after and told her that he spoke to Andy before he left,
that he wanted to get out of town to find work and better himself for Emma or
something like that.”
Jack shook his head. “That doesn’t
sound right.”
“Right? That’s what I thought.”
We were out of the Jeep, standing in
the yard between our houses. “Listen, James, maybe you should keep your distance.
He’s been showing you an awful lot of attention. I think it might be best that
you didn’t wander alone so much.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I’m sure you will be. But I’d feel
much better if you don’t go playing detective by yourself. I don’t want anything
happening to you.”
I blushed. “I won’t go play
detective. At least not alone.”
“Alright. I’m headed in, but you
come on over if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
I unloaded my stuff at the bottom of
the steps, grabbing the memory card from my camera and headed upstairs. I
opened my laptop and sat on the window seat, letting the images load, while I
stared out the window.
I said I wouldn’t go play detective.
I didn’t say anything about playing detective indoors.
Chapter 22
“James, can I come up?”
Jack’s head appeared at the top of
the stairs, while I sat on the floor, back against the window seat, surrounded
by prints from the photos Emma and I took of the townspeople.
“Wow. No wonder you’ve been holed up
here.”
“Insane, right? I don’t think I realized
how many people we took pictures of that week.”
Jack tried to navigate across the
floor to the window seat without stepping on anything. He held up a paper bag.
“Emma sent over some chicken n’ dumplings for us.”
“She’s such a sweetie. I’ll have some
in a little bit. Don’t want to get grimy hands on the photos.”
“These came out real nice.” Jack sat
down and leaned over my shoulder. “Emma took these?”
“I helped her here and there, but
she got the hang of it really quickly. She’s got a good eye.”
“And a good teacher.”
I waved my hand, ignoring the
compliment. “You can go ahead and start eating if you’re hungry.”
“Can I help you finish up here
instead?”
“Actually, you probably could. I
have this stack of envelopes here with every family’s name on them; I just need
to put the pictures in the right envelopes. They’re already stacked together,
so it shouldn’t take long at all.”
I handed him half the envelopes and
got up on my knees so I could reach some of the photos further away. We had
only filled a few envelopes when I stopped suddenly. “Does anything strike you
as odd when you look at all these photos?”
“Not particularly.”
I looked over them again. “Look.” I
started pointing to pictures. “Mother and daughter. Mother and three daughters.
Aunt and niece. Grandma.”
Jack shrugged. “I must be slow,
James. What am I missing?”
“It’s what the town is missing -
men.”
He looked over the photos again.
“There’s Gordon from the Inn there. And there’s Joan and her two boys.”
“Right. Old guy and school-aged
boys. If you don’t count men over, let’s say 65, and boys under 18, how many
men would you say are in this town?”
Jack sat, thinking. “Well, there are
a few farmers that live a bit further out.”
“But right here in the heart of
town?”
“I can’t think of too many.”
“Doesn’t that seem more than a
little strange to you?”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck,
his forehead wrinkling as he frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess
it’s a little unusual. Don’t know if it means much, though.” He sighed and went
back to stuffing the envelopes. “We should finish and eat.”
“You’re right. I’m probably being
paranoid.” I didn’t really think it was just unusual, but I knew I’d be able to
think more clearly after dinner. I took the stack of filled envelopes and
placed them on the bed, while Jack broke out the food. He handed me a napkin
and we sat on the floor,
that he wanted to get out of town to find work and better himself for Emma or
something like that.”
Jack shook his head. “That doesn’t
sound right.”
“Right? That’s what I thought.”
We were out of the Jeep, standing in
the yard between our houses. “Listen, James, maybe you should keep your distance.
He’s been showing you an awful lot of attention. I think it might be best that
you didn’t wander alone so much.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I’m sure you will be. But I’d feel
much better if you don’t go playing detective by yourself. I don’t want anything
happening to you.”
I blushed. “I won’t go play
detective. At least not alone.”
“Alright. I’m headed in, but you
come on over if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
I unloaded my stuff at the bottom of
the steps, grabbing the memory card from my camera and headed upstairs. I
opened my laptop and sat on the window seat, letting the images load, while I
stared out the window.
I said I wouldn’t go play detective.
I didn’t say anything about playing detective indoors.
Chapter 22
“James, can I come up?”
Jack’s head appeared at the top of
the stairs, while I sat on the floor, back against the window seat, surrounded
by prints from the photos Emma and I took of the townspeople.
“Wow. No wonder you’ve been holed up
here.”
“Insane, right? I don’t think I realized
how many people we took pictures of that week.”
Jack tried to navigate across the
floor to the window seat without stepping on anything. He held up a paper bag.
“Emma sent over some chicken n’ dumplings for us.”
“She’s such a sweetie. I’ll have some
in a little bit. Don’t want to get grimy hands on the photos.”
“These came out real nice.” Jack sat
down and leaned over my shoulder. “Emma took these?”
“I helped her here and there, but
she got the hang of it really quickly. She’s got a good eye.”
“And a good teacher.”
I waved my hand, ignoring the
compliment. “You can go ahead and start eating if you’re hungry.”
“Can I help you finish up here
instead?”
“Actually, you probably could. I
have this stack of envelopes here with every family’s name on them; I just need
to put the pictures in the right envelopes. They’re already stacked together,
so it shouldn’t take long at all.”
I handed him half the envelopes and
got up on my knees so I could reach some of the photos further away. We had
only filled a few envelopes when I stopped suddenly. “Does anything strike you
as odd when you look at all these photos?”
“Not particularly.”
I looked over them again. “Look.” I
started pointing to pictures. “Mother and daughter. Mother and three daughters.
Aunt and niece. Grandma.”
Jack shrugged. “I must be slow,
James. What am I missing?”
“It’s what the town is missing -
men.”
He looked over the photos again.
“There’s Gordon from the Inn there. And there’s Joan and her two boys.”
“Right. Old guy and school-aged
boys. If you don’t count men over, let’s say 65, and boys under 18, how many
men would you say are in this town?”
Jack sat, thinking. “Well, there are
a few farmers that live a bit further out.”
“But right here in the heart of
town?”
“I can’t think of too many.”
“Doesn’t that seem more than a
little strange to you?”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck,
his forehead wrinkling as he frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess
it’s a little unusual. Don’t know if it means much, though.” He sighed and went
back to stuffing the envelopes. “We should finish and eat.”
“You’re right. I’m probably being
paranoid.” I didn’t really think it was just unusual, but I knew I’d be able to
think more clearly after dinner. I took the stack of filled envelopes and
placed them on the bed, while Jack broke out the food. He handed me a napkin
and we sat on the floor,
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