Michelle climbed the wooden rungs and stood next to Pink on the narrow boards. The wood was weathered and seemed a bit rotten. “Is this safe?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, leaning against the tree, his eyes drifting out over the valley.
“This is amazing,” she said. “If you keep showing me these marvels, I’m going to run out of adjectives.”
Pink laughed a little, then smiled. “I’m clean out of marvels, Mrs. Stage. I done showed you everything I got.” Pink turned from her and picked his way along the boards, stepping carefully as he walked from tree to tree, holding onto branches and limbs. She followed. Pink was at least ten yards away from her now, walking the boards like a tightrope. Farther ahead, Michelle could see that someone had fashioned a rope railing along both sides of the wooden path. Pink waited for her, holding both ropes.
She looked down and saw a squirrel hopping along the branch beneath her.
“I should have put up more ropes,” said Pink.
“You built this?” she asked.
“When Isabelle was twelve, she told me that when she died she wanted to come back as a squirrel because they could run through the treetops and never had to touch the ground. I built this path so she wouldn’t be in such a hurry to die. It’s held up better than Isabelle or me.”
“She must have loved it,” Michelle said.
“We had fun up here,” Pink said. “You wouldn’t have believed how beautiful she was then. She made me want to live forever, halfway made me believe I could.” Pink looked over at Michelle, surprised, as if he’d forgotten she was there.
“Aw, hell. Listen to me going on,” he said. “You got your own problems.”
“Isabelle must be crazy about you,” she said.
Pink scratched his cheek. “I don’t think she’s crazy about anything anymore,” he said. “We should get going.”
When they got back to the Suburban, Pink started looking under the front seat then leaned over the back and searched under some newspapers, visibly perplexed. Michelle slid in across from him.
“Can’t find my camera,” Pink said. “Clarence probably has it. He takes pictures of his dang feet to check the progress of his fungus.”
“Fungus?” Michelle turned in the seat to see what Pink was doing.
“I’m sorry. I’ve got to go back and get the camera. I can’t list your property without a picture.”
“It’s okay. I’m in no hurry.” That wasn’t true. With Cliff here now, time had become a precious commodity. She needed to ask Pink about the cabin, about Isabelle, about everything Sheriff Fisk had told her, but couldn’t figure out how to broach the subject without sounding like a mental case. She wasn’t even sure there was anything to know. After all, she was running on memories and speculations. All she really knew was this wasn’t the life she’d been living before she’d gone down the mountainside.
Pink slowed as he passed the cabin. “Looks like that feller is gone,” he said. “Want to stop?”
“No, let’s go back to your office.” Pink had to know she’d lied about wanting him to see the property, and that embarrassed her. “The path in the trees was magical,” she said.
Pink glanced across the seat. “Magic might be the only thing holding it up.”
*****
The drive back to town went by quickly.
“What the hell is going on?” Pink said.
Michelle looked up, amazed they were already at Pink’s office. Three police cars sat angled in front, lights flashing, partially blocking one of the lanes. In the middle of the fray sat a green Range Rover and Darcy’s Explorer, the police cars blocking them in. Cliff was talking to the police.
“Please don’t stop,” Michelle said.
Pink switched off the blinker and accelerated. After they drove through an intersection, Pink made a right turn toward the highway and told Michelle the coast was clear.
“Shit.” Michelle sat up and looked back at the police surrounding her car.
“Husband or something? Not that it’s any of my business.”
“Yeah.” Michelle said. If Cliff had called the police, Darcy must have told him about the gun. Why wouldn’t he at least give her a chance to explain? Cliff was a stranger to her now. The old Cliff would never have called the police. Did he tell them the Explorer was stolen?
A sign above the highway read Dedmonson, 49 miles. “Why are we going there?” Michelle glanced over her shoulder, then back at Pink. “What’s in Dedmonson?”
“Nothing,” Pink said. “I’m just driving till you had a chance to gather yourself.”
“Pull over,” Michelle said, suddenly antsy. “I’m sorry, pull over. Please.”
Pink veered the Suburban to the shoulder. Michelle popped the door open and got out. Maybe she could hitchhike to Dedmonson, but what would be the point of that? What would she do in Dedmonson? She’d have to rent a car. But where did she have to go? The only man who could possibly have any answers for her was sitting in the seat of the Suburban like a rosy-cheeked Buddha. She got back in the vehicle and closed the door.
“Pink?”
He swiveled his head toward her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Would you take me to a motel?”
*****
The Ruby Motel was constructed in the shape of an L, two levels, thirty units, and a clean-looking pool with no water. Folded lawn chairs leaned against the fence.
“Is this okay?” Pink said. The man inside waved. Pink raised a hand, bringing his eyes back to Michelle. “I could take you up to the highway to one of them chains, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn. My buddy Ed owns this, keeps it real clean, and he’ll treat you right. I bring folks here who want to spend a few days looking at real estate. Affordable rates and all the amenities . . . except hi-speed internet. If you need a computer, I have a few at my office you can use.”
Michelle was leery of Pink’s kindness, even though it seemed genuine. Why wasn’t he asking questions? He’d not said a word about the cabin, Cliff, or the police, just drove to the Ruby Motel and now sat patiently waiting, the engine running, for her to decide if this would work. Was he expecting sex? Did he think that she had troubles and would be an easy mark?
“I didn’t mean anything when I said Ed had affordable rates,” Pink said, “just that some of these chains charge more than they should for the use of four walls, a bed, and toilet. I’m sure you . . .”
“This is fine, Mr. Souder.” She called him by his last name to reinstate a more formal relationship in case he had other ideas. “Thank you.”