Madelaine prepares to end the impasse... There had to be at least twenty dollars or more there. With careful fingers, she unfolded and counted them. Twenty-seven dollars in total. Then she wondered if O’Dell would miss the money. He’d obviously dropped it since she had no money with her, so it must’ve fallen out of his pocket, but . . . would he miss it? She realized that if she ever wanted to leave that place, she’d need money. Since she had no car—and even if she had one she wouldn’t know how to drive it—she knew she’d have to buy a ticket for a bus or train ride. She was certain she’d seen a small bus station on the way up. It was in the small village below, but it was still a long walk from the cabin and an impossible one on bedroom slippers. She rose to her feet and hid the wad of bills inside the folds of the blanket. She had no clue what good it would do, but she felt it was a start. She was a little nervous, but she was also a little rebellious. It had to be a sign of God that she’d found this money. It was a sign that He wanted her to leave.