BRANCH: I’d never do that to Bee. She’s been reading books and doing reports on Antarctica for the last year.
FOX: I’m confused, then…
DR. KURTZ: Bernadette, I’d like to suggest that we work together over the next several weeks.
FOX: You’re going on the trip with us? That’s so exotic.
DR. KURTZ: No, I’m not. You need to concentrate on getting yourself better, Bernadette.
FOX: I still don’t quite know how you fit in.
DR. KURTZ: I’m a psychiatrist at Madrona Hill.
FOX: Madrona Hill? The loony bin? Jesus Christ! You’re shipping me off to a loony bin? Elgie! You’re not!
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: Shit, are you?
BRANCH: Bernadette, you need help.
FOX: So you’re going to take Bee to Antarctica and lock me up at Madrona Hill? You can’t do that!
DR. KURTZ: We’d like you to come voluntarily.
FOX: Oh Jesus. Is that why Van is here? To keep Bee distracted with snow leopards and carousel rides while you’re locking me up?
BRANCH: You still have no concept of how ill you are, do you?
FOX: Elgie, look at me. I’m in the weeds. I can get myself out. We can get out of this together. For us. For Bee. But I won’t work with these invaders. I’m sorry, but I’ve had to pee since I got here. Or do I need doctor’s approval?
DR. KURTZ: Go right ahead—
FOX: God, it’s you! It’s him! Elgie!
BRANCH: What?
FOX: The guy I said was following me at the restaurant that night? This is him! You’ve been following me, right?
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: You weren’t supposed to know. But yes.
FOX: The point of all this is I’m supposed to be crazy. But I’m just so relieved that he has been following me, because now at least I know I’m not insane.
(BATHROOM DOOR CLOSING). (LONG SILENCE)
DR. KURTZ: I did tell you interventions aren’t my forte.
BRANCH: Bernadette was being followed. What if she did call Dr. Neergaard to cancel? Shouldn’t we at least check?
DR. KURTZ: As we discussed, doubt is a natural, even necessary component of interventions. Remember, your wife will not get help of her own volition. We want to prevent her from hitting rock bottom.
BRANCH: Isn’t that what this is now? Rock bottom?
DR. KURTZ: Rock bottom is death. This is to raise the bottom for Bernadette.
BRANCH: How is this good for Bee?
DR. KURTZ: Her mother is getting help.
BRANCH: Jesus.
DR. KURTZ: What is it?
BRANCH: Her bag. A couple of nights ago, only my bag and Bee’s were packed. This is Bernadette’s bag. Now it’s packed.
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: What are you saying?
BRANCH: Dr. Kurtz, this proves she was planning to go! Maybe she did become overreliant on the Internet and got caught up in a scam. People get their identities stolen all the time. They don’t get sent to the crazy house—
DR. KURTZ: Mr. Branch—
(KNOCKING ON BATHROOM DOOR)
BRANCH: Bernadette. I’m sorry. Let’s talk about this.
(KICKING AT DOOR)
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: We need some backup.
DR. KURTZ: Mr. Branch—
BRANCH: Let go of me. Bernadette! Why isn’t she answering? Sir—
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: Yeah, here.
BRANCH: What if she had pills, or broke a window and slit her wrists…. Bernadette!
(FRONT DOOR OPENING)
AGENT STRANG: Is there a problem?
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: She’s been in the bathroom for several minutes, and she’s not responding.
AGENT STRANG: Step back. Miss Fox!
(EXTENDED DOOR KICKING)
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: She’s not here. The water is running in the sink.
BRANCH: She’s gone?
DR. KURTZ: Is there a window—
AGENT STRANG: It’s closed. (WINDOW OPENING) The yard slopes way down. It’s too far up for her to have jumped without injury. There’s no ledge. I was at the front door. (RADIO STATIC) Kevin, you see anything?
VOICE FROM RADIO: Nobody in or out.
BRANCH: She didn’t vanish. You were standing at the bathroom door, weren’t you?
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: I stepped away for a second to look at the suitcase.
AGENT STRANG: Jesus Christ.
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: He made it sound really exciting.
DR. KURTZ: This is the only door she could have… where does it lead?
BRANCH: The basement. We never open it. It’s overgrown with blackberries. Detective, could you help?
(DOOR SCRAPING AGAINST THE FLOOR)
DR. KURTZ: Oh, God, the smell.
DETECTIVE DRISCOLL: Ghhaw.
AGENT STRANG: She obviously didn’t go down there—
(SOUND OF MOTOR STARTING)
DR. KURTZ: What is that?
BRANCH: A weed whacker. If she did go into the basement—
DR. KURTZ: There’s no way—
(LOUD MOTOR)
DR. KURTZ: Mr. Branch!
Mr. Branch did not make it far into the basement before he fell into the blackberry brambles. He emerged, bloody, his clothes frayed. His left eyelid was torn, and his eye was severely scratched. An ambulance rushed Mr. Branch to the eye clinic at Virginia Mason.
A K9 team searched the premises. There was no sign of Bernadette Fox.
PART FIVE
Dangers Passed
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14
From Dad
Bee,
Mrs. Webb called to say your giraffe mug is glazed and ready to pick up. I went by Galer Street, and the first-grade teacher gave me this good-bye poster her class made for you. It’s so colorful I thought you’d like to put it up on your dorm room wall. (I’m keeping the mug for myself, though, on the pretense that it might break in the mail!) Everyone at Galer Street sends their love, darling, from the kindergarteners on up to Gwen Goodyear.
Seattle is just how you left it. We had three days of sun, but it’s raining again now. Still no word from Mom. I remain in close contact with the cell phone and credit card companies. As soon as there’s any activity, they’ll let me know.
Remember, Bee, this whole situation has nothing to do with you. It’s a grown-up problem between your mom and me. It’s complicated, and I’m not sure I understand everything that happened. What matters most is that you know how much we both cherish you.
I’m going to D.C. next week for a meeting. I thought I could drive up to Choate, pick you up, and we can make a long weekend out of it in New York. We can stay at the Plaza, just like Eloise.
I miss you terribly. I’m always around for a phone call, or I’d love to Skype, if you ever change your mind about that.
Love,
Dad
Fax from Soo-Lin