Chương 10
Not on his desk.
Not beside the coffee machine.
Not in the bathroom.
Henry checked the same places twice while refusing to admit he had checked them once already.
Claire stood in the doorway.
“When did you last have them?”
“Yesterday.”
“Helpful.”
“I drove the car.”
“I remember.”
“Then they were in my pocket.”
“Which pocket?”
“The coat.”
“You checked?”
Henry turned slowly.
“What do you think I’m doing?”
Lily sat in the armchair watching.
Claire searched under the bed.
Henry searched his suitcase.
At nine thirty, Daniel joined.
At nine thirty-five, Margaret joined because missing objects were irresistible to her.
By nine forty, Henry’s room looked robbed.
Clothes covered the bed. Sofa cushions had been removed. Daniel found sixty-three cents, an old mint, and the hotel television remote between cushions.
“No keys.”
Henry’s irritation sharpened.
“I put them on the desk.”
Claire looked at the desk.
“You said coat.”
“I meant after I came in.”
“You don’t remember?”
“I remember.”
“Then where are they?”
Henry’s face went still.
Claire heard her own voice too late.
The room changed.
Margaret looked down.
Daniel suddenly became interested in the curtain.
Claire swallowed.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did.”
Henry turned toward his suitcase.
“Dad.”
“It’s fine.”
“It isn’t.”
“No. Apparently this is useful data.”
“Stop.”
“You wanted evidence.”
“I said stop.”
Lily slid down from the chair.
Everybody became aware of her at once.
She walked to Henry’s coat.
Reached into the left pocket.
Pulled out nothing.
Then walked to the closet where her black Mary Jane shoes sat beside Claire’s overnight bag.
She picked up the right shoe.
Something jingled.
Claire stared.
Lily reached inside and removed Henry’s keys.
Nobody spoke.
Henry looked at her.
“Pumpkin.”
Lily held the keys behind her back.
Henry’s voice stayed gentle.
“Why do you have those?”
“You were going.”
“Where?”
“Home.”
“We’re all going home today.”
Lily shook her head.
“You’re going to your house.”
“Yes.”
“And then moving.”
“Not today.”
“You said soon.”
Henry crouched.
His movements were slower than usual.
Claire noticed and forced herself not to react.
“Lily.”
“No.”
“Can I have my keys?”
“No.”
Margaret quietly left the room.
Daniel followed.
Claire almost did too, then stayed.
Henry sat on the edge of the bed instead of crouching.
Lily remained near the closet.
“Why did you hide them?”
“So you can’t disappear.”
Henry looked at Claire.
Claire said nothing.
His shoulders lowered.
“Come here.”
Lily shook her head.
Henry waited.
No jokes.
No trick.
No exaggerated expression.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll stay here.”
He patted the bed beside him.
“You can stay there.”
Lily’s fingers tightened around the keys.
Henry looked down at his hands.
“When Grandma was alive, did you know she lived with me?”
Lily nodded.
“Then she went away.”
Claire’s throat tightened.
Henry looked at her briefly.
Lily answered, “She died.”
“Yes.”
“Mom says that’s different.”
“It is.”
Henry rubbed his palms together.
“But after Grandma died, I got very used to deciding things by myself.”
Lily frowned.
Henry continued.
“Sometimes too used to it.”
Claire looked at him.
He kept his attention on Lily.
“I decided I might move. I should have told you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my family.”
Lily said nothing.
“I thought if I waited, maybe you wouldn’t worry as long.”
“That’s dumb.”
Claire pressed her lips together.
Henry nodded.
“Turns out, yes.”
Lily came one step closer.
“You’re still moving?”
“Yes.”
Her face tightened.
Henry did not rush to fill the silence.
Claire watched him resist every instinct to make the answer softer.
Lily asked, “Why?”
“Because my house has a lot of things I don’t need anymore. And the new place is easier for me.”
“Because you fell?”
“Partly.”
Lily’s eyes lowered.
Henry continued.
“I’m still going to drive.”
She looked up.
“I’m still going to come to your house.”
“How much?”
“A lot.”
“How many days?”
“I don’t know.”
“Every day?”
“No.”
Lily’s face collapsed.
Henry did not lie.
“But you can come see me.”
“How much?”
“As much as your mom says yes.”
Lily looked at Claire.
Claire lifted both hands.
“Don’t drag me into negotiations.”
Henry almost smiled.
Lily did not.
“What if the new place has mirrors?”
Henry became very still.
Claire expected him to laugh.
He did not.
“It will.”
Lily’s grip tightened on the keys.
Henry patted the bed again.
This time she came closer.
She did not sit.
Henry said, “I need to tell you something about that big mirror.”
“You said you went behind.”
“I did.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head.
Henry looked around the room.
There was a full-length mirror beside the closet.
He stood.
Claire tensed before she could stop herself.
Henry noticed.
He gave her a look.
Not accusing.
Just noticing.
Then he walked to the mirror.
Lily backed toward Claire.
Henry pointed behind it.
“This one is attached to the wall, so I can’t hide behind it.”
Lily watched.
“But the big one downstairs stands out from the wall.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“I looked.”
Henry nodded.
“So you saw the space.”
“It could still eat people.”
“Okay.”
Claire glanced at him.
Lily looked suspicious.
Henry continued.
“I can’t prove to you that no mirror anywhere is magic.”
Claire raised her eyebrows.
This was not where she would have gone.
“But I can tell you I tricked you.”
Lily stared at him.
“I knew you were watching me. I stepped one way and moved behind the mirror while you looked down.”
“You made me.”
“I did.”
“That’s cheating.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I thought it would be funny.”
“It wasn’t.”
“No.”
Henry looked at his granddaughter.
“I’m sorry.”
Lily’s face remained tight.
He did not demand forgiveness.
After several seconds, she came to the bed.
She sat beside him.
The keys stayed in her hand.
Henry held out his palm.
Lily looked at it.
“If I give them, you leave.”
“Eventually.”
“Now?”
“No.”
“When?”
“After lunch.”
“How many Blueys?”
May you like
Henry looked at Claire.
She said, “Do not make me calculate until lunch in Blueys.”
