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“I believe so,” Quentin said. “Though of course, should I be wrong, I’ll be here waiting. If for some reason she comes back, I’ll be here. You won’t see her on Atticus Line, but you’ll see something else—the other, final part of my investigation.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“There have to be more bodies. Don’t you agree? I don’t think we found them all. But soon, I’ll know for sure.” Quentin stood up. “My family will be home soon. Goodbye, Mr.and Mrs.Carter. Have a good life.” He turned and walked into the house.
We didn’t speak. Eddie put the car in gear. Detective Quentin didn’t come back out of the house as we pulled away.
—
Twenty minutes later, we were parked on the shoulder of Atticus Line, looking at the sign that had been placed at the side of the road.
“I can’t believe it,” Eddie said. “This seems like a bad idea.”
“Terrible,” I agreed.
A car passed us, and then another. There was traffic here now. The breeze blew in the trees on an innocent weekend afternoon. Atticus Line was peaceful, bucolic. No longer haunted. There were no lights or strange winds, no sudden thunderstorms. In fact, it was beautiful.
Except for the sign.
It was ten feet high, at least six feet wide, overpowering the road. It had a drawing depicting a building of cream brick and glass, with gaudy brass-colored doors. In the drawing, the sprawling building was surrounded by a landscape of parking lot. The lettering across the top read: watch this site! future location of the coldlake falls mall!
“A mall,” Eddie said, shocked. “They’re building a mall.”
I tried not to shudder. There was no money, no power on earth that would get me to walk through the fake-brass doors of the Coldlake Falls Mall. Not now, not ever.
“This is what Quentin was talking about,” Eddie said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He pointed up and down Atticus Line. “In order to build this mall, they’re going to dig. Everywhere.”
There have to be more bodies. Don’t you agree?
When they found them, Detective Quentin would be waiting. Whoever was out there, lost and forgotten—he’d find them and remember them again.
Eddie started the car and put it in gear. He took my hand in his. And we drove away.
