hall, hoping to say good-bye to Lily.
But Lily was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, silhouetted against a window a short distance away from her was a figure.
For a minute, Nell thought it was just a shadow, a trick of the light shining in from
an office at that end of the hall. But when the figure moved, she recognized Dr. Seltzer.
He had taken off his white coat and replaced it with a tweed jacket and English hat.
In one hand he held a walking stick, his fingers gripping it tightly.
As her eyes adjusted to the hall light, she could see his face more clearly. Steely
gray eyes sat deep in the pale, chiseled face, eyes focused beyond her, not seeing
anything but what was at the end of the hall—two open doorways. The kindness Nell
had seen in his smile earlier had disappeared completely. She turned and followed
his stare.
Justin Dorsey was clearly visible, sitting on a chair near the long row of filing
cabinets. His body was swaying to the music pumping through the giant headphones fixed
to his head. He was fully immersed in opening one file after another, stopping now
and then to glance at lab reports, carefully rearranging papers, then opening and
closing the heavy metal file drawers.
He was oblivious of the deadly look fastened on his back, and the headphones prevented
him from hearing anything around him, including the words that slipped from Martin
Seltzer’s thin lips:
“Foolish, foolish child. If I have to take care of it myself, your days here are numbered.”
Chapter4
T hursday morning gave rise to a sun so bright the light bounced off the sidewalks and
warmed the ocean air. A warm June day, the weatherman said. Beach weather.
Nell walked the few blocks to Izzy’s house, smelling the grass and lilac bushes. The
tang of the sea.
When Izzy had suggested she and Nell do a morning run together, it made Nell chuckle.
Nell’s idea of a run no longer matched Izzy’s, even though for years they’d pretended
it worked. Pregnancy was definitely slowing down her niece’s speed.
“Maybe I can keep up with you at last,” she’d said, and happily agreed to join her.
Nell rounded the corner onto Marigold Road and spotted Sam and Izzy out front.
“G’morning, Nell,” Sam called out as she approached the small frame house.
The Perry home sat in the middle of the block, surrounded by well-tended lawns, leafy
trees, and nicely painted houses. Unpretentious and inviting. Friendly, was how Ben
described the street.
Once Sam’s bachelor home, it had become a reflection of both Izzy and Sam after she
moved in and added her own touches. The clean lines, airy rooms, and white walls highlighted
Sam’s photography, while the sleek wooden furniture and brightly colored cushions
spoke of Izzy’s warmth. It was homey and perfect, with a deck off the back and a lightly
forested trail that wound down to the sea beyond.
“You’re running with us, Sam?”
Sam’s laughter closed the space between them. “You know I don’t punish my body that
way, Nell. Now, give me a boat to sail or game of pickup basketball and you’ll see
a healthy, happy guy before you.” He lifted the camera hanging around his neck. “But
today I’m off to take some photos for a magazine article on scuba diving and surfing
in these remarkable waters we call home. I’m just keeping my bride company for a few
minutes.”
Izzy was kneeling down beside the sidewalk, tugging out a few stray weeds. She sat
back on her legs, shielding her eyes against the sun. “He’s being vigilant, Aunt Nell.
He’s starting to hover. Sam’s as bad as you are. Thinks if I hiccup, labor will begin.
And to top it off, he insists on taking snapshots of me every time I turn around.
This baby is going to be seeing tiny dots of light its whole life.”
Sam’s response was a kiss to the top of her head, followed by a gentle pat to the
round of her belly—a good-bye touch to his soon-to-be-born
But Lily was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, silhouetted against a window a short distance away from her was a figure.
For a minute, Nell thought it was just a shadow, a trick of the light shining in from
an office at that end of the hall. But when the figure moved, she recognized Dr. Seltzer.
He had taken off his white coat and replaced it with a tweed jacket and English hat.
In one hand he held a walking stick, his fingers gripping it tightly.
As her eyes adjusted to the hall light, she could see his face more clearly. Steely
gray eyes sat deep in the pale, chiseled face, eyes focused beyond her, not seeing
anything but what was at the end of the hall—two open doorways. The kindness Nell
had seen in his smile earlier had disappeared completely. She turned and followed
his stare.
Justin Dorsey was clearly visible, sitting on a chair near the long row of filing
cabinets. His body was swaying to the music pumping through the giant headphones fixed
to his head. He was fully immersed in opening one file after another, stopping now
and then to glance at lab reports, carefully rearranging papers, then opening and
closing the heavy metal file drawers.
He was oblivious of the deadly look fastened on his back, and the headphones prevented
him from hearing anything around him, including the words that slipped from Martin
Seltzer’s thin lips:
“Foolish, foolish child. If I have to take care of it myself, your days here are numbered.”
Chapter4
T hursday morning gave rise to a sun so bright the light bounced off the sidewalks and
warmed the ocean air. A warm June day, the weatherman said. Beach weather.
Nell walked the few blocks to Izzy’s house, smelling the grass and lilac bushes. The
tang of the sea.
When Izzy had suggested she and Nell do a morning run together, it made Nell chuckle.
Nell’s idea of a run no longer matched Izzy’s, even though for years they’d pretended
it worked. Pregnancy was definitely slowing down her niece’s speed.
“Maybe I can keep up with you at last,” she’d said, and happily agreed to join her.
Nell rounded the corner onto Marigold Road and spotted Sam and Izzy out front.
“G’morning, Nell,” Sam called out as she approached the small frame house.
The Perry home sat in the middle of the block, surrounded by well-tended lawns, leafy
trees, and nicely painted houses. Unpretentious and inviting. Friendly, was how Ben
described the street.
Once Sam’s bachelor home, it had become a reflection of both Izzy and Sam after she
moved in and added her own touches. The clean lines, airy rooms, and white walls highlighted
Sam’s photography, while the sleek wooden furniture and brightly colored cushions
spoke of Izzy’s warmth. It was homey and perfect, with a deck off the back and a lightly
forested trail that wound down to the sea beyond.
“You’re running with us, Sam?”
Sam’s laughter closed the space between them. “You know I don’t punish my body that
way, Nell. Now, give me a boat to sail or game of pickup basketball and you’ll see
a healthy, happy guy before you.” He lifted the camera hanging around his neck. “But
today I’m off to take some photos for a magazine article on scuba diving and surfing
in these remarkable waters we call home. I’m just keeping my bride company for a few
minutes.”
Izzy was kneeling down beside the sidewalk, tugging out a few stray weeds. She sat
back on her legs, shielding her eyes against the sun. “He’s being vigilant, Aunt Nell.
He’s starting to hover. Sam’s as bad as you are. Thinks if I hiccup, labor will begin.
And to top it off, he insists on taking snapshots of me every time I turn around.
This baby is going to be seeing tiny dots of light its whole life.”
Sam’s response was a kiss to the top of her head, followed by a gentle pat to the
round of her belly—a good-bye touch to his soon-to-be-born
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