look.
He was quiet for a few minutes, then said, “I guess it’s you I’m thinking of, Sarah, and not Adam. I don’t like to think of your being frightened in this house. You’re a very special person, and I want you to be happy, not afraid.”
“I—I’ll be all right.”
Tony moved closer and put an arm around my shoulders.
“You were frightened of something when I got here. I could see it in your face. What was it?”
“It was just—well, a sensation I had. It went away.”
Tony’s hand on my arm was warm and firm. “If you want to talk about it, Sarah, I’ll listen.”
I would have loved to have been able to tell him everything that had happened to me, but of course I couldn’t. Yet maybe there
was
something Tony could help me with. I asked him, “You came here to see Adam sometimes. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever meet any of the Holts’ household help?”
For just a second his fingers tightened on my arm, but he answered easily, “Sure. There were a couple of them over the years—maybe three.”
“One named Rosa Luiz?”
“Rosa Luiz?” His voice was strained. “I don’t know. I’m not sure. The name isn’t familiar.”
“She was young and slender with a small, narrow face and large eyes.”
He sat upright, turned, and peered into my face. “How do you know what she looked like?”
Stunned, I fumbled for an answer. “I—I found some things that belonged to her. She’d hidden them away under a loose baseboard in the closet in the maid’s room off the kitchen.”
“What were these things?”
“Money—both pesos and United States currency; a letter telling her that her uncle had died, which was addressed to her at a Mexican address; a silver religious medal; and a calendar.”
“A calendar! What kind of a calendar?”
“Just a small calendar, two years old. She’d marked off the days up to March third.”
He paused for a minute, breathing heavily.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him.
“Nothing’s the matter,” Tony said. “I’m just trying to remember, as you asked me to.” Suddenly he added, “You didn’t mention the photograph.”
“There wasn’t a photograph.”
“Then how do you know what she looked like?”
I took a deep breath and the words tumbled out. “I saw the woman—Rosa—in a dream.”
I hated myself for telling. I’d done it again. I waited for the wary, embarrassed look to come into Tony’s eyes. But it didn’t. Tony looked at me seriously. “A dream,” hemurmured. “I seem to remember there
was
a young woman. I think her name could have been Rosa.”
“When did she live here?”
He scowled, as though he were thinking hard. “How should I know?”
“I mean, was it a long time ago? A few years ago?” Why had I asked that? Was I testing him?
Tony leaned back against the sofa cushions, and his eyes narrowed again as he studied me. “The calendar you found should tell you that, shouldn’t it?”
Embarrassed, I blushed. There was no way to explain.
“Time for me to be going,” Tony said abruptly, and stood. He reached down for my hand and pulled me to my feet.
“Please don’t be mad at me,” I said. “I—I wasn’t trying to trick you.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Tony said. “I told you I couldn’t stay long. I’m going to be late as it is.”
I looked at the clock in the VCR on top of the television set. “Mom should be home soon,” I said. “I wish you could stay just a little while longer and meet her.”
“Sorry.” Tony stopped me as I turned to go toward the front door and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Sarah,” he said, “I don’t like to worry you, but I hope you’ve got Rosa’s things well hidden.”
“Hidden? Why?”
“Are they?”
“No. Not exactly. They’re in the chest of drawers in my room, but no one goes in there but me.” He looked so serious that it scared me. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because no one should know about them. You
He was quiet for a few minutes, then said, “I guess it’s you I’m thinking of, Sarah, and not Adam. I don’t like to think of your being frightened in this house. You’re a very special person, and I want you to be happy, not afraid.”
“I—I’ll be all right.”
Tony moved closer and put an arm around my shoulders.
“You were frightened of something when I got here. I could see it in your face. What was it?”
“It was just—well, a sensation I had. It went away.”
Tony’s hand on my arm was warm and firm. “If you want to talk about it, Sarah, I’ll listen.”
I would have loved to have been able to tell him everything that had happened to me, but of course I couldn’t. Yet maybe there
was
something Tony could help me with. I asked him, “You came here to see Adam sometimes. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever meet any of the Holts’ household help?”
For just a second his fingers tightened on my arm, but he answered easily, “Sure. There were a couple of them over the years—maybe three.”
“One named Rosa Luiz?”
“Rosa Luiz?” His voice was strained. “I don’t know. I’m not sure. The name isn’t familiar.”
“She was young and slender with a small, narrow face and large eyes.”
He sat upright, turned, and peered into my face. “How do you know what she looked like?”
Stunned, I fumbled for an answer. “I—I found some things that belonged to her. She’d hidden them away under a loose baseboard in the closet in the maid’s room off the kitchen.”
“What were these things?”
“Money—both pesos and United States currency; a letter telling her that her uncle had died, which was addressed to her at a Mexican address; a silver religious medal; and a calendar.”
“A calendar! What kind of a calendar?”
“Just a small calendar, two years old. She’d marked off the days up to March third.”
He paused for a minute, breathing heavily.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him.
“Nothing’s the matter,” Tony said. “I’m just trying to remember, as you asked me to.” Suddenly he added, “You didn’t mention the photograph.”
“There wasn’t a photograph.”
“Then how do you know what she looked like?”
I took a deep breath and the words tumbled out. “I saw the woman—Rosa—in a dream.”
I hated myself for telling. I’d done it again. I waited for the wary, embarrassed look to come into Tony’s eyes. But it didn’t. Tony looked at me seriously. “A dream,” hemurmured. “I seem to remember there
was
a young woman. I think her name could have been Rosa.”
“When did she live here?”
He scowled, as though he were thinking hard. “How should I know?”
“I mean, was it a long time ago? A few years ago?” Why had I asked that? Was I testing him?
Tony leaned back against the sofa cushions, and his eyes narrowed again as he studied me. “The calendar you found should tell you that, shouldn’t it?”
Embarrassed, I blushed. There was no way to explain.
“Time for me to be going,” Tony said abruptly, and stood. He reached down for my hand and pulled me to my feet.
“Please don’t be mad at me,” I said. “I—I wasn’t trying to trick you.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Tony said. “I told you I couldn’t stay long. I’m going to be late as it is.”
I looked at the clock in the VCR on top of the television set. “Mom should be home soon,” I said. “I wish you could stay just a little while longer and meet her.”
“Sorry.” Tony stopped me as I turned to go toward the front door and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Sarah,” he said, “I don’t like to worry you, but I hope you’ve got Rosa’s things well hidden.”
“Hidden? Why?”
“Are they?”
“No. Not exactly. They’re in the chest of drawers in my room, but no one goes in there but me.” He looked so serious that it scared me. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because no one should know about them. You
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