“Maybe that won’t be necessary,” said Owen.
“That’s the idea,” she said. “The boss seems to think it’ll work, but I’m not convinced. Don’t get me wrong: murder is obviously preferable to babysitting. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be here. I’m just not sure it’s worth the risk.”
“How are you going to do it?” said Owen.
“I haven’t decided yet,” she said. “The boss gave me some options. I’ll run them past Graham and see what he thinks. It won’t be fancy, but I’ll make it special. That’s the least I can do for an old friend.”
She spat on the ground, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and took out another cigarette.
“Let me show you where you’ll be staying,” said Owen. “Once you’ve had a chance to settle in, I’ll tell Graham you’re here. He’s been asking about you all night, and the sooner you talk to him, the sooner he’ll calm down.”
They walked past Josh and went inside. Josh finally admitted to himself that Richard had been correct about at least one thing: Hamilton Estate was a sanctuary for evil. To make matters worse, Graham had at least two accomplices, and they were planning a murder. He got to his feet and gazed at the house, chilled to the bone. As he watched, a light blinked on upstairs and Sophie’s silhouette materialized behind the curtains. Josh was afraid she might look out and see him. He turned, hurried up the steps without paying attention to where he was going, and ran into Graham.
Graham gave a startled yelp.
“I’m sorry,” said Josh. “I didn’t see you.”
“A common problem of mine,” said Graham. He sidled around Josh so he could have an unrestricted view of the marina and squinted into the mist. “Tell me, have you noticed anything strange out here?”
“Like what?” said Josh.
Graham shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Hamilton Estate is a peculiar place.”
“It’s just an old house,” said Josh. “It seems normal enough to me.”
“Is that what your grandfather told you to say?” said Graham.
Josh was too surprised to reply. Graham laughed.
“Yes, I know who you are, Josh,” he said. “We haven’t been officially introduced, but your family occupies a special place in my heart. I apologize for making your grandfather so uncomfortable earlier. Social nuances are sometimes lost on me. I’m delighted to meet you, but I can’t help wondering—what are you doing out here?”
“Nothing,” said Josh, trying desperately to come up with an explanation that would convince Graham. His mind went back to the beginning of the reception when his biggest concern had been trying to comprehend his feelings about Lisa. “You see, there’s this girl. I didn’t think I liked her, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Ah,” said Graham. “That explains everything. Unrequited love is an excellent reason to mope around in the dead of night. I sympathize. It’s awful when the object of your affections fails to reciprocate your devotion. The only solution is to wander out into the lonely darkness and reflect upon the cruelty of the world. I’ve done the same thing myself on many occasions.”
Josh couldn’t tell if Graham was commiserating with him or mocking him, but either way, he was glad the conversation had drifted into trivial territory.
“How did you know Molly was special?” he said.
“Molly?” said Graham.
“That’s her name, isn’t it?” said Josh.
“Yes, of course,” said Graham. “Well, I wasn’t sure at first, but then a voice came out of nowhere and told me I was going to marry her. I’ve been hearing voices my whole life. You probably think I’m crazy, but I’m not. There’s a perfectly logical explanation for the whole thing. It’s actually very convenient.”
“What is?” said Josh.
“Not having to think for myself,” said Graham. “It’s a great relief. You’ll understand when you’re older. In the meantime, try not to be too hard on yourself. There’s no shame in being conflicted about love. It’s a long road with no guarantee of happiness at the end. Maybe you should confide in your parents. I’m sure they could give you some good advice. They’ve somehow managed to stick it out, through the good and the bad. You and your siblings are incredibly lucky to have them. Isn’t it nice when families get along?”
“Yes,” said Josh in bewilderment. “It is.”
“It’s a shame about your grandfather,” said Graham. “I can’t help feeling he’s the odd man out. It’s sad, but it’s not very surprising, considering what he did to your father.”
“What are you talking about?” said Josh.
“Don’t you know?” said Graham. “A long time ago, when your father was at college, there was an explosion at the library where he was studying. It was an accident, of course. The ceiling caved in, and everything caught on fire. Your father was badly burned. He was taken to the hospital, but he wasn’t expected to survive.”
“That’s not true,” said Josh in disgust. “My parents would have no reason to keep something like that a secret.”
“Haven’t you ever wondered why your father stays safely on the sidelines of your life, cheering you on, but never participating in any of the fun?” said Graham. “He doesn’t want you to realize how hopelessly impaired he actually is.”
“But he’s not,” said Josh. As the words left his mouth, doubt entered his mind. What if Graham knew something he didn’t know? It would explain a lot of things. He suddenly remembered an incident from his early childhood, and his blood ran cold. He had asked his father to play baseball with him, and his mother had scolded him as if he had done a terrible thing. He had never made the same mistake again.
“Have you ever been to a burn unit?” said Graham. “It’s truly dreadful—seared flesh and cracked skin and charred bones. The only thing worse than how it looks is how it smells, and the only thing worse than how it smells is how it sounds. The screaming is so disturbing that it echoes in your head long after you leave,
