Vacation, page 9
“Kate, Simon, come on!” she shouted.
The kids both turned to her as if her voice came from miles away.
“Can’t we stay just a little bit more?”
Simon looked to both of his parents for a reprieve.
Christie noticed Kate seemed a bit distracted. Jack looked as well, following Kate’s gaze.
To one of the lifeguard chairs.
No, she’s way too young for that.
Kate—just out of eighth grade.
She knew her girlfriends talked about boys.
But there was no real socializing.
Kate turned away from the lifeguard chair.
“Mom, there are lifeguards. It’s safe. Can I stay?”
Christie hesitated.
“And I can watch Simon, too. You guys always take so long to get ready. Can we stay just a little while longer?”
“I don’t need watching,” Simon added. Then, as if remembering the point of the argument, added, “Can we stay just a little bit more?”
A look from Jack. The decision deferred to her.
“Okay. Fifteen minutes, then back to the cabin for quick showers. I don’t think you want to miss dinner.”
Simon had already spun around to resume his in-and-out game with the cool water. Kate stood there and put on the dutiful face of she-who-watches-her-brother.
Close to the lifeguard. Nothing to worry about.
“Okay then,” Jack said. “Let’s go get ready. Remember—fifteen minutes.”
* * *
Christie looked at the mirror, checking herself in a green polo shirt and capris. Too informal? she wondered. But then again this was a camp. People probably showed up in shorts and T’s.
Jack came out of the shower dripping; in minutes, he appeared in the living room in shorts, golf shirt, and sandals. Pretty informal.
Christie was tempted to say something. But here was someone who dressed every day in his blue uniform, every detail in place. If this was Jack relaxing, she’d take it.
“Kids back?”
“No. I’ll go and—”
A knock at the door.
“Company?” Jack said.
He opened the door. A man and a woman stood there.
“Hi,” the man—tall, strongly built—said. “We’re your neighbors. The Blairs. Cabin next door.” He stuck out his hand. “Tom.”
The woman, short and a bit mousy-looking, did the same with Christie. “Sharon. Hope we’re not bothering you or anything…”
Christie smiled. “No. Just getting ready for dinner.” Then, feeling the oddness of leaving the couple out on the small porch, she said, “Come on in.”
The couple came into the cabin.
“Nice,” Tom said. “Little different arrangement than ours. You like it?”
“Just fine,” Jack said.
Sharon—her dark hair cut into a bob, wearing a summery print dress—turned to Christie. “We’ve been here for almost a week. We love it. So, if you two have any questions, ask away.”
“It’s a great place,” Tom added. “A real getaway.”
“Looks nice so far,” Jack said.
“Kids?” Christie asked.
Tom grinned. “Oh, yeah—our two boys. Jim and Sam. The ‘maniacs,’ we call them. They’ve been running wild in this place, loving it. In fact, we just signed up for two more days. Money’s a bit tight, but hell, who knows when we’ll be able to come back.”
Those words seemed to make Sharon thoughtful.
“So different here. You know?”
“You mean, the lake… the mountains?” Christie said.
“The whole feel of the place. Everyone just enjoying themselves. Like a world we all thought we lost.”
She guessed that Jack was sizing them up.
That’s what he did, size people up.
What’s their story, their life?
She had told him it was a bad habit.
Maybe with this couple he could let his guard down. People used to have friends.
It would be nice to have some friends.
“Hey,” Tom said, as if trying to sound spontaneous, “why don’t we all sit together for dinner? Your first meal at the camp.”
Sharon added, “They have these big tables. Very homey!”
Christie looked at Jack. Never exactly Mr. Social.
Then the kids burst in through the door. Simon and Kate laughing, Simon racing ahead as Kate tried to catch him.
“Our two,” Christie said. “Simon, Kate. Hey, quick showers, guys. Then dinner.”
“I’m starving!” Simon said before vanishing into the other bedroom.
“So, see you at dinner?” Tom said, looking from Jack to Christie.
“Sure. It’ll be a pleasure,” she answered.
The couple smiled. This wasn’t something she’d ever do, Christie knew, not back home. Knock on someone’s door.
“Great. We’ll save you places.”
After they left, Jack walked to the window, pulled a curtain aside, and watched the Blairs make their way over to the Grand Lodge.
Then he came close to Christie.
“Meet the neighbors, hm?”
“Seemed nice.”
“Yeah. And I guess we can pick their brains about the place.”
Simon came out of the bathroom, his still-wet hair sticking up at odd angles.
Christie turned to him.
“Come here, mister.”
When the hair had been tamed by a brush, and Kate finally appeared wearing cargo shorts and a collared shirt, looking suddenly very much like her dad, they left the cottage for their first dinner in the Great Lodge.
18. Dinner
Jack took the bowl of food from Tom Blair, and scooped some onto his plate. Looking like a mixture of chili and refried beans, it didn’t look bad.
Simon weighed in with his verdict. “What is this stuff? It’s good!”
Jack took a taste. Not bad, but—
“Yeah,” Tom said, “the food’s really not all they crack it up to be in the brochure. But it’s got taste, and there’s plenty of it.”
“Tastes better than what we usually make do with,” Jack said. “Kate, what do you think?”
Kate kept spooning it in, as if trying to make up her mind. “It’s… okay.”
He turned back to their new Paterville neighbors. Jim and Sam Blair, older than Simon by a year or two, had already finished their plates.
Guess you get hungry up here…
“So, you’ve arranged to stay longer, hm?”
“Yep,” Tom said, looking around at the Great Lodge and all the full tables of people scarfing down the Paterville dinner. A small laugh. “Don’t think my family would let me leave. They… we like it here.”
Jack noticed a slight hesitation.
“You, though? Had enough of Paterville?”
Tom smiled. “No. It’s great.”
There was a loud, ear-piercing squeak from the loudspeakers.
Jack turned to see Ed Lowe standing at a podium.
“Hello… campers!”
Then, as if coached, the families answered Lowe:
“Hel-lo!”
“Hope you’ve had a great day at the camp today. Looks like even better weather tomorrow. Now, I don’t want you to keep you from that good camp food, but how about a Paterville welcome to our newcomers!”
“Hel-lo, newcomers!”
“Oh, you can do better than that!”
And they did.
Jack caught Christie looking at him, perhaps sensing his discomfort. Corny wasn’t quite the word for it.
Maybe vacations were supposed to be like this.
Jack grinned at Christie.
“And a quick reminder, tonight we have a bonfire down by the lakefront—and tomorrow is the big fireworks show!”
Lowe made a big wave at the tables, and a smile.
“Now back to your eats.”
Jack started to turn away—
When he saw Lowe’s assistant, Shana, come out from the side, holding papers. She looked at the crowd, no smiles from her.
Serious woman, Jack thought.
Tom leaned close from across the wooden table.
“Met Shana? She’s… something, hm?”
Jack kept watching Lowe and Shana. She handed Lowe the papers. He turned to her and then took a few steps away from the microphone, his back to the diners.
From the other side of the room, a burly man, tall with thick arms and an even thicker neck, came into the room carrying a heavy metal tray and brought it over to a serving area.
Jack turned back to Tom.
“Who’s that guy? Big fella.”
“That? He’s Dunphy. The cook. Or at least the main cook. Brings the food himself.”
Lowe noticed Dunphy and left Shana standing to the side while he walked over to the cook.
Jack was looking to see how things ran here, who was in charge. All the little gears that have to fall into place to make something like this work.
Finally, he turned back to the table.
He caught a look from Christie… probably thinking that he was ogling Lowe’s jill-of-all-trades.
Definitely some of that going on.
Jack smiled. Caught! Then went back to the meal. The stuff, whatever it was, got cold fast and now didn’t seem as appetizing.
Maybe I’ll be hungrier tomorrow, he thought. After a full day in the mountains.
* * *
The two couples walked out of the lodge together.
Jack and Tom walked together, Christie and Sharon close behind. Kate brought up the rear. Simon ran up to her, with the Blairs’ two boys in tow.
“Dad, Mom—we’re gonna play hide-and-seek down by the sports field. That okay?”
Jack looked at Christie.
“Um, I guess.”
Christie gave it her seal of approval.
“Yes. But stay close. No scouting around.”
Tom made a small laugh. “Don’t worry, Jack. They do a good job of keeping the kids where they’re supposed to be. We let our two just roam around till bedtime. Couldn’t be safer.”
“Okay, Simon. Come back to the lake for the bonfire before dark,” Jack said.
A quick nod, and his son vanished.
He looked back at Kate, who still didn’t seem to have embraced this place.
Hope she settles in.
“Jack—meet you down there?” Tom said.
Jack looked back at Christie talking with Sharon.
The Blairs seemed like nice enough people.
Why not, Jack thought. After all, this is a vacation.
Soon they were back at the cabins.
* * *
Simon did what Sam and Jim told him to. He folded his arms in front of him, and rested his head against a tree, eyes shut, and counted. But not a normal count.
One Mississippi… two Mississippi… three…
Never did that back home. Never played this game.
The other two kids hiding while he counted.
He reached twenty and lifted his head from the tree.
A bit of stickiness had attached itself to his arms when he put them against the tree.
Sap. That’s what it’s called, Simon knew.
He looked around for Sam and Jim.
In the time it took him to count, it seemed to have turned darker here. The tall trees blotted out the light from the sky. And though they had led Simon down to this area, telling him how great it was for hiding, now Simon couldn’t see where they had come from.
Where was the lake? The cabins? Which way… was the way back?
He wanted to call out to them.
Say: Where are you?
But that would be giving up the game. Being a baby. These were big kids. Be fun to play with them even though he was a full year younger.
Instead of shouting where are you?, he said: “Coming to find you guys!”
Simon took a step in one direction. The leaves and dry pine needles at his feet made a soft crunching sound. Another step.
Was he going back the way they had come, or to where they were hiding, or some other way?
Step… step… step…
He kept turning his head, looking for signs of movement. But all was still here in the woods.
* * *
Kate walked out of the back bedroom. “Dad, I’m going to walk down to the lake now.”
Jack looked up from a wall map of Paterville and the nearby mountains. A geological map showing elevation, trails risers, the peaks.
“That okay?” he said to Christie.
“Sure. Go on, Kate.”
His daughter smiled. Maybe the ice was melting. A good thing. “Back before dark, ’kay?”
“Will do, Dad.”
When she shut the door behind her, Christie turned to Jack.
“Guess we’re giving them both some room? Feels strange.”
“We want them to enjoy this place, right? Some independence… might be good.”
“My,” Christie said with a smile, “what a little bit of vacation does to turn the police officer around. I’m glad.”
“Just catch me in a few days.”
“Should we head down to the bonfire?”
“You go on. I’ll be right there. I need to move the car. It’s parked out front, but they say they want all the cars in the back parking lot. Let me do that, and I’ll see you there.”
Jack grabbed the car keys off a countertop near the kitchen and followed Christie out the door.
* * *
Simon froze.
Darker still. And now the air chilled his bare arms and legs. The trees, which had very brown trunks before, had turned gray and dark. The branches overhead didn’t look green at all.
They have to be nearby, Simon thought.
They wouldn’t just leave me here.
Just ditch me.
More steps—so hard to force his feet to move.
He looked past the shadowy tree trunks and saw… something else.
Something shiny.
Maybe part of the camp.
It made him turn in that direction. As he came closer he saw that it was the giant fence, hidden from the camp by the trees. Simon now knew he was very far away from where he was supposed to be.
He started to turn.
Then a voice—deep, rough—said, “Hey, you!”
* * *
Jack got up to the Great Lodge and, through a side window, saw all the diners gone, only workers cleaning tables.
Where do they stay? he wondered. Must be another part of the camp where they had staff cabins. Maybe came here for the season, then went back to whatever small towns they came from.
The entry hall glowed invitingly. People sitting on the massive leather couches and chairs, talking, reading.
His car was the only one still parked in the check-in area.
Not much light spilled onto the spaces in front of the lodge entrance.
He dug out his keys.
“Everything okay?”
Someone in the darkness. He hadn’t even noticed… standing there… coming close.
The person took a few steps closer and Jack recognized the smell. That hint of perfume.
Shana.
“Just need to move my car. Y’know, to the parking area.”
Of course she knew, Jack thought. She works here.
“Someone from the lodge would have been more than glad to move it for you, Mr. Murphy.”
That sounded too weird. “Jack.”
“In fact—Jack—I’d be glad to take it over.”
She stuck out a hand. The light backlit Shana so she was all shape, no color.
“That’s okay. Want to check some things. I can do it.”
“Sure you can.”
Odd comment.
A taunt.
“Anything else you need help with tonight… Jack?”
“Nope. All good. Bonfire night, right?”
A pause, as if perhaps Shana too realized the absurdity of Jack going from cop to card player.
“Have fun, then. Good night.”
“You, too.”
The dark shape turned and walked away, not into the entrance hall but down a path to the side.
Jack unlocked the car and got in.
19. Dusk
Christie walked down the path leading to the lakeshore. Twilight, and Kate stood at the water’s edge, looking at the now-dark lake.
But it was her position that was interesting.
Only feet away from the lifeguard stand.
One lifeguard was still on duty with twilight bringing a gray and silvery look to the water, the yellow sand now turning dark as well.
The lifeguard, sixteen, maybe seventeen, bronzed by the summer, looked at his watch and jumped down to the sand.
Christie watched the next few moments with a mix of concern, fear, and fascination. Almost as if she was spying.
The lifeguard in a white polo shirt, collar up. Grabbing his backpack, he looked up and saw Kate.
Christie wanted to whisper, Move on… she’s only thirteen.
But she watched the boy grin, a nod in Kate’s direction, and then start up from the beach.
For a moment, Christie remembered what it was like to be young.
The boy walked past Christie, who hoped she wasn’t radiating an “I’m the mom” vibe.
Her motherly spying over, she continued down to the water.
* * *
Jack got out of the Explorer. The lot sat in the dark with only two tall lights at opposite corners of the sea of cars.
Guess they don’t want people going on any joyrides at night.
Standing there, he looked at those two lights, the small milky pools each made.
Near the light to the right, he saw the narrow roadway leading up.
The service road.
Jack wondered what the rest of this operation, this camp, was like.
He looked up.
Any security cameras here?
None that he could see, but it would make sense. Didn’t every public space have security cameras?
Whatever cameras they had here—if they had any at all—were well hidden.
He slammed the door and went to the back of the SUV.
The electronic key popped open the back.
Now empty, save for blankets, a map book. A New York State Atlas. The Mid-Atlantic Region.
