“Okay,” Kat said. “Look, we shouldn’t have tried to tell you a lie. I’m not her sister. It’s true, she doesn’t have a sister.”
“Let me see your driver’s license,” he told Ray. Then, “And yours, too.” Kat produced hers, and he looked them both over carefully. “Wait here,” he said, and left.
Five minutes passed. The hum in the coffee shop seemed to get louder. Kat was trembling; it was freezing in there and too brightly lit, and her headache was getting worse. She and Ray seemed to have lost the ability to speak. This is it, she kept saying to herself. One way or the other.
Just when she thought she couldn’t bear one more second of this purgatory, she saw the clerk come in again. He plopped down and said, “This lady-she says she’s willing to talk to you.” He held up a hand. “Wait. That’s all she said. She doesn’t talk much. That’s it. I don’t know anything else.”
“What’s her name?” Ray said.
“Gale Graham.”
“How long has she been here?”
“A while. Do you want the room number or not?”
“Is she-did you recognize her photo?”
“I can’t say.” He handed them a map of the complex, which turned out to be much larger than they had imagined from seeing its front, including two adjoining buildings. Building A hosted the overnighters. Another building, for monthly renters, held struggling young families receiving Section 8 funds from the government. Building C held what he called “executive suites” and were for paying clients who stayed a week or two.
“Here.” He tapped a fingernail on room 116 of Building C. “Her room. First floor, by the pool. I’ll be checking on her in an hour. And I made copies of your IDs. You know what I’m sayin’?”
Ray led the way. She followed him, step for rapid step, along the harsh white concrete walkways to Building C.
They arrived at 116. Two dried-out potted palms flanked the doorway. The sun was fierce on the concrete. When Ray didn’t knock but stood, hanging back off the walkway like someone who did not belong, Kat knocked firmly.
No answer.
She tried the doorbell.
Again, nothing.
Then, like a chapter starting up in a children’s story, the door opened.
28
L eigh stood there, in a tank top, shorts, and running shoes, long hair in a ponytail.
Ray and Kat faced her uncertainly, but not for long. “You came for me!” she cried, leaping forward into Ray’s arms. She buried her face in his shoulder. He held her tight, his eyes squeezed shut as if he was in pain.
Kat stepped back, dizzy, watching as they pressed against each other so hard they almost toppled over there in the entryway. Realizations tumbled through her mind. Leigh was alive. She had run away after all.
Ray hadn’t murdered her. Ray was just Ray. The police, the suspicion-it amounted to nothing.
Leigh ran away, leaving them to search for her. She had caused so much pain-
But she was alive. Ray and Leigh held each other, then pulled apart enough to look at each other. Then there were a lot of kisses, more hugs. After a long, long time, the couple broke apart, and Kat took a good look at her lost friend. Taller than Kat remembered, older, pretty in a grave way in spite of dark circles around her eyes.
“Kat,” Leigh said, her voice muffled, and her arm drew Kat close. “You here? Incredible. Come in.” They stepped out of the heat and into the arctic breeze of a Palm Springs motel room.
The room, slightly larger than most hotel rooms, had textured wallpaper, soothing green and white in an abstract fern pattern. Double-glass doors, at the moment standing ajar and letting in a river of superheated air, led out to a courtyard. Beyond low palms and succulents that fringed a flagstone walkway, the turquoise, freeform pool beckoned, the water reflections dancing on the ceiling of Leigh’s room like something alive. The king-sized bed was unmade. A jumble of groceries was stacked on the desk, and the TV was on, muted. Leigh had been here awhile.
They stood in the room and stared at each other. Where should they start? With her frightening absence? With all the distrust, and the many changes?
“We thought something had happened to you,” Kat said at last, her voice hoarse.
In a quiet voice, Leigh said, “I had decided to come home. I want you to know that. I’m ready to face-everything.”
Ray and Leigh sat down on the edge of the bed together. He put his arm around his wife and held on tight. Kat took a chair by the door.
Ray said, “I’m so very, very sorry, Leigh. I didn’t treat you right.”
His wife shook her head. “No. No, darling. It wasn’t you. I should have come straight home. I was confused and-hurt.”
“I never should have-”
“I need you so much-” They fell together like drowning sailors, murmuring and sighing. Kat tried to restrain herself.
“Kat?” Leigh was examining her.
“Hey.” Kat’s voice felt less forceful than usual.
Leigh’s eyes whipped between Ray and Kat and cruised back again, settling finally on her husband.
“Is this like-I take up with your best friend so you search for mine and hook up?” The corners of her mouth trembled, but turned up slightly. Kat realized she was joking, obviously as unsteady with the situation as they were.
Kat said, “Gee, Leigh, there was that ugly possibility that Ray might have killed you and buried you under a new swimming pool in Laguna or somewhere.”
“What?”
“The police-your father called the police.”
“Oh, no. I knew I should have called them. But-Dad’s a police officer-it would have set things in motion-I couldn’t-” Leigh stood and went over to Kat, put her hand on Kat’s shoulder, and looked into her eyes wonderingly.
“When I-saw you both standing there in the doorway, I had the awful thought this was some kind of payback for Martin. I’m sorry. I’m-so surprised.”
“I’m glad to see you,” Kat said, and broke into a smile. “It’s been a long time.”
“I’m glad, too. It’s so good to see you, Kat. I can’t believe it.”
“We joined forces to look for you.”
Leigh’s eyes welled. “I didn’t expect that. I thought you both hated me.”
“I never hated you, Leigh,” Kat said. “Are you all right?”
“Not exactly. I mean, I’m not sick, if that’s what you mean. But there have been times when I thought I might never come back. I just couldn’t see my way out. I needed time.”
“I don’t give a shit about what happened with Martin anymore,” Ray said. “And I swear, you don’t have to run from me. I will never hurt you. I’m sorry if I scared you that night.”
“Oh, my darling. Of course, you would never hurt me! I didn’t leave because of Martin. I didn’t leave because you were so mad.” She closed her eyes for a moment. Then, when Ray tried to speak again, she laid her finger across his lips.
A fan spun overhead and a chill ran down Kat’s back.
“I’ll explain. Just let me catch my breath. Hold me, please. Tight.”
“Tell me one thing,” Ray said. “Tell me you’ll come home.”
The look she gave him puzzled Kat. Leigh put a hand on her husband’s shoulder and it was a look like a goddess comforting a penitent, a look full of love and-what? Pity? “You came a long way to find me. I hope-I pray you won’t regret it,” Leigh said.
“Never,” Ray said. “Come home with us.”
“I need to explain but I’m afraid.”
During the pause that followed, Kat stood up and said, “I’m sorry. Where are my manners? I’ll leave you two for a little bit, okay? You can catch up. I’ll take a dip or something.”
“Don’t go,” Leigh said firmly. “We’ve all kept too many secrets. No more of that. Let’s just go. I’ll tell you everything soon. So much to say, but first, we need to pack up and get on the road. I want to go home.”