2. Road Trip

"Of course." Robert gives Jocelyn a quick smile. "They're in the car. I can give them to you when we're done lunch. Take them for the weekend."

He picks up his coffee cup, then puts it down again without drinking. He stares at Jocelyn - working through something, as if deciding whether he wants to say it or not. "I have ..." He glances at the others, most are caught up in conversations and not watching the two of you. "... something new."

He slides out of the booth and moves towards the door without waiting to see if she follows.

Outside, he pops the trunk and opens the book bag, producing the three volumes that they discussed at the speakeasy. His hand rests on the bag and stays there.

He looks up and down the street. Shifts his weight, blocking the view from the diner. "This one cost me dearly. I only acquired it a few days ago, and it wasn't easy."

He draws the final volume out slowly and holds it towards her, but doesn't let go of it right away. "I need you to be very careful with it."

Ann smiles and touches Marcus's shoulder. "You are so very kind. Thank you very much. We grind the beans every morning - fresh as can be."

When he mentions Jason's art, she looks over at the boy, then back at Marcus. "He is quite good." The smile fades slightly. "He used to draw pictures that were more ... uplifting." She sighs and shrugs. "I guess he's growing up. No longer my little boy."

MARCUSMarcus starts off subtle - a shift when the boy looks up, a well timed cough. At one point, he even flicks a crumb towards Jason. But, the boy is too far away, and too focused, to catch any of the signals.

On the last attempt, Marcus looks up and finds Ann watching him.

It's hard to say when she noticed, but it's obvious that she is not impressed. Her expression isn't hostile, but motherly concern.

She sets down her dish towel and moves towards the table. "Well." She pulls out her pad and starts making some final notes, then places the bill on the table. "Sorry to rush you along, but we have a large group expected soon."

Her eyes find Marcus. "Safe travels."

JOCELYNRobert appears confused by the question. "Clarissa?"

He glances back at the diner for a moment - just a moment. "She's along for the same reason as the rest of them, I suppose. Interested in helping to find Daphne and John. I was glad when she volunteered. I'll take all the help I can get."

He closes the trunk and turns to head back into the diner. "We should probably get a move on. It's getting late. We still need to get everyone squared away. I'm hoping it's an early night. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Robert glances back at Jocelyn and gives her a worried look. "All three books are in English, but I'm sure Jocelyn might be willing to let you take a look at one." He gives Ellis a quick smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Robert steps up onto the running board. "I'm hoping to get started bright and early tomorrow." He calls out to the group as they exit the diner. "Please don't stay up to late. I realize it's the weekend, but we're here for a reason."

With that, he taps the roof and slides into the passenger seat.

---

The farmhouse is a two-story unsightly eyesore surrounded by thigh-high grass. Behind the farm, large sugar maples grow where once corn or wheat held sway.

Within the house, a few unbroken chairs sit facing one another in front of a brick fireplace (F). A large window looks out on what was a front yard.

Robert was able to have a phone line run to the house, but the dwelling has neither electricity nor gas.

The layout consists of a front room, a large kitchen area (D), and what must have been a parlor (E) downstairs, as well as two large bedrooms (A and B) upstairs. It's dusty and could use a good cleaning. Oddly enough, the place doesn’t feel abandoned. It's as if someone or something still visits here from time to time...

Hanging on the wall above the hand pump in the kitchen sink is a faded yellow and blue hand-stitched plaque that reads God bless our happy home. Below the kitchen’s side window stands a large insulated metal box into which ice can be poured and used to keep food cold.

The rear window looks out onto a flower bed (I) and a decrepit outhouse (J) that sits like a wooden island amid a sea of grass. A collapsed barn (H) is also visible from this window. It's some 50 feet (15 m) behind the house and surrounded by the sugar maple forest (G).

Blaine assigns the rooms upstairs to the women students, while the men must make do with cots in the front room downstairs.

He chooses the parlor (E) as his own private sleeping space. Robert doesn't linger. He drops his bag on the bed in the parlor and closes the door behind him, leaving everyone to their own devices.