Part 49 (2/2)
”Sorry.” What was she thinking? This was Jack. Jack and police didn't mix.
He said, ”I wish I had a way to connect Tara and the key ring... so I could know for sure. Right now I can only suspect Bellitto.”
”Why not take it to the house. See if she reacts.”
Jack stared at her. ”What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?”
”Because you're merely Repairman Jack. Only Repairwoman Jane could come up with that.”
”Touche,” he said with a smile and toasted her with his beer. ”You think she'll respond?”
”Only one way to find out. When do we bring it over?”
”'We'?” He rose, shaking his head. ”'We' are not going back to that house. Oh, no. One half of 'we' stays here while this half goes alone and returns with a vivid eyewitness account of whatever happens.”
Gia had expected this. ”Not fair. It was my idea.”
”We've been over this already, Gi. We don't know this thing's agenda.”
”That 'thing' is a little girl, Jack.”
”A dead dead little girl.” little girl.”
”But she appeared to me. Not you, not Lyle, not Charlie. Me. That's got to mean something.”
”Exactly. But we don't know what. And that's why you shouldn't get within miles of that place. It's got an unhealthy pedigree, even stranger and weirder than what's in Lyle's Menelaus Manor brochure.”
Worse than the part about the mutilated child? Gia didn't think that was possible.
”What? That real estate agent told you something, didn't he.”
”He told me lots of things, and I'll tell you later, but right now we have to agree that you're staying away from that place.”
”But I'm the one she contacted.”
”Right. She sent a message and you received it. Now we're going to dig up what might be her grave. If we find her, and she can be linked to Bellitto, you'll have done plenty. You've pointed the way.”
”But what if there aren't any clues?”
”Well, then at least she gets a proper burial. And maybe that's what her father will need to kick start his life back into motion.”
Gia wasn't concerned with Joe Portman right now. It was Tara who consumed her. Her need was like a noose around Gia's neck, drawing her toward Menelaus Manor. If she didn't yield to it she felt sure it would strangle her.
”She wrote 'Mother,' Jack. I don't think she meant her own mother-Dorothy Portman is brain dead. I think she meant me. It may be twenty-some years since Tara was born, but she's still a child. She's still nine years old and she's frightened. She needs a mother. That's a comfort I can provide.”
”How do you comfort a ghost?” Jack said. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. She caught the lingering scent of his soap, felt the afternoon stipple of whiskers on his cheeks. ”I guess if anyone could, you'd be the one. But tell me: If Vicky were here instead of away at camp, would you be so anxious to go back to that house?”
What was he saying? That this need she felt burning through her veins was simply displaced yearning for her own child? She had to admit it wasn't such a far-fetched notion, but she sensed that the longing within her went beyond that.
”Maybe, maybe not, but-”
”One more question: If Vicky were here, would you take her along?”
That caught her off guard. Her reaction was immediate: Of course not. But she didn't want to voice it.
”That's not the point. Vicky's not here, so-”
Jack tightened his hug. ”Gia? Would you?”
She hesitated, then, ”All right, no.”
”Why not?”
”I'm not sure.”
”I am. Because it's an unstable situation, and you wouldn't want to expose Vicky to an unpredictable outcome. Right?”
Gia nodded against his shoulder. ”Right.”
”Then why expose your second child to that same unstable situation?”
She sighed. Trapped by una.s.sailable logic.
”Please, Gia” He backed away to arm's length. ”Stay away. Give me a couple of days to help Lyle find her bones. Then maybe the circ.u.mstances won't be so unstable or unpredictable and we can rea.s.sess the whole situation.”
”Oh, all right,” she said. She didn't like it but she'd been backed into a corner. ”I suppose a couple of days won't matter.”
”Great.” He let out a whoos.h.i.+ng breath. ”That's a relief.”
”For you maybe. How about me?”
”What do you mean?”
”Well, if that house is potentially dangerous for me, what about for you?”
Jack smiled. ”Did you forget? Danger is my business.”
”I'm serious, Jack.”
”Okay. I'll check in regularly.”
”Leave your phone on in case I need to get in touch.”
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