“No. No way. Unless you mean a Snickers bar and some Starburst?”
Mrs. Maloney let out a long whoosh of air. “I’m sure you’re telling the truth. But why would someone send me that note?”
Derek shrugged.
“Why don’t we just empty out the backpack and settle the whole thing.” Mrs. Maloney kept her voice low and friendly.
“No problem.” Derek lifted the pack and started to unzip it. “I don’t get it. I totally don’t.”
Holding the pack by the sides, he upended it and shook it hard, spilling the contents onto the desk. Books. Folders. A pencil box. An iPod. A cell phone. A Snickers bar.
Samuel squinted across the room, studying the contents. As soon as he saw the silvery watch slide onto the cover of a textbook, he understood.
Mrs. Maloney raised her hands to her cheeks. “Well, my faith. That
Derek’s face had gone pale. His mouth was working up and down, but he didn’t make a sound. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Do you want to think about it?” Mrs. Maloney remained calm. No sign of anger or even surprise.
“I. . never saw it. Really.” Derek’s eyes down, shoulders slumped. Looking guilty as hell. “I don’t know how it got there. Really.”
“But it did tumble out from the bottom of your backpack, right?”
“Yes. But-”
“Derek, why don’t you gather up your belongings here and follow me to my office for a talk. Do we need to call your mother? What do you think?”
She raised her eyes to the door and saw Samuel and Daniel standing, watching the scene intently. “What are you two lads lingering there for? This is no business of yours. Go on now. Don’t miss the bus on your first day.”
“Okay. Bye,” Samuel said, turning to leave.
“See you tomorrow,” Daniel said, then quickly added, “Good luck, Derek.”
28
“We have work to do, Sammy.” Daniel pressed his forehead against the window glass as the school bus bounced along Noyac Road, the tall trees along the side making the shadows dance in his eyes.
Samuel shifted the blue canvas backpack in his lap. He knew how impatient Daniel could be. He hoped maybe he would take his time, get to know the terrain, enjoy their new family, their new home at least a few weeks before setting things in motion.
“You gave that lug Derek a good lesson, Daniel.”
Daniel tapped Samuel’s knee with his fist. “Derek is dead in the pasture. The flies are already circling him.”
Samuel laughed. But he could see the growing intensity on his twin’s face.
“Work to do, Sammy.”
“What’s your hurry, Daniel? Haven’t we got it made here?”
“We’ve waited a long time,” Daniel murmured, gazing at a deer chewing tall weeds by the roadside. “A long time, boyo.”
“But look at us now. We’re in Heaven.”
Daniel turned away from the window. He shook his head. “Sammy, it may be heaven but there’s a devil on our cloud.”
Samuel felt a chill, muscles tightening at the back of his neck. “Who is the devil?” He knew the answer.
“The new pa.”
“Maybe he didn’t mean those things we heard him say.”
Daniel narrowed his eyes at Samuel. “He meant them. He said he didn’t want us to come. He didn’t want Mum to bring us here. And he didn’t want us to live in the little house in the backyard. Why? Because he didn’t know if he could trust us.”
That made Samuel giggle. “He
Daniel didn’t smile. His normally pale cheeks had turned rosy pink. “Pa doesn’t like us, Sammy. He doesn’t want us here. And he shouted at Mum. You saw him shout at Mum because she wants to make us happy and give us everything we want.”
“But, Daniel-”
“He doesn’t want us to be happy. Pa doesn’t want to give us the things we want. You heard him. You heard every word. We have work to do. We have plans, boyo. We cannot let the new pa stand in our way.”
Samuel felt the chill again. “What are you thinking, Daniel? Why are you saying all this? We can’t
“He’s a devil, Sammy. A devil in our heaven.”
Samuel grabbed his brother’s wrist. “Don’t think it. We can’t do that to Mum.”
“You’re right. You’re the sensible guy, Sammy. As sensible as potatoes in chowder. We don’t want to kill Pa. We just have to keep him busy.”
Samuel shook his head. The backpack suddenly felt heavy in his lap. He let it slide to the bus floor. “Keep him busy?”
Daniel nodded. He had that thoughtful look in his eyes that Samuel knew well.
“How do we keep him busy? What do you mean?”
A thin smile played over Daniel’s lips. “I have some ideas. We can keep him real busy, Sammy. Maybe with the coppers.”
29
Mark watched from the front window as the dark blue Audi pulled up the driveway. A young man with a thick head of wavy brown hair and a seriously tanned face climbed out. He leaned into the car to retrieve a slender laptop case, then walked crisply to the front door, straightening his red necktie and buttoning his dark suit jacket as he walked.
Autumn had left ten minutes earlier, weighed down by a tall stack of folders. She offered Mark several meaningful glances as she left. In return, he gave her a comic wave and a goofy grin, keeping it light.
If only he could move back the clock. Would he move it? Maybe not. Moments before, he had kept his eyes on her long, slim legs under the short skirt as she bent to pick up the folders, and felt himself start to get erect again.
Roz had returned with a trunk load of grocery bags and a screaming, hungry Axl. Mark emptied the car for her. He saw the twins tossing a tennis ball back and forth in the backyard. He thought about joining them. But it was time for his meeting with this man from the institute.
What was his name? Hulenberger? Something like that.
Mark had suggested they meet and have tea at the American Hotel on Main Street in town. That way there wouldn’t be kids underfoot, running in and out, demanding his immediate attention. Elena was already angry that he
