“Why did Richard give you this?” said Lisa.
Josh glanced over his shoulder.
“Oh, probably because Graham wants it,” he said.
Lisa’s heart leaped up into her throat. With shaking hands, she stuffed the notebook into his backpack.
“Josh, what on earth were you thinking?” she said with more frustration than she intended. “You shouldn’t have brought it here. Graham is always wandering around on the beach with Molly. He could show up at any moment.”
“Lisa, we’d see him coming before he got anywhere near us,” said Josh. “I know we need to be careful, but this is the safest place we could be right now. Graham can’t sneak up on us here.”
Lisa wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed at the glowing horizon until her eyes ached from the brightness of the sun reflecting off the water. She knew he was right, but her fear suggested otherwise. Josh sat down beside her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish we could focus on each other instead of having to worry about all this other stuff. What do you think I should do with the notebook? I’ve been carrying it around, but I don’t want to take it to school tomorrow, and I certainly don’t want to leave it at the apartment. My dad might find it.”
“Why don’t you just get rid of it?” said Lisa.
“Richard said it might be useful if Graham did something crazy, but I’m not sure it’s worth the risk,” said Josh. “Graham doesn’t know I have it, but he’s got a knack for figuring things out, and it’s making me feel paranoid.”
Lisa realized she wasn’t alone in her fear. Josh was just as worried as she was—maybe even more, now that Graham had a reason to come after him. His anxiety forced her to ignore her own. Not knowing what to say, she took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. He smiled at her, and some of the tension left his face, but he still looked worried. She hated to see him under so much pressure.
“Josh, if Richard gave you the notebook, you can do whatever you want with it,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about pleasing him. He’s not even here. Besides, he never should have dumped it on you, especially if it’s dangerous, and it’s unreasonable for him to expect you to drag it around with you for the rest of your life.”
“It would be a relief to know it’s not just lying around for someone to find,” said Josh. “If Graham wants it, I’d rather not let him have it. He obviously doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong. Besides, I saw what the drug did to my mom, and I don’t want anyone else to suffer like that.”
“Well, there’s your answer,” said Lisa.
“That’s what I thought, I just wanted to get your opinion about it,” said Josh. “If we destroy it once and for all, we won’t have to worry about it anymore. I’ve been trying to decide how to dispose of it. I was going to burn it to prevent Graham from salvaging it, but I couldn’t do it at the apartment for obvious reasons.” He reached into his backpack again and retrieved the notebook and a cigarette lighter. “I don’t see any reason to wait, do you?”
“No,” said Lisa. “I think it’s the right decision.”
Josh wasted no more time. He tore the pages out of the notebook and set them on fire. Lisa watched as the orange flames reduced the information to ashes that blew away on the breeze. She thought she had never been in a stranger situation, but she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be, sitting beside Josh in the bright sun, helping him destroy the deadly blueprint of Peterson’s research. When the deed was done, she saw the relief on his face.
“There,” he said. “It’s gone, and Graham can’t get it anymore.”
They spent the afternoon together, and then they returned to the house, taking their time. Lisa’s trepidation increased as she anticipated visiting Josh’s mother, but she kept her feelings to herself. Josh waited for her in the driveway while she hurried inside to get her mother’s permission, and as soon as she was ready to go, they drove to the apartment where Josh’s family was staying.
∞∞∞
Josh unlocked the apartment door and opened it for Lisa. Feeling apprehensive, she stepped into the living room. It was furnished with a couch and a coffee table, but Lisa thought it looked nothing like a home. It was too empty.
Shannon and Stephen were sitting on the couch, eating pizza and arguing with each other in a good-natured way. They fell silent when Josh and Lisa walked in. Stephen managed to smile, but Shannon scrambled to her feet.
“I’m out,” she said.
Without looking at Lisa, she left the room.
Stephen moved over, and Josh and Lisa sat down.
“Where’s Dad?” said Josh.
Stephen took another piece of pizza.
“He’s changing Yvonne’s clothes,” he said. “You know how upset Mom gets when Yvonne isn’t clean.” He nudged the pizza toward Josh and Lisa. “Here, help yourselves. There’s enough for everyone.”
Lisa didn’t have much of an appetite, and she felt guilty about taking anything from Josh’s family, since they appeared to be living so frugally. She declined Stephen’s offer, and as she gazed around the austere apartment, she wondered if Josh’s family couldn’t afford to have nice things. It was something she had never thought about before, and it made her regret her snobbish behavior more than ever.
Josh’s father hurried in a few minutes later with Yvonne over his shoulder. Yvonne was wearing a pink dress and a headband with an enormous flower on it. She was irritable, as if she realized the odds of impressing Josh’s mother were slim to none.
“Stephen,
