“But why?” said Graham.
“It’s just a personal preference,” said Lisa’s father. The smile on his face was no longer friendly, and a hint of irritation entered his voice. “You can call it cynicism if you like, but I’ve never seen a speculative endeavor pay off. I like to stick with what I know. It’s boring, but it’s true. I’m not the man for the job.”
“Let me make that decision,” said Graham.
“How many times does he have to say no before you listen to him?” said Lisa’s mother. Her interruption took everyone by surprise. Graham was so startled that he gawked at her with his mouth open, but she didn’t back down. “You have your answer, Graham. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be rude, but I don’t think you appreciate the value of Andrew’s work, or you wouldn’t ask him to walk away from it.”
“I respect your opinion, but this is more important,” said Graham.
“It’s not just my opinion,” she said. “It’s true.”
Graham’s shoulders drooped, and the fanaticism in his eyes faded until no hint of it remained except a smoldering glimmer of disappointment. He pushed his food around on his plate in a listless manner. Molly leaned her head against his shoulder. Her touch seemed to revive him. Lisa watched in disbelief as he poured himself a third glass of wine. He clambered to his feet and looked around the table.
“You can’t fault a man for trying,” he said. “Maybe you’ll change your mind, Andrew, but even if you don’t, let me propose a toast—to new adventures.”
∞∞∞
Lisa spent the next day helping her mother prepare the house. It was nearly time for dinner when they finally finished, and Veronica, who had been watching the road from her bedroom window, rushed downstairs and announced that the guests were about to arrive. Lisa followed her parents out onto the porch and watched as a car pulled into the driveway. It was followed by a red pickup truck in a dreadful state of disrepair. The alarm on the face of Lisa’s mother turned to panic as a small crowd of people emerged from the car.
“You didn’t tell me they were bringing their children,” she said to Lisa’s father.
An old man climbed out of the pickup truck. He was tall and gaunt, but even though his face was wrinkled, he moved with the vigor of youth. His eyes were blue, and his hair was gray. He was wearing a ragged jacket and a faded pair of camouflage pants. His boots were caked with mud. He retrieved an enormous rucksack from the back of the pickup truck and slung it over his shoulder.
“You didn’t tell me they were bringing Richard,” said Lisa’s mother.
“I didn’t know,” said Lisa’s father.
“Andrew, we don’t have enough space for all of them to stay here,” said Lisa’s mother from between clenched teeth. “Someone will have to stay in my mother’s room, and I haven’t changed anything in there since she died. The sheets on her bed still smell like her perfume, and the slippers she wore are right there on the rug in front of the dresser where she left them. When I go in there, I feel like she’s alive.”
“I didn’t even think about that,” said Lisa’s father.
“Of course you didn’t,” she said. “You’re completely oblivious.”
“I’m sorry, Nora,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll somehow figure out how to make it work.”
“I don’t want to have this conversation in front of the girls,” she said. “We’ll talk about it later in private. If we’re going to keep up this charade, we might as well make it convincing. Our guests deserve to feel comfortable here. Let’s go and greet them.”
Richard had already arrived at the foot of the steps. He removed his hat and ran his bony hands through his hair as if his ragged appearance embarrassed him, but Lisa’s mother embraced him without any hesitation. He returned the gesture, and the genuine sympathy on his face almost convinced Lisa he had a good heart until she reminded herself about his nefarious association with Peterson, the details of which remained a mystery.
“Nora, I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said. “I noticed your mother’s obituary in the newspaper.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m afraid a lot has changed since I last saw you, but not all of it has been bad.” She beckoned to Lisa and Veronica. “These are my girls. Lisa is sixteen, and Veronica is twelve. They’ll be on their winter break for a few more days, so you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with them. Girls, this is Richard.”
Lisa barely heard her. There were so many people coming toward her that she wanted to run back into the house and hide in her room. Sabrina appeared from behind the car. Lisa’s mother rushed over to her, exclaiming in delight about the baby, who was wearing a pink stocking cap on her tiny head. As soon as Lisa’s mother was out of earshot, Richard spoke to Lisa’s father in a low voice.
“We need to talk, Andrew,” he said.
“I know,” said Lisa’s father. “Sabrina told me.”
“It’s worse than you think,” said Richard. “Peterson was released a few days ago.”
“Apparently, he had a stroke,” said Lisa’s father.
“Don’t count on it,” said Richard. “It’s a nice story, but it’s fake. I’d bet my life on it. He’s the most devious person I’ve ever met. I don’t want to alarm you, but in my professional opinion, it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose.”
They went inside, leaving Lisa on the porch. Lisa looked around for Veronica, but she was already mingling with the crowd as it surged toward the house. Sabrina was there, looking much too innocent for a woman who was guilty of blackmail. Arthur followed her, carrying her suitcase as well as his own. He walked with a limp, and he looked worried.
