Read Online What You Wish For by Fern Michaels - Free Book Online

enter. She slid back the doors and climbed in. The garage door slid upward, the van backed out smoothly. The driver was someone Helen had never seen before. She would probably never see her again after that day either.
    â€œWhat happens now?” she asked boldly.
    â€œI’m going to drive you to the campus of the University of Santa Clara. There will be a car waiting for you. The registration and insurance card are in the glove compartment. The car is registered to Nancy Baker. There’s a map on the front seat with your travel route all laid out for you, complete with stops and which motels you will be staying in. You will pay cash for your food and lodging. Keep your receipts.”
    â€œWhere is it I’m going?”
    â€œNew Jersey.”
    â€œThat’s clear across the country! I’ve never been outside of California.”
    â€œYou were never in a woman’s shelter before either. You’ll be fine. Just follow the route that’s mapped out. Drive no more than eight hours a day. Do not, I repeat, do not exceed the speed limit. Be ever mindful of your gas tank and have the oil checked several times en route. Get the car washed at least once along the way.”
    â€œWhere am I going in New Jersey?”
    â€œTo a town called Woodbridge. We secured a one-bedroom garden apartment for you. The rent is paid for three months. Across the road from the apartment complex is a large shopping mall called Woodbridge Center. You have a job in a lingerie shop called Fine Things. It’s a high-end shop. You are to start work ten days from today. The utilities and the phone are in your new name. Pay these bills promptly when they come in. You will be banking at First Union, which is right down the road. Everything is very convenient. We want you to enroll at Middlesex College to take business courses at night. It’s less than nine miles from your apartment. There’s a packet in the car that will explain everything to you. When you reach your apartment, you’ll find a computer all set up for you. You’ll be notified through regular mail when the system will be operational.
    â€œOnce a month, between the first and the third, forty-three dollars will be automatically deducted from your account. While you don’t have a bill per se, it is mandatory that you pay something back to the foundation for all the help that has been given you. You have health insurance for six months as well as dental with the foundation. That will cease when your new employer’s insurance takes over.
    â€œThere is a veterinarian on Oak Tree Road in Edison where you can take your dog if need be. A file has been started for your animal. The vet’s name is Dr. Lo. An appointment has been set up for your pet for the second day after your arrival. A map showing the location of the clinic will be in your packet. I think that just about covers everything. There’s fifteen hundred dollars in your bank account, and there will be five hundred dollars in cash in the glove compartment of the car. If there’s anything you want to ask me, ask now.”
    There were a million things she wanted to ask. She stroked Lucie’s head, and said, “No, I understand everything you said.”
    â€œIf for any reason you have car trouble, call Triple A. There’s an emergency card attached to the insurance card. You can use the credit card to pay for repairs.”
    â€œWhere . . . how far is the grocery store?”
    â€œNot far. You can go in any direction and you’ll find one. Your kitchen cupboards and refrigerator and freezer have been stocked. There’s also a supply of dog food, dog vitamins, and dog toys for your pet. Miss Tyger is very thorough.”
    Helen closed her eyes. A new life. Everything taken care of. All she had to do was step into that life and she would become Nancy Baker. Would she ever be Helen Marie Stanley again? If she were to die tomorrow would the name Nancy