Page 119 of It Happened on the Lake

Chapter 28

Windshield wipers swiping at the thickening mist, Levi turned off the county road and drove into the long, tree-lined drive of Serenity Acres. Last April, the cherry trees had been gorgeous, blooming pink, a bright spot on somber spring days, but now, with winter soon arriving, the branches were shedding their leaves, looking barren and bleak, a reflection of his own feelings.

He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. How the hell had his mother gotten out of the facility and ended up in the middle of Lake Twilight with the means to set herself afire?

Even now, his stomach churned at the thought of it.

But he had to know what had set her off.

Couldn’t stand the unanswered questions.

He’d always been this way. Had never been able to let things lie. His mother had called him “curious.” To which his father had replied, “He’s goddamned nosy if you ask me. Remember the old saying about curiosity killing the cat?” With that he’d skewered his son with a hard glare. “So, Levi, you keepyournose clean and out of other people’s business.”

Well, screw that.

Especially now, he thought as the facility came into view, a huge structure sprawling over gentle hills, parking lot to one side, sloping lawn on the other.

Then there was the matter of Harper. He believed that somehow suspecting Harper was returning to Almsville had exacerbated his mother’s mental state and pushed her into the chasm of insanity. Not that Cynthia hadn’t been teetering on the brink for years. But something had propelled her to find her way to the middle of Lake Twilight with family photo albums, a can of gasoline, and a book of matches.

But how the hell had she gotten to the lake in the first place? How had she known about Harper.Hadshe known?

He parked in the near-empty lot, where only a few cars and trucks were scattered. He cut the engine, noting that a large white van was leaving as another sedan pulled into the lot, a dark Toyota.

People coming and going, visiting loved ones, some of whom were shut-ins.

He climbed out of his Fairlane, locked it, and pocketed his keys. Turning his collar to what was becoming a steady drizzle, he jogged to the front door and walked into the reception area with its pale blue walls, industrial-grade carpet, and potted palms.

“Mr. Hunt!” Patty, the petite receptionist, greeted him from behind a massive desk. She had a wild mane of permed brown hair and wore oversized glasses. Behind her, a large poster decorated with smiling jack-o’-lanterns invited residents and family to a Halloween social promising hot apple cider, donuts, a raffle, and “fun for all.”

No thanks.

Not that he had any connection to the place any longer.

“I’m, um, terribly sorry for your loss,” Patty was saying. “Your mom was a sweetie.”

Doubting that anyone here would think his often sarcastic mother was sweet, he nodded and paused at the desk. “I’ve got a meeting with Allison.”

“Yes, I know.” Patty was nodding rapidly, her mountain of brown hair barely moving. “Sign in.” She pointed to the clipboard on the desk. “She’s expecting you. It’ll be just a sec. She’s with someone—”

At that moment the door to Allison Gray’s office opened, and Rand Watkins strode out. He was beelining for the doors but stopped at the sight of Levi. “Hey.”

Levi nodded. He’d been friends with Rand years before, if you could call it a friendship, but they hadn’t been around each other for a couple of decades. Who knew what the guy was like now? He extended his hand by rote, and Rand shook it.

“You find anything out?” Levi asked. “About Mom?”

“Workin’ on it.”

“You know anything more?”

Rand’s expression showed no emotion. “Not yet.”

A non-answer. Levi said, “Keep me informed.”

“I will. We need to sit down. For your statement.”

“Okay. I’ll stop by the station later.”

“Call first. To make sure I’m there.”