The Piper (7 page)

‘What is it, Hugh? Is something wrong?'

‘That's what I was going to ask you. I have three missed calls from Teddy today, and a weird text message, all between eleven fifteen and noon. Is she sick? Did she go to school?'

Olivia knew that tone of voice. She could picture Hugh, running a hand through the thick, graying black hair, pacing and light on his feet like a thoroughbred horse, nervous energy to spare. ‘Of course she went to school, and no she's not sick. That's her lunch break, eleven fifteen.'

‘Surely you're not letting her have the phone at school?'

‘
No
, Hugh, I'm
not
, but I'm not in the habit of searching her backpack, either, every morning before she leaves. What do you mean by a weird text?'

‘It said, let me see, I wrote it down. It said
provoking malign troubles.
'

‘What? That doesn't make any sense.'

‘No, and it doesn't seem like something an eight year old would say just out of the blue. I wondered if maybe someone got hold of her cell phone.'

‘I don't know. I'll check. Look, Hugh, I know your heart was in the right place, but the phone thing just isn't working out. She's too young for a cell phone.'

‘Yes. That was a bad call. Look, let me be the bad guy on this, since it was my idea. Have her call me tonight and I'll tell her we decided together to take the phone away. I need to talk to her anyway, she was pretty keyed up last night when we talked. Are things going okay at the new school?'

‘She seems to be settling in pretty well – better than usual.'

‘She seemed really upset last night on the phone.'

‘She was mad at me. We had a little incident in the basement, did she tell you about that? She knocked over a stack of boxes, then lied and said she didn't when I bit her head off over it.'

‘Well, you did the right thing, calling her on it. This lying thing will probably get worse before it gets better. We're going to have to tough this out.'

‘Yes, my thoughts exactly.'

‘I take it you're sure she lied?'

Olivia unclipped her seatbelt and twisted in her seat. ‘No, I'm not
sure
, but she was standing right there, and there was no reason for those boxes to go over.'

Hugh sighed. ‘I miss you guys, Olivia. I wish to
God
I'd taken that job in Knoxville. I get that I made a mistake.'

‘A mistake? How about a
betrayal
.'

‘Yes, all right, a betrayal.'

‘On so
many
levels, Hugh. I moved with you God
knows
how many times, and when you had the chance, when we could have come home, all of us, together—' She choked on it. She always did. ‘You betrayed me and violated my trust.'

‘And I've apologized a million times. But in my defense, Olivia, don't you remember when we first got married? You couldn't wait to get out of that town. You said it oppressed you there, you wanted to be free.'

‘What are you talking about? Free of what?'

‘Oh, hell, you know. The family. The past. Whatever.'

‘That's not an excuse for deceit, Hugh.'

‘No, of course not. I don't want to fight about this, Olivia.'

‘And anyway, that was years ago, Hugh. Years ago. You know damn well I changed my mind. Sometimes you have to leave your home to appreciate what you've got.'

‘Yes, yes, I know, you're right. I should have taken the job, or at the very least, discussed it with you when they offered.'

‘We might still be married if you had.'

‘And we might still be married if you hadn't read my emails.'

‘I don't want to talk about it anymore.'

‘I'm still sorry, Olivia. About that, about all the constant moving.'

‘I'm a big girl, Hugh. I could have said no.'

‘Look, about Teddy. Something she said last night really bothered me. Is there any good reason she's
afraid
to go to sleep?'

‘She actually said that to you? That she was afraid to go to sleep?'

‘Yes. I didn't know if she was just, you know, being dramatic and up to her tricks. But she seemed so sincere. And I wondered if it might be something to do with your brother. Him dying in the house.'

‘That, and maybe one of her cousins. Saying things to scare her. Listen, Hugh, what about Teddy coming to see you in California for Labor Day? That would give her something to look forward to, a familiar place to go, to see her old friends.'

‘I won't be here. I was going to tell you. I've accepted a job in Seattle.'

‘You're moving again?'

‘Yes.'

‘Of course you are. Goodbye, Hugh. I'll have Teddy call you before bedtime. On
my
phone. I'm taking the other one away.'

T
here were no blinds or curtains to block out the sun on the Palladian window in the living room of Charlotte's L-shaped house. The garage doors were open, Charlotte's Honda SUV on the left, and Chris's Ford Explorer on the right.

Olivia pulled into the driveway, left her briefcase on the front seat, and paused by her brother's car on her way up the walk. She ran a finger across the layers of pollen and dust on the hood. Her brother's UT ball cap was still on the dash.

For some reason, the orange appealed to her. Olivia had opinions about color, and she went through phases. Although all the clothes she owned, except blue jeans, were always either black or white. Just lately she had been attracted to the color of Italian blood orange. It felt like the onset of a completely new phase.

She was on the front step when she heard soft sobbing coming from an open bedroom window in the front of the house. She frowned, and rang the bell. Saw Charlotte, through the window, motioning her to come in.

‘Maybe I lived in Los Angeles too long, but you ought to keep that front door locked.' Olivia set her purse down in the hall and kicked off her shoes. Several months of unemployment meant she was going to have to get used to being in heels again, rebuild those calf muscles. She cocked her head to one side. Heard nothing but the faint noise of a television from one of the bedrooms at the back of the house. ‘Which kid's been crying? Yours or mine?'

Charlotte frowned. ‘I didn't know anybody was crying. I don't hear anything.' She had a pencil tucked behind one ear. She wore khakis today, and an oversized man's white shirt, probably one of Chris's. She worked from home, architectural scut work for the firm that laid her off but kept her going with contract work. ‘You look tired. Bad day at work?'

‘My assistant is a bitch and the last financial advisor left the clients in a mess, but God am I glad to have the job.' Olivia unbuttoned the snap on the side of her skirt. Her work clothes had gotten mysteriously tight.

Little girl screams brought Charlotte's head up. ‘That can't be good,' she said, leading Olivia down the hall.

Charlotte was one step ahead, and Olivia ran behind her, vaguely aware of the short, beige carpeted hallway, the beige walls, the whole beige beige beige that she always hated in every new house she'd ever lived in with Hugh.

They passed Charlotte's bedroom first, door open to reveal a double bed, neatly made, blonde oak furniture, solid and dull, and on the walls, more beige. The next bedroom was painted lavender, and little Cassidy was curled up on a white canopy bed, sucking her thumb, watching cartoons on the television propped on the little white dresser. Olivia curled her lip. She refused to allow Teddy a television in her room, and she had a horror of pastel walls.

The screaming stopped.

The door to the third bedroom was closed. No noise, no light. Charlotte opened the door.

Three little girls were sitting in a circle, holding hands, a lit candle flickering, next to Teddy's pink cell phone. Teddy's face was tear streaked, and her cousins, Janet and Annette, looked solemn and wise.

‘What's going on here?' Olivia flipped on the light.

‘
Mommy
.' Teddy, the baby of the group, scrambled to her feet, and grabbed Olivia around the waist.

Charlotte snatched the candle up and blew it out. ‘Janet, what the hell are you doing? Where did you even get matches? What are you girls doing with a candle burning? You know better than that.'

Annette pulled her knees to her chest, pushing hair from her eyes with trembly fingers. ‘You got to have a candle, it's a seance.'

Charlotte opened the blinds that were shut tight against the light, and closed the window, snapping the lock. ‘A seance? Are you kidding me? Why were you screaming?'

Teddy looked up at Olivia. ‘Janet says our house is haunted. She says the house killed Uncle Chris. She says we have to stay
here
, because it's not safe to go home. We need to go and get Winston, Mommy, he's there all alone.'

‘
Janet
,' Charlotte said. ‘How could you?'

Janet straightened her back and folded her arms. Her hair looked oily and unwashed. Unhappy girl, Olivia thought. Unhappy and angry and sad. She needed to be patient with Janet. Chris's little girl who had almost died.

‘It's
him
again, Mama,' Janet said. ‘It's just like I told you. He's after Teddy now. He'll get her, too, if we don't watch out. Once he starts watching you, it's hard to make him go away. So we were asking Daddy to come and help. But Daddy didn't come.
He
came instead.'

Charlotte pressed both hands down on Janet's shoulders. ‘I cannot believe you would pull something like this after everything we've been through.'

Olivia watched her niece, waiting for the tears. There were none today and there had been none at Chris's funeral. Nothing but pale, thin lipped anger.

‘I'm not pulling anything and I didn't make it up. Somebody has to take responsibility here. Somebody has to fight back.'

‘
Janet
.'

‘He was here. He texted us. Look at Teddy's phone.'

Olivia folded her arms. ‘I don't know about you, Charlotte, but I'm feeling old. Remember the good old days when people used a Ouija board for this stuff?'

‘This isn't funny, Livie.' Charlotte had the phone and she was pushing buttons, studying the screen. Olivia put a hand on Teddy's shoulder and looked over Charlotte's shoulder.

I AM HERE

daddy? ??? who r u?

DL I AM HERE

what u want

THERE IS ALWAYS REPRISAL THERE IS ALWAYS REPRISAL TORMENTS ILLNESS POSSESSION OF YOUR HOUSE

Vile words, Olivia thought. Vicious, childish and malign. She snatched the phone from Charlotte and looked down at Janet. Her hands were trembling. ‘Did you do this, Janet? Did you set this up to scare Teddy?'

Janet folded her arms. And turned her back.

‘Charlotte?' Olivia said. ‘Will you talk to your daughter?'

Charlotte rubbed her forehead. ‘Janet, you and Annette go in with Cassidy and watch TV for awhile. Go, now, we'll talk later on. Olivia. Look, I'm sorry, but I think the best thing right now is for you and Teddy to leave. Teddy, hon, get your book bag, okay, your mom needs to take you home.'

‘But we're not safe at home,' Teddy whispered.

Olivia picked up Teddy's book bag and took her daughter's hand. ‘Of course we're safe. Your cousins were playing a dirty trick, to scare you.'

Charlotte looked over her shoulder at her daughters, trudging down the hall. ‘Olivia, I just – I need to think.'

‘Don't worry about it, Charlotte. If you want us to go home, we'll go home.'

‘Livie, you don't understand—'

‘I understand you've been through a really rough year.' Olivia led her daughter through the house, snatched up her shoes, and paused at the front door, Charlotte trailing behind. ‘Teddy, thank your Aunt Charlotte for picking you up from school today.'

‘Thank you, Aunt Charlotte.'

‘You're welcome, hon.' Charlotte bent down and gave Teddy a long hug. She looked up at Olivia. She was crying and mascara was beginning to run around the edges of her eyes. ‘Would you go on and get in the car, Teddy, I want to have a quick talk with your mom. Okay, baby? Good girl.'

Olivia watched her daughter head for the car, clutching her book bag to her stomach, shoulders slumping, chin tucked into her chest.

Charlotte stood up, pushed her hair out of her face. The pencil slid from behind her ear and hit the sidewalk. She did not bend to pick it up.

‘Livie, I'm sorry. Really, really sorry.'

‘It's okay, Charlotte, just talk to Janet and tell her—'

‘No, that's not what I mean. I can't . . . I can't have this . . . this
business
starting up all over again. Livie, I'm sorry, but this arrangement we made isn't going to work. I won't be able to pick Teddy up from school anymore.'

‘
Charlotte
.'

‘I'm sorry, please believe me.'

‘Fine.' Olivia dug her car keys out of her purse. Her hands were shaking, but she managed to get her sunglasses and the keys, slide those high heels back on her feet. ‘Whatever you say, Charlotte. You're right, I won't need you to get Teddy after school. Teddy and I can take care of ourselves.'

‘Livie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

‘Stop apologizing, Charlotte.'

‘I feel like I'm abandoning you. Please understand I . . . I can't let this start up again. I have to keep my children safe.'

‘Your daughter needs help, Charlotte. So do you.'

‘You're the one that needs help, Livie.'

‘
What did you say?
'

‘I know you don't believe me. And I'm sorry for you. I am. I hope things don't happen to you the way they did to us. Because once you've seen it with your own eyes, Livie, your life will never be the same.'