Color of Blood(121)

She turned, pushed the glass storm door open, and pulled her roll-on suitcase out on the landing and awkwardly down the cement steps.

Dennis watched her drag the suitcase down the sidewalk into the darkness.

“Where are you going?”

Judy kept a steady pace away from him and down the sidewalk.

Dennis scanned the neighborhood quickly. The streetlights had come on, and he could see flickering TV sets through windows and bright kitchen lights.

“Judy, wait,” he yelled.

She was now almost fifty feet away and moving rapidly.

Dennis raced down the steps and caught up with her. He grabbed her wrist.

“Wait. Please, Judy. Just stop for a moment.”

She turned.

“What do you want?” she pleaded, her cheeks streaked with mascara-tinted tears.

“OK,” he said slowly. “I can explain everything if you’ll just come inside. I’m sorry for being like this. It’s been a long day. I’m a little confused right now, but let’s get you inside the house.”

Judy stared at him in the glare of the streetlight; it shrouded the right side of his face in darkness, making him seem gloomy and strange.

He tugged at the handle of the roll-on suitcase, but she would not release it.

“Judy,” he said softly. “Let’s go inside.”

She let go, and he reached out with his other hand and pulled her and the suitcase along to his front door. After going inside, Dennis looked around the street one more time and then closed the door and set the lock.

Judy stood next to the suitcase and stared at Dennis.

“OK, I realize that was kind of a strange greeting,” Dennis said.

“Really, really bloody strange,” she said.

“OK,” he said. “Really, really strange, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not happy to see you. In fact, I’m thrilled to see you. You have no idea how thrilled I am to have you here.”

“You have a bizarre way of showing yourself being thrilled,” she said.

“Why don’t you take off your coat and just relax,” he said. “You look exhausted—and your mascara is running.”

“Ha,” she said.

“I’m trying to get you to relax,” he said, “but I can see that it’s not working so well.”

“You hurt me,” she said. “I came all this way, and you treated me like a door-to-door salesman. I feel humiliated.”

“Well, that was a huge mistake on my part, but if you’ll just relax, I think I can explain everything. Really.” Dennis took a step forward and kissed her quickly on her lips. She did not return the kiss.

“You know there were times when we were in Newton when you frightened me,” she said. “When I thought you might be crazy. You did that again today, and I’m feeling uncomfortable around you.”

“Mmm,” he said. “Not sure I can blame you, Judy.” He sighed. “Well, if you’re not going to sit down, I am.”

He dropped onto the couch. She stared down at him.

“I’m trying to decide whether to find a hotel tonight,” she said.

“I can see that.”

They looked at each other. Judy noticed that Dennis’s demeanor had altered dramatically. When she had first shown up, he seemed furious. Now he seemed drained and anxious.

“What’s wrong?” she said.

“Sit down, and I’ll tell you,” he said. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Maybe you shouldn’t stay here tonight after what I’m going to tell you.”

And then he started story, as if he were describing the plot of a movie he had recently watched. Halfway through, Judy took off her khaki-colored raincoat and sat down on the couch. Dennis told her everything in one long narrative thread leading up to her entrance at his front door.

“So you thought I was part of the scheme?” she asked.

“Well, sort of, at the time. Yes, I did.”

“What makes you think I’m not part of the scheme now?”

“That’s not funny, Judy,” he said.

“I don’t know why I said that,” she said quickly. “Can I ask you just one question?”

“Of course.”

“Is that really how your parents died?”

“Yes, but I don’t really want to talk about it.”

They looked at each other. The refrigerator’s compressor was the only sound in the house. Judy looked at the book of poetry on the living room table.

“Are you still reading poetry from that war poet?” she said.

“Sometimes.”

They looked at each other in silence.

“Are you scared?” Judy said.

“Yes. I don’t know how tonight is going to end. In fact, now that I think of it, the last thing in the world I want to do is expose you to more trouble. I’ll never forget how I felt when I saw you on that bed with your eyes closed in Newton. I thought you were dead.”

He stood up. “Let’s get you out of here. There’s a Comfort Suites right up the road. I’ll call a cab.”

“What if you’re overreacting to what happened at work today?” she said. “I’m just trying to raise the possibility that all the stress you’ve been under has clouded your judgment. Maybe this fellow Massey is genuinely concerned about your mental health? I mean it’s a possibility.”