Crucifax by Garton Ray

Author:Garton, Ray [Garton, Ray]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: E-Reads
Published: 2010-07-08T14:00:00+00:00

PART IV

Crucifax Concert

Twenty

October 15

It was still raining the next morning, and the sky was the color of dusk.

Lily picked up Jeff at ten o'clock, and they went to Tiny Naylor's. Neither of them spoke during the ride, but Lily seemed in much better shape than she had the night before.

They were led to a table by an enormous waitress with jowls and a cigarette-damaged voice. Their booth was by a window that looked out on Ventura Boulevard.

Once they'd ordered their breakfasts, Jeff said, "How did you sleep last night?"

"How do you think?"

"Yeah, me too."

"Jeff," she whispered urgently, "what did we see? What happened last night? Are we crazy?"

Jeff didn't know what to say. Last night, while they were in that strange dark room, he'd felt certain of what they were seeing; but since Lily had spoken with Nikki on the phone the night before, he was not quite so sure.

"I don't know, Lily," he said. "I really don't know."

She very casually reached across the table and took his hand, looking out the window.

"Did your sister come home last night?" she asked.

He shook his head. On the way home the night before, he'd explained to her why he suspected Mallory to be involved with Mace. He had not, however, told her as much as he'd revealed to J.R.

"Were your parents angry at you for being so late last night?" he asked.

"No. He was in bed when I got home. My dad. He doesn't worry too much about where I go. He trusts me."

"Your parents are divorced?"

"No. My mom died when I was a baby." She looked out the window again for a moment, thoughtful and distant, then back at Jeff again. "That's a lie. She left. I was fourteen months old. She decided she didn't want to be a wife and mother, so she took off."

Her hand was cool in his, and her fingers twitched nervously; he realized she hadn't smiled once all morning.

"Why did you tell me that?" he asked after a moment. "I mean, I don't mind, but… well, you didn't have to tell me.

She shrugged. "I don't like lies. My dad lied to me until about two years ago. He told me she'd died. Then my grandmother told me the truth."

"Does your dad know she told you?"

"Yeah. We talked about it. I don't like the fact that he lied to me all those years, but I understand why he did it. He didn't want me to, you know, develop a complex about it, like she'd left because of me or something. For a while, I didn't think I'd be able to trust him again, but… well, he trusts me so much. He's good to me."

"My dad left, too. I think he got tired of being a husband and father."

"Maybe they're living together somewhere." She laughed, and her smile made Jeff feel much better, almost as if nothing was wrong, as if they were together just for the sake of being together.

He squeezed her hand, and she returned the gesture warmly; then the moment was gone, along with her smile.

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