“Is that so bad?” Laurel asked. “You shouldn’t run away from that feeling.”
Lisa laughed. “Me? We both know I’d make a terrible mother. My books are my kids, and it’s better that way.”
“I don’t know that at all. That’s simply wrong.”
“You’re sweet,” Lisa said. She took a sip of tea, but it was already cold.
“The boy,” Laurel went on. “Is he here? Where is he now?”
“He’s upstairs sleeping. I put him in my bed.”
“Can I see him?”
“Sure, but try not to wake him up. I told him I was going to bring over a friend to talk about what we should do next, but I’m afraid he might be frightened to find a stranger in the room.”
Laurel got up and left the kitchen. Lisa stayed where she was in the darkness. She listened to the thump of her friend’s shoes in the hallway and felt the subtle shifting of the house as Laurel went upstairs. Not long after, the footsteps started downstairs again, and Laurel came back into the kitchen.
“He’s a sweet kid, isn’t he?” Lisa said. “I don’t like to think about what he’s been through.”
Laurel looked thoughtful as she sat down. “When did you first see him?”
“Right after midnight. I saw the police officers first. There were two deputies from Pennington County, but I didn’t recognize them, which is odd. I know pretty much everyone over there. Mostly, I was concerned because they had their guns out.”
“Are you sure about that?” Laurel asked. “It was dark. Maybe you didn’t see what you think you saw.”
Lisa shook her head. “There was a bright moon. I saw it clearly. Seeing the guns made me wonder if they were really cops at all, although the county vehicle looked legit. Anyway, after they left, that’s when I spotted Purdue in the yard. I think he may have been hiding from them.”
“Did anything else unusual happen today?”
Lisa shrugged. “You mean before now? Not that I recall. I was in Thief River Falls all day. I got home pretty late in the evening.”
“What were you doing in town? Where did you go?”
“I was shopping. I still have a long list of things I need for the house. I got back after nine, and then I did a call-in book club with some readers in California.”
“Do you remember anything else about the day? Anything at all?”
“No. Look, I know what you’re getting at, because that was my first thought, too. I wondered whether Purdue stowed away in my pickup sometime during the day while I was in town, but he says no. He claims he was in a different truck and escaped when it stopped. I also don’t think he came here specifically to find me. It was just luck that he wandered across the fields and found my house.”
“Luck?”
“Well, luck or fate or whatever you want to call it. Anyway, the question is, What do I do with him? The boy’s here, and he’s all alone. I want to help him. I feel like he needs protection.”
“How about we talk to the police together? You and me. There’s safety in numbers.”
“I appreciate that, but I want to have some idea what’s going on and who’s involved before I do that. Until then, I think it’s better that no one know he’s here.”
“What about going to the hospital?” Laurel asked. “You know everybody there. They’re your friends.”
“Sure, but if we take him there, they’ll have to report it. Plus, I think he’ll run. Hospitals scare him for some reason. He said if he goes there, he’ll die. Why would he say that? What happened to him? There are too many mysteries here, Laurel. I want to get some answers before I’d feel comfortable handing him over to anyone else.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. That’s why I called you. I don’t know what else to do, and I don’t have anybody else who can help me.”
Laurel reached across the table and took Lisa’s hand. “Well, I’m glad you called. I’m always here for you. But it’s not true that you don’t have anyone else in your life. You have a brother, too. Have you called Noah?”
Lisa shook her head. “That’s not an option.”
“When did you last talk to him?”
“Not since he left. You know that.”
“So more than a year ago?”
“Yes.”
“Has he left messages for you?”
Lisa shrugged. “When he does, I delete them.”
“But you still have his number, don’t you?”
“Assuming he hasn’t changed it. Look, Laurel, I don’t even know where Noah is now, and I don’t care. He bailed on me. He couldn’t deal with it, and he left, and all he did was leave me a note. He didn’t even have the guts to say it to my face. He left me to handle everything myself. He’s a coward. I never want to see him or talk to him again. Ever!”
Even a year later, her anger was never far away. It was buried below the surface, but not so deep that it couldn’t escape.
Laurel was patient and let Lisa’s anger soften before she went on. “I’m not excusing what Noah did by leaving. Not at all. But people deal with loss in different ways. Not always healthy ways. Sometimes it’s just too much for one person to handle, and they snap. All I’m saying is, you may want to give him another chance. He might surprise you this time. He’s still your twin brother. And he was Danny’s best friend. I think you should tell him what’s going on with you.”
Lisa heard a roaring in her head again, as if she might faint. She didn’t want to have this conversation about her brother. Not now. Not when she was worried about Purdue. She got up and went to the sink and poured a glass of cold water for herself, and then she stared out the window at the empty darkness. “There’s nothing Noah can do for me.”
Her friend sighed with resignation. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry, Laurel. That’s how I feel.”
“I know, and I don’t blame you for that. I’m just trying to help.”
“Thank you.”
Laurel got up from the table. “Look, it’ll be daylight soon. I’ll make a few phone calls and see if I can figure out the best way to deal with this situation. In the meantime, why don’t you lay low until I call, okay? The best thing to do is just stay home and stay out of sight.”
Lisa came away from the window and gave her friend another long hug. She could feel Laurel hesitate about hugging her back. Her friend didn’t deal well with expressions of emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Lisa said.
Laurel separated herself and responded with a tentative smile. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Okay.” Lisa took Laurel’s arm and held her back before she could leave. “Hey, one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“If you’re asking questions about Purdue, be careful,” Lisa told her. “Don’t say too much to anyone else about what’s going on. I know you may think I’m crazy, but I really don’t know who we can trust.”
7