The two couples walked out of the lodge together.
Jack and Tom walked together, Christie and Sharon close behind. Kate brought up the rear. Simon ran up to her, with the Blairs’ two boys in tow.
“Dad, Mom—we’re gonna play hide-and-seek down by the sports field. That okay?”
Jack looked at Christie.
“Um, I guess.”
Christie gave it her seal of approval.
“Yes. But stay close. No scouting around.”
Tom made a small laugh. “Don’t worry, Jack. They do a good job of keeping the kids where they’re supposed to be. We let our two just roam around till bedtime. Couldn’t be safer.”
“Okay, Simon. Come back to the lake for the bonfire before dark,” Jack said.
A quick nod, and his son vanished.
He looked back at Kate, who still didn’t seem to have embraced this place.
Hope she settles in.
“Jack—meet you down there?” Tom said.
Jack looked back at Christie talking with Sharon.
The Blairs seemed like nice enough people.
Why not, Jack thought. After all, this is a vacation.
Soon they were back at the cabins.
Simon did what Sam and Jim told him to. He folded his arms in front of him, and rested his head against a tree, eyes shut, and counted. But not a normal count.
One Mississippi… two Mississippi… three…
Never did that back home. Never played this game.
The other two kids hiding while he counted.
He reached twenty and lifted his head from the tree.
A bit of stickiness had attached itself to his arms when he put them against the tree.
Sap. That’s what it’s called, Simon knew.
He looked around for Sam and Jim.
In the time it took him to count, it seemed to have turned darker here. The tall trees blotted out the light from the sky. And though they had led Simon down to this area, telling him how great it was for hiding, now Simon couldn’t see where they had come from.
Where was the lake? The cabins? Which way… was the way back?
He wanted to call out to them.
Say: Where are you?
But that would be giving up the game. Being a baby. These were big kids. Be fun to play with them even though he was a full year younger.
Instead of shouting where are you?, he said: “Coming to find you guys!”
Simon took a step in one direction. The leaves and dry pine needles at his feet made a soft crunching sound. Another step.
Was he going back the way they had come, or to where they were hiding, or some other way?
Step… step… step…
He kept turning his head, looking for signs of movement. But all was still here in the woods.
Kate walked out of the back bedroom. “Dad, I’m going to walk down to the lake now.”
Jack looked up from a wall map of Paterville and the nearby mountains. A geological map showing elevation, trails risers, the peaks.
“That okay?” he said to Christie.
“Sure. Go on, Kate.”
His daughter smiled. Maybe the ice was melting. A good thing. “Back before dark, ’kay?”
“Will do, Dad.”
When she shut the door behind her, Christie turned to Jack.
“Guess we’re giving them both some room? Feels strange.”
“We want them to enjoy this place, right? Some independence… might be good.”
“My,” Christie said with a smile, “what a little bit of vacation does to turn the police officer around. I’m glad.”
“Just catch me in a few days.”
“Should we head down to the bonfire?”
“You go on. I’ll be right there. I need to move the car. It’s parked out front, but they say they want all the cars in the back parking lot. Let me do that, and I’ll see you there.”
Jack grabbed the car keys off a countertop near the kitchen and followed Christie out the door.
Simon froze.
Darker still. And now the air chilled his bare arms and legs. The trees, which had very brown trunks before, had turned gray and dark. The branches overhead didn’t look green at all.
They have to be nearby, Simon thought.
They wouldn’t just leave me here.
Just ditch me.
More steps—so hard to force his feet to move.
He looked past the shadowy tree trunks and saw… something else.
Something shiny.
Maybe part of the camp.
It made him turn in that direction. As he came closer he saw that it was the giant fence, hidden from the camp by the trees. Simon now knew he was very far away from where he was supposed to be.
He started to turn.
Then a voice—deep, rough—said, “Hey, you!”
Jack got up to the Great Lodge and, through a side window, saw all the diners gone, only workers cleaning tables.
Where do they stay? he wondered. Must be another part of the camp where they had staff cabins. Maybe came here for the season, then went back to whatever small towns they came from.
The entry hall glowed invitingly. People sitting on the massive leather couches and chairs, talking, reading.
His car was the only one still parked in the check-in area.
Not much light spilled onto the spaces in front of the lodge entrance.
He dug out his keys.
“Everything okay?”
Someone in the darkness. He hadn’t even noticed… standing there… coming close.
The person took a few steps closer and Jack recognized the smell. That hint of perfume.
Shana.
“Just need to move my car. Y’know, to the parking area.”
Of course she knew, Jack thought. She works here.
“Someone from the lodge would have been more than glad to move it for you, Mr. Murphy.”
That sounded too weird. “Jack.”
“In fact—Jack—I’d be glad to take it over.”
She stuck out a hand. The light backlit Shana so she was all shape, no color.
“That’s okay. Want to check some things. I can do it.”
“Sure you can.”
Odd comment.
A taunt.
“Anything else you need help with tonight… Jack?”
“Nope. All good. Bonfire night, right?”
A pause, as if perhaps Shana too realized the absurdity of Jack going from cop to card player.
“Have fun, then. Good night.”
“You, too.”
The dark shape turned and walked away, not into the entrance hall but down a path to the side.
Jack unlocked the car and got in.
19. Dusk
Christie walked down the path leading to the lakeshore. Twilight, and Kate stood at the water’s edge, looking at the now-dark lake.
But it was her position that was interesting.
Only feet away from the lifeguard stand.
One lifeguard was still on duty with twilight bringing a gray and silvery look to the water, the yellow sand now turning dark as well.
The lifeguard, sixteen, maybe seventeen, bronzed by the summer, looked at his watch and jumped down to the sand.
Christie watched the next few moments with a mix of concern, fear, and fascination. Almost as if she was spying.
The lifeguard in a white polo shirt, collar up. Grabbing his backpack, he looked up and saw Kate.
Christie wanted to whisper, Move on… she’s only thirteen.
But she watched the boy grin, a nod in Kate’s direction, and then start up from the beach.
For a moment, Christie remembered what it was like to be young.
The boy walked past Christie, who hoped she wasn’t radiating an “I’m the mom” vibe.
Her motherly spying over, she continued down to the water.