Harlan Coben - Play Dead

‘What makes you say that?’

‘I don’t know. He just looked like he was in a trance or something.’

‘Did you see him leave?’

‘Not exactly.’

‘What do you mean?’

Behind Billy, a group of tourists charged in noisily after a full day boat trip to Green Island. ‘While Mr Baskin was upstairs, I was working up the courage to talk to him when he came back down. I wanted to tell him that I thought he was the greatest basketball player in the world and that I loved watching him play. When he came down about an hour later, I was all psyched up to talk to him – until I saw his face.’

‘What was wrong with his face?’ Graham asked.

Billy shrugged. ‘Can’t say exactly. He was awful pale. That distracted face I was telling you about now looked pained – like somebody had danced on his guts with spiked heels. Or like he had just been told he has two months to live or something. I never seen such a change. He could barely walk when he got out of the elevator. I have to tell you, Sheriff, it was kind of scary.’

Laura felt her pulse quicken. What had happened to David when he went upstairs? Had the bastards drugged him or beaten him or threatened him or… or what? What could they have done to make her David react like this?

‘Then what happened?’

‘Well, I walked up to him and I said, “Are you okay, Mr Baskin?” but he didn’t answer me. He just kept walking in a daze like a two-by-four had connected with the side of his head or something. I figured it was none of my business and I didn’t want to get in trouble for bothering him so I just left him alone.’

‘Did he leave the hotel?’

Billy scratched his head. ‘That’s the odd part. He wandered out and stumbled around the block a few times. He walked that way down the Esplanade. I watched him until he disappeared past that office building.’

Laura swallowed. ‘What office building?’

‘The one on the next block.’

‘The Peterson building?’

‘Yeah, that’s the one,’ Billy confirmed. ‘Anyway, a while later – I don’t know, maybe a half-hour – he came staggering back into the hotel.’

‘Did he go back up the elevator?’ Graham asked.

Billy shook his head. ‘He just wandered around some more. Then he asked me where the nearest phone was. I showed him.’

‘A pay phone?’

‘No. He said he needed to call the States. I brought him to one of the hotel operators to place the call.’

‘Who was the operator?’

‘Old Maggie. She died last month. She must have been two hundred years old.’

‘What time was it by now?’

‘Let’s see. It must have been close to ten at night, I guess.’

‘Then what?’

Billy took a deep breath. ‘He finished his calls – ’

‘Calls?’ Laura interrupted.

‘Yeah, well, I wasn’t listening in but I know he made at least two calls. I don’t know if both connected or not. Anyway, he finished his calls and then he started doing his zombie bit in the lobby again. I was beginning to think this was all a little strange by now, but like I said, it was none of my business. He took off around ten thirty.’

Graham remembered that the call to the bank had been placed at midnight. ‘Did he come back?’

‘Can’t say for sure, but maybe. When I got off at eleven thirty, I spotted him standing all by himself on the Marlin Jetty. He just stood there and stared out at the water. No one else was around. I know the newspapers said he drowned accidentally and I don’t want to ruin a man’s good name, but he wasn’t looking at that water like a man who wanted to take a casual swim, if you get my meaning.’

Graham and Laura exchanged glances. They got his meaning.

Judy Simmons entered her apartment, dumped her luggage on the floor and collapsed into a nearby chair. A silly smile remained frozen on her face. All right, maybe goofy smile was a better description. No, Judy told herself, let’s be honest about this. It’s been so long since you’ve had this particular smile (or any smile for that matter) that you’re forgetting what kind of smile this really is.

Judy thought about it a moment before remembering the correct terminology. It was hardly the vernacular an English professor should use to describe a facial expression but then again, it was succinct and appropriate for the occasion. Yes, the students of Colgate College would call it a ‘Just F- – -ed’ smile, the sort of look that comes over one’s face after a particularly arousing session of sexual contact. To be more precise, a weekend’s worth. Three times a day. Who would have thought that Professor Bealy would have such stamina?

She had started dating Colin Bealy, professor of geology, about a month ago. He was around fifty, divorced seven years with three grown children. He was short with a heavy beard, dark brown eyes and slight paunch. Though Colin Bealy was one of the nation’s most highly respected geology experts, Judy had been worried at first about their intellectual compatibility. How, she wondered, could a woman who taught the art of the written word of Shakespeare and Tolstoy date a man who was fascinated by a bunch of rocks? It didn’t exactly have the romantic intrigue of a gothic novel – more like a manual on how to install a garage door opener.

But she was wrong about both Colin and geology. He was well read and closer to brilliant than very intelligent. As for geology, it was a far cry from a bunch of bearded men breaking rocks in search of an imprint from a sea shell. Geology was truly the study of the planet earth in all her natural glory, her history and her future.

Judy rewound her answering machine. The tape shrieked as it ran backward. She and Colin had been in New Hampshire for the past four days so there were quite a few messages on the machine. It had been a glorious little getaway. Finally, after all these years, had she finally found a wonderful guy to call her own?

That’s not true. I almost had the best. Twice.

The tape stopped and turned itself on.

I almost had the best. Twice.

The first two calls were hang-ups. She hated those. Why couldn’t the caller at least have the courtesy to say something? The next message was from one of her students asking for an extension on a paper due tomorrow.

Twice. I had the best twice.

With great effort, she pushed the tormenting thought away. That was when her sister’s voice came on the machine.

‘Judy, it’s Mary. Please call me right away. It’s very important I talk to you.’

Judy’s silly/goofy/Just F- – -ed smile vanished. The panic in Mary’s voice would have been picked up by a deaf mute. Judy pictured her sister making the call, the chord twisted around her hand, her beautiful eyes wide with alarm and fear. Something else must have gone wrong. Judy prayed it did not involve hurting Laura again. But how could it not? Laura was now enmeshed in the sins of the past as though she had partaken in them. She was entangled in a way she could never hope to escape. The combination of evil and the past made up an awesome foe, one that could cripple, mutilate, kill.

There were two more similar calls from Mary, each more pleading than the one before. Then Judy heard Laura’s voice on the machine.

‘Hi, Aunt Judy, it’s me. I’m going away for a couple of days but I wanted to let you know that next Saturday the Celtics are going to retire David’s number at the Boston Garden. I know how busy you are but I would very much appreciate it if you could be there. Bring Colin if you’d like. I’m anxious to meet him. I love you and I’ll speak to you soon.’

‘I love you too,’ Judy said out loud. She wiped away a stray tear. Evil and the past. For David the pain was over. For Laura it had become a constant companion. Judy wondered how many great works of literature had taught her that life was not fair, not even remotely close to being an even-handed contest. Life was random, choosing to coddle some and destroy others without plan or justification. That was just how things worked. Accept it and move on.