Angie shook her head fiercely again. “No, no!”
“Whoa, don’t get upset. Deep breaths. What are you trying to say?”
“Not that door.”
“What then?” said Temple, looking both confused and impatient.
“Not that door!”
“Okay, Ang, whatever you say. Look, I’m tired and you need to gonight-night.”
“Not that door,” Angie persisted.
He said wearily, “Fine, what door? You mean downstairs?”
She marched across the hall and tapped the door next to her brother’s bedroom. “This door!”
Now Temple didn’t look impatient, but he still looked confused. “This door? You saw him come out ofthisdoor?”
Angie nodded vigorously.
His interest now piqued, Temple said, “When, Ang? Can you remember?”
Speaking fast and firmly she replied, “When that lady was here. With the white hair.”
Lynn Ryder, thought Temple. “Okay, what else did you see?”
“She came out of your room and walked down the hall, and that man came out of this room and I asked him in for tea. And he had some and a cookie. But then he told me to go night-night.”
Temple gaped. “Wait, hold on. He told you to gonight-night?”
Angie vigorously nodded her head up and down. “Night-night, and so I did. Then he was gone. But I didn’t go night-night.” She smiled and then giggled. “I just pretended.” She gave him a sly look. “I do it sometimes with you, too.”
“Okay, so you didn’t go night-night. Did you hear or see anything else?”
“I saw that man out my window.”
“You mean he was outside?”
She nodded.
“What was he doing?”
“He opened the gate and then he pushed his car out it.”
“He pushed his car? You mean he didn’t start it?”
She thrust her arms out. “Push. Push! Then, I heard the car go vroom-vroom.”
Temple took this all in and said, “Okay, Ang. Now this time, really go night-night, okay? I’ve got stuff to do.”
“But Et—”
He exploded, “Jesus, go NIGHT-NIGHT for fuck’s sake.”
Her face crumpled at his harsh words and tone.
Temple saw this and his anger faded. He walked over to her. “I’m sorry, Ang, okay? I’m sorry. I’m just. . .I have a lot going on. I didn’t mean to say that, okay? I will always take care of you, okay? I’m. . .I’m not Dad. I. . .I love you, Angie.”