before he had to stake his wife. His face is heavily lined and with the greasy, thinning hair and unkempt clothes it’s clear the years haven’t been kind to him. He takes a drag on hiscigarette and his head turns to follow Mom as she makes her way to the office.
I catch Dad peeking at Mr. Harker too. “How long did you work together?” I ask.
Dad looks away. “Since we were boys. Our parents worked together too. Our mothers watched us in shifts. I always assumed we’d do the same until …”
He doesn’t finish his sentence but I know what he’s thinking—until Mrs. Harker got turned; reason number one million and one of why this business sucks.
“Let’s get settled,” Dad says, opening his door. “We have a lot of ground to cover before Ms. Crusher joins us in the morning.”
I grab my crate and bump the door closed with my hip. The hotel stands by itself by the side of the road, one long single-story building wrapped in a blanket of night sky. I can’t help but notice the clarity of the stars—so different from Buffalo where we’d just been.
Mom comes out of the office looking straight ahead, obviously trying to avoid eye contact with Mr. Harker.
“Joy,” Mr. Harker calls out loudly. “Do you have a minute?”
Mom visibly stiffens as he walks toward her. “I have nothing to say to you, Nathan,” she replies coldly as she keeps going.
He throws his cigarette down and crushes it with his heavy boot and then hurries to catch up with her. “I just want to apologize again,” he says. “I was out of line talking to Officer MacCready about Vince’s father—way out of line. But I think us working together like this is fate. It’s been too long; it’s time to mend fences.”
She stops and turns, pointing a finger in his face. “You threw us under the bus!” she hisses.
“Wait here,” Dad says, coming around the van. I honestly think Dad would give Mr. Harker a second chance, but Mom wears the pants in this family. He hustles over to Mom and puts an arm protectively around her shoulder. “Nathan, now is not a good time. Give us a chance to process everything.”
Mom stares incredulously at Dad. “There is nothing to process! We had an agreement.” She turns to Mr. Harker, eyes blazing. “You would stay on the West Coast and we would work the East. It was the perfect arrangement. What are you even
doing
here, Nathan?”
Mr. Harker runs his fingers through his greasy hair and then looks a bit wildly around the parking lot as if he’s expecting something to jump out at them. “It’s time. Can’t you feel it?” His eyes dart around some more as he fidgets with the ring on his hand. “I’ve been waiting so long,” he mutters. He looks at Dad hopefully. “But something toldme I had to come east. And meeting up with you—here in this town—it was meant to be. Tell me you can’t feel it.”
Mom and Dad exchange looks and I’m sure they’re thinking the same thing I am: Mr. Harker is nuts.
“We can work together,” he insists. “I know things—dark things,” he says quietly. “It can be like it used to.”
Mom’s eyes widen and she looks almost afraid of Mr. Harker. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t want to know. Just stay away from my family, and when this job is over I want you to get the hell back to the West Coast and keep out of our territory.”
Mr. Harker’s lips turn up into a slight smile. “You just need some time to get used to the idea. It always did take you time to warm up to things.” He looks at Dad and winks. “She’ll come around.” He laughs. “She always does. Right, Vince?”
A door opens and Tyler Harker pokes his head out of his room. “Dad,
come inside
.”
The tone of his voice makes it clear he’s embarrassed. I imagine he’s been watching the scene from his room.
Mr. Harker ignores Tyler. “And think about my boy. He needs people in his life, people who understand what we do. So does your girl.”
Dad
I catch Dad peeking at Mr. Harker too. “How long did you work together?” I ask.
Dad looks away. “Since we were boys. Our parents worked together too. Our mothers watched us in shifts. I always assumed we’d do the same until …”
He doesn’t finish his sentence but I know what he’s thinking—until Mrs. Harker got turned; reason number one million and one of why this business sucks.
“Let’s get settled,” Dad says, opening his door. “We have a lot of ground to cover before Ms. Crusher joins us in the morning.”
I grab my crate and bump the door closed with my hip. The hotel stands by itself by the side of the road, one long single-story building wrapped in a blanket of night sky. I can’t help but notice the clarity of the stars—so different from Buffalo where we’d just been.
Mom comes out of the office looking straight ahead, obviously trying to avoid eye contact with Mr. Harker.
“Joy,” Mr. Harker calls out loudly. “Do you have a minute?”
Mom visibly stiffens as he walks toward her. “I have nothing to say to you, Nathan,” she replies coldly as she keeps going.
He throws his cigarette down and crushes it with his heavy boot and then hurries to catch up with her. “I just want to apologize again,” he says. “I was out of line talking to Officer MacCready about Vince’s father—way out of line. But I think us working together like this is fate. It’s been too long; it’s time to mend fences.”
She stops and turns, pointing a finger in his face. “You threw us under the bus!” she hisses.
“Wait here,” Dad says, coming around the van. I honestly think Dad would give Mr. Harker a second chance, but Mom wears the pants in this family. He hustles over to Mom and puts an arm protectively around her shoulder. “Nathan, now is not a good time. Give us a chance to process everything.”
Mom stares incredulously at Dad. “There is nothing to process! We had an agreement.” She turns to Mr. Harker, eyes blazing. “You would stay on the West Coast and we would work the East. It was the perfect arrangement. What are you even
doing
here, Nathan?”
Mr. Harker runs his fingers through his greasy hair and then looks a bit wildly around the parking lot as if he’s expecting something to jump out at them. “It’s time. Can’t you feel it?” His eyes dart around some more as he fidgets with the ring on his hand. “I’ve been waiting so long,” he mutters. He looks at Dad hopefully. “But something toldme I had to come east. And meeting up with you—here in this town—it was meant to be. Tell me you can’t feel it.”
Mom and Dad exchange looks and I’m sure they’re thinking the same thing I am: Mr. Harker is nuts.
“We can work together,” he insists. “I know things—dark things,” he says quietly. “It can be like it used to.”
Mom’s eyes widen and she looks almost afraid of Mr. Harker. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t want to know. Just stay away from my family, and when this job is over I want you to get the hell back to the West Coast and keep out of our territory.”
Mr. Harker’s lips turn up into a slight smile. “You just need some time to get used to the idea. It always did take you time to warm up to things.” He looks at Dad and winks. “She’ll come around.” He laughs. “She always does. Right, Vince?”
A door opens and Tyler Harker pokes his head out of his room. “Dad,
come inside
.”
The tone of his voice makes it clear he’s embarrassed. I imagine he’s been watching the scene from his room.
Mr. Harker ignores Tyler. “And think about my boy. He needs people in his life, people who understand what we do. So does your girl.”
Dad
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