“I couldn’t possibly. Those years were about
loss. This is something entirely different.”
Harrison nodded. “But not so different. It’s certainly not about
gain. It’s real y about more loss. Final loss.” He was silent for a minute. “Getting him back and getting his body back are two different things.”
Cora flinched. “It’s the only way I can think to make any of this right. And I need to know what he told her.”
Harrison shifted and put his hands in his pockets. “ Right?
It will never be right. This just makes me think of all we went
through when he disappeared. Tracking him. Waiting for him to
tap into Bradford’s money so we could get a lead. Worry. Dashed
hopes. Disappointment.”
“I was there.”
“Don’t lose yourself in this, Cora. Like you did before. Spending all your time in your head. Having those delusions about seeing
your father. Nightmares.”
How could she tell him it had already started? “I don’t intend
to. My goals are clear and simple. Figure out exactly what Nick told her and get Nick’s body back here. Where he belongs. I will make
Mackenzie quite at home here until that happens.”
“And if it doesn’t happen? What then?”
“I will have to make it happen, Harrison.”
THE BOOK of JAMES
91
“She’s getting rather comfortable here already, I’d say—like
having young McBride come here. Interesting. Have you spoken
to William?” He glanced sidelong at her.
She shook her head. “No, I have not. McBride was busy con-
tacting her , not me.”
“I figured he’d be circling around somewhere. Just like the old
days. Looking after Bradford’s interests.”
A scowl crossed her face. “Don’t you have enough on your
mind with all this and your sister?” She waved her hand around.
He never got to answer. They heard footsteps entering the
woods. Harry put his finger to his lips to silence her.
“She’s weak,” he whispered, taking his other hand out of his
pocket and sliding a book into hers. “How Nick could have even
stayed in her presence for a minute is beyond me. She’s a simpering fool. An idiot. She doesn’t stand a chance. Now go.”
Cora obeyed.
CHAPTER 21
I pushed the hood off my head and took a deep breath. The woods
seemed to buzz when I entered the canopy of protection from the
rain. I hadn’t intended to come here. I’d awakened with the dismal light and had an urge to get out of the house. I was still reeling from the fact that my journal was missing, and seeing Cora, or
having to actual y speak to her, was something I wanted to avoid.
When I had gone out onto the patio, I thought I would tromp
around to the front to get my Jeep. Just drive in the rain, drink hot coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, get familiar with Chestnut Hil ,
and give myself time to work off the angriest thoughts galloping
across my brain. That was my intention. Deep footprints in the
grass outside my door stopped me cold. The gardeners must have
been reseeding the grass, and the combination of topsoil and rain had created something of a muddy mess. But what was obvious
was that someone had been walking in this muddy mess, leaving
my room and heading toward the woods. They were clear, recent
prints.
The path I stood on was a well-trodden scar through the dense
growth, forged by generations of foot traffic. I followed it along, THE BOOK of JAMES
93
trying to get a sense of the property lines, when a figure up ahead darted away from me at a pretty good clip, familiar with the curves of the path along the way.
I reached the wrought-iron fence that marked the property’s
end. The path continued on the other side. The fence line was thick with trees and shrubs. I knew there had to be a break somewhere,
because Ginny went back and forth between the houses this way,
and I couldn’t for the life of me envision her climbing the iron bars.
It was difficult to get close to the metal-and-stone barrier because bushes and brush grew thick
loss. This is something entirely different.”
Harrison nodded. “But not so different. It’s certainly not about
gain. It’s real y about more loss. Final loss.” He was silent for a minute. “Getting him back and getting his body back are two different things.”
Cora flinched. “It’s the only way I can think to make any of this right. And I need to know what he told her.”
Harrison shifted and put his hands in his pockets. “ Right?
It will never be right. This just makes me think of all we went
through when he disappeared. Tracking him. Waiting for him to
tap into Bradford’s money so we could get a lead. Worry. Dashed
hopes. Disappointment.”
“I was there.”
“Don’t lose yourself in this, Cora. Like you did before. Spending all your time in your head. Having those delusions about seeing
your father. Nightmares.”
How could she tell him it had already started? “I don’t intend
to. My goals are clear and simple. Figure out exactly what Nick told her and get Nick’s body back here. Where he belongs. I will make
Mackenzie quite at home here until that happens.”
“And if it doesn’t happen? What then?”
“I will have to make it happen, Harrison.”
THE BOOK of JAMES
91
“She’s getting rather comfortable here already, I’d say—like
having young McBride come here. Interesting. Have you spoken
to William?” He glanced sidelong at her.
She shook her head. “No, I have not. McBride was busy con-
tacting her , not me.”
“I figured he’d be circling around somewhere. Just like the old
days. Looking after Bradford’s interests.”
A scowl crossed her face. “Don’t you have enough on your
mind with all this and your sister?” She waved her hand around.
He never got to answer. They heard footsteps entering the
woods. Harry put his finger to his lips to silence her.
“She’s weak,” he whispered, taking his other hand out of his
pocket and sliding a book into hers. “How Nick could have even
stayed in her presence for a minute is beyond me. She’s a simpering fool. An idiot. She doesn’t stand a chance. Now go.”
Cora obeyed.
CHAPTER 21
I pushed the hood off my head and took a deep breath. The woods
seemed to buzz when I entered the canopy of protection from the
rain. I hadn’t intended to come here. I’d awakened with the dismal light and had an urge to get out of the house. I was still reeling from the fact that my journal was missing, and seeing Cora, or
having to actual y speak to her, was something I wanted to avoid.
When I had gone out onto the patio, I thought I would tromp
around to the front to get my Jeep. Just drive in the rain, drink hot coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, get familiar with Chestnut Hil ,
and give myself time to work off the angriest thoughts galloping
across my brain. That was my intention. Deep footprints in the
grass outside my door stopped me cold. The gardeners must have
been reseeding the grass, and the combination of topsoil and rain had created something of a muddy mess. But what was obvious
was that someone had been walking in this muddy mess, leaving
my room and heading toward the woods. They were clear, recent
prints.
The path I stood on was a well-trodden scar through the dense
growth, forged by generations of foot traffic. I followed it along, THE BOOK of JAMES
93
trying to get a sense of the property lines, when a figure up ahead darted away from me at a pretty good clip, familiar with the curves of the path along the way.
I reached the wrought-iron fence that marked the property’s
end. The path continued on the other side. The fence line was thick with trees and shrubs. I knew there had to be a break somewhere,
because Ginny went back and forth between the houses this way,
and I couldn’t for the life of me envision her climbing the iron bars.
It was difficult to get close to the metal-and-stone barrier because bushes and brush grew thick
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