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“Well, it’s late.”
I stand up. “Yeah.”
We walk across the yard and around the side of the big house, following the flagstone path to the Maxwells’ two-car driveway. “My offer stands if you change your mind,” Adrian says. “Although I don’t think you need to worry.”
“Why not?”
“Well, this thing—this spirit or ghost, whatever she is—have you ever seen her?”
“No.”
“And do you ever hear her? Weird groans or noises? Whispers in the middle of the night?”
“Never.”
“And does she mess with your stuff? Knocking pictures off the wall, slamming doors, turning on your lights?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Exactly. She’s had plenty of chances to scare you. And either she can’t or she won’t. I think she’s trying to communicate. I think there are more drawings coming, and once we have them all, we’re going to understand what she’s trying to say.”
Is he right? I have no idea. But I appreciate the calm and confidence in his voice. He makes all my problems seem completely manageable.
“Thank you, Adrian. Thank you for believing me.”
* * *
As I’m heading back to my cottage, Caroline calls out to me from the patio. “I see you made a new friend. I hope I didn’t scare him away.”
I cross the yard so I won’t have to yell. “He’s one of your landscapers. He works for Lawn King.”
“Oh, I know, I met Adrian a few weeks ago. Right before you moved in. Teddy was really impressed with his tractor.” She takes a sip of her wine. “He’s cute, Mallory. Those eyes!”
“We’re just friends.”
She shrugs. “It’s none of my business. But from here, it seemed like you were sitting pretty close.”
I feel myself blushing.“Maybe a little close?”
She shuts her book and sets it aside, encouraging me to sit down. “What else do we know about him?”
I explain that he lives three blocks away, that he works for his father’s business, that he’s studying engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. “He likes to read. I ran into him at a bookstore. And he seems to know everybody in Spring Brook.”
“What about warning signs? What are his flaws?”
“I’m not sure I’ve found any yet. He’s kind of a Star Wars geek? I mean, it wouldn’t surprise me if he dressed up and went to these conventions.”
Caroline laughs. “If that’s his worst flaw, I’d put on a Princess Leia costume and jump all over him. When are you going to see him again?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Maybe you make the next move. Invite him to the house. You’re welcome to use the pool, have a picnic lunch together. I’m sure Teddy would love to go swimming with him.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. “Maybe I will.”
We sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying the still of the night, and then Caroline reaches for her book—an old paperback that’s dog-eared and filled with annotations. The cover shows a naked Eve standing in the Garden of Eden, reaching for the apple while the serpent lurks nearby.
“Is that the Bible?”