THE UNLIKELY QUARTET walked in silence through the streets of Hanzloo.
Luke Spoon could not relax. His eyes darted around as if the bushes were stuffed with accusations aimed at him and his son. It would make sense that in this town you could get arrested for walking down the street.
It didn’t help that Lil O’Brien, a complete stranger until a few hours ago, was now physically attached to him through the chain of their children’s held hands.
Sadness hung off of her like an oversized dress, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had gone so wrong with her. But he didn’t want to wonder too much. Two encounters with this woman in one day were two more than he needed.
For Lil, the problem was more basic. Foot, foot, foot, foot. Keeping one in front of the other proved to be a formidable task. Her heart leapt in her chest. At the moments when she felt faint, she concentrated on the simple task of holding Alice’s hand, while sunlight and shadows once again played with her balance. Her mind zoomed around from one problem to the next: what the boy may have done to Alice, the encounters with Luke Spoon, Clarisse, and Stephanie. Her life seemed to have slid into a rushing river that she could not control. No thought was bearable. Feelings stirred, but they were hard to access. Just one thing was clear: Clarisse would come for Alice soon, probably tonight.
At the mouth of Mundy Lane, Lil and Alice stopped and Felix tugged on his father’s sleeve, “This is where they live, Luke.”
“Of course,” said Luke, and he faced Lil for the first time. Gone was the loose-tongued sloppiness of this morning’s visit. Her eyes, dull and tired, were the color of light green marbles, and, in spite of his resistance, he found himself moved by her all over again. It wasn’t attraction; it was recognition. Her disconnectedness was something he knew in himself. She was unreachable, and so, he thought, was he. As they stood in a cluster at the base of the lane, she fell to thoughts he couldn’t read. “Mrs. O’Brien, will you be all right?”
“Yes,” she said, momentarily looking into his eyes. “Thank you for walking with us.”
“Maybe someday they can come over,” said Felix.
“Yes, that would be nice.” Luke smiled stiffly at the boy.
“Can you?” Felix asked Lil.
“I have no idea,” said Lil, trailing off. She was thinking about how long the short walk up Mundy Lane might be. She reached for Alice’s hand.
“Is something wrong with her?” Felix asked his father.
Lil and Alice had already started up the street. Luke and Felix watched briefly, and then walked on toward the Post Road until Felix said, “Luke? Do you know where the cave of God is?”
“God’s cave,” said Felix. “Do you know where it is?”
“No. Cripes, Felix, where do you come up with this stuff? There’s no such thing.”
Sensing the unusual irritation in his father’s voice, Felix dropped it. It hadn’t occurred to him before that he might know about something that his father did not.