Even his own family had a secret history. Why wouldn’t Dad talk about the war?
What had happened there to make him clam up whenever it was
mentioned? And what did he keep locked in that box?
Jack realized that he too had a secret: exposing Steve’s father. He couldn’t tel
anyone about it. Yeah, some people would cal him a hero, but sure as the sun rose every morning, Steve would eventual y find out. And Steve would
hate him. Soon everyone in town would be looking at him strangely, and holding their tongues when he was about.
Because everybody had secrets.
Jack simply wanted to come and go as he pleased, with no one taking any
special notice of him. Just another face in the crowd.
Just … Jack.
Movement across the lake caught his eye. He watched a gray limousine—looked
like a Bentley—pul up before the Lodge and stop in the pool of light
around its entrance. A uniformed driver hopped out and opened the rear door. A
very tal man in a white suit unfolded himself from the passenger
compartment. He had black, slicked-back hair but Jack couldn’t make out his
face at this distance.
The man sauntered to the front steps of the Lodge, but instead of going inside,
he stopped and turned in Jack’s direction. He seemed to be staring
directly at Jack. But how could that be? Jack was sitting in deep shadow. No way
the man could see him.
Yet he kept staring, and it made Jack uncomfortable. Final y he turned and
disappeared inside. The chauffeur fol owed him in, lugging two large
suitcases.
Was he moving in? Into the Lodge itself? Jack had never heard of anyone actual
y living there.
Mr. Chal is’s words came back to him:
Was that him? If so, he was one creepy guy. And why had he seemed to be
staring at him?
Jack wanted to keep his distance from that place. The arrests of Mr. Brussard
and Chal is, and Chal is’s confession about how they’d kil ed Boruff
according to “sacred rites,” had embarrassed the Lodge. Better they didn’t know
he’d been instrumental in that.
And stil … he had a feeling he wasn’t through with the Lodge.
As for what he’d seen outside Steve’s house last night … better not talk about
that. Had he real y seen
shot through him Saturday night when Mr. Brussard had stepped into
the trap and given himself away. Al because of Jack, who had come upon a bad
circumstance, a broken situation, and fixed it.
What a rush … maybe like what Steve felt when he drank or popped a pil . At
least Steve’s mother was aware of that now. Hopeful y she’d get him some help.
But as for Jack … he was hooked on that feeling. If he saw a chance to do
another fix, he’d go for it.
He could hardly wait.
