“Gary, I’ve got to run. I’m going to find him.”
“Jacob, wait!”
He ran up the stairs. When Gary tried to follow, Sheryl took his cane and moved it across the room. She smiled at him, showing her teeth.
“You have to stay a little longer and tell me more about your passions.”
He shouted from his chair.
“Get my cane! Please!”
“Gary, a struggling artist like you could use a little rest.”
As he went out the door he looked back. Gary was staring at his cane and Sheryl was leaning forward, her chin resting on her hands, waiting to hear more.
CHAPTER 21
It was dark out already, but Jake knew where he was going. A few women passed as they walked to the common building. He waved and started walking faster down the hill. The wind blew the palm tree leaves around in circles, and he could hear the water crashing on the beach. The first day he’d seen Abram Samuels and his red- brimmed hat, he’d been walking out of Building B. Jake bet that he lived in the building too.
He went down the hill and made sure he had his notebook with him. He almost felt cold in the t-shirt he was wearing. It clung to him in the wind and stuck against his stomach. He glanced at the open page of his notebook- only “Charlotte Ward” was written there. Then he looked down the hill. It couldn’t be happening, not again. But he’d seen it all before-the door to Building B was open.
He started running. It didn’t make sense that something would happen again, this soon. It couldn’t have happened. And with Charlotte already gone, who else could anyone want? Unless someone wanted to find Abram. The door was swinging in the wind. He could see it flashing underneath the lights that lit the path. He ran to the door and jumped into the hallway.
“Jake? What are you doing?”
Mel had a camera in her hands and was standing in front of Charlotte’s room. Jake rubbed his hands on his knees and pushed back his hair. He tucked in his shirt, hoping she wouldn’t notice his exhaustion.
“Oh, Mel. Hi. I was just coming down this way.”
She walked closer toward him and he stood still, breathing heavily. Her hair was down and ran to her collarbone. She was wearing a dress with blue flowers, and when she got closer she smelled like them too. She twisted the lens cap on her camera.
“You look like you were in a hurry.”
“Uh, I was.”
“I can tell.”
“Do I look that tired?”
“A little,” she said and started laughing. “Actually, a lot.”
“Sorry. I ran down here. I saw the door open and I just got worried.”
“Worried? About what?”
She looked him in the eye. Even in the soft light of the hallway, her eyes were bright. Mel was still holding the camera, and he looked down the hallway at Charlotte’s room.
“What were you doing here?”
“Oh, I was taking pictures. Charlotte’s daughter-sorry, designee-is coming down soon. And usually they resell. So…”
She gestured to the camera and shrugged her shoulders. The flowers were an even brighter blue against her tan arms.
“I see. The process happens quickly.”
“It does. Lots of paperwork.”
They stood there for a moment. He put his notebook in his back pocket and made sure not to let her see the page with Charlotte’s name. It had happened a little too quickly. Before either of them said anything, a middle aged man appeared next to Jake.
“Oh,” Mel said. “Hi Javier.”
The man walked forward. He was wearing a light blue jumpsuit that looked too tight at the chest and too big at the legs, like they’d come from separate uniforms. Jake moved to the side and Mel introduced them.
“Javier, this is Jake.”
The man nodded and walked past. He had a paint can in his hand.
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s just touching up the door. There was some damage on the side, and since we can’t go in, we do what we can now to make things nice.”
“There was damage?”
“Yes. Charlotte always ran her walker into the frame.”
Her walker. He didn’t know if he should say anything. He didn’t want to hear what Mel would say back. She spoke first.
“So wait-what were you doing down here?”
At the end of the hall, Javier leaned down and started painting.
“I just…” he started. Then he stopped. Nothing. He was bad at excuses.
“You said you were worried?”
“Yes.”
“What were you worried about?”
She brushed her hair back with one finger. A flick.
“I thought…I thought I would miss seeing you before the day ended.”
“You did?”
She smiled. Even tan skin could blush.
“I heard you were down here, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss seeing you.”
Javier painted the door and erased the damage. The traces.
“Who told you I was down here?”
“Someone.” He couldn’t think up a name. “An elderly woman.”
“Who?”
He was sweating again.
“She had white hair.” Like that narrowed it down.
“Mrs. Costello?” Apparently that did narrow it down.
“Maybe it was her.”
“She’s a sweetheart.”
Mel looked good. No bags under her eyes. Just a smile. She parted her lips barely, then thought of something to say.
“So, your meeting with fate is coming soon, right?”
“Meeting with fate?”
“Mr. Rothschild. Aren’t you two having lunch?”
“Oh. That’s right. I didn’t know he was fate.”
“Then you don’t know him very well.”
Javier walked past them, the weight of the paint can causing him to lean slightly to the left. He took the rock out from where it propped open the door and let it close. They were alone now. No one would know what Mel told him. No one would know what he asked her about Charlotte.
“So the designee is coming soon?”
“Yes. Then it’s her property. We don’t normally go inside until then. It’s just policy. I haven’t met her before. She sounded like she would be OK.”
“That’s something.”
