Page 54 of Lovely Darkness

“Don’t you guys want to look around?”

“Haven’t you already looked around?” Nick asks.

“Sure,” Nathan says. “We’ve torn the place apart. But we didn’t find anything.”

“Well, what were you looking for?” Wendy asks.

“Tapes,” I say. “When I was a kid—well, all growing up, actually—Donovan did sessions with me and he taped them. I have those. But there are some missing. I listened to every single one a couple months ago when Adam first got back. McKay and I both did. And I didn’t notice it at the time, but there are gaps. At first, I thought maybe my memory wasn’t so great because… well, my memory has a tendency to take on a life of its own. So I went over them again and I’m positive that there are days missing.”

“What makes you so sure?” Nick asks.

“Because when Donovan came to interview me after a job, he did two interviews each time. One right when he arrived. Then another just before he left. It was a rare occasion that he left before doing a second interview. And his excuse was that he always had to get back to wherever he was at the time. School, or work, or whatever. I can count on two hands the number of times he did that over the years. Each instance is clear in my mind and I know what you’re gonna say.” I put a hand to hush up Nick’s objection. “You’re gonna say, ‘Your memory ain’t so great, Indie.’ And while that is true, I’ve double-checked them all with Nate.”

Nick looks to Nathan. Nathan nods. “She’s right. Some of the gaps are legit. But there are about a dozen that are missing.”

Nick isn’t convinced. He’s got a very wide suspicious streak running through him. But I can’t say I blame him. He’s Nick Tate. Nick says to Nathan, “What makes you the expert in Indie and Donovan tapes?”

Nate gets a little huffy at Nick’s tone. They’re having a little power struggle here. For as long as Nick has known Nathan, he’s been the boss, so to speak. But Nathan isn’t really the type of man who bows down. So he replies, “Because I’m the one who was really taking care of Indie all these years.” Then his eyes drift to Wendy’s in the rear-view mirror. “Same way you took care of Wendy.”

Well, this strikes a chord with Nick. Not sure if it’s a pleasant one, or a little bit off key, but doesn’t matter. Nick takes the hint and directs his gaze to Wendy.

But Wendy is looking at me. “What do you make of it?” she asks.

I shrug and give up the only answer that makes sense. “I think it was Carter. I think he did the exit interview, and then he took the tapes and hid them. I think they’re up there somewhere, but we can’t find them.”

“What if they’re not up there?” Nick looks at Nathan. “You told me you found his nest, right?”

“I did,” Nathan admits. “And I get it. He could’ve hid the tapes anywhere. But that place wasn’t his home. It really was just a nest filled with girls. I think—” He pauses. “We think he was living here.” Nathan nods to the old building.

Nick studies the place. “Did you ever ask the people in the print shop about him?”

“No. Every time I’m in town, that place is closed.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Wendy asks.

“Fresh eyes,” Nathan says. “Just look. That’s all.”

Wendy and Nick glance at each other and shrug. “Sure,” Wendy says. “We can do that.”

We get out of the truck and enter the stairwell through a door on the side of the old brick building.

“I hate the smell of this place,” Nathan says, going first up the stairs while we follow. “It’s like a mixture of ink, and old books, and mold.”

We all sniff the air and silently agree. It’s kinda gross.

I have the key so when we get to the top, Nathan steps aside and lets me open the door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - NICK

All the windows are closed so it’s dark, and musty, and hot enough to make me want to choke.

There is a large entry space with a couple large offices on either side, plus a couple smaller ones on either side of those. The entry space is set up like a living room with high-back leather chairs and a couch.

“I think he was doing therapy on himself in here,” Indie says.

I turn to look at her. “What’s that mean?”

She sighs. Like this whole day is making her tired. “I’m not really sure. But just before everything happened, he told me about it. And then he had me help him.”