Creatures of Want and Ruin by Molly Tanzer

Author:Molly Tanzer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

6

Oscar’s Garage would not be one of the places that Fin would mourn if her vision came true and Long Island was destroyed. True, Oscar had given her Ellie’s address, but he’d forced Fin to endure many unsubtle provocative remarks and minimally veiled lecherous glances before he’d finally done so. As she drove away, Fin marveled to herself that Ellie entrusted that man with her secrets; if Fin had been able to wheedle Ellie’s personal information out of him, at least after she’d given him ample time to comment on her legs, her suit, her hat, her manners, and a few other parts of her person, this Oscar character would surely hand any gangsters or federal officers whatever they wanted in a heartbeat.

The Wests’ home on Cedar Avenue, on the other hand, Fin hoped would never change. It was a weather-beaten shingle-sided house tucked behind two spreading white oaks that provided shade and privacy. Black-eyed Susans and Indian paintbrushes and other bright flowers rioted outside the front door; behind them, vines of stately ivy climbed the walls. It seemed like a very pleasant, restful sort of place—at least it did until a man with a face like a thunderstorm answered her knock at the door.

Fin took him to be Ellie’s father. While Ellie didn’t carry about her that look of suspicion and dissatisfaction, Fin saw her in his strong jawline, dark straight hair, and wide but guarded eyes. He wasn’t a bad-looking man at all, really; except for his relatively untanned face, he looked like any other Amityville bayman.

Fin smiled at him. “Hi,” she said. “My name is Delphine Coulthead. I’m sorry to bother you; I know it’s terribly rude to stop by unannounced—but Oscar—you know Oscar, who owns the garage over on Ireland? He said Ellie West lived here, and you see, I’m trying to find her.”

She was utterly failing to charm him—that was obvious—but she didn’t realize how badly she’d failed until he snarled, “Coulthead?”

It hadn’t occurred to Fin that people might find her name notorious after it was printed in the paper, but this man certainly seemed to know of it, and disapprove. “You’re the sister of the man who leased the old Samis place on Ocean Avenue, aren’t you?”

“I’m his wife,” she said, “but—”

“Looking to buy more liquor, even after you humiliated yourself and your family, and my family? As if I hadn’t enough reminders of my failures as a father, here you are, a living reproach on my doorstep, clothed but barely in city fashions.”

The man’s physical bulk and unapologetic hostility were intimidating enough that Fin took a step back, clearly to his satisfaction. For a moment, she wondered if she just ought to go home—tell Jimmy she was sorry, that she’d been trying to save face with her story about a vision of the end of the world, move wherever everyone else decided was best, and leave the unpleasant inhabitants of this island to whatever doom was coming for them.

Then Fin’s nerves steadied. She’d

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