Jerry say when he gave these to you?”
“Only that . . .” Emily had trouble speaking. Her voice came out in a sort of squeak. “He told me,” she began, then stopped. “He told me to hang onto them for safekeeping. That’s all he said.”
Sarah got up and picked up the DVD she’d cast aside. “That notepaper said Jerry copied it from Leroy’s laptop. Could Jerry have made those videos?”
“No way.” Emily shook her head. “He knows less than I do about cameras.”
“My husband fired him last week. Did you know that?”
Emily looked down at her hands.
Not sure Emily had understood, Sarah repeated, “Did you know my husband fired Jerry?”
“He has a problem,” Emily said. “Drugs.”
“I see.”
More silence.
“He’s a really great guy when he’s not . . .” Emily didn’t finish.
“Thank you for bringing these to me, Emily.” Sarah moved away from the coffee table. “I don’t see any need for you to tell anyone about them, do you?”
Emily shook her head and got up stiffly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Watts. I guess I shouldn’t have brought them to you.”
“Yes, you should. You did the right thing.” Sarah held out her hand. “Here, I’ll take your cup.”
Emily stumbled to the door, Sarah shut it behind her and went back to the television set. She inserted “WATTS 1” again and watched it all the way through, fast-forwarding after each woman appeared. An hour of various women, seven or eight of them, all young, all taking showers, all completely unaware of someone spying on them. No one she knew.
She thought “WATTS 2” would be more of the same. But then she recognized one of the women. Then another. She simply couldn’t watch their private ablutions. She continued to fast-forward.
Something told her she had to view this to the end. She recognized several more of the women. The twins’ kindergarten teacher. The girl who taught riding at the stable. The Brazilian checkout woman at Cronig’s. All young women, ranging in age from teens to mid-twenties. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, videos that Roy had taken? Had Roy taken them? Her husband Roy? The upstanding civic leader, the town’s electrical inspector, scout leader, baseball coach? How long had he been filming naked women? She’d had no inkling of this hidden twist of his—that is, if Roy had taken those pictures. Would she, could she, even talk to him about this? What was she going to say? Or do?
She had another thought. Was this a game that was going both ways? One or more of the women calling Roy with suggestive talk?
If this was Roy’s little game, clearly Jerry Sparks had known about it. An awful thought crossed her mind. Was Jerry Sparks blackmailing Roy? That would explain Roy’s mood lately.
The Island’s grapevine unearthed deeply hidden secrets, seemingly without human intervention. The fact of Roy filming naked women in their showers would be all over the Island like—she couldn’t imagine anything with which to compare the speed of the Island grapevine.
C HAPTER 9
LeRoy had arisen early on Sunday, before Sarah awoke. He showered and shaved, then spent another full day fishing. He caught nothing. And nothing helped the sick feeling in his gut. All day, Jerry Sparks had perched on his shoulders.
When he got home, his wife and kids were eating supper. His wife turned away from him.
LeRoy put his gear away and hung up his waders in the mudroom. He washed his hands and face in the kitchen sink and looked for a towel.
“Don’t use my clean dish towels,” snapped Sarah.
He dried his face and hands on a paper towel and threw it in the trash. “You move the books okay?”
“She called twice yesterday.” Sarah still didn’t look at him. Probably mad at him. Who the hell was the caller?
Supper was leftover macaroni. Zeke and Jared squabbled and whined over nothing. Sarah stared at her plate.
LeRoy got a dish out of the cabinet and served himself from the casserole in the
“Only that . . .” Emily had trouble speaking. Her voice came out in a sort of squeak. “He told me,” she began, then stopped. “He told me to hang onto them for safekeeping. That’s all he said.”
Sarah got up and picked up the DVD she’d cast aside. “That notepaper said Jerry copied it from Leroy’s laptop. Could Jerry have made those videos?”
“No way.” Emily shook her head. “He knows less than I do about cameras.”
“My husband fired him last week. Did you know that?”
Emily looked down at her hands.
Not sure Emily had understood, Sarah repeated, “Did you know my husband fired Jerry?”
“He has a problem,” Emily said. “Drugs.”
“I see.”
More silence.
“He’s a really great guy when he’s not . . .” Emily didn’t finish.
“Thank you for bringing these to me, Emily.” Sarah moved away from the coffee table. “I don’t see any need for you to tell anyone about them, do you?”
Emily shook her head and got up stiffly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Watts. I guess I shouldn’t have brought them to you.”
“Yes, you should. You did the right thing.” Sarah held out her hand. “Here, I’ll take your cup.”
Emily stumbled to the door, Sarah shut it behind her and went back to the television set. She inserted “WATTS 1” again and watched it all the way through, fast-forwarding after each woman appeared. An hour of various women, seven or eight of them, all young, all taking showers, all completely unaware of someone spying on them. No one she knew.
She thought “WATTS 2” would be more of the same. But then she recognized one of the women. Then another. She simply couldn’t watch their private ablutions. She continued to fast-forward.
Something told her she had to view this to the end. She recognized several more of the women. The twins’ kindergarten teacher. The girl who taught riding at the stable. The Brazilian checkout woman at Cronig’s. All young women, ranging in age from teens to mid-twenties. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, videos that Roy had taken? Had Roy taken them? Her husband Roy? The upstanding civic leader, the town’s electrical inspector, scout leader, baseball coach? How long had he been filming naked women? She’d had no inkling of this hidden twist of his—that is, if Roy had taken those pictures. Would she, could she, even talk to him about this? What was she going to say? Or do?
She had another thought. Was this a game that was going both ways? One or more of the women calling Roy with suggestive talk?
If this was Roy’s little game, clearly Jerry Sparks had known about it. An awful thought crossed her mind. Was Jerry Sparks blackmailing Roy? That would explain Roy’s mood lately.
The Island’s grapevine unearthed deeply hidden secrets, seemingly without human intervention. The fact of Roy filming naked women in their showers would be all over the Island like—she couldn’t imagine anything with which to compare the speed of the Island grapevine.
C HAPTER 9
LeRoy had arisen early on Sunday, before Sarah awoke. He showered and shaved, then spent another full day fishing. He caught nothing. And nothing helped the sick feeling in his gut. All day, Jerry Sparks had perched on his shoulders.
When he got home, his wife and kids were eating supper. His wife turned away from him.
LeRoy put his gear away and hung up his waders in the mudroom. He washed his hands and face in the kitchen sink and looked for a towel.
“Don’t use my clean dish towels,” snapped Sarah.
He dried his face and hands on a paper towel and threw it in the trash. “You move the books okay?”
“She called twice yesterday.” Sarah still didn’t look at him. Probably mad at him. Who the hell was the caller?
Supper was leftover macaroni. Zeke and Jared squabbled and whined over nothing. Sarah stared at her plate.
LeRoy got a dish out of the cabinet and served himself from the casserole in the
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