I stood in the tiled entry, I saw no stairs, no elevator. All I could see was blinding sunlight. It bounced off the crystal glass of the faceted windows and warmed my face to burning.
From far away, I heard laughter that might be Charles. I smelled cigar smoke. Both the laughter and the smoke were growing stronger. I turned back and ran from the building, choking.
Peggy stood on the sidewalk, fiddling with her glasses. “I tried to tell you,” she said.
“Tried to tell me what?”
“The rules, Miss.” She smiled up at me. “You need to follow the rules.”
CHAPTER 18
The cigar smoke disappeared. I could breathe again. I could smell the ocean.
“Well.” Peggy leaned against the door. “Nothing like a brisk morning walk. Shall we?”
“My friend’s in there,” I said. “I’m not leaving.”
“You saw what happened when you tried to follow him.” She jutted out her chin. “This casino is like any other place of business. Open, closed, regular hours. You young people can’t come traipsing in whenever you want to.”
“What happens if we break the rules?”
“Then you’ll be escorted out.”
“What about Charles?”
“Your young man? Just as I said. They don’t allow anyone inside this early.”
“But you were in there.”
“Of course I was. It’s what we do, Norm and I. We look after things.” As if to prove it, she made a show of locking the door.
“If no one’s in there, who’s going to escort Charles out?” I asked.
She shaded her eyes with her hand as if staring into the sun. “Are you trying to confuse me, Miss?”
“No,” I said. “I just want to know how he’s going to get out of there if you just locked the door.”
“He’ll probably take the back exit. Yes, that’s it. That’s how the others left when they came too early.” A squirrel darted across our path. “Look at that little guy,” she said. “Seeking shelter before the storm hits again. We’d best do the same.”
I hadn’t moved. I was chilled by her words.
“What others?” I asked.
“Well, let me think.” She slipped on her glasses as if they could help her remember. “Some from that boat of yours showed up yesterday. They arrived too early, though.”
“Describe them,” I said. “Tell me anything you remember.”
“I only saw the man, I’m afraid. He was terribly rude.” She nodded toward the path ahead of us. “The rain won’t let up for a while. Why don’t you stop by the house? I made cinnamon rolls.”
“What man?” I asked.
“Friedman. Friesen. My memory isn’t what it used to be. A young man, forty maybe, but going bald on top. I hate to say it, but he wasn’t very nice.”
“Freeman?” Let it be Freeman. Let him be here.
“Yes, that was his name. You do know him then.”
“He’s one of our chaperones,” I said, unable to hide my excitement. “Where is he now?”
“I’m not sure. Probably out back somewhere.”
“In back of the casino?”
“That’s right. I tried to tell him about our hours, but he acted as if he didn’t hear a word. He was talking about some car he was going to drive. Everyone knows we don’t allow any more cars on the island.”
“That man and the students with him have been missing since we got here,” I said. “We need to tell someone right away.”
“There’s no one to tell.” She sighed, and then patted my arm. “You know, it’s gotten pretty stressful for Norm and me since the storm and all.”
“It’s stressful for everyone,” I said. “Some of us are having really weird dreams.”
“Sleep deprivation. No wonder you’re so antsy. Stop by the house, and I’ll give you some of my chamomile and lemon balm tea. I blend the herbs myself, and I promise you’ll have the soundest sleep of your life.”
Her pink sweater f
lu
ttered in the wind, and she pulled it to her as if this were just an ordinary b
lu
stery day. For the first time, I wondered how much she really knew.
“I’m not going
From far away, I heard laughter that might be Charles. I smelled cigar smoke. Both the laughter and the smoke were growing stronger. I turned back and ran from the building, choking.
Peggy stood on the sidewalk, fiddling with her glasses. “I tried to tell you,” she said.
“Tried to tell me what?”
“The rules, Miss.” She smiled up at me. “You need to follow the rules.”
CHAPTER 18
The cigar smoke disappeared. I could breathe again. I could smell the ocean.
“Well.” Peggy leaned against the door. “Nothing like a brisk morning walk. Shall we?”
“My friend’s in there,” I said. “I’m not leaving.”
“You saw what happened when you tried to follow him.” She jutted out her chin. “This casino is like any other place of business. Open, closed, regular hours. You young people can’t come traipsing in whenever you want to.”
“What happens if we break the rules?”
“Then you’ll be escorted out.”
“What about Charles?”
“Your young man? Just as I said. They don’t allow anyone inside this early.”
“But you were in there.”
“Of course I was. It’s what we do, Norm and I. We look after things.” As if to prove it, she made a show of locking the door.
“If no one’s in there, who’s going to escort Charles out?” I asked.
She shaded her eyes with her hand as if staring into the sun. “Are you trying to confuse me, Miss?”
“No,” I said. “I just want to know how he’s going to get out of there if you just locked the door.”
“He’ll probably take the back exit. Yes, that’s it. That’s how the others left when they came too early.” A squirrel darted across our path. “Look at that little guy,” she said. “Seeking shelter before the storm hits again. We’d best do the same.”
I hadn’t moved. I was chilled by her words.
“What others?” I asked.
“Well, let me think.” She slipped on her glasses as if they could help her remember. “Some from that boat of yours showed up yesterday. They arrived too early, though.”
“Describe them,” I said. “Tell me anything you remember.”
“I only saw the man, I’m afraid. He was terribly rude.” She nodded toward the path ahead of us. “The rain won’t let up for a while. Why don’t you stop by the house? I made cinnamon rolls.”
“What man?” I asked.
“Friedman. Friesen. My memory isn’t what it used to be. A young man, forty maybe, but going bald on top. I hate to say it, but he wasn’t very nice.”
“Freeman?” Let it be Freeman. Let him be here.
“Yes, that was his name. You do know him then.”
“He’s one of our chaperones,” I said, unable to hide my excitement. “Where is he now?”
“I’m not sure. Probably out back somewhere.”
“In back of the casino?”
“That’s right. I tried to tell him about our hours, but he acted as if he didn’t hear a word. He was talking about some car he was going to drive. Everyone knows we don’t allow any more cars on the island.”
“That man and the students with him have been missing since we got here,” I said. “We need to tell someone right away.”
“There’s no one to tell.” She sighed, and then patted my arm. “You know, it’s gotten pretty stressful for Norm and me since the storm and all.”
“It’s stressful for everyone,” I said. “Some of us are having really weird dreams.”
“Sleep deprivation. No wonder you’re so antsy. Stop by the house, and I’ll give you some of my chamomile and lemon balm tea. I blend the herbs myself, and I promise you’ll have the soundest sleep of your life.”
Her pink sweater f
lu
ttered in the wind, and she pulled it to her as if this were just an ordinary b
lu
stery day. For the first time, I wondered how much she really knew.
“I’m not going
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