way.
“Don’t touch my puppy,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to touch your puppy. Camille, you can’t go on like this. You have to get some help. Don’t you want to get better?”
Camille saw the words come marching out of Milicia’s mouth like little soldiers on a parade ground. Milicia was looking around nervously as she spoke. Looking for Bouck, who said he’d kill her. Camille let out a little giggle. Bouck was in the chair upstairs. He could come down if he wanted to.
They stood by the door on the edge of the living room.Camille giggled again. For the first time in her life she lived in a place where Milicia was afraid to come in.
“I met someone who can help you get better. Camille, can you hear me?”
Camille shook her head. Couldn’t hear a thing. She saw Milicia’s big red mouth moving, saw the words marching out, wanted to stop them once and for all.
“Will you come with me and meet this man? He knows how to help people like you. Please, Camille. I have a bad feeling. I have this really bad feeling something’s going to happen that can’t be fixed. You don’t want anything to happen, do you?”
Camille looked at Milicia and backed away. “What?”
“What? What?”
“What?”
“You mean, what’s going to happen—I don’t know, Camille. Only you can know,” Milicia said wildly.
Camille saw the tears in Milicia’s eyes, shook her head, holding the puppy tight. Don’t touch.
“You
know. Please, I can’t deal with this by myself. You have to help me.”
The stairs creaked. Milicia started. “Oh, God, this place is so creepy. I don’t know how you can stand it.”
Camille had flinched, too.
“I know you’ve taken something. I can see it in your eyes. He gives it to you, doesn’t he? You’re scared of him, aren’t you? You can’t help it. I know it’s not your fault, Camille. Whatever is happening with you, I know it’s not your fault.”
Camille stopped seeing the words come out of Milicia’s big red mouth. Her eyes felt very heavy. She was holding Puppy, leaning against the back of a chair. Stiffly, she moved around to the other side of it and crumpled into the chair, closing her eyes. Puppy stretched out across Camille’s lap and put her head down.
16
T he phone rang. It was seven in the morning. A thick fog blanketed the street and Jason’s head. It always took him a half hour to wake up, and he wasn’t there yet. His second cup of coffee sat on the counter in front of him, black as ink. He had forgotten to buy milk for the third straight day.
He yawned and picked up on the second ring. “Dr. Frank.”
“Hi, it’s Charles. Sorry I didn’t get back to you last night. I was out late. What’s up?”
Jason snapped into focus. “Just wanted to thank you for Sunday. Great day. Congratulations on the house, it’s really something.”
“Glad you like it. We hope you’ll come out often. You know Brenda thinks the world of you.”
“I think the world of her, too. Listen, ah, about your architect, Milicia.”
Charles laughed. “So that’s what’s up, you old rogue. I should have known.”
“Just wanted to know what your take on her is,” Jason said.
“Since when do you need that?”
“She’s building a house for you, Charles. You’ve been working closely with her for some time.…”
“Over a year.”
Could have fooled me, Jason thought. He hadn’t heard a word about it until the house was half up.
“So?” Jason prompted.
“So she’s a beautiful and talented girl. Go for it, you old dog.”
“That’s what you always say.” The last thing Jason was was a dog, but he didn’t want to explore the subject with Charles. “Aside from looks and talent, what do you think of her?”
“I don’t really know her that well.” Charles paused. “She’s certainly powerful. Gets what she wants … There is something about her that’s—”
“What?”
“I don’t know, a little offputting. Something that doesn’t quite
“Don’t touch my puppy,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to touch your puppy. Camille, you can’t go on like this. You have to get some help. Don’t you want to get better?”
Camille saw the words come marching out of Milicia’s mouth like little soldiers on a parade ground. Milicia was looking around nervously as she spoke. Looking for Bouck, who said he’d kill her. Camille let out a little giggle. Bouck was in the chair upstairs. He could come down if he wanted to.
They stood by the door on the edge of the living room.Camille giggled again. For the first time in her life she lived in a place where Milicia was afraid to come in.
“I met someone who can help you get better. Camille, can you hear me?”
Camille shook her head. Couldn’t hear a thing. She saw Milicia’s big red mouth moving, saw the words marching out, wanted to stop them once and for all.
“Will you come with me and meet this man? He knows how to help people like you. Please, Camille. I have a bad feeling. I have this really bad feeling something’s going to happen that can’t be fixed. You don’t want anything to happen, do you?”
Camille looked at Milicia and backed away. “What?”
“What? What?”
“What?”
“You mean, what’s going to happen—I don’t know, Camille. Only you can know,” Milicia said wildly.
Camille saw the tears in Milicia’s eyes, shook her head, holding the puppy tight. Don’t touch.
“You
know. Please, I can’t deal with this by myself. You have to help me.”
The stairs creaked. Milicia started. “Oh, God, this place is so creepy. I don’t know how you can stand it.”
Camille had flinched, too.
“I know you’ve taken something. I can see it in your eyes. He gives it to you, doesn’t he? You’re scared of him, aren’t you? You can’t help it. I know it’s not your fault, Camille. Whatever is happening with you, I know it’s not your fault.”
Camille stopped seeing the words come out of Milicia’s big red mouth. Her eyes felt very heavy. She was holding Puppy, leaning against the back of a chair. Stiffly, she moved around to the other side of it and crumpled into the chair, closing her eyes. Puppy stretched out across Camille’s lap and put her head down.
16
T he phone rang. It was seven in the morning. A thick fog blanketed the street and Jason’s head. It always took him a half hour to wake up, and he wasn’t there yet. His second cup of coffee sat on the counter in front of him, black as ink. He had forgotten to buy milk for the third straight day.
He yawned and picked up on the second ring. “Dr. Frank.”
“Hi, it’s Charles. Sorry I didn’t get back to you last night. I was out late. What’s up?”
Jason snapped into focus. “Just wanted to thank you for Sunday. Great day. Congratulations on the house, it’s really something.”
“Glad you like it. We hope you’ll come out often. You know Brenda thinks the world of you.”
“I think the world of her, too. Listen, ah, about your architect, Milicia.”
Charles laughed. “So that’s what’s up, you old rogue. I should have known.”
“Just wanted to know what your take on her is,” Jason said.
“Since when do you need that?”
“She’s building a house for you, Charles. You’ve been working closely with her for some time.…”
“Over a year.”
Could have fooled me, Jason thought. He hadn’t heard a word about it until the house was half up.
“So?” Jason prompted.
“So she’s a beautiful and talented girl. Go for it, you old dog.”
“That’s what you always say.” The last thing Jason was was a dog, but he didn’t want to explore the subject with Charles. “Aside from looks and talent, what do you think of her?”
“I don’t really know her that well.” Charles paused. “She’s certainly powerful. Gets what she wants … There is something about her that’s—”
“What?”
“I don’t know, a little offputting. Something that doesn’t quite
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