke Scholars Program and how Emma had endowed the foundation to create the scholarships.

“Tamara? That means that you were one of the four best high-school students in the whole country! I said you were important!”

Tamara glanced at Winnie and grinned. “No way. I dispute that interpretation, Winnie. Not every student in the country took those exams. I happened to score better than the others who did take them.”

Winnie grinned. “Bah! Details!”

Tamara shot her a smirk. “Anyway, smartass, Emma’s family is part of our group too, in a few important ways. And I hope that one of her sisters-in-law can help you legally. She’s an attorney and she’d be on this case like white on rice.”

“Hey. That’s a rad expression. So she’s a social justice advocate.”

“Believe it. Some of the things she’s done are epic, even before she went to law school.”

“Love to hear those stories. Any other friends, ‘special’ or otherwise? Everyone seems like such fun.”

“Sure. A group Peter and I met when we went to England. They’re back in the States now and they’re awesome too.”

A few minutes later, Tamara pulled into her building’s parking ramp and found an open charging station.

“Let’s unload the car while it charges and then I’ll move it to a regular space,” Tamara told Winnie.

“Ooo, this is an electric car? I wondered why it was so quiet but the only cars I’ve seen up close are older gas models. You just plug it in like any electrical thing?”

Tamara had removed the cable and plug from its storage box.

“That’s right. See? Big plug goes in the car’s charging socket behind this flap.”

They grabbed what they could carry and headed for the elevator. At the apartment, Peter greeted Tamara with a huge hug, kiss, and exclamations of how they missed each other while Winnie hung back, a little embarrassed. Then Tamara dragged her over and introduced her and Peter again.

He’s very charming and funny, Winnie thought. Like Tamara in a lot of ways.

Then Tamara, still talking a mile a minute about her trip, dragged him along down to the car to help carry the rest of their stuff. Tamara told him to leave the camping gear in the car.

“I doubt we’ll be using it for the next few months. I’ll drop it off at my parents’ home this week.” Tamara was still going strong. “Did you talk to my folks?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. Called them after we spoke. They’re happy you’re back and want the details about Winnie. And they...”

Tamara interrupted. “Hold that thought. Did you speak to Mason?”

“Yep and he’s on the case. He knows the West Virginia AG, of all people. He told me he’ll light a fire there that we’ll see all the way from there to the D.C. area. Now I got some news...”

They were returning to the apartment and Tamara interrupted again.

“One sec. You busy tomorrow? ‘Cause I gotta get in to see Sam with Winnie and I’d like you to come too. And I need to make an appointment to get her a physical exam and check out a high school for her too. See what we need to get her registered here. We need to get her a cell phone on our plan ‘cause she has one of my burners now.”

Winnie was giggling as she watched Peter rolling his eyes; each time Tamara stopped for a breath, he tried to interject a word, but Tamara kept rolling right along.

“We stopped to pick up clothing for her ‘cause she got away with nothing. We bought a basic supply of clothes but later this week, we’ll need to fill out the rest of her wardrobe. Do you still have that laptop from last year? ‘Cause she’ll need one and that one’s only two years old. Oh, Winnie needs a key to the apartment and a keycard for the main door too. And next weekend, how about introducing her to your family and mine? Can you call tomorrow to set that up while I make an appointment to see Sam?”

Tamara stopped to take a breath and marshal her thoughts and Peter seized the opportunity. Winnie almost laughed at seeing the relief on his face.

“Sweetie? May I speak now? I’ve been trying to tell you this news ever since you called from the car this afternoon, but you just kept rolling right along—I couldn’t get a word in.”

Winnie laughed, nodding.

“Sweetie, this news is simply awesome; it’s unprecedented, and a million people are wanting to talk to you. Last week the Nobel Prizes were announced. You’re this year’s Nobel Laureate in Physics, shared with Emma.”

Tamara gasped, completely speechless for once.

“There’s more news too. You were selected as this year’s laureate in Chemistry and also in Physiology or Medicine. Sweetie, you got three Nobels in the year and the last two Prizes were solo. The media—the entire world—went bonkers about the news; the press went crazy trying to contact you, and Tamara here was off in the wilderness, off the map; nobody could contact you.”

Tamara just stood there, staring at Peter and looking shell-shocked.

Winnie looked at Tamara, grinned, and said smugly, “See? I told you that you were important. And I was right.”

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