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Again, not a question that was looking for an answer—especially one that involved any urging her into making a statement about the man.
“You’ve known him for a long time.” Lydia sat forward. “Haven’t you.”
“Not really.”
Shaking her head, Lydia said softly, “I can’t tell you why this is important. But you’ve got to help me.”
Candy put her knitting aside, stood up, and walked out.
“This is going well,” Daniel muttered as he played with one bear’s ears.
The sounds of rustling in the kitchen percolated out to where they were sitting, a refrigerator door opening and closing, cutlery knocking into a plate, something being poured. When Candy came back, she had apple pie with ice cream on it and a cup of steaming coffee. The mug was orange and black, and shaped like a pumpkin. Clearly a holdover from October’s decor.
As the woman sat down again, Daniel remarked, “So you don’t do Thanksgiving?”
“Nah, that’s for families and I don’t have any really.” She forked up some of the apple pie and put it in her mouth. Then she immediately went to the satellite ice cream scoop for a chaser. “I’m a Christmas girl ’cuz Santa comes to everybody. And just let me eat this in peace first, ’kay? Then we’ll get to the Eastwind shit.”
Maybe they were finally going to get something from somebody, Daniel thought as he lifted his feet up to accommodate the train.
Man, he was tired of wild-goose chases, he mused as he discreetly glanced over his shoulder. Through a gap in the lace curtain, he saw a second of Phalen’s blacked-out SUV sitting at the head of the driveway, on the rural road. The damn thinglooked about as subtle as a grenade on a teacup’s saucer.
As he refocused on Lydia, he didn’t mind the obvious presence—not that he expected any trouble. Walters was a quiet little town, but even people who lived in quiet little towns had cell phones and 911. If whoever was coming for them had any brains, they wouldn’t try something in broad daylight.
Candy went through the pie the way she did her conversation, with no dawdling and no fuss. She also didn’t seem to worry about things like the careful rationing of ice cream and pie or regular coffee sips to balance the palate. She just got the job done, and then put the clean plate and fork aside and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin she took out of the pocket of her handmade sweater.
“He came here,” she said.
As Lydia jerked to attention, Candy nodded. “Yesterday. Told me I should expect a visit from you.”
“You’re kidding.” Lydia looked across at Daniel. Looked back at the woman. “How did he know I would—”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. He just informed me that I was to tell you to move into that house and take over from him.”
“Yes… he left me a weird note about that and some money?” Lydia shook her head. “But I’m not going to be a sheriff—”
“He’s not talking about the law, Lydia. And don’t pretend you don’t know what he means.”
Candy stared across the room as the train came back around by the couch. Once more, Daniel lifted up his feet first and then Lydia did the same, and then the choo-choo headed back toward the tree in the corner.
“Listen, you don’t need to waste time trying to bullshit me,” the older woman said quietly. “You’re different, just like he was. I knew it from the moment you walked in the door at WSP and applied for the position as our head biologist. But hey, I believe people are allowed their privacy, especially when it’s about stuff I don’t understand.”
Daniel ran a hand down his face and checked on Lydia. She had lowered her eyes and was churning her hands in her lap.
“It’s okay,” Candy announced. Like she was declaring that a new law of physics worked within all existing rules of time and space. “I won’t say nothing. B’sides, who the fuck would believe me? ’Cuz you’re right. I’ve known that SOB for forty years and he hasn’t aged one day. Meanwhile, look at me. I’m turning into a goddamn Golden Girl—”
“But I don’t know what he means. Take care of what—”
“I didn’t like him.” Candy held up her hand like she was swearing on a Bible in court. “Not because he was evil, but because he lied to everyone, andexpected to get away with it. He thought we were stupid and didn’t notice things. Well, I did. I just kept my mouth shut about it.”
“The mountain,” Daniel breathed.
When both women looked at him, he only focused on Lydia. Studying her face, he felt as though pieces were fitting together. Finally.
“He wants you to take care of the mountain,” he heard himself say. “He’s giving it to you, the place you love the most. The place… where your people are. That’s your future, Lydia.”
At that last part, he could feel himself getting teary. And yet it was okay. If he had to leave her, at least he would know she had a higher purpose, one that would serve her as much as she served it.
“Ding, ding, ding,” Candy murmured. “Somebody get this man a jelly donut.”
