The Patient from Silvertree: Book One in the Silvertree Series

by Marian Dribus

  “You chose to love the wrong person,” she said.

  She straightened up and walked away. Lisa caught a glimpse of her face. It was heavy and dull. She heard Richard reporting the emergency to the police, but she knew it would be too late for the man by the time help arrived. She couldn’t stop staring at him. He was covered with dust, and his breathing was irregular.

  “We have to do something,” said Josh. “He’s still alive.”

  He took a step toward the man, but Richard grabbed his arm.

  “Stop, Josh,” he said. “There are things no one should have to see, and this is one of them. You’re too young. I’ll do what I can for him. Take Lisa and get out of here before this whole place goes up in flames.”

  “No, I can’t,” said Josh.

  Richard shook him.

  “He’s already dying,” he said. “You don’t need to die, too. That car is on fire. There’s gasoline everywhere. Just go.”

  He shoved Josh toward Lisa and turned his attention to the man. To Lisa’s surprise, Josh grabbed her hand. There was strength in his touch, and it gave her courage, even though she could feel him trembling. She was too startled to pull herself away.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go outside.”

  They hurried out the door and across the parking lot to Richard’s truck. A crowd had gathered around the restaurant. The wail of approaching sirens filled the air. Lisa blinked the dust out of her eyes and gazed at the damaged building in disbelief. If Graham hadn’t insisted on switching them to a different table—she shuddered.

  Josh dropped her hand and turned away. She had never seen him cry before—in fact, she had always despised him for being impervious to everything—but she finally understood he wasn’t an invincible caricature of perfection. In the same instant, she recognized how much she had contributed to his misery, and she felt ashamed. She touched his shoulder, but he didn’t move.

  “Josh, are you okay?” she said.

  “No,” he said. “I knew that was going to happen.”

  “How could you have known?” said Lisa. “It was just an accident.”

  Josh shook his head.

  “No, you heard what she said when she got out of the car,” he said. “Graham brought that man here so they could murder him. They arranged the whole thing at Hamilton Estate after the wedding.”

  “What are you talking about?” said Lisa.

  He turned around, and she saw the anguish on his face.

  “It was during the reception,” he said. “I went outside for a few minutes, and she was there. So was Owen—you know, Graham’s friend. They had the most diabolical conversation I’ve ever heard—all about someone they were going to kill—and then they went inside to talk to Graham and get his opinion.”

  “Are you serious?” said Lisa.

  “Yes,” said Josh. “They didn’t say who they were after—just that it was an old friend. When Graham said those words, I should have done something. I don’t know why I didn’t. I guess I just didn’t want to believe it was true.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” said Lisa.

  “Did you see his face?” said Josh. “He knew what was happening. He was afraid, but he couldn’t speak. I hope it isn’t like that for my mom when she dies.”

  He wiped his eyes.

  “She might get better,” said Lisa.

  “No, you haven’t seen her,” he said.

  He lost his composure, and Lisa’s heart shattered. She couldn’t let him suffer alone. On an impulse, she reached out. He stumbled into her arms, and she pulled him close, resting her face against his shoulder. He returned her embrace, and they stood there together, finding comfort in each other.

  When Josh finally recovered, Lisa couldn’t understand how she had ever hated him. She felt strangely empty when he finally released her, but she couldn’t blame him for wanting to keep his distance after how she had treated his family. He didn’t trust her, and he probably never would. She searched his face to confirm her fears, but to her surprise, she detected no animosity whatsoever.

  Richard rejoined them a few minutes later, looking rather shaken. He was covered with dust, and his clothes were bloody, but he seemed satisfied in a fatalistic way.

  “I’m glad to see the two of you have called a truce,” he said. “Near-death experiences tend to put things into perspective.”

  “Are you hurt?” said Josh.

  “The blood isn’t mine,” said Richard. “I would rather not talk about it. Even if he lives, he’ll never recover enough to testify against them—speaking of which, I suggest you kids don’t mention Graham when the police take your statements. We don’t really know if he had anything to do with it, and it could be dangerous.”

  Lisa glanced at Josh. He took a breath, and the whole story tumbled out. Richard listened in silence until Josh expressed his feelings of guilt, and then he shook his head.

  “Don’t blame yourself,” he said. “What could you have done? You had no evidence. The police might have questioned Graham and the others, but they couldn’t have arrested them on hearsay alone, and you would have suffered terrible consequences for snitching on them. No, you did the right thing.”

  “I’m not so sure,” said Josh. “That man thought he was going out to eat, and now he’s basically dead. He was upset about something, too, before Graham walked away. I wish I knew what they talked about. I wonder if he had a family.”

  “It’s not important,” said Richard.

  “How can you say that?” said Josh. “I’m sure it’s important to someone somewhere. Haven’t Graham and his friends done enough damage already? If breaking into a house and committing a murder aren’t good enough reasons to report them, then I don’t know what it’ll take. When are we going to stop letting them get away with everything?”

  “When we have a fighting chance,” said Richard. “Until then, keep your mouth shut.” He looked at Lisa with such a terrible glare that she hung her head. “That goes for you, too. I’ve tried to keep you out of the loop to protect you, but after this stunt, you know more than enough to put a target on your back.”

  “I won’t say anything,” said Lisa.

  “Excellent,” said Richard. “I’m glad the two of you are in this mess together. You can confide in each other. I know we’re taking an unconventional approach to dealing with these people, but it’s the best way. Are we all on the same page?”

  Lisa saw the doubt in Josh’s eyes, and wondered why Richard was so adamant about protecting Graham. She was suddenly afraid of Richard. What if he had brought them to the restaurant on purpose? Running into Graham was almost too much of a coincidence. Maybe Richard was pretending to despise Graham, while collaborating with him behind the scenes. She knew Josh was thinking the same thing.

  She nodded because Richard was waiting for an answer, but her mind was in turmoil. Josh was the only person in the world she could trust. That much was obvious. She doubted he felt the same way about her, but she hoped he would eventually change his mind once he recognized she wasn’t a vindictive snob after all.

  ∞∞∞

  From that moment, Lisa stopped being so antagonistic toward Josh and his family. She apologized to Josh, and he forgave her without any hesitation, but Shannon refused to give her a second chance. A few days after the incident at the restaurant, Lisa was in the kitchen with her mother making dinner. They were both preoccupied with things that were too disturbing to discuss, so they weren’t talking. The only sound came from Shannon, who was setting the table in the dining room.

  “Do you mind helping her?” said Lisa’s mother. “I know you don’t like Shannon, but it’s not her fault she wasn’t properly raised.”

  Lisa decided it would be a good opportunity to be friendly to Shannon, even though she didn’t expect a pleasant reception. She went into the dining room. The clutter on the table was almost as bad as she had expected. Shannon had dumped the silverware into uncivilized little heaps, and she was distributing the plates so carel
essly that Lisa wondered if she was trying to break them.

  “Do you need help?” she said.

  “No, but you do,” said Shannon. “You’ve been treating me like trash for the past few months, but you’ve suddenly decided you want to be my best friend. It’s pathetic, but I get it. You almost died, and you realized it would be awkward to arrive at the pearly gates and have to explain why you bullied a bunch of kids who are about to become orphans.”

  “That’s not true,” said Lisa.

  “Whatever,” said Shannon. “You can’t fool me.”

  “I’m not trying to fool you,” said Lisa. “I’m just trying to make things right. I shouldn’t have treated you like that, and I’m sorry.”

  “You will be sorry,” said Shannon.

  “I’m sorry now,” said Lisa. She gathered up the silverware. “I’ll show you what to do. It’s easy. My mother taught me how to set the table when I was six years old.”

  “Oh, how adorable,” said Shannon in the most sarcastic voice Lisa had ever heard her use. “Shove it in my face, why don’t you, you little brat? My mom didn’t teach me how to be stuck-up like you, and you think she’s going to die, so you’ve decided I need a good female role model. What a joke. Who nominated you for the job?”

  “No one,” said Lisa. “It’s not like that at all.”

  “I’m sick of this whole business,” said Shannon. “You know what? If you think you’re so perfect, you can set the table yourself.” She shoved the plates at Lisa. In the kitchen, Lisa’s mother slammed the oven door. The sound was familiar, but Lisa suddenly felt like she was back at the restaurant. She jumped and dropped everything on the floor. The plates shattered. Shannon stared at her.

  “What’s your problem?” she said.

  “I don’t know,” said Lisa. “I thought I was somewhere else.” She decided not to attempt a more detailed explanation. Shannon would surely mock her for being so weak. She sat down and closed her eyes until the room stopped spinning, while Shannon watched her with a puzzled expression.

  “I’m not taking the blame for this mess,” said Shannon. “I’m also not cleaning it up.”

  “I’ll do it,” said Lisa. She got a broom out of the closet and started sweeping up the shards of ceramic.

  “You’re awfully jumpy,” said Shannon, who could be very cruel when she felt like it. “Speaking of which, I heard your mom talking on the phone earlier, right after we got back from school. It sounded like she was setting up a meeting with an attorney. Your dad hasn’t been around much lately. Are your parents getting divorced?”

  “No,” said Lisa. “They’re fine.”

  “What were they fighting about at the wedding?” said Shannon.

  “I would rather not say,” said Lisa.

  “Why?” said Shannon. “You can’t keep it bottled up inside. You’ll go crazy. You’re already starting to crack. It’s only a matter of time before you totally lose it. Besides, who else are you going to tell? It’s not like you have any friends.”

  There could be no doubt about it: Shannon was enjoying herself. The smirk remained on her face while Lisa swept the floor and set the table properly, and then she walked out of the room without another word. Lisa’s mother hurried in a moment later. Glancing at the table, she saw everything in its proper place.

  “Do you mind calling the others?” she said. “They’re on the beach.”

  Lisa was glad to leave the house. She stepped outside, and the breeze instantly revived her, lifting her hair off her shoulders and making her feel like she could breathe again. She crossed the road and stepped onto the sand. Stephen and Veronica were trying to catch fish in a bucket. Josh was playing with Yvonne, who had recently learned how to sit up by herself. He had spread out a blanket on the sand so she could crawl around without getting into trouble.

  Lisa told Stephen and Veronica to go inside, and when they disappeared, she walked over to Josh and Yvonne. She hadn’t gotten to talk to Josh since the incident at the restaurant except to apologize to him, but she knew he didn’t resent her. Everything had returned to the way it had been on the day he had arrived. She still felt shy, but that was only because she didn’t know him very well. She sat down beside him, and Yvonne reached toward her.

  “Do you think she still likes me?” said Lisa.

  “Oh, she’s approved of you ever since that awkward encounter with my mom in the kitchen when we first got here,” said Josh.

  “How is your mother?” said Lisa.

  “She got the second dose a few weeks ago,” he said. “That’s really all I know. I haven’t seen her. None of us are allowed to visit, except my dad. She looked horrible the last time I talked to her. I don’t know how she’s still alive.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Lisa. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I don’t mind talking about it.”

  Lisa hesitated, but she couldn’t let the opportunity slip away.

  “Speaking of talking,” she said, “I got the feeling you weren’t entirely comfortable playing dumb about what we saw at the restaurant. Richard left his newspaper on the table this morning, and I saw an article about the whole thing.” She instinctively lowered her voice. “The man they were trying to kill is still alive. He’s at the hospital in critical condition. Don’t you realize what that means? Graham and the others are probably still trying to get rid of him, and no one knows—no one except us.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about what happened,” said Josh.

  “Me neither,” said Lisa. “What should we do?”

  “I don’t know,” said Josh. “I’m sure we can figure it out, but this isn’t a good time or a good place.” He nodded toward Molly’s house. Lisa looked over her shoulder. Molly and Graham were wandering along the sand, silhouetted against the blazing sky. Graham had never looked more dejected. He barely picked up his feet as he walked. Molly tugged on his arm, but he didn’t respond.

  “I hope your friend is being careful,” said Josh.

  “She says she’s in love with him,” said Lisa. She got up. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Molly. “Let’s forget about it. I was supposed to call you for dinner. My mother is probably wondering where we are.”

  She turned toward the house.

  “Wait,” said Josh, gathering Yvonne into his arms and hurrying after Lisa. “Graham wouldn’t hurt Molly. She’s obsessed with him. I don’t know why I suggested such a stupid thing. Why don’t we talk about this more tonight after dinner?”

  “No, someone might hear us,” said Lisa. “The house is too crowded. Even if we went into the back yard, Veronica and Stephen would insist on tagging along.”

  “We could always go somewhere else,” said Josh.

  “I thought about that, but people might get the wrong idea about us,” said Lisa, trying not to sound as embarrassed as she felt. “Your mother would definitely think we were dating, and it doesn’t seem right to confuse her.”

  “She’s already confused,” said Josh. “For some ridiculous reason, she thinks we’re a match made in heaven, and she wants us to be together. She lectured me about it a few weeks ago. I told her it was nonsense, but she wouldn’t listen. She was so disappointed that she started crying. It was horrible.”

  Lisa heard the pain in his voice and found herself being pulled in two different directions. She couldn’t wish evil on his mother without wishing evil on him. With an effort, she forced herself to stop hating Sabrina, at least for the moment. The decision didn’t alleviate the resentment she felt about the way Sabrina had manipulated her family, but it temporarily removed her desire for revenge. Although her heart was still divided, she felt a tremendous sense of relief.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if your mother thought we liked each other. It’s ridiculous, but what harm could it do? She just wants something to be excited about.”

  “But I don’t want you to feel used,” said Josh.

 
“Don’t worry,” said Lisa. “It’s fine. If you were trying to use me, you wouldn’t have told me the truth.”

  She expected him to argue, but he didn’t.

  “Okay,” he said. “Should we plan something for tomorrow? It’s a school night, but if we don’t stay out too late, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I think that would be good,” said Lisa. “There’s a park down by the river. We could go there. It’s a nice place, and no one would notice us.”

  “Perfect,” said Josh. “Let’s do it.”

  They went into the house. Lisa felt confused. It didn’t matter that they were only going out to escape from their families because they both knew information that could jeopardize their lives. The prospect of getting to know Josh better delighted her.

  Chapter 13

  Lisa and Josh arrived at the park the next day after school. There was a concert at the pavilion, so they walked in the opposite direction until the music faded to an almost imperceptible noise. They had talked about unimportant things during their brief drive from Lisa’s house to the park, but now that they had arrived at their destination, neither of them broke the silence. Lisa walked over to the concrete barrier that separated the grass from the river and gazed across the rippling water at the far shore.

  “It’s nice to get out of the house,” said Josh. “Back home, my mom would never let us sit around. We were always busy with school or work or sports. It’s baseball season now. My school was supposed to win the state championship this year. It’s funny—there was a time when that really mattered to me, but now I don’t even care.”

  “You have other things on your mind,” said Lisa.

  “You can say that again,” he said. “So much has happened over the past few months that I don’t even know what to think anymore. The worst thing is not knowing who to trust. Your parents might not be getting along at the moment, but at least they’re not involved in a horrible web of conspiracy like my grandfather.”