The New Neighbor (11 page)

"Hi, Dad."
 

"Hey, kiddo. Where is everybody."
 

"Sick."
 

"What?"
 

"Mom and Robby. I think they've got the flu. They're both in bed asleep."
 

"Have you eaten?"

"I made a sandwich. How was your day?"
 

"Not so good. Things are kind of tense at work right now. How about you?"
 

"Oh – “ She shrugged. " – same as usual."
 

"Do you have any homework?"
 

"I
always
have homework."
 

"Well, if you want any help, let me know." He started building a fire in the fireplace. "You sure you don't want anything more to eat, Jen?"
 

"Nope. I'm not hungry."
 

It was not like Karen to go to bed without feeding anyone. She must have felt pretty bad.

Once he had the fire burning, George went to the bedroom to check on Karen. She was curled up in bed. The closet light was on, but the door was only open a crack. Light fell on her puffy face and gave her skin a white pallor.
 

No, she did not look well at all.
 

George turned off the light and closed the door on his way out, then went to Robby's room.
 

"Hey, Dad," Robby croaked. He was just waking up, sitting on the edge of his bed with his face in his hands.
 

"How're you feeling?" George sat beside him and put his arm around the boy.
 

"Better. I think."
 

"You look better. You were pretty ugly this morning. Think it was the flu?"
 

"Prob'ly."
 

"Or did you just wear yourself out at Miss Dupree's last night?" He laughed and squeezed Robby's shoulder.

A look fell over Robby's face for an instant, then was gone – a look of slack-jawed horror so strong that, although brief, it made George flinch inwardly.

“Uh, we just, y’know, moved furniture, and stuff," Robby said. "She made dinner, but I wasn't very hungry. Guess it was the flu coming on."
 

"Yeah. Probably." George watched him a moment, waiting for another sign of that fearful look –

–
Guilt
, he thought,
that's what it looked like
–

– but it never came. "Must be the flu," he said, "because your mom's got it, now. She's in bed."

Robby rubbed his stomach and said, "I'm hungry. Anything for dinner?"
 

"I was gonna go to Carl's, Jr. and get a burger. Mom didn't cook anything. Want me to get something for you?"
 

He shrugged. "A burger. Some fries."
 

"Sure you can take it? You still don't look so great."
 

"Yeah. I think so."
 

"Okay, a burger and fries it is. Be back in a while."
 

On his way out, George asked Jen if she wanted to go along, but she was more interested in the TV.

* * * *

A moment before his dad had come into the room, Robby had awakened from a long murky dream. He felt hungover, drained, and it didn’t feel like the flu. After Dad left, he still felt foggy and parts of his body still ached. It was dark outside his windows and that only added to his feeling of disorientation. Once again, he found himself going over the previous night in his mind.

If being with Lorelle Dupree was going to screw him up this much every time, he decided he would rather go behind the gymnasium with Janine Flugel and engage in a little frustrating groping and fondling. At least his schoolwork wouldn't suffer and he wouldn't feel so wiped out. And so ... guilty.

So dirty
, he thought.

He put on his underwear and robe and went to the living room to watch some television. Jen was watching
Cosby
.

"Turn it to channel two," he said, falling onto the sofa.
 

"Why?"
 

"
The Simpsons
is on."

"So what?"

"I wanna
watch
it, that's so what."

“I was gonna turn it to
Entertainment Tonight
.”

“
Entertainment Tonight
sucks.”

 
"Oh, c'mon Robby, you
always
watch
The Simpsons
. You've seen all the reruns twice. I
never
get to watch
Entertainment Tonight
."

"Go ahead," he growled, "rot your brain. See if I care."
 

Jen changed the channel, said "Thanks," and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she left the living room. She came back with a Pepsi and sat down in front of the TV again. "Mom's sick, you know."
 

"Yeah, I
know
."
 

"Just like you."
 

"Yeah, I know."
 

Still staring at the television, she said, "She went to see Miss Dupree today. For a visit."
 

"Look, if you're gonna watch that stupid show, just
watch
it, okay? Otherwise, turn it to two."
 

Robby pulled the afghan from the back of the sofa and curled up beneath it, feeling achy, and Jen said nothing more.

* * * *

Jen sat Indian-style in front of the television as Robby's breathing grew slower and more rhythmic. She had difficulty paying attention to
Entertainment Tonight
and although she watched the screen, her mind wandered. Next thing she knew, the show was over and a half hour had passed in what seemed like a heartbeat.

She heard Dad's car pull up in the driveway and went to the door to greet him, but she heard voices outside. Dad was talking to someone. A woman.

He came in a few moments later and handed her a Carl's, Jr. bag that smelled of Western Bacon Cheeseburgers and fries and said, "Here, honey, give this to Robby. I'll be right back."
 

"Where you going?"
 

"There's something wrong with Miss Dupree's car and it's starting to rain. I'm going to see if I can help her before she gets soaked. There's something in that bag for you, in case you decide you're hungry." He hurried out the door.

Jen went back to the living room and put the bag on the coffee table; Robby was sound asleep on the sofa and she decided a hamburger wasn't enough reason to wake him. She crept around the sofa to the front window and parted the curtains slightly to peer outside.

Dad was jogging across the street to Miss Dupree's driveway, where she was shining a flashlight under the hood of her car. The wind blew tiny specks of moisture against the windowpane as Jen watched them for what seemed a long time, until Miss Dupree finally got behind the wheel of her car and started it up. Dad slammed the hood down as she turned off the engine and got out to speak with him. He shook his head, then she touched his arm, beckoning him toward the house. He seemed to think about it a moment, then shrugged and followed her and the bobbing beam of her flashlight into the house. The porch light went off, leaving only the glow from the windows.
 

Jen let the curtain drop back into place and went to the bag on the coffee table. She figured the small cheeseburger was for her, so she got it out and opened it on the floor, took a bite and channel-surfed on TV. But the burger tasted like cardboard and she couldn’t find anything interesting to watch.

She wondered why everyone in the family was suddenly becoming so friendly with this Miss Dupree when Jen hadn't even
met
her yet.
 

She wrapped the burger in its napkin, stuffed it back in the bag and went to the window again. No sign of Dad.
 

She thought of the scream she'd heard that afternoon after getting off the bus, still certain it had been her mom's voice –

–
I was just visiting Miss Dupree. Our new neighbor
–

– and of the sudden change in Mom's face when Jen told her what she'd heard –

–
It was nothing ... maybe a cat
.

Moving away from the window, Jen watched Robby a moment, to make sure he was deep in sleep, then hurried silently down the hall to do the same with Mom. After slipping on her coat, she sneaked out the front door, opening the screen slowly so it wouldn't screech and closing the door behind her with a faint click.

She watched Miss Dupree's front door closely as she crossed the front lawn to the street. If her dad came out, she would hurry back inside. She didn't want him to think she was spying on him, or anything. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing herself. But he didn't come out. By the time she got across the street to the edge of Miss Dupree's lawn, there was still no sign of anyone coming out of the house.
 

The cold rain hit her face like icy needles shooting from the sky and Jen hugged herself against the cold, wondering what she should do. If she got too close to the house, she wouldn't be able to run back home if Dad came out. But what would be wrong with that? She could say she'd decided to come over with him and meet the new neighbor. That wasn't so bad, was it?
 

She stepped onto the lawn and moved slowly toward the house, watching the window and door, and through the whisper of the rain, she heard laughter. It wasn't the kind of laughter you hear when someone tells a joke or does a funny trick; it was lower and more ...
secret
.

Jen took a few more steps across the lawn and nearly dropped to the ground when she heard a man's voice.
 

"What are you doing?"
 

She spun around and saw a shadow standing beneath the streetlight, leaning on a cane in his right hand.
 

"Do you live here?" he asked. His voice was low but clear.
 

"I-I ... no, I live ... across the street."
 

"Oh."
 

She waited for more, but he just watched her for a while, his face invisible beneath the hat he wore, left hand buried in the pocket of his long coat.
 

"Why are you sneaking around?" he asked finally.
 

"I'm not."
 

"Oh. It looked like you were. And usually, young ladies who look like they're sneaking around are doing something they shouldn't."
 

He sounded very friendly; in fact, he sounded as if he were smiling. But Jen had heard plenty about strangers – especially strange men – who seemed friendly.

"If you live across the street, why are you over here after dark in the rain?"
 

"My dad's in there. He was helping our new neighbor fix her car."
 

"New neighbor?" He took a step forward, leaning heavily on the cane.
 

"Uh-huh." Jen didn't move, but her whole body was tensed, ready to run.
 

"What's your new neighbor's name?" His voice changed. He sounded nervous now, and his question took on a tone of urgency.

"Miss ... Miss ... " Jen clenched her fists, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him. Maybe he knew Miss Dupree and she didn't
want
him to know she lived here.
 

"What's
your
name?" the man asked, taking another step toward her and pulling his hand from his pockets.
 

Jen moved back.
 

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. "Really. I just need to know – it's
important
– I need to know about your new neighbor. What is her name?"
 

"I'm ... I'm gonna get my dad now."
 

He lurched forward quickly. "No, please believe me, I don't mean you any harm. I want to
help
you. But you have to tell me about your new neighbor. What's her name? What does she
look
like?"
 

Not wanting to take her eyes from him, Jen walked quickly backward over the grass until she lost her balance and tumbled back on her behind, landing with a grunt.
 

"Oh," the man breathed, holding out his left hand and hurrying toward her, sinking the cane into the wet lawn and asking, "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Miss Dupree's porch light came on, spilling light over the lawn, and –

– Jen's fists closed on the wet grass and her throat tightened with fear when the light illuminated the man closing in on her.

His face was
melting
as he rushed forward, dribbling down one side of his skull like hot wax. He staggered closer, his gloved hand outstretched and –

– horrified, Jen tried to scream but released only a hiss of breath as she reached up and clawed at the hand, her nails digging into the glove's material, and –

– the man balked in the sudden light, then pulled back, slipping his hand out of the glove and the glow of the porch light was reflected dully on the bony silver fingers along which ran thin cables that disappeared into the coat sleeve. He gawked for a moment at the glove dangling from Jen's hand and snatched it away, stuffing it into his coat pocket. He backed up as the lock on Miss Dupree's door clicked.
 

Jen rolled over and bounded to her feet, rushing toward the door as it opened and voices filtered out from inside. She stopped on the porch and turned.
 

The man was gone.
 

Her mind raced. If she told her dad about the man, he'd wonder why she was wandering around outside Miss Dupree's house and might even get angry. If she
didn't
, she could tell him she was just coming over to see him and meet Miss Dupree, and she wouldn't have to mention the man at all.

But her hands were trembling and her heart was thundering in her chest. Wouldn't Dad want to know if someone like that creepy, hideous man was roaming the neighborhood? Would he even believe her, though, if she described the man to him?