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“A gift.” Maybe. Maybe not. An aunt, somewhere up north. Family.
Piper nodded uncertainly, but then her best friend, Beck, pulled Henry into a hug, and everyone was laughing, moving toward cars, ready to head to next events. There was a big party at Piper’s tonight. And Henry had the feeling that life, real life, was about to begin. He let the feeling swell and carry him along, away from Detective West and his grim expressions.
It would be a long time before he opened that envelope.
19
Bracken
June 2018
May dozed beside him and he could feel the storm coming, something about the air, a sizzle, a kind of electricity. Today, the shops had been packed, people stocking up on bottled water, nonperishable food and supplies. He always marveled at this. He was a minimalist, but evenhehad a storeroom of supplies. In a place where the weather could be violent and unpredictable, where roads got washed out and you might be stranded, didn’t it just make good sense to plan ahead and not be caught last-minute scrambling for the things you need?
The last storm that had come through here had the power down for days, roads impassable. He’d had one family stranded at Overlook for three extra nights. If not for his big truck, he wouldn’t have been able to get to them, bring them supplies, let them charge their phones in his truck. They offered to pay him, but of course he didn’t accept. That was against his personal code as a host. Help whenever possible, free of charge. In return they left him the most glowing review he’d ever received:Bracken, our host, was a true hero. Making it to us over impassable roads, bringing supplies and letting us stay on until we could get our car out, free of charge. I wish all people were like him. The world would be a better place. He took “superhost” to a whole new level.
The woman, what was her name? Lara? She had a dragonfly tattoo on her hip. It was pretty, tasteful. In the shower she rubbed her soapy hand on it, like it was some kind of charm or worry stone.
“Stay tonight?” May whispered now as he tried to shift away from her. She lay a hand on his arm.
He turned and picked up her hand, kissed it. “I can’t tonight.”
“Youcan. If you want to.” It wasn’t like her to ask for more than he offered. Usually she didn’t even stir when he left in the night. He’d never stayed until morning. With a kid in the house, it just wasn’t right. Even when Leilani wasn’t there, she was there—her toys, books, little girl all around.
“I’ll stay a while longer,” he said, settling back. Outside, the moon was high and full.
She moved in closer to him, and he dropped an arm around her.
“Okay,” she said.
He toyed with it. The idea of staying here. Being here with May. But he couldn’t, his other desires an itch he couldn’t scratch. An appetite he couldn’t sate. He waited until her breathing became steady, then he slipped from the bed.
In her small, tidy kitchen, he picked up his phone and clicked onto the camera app. Mako, Cricket, and Hannah were in the hot tub. Liza, it seemed, had turned in early, a motionless form in the master suite. Bruce sat at the desk in the second big bedroom, his face blue in the light from the screen.
Bracken saw Bruce bring the phone to his ear and he clicked on the audio.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s right. Okay.”
He was grim and serious. People were so into their work, thought it was so important.Get outside, he wanted to shout.Enjoy your wife, the stars.
But if there was one thing he learned it was that you could only help people so much, at a certain point they had to help themselves.
“I just need to be sure that no one gets hurt.”
Woah. What was that now?
“My wife,” he said. “This is going to be so hard on her.”
Bruce nodded at whatever was being said on the other line. Bracken strained to hear, but it was muffled, a female voice maybe. “Yes, I know. You’re right. It’s time.”
When Bruce hung up the phone, he dumped his head into his hand. Bracken watched him a moment.What do you have going on, Bruce?
Bracken clicked through the rest of the rooms.
Where was the other guy?
A quick check of the driveway camera showed that one of the cars was gone. They should have everything they needed, he thought with mild annoyance; no reason for an intoxicated run into town.
Joshua. The mystery man.
