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Chapter 10
The beginning of a long weekend. Columbus Day used to be an excuse for a party on Sea View, but this year, Pam couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do less. Nights were spent alone in front of the TV in the den, watching reruns ofLaw and Order, working on a crochet project, or lying in bed, eating junk and reading, or sitting on the veranda, alone, watching those lighted fishing boats returning to port.
Faithfully, Blake Gage stayed in touch, taking her to lunch on Saturday, or to a matinee midweek if he had the day off. That was enough for Pam.
But when Rene was working late, Dan would slip into Pam’s house, and she would silently take him to her bed. It was all she needed from Dan, for now. Guilty feelings weren’t allowed, and when she saw Rene on the beach in front of Lisa’s house for those Sunday afternoons, she was Aunt Pam. The memory of Dan’s body, his tongue, his hands, would melt her, and she’d turn away, choosing to play with her grandchildren to banish the thoughts.
It was still warm out in October, warm enough for the beach, for sand castles and beachcombing, and she spent more time with Lisa’s children and Brent playing there.
She was with little Madelyn, who loved digging in the sand, when Pam sensed someone was approaching.
“Mother, what the hell are you doing?”
“Oh! Is it too cold to have the baby this close to the water?”
“No. I mean with Dan. I saw him going into your house.”
“When?”
“Stop it! I was out, and I saw him letting himself in. Why are you doing this?”
“Why do you think?” she asked, looking into her daughter’s eyes. “For the same reason you and Lily Porter are doing whatever you’re doing.”
Lisa hoped the shock didn’t show on her face. “What do you mean?”
“You’re just like your father.”
“Mother, what the hell does that mean?”
Pam leaned forward, her eyes on fire. “Laura saw you with her on the beach,” she hissed. “Laura and Will. It was obvious, Lisa.”
“Why are you bringing this up now?” Lisa asked, hating feeling embarrassed. She was trying to save her family.
“Don’t hurt Ryan for a lark,” Pam said. “He would be devastated.”
“Ryan would ask to join in,” Lisa said, sitting on the beach next to her mother. “I had reasons to engage her. It just has gotten out of hand, and now I don’t know how to stop it.”
“Why did you do it? Boredom?”
“Initially, it was to try to get her to stop with the incest thing. She’d already talked to Alan Stone about Ryan and Alison. I just got her to admit that she was bisexual, and I used it against her. Her parents would disown her, she claims. So I figured if I had something on her, she’d leave my family alone.”
“Okay, well, you’ve accomplished that, so end it.”
“I plan on it. But now she’s threatening me.”
“Oh, Lisa, no! What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure. Let her go to the police, I guess.”
She had tried, but Lily got hysterical. “I can’t live without you,” she’d cried. “Please don’t do this to me.”
The week before, Lily had showed up at the cottage during the day. The children were home from school, Daniela was fixing them a snack, and Lisa was chasing Madelyn around the house when someone knocked at the front door.
“Why are people suddenly using the front?” Daniela asked.
“I’ll get it,” Lisa said, swooping Madelyn up.
When she saw Lily there, the surprise was incomparable; she stood with her mouth open, dumbstruck.
