Josh thought Richard was being despicable, and he was baffled by the indifference of Lisa’s father. He felt like pointing out that neither of them seemed to care about Lisa, but he thought better of it. There was no point in antagonizing them. However, he didn’t intend to participate in a conspiracy to silence Lisa.
“I’ll be there for her no matter what happens,” he said, and although he didn’t fully comprehend the burden that accompanied this promise, he meant what he said from the bottom of his heart.
“Good,” said Richard. “Josh, I’m sorry I was so aggressive with you. I lost my head, but I should have remembered you’re still extremely young. I think you’ve learned enough for one night. You should go back upstairs and check on your mom. I know you don’t trust me right now, but I promise to get Lisa back in one piece.”
Josh left the office and its odious occupants, but instead of returning to the intensive care unit where his mother continued to struggle for her life, he walked outside and wandered aimlessly among the landscaped paths that traversed the hospital grounds. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still veiled with clouds.
The more he thought about Lisa, the more he wanted to take matters into his own hands. It would be the simplest thing in the world to call the police and tell them what he knew about Graham, but he was afraid he would never see Lisa again if he did. Finally, as he surrendered to his own helplessness, guilt overwhelmed him. He sat down on a bench in the shadows and put his head in his hands.
∞∞∞
At the appointed time, Richard arrived at the park. Lisa’s father had given him detailed instructions about where to go. A damp wind was blowing in from the sea. Richard wrapped his tattered jacket more tightly around him. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to the encounter, but he was sure he would have the upper hand. Peterson was a worthy opponent, but Graham was not.
Finally, he saw a pair of headlights winding slowly along the road. They eventually stopped some distance away, and Graham emerged from the car. Not wanting Graham to recognize him right away, Richard turned his back on him and listened to him squelching through the puddles in the grass as he approached. He felt like seizing him by the throat and strangling him, but the opportunity to gather information about Peterson was too valuable to waste.
When Graham was only a few paces away, Richard stepped into the light. Graham yelped in surprise when he recognized him.
“You?” he said. “I didn’t expect—”
“I know,” said Richard. “You’ve gone too far this time, Graham.”
“You can’t threaten me,” said Graham, grinning at Richard despite the panic on his face. With his bloodshot eyes and slicked back hair, the effect was ghastly. “Something bad might happen to the little girl if you don’t watch your step.”
“Lisa?” said Richard. “Yes, her father mentioned something about her. Sadly for you, I’m ambivalent about her. If you’d grabbed one of my own grandchildren, we might’ve had something to talk about, but I’m not going to trade the notebook for Lisa’s inconsequential life. It’s just too valuable.”
Graham’s eyes widened.
“You’re having me on,” he said. “How can you be so heartless?”
“I’ve changed,” said Richard. “The only way to survive in this rotten world is to stop caring so much. What difference does it make to me if Lisa dies? She’s completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Besides, it would be morally unconscionable for me to give you the notebook. You and your precious boss would start stacking up bodies as soon as you got your hands on it.”
Graham flinched.
“I see your point,” he said. “Of course. You’re an idealist, Richard. You feel obligated to protect the greater good. This is an unfortunate situation.” He began to fidget, and the distress on his face was palpable. “Poor Lisa. She doesn’t deserve this. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, but you aren’t giving me much of a choice. You’re really going to make me kill her, aren’t you?”
“I’m not going to make you do anything,” said Richard. “It’s your decision, but it seems to me like you’re in over your head. I wonder how you’re planning to avoid the consequences. Lisa’s parents aren’t going to be very happy when they find out she’s dead. You must be planning to eliminate them, too.”
“Do you think that’s really necessary?” said Graham.
Richard shrugged.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t want to take any chances,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s all part of the game. Your boss probably has the details worked out already.”
“My boss doesn’t know,” said Graham. He became frantic, pacing up and down and wringing his hands. His voice shook. “I’m done for. What am I going to do? My future depends on that information. I’m not trying to cause grief for anyone. I don’t want Lisa to get hurt. I’m so worried about her.” He clutched Richard’s jacket. “You’re a genius. Think! There must be some sort of compromise that would be acceptable for both of us.”
“Maybe there is,” said Richard. He disentangled Graham. “Let’s forget about Lisa. Presumably, you’re in this fix because your boss wants information you don’t have. Well, I want information, too. I’ve got about a thousand questions I’d like to ask you. Why don’t we sit down like civilized people and talk? When we’re both satisfied, you’ll give Lisa to me and we’ll go our separate ways.”
Graham narrowed his eyes.
“You might not tell me the truth,” he said.
“In that case, you wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now,” said Richard. “Graham, on my honor, I’ll do my best to provide you with
