The Bones She Buried

Thirty-Six

Josie slept fitfully in a vinyl chair next to Noah’s hospital bed. He woke a few times during the night, groggy and dazed. Each time she took his hand and spoke softly to him, assuring him that everything was fine, which felt like a lie. His mother had been murdered; her house had been burnt to the ground, and Josie and Noah had nearly perished in the fire. In his anesthesia-induced stupor, Noah accepted her words, giving her hand a squeeze before drifting back off to sleep. She studied his pale face with the dark circles beneath his eyes, her gaze traveling down to the IV feeding pain medication into the crook of his right arm and down to the long cast wrapped round his leg, elevated on pillows. He looked small somehow, as though the last couple of weeks had sapped something vital from him and shrunk him down.

By the time the daylight streamed through the large windows, every part of Josie’s body ached. Her eyes burned with fatigue, and her chest still felt heavy. The taste of soot and smoke coated the back of her throat. Noah’s chest rose and fell evenly. Josie went into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water, then sucked some of it down her throat, drinking directly from the faucet. There was a small tube of toothpaste along with several items in a small plastic yellow bin on one of the bathroom shelves. She used her index finger to rub some of it along her teeth.

She emerged to find Laura standing over Noah’s bed, holding one of his hands and stroking his hair, her giant belly pressed against the bedrail. She looked up when Josie came in. “You’re here.”

“I’ve been here all night,” Josie said, trying not to sound defensive.

“What the hell is going on, Josie?” Laura asked. Tears glistened in her eyes.

Before Josie could answer, Grady walked in with a cup carrier filled with four paper coffee cups, and sugar and creamer packets stuffed into the center. Immediately, he approached Josie, pecking her on the cheek and handing her a cup from the carrier. “I’m so sorry to hear what happened,” he said. “We’re so glad you two are okay.” He looked at Noah as he set the rest of the cups down on the tray table. “Well, not completely okay, but alive.”

Tears streamed down Laura’s face. “I can’t do this. Whatever this is, whatever’s happening, it needs to stop.”

“We’re trying to get to the bottom of it,” Josie assured her.

The coffee was a salve to Josie’s exhausted and frayed nerves. Grady encouraged her to fix it as she liked it, and she did, guzzling it down. The three of them talked about what had transpired the night before while they waited for Noah to wake. Laura was intermittently hysterical and stoic with Grady calmly managing her rollercoaster of emotions. Josie was relieved that he was there. He sat on the other side of Noah, sipping his own coffee and watching his wife pace before him.

“Laura,” Josie asked, once all their questions about the fire had been answered. “Do you remember your mother ever meeting with or keeping in touch with anyone from her Catholic elementary school?”

Laura stopped walking and pressed two fists against her lower back. “What? What do you mean?”

“Was there anyone that you remember your mother keeping in touch with from Catholic school? Specifically, a man.”

Laura shook her head. “I don’t think so. No. I don’t remember anyone.”

“Does the name Ivan mean anything to you?”

Her fists dug deeper into her sacrum, and a grimace spread across her face. “Who?”

“Ivan,” Josie said. “Do you know anyone named Ivan? Did your mother know anyone named Ivan?”

“No, I don’t think so. I definitely don’t know anyone by that name. Why?”

“It was a name that came up when we spoke to your father,” Josie said. “We’re trying to figure out the significance.”

“You talked to our father? Does Noah know?”

“Yes, I talked to him about it.”

“And he was okay with it? That’s hard to imagine.” It sounded like an accusation.

Josie kept her voice even. “He had to be interviewed as part of the investigation. It’s pretty standard stuff.”

Laura opened her mouth to snap back, but the sound of Noah groaning stopped her. All three of their heads turned to stare at him. His eyelids fluttered open. He looked around slowly, blinking away his fatigue. “What the hell happened?” he croaked.

Josie was at one side of his bed, Laura on the other, both of them talking at once. He held up a hand to indicate for them to stop. He looked at Josie. “Are you okay?”

She smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“How bad is my leg?”

“It was a clean break but displaced. They had to do surgery to realign it, but you’ll make a full recovery. The doctors don’t anticipate you having any problems with it once it heals.”

“But you’re going to have to stay off it for a while,” Laura told him. She shot a glance at Josie. “I’m his next of kin. I spoke with the doctor before I came in.”

Josie said nothing.

“It hurts like hell,” Noah said.

“I’ll ask if they can give you more pain medication,” Josie said.

Laura said, “They’re going to discharge you tomorrow. I think you should come home with me and Grady.”

“What?” Josie blurted.

“I’m fine,” Noah said. “I just need some crutches.”

“You need care,” Laura said.

“I’m fine,” Noah repeated.

“And yet you’re here in the hospital with a broken leg after barely escaping a fire,” she pointed out. “You’re not fine. I don’t know what the hell is going on in this town, but I think you need to get out of here for a while. You’re under enough stress as it is. You need a support system.”

But Noah was already dozing off again. Josie bit back the words itching to burst from her mouth. Starting a war with Noah’s sister was the last thing any of them needed. Plus, as much as Josie hated to admit it and hated the thought of being separated from Noah even more, Laura was right. He would be safer two hours away with her and Grady.

Laura squeezed Noah’s forearm until his eyes sprung open again. “Baby brother,” she said. “Promise you’ll come home with me.”

He looked at her and then his head lolled to the other side, his eyes meeting Josie’s. She managed a tight smile.

Laura pressed on. “Do you know anyone named Ivan?”

“What?” Josie said.

Laura ignored her, leaning down into Noah’s face. “Josie was asking about someone named Ivan. She thinks our mother was somehow involved with someone named Ivan when we were kids.”

“What are you talking about?” Noah asked, his eyes clouded with fatigue and confusion. He turned back to Josie again. “Who is Ivan?”

Josie folded her arms across her chest. “Just someone your dad mentioned. He said he saw your mom with a man the day you broke your nose. Your mom said the guy’s name was Ivan, and they went to school together. We’re are running it down as a potential lead.”

Laura laughed. “So every person my mother ever talked to now is a potential killer? I’m sorry I brought it up. Noah, you don’t remember anyone named Ivan, do you?”

Josie wondered why she had brought it up. She seemed determined to drive a wedge between her and Noah, but Josie couldn’t fathom why. Colette hadn’t warmed to Josie, but she had never actively tried to keep them apart.

Noah still looked stunned, but he shook his head. “No, I’ve never heard of anyone named Ivan. Don’t remember Mom having any male friends by that name.” He closed his eyes but kept talking, his voice raspy with exhaustion and pain. “Josie, you can’t believe anything my dad says. He’s a liar.”

“We don’t need to talk about this now,” Josie pointed out.

“I don’t want to talk about it ever,” Noah said. “Please. You knew where I stood with my dad, and you went to see him anyway.”

“Noah,” Josie said. “I was doing my job. I don’t think you’re thinking clearly right now. You’ve been through a lot.”

“I need some time,” Noah mumbled. “Time alone.”

“Time alone?” Josie echoed, cheeks stinging with heat. “What are you—what are you saying?” She couldn’t help but wonder if he meant time away from her. Temporarily, or permanently, asked a quiet voice in the back of her head. Had the rift between them really grown that large?

“Yes,” Laura interjected. “I think time alone is exactly what you need.” She looked pointedly at Josie. “Time away from all of this drama, all of these ridiculous questions.”

Josie was certain Laura really meant time away from her. “Well,” Josie said to Laura. “He doesn’t need to answer any questions right now. He just needs to rest and heal.”

Laura crossed her arms over her belly. “He can do that with us, right Grady?” She looked beyond Josie to her husband.

Grady’s expression was pinched as he stood up and clapped his hands together. “Uh, sure,” he said. “Noah’s always welcome.” He offered Josie a tight smile. “And you can come by anytime to see him.”

“Grady,” Laura snapped. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“What?” Josie asked.

Laura pointed a finger at Josie. “Every time you’re around, something dreadful happens. I’m just trying to protect my baby brother. I think you two need a break from one another.”

“I don’t—” Josie was at a loss for words. Well, there were many words she wanted to say to Laura in that moment, but she didn’t want to upset Noah or cause him any more stress. The strain on him already was beyond what she could bear to see him endure. Even if she wasn’t welcome at Laura and Grady’s home, Noah staying there would put him out of harm’s way, and that was what mattered most.

She looked down at Noah’s face. “Is this what you want?” she asked softly.

His gaze flitted to his sister and then back to Josie before he nodded and closed his eyes.

“Okay,” Josie muttered, willing tears not to form in her eyes. “Go with Laura and Grady. I’ll work with Mettner and Gretchen to make this right.”