Bone Gap (31 page)

“You ran them over with your moped?”

“No.
His brothers
defended me. His own brothers! They told me that it was wrong, what you did to me, and they were sorry.”

Now Finn looked at her. “Wait! What I did to you? What
I
did to
you
?”

“Just listen for a second. Then I went inside the diner, and everyone there was trying to console me—the Rudes, Darla, Jonas, everyone. They thought you used me and dumped me, and that's why I seemed so sad. Like we were all living in some nineteenth-century novel or something, and men are the ones who go around breaking hearts.”

“Plenty of heartbreaking girls in nineteeth-century novels.”

“They just assumed it was your fault. Because, you know . . .”

“I'm Sidetrack.”

“Because I'm . . . because of the way I look. You didn't want to see me at the diner. You wanted to sit in the back.”

“That's not—” he began. But he could see it, see how she saw it. He'd heard the crap said about her, but he'd assumed she was too fierce to care. But who was too fierce to care?

He said, “I didn't want them talking about us. I thought I did, but I didn't.”

“Why did you care what they'd say?”

He closed his eyes because clearly they were useless. “They would have gotten it wrong.”

Petey sighed. “They always do. As soon as the Rudes started talking, the Rudes of all people, I thought maybe I'd gotten it wrong. I came here to find you, and I found Sean instead. He was cleaning up the yard. You guys had been TP'd.”

“What?”

“Paper everywhere. In the bushes, trees, and all over the grass. I think it was the Rudes. Fighting for my honor and all that.”

“What the hell would the Rudes know about honor?”

“Maybe they read a lot of nineteenth-century novels, who knows?” Petey told him about her conversation with Sean, noticing the fat lip, and the fact that she might have mentioned Finn's condition.

“You might have?”

“He freaked out, and we remembered that you said you saw the man who took Roza at Charlie Valentine's, so that's where we went. We found Charlie there. He said some crazy things.”

“He's old. Old people tell a lot of stories.”

“You're a superhero now, too, you know?”

Finn wiped a palm down his face. “Stop it.”

“I'm apologizing here.”

“You're taking your time.”

Petey tugged her earlobe. She had great earlobes. “Do you think it was magic? I mean, when we rode Night and saw all those strange things?”

“I didn't care if it was magic. I just cared that I was riding with you.”

“You're mad.”

“I'm too mangled to be mad.”

“You're mad. I get it, I'd be mad.”

Finn plucked at his jeans, which had stiffened when the river water dried. He needed a shower. He needed a bed. “You didn't trust me.”

“I'm sorry.”

“You didn't believe me.”

“I'm really sorry.”

“And that was a lot to lay on me, all that face-blind stuff. Especially after . . . well . . . after. . . .”

“I know. I'm sorry. I am! I'm dumb. Really dumb.”

“You
are
dumb. Pretty, but dumb.”

“Pretty?”

“Don't fish for compliments.”

“You're pretty, too,” she said.

“And dumb?”

“Seriously dumb.”

“I'm sorry, Petey.”

Her arm brushed his. “What can we do to make it up to each other?”

Trying to get a handle on what he thought, what he felt, what he thought about what he felt and vice versa, was like trying to open a locked door by ramming it with his head. He wasn't getting through. The only things he was sure of: it sucked she hadn't trusted him, it sucked he was blind, it sucked she wasn't sitting in his lap.

“You're smiling,” she said.

“I'm not.”

“A little bit.”

“This is not a smile.”

“What is it?”

“This is my thinking face.”

“I think I know what you're thinking.”

“You can't. I'm too mysterious for you.”

“Is it something dishonorable?”

“Only slightly.”

“I'm disappointed, then.”

“I forgive you,” he said.

She moved close enough that he could smell the mint of her gum. “Do you?”

“Maybe. Eventually.”

Petey put her hand on his knee. “I can work with that.”

After Petey left, dragging the people of Bone Gap with her—including a vigorously protesting Jonas Apple, who wanted statements, damn it—Finn went to his room to check on the
Kittens. He gave them some food and some water and lay on the floor, let them use him as a playground. They hopped over his legs and chewed on his hair, chased his fingers, nibbled his toes. Finn fell asleep draped in Kittens and dreamed that the corn walked the earth on skinny white roots, liked to joke with the crows, and wasn't afraid of anything.

He woke up a day or a month or a year later, Rus the wolf-dog snorfling at his face.

“I'm not edible,” Finn mumbled.

Rus woofed. Finn opened one eye. Cat and Kittens had retreated to their closet, peering out at the giant shaggy creature.

“This is important,” Finn said. “Nobody in this room is edible, okay, dog?”

Rus woofed again, wagged his giant shaggy tail against the bed. It sounded like someone beating a rug.

Finn sat up, groaned. “How long have I been asleep?”

The animals didn't respond.

“Some help you are.”

He used the bed to leverage himself off the floor and shuffled to the window. From the light coming through, he could tell it was evening. Outside, Roza stood with the mare, brushing her coat and murmuring to her as the goat tottered around them both.

Finn said, “Hey.”

“Look,” said Roza to the horse, “boy with eyes great moons of love.”

“Where did you find her?”

“Who?”

“The horse.”

“I ask brother same question.”

“Huh? What do you mean?'

“I know horse. My babcia's horse. This Córka. Means
daughter
.”

“That can't be your babcia's horse.”

“No?” said Roza. “Why not?”

Finn had no idea why not. The horse snorted as if to laugh.

“Where Petey?”

“She went home. Where's Sean?”

“I say go to work. He say no. I say yes.” She shrugged. “He go.” She continued to brush the horse. “Soon, I go.”

“What? Go where?”

“Poland. See Babcia.”

“Now?”

She smiled. “No. Soon.”

“But you just got back! And you have to heal, don't you?”

She touched the line of stitches. “I go. Then I come back. You see?”

He saw. As she stroked the horse, the air around her shimmered and danced, and he saw through her to a young woman with black hair, then copper, then yellow, eyes the color of the greenest grass, the bluest sky, the deepest earth, skin kissed gold, white, bronze, night. She was a horse galloping across a plain, she was a mountain spring, she was a shoot thrusting through
the earth, a red flower in the barley.

And then she was just a girl petting a very large mare, a goat chewing at the hem of her dress. “What?” she said. “Why you stare?”

He thought about telling her what he had seen, how many faces she had. But maybe he was seeing things again. And it was nothing he could explain.

He said, “That scar makes you more beautiful.”

She laughed. “Ha. You not so blind.”

WHAT THEY HAD HEARD: FINN O'SULLIVAN HAD SEEN
the kidnapper lurking around Charlie Valentine's house and had followed him to his lair, where he had found Roza.

Or something like that.

But the kidnapper found
him
, and threatened to kill them both.

Or something like that.

So Roza broke a mirror and fought with her kidnapper. She was injured, but she and Finn got away with the help of a dog the size of a horse.

Or something like that.

The details were fuzzy, which just made the story that much more fun to tell. Jonas Apple had an all-points bulletin out on the suspect, but Roza said the man wouldn't be kidnapping anyone else ever again. The people believed her, because she had a way of saying things that just sounded true. Maybe it was the accent.

Plus she made such excellent cookies.

Roza brought hundreds of these cookies and trays of golobki to the Chat 'n' Chew. They joined Mel Willis's honey clusters and piles of sandwiches and vats of chili and dozens of bean and tuna and macaroni casseroles on the counter. Halloween wouldn't arrive for months, but the people of Bone Gap were throwing a costume party. Masks required.

The highlight of the evening was the game. Everyone was supposed to guess the identity of the other guests without anyone removing their masks. When a person guessed correctly, Jonas Apple would slap a bee sticker on him or her. Whoever was wearing the most stickers at the end of the night won a prize.

Finn O'Sullivan was covered in bees. He recognized Miguel Cordero (his ghost costume couldn't hide the long arms peeking out from under the sheet). He recognized Amber Hass (her pirate costume couldn't hide the fact that she was hanging on Miguel's big arms). He recognized the Rude boys (the cowboy costumes couldn't hide the bowlegs). He recognized Mel Willis (the devil costume couldn't hide her honey voice). And he recognized Charlie Valentine, who just wore a paper bag on his head (he had a chicken cradled like a baby, and a dozen great-grandchildren
who followed him like a brood of chicks).

The people were amazed, especially considering Finn's condition. Wasn't that so strange? And didn't it explain so much? Finn's own face was painted black and white—a crescent moon on one side, the other side dark as midnight. Moonface, as if they would ever use a name like that! The people of Bone Gap called Finn a lot of things, but mostly they said he was brave.

At the food table, where Finn was going in for another round of honey clusters, Jonas Apple sidled up. “How are you feeling, Finn?”

“The scrapes on my leg are healing. Still itch like crazy, though.”

“Good to hear,” said Jonas. He was also costumed in black and white, though for different reasons. He was dressed like an old-time prisoner, complete with a ball and chain around one foot. His shirt and pants were painted with black and white stripes. “I wish we could catch that guy.”

“Yeah,” said Finn.

Jonas pulled at his striped shirt as if the collar was pinching him. He was about to say something, maybe apologize again for not listening or not seeing or not doing whatever it was he thought he should have done. But Finn was tired of sorry.

“How's Linus?” Finn said.

Jonas Apple smiled broadly. “He's great. He's just great. I would have brought him, but I don't think he would have appreciated the party.”

“Cats usually don't,” said Finn. Ever since Finn had given Jonas one of Calamity's kittens, the sheriff's allergies had miraculously cleared up. Mel and Petey had taken another, a fuzzy kitten they called Beebop, otherwise known as the Cat That Sleeps in the Lane. The other four kittens—Frank, Derek, Spike, and Priscilla—had moved to Finn's barn, where the mice were now busily dying of despair. Calamity Jane spent every night sleeping on Finn's bed and had never seemed happier. Rus the dog hopped from bed to bed, because he was a glutton for love.

And weren't they all? Jonas Apple was dancing with Mel Willis. Miguel Cordero and Amber Hass were caught making out in the girls' bathroom. Charlie Valentine stuffed his face with cookies and fed some to his favorite chicken, as well as to his great-grandkids. Mrs. Lonogan pushed her Persian, Fabian, around in a baby carriage, Rus enthusiastically licking the poor cat's pouting face. The room was abuzz with the news that Derek Rude had come out to his family and that his date was a dark-haired boy who bore a slight resemblance to Finn O'Sullivan. And though the party was for Roza, Roza and Sean sat quietly in a corner, Roza chattering away while Sean leaned in to listen, the scar on Roza's face a rosy curve like an extra smile.

The diner got stuffy and the party spilled outside. Finn walked a little farther than the others, till the voices of the people of Bone Gap washed over him the way they always did.

“I used to think that boy was nuttier than a honey cluster.”

“You're the one who's nuttier than a honey cluster.”

“I always knew he was onto something.”

“Jonas should have listened.”

“We all should have.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Hey! How many cookies have you had? Leave some for the rest of us!”

“Where do you think Priscilla Willis is?”

“Funny-looking girl.”