Page 83 of Fever Dream

Chapter Forty-Four

Grace

Iwait until I get home and the children are in bed before I open Elizabeth’s note.I read it once and then sit for a long while staring at the wall.

It is not every day that comes along you meet someone like Elizabeth.It’s rare, if you ask me, to find that kind of connection.

I’ll never know why Elizabeth chose me.I only know she helped me get through the worst time in my life, and for that, I’ll never stop being grateful our paths crossed.

I fold the note and tuck it back inside the bag, and I think about all the things that led up to this moment.I still remember the way she was sitting.She was on the couch in the common room, legs tucked underneath her.I remember the wry grin on her face, the way the light touched her hair, that wicked look in her eye that she sometimes got.I wasn’t in the best of moods that day, far from it.

“There’s a man,” she said.“Robert Fisher.You’ll find his phone number with the money.”

I didn’t say anything, because I could see that Elizabeth was in story mode and it was nearly impossible to get a word in edgewise once she got started.Plus, you didn’t want to.

“I want you to visit him.”

She looked at me with a strange expression.“Tell him Elizabeth wants to know how the weather is.He’ll know what that means.”

“What is he?Your boyfriend?An old lover?”

“He’s the only man who never screwed me over,” she said earnestly.“I wish I could say the same where he is concerned.”

My brows raised.I didn’t know what to say, which wasn’t uncommon where Elizabeth was concerned.

“Promise me you’ll visit him.”

I glared at her.

“Just promise me, Grace,” she said, throwing her hands up.

I should have agreed right then, but it took her picking up my arm and twisting it until it hurt.“Okay,” I squealed.“I promise.”

She was quiet for a long time and then she said, “You’ll like him.”

“Why are you telling me this?And why would I want to visit him?”

“Robert could use a friend.I owe him that.”She looked away and then back at me with an expression that was meant to look happy, but wasn’t.“Besides, he’ll like you.”

“So?”

“So, consider it a favor.”

She didn’t say a favor for who, and at the time, I didn’t think it mattered.I didn’t think I’d get the chance to find out.I really didn’t take the conversation seriously.

But then I read the note, and two days later I sat at my kitchen table with the phone in hand.I dialed the operator.It took several attempts to actually go through with it.I wasn’t sure what to expect.My mouth was so dry I feared that even if the operator was able to connect the call, I wouldn’t be able to speak.

“Hello?”he said, picking up on the second ring.

“May I speak with Robert, please?”

“Speaking.”

“My name is Grace.Grace Solomon.”

Silence.He was waiting for me to speak, but it wasn’t easy to get the words out.

“Elizabeth asked me to ask you how the weather is.”