Chapter Forty-Three

SUSAN WAS ALERTED to the atmosphere at the house before I was. She sat bolt upright in the seat beside me, as though she could smell the discontent on the wind. At the end of the long drive, I stopped the driver we’d hitched a ride with. Susan’s hand was warm in mine as we walked toward the house, where Angelica, Vinny, Effie, and Clay were waiting for us on the porch. Vinny’s mean eyes drew my attention first. And then I saw Angelica and noticed something in her eyes too. She’d been crying, but it was more than that. She was a woman who seemed blessed with an overabundance of confidence and self-worth—an intolerable amount at times. Now all that bluster had been stripped away. She looked vulnerable. Susan jogged up to her and took her by the arms.

“What happened?”

Angelica dissolved into tears. Susan hugged her tight.

“Some asshole came in here—” Vinny began.

“No. Let me say it. It happened to me,” Angelica snapped, swiping at her eyes as Susan released her. The old gangster was silenced immediately. Angelica took a deep breath and grew a couple of inches as she did. I witnessed her resuming her usual regal bearing as clearly and deliberately as a person called upon to switch roles in a game of charades.

“A man came into the house,” Angelica said, her lip trembling. “I let him in, having mistaken him for a potential guest and feeling it necessary to assume the temporary role of proprietor.”

I glanced at Clay Spears, who was watching me knowingly. I got the sinking feeling he’d soon be taking me off to speak to me alone.

“The man intimidated me into allowing him to enter my private bedroom,” Angelica continued, her chin raised in indignation. “He… he directed me and—and asked me to do things in a manner which made me believe he intended me physical harm should I not comply with his wishes.”

“Oh God.” Susan was still standing before Angelica, rubbing her arms. “What did—Did he—”

“He had assumed I was home alone,” Angelica said, her chin rising higher still. “In my haste to assist our ostensible guest I forgot completely about our resident recluse. Mr. Ives arrived in the midst of my ordeal and encouraged the intruder to leave, with the use of a hand grenade. Reluctantly, and with much posturing, he did.”

“A hand grenade!” I gaped. “Where in the world did Neddy get a hand grenade?”

I looked around. Effie’s attention was suddenly completely consumed by the pet rat in her pocket.

“Effie, do you have hand grenades in your room?” I barked.

She sighed and slumped her shoulders.

“Effie, answer me.”

She rolled her eyes.

“The guy came here looking for you, Bill,” Vinny said and pointed at me, the tendons in his neck taut with rage. “He asked for you by name. Came in a truck with DRIVER CONSTRUCTION SERVICES written on the side. You know this guy?”

Susan and I met eyes. I didn’t answer.

“Who the hell have you pissed off now?” Vinny continued. “Has all this got something to do with you looking like you were just in a car wreck?”

I said nothing, brushed the dirt off the front of my jeans.

“What have you done? Huh?” Vinny shook his head. “Last time, it was gangsters driving by the house, shooting machine guns through the windows. Now we got some psycho comin’ in here trying to mess with our women.”

“I’m not your woman,” Angelica snarled. “I’m not anyone’s woman. I’m my own woman. He messed with me. So if you are going to explain yourself to anyone, Bill, it should be me.”

“I’m gonna find this prick.” Spittle flew from Vinny’s clenched teeth as he spoke. “I’m gonna put his head in a vice.”

“No, you’re not,” Angelica said. “We’re going to have him hauled into a police station and charged for being a sexual predator. Isn’t that right, Clay?”

Clay Spears hadn’t taken his eyes off me. He was leaning against the porch pillar, his huge arms folded across his chest.

“Probably not,” Clay said.

“What?” Angelica said, squinting at him.

“From what you’ve told me,” Clay said, “you willingly let him in. He walked with you to your bedroom and asked you to show him your underwear. At no time did he touch you or overtly threaten you. I believe you, Angelica, about what happened. Of course I do. But I know how this would play out in a courtroom. You’d have to sit there and watch while a judge dismissed the charges against this guy for lack of evidence. Then you’d have to continue sitting there, watching while Effie is charged with possessing a deadly weapon. I bet there’s a whole arsenal of illegal firearms and explosives in her room, which will be all the evidence a judge needs.”

We all looked at Effie. She gave a resentful huff.

“Look,” I said and put my hands out, trying my best to sound reassuring and confident. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Yes, there’s a guy in town who’s after me. A friend of mine got into a confrontation with him and she has roped us all into it. The situation is… it’s escalating. We may also be in trouble on Nick’s side of things, too. He’s uh…” I held my head, suddenly exhausted. “There are guys from his past who maybe want to address some things that Nick’s unit did back in Afghanistan.”

They all waited for me to explain further. I couldn’t.

“That is the thinnest, vaguest explanation of a potentially deadly predicament that I have ever heard,” Angelica said. “There are some guys after you, and a separate set of guys after Nick? And they’re all coming here?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I can’t say.”

Angelica stood there with her mouth open, appalled. Effie and Vinny looked much the same. Somewhere above us, I heard a window slide shut. Neddy Ives had probably been listening to my pathetic explanation and had decided he’d heard enough. The only person who looked unsurprised by it all was Clay. I let out a heavy sigh and turned to him.

“Shall we?” I asked, beckoning toward the beach.

He nodded, and we walked off the porch together.