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By Root 535 0

He was a thirty-two-year-old janitor, described by coworkers and neighbors as a helpful, friendly man. Later, in a televised interview, Ella had only this to say about his death: Its sad, really. Sometimes, a person does a bad thing but it doesnt make them a bad person. Sometimes she paused here, twirled her hair in her fingers, then looked straight at the camera, sometimes, what a person needs most is to be forgiven.

AUGUST 15, 1993

DANIEL HAD BEENgone for five days. Aggie was pacing in Rhondas living room, talking to Clem and Justine. Rhonda hovered in the kitchen, out of their line of sight, but where she could hear perfectly. She heard Aggies footsteps, the fevered pitch of her speech.

Somethings happened to him, Aggie insisted as she rattled the ice cubes in her empty glass, a not-so-subtle hint for one of them to pour her another gin and tonic.

Ag, youre overreacting, Clem told her. Hes just lying low. Guaranteed hell be back any minute now hungover and all fired up about some cockamamie money-making scheme.

Hes never been gone this long, Aggie said. A night or two. But not this long. Do you know what I did today, Clem? I even called up Laura Lee.

Clem cleared his throat. What did she say?

She claimed not to know a thing, but I think she was lying.

Why do you say that? Justine asked.

Because thats what women like her do. They lie.

Clem mumbled something Rhonda couldnt make out, then she heard Aggie softly sobbing.

Ill go put on some coffee, Justine said, and Rhonda darted back to her room.

WILL DANIEL REALLYcome back? Rhonda asked. She and her father were side by side in his old car in the woods.

Of course, sweetie. Of course he will. Dont you worry.

But Rhondawas worried. If Daniel was out of the picture, what was going to stop Clem and Aggie from being together all the time? Surely not Rhondas mother. Clem would leave Justine and Rhonda and pick up his old life with Aggie. The thought of it made Rhondas stomach ache. She reached up and touched the wiry stitches above her eye. There were seven of them. Lucky number.Right.

Peter got nine stitches. Tock and Lizzy hadnt been hurt at all when the wall came down. But the weird thing was, Lizzy hadnt said a word since that night. Not to Rhonda or Peter, not even to Tock.

She just needs a little time, Tock said. Lets all quit bugging her about it.

CLEM TURNED ANDlooked at their ruined stage once again. I still dont get it, he said. Did you all have some kind of fight?

Sort of, Rhonda said, unwilling to admit to her father that she really had no idea why theyd torn it down, other than that Peter had told them to.

It just seems like such a shame, Clem said. Above them, the pirate flag flapped in the breeze, the painted skeleton face the one remnant of their play that hadnt been destroyed.

Ive been thinking, Rhonda said, eager to change the subject.

Nineteen seventy-nine was the year Peter was born.

Clems jaw tensed. He gripped the cracked steering wheel and stared out at the woods in front of him, imagining some invisible road. Yes. It was.

So that means Peter is your son, right? My brother. The words felt thick and bitter in her mouth:son ,brother .

Clem closed his eyes. Shook his head. No. Hes Daniels son. You can see that, right? Hes the spitting image of his dad.

But if you and Aggie were married She opened the glove compartment and found only a tangle of wires and the shredded leaves of an abandoned mouse nest.

Clem sighed. Got that faraway look in his eyes he did just before telling one of his stories.

I remember standing in front of the nursery window and pointing Peter out to nurses, visitors, any passers-by. My son. My boy. My Yankee doodle, born on the Fourth of July, all-American kid.

Clem played with the gear shift on the steering column, put his foot on the gas pedal, and pushed it to the floor. It let out a rusty squeak of protest, reminding them they werent going anywhere.

It was exactly a year before I found out the truth, Clem continued. Peters first birthday. We