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Josh didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want to think about the guy’s ghost-white face and staring eyes. When he closed his eyes at night, it all came back like in a horror movie.
“Josh?” Nathan said gently.
“I’m okay.”
“Your mom says you aren’t sleeping too well, so I thought maybe it might help if we talked it over awhile.”
Uncomfortable, Josh moved to the control panel and flipped a switch. A thousand pinpoints of light turned on in the buildings and street lamps of the two villages on the table. He moved to another switch, and all three trains started moving smoothly down the tracks.
“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, too.”
His hand hovering over the rheostat controlling the speed, Josh stilled. “Really?”
“As a cop, I see people who’ve been hurt and people who’ve died. It’s never easy, even when you’re a grown-up. You remember those people for a very long time, and you feel sad for them. The first few times, it’s even scary—especially if you come up on something you didn’t expect to find.”
Josh bowed his head. “I knew he was dead. But then I thought about the movies—where some dead guy in a creepy old house suddenly leaps up to go after someone, and kills him. All I wanted to do was get away.”
“And then you hurt your ankle and couldn’t run.”
Hot tears burned beneath Josh’s lids and started slipping down his cheeks. “That was even scarier. Harold was barking like crazy, and it was really dark, and I wasn’t even sure which way to go home anymore.”
“But remember how he barked at the kids who teased you?”
Josh nodded.
“He would have fought off anyone who so much as laid a hand on you. You were completely safe with him there, Josh. I know you felt helpless and scared, but he never left your side until Sara came looking, and then he went to get her.”
Scrubbing furiously at his tears, Josh nodded again.
“When you think about that night, remember that a well-trained police dog was at your side and nothing could have hurt you. Except,” Nathan added with a smile, “that rock you tripped over.”
Josh’s trembling lips pressed together.
“I think you two were real heroes out there. Harold knew someone was in trouble, and you were brave enough to go after him without even a flashlight. If Earl had still been alive and needing medical help, you two might have saved his life.”
Josh felt the heat of embarrassment warm his cheeks. “I only went ’cause Harold did—I knew I had to get him back.”
“And that was a brave thing to do. You put that dog, and Sara’s love for him, above everything else.” Nathan extended his hand for a shake.
After a moment’s hesitation, Josh awkwardly stuck out his own hand in response.
“My office is just two blocks away, and my door is always open if you need to talk about what happened, okay? Or you can call me. Promise you’ll do that?”
“Promise.” Josh hadn’t heard anyone come down the basement stairs, but when Nathan turned to leave, Sara was standing by the bottom step.
Nathan must not have heard her, either, because he took a sharp breath and nearly tripped.
“I just came down to see how Josh was doing,” she murmured.
Nathan didn’t answer, which was weird because everyone knew the deputy was always polite, even when he was arresting someone. Instead, he just nodded at her, then disappeared up the stairs.
“Looks like you’re having quite a few visitors,” she said as she walked over and hugged Josh.
“Yeah.”
“How’s the ankle? Are you going to be up for trick-or-treating on Sunday?”
“You bet! By then I won’t even need the bandage.” She had the nicest smile, though she didn’t seem as happy as usual.
