The Leaving(35)

That e-mail was never replied to.

How had his father even found the book?

Lucas’s own Google search turned up almost no hits, and none of the coverage Lucas had seen of The Leaving had mentioned it at all.

Had his father gone to the police with it?

Lucas opened a new window, and his fingers went to work. He knew how to type, and quickly. He composed his e-mail without a single wrong keystroke:

It is with regret that I write to inform you that my father, Will, with whom you had corresponded on this matter, has died. I’m his son—returned after eleven years with no memory of that time—as you may see if you follow the news at all. I was hoping we could meet? I am interested in this line of research my father was pursuing with regard to your father’s book and fan base as potential inspiration for this crime.

He hit Send, then found a barely-there Wikipedia page about Daniel Orlean.

Noted again that he lived in Florida.

Then mapped directions to Tarpon Springs.

A day trip.

Easy.

Clicking away from the window, he noticed the screen saver for the first time. It was a photo of him, Ryan, and their mom and dad. On the beach. Smiling. His mother with heavy black sunglasses on. He wanted very much to see her eyes through them but couldn’t, so he closed his eyes and tried to picture them there but drew a blank.

His phone buzzed.

I’m home, Scarlett had written.

On my way, he wrote back.

The computer dinged.

The e-mail had bounced as undeliverable.





AVERY



They were hanging out on the lanai eating popcorn and making a list of suspects who might have written the note as a prank.

“Morgan Bestler?” Emma said.

“She loves me!” Avery said.

“Never mind!” Emma laughed.

“What? She doesn’t like me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?”

Chambers had sworn her to secrecy and she’d sworn Sam and Emma. It wouldn’t be her fault if they blabbed. And to her credit, she didn’t say a word about the old book. Lucas’s secret she felt she had to keep, if only to keep his trust now that she had it.

If she even did?

At the very least, she had his phone number. That was something.

“I’m thinking Maggie Corrigan.” Avery couldn’t decide if she wanted to bother swimming or not. “She’s just evil for evil’s sake sometimes, you know? And she had a crush on Sam around the time we started going out.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Sam said. He got up. “I’m going in.”

He took his shirt off and Avery felt a pang of regret with the feeling of knowing she had to end it. He was cute, just not . . . right. He dove in and she made a wish that when he resurfaced, she’d see his face and think, Of course I want to be with him. Why wouldn’t I? But when he came up and wiped his lids before opening his eyes and flicked his hair off his forehead, she felt nothing.

“What if it’s really him?” Emma said. “What if it’s really Max and he’s just scared?”

“I highly doubt he’d write a note and put it in your mailbox,” Sam said. “How would he even know the address? It’s not like he’d remember? Would he?”

“No,” Emma said. “Probably not.”

“And if he can show up here to drop a note off, why not ring the doorbell? It makes no sense.”

“I’m telling you,” Avery said. “It’s Maggie Corrigan. It has to be.”

Emma said, “She’s definitely at the top of the list.”

“Oh, man.” Avery lay back in her lounger and put her sunglasses back on. Rita was inside vacuuming and Avery found the sound comforting. “I need to plot my revenge.”

Sam said, “I want no part of whatever evil scheme you dream up.” He grabbed his stuff, kissed Avery on the lips quickly, and said, “I’ve got to go.”

“All right,” Emma said when he’d left. “I’m dying. I’m going in.”

She got up and adjusted her polka-dot suit and dove in and then swam underwater the length of the pool. When she surfaced at the far end, she pushed off and backstroked back to Avery.

“Do you think they’ll go to school?” she asked, putting her forearms on the pool edge and resting her chin on her hands.

“Who?”

“The ones who are back.”

“I guess so,” Avery said. “What else would they do?”

“It’s weird to think about,” Emma said. “That one guy is hot.”

“Lucas?” Avery’s gut tightened.

“No. The other guy.”

“Oh, right. Yeah. Good.”

“Good?” Emma pushed up out of the pool and grabbed her towel. “Why good?”

“You have to promise you won’t tell Sam. Or anyone.”

Emma crossed her heart and rolled her eyes. She shook her hair in Avery’s direction, getting her wet.

“I went to see Lucas yesterday. We spent some time in the old RV his dad has—had?—that I told you about. We were friends when we were kids and stuff. It’s just weird to see him now and, well—”

“You’re crushing on this guy?”