the tension between them as if it were something physical.
At last, Riprap spoke very softly. “Tell me what would be on the lid of the box holding my great-grandfather’s set.”
Brenda heard herself answering, “A dog. The Dog.”
“And yours has a rat. The Rat.” Riprap looked back and forth between them. When he spoke next, to Brenda’s surprise, he spoke to her. “I’ve got the set. The lid’s the match to yours, but it shows a dog on it. Big dog, sort of like a chow, but meaner-looking than most chows I’ve seen. Tiles inside are a lot like yours. Now, what of it?”
Dad countered, “What do you know about why these sets were made?”
Riprap seemed to relent all at once. “I know more than you think I do, that’s clear enough. My dad left letters for me, along with the box. He knew a soldier couldn’t count on coming home. I know why those mah-jong sets were made is something we shouldn’t discuss here, not if I want these nice people who run the diner to think I’m sane, and I do because I like how they cook. I also know that there hasn’t been a wink or whimper of trouble for several generations. Why should there be now?”
“I don’t know,” Dad admitted, matching frankness with frankness. “If you would come to our hotel, I could show you what alarmed me enough to end my holiday in California and come here to warn you. Or I could send you off with a warning and tell you to check for yourself. All I ask is that you take us seriously.”
“Interrupted your holiday?”
Impulsively, Brenda dug into her purse and came up with the stub of her boarding pass.
“Look for yourself. I can show you my driver’s licence. We live in South Carolina. I’ve been up since way too early, and my body doesn’t even know what time zone I’m in anymore.”
She heard a trace of a whine in her voice, and hated herself for it, but she couldn’t help it. She was suddenly all too aware that it was closing on midnight here, which was probably something like after two at home, and she’d been on and off planes two days running, and up at dawn both days. Caffeine and sugar were making her feel like her brain and body were disconnected. She wanted to sleep, and at the same time felt like she’d never manage to sleep again.
Riprap studied the stub of the boarding pass.
“Where are you parked?”
“In a garage a few blocks over,” Gaheris said.
“Right. Let me walk you to your car. Then you can drive me over to mine, and I’ll drive straight home with the car doors locked. Consider me warned and careful, but Ms. Morris is not the only one who has had a long day.”
“You want to confirm what I’ve told you,” Gaheris said. “I have no problem with that.”
He reached and picked the check up off the edge of the table, took out his credit card, and waved for the waitress.
“Here’s my phone number and the number of the hotel,” he went on, sliding one of his business cards and one of the hotel’s across the table. “Can I have a phone number for you?”
Riprap wrote neatly on a paper napkin.
“Sure. Cell and home. I check my messages.”
“When can we call you?”
“I’ll call you around noon. I want at least eight hours’ sleep.”
“Noon then.”
They made the walk to the parking garage in a near silence that felt like a screamed argument. The night was distinctly cold, and Brenda pulled her jacket closer around her.
The parking garage was dark, lit mostly by a few security lights and the red glow of Exit signs.
“Gate’s up,” Riprap said, “but I don’t think they’re exactly open for business.”
“Couldn’t find a place,” Dad said, “and just pulled in.”
“Should be okay,” Riprap said, but Brenda was aware that he was looking from side to side, checking the shadows. His gaze was alert, and Brenda had the feeling that if he really were a dog, his hackles would be up.
The rental car sat alone in a pool of pale yellowish white
At last, Riprap spoke very softly. “Tell me what would be on the lid of the box holding my great-grandfather’s set.”
Brenda heard herself answering, “A dog. The Dog.”
“And yours has a rat. The Rat.” Riprap looked back and forth between them. When he spoke next, to Brenda’s surprise, he spoke to her. “I’ve got the set. The lid’s the match to yours, but it shows a dog on it. Big dog, sort of like a chow, but meaner-looking than most chows I’ve seen. Tiles inside are a lot like yours. Now, what of it?”
Dad countered, “What do you know about why these sets were made?”
Riprap seemed to relent all at once. “I know more than you think I do, that’s clear enough. My dad left letters for me, along with the box. He knew a soldier couldn’t count on coming home. I know why those mah-jong sets were made is something we shouldn’t discuss here, not if I want these nice people who run the diner to think I’m sane, and I do because I like how they cook. I also know that there hasn’t been a wink or whimper of trouble for several generations. Why should there be now?”
“I don’t know,” Dad admitted, matching frankness with frankness. “If you would come to our hotel, I could show you what alarmed me enough to end my holiday in California and come here to warn you. Or I could send you off with a warning and tell you to check for yourself. All I ask is that you take us seriously.”
“Interrupted your holiday?”
Impulsively, Brenda dug into her purse and came up with the stub of her boarding pass.
“Look for yourself. I can show you my driver’s licence. We live in South Carolina. I’ve been up since way too early, and my body doesn’t even know what time zone I’m in anymore.”
She heard a trace of a whine in her voice, and hated herself for it, but she couldn’t help it. She was suddenly all too aware that it was closing on midnight here, which was probably something like after two at home, and she’d been on and off planes two days running, and up at dawn both days. Caffeine and sugar were making her feel like her brain and body were disconnected. She wanted to sleep, and at the same time felt like she’d never manage to sleep again.
Riprap studied the stub of the boarding pass.
“Where are you parked?”
“In a garage a few blocks over,” Gaheris said.
“Right. Let me walk you to your car. Then you can drive me over to mine, and I’ll drive straight home with the car doors locked. Consider me warned and careful, but Ms. Morris is not the only one who has had a long day.”
“You want to confirm what I’ve told you,” Gaheris said. “I have no problem with that.”
He reached and picked the check up off the edge of the table, took out his credit card, and waved for the waitress.
“Here’s my phone number and the number of the hotel,” he went on, sliding one of his business cards and one of the hotel’s across the table. “Can I have a phone number for you?”
Riprap wrote neatly on a paper napkin.
“Sure. Cell and home. I check my messages.”
“When can we call you?”
“I’ll call you around noon. I want at least eight hours’ sleep.”
“Noon then.”
They made the walk to the parking garage in a near silence that felt like a screamed argument. The night was distinctly cold, and Brenda pulled her jacket closer around her.
The parking garage was dark, lit mostly by a few security lights and the red glow of Exit signs.
“Gate’s up,” Riprap said, “but I don’t think they’re exactly open for business.”
“Couldn’t find a place,” Dad said, “and just pulled in.”
“Should be okay,” Riprap said, but Brenda was aware that he was looking from side to side, checking the shadows. His gaze was alert, and Brenda had the feeling that if he really were a dog, his hackles would be up.
The rental car sat alone in a pool of pale yellowish white
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