“So you chased me down the beach?” she asked, angrily. “Yeah, that makes me feel warm and comfy.”
“Sarcasm is a child’s weapon,” Jack said. “It won’t help you here.”
“What do you want?”
“A simple understanding,” he said. “You’ve intruded on a very troubling situation. It will stop. You will forget about the things you’ve seen. You will forget about him. He is our burden, and in a few days’ time, we will take him from here. Until then, you will keep well away from our charge. To do otherwise will result in unimaginable harm.”
The threat creeped into her skin and bones, resting there like a layer of frost. This powerful man with the emotionless face and soothing voice was not simply trying to scare her away; he was dead serious. She didn’t know what to say and was so frightened she couldn’t have formed words if she wanted to. Instead, she searched the nighttime beach over his shoulders for any sign of rescue.
“He isn’t what he appears,” the man said. “Do you understand that?”
Though she did not understand it, Lindsay’s paralysis broke enough for her to nod her head. She just wanted him to go away. She’d agree to anything if it would send him back to the dilapidated house.
“Have a meaningful life,” Jack said.
Then he turned away. He walked several steps up the beach, then paused. After a moment, perhaps considering an additional threat, he continued into the darkness.
Lindsay walked into her uncle’s house through the back door and found her parents waiting for her in the living room. They sat together on the couch; her mom looked furious, and her dad looked sad, like someone just died.
Oh no, she thought. The other one came here while his buddy followed me down the beach.
She tried to ignore them, coolly walking to the stairs as if nothing was wrong. But her mom stopped her.
“We need to have a word with you, young lady,” she said.
Crap, Lindsay thought. “Young lady” is not a good sign.
She walked into the living room and met her mom’s gaze, maintaining a cool expression. The last thing she wanted was a screaming match with her parents. It wouldn’t do any good.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Mr. Richter from next door stopped by,” her mom said. She paused, probably hoping her statement would send Lindsay into a fit of denial or argument. But Lindsay knew better than to react. Seeing that her daughter was not fazed, she continued. “He told us that you have been visiting with the boy who lives there.”
“Um…and?” Lindsay said, surprised by how cool she sounded.
“He told us some really disturbing things,” her dad said.
I’ll bet, Lindsay thought, wondering what kinds of lies Doug Richter had told her parents. He’d probably made Mark out to be some kind of monster.
“Okay, but what does this have to do with me?” she asked.
“He’s troubled,” her mom said. “Mr. Richter told us that Mark has been in and out of institutions his whole life. The last time he was incarcerated was because he injured a little girl. She almost died, Lindsay.”
That’s exactly the kind of lie she would have expected, but it was crap, and she knew it. If Mark was that dangerous, they’d have bars on his windows, or they’d have him locked up. He wouldn’t be separated from the world by a thin pane of glass. And she’d been in his room. Twice! They were totally alone, and he hadn’t done a thing to harm her. Besides, there were laws. His guardians would have to tell neighbors if he was a threat, wouldn’t they?
“Lindsay?” her dad asked.
“Yes?”
“Did you hear what your mom said?”
“I heard,” she said. “But I don’t see the issue.”
“We’re telling you to stay away from that boy.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m not arguing. I mean, I talked to him, but he was sort of creepy. He talked about some weird occult crap and wanted me to hang with him. Then he tried to hit on me and I was all, ‘No chance in hell, Gomer.’ I bailed. What’s the crisis?”
The lie came so easily Lindsay wanted to keep telling it. A dozen little embellishments came to mind, but she stopped. If it was no big deal, as she’d said, she couldn’t make it a big deal by talking about it too much.
“Oh,” her mom said, suddenly deflated of her outrage. “We were given the impression that it was a bit more serious than that.”
Lindsay laughed. “Whatever. I can understand them being cautious, but it’s so not an issue.”
“So we don’t have to worry about you spending time over there?” her dad wanted to know.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Lindsay said. “I mean, have you seen the muscles on that other guy? He’s full-on Hugh Jackman ripped. If he asked me out…well.”
“Oh, stop it,” her mom said. “Those men are old enough to be your father.”
“Hot is hot,” Lindsay said, putting on a mischievous grin.
“Go upstairs before you give me a stroke,” her dad said.
Lindsay was checking email when her dad opened the door. “Okay if I come in?”
“Sure,” she said, closing the laptop. She wasn’t really concerned with him seeing anything. It was just a reflex.
Her dad walked across the room and sat on the bed next to her. “Is everyone back home surviving without you?”
“Barely,” Lindsay said.
“I don’t doubt it,” he told her. Then her dad put a hand on her leg and patted it warmly. “I just want to make sure we’re clear on a few things,” he said.
“Okay.”
“The man who came over today and the other one…Those men are social workers, and that boy is their ward. They are court-appointed guardians.”
“I just thought they were his dads,” Lindsay said, suddenly less comfortable with the lies. “I never thought to ask about it.”
“Well, they aren’t. His parents died a long time ago, and the kid’s had a rough go of it, but that doesn’t excuse what he’s done. Or what he might do.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Lindsay agreed. Of course, she knew he hadn’t done anything.
“Good,” her dad said, rising from the bed. “I’m glad you see it that way. I mean I know you didn’t want to be here. We kind of dragged you away from your life, and I figure you’re still upset about that.”
“I’m not upset.”
“You were. And you had a right to be. I was being selfish. I knew you didn’t want to spend time with us. You’re growing up and have friends and plans, and next year you’ll have more friends and more plans. The year after that, you’ll be a senior and then you’ll go to college. I figured this was the last time we’d be spending any real time together, and I wanted that.”
Lindsay said nothing.
“I know I’m going to miss spending time with you,” her dad continued. “Hell, I already do. You’re my favorite person in the world.”
Before Lindsay could say anything else, her dad left the room and closed the door.
She hadn’t been this close to tears in a very long time.
12
When morning came, the sky was overcast with a summer storm. Lindsay snuggled into the comforter and looked at the window, resisting the urge to run to it and look out. Instead she climbed out of bed and went downstairs. As always, her parents met her in the kitchen. They seemed happy and relaxed, the issue of the boy next door resolved in their minds.
“No beach today,” her dad announced. “It’s supposed to rain.”