Part 4 (1/2)
”Alright,” Jason said, and picked up his fork. ”I'll wait.”
They ate in silence for a moment, until Steven raised a new subject and their conversation turned. Steven could tell Jason was still angry, giving him short answers to his questions and not really opening up about anything. At the end of the meal, Steven gave Jason a big hug that was tepidly returned, and they parted cordially.
As Steven drove to pick up Roy, he considered telling Roy about Jason's dream, but he decided not to. Roy would just push him to tell Jason now, and Steven wasn't ready. Roy might even go around him, and talk to Jason directly. No, Jason is my child, Steven thought. He'll find out from me, and he'll learn from me. That's my right as a father. I'll have to figure something out soon, though. He won't be patient forever.
Steven and Roy arrived at June Williamson's house an hour later. They drank some of Roy's protection in the car before approaching the house. June invited them inside.
”Do you have the token?” Steven asked June. She held her hands up to show him palms pressed tightly together.
”Good,” Steven said. ”Unfortunately, you'll need to keep doing that while we're here. It's to protect you.”
”Whatever you say,” she said, giving him a weak smile.
”How have things been?” Steven asked.
”Worse,” she said, sitting in a large overstuffed chair. ”Robbie spent the night with me. He said he felt hands in his bed.”
”Who was in the house last night?” Roy asked.
”Just the three of us,” June said.
”Might your daughter have had someone over?” Steven asked.
”No,” June said. ”No one was over.”
”Your daughter has her own room?” Roy asked.
”Yes,” June said. ”We each have our own room. Robbie came into my room around 2. He was crying. Of course it didn't wake Evie up, nothing ever does. I let him sleep in my bed for the night. When I went into his room in the morning, it was trashed.”
”Can we see the room?” Steven asked.
”Sure,” June said, rising from her chair. ”Come with me.”
They followed her down a short hallway and turned at the first door on the right. Inside, the floor of the room was covered with toys and clothes. There were posters that had fallen from the walls.
”I started putting things back,” June said. ”Got the mattress back on the bed, and made it. Put some things back on his desk. But you can see there's still a lot more cleaning to do.”
”Boys' rooms are often a mess,” Steven said.
”No,” June said, ”not like this. And not Robbie. It's normally very clean. I know when he went to bed it was in perfect shape. Something happened.”
”Alright,” Roy said, leaving the room and walking back to the living room. ”There's a couple of things we need to do while we're here today. Then we're coming back tomorrow.”
”What do you need?” she asked, following them back.
”First there's this,” Steven said, producing the small lantern Judith Duke had given to them. ”I need you to leave this somewhere in the house overnight. We'll come back and get it tomorrow.”
”Should I put it in Robbie's room?” June asked.
”No, anywhere in the house will do,” Steven said.
”I'll leave it in my room, then,” June said. ”Best if Evie and Robbie don't see it.”
”They're unaware that we're helping you?” Roy asked.
”Yes,” June said, ”and I think it's best that way. Evie becomes quite upset whenever anything about the gift is discussed, and even more so if Robbie is around. So I'd just as soon keep her out of it, if we can.”
”Alright,” Steven said. ”The other thing we'll need is some privacy. My father needs to conduct another trance, but this time he'll need to do it in private.”
”Oh,” June said. ”Would my bedroom work?” She rose, and led them down the same hallway to the second door on the left. ”Here it is, is there enough room for you?”
”We're going to need a chair,” Steven said. ”Can we use one from your kitchen?”
”Yes, I'll get one,” June said, turning to leave.
”Can you manage it without dropping the token?” Steven asked.
”Yes I think so,” June said, already going down the hallway.
”I'm still not sure I'm going to do this,” Roy said. ”Feels creepy to get naked in a strange woman's bedroom.”
”Many people might consider it a turn on,” Steven said.
”I do not,” Roy said. ”Do you think there's enough room here to draw the circle at the foot of the bed?”
”I think so,” Steven said. ”We'll put the chair in the middle, draw the circle around it, and then I'll leave you to it.”
”Oh no,” Roy said. ”You're staying in the room to watch me.”
”No, I'm not,” Steven said. ”Judith specifically said I have to leave you alone for this to work. The circle will protect you.”
June returned with the chair, and Steven took it from her and sat it at the base of the bed.
”We're going to pour some charcoal over the carpet here,” Steven told her. ”I think it will just vacuum up after we're gone. Is that alright?”
”Yes,” June said. ”Whatever you need to do.”
”Would you excuse us?” Steven asked June. ”I'll join you in the living room in just a minute.”
”Alright,” she said. Steven followed her to the bedroom door, shutting it behind her.
”You strip down, I'll start the charcoal,” Steven said.
”Hmmpf,” Roy said, and began removing his s.h.i.+rt.
Steven removed a lunch-size brown bag from his backpack, and began lightly pouring the mixture in a circle around the chair. When he was done, a naked Roy stepped into the circle and sat in the chair.
”You remember what to do?” Steven asked.