NINETEEN
Drake was silent as he got back into the cab. The driver was in his seat and waiting for our instructions. Darkness finally descended.
“Are you okay?” I asked Drake.
I was worried about him. Yes, it hurt to realize how much he still cared for Lola but, if I were being honest with myself, I wouldn’t have expected anything less from him. He was a protective man, and his very existence in my house proved that. If anyone had a right to be jealous, it was him, not me. I reprimanded myself for my childish emotions. None of them mattered anyway. Our lives were very different and this was his reality. I had mine with Ryan and he had his with Lola.
“Can you take us to the marina, please?” Drake asked the driver. The car lurched forward with a loud clang.
“Drake?”
Finally, he turned to me, his eyes were pained. “This time, ma minette, I’m sorry but I need to shut you out.” He swiveled back in his seat and stared out the window. I watched him, utterly shocked.
My mouth turned sour. He was giving me a taste of my own medicine and yet again, I was stunned into silence. I knew he wasn’t doing it to punish me, but the hurt I felt at his words made my eyes sting with tears. It worried me that he was withdrawing so far into himself so often, we didn’t have time to fall apart. We had to be a team, but it was hard to focus on that because all I cared about in that moment was the man I loved…
I stopped myself. I thought the word so easily that it floored me for a moment. I knew it was true, of course. I did love Drake. I’d said as much to him the last time I traveled back to his time to defeat the Axeman. But the easiness with which the word came to my mind now sprouted new seeds of doubt that irritated the lining of my stomach.
Was it possible to love both Drake and Ryan? Ryan was real and alive and I cared for him deeply. Never in a million years could I imagine being so lucky to have someone as safe and dependable as Ryan by my side. And, somewhere, only one hundred and eight years into the future, he was by my side now too.
But, regardless of where my real body lay, Drake was the only reality that mattered to me now. I wasn’t in a modern New York hotel room; I was sitting in a rumbling automobile next to the literal man of my dreams. Drake was nothing like Ryan—he was dark and brooding and troubled. I cared for him with an unrivaled intensity that made my cheeks flush. And now, with him sitting beside me, I actually had to strain to remember Ryan. The features of his face came less readily now, even after only two days! The world I’d left behind felt less and less real with the more time I spent in this one.
For a moment, I wondered if my condition were the result of being outside my tangible body. I reassessed the weakness that plagued my body; it felt unnatural. I struggled to remember my real life. My energy flagged almost at once. The realization sent icy bolts down my spine. I didn’t know how much longer I could stay in the past before I forgot about my real life entirely.
Christopher had warned me about spending too much time away from the physical world when he said “the longer your body and spirit are on different planes of existence,” the riskier it becomes, but he hadn’t warned me about this.
I looked back at Drake. Regardless of the effects the time travel took on my physical and emotional state, he undoubtedly must have been feeling this way for months. For the first time, I began to realize how painful it was for Drake to live his life through the eyes of another person.
I eyed Drake with concern, but granted his request for silence.
***
When we arrived at the marina, Drake and I exited the cab. I stood stock still, feeling totally unsure of where to go. But Drake started off confidently toward a large building on the far end of the busy lot. The full, white moon shone on the surface of the water and provided so much light to the scene, it looked almost like daybreak. Drake’s long legs carried him swiftly past the docked boats. I shuffled along quickly after him, my eyes widening at the larger ships I saw looming in the background. People bustled around, as if it were any other evening. I stayed close to Drake’s heels, afraid we’d become separated.
When we made it to the building, Drake turned right and headed toward a small, white one-room building. The sign read, “Banana Docks Mariner’s Club.” Music sounded from inside and oil lamps hung from the walls.
I followed Drake past the lighted entrance and edged around several elegant tables. We made our way to a desk occupied by a young man in a nice three-piece suit and a top hat. I felt slightly winded from the briskness of our walk.
“Do you know this place?” I whispered as low as I could when we approached the desk.
“I’ve only been here once; my uncle was a member,” he murmured back before greeting the host with a beaming smile.
“Good evening, sir,” said the young man. “Can I have your name please?”
“Montague,” said Drake, somewhat impatiently. The man raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“Two for dinner, sir?”
“No, thank you, I actually came here to ask about someone on your guest list.” The man raised his eyebrows again and looked back at Drake expectantly. “The name is Griscom. George or possibly, Junior?”
“Are you expecting them, sir?” the man asked.
Drake just nodded quickly and watched as the man took a book out from beneath the desk and started to leaf through it. A foghorn reverberated through the building and I took a step closer to Drake. I saw his body relaxing slightly when my arm grazed his. My cheeks flushed with relief. Hopefully, his cold shoulder was coming to an end.
“Ah, yes. Griscom. George Senior, George Junior, and Mary.”
“Yes, that’s them. I was hoping you could give me their address please?”
“Ah, I’m so sorry, sir. We’re really not allowed to divulge any personal information from our members, I’m sure you understand.”
I couldn’t accept that. Not after we’d come so far. I stood directly in front of the man and put on my best doe-eyed expression. “Oh, please, couldn’t you bend the rules just a little? We’re visiting all the way from New Orleans and we’re so looking forward to paying a visit to our dear friends.” I batted my eyelashes at him as convincingly as I could. “We planned a big surprise for them. They don’t know we’ve arrived.”
The man looked uncertain. I glanced quickly at Drake who was busy concealing a smirk. I returned my eyes to my target and placed an elbow on his counter so I could rest my face on my hand as I gazed up at him in what I hoped was an imploring and compassionate expression.
“Well, I suppose so. If you are old friends,” he wavered.
“Thank you, darling,” I said with as much girly flare as I could muster. In truth, I was feeling much more relaxed after sensing the slight shift in Drake’s demeanor. Once again, I had to resist the urge to touch him.
The porter slid the book towards me so I could see the address that followed the Griscom family names and membership numbers. I nodded slightly to indicate I committed the address to memory, then winked at the young man. He smiled at me with a dopey expression, but after he caught Drake’s watchful eyes, he began to cough as he straightened. I couldn’t help but smile as we walked away.
Finally, things were moving in the right direction. Now we just had to hope Junior, whoever he was, could give us some information regarding the circumstances that led to Dorothy’s trip to the hospital. If we could find out why she went there, maybe we could learn why she couldn’t leave.
We resumed our brisk walk as soon as we exited the club, but this time, Drake linked his arm through mine. “You never told me what you saw when you were exploring the grounds today while I was in the hospital with Dorothy,” I said hesitantly, loath to receive the silent treatment again. “The nurse keeps the front door locked. Did you happen to see another way in?”
“No, I never made it to the hospital,” he said, in a hushed tone as he continued his brisk walk back toward the cab.
“What? I thought you said you saw something?”
“I’m not exactly sure what I saw, but in the forest behind the building, I think maybe I found a cemetery.”
“A cemetery? But no one lives out there.”
“Well, if that’s what it was, it certainly wasn’t a public one. There was a fenced off area with six plots delineated by rocks. One of them looked fairly new. Whatever it was, I imagine it belongs to the hospital.”
I shivered as I remembered the doctor telling me about the women that died there—and I imagined Thomas Dickerson driving away with no one in his back seat. If there had been deaths, then the doctor had to have done something with the bodies, and it would have been very hush hush so an impromptu cemetery behind the hospital made sense. What a terrible: alone, ashamed, and hiding. They had to spend their eternities in unmarked graves. Then, a worse thought occurred to me: if Dorothy were, in fact, still alive, then some of the deaths may not have been accidents.
“I left before I had a proper chance to investigate,” Drake continued. “I heard a crack, that sounded like a breaking twig and I sensed someone else was there. I couldn’t see anyone, so it was probably just a trick of my imagination, but I figured it was time to leave anyway. I wanted to be back to the cab by the time you left the hospital.” He cleared his throat. “I was worried about you and was moments from coming after you.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t because that would have definitely blown our cover,” I said even though I was grateful all the same.
My desire to return to Dorothy intensified. What if we came back to seven plots? Drake looked similarly thoughtful, but it occurred to me that maybe his pensive expression wasn’t about Dorothy. The green-eyed monster reared its head once more, but I was beginning to put everything into perspective.
“Drake?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes, ma minette?”
“I just wanted to apologize.” I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully, but trying to let him know I fully understood his change in demeanor.
“For what?” he asked me quizzically.
“For the first time, I’m starting to realize how it feels to be you, trapped in a world you don’t understand and deprived of the things you desire. I’m sorry for not being more empathetic.”
He smiled sadly, and his face was fully illuminated in the pale moonlight. The bustling sounds around us seemed to fade as I stared into his chocolate brown eyes.
“You have nothing to apologize for, mon chaton. I much prefer haunting you than your house,” he finished with a laugh.
“Our house,” I corrected him.
He nodded and smiled sadly. “Oui, our house.” Then he took a big breath. “Let’s double our efforts on finding Junior and getting back to the hospital. Remember what Lovie said: the longer we stay here, the harder it will be for us to get back.”
I nodded in agreement but part of me indulged the prospect of not going back. I felt the warmth of Drake’s arm on mine, and smelled the thick, masculine scent of him. Even though it wasn’t my reality, the thought of staying here with Drake was more than seductive and it enticed me. Those thoughts worried me, but I couldn’t shake them once they entered my mind.
Our faithful cabby was leaning against the side of his vehicle. When he saw us, he opened the back door and we both climbed in. I gave the driver Griscom’s address and we started off in pursuit of what I hoped wouldn’t become another wild goose chase. It was only keeping us from Dorothy. Worry made my stomach roil once more. It didn’t help that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Anxiety wore me out and the lethargy pulled at my eyelids. I rested my head on Drake’s shoulder and kept it there despite seeing Ryan’s face when I closed my eyes.
***
We came to a stop in front of a house that was much less impressive than Lucien’s. Ivy crawled up the dark brick exterior. It was a handsome townhome, to be sure, but nothing compared to the stateliness and elegance of the Montague property.
Drake led the way up to the front door and knocked—everything looked a different shade of gray in the surreal light of the moon. There was no response to his knock. I couldn’t see any light coming from the windows. Drake knocked again, but already, my spirits had fallen. There was no one home, and apparently, the whole mission was a giant waste of time.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak, a short, balding man opened the door a crack. He eyed us suspiciously.
“Who are you?” he asked in a sniveling, demanding voice. He was fully dressed in a tweed suit and a pair of nice brown leather shoes. Maybe we’d just managed to catch him on his way out. He stared up at us suspiciously through the narrow crack in his front door. I could see beads of sweat through the thinning hair on top of his head.
“George Griscom?” Drake asked as he eyed the man narrowly.
“My father’s away on holiday. He won’t be back until January,” he answered. He began to close the door but I reflexively reached out and stopped him.
“Junior?” I tried again.
He squinted at us through his small, beady eyes. His face was remarkably rodent-like. “Who are you?” he asked again. “And how do you know my name?”
“We’re friends of Dorothy’s, and actually, we came here to see you.” My hand remained on the door, and I feared he’d try to close it again.
“Well, I don’t want to see you,” he said snidely.
“Mr. Griscom, we think Dorothy’s in trouble,” I continued. If the news came as a shock to him, he made no indication of it. He just continued to squint angrily up at us. I don’t know what I expected from our meeting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
“I’m not well, this isn’t a good time,” he said and he began to shut the door again. I pressed harder.
“I’m afraid this really can’t wait!” I nearly yelled to him.
“I need to rest, I’m much too sick to entertain strangers. If she’s in trouble, so be it! It’s her own fault,” he stated angrily. “Now kindly remove your hand from my door so I can return to my bed.”
“Mr. Griscom, please,” I begged, my voice bordering on desperate. “We need your help.”
“Good day!” he replied hotly. With one last beseeching look, I had to remove my hand from his door. It closed with an echoing slam. I stared at the door in disbelief, my mouth agape.
“Well, he was charming,” Drake said with an expression that showed he wasn’t surprised.
I shook my head, utterly bewildered. How could he not care? Did he have any idea as to the sort of trouble Dorothy was in? I should have never left the hospital! I should have stayed there with her! Now we’d taken one step forward and two steps back. I raised my hand to knock on the door again but Drake gently reached out to stop me.
I stared at him hopelessly. What could we do?
“Leave now! Or I’m calling the police!” came Junior’s voice from inside.
“Let’s go, Peyton.” Drake whispered. “I’ve spent enough time as a police officer to know when a source refuses to cooperate.”
“But we’ve come so far,” I said, almost shaking with frustration.
Drake offered me his hand and I took it with depressed defeat. Gently, he led me back to the car.
“We have to go back to Dorothy,” I said once we were inside the cab. “Right now! We can’t waste any more time.” I eyed the moon with dread.
“Mon chaton, wait, we need a better plan.”
“We don’t have time to think of a better plan! We’ll have to find a way to break in… I can’t believe him! Who does he think he’s kidding? He definitely isn’t sick. Who spends a sick day in good leather shoes? What did he not understand about Dorothy being in trouble? She’s pregnant with his baby, the least he could do is show some concern!”
“I don’t know. But I agree, something was off about Junior. I can’t think of what he’d have to hide though. Maybe he’s worried that people will find out about the baby?”
“Is there a single person in this town not obsessed with their social image?” I asked.
“Now do you understand why I left?” Drake somberly joked.
“Okay, so what do we do?” I said trying hard to formulate a plan. I was beyond exhausted and much too emotional.
“It’s too risky. Like you said, something horrible is about to happen to Dorothy and if we try to break in, we might meet the same fate. You can’t help anyone if you’re dead.”
While I knew he was right, the idea of leaving 1910 without learning anything wasn’t acceptable. I’d be letting down not only Ada and Jill, but Dorothy too. I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling, or, in good conscious, abandon her in her time of need. She already had one disappointment in her life and from what I’d read, her parents certainly didn’t offer her any support or love. She was alone in a world that she would soon leave. That was, of course, if she were even still alive.
“Then we go together and knock.” I suggested. “You distract the doctor, I’ll find Dorothy.”
“And then do what, exactly?” asked Drake.
I didn’t have a good answer to that question. I just stared into Drake’s soft brown eyes and wished I had a plan to get out of the mess we created.
Then I noticed movement behind Drake’s head. Our cab was partially obscured from Junior’s house by a row of tall hedges, but I could just make out the front door. Junior stuck his head out like a mouse peeping out of a hole.
He looked up and down the street before he left his house with a large bagunder his arm. I couldn’t quite see it from our less than ideal spot behind the hedge. He set the bag against the door and turned to lock it. Looking around covertly one more time, he picked it up and started down the steps of his house. He didn’t seem to notice us sitting in the back of our cab behind the hedges. The greenery almost entirely blocked my view but after a few minutes of watching the spot, he disappeared before I heard the familiar sounds of a 1910 car engine firing up.
“Told you he wasn’t sick,” I said, nudging Drake. He was sitting rigidly alert beside me, both of us craning our necks to see beyond the bushes to Junior’s vehicle.
Drake leaned forward and tapped the driver, “Don’t take off straight away, but I want you to follow that car,” he said as he pointed to the bouncing black vehicle that slowly pulled out from behind the hedge and started off down the moonlit lane.
After a moment, our cab followed Junior’s car before it rounded the corner at the end of the street. We kept a safe distance as we followed Junior’s car away from his dark home. Gradually, the roads widened and we drove onto the more populated streets of the city. Our driver, now a crucial part of our team, spluttered along after him, keeping just enough distance to see his next move. Tall buildings rose impressively on both sides of the streets. Junior drove somewhat erratically, skirting around the horse-drawn carriages and other slower vehicles that peppered the evening streets.
After some near collisions with trucks and pedestrians, Junior’s vehicle sped on and the road began to clear. We saw fewer pedestrians, drivers, and horses. The ride started to get bumpy and we passed fewer and fewer cars as we made our way out of the city. Drake’s face had an intense expression.
“What?” I asked him.
“We’re on the same road we took out of the city earlier,” said Drake.
I looked around and realized he was right. The evening light made the scenery look different, but we were driving past the same brown, rolling hills and barren trees we passed only seven hours previously. My breath hitched. If Junior were heading toward the hospital, then he must have known where Dorothy was all along! Maybe my words meant something to him after all! Then I remembered he was dressed before we arrived with the message of Dorothy. The pieces still weren’t fitting together.
Dread settled in the bottom of my hollow stomach, and I feared the scene we were about to come upon.
Maybe this was the moment all three of us would find out we were too late.