Chapter 55

Tuesday

JETHRO WAS DOING fine,and they’d made arrangements for Agnes to check in with Caleb after the caféhad closed for the day.It was only open from seven to three,so the timing was perfect.In addition,Caleb had been trained in the use of both the radio and the walkie-talkie.

On the way to the first parts warehouse,Jake said,“Have you noticed how quickly the boys’language skills have progressed?”

“Yeah,and I have a theory about that.”

“Well?”

“I think the language skills were already there,but after the death of their mother,they’d regressed a bit,”Josh said.“All it took was a few weeks of being around people who speak correctly for them to follow suit.”

“That’s a pretty good theory—I’ll buy it.”

By ten in the morning,Josh and his three companions were halfway to the parts warehouse in two vans,and it was a clear day.