The Things We Keep(88)

I close my eyes. The final piece of the puzzle.

“Jack blames himself for leaving her alone after giving her that news, and he’s adamant he’s going to protect her from now on. He became the man of our house when I left his mother, so it’s tough for me to come in now and tell Jack what’s right for his sister.” His face is pained, like he might cry. “But then I read this notebook, and it says she wants to live out the rest of her days with this man, no matter what comes—”

“And instead she’s kept behind a locked door.”

He nods. “If it were up to me, I’d want Anna to squeeze every minute of joy out of the days she has left. If that meant unlocking the doors, that’s what I’d do. But I’ve tried talking to Jack, and it’s falling on deaf ears.”

I think about what Peter said, but it doesn’t make any sense. Anna could take birth control. The upstairs has already been blocked off for residents. Then I think about it again. Jack blames himself. Jack is adamant he won’t let anything like that happen again. That makes more sense. Suddenly I realize I might be the only person who can get through to him.

“Would it be all right with you, Peter,” I ask, “if I talked to Jack?”

*

The drive to Philly takes over an hour, but it feels like five minutes. As we drive, Peter tells me about his son. He uses all the adjectives of a proud parent—“intelligent,” “funny,” “calm”—but also a few other words like “headstrong” and “stubborn.” And “protective”—that’s the one that frightens me the most.

When we pull into the driveway, Jack is out front, shoveling snow. Hearing the car, he turns. He looks at me for a moment; then his gaze shifts to his dad. It’s accusatory. What have you done now?

“You remember Eve,” Peter says.

“Yes,” Jack says warily. “Hello, Eve.”

“Eve is here to talk to you about Anna.”

“Is she all right? I heard she cut her hand—”

“Physically, she’s fine,” I tell him. “It’s her emotional health I’m worried about.”

There is a moment’s silence. A gust of wind flutes past, chilling me to the bone.

“I’m sorry, aren’t you the housekeeper?” Jack asks.

“Yes, but I’ve spent a great deal of time with Anna over the recent months, and I care about her very much. Could I—?” I shiver and glance toward the door. “Could I come inside?”

“What’s this all about?” Jack asks, more to Peter than to me. Irritation, it seems, has taken the place of bafflement.

“I told you,” Peter says. “It’s about Anna. Come inside, Eve. This way.” Peter ushers me into the house while Jack reluctantly plants his shovel in the snow.

The house is magnificent. We walk into a high-ceilinged foyer with a marble floor. It reminds me more of a shopping mall than a house. Peter takes my coat and Jack shuts the door with a thud.

“All right,” Jack says. “Let’s get this over with.”

“This isn’t an intervention, Jack,” Peter says.

“It better not be. Because this isn’t a democracy. I have Anna’s power of attorney. So if this is about her boyfriend, forget it.”

Peter and I confer with our eyes. “It’s about the letter,” I say. “Anna’s letter.”

Peter gets the notebook out of his bag.

“Yes,” Jack says. “I read it.”

“Then you know it says Anna and Luke agreed they’d stay together until—”

“I know what it says. I also know Anna has not been true to this promise, because she did try to kill herself. That is a fact.”

“That is a fact,” I say. Already I can see that I am at a disadvantage, arguing with an attorney. “And I’ll admit, I don’t understand that part. Maybe we never will. But let’s look at all the facts. When you took Anna out of Rosalind House, she became so depressed that, despite your reservations, you returned her there and saw marked improvements in just a few days.”

“So love can work miracles, is that what you’re saying?” Jack laughs blackly. “What do you want me to do? I took her back there, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but they might as well be a world apart. Imagine the improvement if they were allowed to actually spend time together. If you unlocked the doors—”

Jack looks at me. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I love my sister. She’s the funniest, bravest, most extraordinary person you could possibly imagine.”

“I know she is.”

“She’s also the most vulnerable person you could imagine. And I am responsible for her. I let her down once. I’m not going to do it again.”

“I know you think—”

“Oh, you know, do you?” Jack’s eyes flash. “You know what it’s like to have a loved one try to kill themselves because you walked out when they needed you the most?”

“Yes,” I say. “Except in my case, they were successful.”

This stops him a second. Jack and Peter exchange a glance.

“You’ve probably heard of my husband, Richard Bennett?”

Jack stares at me. “You’re Richard Bennett’s wife?”