Page 29 of One Last Night

I roll my eyes. “I’m serious. I think that’s something I have to do myself.”

“I think it’s something you have to do whether it’s by yourself or not. And it might be nice for you to reveal to me that you once strung your sister up by her stockings and whipped her with a spatula in front of the whole school and realize that I love you anyway.”

I stare at him incredulously. “You have the most ridiculous imagination.”

“And I know that. And I’m not ashamed of it. And you love me anyway. See? We’re both disturbed people. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

I laugh and say, “Well, I’ll consider it. That’s the best I can do right now.”

“Fair enough. I can work with that.”

***

The rest of the day is quite fun. We visit town, and Sean buys me a stuffed teddy bear—a winner for any woman, no matter the age—and a new winter coat. We take a scenic drive around the island and find a little bluff where we spend the afternoon all to ourselves.

I’m glad he’s come. As absurd as it sounds, I was beginning to feel that my first impression of the island as a giant spiderweb was true, and that I was trapped here in this alternate reality where ghosts ruled the day and the past held the present in afirm grip. It’s nice to be reminded that there’s an entire world outside of this island, and that I have a life outside of my missing sister and the Bellamy family drama.

We return for dinner just as the sun sets. Julian is there, and the children are very nicely dressed. I feel a touch of pride when I introduce Sean, especially when I overhear Luann tell her grandmother. “Wow! He’s so handsome!”

Beatrice has prepared roast duck for dinner and served it with wild rice and roasted turnips. It’s served with a bottle of Chardonnay—not the estate’s wine but from the main Continental vineyard—and sparkling cider for the children. Nathan makes the obligatory grab for his father’s wine glass and receives the obligatory slap on his wrist. Sean delights the children with tales of his days as a Scotland Yard inspector and private investigator in Wales, and he and Julian discuss the winemaking business and trade opinions on who will win the Stanley Cup this year. I make the mistake of asking what the Stanley Cup is, for which I receive a sound shellacking from the New England natives. It seems that it’s inexcusable for a Boston woman like myself not to be familiar with hockey.

It’s a good meal. Everyone is happy. Even the stone-faced Beatrice wears something that might loosely be called a smile when Sean compliments her on the Boston Crème pie she makes for dessert.

When dinner is over, Sean pats his belly. “Well, that was easily the most delicious meal I’ve had in a long…” He looks at me. “Since Mary was home to cook for me.”

The Bellamys laugh, and I roll my eyes. “Don’t let him lie to you. He’s the cook in our household.”

“I’m the person who knows how to use the microwave,” he corrects. “But I’m not nearly the cook Beatrice is.”

“Yes, we’ll have to consider a larger Christmas bonus for her, won’t we, Julian?” Victoria says.

“Hell, if she wants to ask for a raise, now’s the time. I’m at her mercy.”

“Sean, must you leave right away?” Victoria asks. “We’ve really enjoyed your company, and we would love—”

A loud slapping sound causes us all to jump. We look at each other with identical expressions of surprise and consternation. Then we hear it again.

“It’s coming from outside,” Sean says. “From the backyard.”

Victoria flinches. “Oh my God. The vineyard!”

We’re all on our feet in an instant. We rush out of the dining room into the great room just in time for another loud slap to greet our ears.

The cause of the slap becomes clear when we see water trickling down the glass door leading to the vineyard. A ropy silhouette catches my eye. In the darkness, it looks like a snake curling up to strike.

“That’s one of the hoses!” Victoria cries. “It’s the irrigation system!”

The good feeling I had only a moment ago vanishes instantly. It was too soon to hope that the sabotage afflicting this family was over. A predator still lurks in the darkness, and when all of our eyes were away, it struck again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sean is the first to act. “Where is the water shutoff?”

“It’s outside,” Julian says. “But you need a passcode to use it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Sean says.

He pulls a firearm from his coat pocket. Luann and Victoria shriek when they see the weapon. I don’t cry out, but my legs go numb, and I say Sean’s name weakly.

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