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“Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
“Someone paid them, sir. We don’t know why.”
“But…Marcus is still dead. Killed by a vampyr, right?”
Barbara hesitated. “Right now, it looks that way,” she said.
This time Janice spoke. Slowly, like someone gradually coming out of a trance. “I remember when Todd Danes was killed. I was angry that people here wanted to kill an entire colony for the sins of one individual. I told my parents it was barbaric…” She paused. “But it’s different, isn’t it? When it’s your own son, your only child.” She took a trembling breath. Her husband reached for her hand. “So, can you promise me, whoever is responsible, you’ll make sure they pay?”
Barbara knew she shouldn’t promise. Too easily given. Too easily broken.
She swallowed. “I promise I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”
Janice stared at her and, finally, she gave a small nod. “What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about Marcus. Tell me about your son.”
The woman’s face softened, and Barbara could almost see a little life trickle back into her eyes. “He was a good boy. I guess all parents say that. I had him late, and he was two weeks late arriving. That became a bit of a joke with Marcus. How he was never in a rush. He was placid, unhurried. Like, he was a little slow on the walking front, but once he got there, he ran everywhere. We used to say: ‘He’ll get there in the end and then he’ll make up for lost time…’ ” She paused, perhaps realizing that there would be no more time to make up for Marcus.
She reached for a glass of water on the table, took a sip.
“Marcus grew up here in Deadhart?” Barbara asked.
“That’s right. We took over the general store from my parents when they retired.”
“When did Marcus become friends with Stephen and Jacob?”
“Stephen and Marcus grew up together. And they stayed close, even though they were pretty different kids.”
“How so?”
“Well, Stephen was always the leader—you know, the one who would shout the loudest, call the shots. Marcus was quieter. He’d kind of go along.”
Which matched up with what Kurt Mowlam had said about Marcus being easily led.
“And what about Jacob?” Barbara asked.
Janice’s face clouded. “If I’m honest, we weren’t crazy about the friendship.”
“Why?”
She hesitated, and Ed jumped in:
“It’s not Jacob. It’s his dad, Nathan. He’s not exactly popular around here.”
“Because of what happened with Todd Danes?”
“He knew Todd was meeting that vampyr and he didn’t tell anyone.”
“People blamed him,” Barbara said.
She didn’t like Nathan Bell, but she was starting to feel some sympathy for him. Here, he would always be a reminder of something terrible that had happened. Forever associated with his friend’s death. And people wanted a scapegoat. Someone to pin something on.
Barbara paused, giving them both a moment, and then asked, “Did Marcus ever talk about the Colony?”
“Just the usual stuff,” Ed said. “I mean, teens, they’re all interested in the Colony—morbid curiosity and all that.”
