The Marble Mask

Chapter 26

I’d just shut my suitcase when Willy Kunkle knocked on the open door and entered my motel room. Our blistered faces made us look like we’d spent too much time on the beach.

“Headin’ home?” he asked.

“Eventually. I’ve got to wrap up a few things with the brass in Waterbury, and I want to say hi to Gail in Montpelier. Feel like I haven’t seen her in months. But then I’ll head home. Be nice to take a few days off, turn something out in the woodworking shop. What’re you up to?”

He was wandering around the room, brushing his fingers along whatever surface was near. “I don’t know. Maybe goof around a little. Go over to New York State. Whatever.”

I straightened and looked at him. “I didn’t know you went in for sightseeing trips.”

He didn’t return my gaze. “Yeah, well… It’s Sammie’s deal.”

I smiled and turned away, pretending to fidget with the suitcase some more. “Sure-should be fun. I ought to get Gail off for a weekend soon. Give her a break.”

There was a long, awkward silence.

“I’m really glad she made it out alive,” I said softly.

He sighed and finally settled down on the edge of the window sill. “God, I was so scared…”

I didn’t speak, startled by an emotion I’d never before witnessed in Willy, and continued my fiddling.

He cleared his throat. “So… about this VBI job…”

“You want to stick with it?” I asked, looking up at last.

He gave a half shrug. “I doubt it’s up to me, and they strike me as a pretty snotty bunch.”

I picked up my bag and headed for the door. “You know how I feel about it, and you’re looking good in my report. You might be surprised-we may catch ’em at a weak moment.”

I paused on the threshold to look back at his silhouette, framed against the window’s white gauze curtains. His head was bowed as he stared at the floor, his one good arm stretched out, his palm resting on the sill. A complicated, difficult man, fighting more internal battles than any of us could know, except-maybe eventually-for Sammie, if she could stick it out. I was suddenly tempted to ask him what he was thinking about-to gain access to some of that turmoil. But I guessed what his reaction would be, so I resisted, closing the door instead to leave him with his thoughts.