“Speaking of changing the world,” said Graham to Lisa’s father after pouring himself a second glass of wine, “I suppose you’re familiar with the story of Peterson.”
“Peterson?” said Lisa’s father. “No, I don’t believe so.”
The lie slipped off his lips with no effort at all. Lisa’s appetite disappeared, and she pushed her plate away, feeling sick to her stomach. Could anything he said be trusted? She glanced at her mother for consolation and found to her horror that her parents were partners in crime, at least when it came to their desire to deny any knowledge of Peterson. Her mother’s eyes were wide with alarm. She seemed even more desperate to maintain the charade of ignorance than Lisa’s father.
“I’m surprised you don’t know about him,” said Graham. “He was a scientist, just like you. He was developing a new drug to treat cancer. He tested it about forty years ago in this very town. Unfortunately, he didn’t follow the rules, and one of his associates ratted him out. He went to prison.”
“That seems a bit extreme,” said Lisa’s father.
“Not really,” said Graham. “It was a terrible scandal. There were quite a few deaths, if I remember correctly, but the real tragedy of the whole thing was that no one picked up where he left off. He was the cleverest man in the world, and the preliminary data he gathered was incredible. I’m not an expert in the field, but I’ve been around the block enough times to know something special when I see it.”
“Considering the circumstances, it’s doubtful anyone will be able to get the necessary funding to look into it further,” said Lisa’s father. “It’s a shame when perfectly good ideas are abandoned because there’s no financial incentive for anyone to care about them.”
Graham wiped his mouth.
“Actually, that’s why I’m here,” he said.
“I thought you were here to see me,” said Molly.
No one paid any attention to her. Graham leaned forward in his chair and stared at Lisa’s father. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and the effect was mesmerizing. In an instant, he transformed from an unassuming creature into a passionate entity that was highly intelligent and determined to succeed. Lisa’s father set down his knife and fork, moving as deliberately as if he were in the presence of a venomous snake that was preparing to strike.
“I’d love to contribute, but my money is already invested,” he said.
“I don’t want your money,” said Graham. “I want your brain. My boss recently obtained a substantial research grant to develop the drug Peterson invented, and I’ve been tasked with the job of putting together a group of experts to make it happen. You’re at the top of my list. As the principal investigator, you’ll be in charge of the project with a salary to match whatever you’re making now—and when it’s all over, you’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams. Without intending to be overly dramatic, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Lisa’s mother was shaking her head.
“It sounds too good to be true,” said Lisa’s father. He started eating again, but he kept an eye on Graham, as if he didn’t feel comfortable around him anymore. “Just out of curiosity, who is your boss?”
“An individual who prefers to remain anonymous for the time being,” said Graham. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “The unfortunate association between the project and Peterson is enough to attract the attention of the news media, especially now that he’s out of prison, and publicity is not a recipe for productive research.”
“He’s out of prison?” said Lisa’s father.
“That’s right,” said Graham. “He had a stroke a few months ago. By all accounts, he’s more or less unresponsive. He’s not expected to live much longer. I hate to sound heartless, but it’s probably a good thing. He was about to become eligible for parole.”
Lisa saw the relief on her parents’ faces, and for a moment, they were in perfect agreement. She wished they could always be like that. Maybe Graham wasn’t so bad after all. If he could create harmony between her parents, she was prepared to think better of him. She knew her father’s job had taken a toll on him, but if he accepted Graham’s offer, he might revert to the devoted man she remembered from her early childhood, who had always gone out of his way to make her laugh. She waited eagerly for him to speak.
“I’m honored, Graham,” he said. “Really, I am, but I can’t accept. I have too many responsibilities at the hospital right now. If I walked away, there would be no one to take my place. Maybe if you asked me in a year or two—”
“It’s now or never,” said Graham.
“I understand,” said Lisa’s father. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Graham, but it’s just not the right time for me to get involved in anything new. I wish you the best of luck, though, and I look forward to seeing what you accomplish. If there’s anything there, I’m sure you’ll find it. When you get ready to publish your results, I’d be glad to review any materials for you before you submit them, if that would be helpful, but that’s all I can really offer.”
“But why?” said Graham.
“It’s just a personal preference,” said Lisa’s father. The smile on his face was no longer friendly, and a hint of irritation entered his voice. “You can call it cynicism if you like, but I’ve never seen a speculative endeavor pay off. I like to stick with what I know. It’s boring, but it’s true. I’m not the man for the job.”
“Let me make that decision,” said Graham.
“How many times does he have to say no before you listen to him?” said Lisa’s mother. Her interruption took everyone by surprise. Graham was so startled that he gawked at her with his mouth open, but she didn’t back down. “You have your answer, Graham. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be rude, but I don’t think you appreciate the value of Andrew’s work, or you wouldn’t ask him to walk away from it.”
“I respect your opinion, but this is more important,” said Graham.
“It’s not just my opinion,” she said. “It’s true.”
Graham’s shoulders drooped, and the fanaticism in his eyes faded until no hint of it remained except a smoldering glimmer of disappointment. He pushed his food around on his plate in a listless manner. Molly leaned her head against his shoulder. Her touch seemed to revive him. Lisa watched in disbelief as he poured himself a third glass of wine. He clambered to his feet and looked around the table.
“You can’t fault a man for trying,” he said. “Maybe you’ll change your mind, Andrew, but even if you don’t, let me propose a toast—to new adventures.”
∞∞∞
Lisa spent the next day helping her mother prepare the house. It was nearly time for dinner when they finally finished, and Veronica, who had been watching the road from her bedroom window, rushed downstairs and announced that the guests were about to arrive. Lisa followed her parents out onto the porch and watched as a car pulled into the driveway. It was followed by a red pickup truck in a dreadful state of disrepair. The alarm on the face of Lisa’s mother turned to panic as a small crowd of people emerged from the car.
“You didn’t tell me they were bringing their children,” she said to Lisa’s father.
An old man climbed out of the pickup truck. He was tall and gaunt, but even though his face was wrinkled, he moved with the vigor of youth. His eyes were blue, and his hair was gray. He was wearing a ragged jacket and a faded pair of camouflage pants. His boots were caked with mud. He retrieved an enormous rucksack from the back of the pickup truck and slung it over his shoulder.
“You didn’t tell me they were bringing Richard,” said Lisa’s mother.
“I didn’t know,” said Lisa’s father.
“Andrew, we don’t have enough space for all of them to stay here,” said Lisa’s mother from between clenched teeth. “Someone will have to stay in my mother’s room, and I haven’t changed anything in there since she died. The sheets on her bed still smell like her perfume, and the slippers she wore are right there on the rug in front of the dresser where she left them. When I
go in there, I feel like she’s alive.”
“I didn’t even think about that,” said Lisa’s father.
“Of course you didn’t,” she said. “You’re completely oblivious.”
“I’m sorry, Nora,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll somehow figure out how to make it work.”
“I don’t want to have this conversation in front of the girls,” she said. “We’ll talk about it later in private. If we’re going to keep up this charade, we might as well make it convincing. Our guests deserve to feel comfortable here. Let’s go and greet them.”
Richard had already arrived at the foot of the steps. He removed his hat and ran his bony hands through his hair as if his ragged appearance embarrassed him, but Lisa’s mother embraced him without any hesitation. He returned the gesture, and the genuine sympathy on his face almost convinced Lisa he had a good heart until she reminded herself about his nefarious association with Peterson, the details of which remained a mystery.
“Nora, I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said. “I noticed your mother’s obituary in the newspaper.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m afraid a lot has changed since I last saw you, but not all of it has been bad.” She beckoned to Lisa and Veronica. “These are my girls. Lisa is sixteen, and Veronica is twelve. They’ll be on their winter break for a few more days, so you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with them. Girls, this is Richard.”
Lisa barely heard her. There were so many people coming toward her that she wanted to run back into the house and hide in her room. Sabrina appeared from behind the car. Lisa’s mother rushed over to her, exclaiming in delight about the baby, who was wearing a pink stocking cap on her tiny head. As soon as Lisa’s mother was out of earshot, Richard spoke to Lisa’s father in a low voice.
“We need to talk, Andrew,” he said.
“I know,” said Lisa’s father. “Sabrina told me.”
“It’s worse than you think,” said Richard. “Peterson was released a few days ago.”
“Apparently, he had a stroke,” said Lisa’s father.
“Don’t count on it,” said Richard. “It’s a nice story, but it’s fake. I’d bet my life on it. He’s the most devious person I’ve ever met. I don’t want to alarm you, but in my professional opinion, it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose.”
They went inside, leaving Lisa on the porch. Lisa looked around for Veronica, but she was already mingling with the crowd as it surged toward the house. Sabrina was there, looking much too innocent for a woman who was guilty of blackmail. Arthur followed her, carrying her suitcase as well as his own. He walked with a limp, and he looked worried. He resembled Richard so closely that Lisa concluded they were somehow related.
As she wondered why they had arrived separately, she recalled Sabrina’s odd remark about being Richard’s ticket back into the family. Lisa wondered why he had been exiled in the first place. He must have done something truly horrible. Her best guess was that he had conspired with Peterson, although if that were true, she couldn’t figure out why he seemed so nervous about Peterson getting out of prison.
She was distracted from her musings by the three remaining guests. The shortest one, who looked slightly older than Veronica, was a boy with blond hair and a timid face. Veronica had already identified him as a potential friend and was chattering in his ear in an effort to put him at ease, but he looked miserable. Lisa thought he fit Sabrina’s description of her youngest son Stephen.
Following him was a girl who kept her distance from the rest of the family just enough to convey a subtle air of rebellion. She was taller than Lisa, and she carried herself with a natural arrogance. She didn’t look at anyone as she went up the steps, pushing in front of Lisa’s mother without bothering to acknowledge her.
“That was Shannon,” said Sabrina to Lisa’s mother. “She’s furious with me right now because there was something she wanted to do a few days ago, but I made her stay home to look after the baby instead. I don’t know what I was thinking. She’s completely clueless when it comes to babies. A girl should know about that sort of thing by instinct, but she just doesn’t get it.”
Lisa decided that although her own mother was far from perfect, she was preferable to Sabrina in every way imaginable. She thought about how awful it would be to have Sabrina controlling every aspect of her life, and she turned her attention to the final member of the group, expecting to see a gloomy countenance belonging to a person who wanted to be somewhere else.
She couldn’t have been more surprised. She looked into a pair of warm gray eyes, and her heart stopped beating for a moment. On many occasions, she had amused herself by envisioning the perfect boy, and now he was standing in front of her. He was everything she had ever hoped for, from his dark hair to his cheerful smile. She told herself she was dreaming. It wasn’t possible for him to actually exist. They hadn’t exchanged any words, but she felt like she knew everything about him. She wanted nothing more than to fling herself into his arms.
Shocked by the impulse, she averted her gaze before he could notice her confusion. What had he done to her? Never before had she experienced such a spontaneous desire for another person, and even though it terrified her, she didn’t want it to stop. She analyzed her impression of his face and tried to identify the intangible qualities that attracted her, but there were no words to describe the way he made her feel. She only knew one thing for certain: the positive energy emanating from him made her glad to be alive.
“This is Josh,” said Sabrina. She pushed him inside before he could say anything and leaned over to speak privately to Lisa’s mother. “I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but I can’t help it. There’s something special about him.”
Sabrina’s voice dragged Lisa back to reality, but she couldn’t banish the notion that something incredible had happened. She told herself she was being ridiculous. The smile on Josh’s face wasn’t for her. He hadn’t even noticed her, and he probably never would. He was just an ordinary boy—and even if he wasn’t, her father was probably going to kill his mother, so there was no point in fantasizing about him.
They went inside, and Lisa finished making dinner while her father entertained the guests and her mother tried to figure out where they were all going to stay. When everyone was ready to eat, Lisa’s mother still hadn’t come downstairs. Lisa went to look for her and found her in her grandmother’s room, curled up on the bed with her face buried in the pillow. She was crying. Lisa didn’t want to intrude on her grief, so she didn’t disturb her.
She went into the dining room with a single thought in her mind: everything was her father’s fault. His unforgivable actions had taken the entire family hostage. The blame rested squarely on his shoulders, although Sabrina shared some of the responsibility. Lisa decided nothing would improve until Sabrina and her family left. As she sat down at the table, she caught a glimpse of Sabrina’s face and was shocked by what she saw. It was triumphant. Her heart sank. Sabrina was exactly where she wanted to be, and she wasn’t going to leave any time soon.
Chapter 3
Lisa spent a miserable night in Veronica’s room. She hated the arrangement with all her heart, but it was the only way to accommodate everyone. She normally wouldn’t have minded giving her room to Shannon, but Shannon was so blatantly unfriendly that Lisa felt nothing but resentment toward her. Veronica’s bed was uncomfortable, and Lisa barely got any sleep.
When she went downstairs the next morning, she found her parents sitting in the dining room eating breakfast with Richard, who was reading the newspaper. Sabrina and Arthur were also there, but the baby was nowhere to be seen. Veronica and Stephen were chattering together about the possibility of building a treehouse in the gigantic oak that grew in the back yard. There was no chance Lisa’s parents would allow them to do such a thing, but they looked happy all the same.
The older children were absent. Lisa felt relieved and disappointed at the same time: relieved because she didn’t want to
see Shannon and disappointed because she did want to see Josh, even though she was determined not to be infatuated with him anymore.
She went into the kitchen. Josh was standing there holding the baby and warming a bottle of formula in a pan of water on the stove. He looked like he knew what he was doing. The baby lounged contentedly in his arms. Lisa’s mind wandered into forbidden territory.
“Good morning,” said Josh.
Lisa was too flustered to say anything, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She hated herself for being so ridiculous around him, but there was nothing she could do about it except pretend it wasn’t happening, so she went about her business and ignored him. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. Josh took the bottle out of the pan and put it on the cabinet. The baby tried to squirm away.
“Do you mind holding her for a minute?” he said.
Lisa turned around. To her secret delight, he was smiling again. She felt helpless. Why did he have to be so charming? It shouldn’t be allowed. He was impossible to refuse, but she hesitated. She didn’t know anything about babies. She felt bitterly disappointed. Sabrina wouldn’t approve of her. It was hopeless.
“I don’t know how,” she said to Josh.
“It’s easy,” said Josh. “As long as you don’t drop her, she’ll be fine. Here, let me show you. She’s fussy right now because she’s hungry, but I don’t think she’ll spit up on you. She drools a lot, though, so be careful. Her name is Yvonne.”
While he spoke, he handed the baby to Lisa as if he were doing her a favor, and she found herself holding the wriggling creature against her chest. Yvonne began to wail in a shrill voice. Lisa made a few cautious adjustments and managed to get a tight grip on an arm and a leg, after which Yvonne stopped struggling. Lisa hoped she hadn’t damaged her, but Josh didn’t seem worried. By the time he finished preparing the bottle, Lisa didn’t want to give Yvonne back to him.
The Patient from Silvertree: Book One in the Silvertree Series Page 3
