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was suffocating. Mom picked up on the first ring. “I’m so glad you called, sweetie. I just got back from your father’s Mass. It was so nice, and I’ve been thinking about all of you kids—”
    “Mom, I don’t have time to talk. I’m in a jam. I need your help.” Dani was still walking up Broadway, crouching over her BlackBerry, her left arm wrapped around her, as if to steady herself.
    Mom paused. “What’s wrong?”
    “I’ll have to explain later. It’s too complicated.” And surreal. The last thing she needed now was 20 minutes on the phone with Mom, telling her everything, making her worry when she couldn’t do anything about it.
    “My goodness, what’s happened? You sound awful.” “I’ll explain later, but right now I really need your help.” Another pause from Mom, probably thinking about how to drag the story out of Dani, then log in her usual ten pounds ofadvice. It was always good advice, but right now Dani just needed her to handle Gabe, and then figure out what came next. “Are you alright?” Mom asked.
    “Yes. Can you drive into town and pick up Gabe?”
    “Is he alright?”
    “Yes, he’s fine, but I need you to take him someplace—safe.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’ll explain later.”
    “Later? Is he in danger?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Then what’s this all—”
    “Mom, I need your help.”
    Then Mom, in her turn-off-that-TV-and-do-your-homework voice: “Danielle Therese Jackson, this is your mother you’re talking to. Now tell me what in God’s name is going on.”
    Dani felt a tremor of anguish course through her. She slowed her pace, lowered her head and cupped her other hand in front of her mouth so no one could hear her speaking into the phone. “A man was killed today in my office.”
    “Oh my God—”
    “Right in front of me.” Dani felt her voice trembling as she went on, “I’ve just spent hours with the police”—she saw the killer in the cop uniform forcing his way into her apartment—”and I need to deal with it. And I won’t be home when Gabe gets there, so can you please pick him up?”
    “Of course.”
    “And I don’t want to tell him. I’m afraid it will upset him.”
    “Okay, is he still in school?”
    “Yes, at Mercer. But Francesca’s picking him up at three and taking him to an audition. Can you get him at school instead and bring him home to New Jersey?”
    Dani could hear Mom’s wheels turning. Here it comes.
    Mom said, “I don’t understand. Why can’t he go to his audition? And why bring him to New Jersey? And what did you mean before when you said ‘someplace safe’?”
    “I’m scared, Mom.” Dani felt desperation, terror about that man coming after Gabe. It might not be so hard for him to trace Gabe back to Mom’s house in Hackensack. Better the lake house in Pennsylvania. “It would be even better if you could take him up to the lake for the weekend, and not tell anybody where you are.”
    “Dani, what kind of trouble are you in? Are you in danger?”
    Why is there no hiding from her? “I’m not sure.”
    “You’re not sure you’re in trouble, but you want me to take Gabe up to the lake in Milford where he’ll be safe.”
    “I don’t want you to worry, Mom.”
    “I’m your mother. That’s my job. Tell me. We’re wasting time.”
    Dani’s neck was getting stiff from crouching over the phone. She stood up straight, arched her neck back to stretch it. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
    Mom, right back at her, dead firm, “Try me.”
    Dani, defeated, let out a long sigh. “The—killer—” she could barely bring herself to say the word, “who shot the man in my office came to my apartment about an hour ago. He tried to kill me and I got away.”
    There was silence at the other end of the phone.
    Dani went on, “And I think he might be a cop. At least he was dressed like a cop, but then I saw on the news that another cop was killed in my apartment—”
    “Go to the