Shoggoth buried himself in Drayco’s lap, barely waiting for Drayco to sit. He staked a claim as if Drayco’s sole responsibility in life was to provide the cat with a perch. What was it like to sleep twenty hours a day? Judging from the cat’s rapturous expression, couldn’t be that bad. If humans followed suit, the only professions would be mattress and sleepwear salesmen.
The Farland house looked the same as last time. Freaky himself did not. He kept picking at his face, and the corners of his mouth quivered like they were left and right turn signals being switched on and off.
Appearances aside, the most pronounced change was in Freaky’s demeanor. From gruff and defensive to subdued. He focused on the gold chain on the workbench as if too absorbed in his work to look up. But after picking up the chain, he put it down, the tools next to it untouched.
“I’m sorry to have missed Barry,” Drayco said. Which was truthful, but mostly he wanted to find Freaky alone before Sheriff Sailor hauled him downtown.
Freaky didn’t turn his head, staring at the necklace. “Barry’s got called into the repair shop early. He’s a hard-working lad. Guess he has to be. You come here just to discuss my son?”
“Tell me about the year Barry lived with the Sterlings. Was that an arrangement you initiated or did Beth?”
“She came to my trial and sat through the sentencing. Out of the blue. Didn’t ask her to come, didn’t expect her to stay. She approached that shyster lawyer of mine and made the offer. Didn’t have anyone else to turn to. What else could I do? I said yes.”
“Did she say why she was offering to take care of Barry? Had she done this for other children?”
“Barry was the first. Her life centered on kids—birthing them, taking care of them. Guess she saw a need and filled it.”
Even now, knowing Drayco was aware of his affection for Beth and the motive behind his maiming, the man shied away from discussing his feelings toward her. And Beth’s toward him—his love, her guilt.
“Mr. Farland, I’m trying to get a better picture of Beth’s life. Did you have any contact with her in the last year?”
“You should talk to Barry. He saw her more than I did. Guess you could say he was the token Farland in her life.”
“Token?”
“Poor choice of words. I’m not much of a talker.”
Drayco fingered a clock on a shelf nearby. Looked expensive. “How fortunate Beth came into that lottery money. It kept Arnold off Caleb Quintier’s hit list.”
“Beth had to do it.” Freaky rocked back and forth on the stool which amazingly stayed in place. “I can’t tell you nothing about Quintier. You ought to talk to his flunky, Efron Thawley.”
“You know Thawley personally?”
Freaky stopped his rocking. “Might have shared a few beers. In my former life.” He pointed to his face.
“So you wouldn’t know if Thawley hated either of the Sterlings?”
Freaky finally looked up, staring at Drayco. “You think he killed Beth?”
“Are you a gambling man, Mr. Farland?” Drayco couldn’t bring himself to call the man “Freaky.” According to Barry, his father also hated his given name of Ferguson. Too much like a drunken Irish fisherman.
“Used to play the ponies and other small-time games. Not anymore. Don’t want to go back to jail, or worse.”
“You had good gambling company—Arnold Sterling, Cole Harston. Did I leave anyone out?”
“Winthrop Gatewood, I guess.”
“Gatewood?” Quintier hadn’t mentioned this. Winthrop Gatewood, millionaire gambler. “Why would he need to gamble?”
“Once you get rich, you’re obsessed with getting richer. Good as any reason.”
“Did you have personal dealings with Harston or Gatewood?”
“Met Virginia through Beth and Barry. As for Gatewood, I’ve hardly seen, heard, or smelled one scrap of him. I doubt he’s aware I exist.”
Freaky resumed rocking on his stool. Was he rocking back and forth between the truth and lies? Or half-truths? The connections between Farland, Harston, Sterling, and Gatewood were like an atonal composition, no key, no rhythm, no form.
Drayco asked, “I’m sure Barry mentioned Virginia’s recent attack. Do you know why anyone would want to hurt her?”
“Must be Satan at work. Evil for evil’s sake. Hope it doesn’t destroy her. She was at the house this morning helping Barry. Couldn’t get her interested in painting. Said her heart wasn’t in it. She’s talking about not entering that contest.”
Freaky started humming and picked up the chain, wrapping it around his fingers. “You been in love, Mr. Drayco?”
Instead of answering yes automatically, Drayco stopped to think. Sometimes he doubted true love existed. Otherwise, how could you explain the never-ending parade of failed and unhappy relationships in the world?
Freaky’s voice drew him out of his reverie. “They say it comes once in your lifetime, Mr. Drayco. They say if you miss your opportunity, you’ll be cursed with misfortune the rest of your life. Look around you. The people of Cape Unity must have had a lot of missed opportunities.”
Freaky’s eyes glazed over as his humming and rocking grew more pronounced. Drayco slid out from underneath Shoggoth. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Farland. If you think of anything else, give me a call.” Drayco wasn’t sure where Freaky was right now, but it wasn’t in the present. He hoped the man was still in his right mind, for Barry’s sake.