The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires(64)

Patricia’s spine turned to stone. This was something she could hold on to, this was ground on which she could stand.

“If you think I’m going down to that man’s house and apologizing, you are deeply mistaken,” she said, drawing herself up, speaking as much like Grace as she could. She tried to make eye contact with Grace, but Grace stared miserably into the cold fireplace, not making eye contact with anyone.

“You don’t have to go anywhere,” Carter said as the doorbell rang. “He’s agreed to come here.”

Right on cue, Leland stepped into the hall and came back with James Harris. Unbelievably, he was smiling. James wore a white button-up oxford shirt tucked into a new pair of khaki pants, and brown loafers. He looked like someone who belonged on a boat. He looked like someone from Charleston.

“I’m sorry about all of this, Jim,” Ed said, standing and shaking his hand.

All the men exchanged firm handshakes and Patricia saw their shoulders relax, the tension in their faces dissolve. She saw that they thought of him as one of their own. James Harris turned to the women, studying each of their faces, stopping at Patricia.

“I understand I’ve been the source of a whole lot of fuss and worry,” he said.

“I think the girls have something they want to say,” Leland said.

“I feel terrible to have caused all this commotion,” James said.

“Patricia?” Carter prompted.

She knew he wanted her to go first to set an example for the other women, but she was her own person, and she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. He’d forced her to apologize once already. Not again.

“I have nothing to say to Mr. Harris,” she said. “I think he’s not who he says he is and I think all anyone would need to do is look inside his mini-storage unit to see I’m right.”

“Patricia—” Carter started.

“I’m willing to let bygones be bygones if Patricia is,” James said, and stepped toward her with one hand outstretched. “Forgive and forget?”

Patricia saw his hand and the whole room behind it blurred and she felt everyone’s eyes on her.

“Mr. Harris,” she said. “If you don’t remove your hand from my face immediately, I’m going to spit on it.”

“Patty!” Carter snapped.

James gave a sheepish grin and pulled his hand back.

“I thought we were friends,” he said. “I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done to offend you.”

“Shake hands with him right this minute like an adult,” Carter said.

“Absolutely not,” she said.

“You are embarrassing yourself and the children,” Carter said. “I am asking you to apologize.”

Then Grace saved the day.

“Mr. Harris,” she said, standing and walking over to him. “Please accept my apologies. It seems our imaginations ran away with us.”

He shook her hand and then, one after the other, each of the women stood and apologized, and shook his hand, and simpered, and curtsied, and kissed his ring, while Patricia sat there, at first simmering with hot rage, then going cold.

“I’d like to ask something, if it’s not too much,” James Harris said.

“At this point, I think we’re all willing to do whatever it takes to put this behind us,” Carter said.

“The more you get to know me,” James Harris said, “the more you’ll realize I’m not some kind of super criminal. I’m just an ordinary man who’s fallen in love with this neighborhood and wants to be a part of it. We’re only scared of what we don’t know. I’ve been a source of a lot of anxiety for Patricia, and I’m sure she’s not the only one. I don’t want anyone to be afraid of me. I want to be your friend and your neighbor. So, if it’s okay with everyone, I’d like to join your book club as a full-time member. You had me as a guest once, and I think it’d be a good place where you could get to know the real me.”

Patricia could not believe what she was hearing.

“That is a generous and thoughtful suggestion,” Carter said. “Patty? Girls? What do you think?”

Patricia didn’t say a word. She knew it didn’t matter what she thought anymore.

“I think that’s a yes,” Carter said.





CHAPTER 22


Patricia didn’t want to talk that night, and Carter had the good sense not to push it. She went to bed early. Carter thought nothing was wrong? Let him worry about Korey and Blue. Let him feed them and keep them safe. Downstairs she heard him go out and bring back take-out Chinese for the kids, and the buzzing rise and fall of A Serious Conversation filtered up from the dining room. After Korey and Blue went to bed, Carter slept on the den sofa.

The next morning, she saw Destiny Taylor’s picture in the paper and read the story with numb acceptance. The nine-year-old had waited until it was her turn in the bathroom of her foster home, then took dental floss, wrapped it around her neck over and over, and hanged herself from the towel rack. The police were investigating whether it might be abuse.

“I’d like to speak to you in the dining room,” Carter said from the door to the den.

Patricia looked up from the paper. Carter needed to shave.

“That child killed herself,” she said. “The one we told you about, Destiny Taylor, she killed herself just like we warned you she would.”