Free Edgewise by Graham Masterton Page B

Hazawin, “why don’t you sit down and let me bring you some tea? Do you like herbal?”
    â€œHey—wouldn’t say no to a Wild Turkey if you have one,” said Shooks. “Straight up, no ice. No umbrella.”
    With complete assurance, circumnavigating the furniture without once touching it, Hazawin stood up and walked out of the living room. Lily wondered if she ought to follow her into the kitchen and offer to help, but George came over and took off her coat and said, “Please . . . sit down.”
    She sat on the end of one of the couches, farthest from the fire. She was feeling awkward now, and she was beginning to wish that she hadn’t come, but she couldn’t really ask Shooks to drive her straight back to Minneapolis.
    George sat down opposite her. Not only was he wearing necklaces and feathers, but several silver bracelets, one of which was fashioned in the shape of twenty or thirty beavers, all swallowing each others’ tails. He jabbed at the fire with a long poker, so that it roared up even higher, and its light danced in his eyes.
    â€œJohn told me what happened to you, Lily,” he said. “There are very few feelings in life that are worse than being betrayed by somebody you thought you could trust—somebody who loved you.”
    â€œWell, you’re right about that,” Lily agreed. And he
was
right. Up until now, she had never been a vengeful person. She knew that she could be irritable, and lose her temper quickly, but her tempers never lasted for long, and in the end she had always been forgiving, and willing to compromise. Now, however, she wanted to see Jeff suffer. She wanted him to suffer just as painfully as she was suffering, or even more. Her hatred for him was so strong that it made her mouth dry, as if she had been trying to eat ashes.
    â€œI understand that the FBI still hasn’t been able to locate your children,” said George.
    Lily nodded. “Today is the sixty-ninth day, and they don’t even know if they’re still in the continental United States.”
    â€œJohn—you believe their father has probably taken them south? Mexico, maybe?”
    â€œThat’s my surmise, George, yes.”
    George sat back, and stared at Lily for so long that she had to look away. Eventually, he said, “There
is
a way of finding your children, and bringing them back. When I first tell you what it is, you probably won’t believe me. But even if you
don’t
believe me, you can trust me.”
    Lily looked back at him for a long moment, and then she said, “All right, then. I trust you.”
    â€œGood. But first of all, we have to reach an understanding.”
    â€œYou mean you want me to pay you some money?”
    â€œNot in this particular case. But it does involve something of very significant value.”
    â€œGo on.”
    He stood up and walked across to a dark oak bureau in the far corner of the living room. He opened it up, took out a folded map, and brought it back to the fireside.
    â€œHere,” he said, spreading the map across the couch. “Do you know where this is?”
    Lily frowned at it. It showed a lake, with surrounding forests. She thought she recognized the shape of it, but she couldn’t quite be sure. After a while, George rotated the map counterclockwise and said, “How about this? Does this make any sense?”
    â€œOh, yes. Now I know where it is: Mystery Lake.”
    â€œYour company is marketing some land there, I understand.”
    â€œThat’s right, yes we are. It’s going to be a very profitable development, eventually. I think the official description is ‘a superior lakeside community for active professionals.’ In other words, an upscale enclave for lawyers and doctors and entrepreneurs, with a yacht marina and a Tom Fazio golf course.”
    â€œMystery Lake is a sacred place for the Mdewakanton,” said George.
    â€œI didn’t