Bentley Little - The House

He didn't love her, but he still cared about her in a way, and the thought that anything from the House, anything to which he was remotely connected, had hurt Roberta or had caused her death made him feel sick inside.

But he'd find out about all that when he got back to New Mexico. Right now, he just wanted to get away from the House and get out of Chicago.

He closed the door, turned the key in the ignition, and put the car into gear. Grinding the rose underneath the heel of his boot, he sped down the street as fast as his rental car would accelerate.

Laurie Josh was waiting for her when she emerged from the House.

As was a crew of firefighters and several policemen and an ambulance.

They hadn't yet tried to break into the House, but it was clear that was what they intended to do, and two firemen carrying axes stopped when they saw her walk out onto the porch. She turned back, looking through the open door the way she'd come, but as she'd expected, as she'd known, there was no sign of either Mark or Norton.

Josh leaped up the steps, grabbed her, hugged her.

"Thank God you're all right!"

"How long was I in there?" she asked.

"A long time. At least three or four hours. I thought you might be dead."

"Three or four hours?" She shook her head. " The spirits have done it all in one night.' "

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

There was a bandage on the side of Josh's head where he'd been clipped by the door, and a circle of red had leaked through the white. He looked back at the firemen.

"I didn't want to leave you in there alone, but I

yelled and yelled and I couldn't hear you anymore. I

tried to get in, but I couldn't, and when I tried to break a window, the rock was just . . . absorbed. So I took a chance. I left you there and drove into town and brought back ..." He gestured toward the ambulance, fire truck, and police car.

He met her eyes. "What happened in there?"

She looked behind him, saw two policemen walking up, shook her head.

He understood. "The cops said the owners may press charges," he said. "Breaking and entering."

"Who are the owners?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

The policemen reached them, asked her what happened, and she concocted an impromptu story about wanting to see the house of her birth parents and passing out inside the kitchen that sounded ludicrously unbelievable to her, but they nodded as she spoke, and one of the policemen suggested that she have one of the paramedics look her over.

"I will," she said. "Just let me . . . collect myself first."

They nodded, and Josh walked with them over to a fireman in a white uniform who appeared to be in charge of the rescue effort.

Laurie looked up at the dark bulk of the House and shivered as she thought of everything that had happened to her since she'd gone in there.

"Miss?" She turned to see an old white-haired man in a police uniform walk up to where she was standing.

There was a strange expression on his face, and it made her feel a trifle uneasy. She looked around for Josh, saw him standing by the vehicles, talking.

"I always wondered what happened to you," the white-haired cop said.

She shook her head, not recognizing him. "I'm sorry . . ."

He smiled sadly. "I'm the one who was in charge of your parents' case. The one you talked to when you first came into the station."

She still did not recognize him, but she understood now why his appearance had made her uneasy. She licked her lips, not knowing what to say.

He moved next to her. "What really happened in there?" he asked softly.

"I don't ... I don't know what you mean."

"I know about that house," he said, looking up at it.

"I know what happens there."

Part of her wanted to tell him, wanted to confide in him, Bentley Little but she resisted the impulse, for his sake as well as her own.

She might tell Josh what had occurred, but that would be it.

Her lips were sealed. This was not something she wanted to share, not something anyone needed to know.

"I don't remember," she lied.

"But something happened."

"I think so," she told him, feigning confidentiality.

"But I've either blocked it out or . . ." She trailed off.

He nodded, satisfied.

"My brother says they're pressing charges against us?"

"Don't worry," he said. "There won't be any charges.

I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you," she told him.

Behind him, she saw Josh wave to her, finished with the fireman, and she said, "My brother's calling me."

She stepped around the policeman, and her heart was pounding as though she'd done something wrong, as though she was afraid he'd arrest her.

"I would suggest staying away from here," the cop said.

"Don't worry," she told him. "I plan to."

Josh took her arm. "They have our names and everything. I gave them my address and phone number, so they wouldn't bug you." He motioned toward the car.

"You want to go? Or is there something else--"

"No," she said quickly. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."

"The paramedics wanted to look at you, but they said they don't have to if you don't want to, and I said you didn't."

She nodded.

They walked to the car in silence, one of the police vehicles already pulling away, the rest of the men packing up their gear.

"An exciting day for Pine Creek," Josh said.

"Yeah." Laurie smiled.

He took out his keys, opened the passenger door for her. "What did happen in there?" he said. "Really?"

She gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Get in the car," she said. "I'll explain it all on the way home."

Epilogue Brian left after dinner, giving her a big hug and shadowboxing with Tony, and Margot watched his car drive away as Tony went into his bedroom to get his homework.

The house felt lonely, the absence of a man's presence especially noticeable after her brother's departure.

She stared into the night, her eyes focusing on the streetlight across the way, and thought of Daniel.

Daniel.

Burying an empty coffin had been the hardest part. It was difficult enough to accept the death of someone you loved, but when there was no body, the loss was somehow magnified and made even greater.

Even after all these months, it was still a raw wound to her, a bleeding slash across her emotions and her psyche, and though it was even worse at night, alone, in bed, it hurt all the time, and just standing here in the kitchen after dinner, she felt a huge painful emptiness in her gut. She wanted to sob out loud, wanted to cry out her anguish and burst into tears, but she knew that Tony would be back with his homework in a minute, and she didn't want him to see her cry. She needed to be strong for him. She needed to provide him with as stable a home life as she could manage under the circumstances.

She thought of Daniel's "friends." She believed what they'd said, as far as it went, but she thought there was probably more, and while she knew they weren't about to share it with her now, she was willing to wait. She would find out eventually.

A light breeze caressed her cheek, a movement of air Bentley Little through the torn screen that seemed at once cooler and warmer than the night outside.

She thought she heard her name, whispered.

Margot Tony walked into the kitchen, put his books out on the table, took out his paper and pencil. She wanted to tell him to be quiet so she could listen, so she could hear the whisper again, but she said nothing, continued to stare.

Margot She opened the screen door, looked around, but there was nothing. No movement, no sound.

"What is it?" Tony asked, coming up behind her.

She let the screen door fall closed, continued to stare straight ahead, into the night, not wanting him to see her tears.