“Mom always came up to see us. And for the funeral, of course, she came to us too. She wanted to be buried next to dad. So we never even got to come down here and learn about what she was like as a Sarasotan. Was she active?”
Once they saw Abram’s photographs in the bedroom, they’d find out just how active she was.
“She was just a kind woman,” Mel said. Jake smiled, barely. He realized he didn’t really know if it was true. She’d shown a flash of every trait when they’d spoke, but he didn’t know which one was really her. Now he just knew about the medication, the pictures, and the information that he was missing.
“This is nice,” the man said.
“Dad made that. Mom loved it. We had so many of them around the house.”
“Were they all ducks?”
Jake nodded. They were talking about the duck Charlotte’s husband had made.
“No no,” the woman said. “We had all different animals. I designed them and dad made them. But even before she moved here, mom loved water animals. Do you remember when she showed us her photo album?”
“Of course.”
“So many pictures.”
Jake knew Charlotte had loved animals and the wetlands. Yet she spent her last days alive investigating a group that was trying to save them. It didn’t make sense. He shifted his feet and inhaled. Dust. His eyes started to water. He scratched his throat. They were too close for him to even think about coughing. But he wasn’t sure if he could hold it in.
“Are you thinking about reselling?” Mel asked.
“Of course. We don’t have anyone else who could take it.”
“Off the record, I’d encourage you to act soon. The market here is heating up so quickly. Everyone is scrambling to develop.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. Of course, if the Development Proposition vote goes the other way, there won’t be a need to hurry.”
“What’s that?” the woman asked. Her voice seemed softer and more tired.
“It determines whether or not developers can build on some areas that are near or on the wetlands. So if development is allowed, it might drive down prices.”
“Would it happen quickly enough to affect us?”
“Mr. Rothschild works very quickly. But I shouldn’t even be saying this. He’d hate for me to talk business.”
They all laughed weakly. Jake wanted to cough. Then he breathed in too quickly. His lungs filled with dust, lint, and wool. He was going to sneeze.
“What’s over here?” the man said. “Is this another room?”
Step by step, Jake heard the man approach the small coat closet. He pressed his finger under his nose. He had to stop the sneeze. He winced and ducked back into the coats as far as he could, but his body still stuck out. The knob began to turn underneath his hand.
“Look!” Mel shouted.
The knob stopped.
“What’s up?” the man said. The knob stayed still.
“Look at that!”
Silence. The man laughed.
“That what? What did you want me to look at?”
“The refrigerator. It…has an icemaker.”
“That’s very nice,” the woman said. Jake heard them walk further away. The voices receded and Jake wiped his sweaty hand onto his pants.
“Can I answer any other questions?”
He lifted his finger from his nose. He was fine. For now. He felt his eyes begin to water. He couldn’t stay in the closet much longer. He started to itch everywhere, and he didn’t want to guess how he smelled. After a long pause, the woman spoke again.
“Thank you for your help. You’ve really done more than you need to.”
“Well, I miss Charlotte.”
“Still. You must be used to this sort of thing.” The man, practicing sounding stoic.
“No. I really don’t get used to it. Charlotte was a sweet person.”
Silence. Jake shifted again. He heard himself wheeze. Hopefully the door was thick enough to muffle it.
“Do you hear something?” the woman asked.
Or it wasn’t thick enough. He held his breath again and waited.
“Claire, you’re hearing things.”
“It’s probably the air conditioning.”
Jake exhaled, slowly. The air came out silently. He kept his hand on the knob.
“So once we leave, we are going to make it official and change the locks.”
“Would you want another day or two?”
She was trying to buy him time.
“No, we’ll do it as soon as possible.”
She couldn’t get it.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I have to be back at work tomorrow, so I’m afraid it’s a short trip. And Claire is going to come back in a few weeks.”
“I see.” She’d tried at least. “When we leave, I’ll have Javier come and switch the locks.”
“Great.”
“I have a work thing, but we’d just like to formally take possession.” The woman sounded tired again. “I want to get everything cleared up here.”
“That’s fine,” Mel said. He heard her sigh, even through the door. “I’m sorry you have to go through it.”
“It’s OK. I knew I’d have to.”
“Still.”
The group was quiet and Jake realized his phone was on. He took it out of the back pocket of his running shorts. Everything else spilled out on the floor. Naturally. He inhaled and tried to hold his breath.
“I heard another noise.”
“Chimes.” Mel said. “Should I show you the bedroom?”
Saved. This was it. This was his only chance to get out. But he hadn’t found what Charlotte had discovered. He exhaled. This was where it ended. Finding nothing. Just breathing in some dust and looking at some pictures. Whatever Charlotte had found about the Saving Tomorrow Initiative, she had hid it too well.
He stooped down and picked up the keys. He put them in his back pocket. Then he picked up his wallet. He didn’t understand. What else was there that Abram wouldn’t have known about? He’d looked at every picture. Gone through every drawer. There had to be an answer somewhere. But he didn’t know how to find it.
Footsteps. The sound of a door opening. He couldn’t be sure that they had all entered the room. Then Mel gave him some help.
“Good, we’re all in,” she shouted. She was a good accomplice.
As he put his wallet back into his pocket, he noticed a piece of cardboard sticking out. In the darkness he couldn’t tell what it was, so he drew it out. Cardboard and thin colored plastic. He’d forgotten about them: the 3-D glasses Gary gave him. He put them back in the wallet and shoved it in his pocket. Then he almost screamed.
3-D. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? He’d looked at the backs of pictures. But he hadn’t thought about looking on the inside. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stifled one last cough. 3-D. It made perfect sense. He opened the closet door and started running to the hallway.
As he ran, he dropped down his right hand. He opened the doorknob with his left and didn’t break his stride. With his right hand he grabbed the neck of Charlotte’s wooden duck. He picked the duck up and clutched it close to the sweat stain on his chest. He pulled the door shut behind him and kept running until he reached his car.
CHAPTER 38
He waited until he was in his apartment building’s parking lot before he tried anything, since he couldn’t be caught in Sunset Cove handling a former resident’s possessions. He drove as quickly as he could, the duck in the passenger seat of the car, wobbling slightly with every turn.
It was painted dark green and had an orange bill. He looked over and saw the long neck teeter under the movement of the head, the duck staying upright thanks to the balance of the wide base. He watched Sunset Cove, then the Palmstead, sink under the horizon as he drove along the highway. He was still breathing deep, even though he’d finished running hours before. He wondered how high his pulse was after a day like this.
He called Mel as he drove. He knew they wouldn’t be able to talk long, even though he wanted to. She answered after one ring.