wanting to show her.
?The problem is, I can?t remember what happened to me,? Guy said. The way Will tilted back his head made it clear he didn?t believe Guy. ?Will, he can?t remember who he is or where he lives,? Ivy added, pleading for understanding.
“That?s convenient,? Will remarked.
?Not when it rains,? Guy replied.
?I heard about you,? Will said, ?from Kelsey and Dhanya. Funny thing, Ivy didn?t mention you at all.? Guy looked from Will to Ivy, then back again. ?And nobody seems to be missing you,? Will went on. ?I wonder why a nice guy like you hasn?t been reported missing by friends or family.?
Guy nodded calmly. ?It would make you think they?re glad to be rid of me.?
?It hasn?t been that long,? Ivy said quickly. ?Just since Sunday — a week. Maybe your friends and family think you?re away on a trip and they haven?t been expecting to see or hear from you.?
Will turned to Ivy with a look that said,
Guy gave her a sardonic smile. ?How did you get to the hospital?? Will asked Guy. ?Some people walking a dog found me unconscious and called an ambulance.?
?Found you where??
?Lighthouse Beach,? Guy replied.
?In Chatham? Last Sunday, in Chatham??
?Monday, really,? Guy corrected him. ?Just after midnight.
?Must have been one helluva busy night for the EMS!?
Guy frowned. ?What do you mean??
?I sure hope you didn?t meet up with another car on Morris Island/?
?Will!? Ivy said, recognizing the accusation behind his statement. ?That?s ridiculous! They never found the car that hit us.?
?And they never found out who this guy is,? Will responded, ?or why he can?t remember anything, and why he was lying unconscious a short distance from where your car was totaled.? Will paced the room, then stopped and turned toward Guy. ?I?m sure you have a good reason for leaving the hospital wearing Ivy?s shirt. I’d think it would be a little small for you.?
?It was,? Guy said. Ivy recounted the situation seeing that with each detail she gave. Will was growing angrier. ?Let me get this straight,? Will said incredulously. ?You helped him sneak out of the hospital before he was released by his doctor — probably still needing medical attention, and before, of course, he paid any bills.?
?I followed my instinct,? Ivy replied, feeling defensive. ?I took a chance on another person. Maybe you should try it sometime!? She saw the hurt on Will?s face. Guy leaned forward slightly, catching her attention. ?You said the laundry room was off the kitchen??
?Yes.? He nodded and headed out the door. ?Will — Will, I?m sorry,? Ivy said. ?I see how upset you are. I just… felt so bad for him.? Will swallowed hard.
?You remember how terrible it was for me last summer, when I couldn?t remember things — when everyone else thought I?d tried to kill myself, when I couldn?t explain how I?d gotten to the train station. You were so good to me. You believed in me when nobody else did. You took care of me. Guy has no one to believe in or care for him.?
?The difference is,? Will said quietly, ?I already knew you. I knew the kind of person you were.? Ivy nodded. ?Yes, yes, you?ve got a point. I admit… I acted irrationally.? She didn?t add that, given the chance, she?d do it again.
Will walked over and sat on the sofa next to Ivy. He put his arms around her, pulling her close to him. ?Sometimes, Ivy, you scare the hell out of me.?
?I don?t know.? Ivy looked over her shoulder at the cottage swing, where she had left Guy?s backpack. After exchanging apologies with Will, she had checked the laundry room. Guy, his money, the angel coin, and all his wet clothes had disappeared. The red towel had been left on the washer, and the backpack in the cottage.
?He?s staying at Nickerson State Park, which is a long walk from here,? Ivy told Beth.
?We could take his pack and bedroll to the visitors? center. Maybe they have a lost and found.?
Ivy shook her head. ?Guy?s not the kind to check it out He pretty much stays out of sight.? Bern looked at Ivy sharply. ?Why??
?Just does.? Beth frowned, but she didn?t say anything more. Ivy was sure that Will had told Beth about his meeting with Guy. Beth had relayed to Ivy Will?s excuse for not joining them in Provincetown, claiming he was anxious to work with his new watercolor paper. But Ivy knew how much Will had wanted to see the town, an artists? haven. Despite the apologies, he was still upset.
The hour?long ride to the end of the Cape was uncomfortably quiet. Ivy changed CDs several times, as if she could find the right music to regain the easy connection she usually felt with Beth, and was glad when they finally pulled into a parking space.
Provincetown was as colorful and quirky as advertised. Ivy and Beth strolled in and out of the small shops and galleries that crowded its narrow streets. On the surface it seemed as if things were returning to normal between them, as they pointed out to each other the paintings they liked, the odd pieces of sculpture, and handcrafted jewelry made of mystical sea glass. At about five thirty Ivy and Beth bought two raspberry iced teas and carried them to the breakwater at the end of town. Its black boulders, flat on top, stretched a mile across Provincetown Harbor, making a rocky footpath to Long Point beach on the curling fingertip of Cape Cod. Just beyond halfway, the point at which most walkers turned back, they sat down on a smooth rock. Behind them were the crescent of Provincetown?s low buildings and the tall needle of Pilgrim Monument. Ahead were the lighthouses of Wood End and Long Point.
Ivy played with her straw, then dove into the conversation she felt they couldn?t avoid any longer. ?I guess Will told you about the fight.? Beth glanced sideways at her. ?Yeah.?
?I was surprised at Will, the way he acted toward Guy.?
?How did you expect him to act?? Beth asked. Ivy heard the prickliness in her friend?s voice. ?Understanding. Guy?s in a really bad situation.? Beth didn?t reply.
?He doesn?t know who he is or where he belongs. He tries not to show it but he?s scared. You can understand that, can?t you?? After a moment, Beth nodded.
?Guy has no idea what happened to him. Beth, I need a favor. Would you use your psychic gift like you did last year for me, and touch the clothes Guy was wearing when he was found, to see if you could access clues about what happened? Would you help him??
?Help him?? She sounded angry — disdainful— not like Beth. ?Yes, him. Beth, you can?t automatically adopt Will?s view of others.?
?1 don?t,? she snapped.
?I?m sorry,? Ivy replied, ?but in this case, you are blindly accepting what Will says. How can you judge Guy? You haven?t even met him.?
?How can you trust Guy?? Beth countered. ?You don?t even know his name.?
?But I know his. . heart,? Ivy said. ?I?m not psychic like you, but I can sense the goodness in him.?
?Will told me that you helped Guy sneak out of the hospital — skip out without paying bills, and worse, leave without understanding why he was there. Ivy, he was in a violent fight — Will saw his bruises and the cut along his throat.? Ivy looked away.
?For all you know,? Beth continued, ?Guy could have killed somebody.?
?What?!?
?Ivy, this isn?t like you,? Beth said, ?to turn your back on Will—?
?I?m not turning my back on him!?
?—and take up with some guy who is obviously using you. I don’t know what is going on, but you haven?t been yourself since the accident?
