Double Take by Melody Carlson Read Free Book Online

got with this game, the more she wanted it to continue. Maybe it was selfish or stupid, but more than ever Anna wanted to go to New York.
    Madison slid a piece of printed paper across the table. “This is your bus ticket into New York. It leaves at 5:10. After you get into the city, you’ll take a taxi home. I’ve written it all out for you.”
    They continued filling pages of paper as they exchanged more information. Every few minutes, they gave each other what Madison called pop quizzes, until it was half past four and Anna was feeling really nervous. If she wanted to change her mind, the time was getting short. Her uncle might be here in just an hour or so. But as the minutes ticked by, Anna felt more and more certain she was going to do this.
    Madison was talking quickly now, as if she too was getting concerned about the time left. “Now even though I told Garret that I didn’t plan to be around, there’s still a chance he’ll try to call me both on my cell and at home. I’ll field the calls on my Blackberry, but you might have to deal with him in Manhattan, and I’ll warn you he is a persistent guy.”
    Anna nodded. She knew Garret Stuart was the boyfriend who’d been caught with another girl named Constance Westfall, and that Madison’s BFF had caught them in a photo together and that Madison was fed up.
    “If he does call, feel free to dump him.”
    “Dump him?” Anna frowned.
    “Yes. Tell him you don’t want to see him. It’s fine. I’ll deal with him later.”
    “Right.” Anna made note of the term dump him .
    “Naturally, you’ll be dependent on taxis to get around town since you don’t drive, but that’s what I usually do in the city anyway.” Madison explained how she’d paid to park her car in a lot in town for the week. “They looked at me a little funny.” She chuckled. “I guess they don’t get many Amish girls driving cars in these parts. Anyway, I’ll just pick it up when we switch our lives back a week from today.”
    “That’s right.” Anna felt slightly panicked when she realized they would have to meet and go through this whole exchange again. “How are we going to do—” Her words were stopped by the sound of a man’s voice calling out her name.
    “Anna Fisher?”
    “Oh, oh.” Madison’s eyes grew wide. “Don’t look now, but a man in a straw hat and a brownish-gray beard just walked into the café. He’s looking directly at me.”
    “Tall, thin man?” Anna whispered. “Narrow face?”
    “Uncle Daniel,” Madison exclaimed with a wave. “Wie geht’s?”
    Anna’s heart pounded against her chest as she sat frozen in the booth. Her back was to her uncle, and although he couldn’t see her, she felt certain he would figure this out. Then she would be in serious trouble.
    Her uncle sounded impatient as he informed her that it was time to go, and everything in Anna said to stand up and go with him now, to stop this nonsense before it was too late. But she felt as if her blue jeans—rather, Madison’s blue jeans—had been stitched to the padded bench seat. She could not move. Even if she did move, what would he say to see her dressed like this? No, it was too late.
    Madison stood, and speaking in her odd-sounding German, she assured Anna’s uncle she was coming. Nodding to Anna with a look of confidence, Madison picked up the notebook pages and stuffed them into the duffel bag. “Nice to meet you, Miss Madison.” She hooked the cloth straps of the bag over her arm and hurried off.
    Anna held her breath as she listened to the jingling of the bell on the door, followed by the solid sound of the door closing. Anna knew they were on their way, that it was too late to stop this craziness. With a pounding heart, she slowly stood, watching Uncle Daniel as he strode over to his black buggy parked by the general supply store. And Madison—Anna—was right on his heels.
    A fresh ripple of fear rushed through Anna. This was wrong and reckless and completely