Page 67 of The Vanishing Place

“Hello, Effie.”

She didn’t move from the bed as the figure appeared in the open doorway. A pale ghost, one eye as blue as the ocean and the other black as night.

Lying, cowardly shit.

“Where’s Tia?” she demanded.

But Adam just grinned. “It’s nice to see you, Effie.”

She let out a sharp laugh. “It would be nicer if I had a gun to put a hole in your deceitful head.”

Adam’s smile widened. “I trust that Tia has filled you in on our arrangement here.”

“Your deranged and narcissistic little cult?” Effie matched his smile. “Yes, I believe I have the gist of it.”

“Enlighten me.”

“A woman. Enlighten you? That seems somewhat off-brand, wouldn’t you say, Asher? Sorry, Adam .” Effie smirked. “Me being corrupted by my evil vagina and all.”

Adam flinched, but his smile didn’t falter.

“What’s it like?” asked Effie. “Playing God? Does he talk to you directly? Or does God prefer to leave clues? Chauvinistic tidbits carved into trees, perhaps.”

“I wouldn’t mock if I was you.”

“What would you do?” Effie looked at him. “If you were me, I mean? Repent. Sin. Marry. Make babies. Masturbate so furiously you’d need to lash yourself a hundred times for it? What is it that us women do exactly?”

“Quiet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Effie smiled. “Is this not appropriate ladylike conversation? Am I making you uncomfortable?” She paused. “You do look a little ill, now that I think about it.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“A little insane around the eyes.”

“Quiet. Or I’ll come over there and shut your mouth for you.”

“Apologies.” Effie held her hands up. “I forgot. What is it that you preach again…that women should be seen and not heard? That I am to remain quiet and submit to God? Or is it to you?”

There was a pause as their eyes met.

“I tried to help you once, a long time ago. To give you the quiet in which to hear God.” The corner of Adam’s mouth twitched. “You might remember it? A night in a little crate.”

A cold moved through Effie’s body, but she forced her lips to smile. Adam was a worthless piece of shit. And he could go to hell.

“Unfortunately, your dad heard your whining.” Adam shook his head. “And I had to untie you before he found you. Before you found God.”

“Sorry I ruined your plans.”

“No matter.” He smiled. “We have time now. You’ll repent soon enough.”

Adam moved farther into the room. “You’re in a special place. Away from temptation and sin. Here, you will be cleansed.”

“Right.” Effie stared into his dark eye. “And what if I don’t want to be cleansed?”

“You’ll come around eventually.”

“I doubt that.”

Adam grinned. “I like your tattoo by the way. Very touching.”

Effie slapped a hand to her wrist, covering the small A . “It’s for Aiden.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And the second A ?”

“There’s just one.”

Adam chuckled. “You seem very chipper for someone in your situation.”

“I’m not planning to stay.”

“Is that right?”

“Lewis won’t wait forever,” said Effie. “He will look for me. And he will find me.”

A cruelness spread like roots through his face, but Effie forced herself to keep looking at him. He was thinner than she remembered, and his hair was cut close to his skull.

“I doubt that very much,” he said.

Effie’s stomach flipped, and for a moment she couldn’t find the words that she’d practiced. As she stared into his eyes, a numbness swelled in her throat and tongue.

“You don’t know anything,” she managed.

“Oh, I think I know a few things.”

Then, slowly, Adam moved aside.

No .

A beat of fear, like nothing she’d felt before, pounded through every inch of her.

“Someone wanted to say a quick hello,” he said.

“No,” Effie murmured, the word barely a whisper.

Anya .

The child stood there, her small hand clutching Adam’s.

“I always knew she’d come back to me.” He picked Anya up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Daddy missed you, didn’t he?”

Then he kissed her on the forehead, and Effie saw it. Love . The unconditional bond between a father and a daughter. And the earth fell away from under her.

“Where’s Lewis?” she asked.

“Pining, I imagine,” said Adam. “For the childhood sweetheart who broke his heart. Who, for all he knows, is back in Scotland.”

“I left a note.”

“For Anya, yes.” He smiled. “But she got rid of that, didn’t you, sweetie?”

“Anya.” Tears stung Effie’s eyes. “Why would—”

“Quiet,” Adam barked. “You are not to talk to her.”

“Lewis will come for her,” said Effie. “He’ll keep looking for her.”

“Wrong again.”

Effie went to say something, but Adam’s smile—white teeth set into a white face—stole her words.

“I’m afraid,” he said, “that your perfect Lewis isn’t quite so perfect after all.” He touched his daughter’s cheek. “He had Anya moved into emergency foster care after you left.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I guess it was too much for him. You deserting him again.” Adam tilted his head, observing his child. “And with her looking so much like you.”

“June would never—”

“June’s an old woman.”

“That’s—”

“Six kids in one home,” Adam interrupted. He set Anya down. “Nasty place.” He pulled up the girl’s sleeve, revealing a line of crusted circular burns. “The dad was a smoker.”

“No.” Effie let out a sob, her body shaking as the strength emptied from her. “No.”

“But my girl’s back home now.”

Anya clung to her father’s leg as he moved back to the door.

“So.” He smiled at Effie. “I trust you will be on your best behavior.” He stroked his daughter’s red hair. “Your sister was quick to atone when Anya returned to us.”

“No.” The word came out as little more than a whisper.

“Come, sweetheart.”

Anya took her father’s hand, and the door shut behind them.