Bayview Heights Trilogy (49 page)

When they were all seated, Lacey asked
immediately, “How did he get hurt? What’s his injury?”

“The infirmary director said he’d been
slashed with a razor blade.”

She flinched. “Is it bad?”

“Well, it’s worse than it should be.” Mitch
caught Seth’s eye and something telegraphed between them. Seth
reached out for her hand and held it. “It’s a unique kind of
weapon, Lacey,” Mitch told her. Again he glanced at Seth, then back
to her. “Are you sure you want to hear the details?”

“Yes!” He still looked unsure. “Mitch,
please, I have to know the extent of what happened.”

“He was hurt with a homemade weapon. It’s
made by splitting a razor blade in two, heating up the end of a
toothbrush and inserting the blades into the soft plastic, both
halves facing out the same way. When the plastic cools, you have a
double-edged weapon that makes two slashes. Deep ones that can’t be
stitched because the wounds are so close together.”

“Why would anyone make a weapon like
that?”

He hesitated.

“Tell me, Mitch.”

“It leaves an ugly scar.”

Lacey covered her mouth with her hand.

“Where did they slash him?” Seth asked.

“On the arm. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s
in stable condition.”

Lacey willed back the tears. “Does Grandpa
know?”

“No. Barker infirmary officials called me
when they couldn’t reach you.”

“Why didn’t they call Philip?” Seth
asked.

Mitch looked at Seth again, but returned his
gaze to Lacey. “Apparently, Kevin was coherent enough to tell them
to track you down and not your grandfather. When he told medical
personnel about Philip’s heart condition, they were sympathetic.”
Mitch stared at her before he finished. “A few weeks ago, I did
some checking on your brother, Lacey. I know a couple of people at
Barker from my years in New York City. So, when they couldn’t reach
you, they called me.”

“How’d you know where to find her?”

Mitch shrugged, uncomfortable. “Cassie and I
were in town today and saw you leave the paper together.” His face
reddened. “I guessed you’d be here after I had Cassie call Philip’s
house and he said you weren’t there.”

“I’ve got to see Kevin.”

Mitch nodded. “Cassie knew you’d say that. I
talked to the warden. They’ll let you see him tonight.”

“Where’s my purse?” Lacey asked Seth. “I need
my car keys.”

Mitch said, “I’ll drive you up.”

“And leave Cassie alone for hours?” Lacey
shook her head. “No, she’s only a month away from delivery. It’s a
two-hour drive each way. I’d never forgive myself if something
happened while you were with me. Thanks anyway, Mitch.” Lacey stood
and impulsively gave him a hug. “And thanks for doing all this for
me.” When he still scowled, she said, “I’ll be fine.”

Seth stood, too. “Yes, you
will
be
fine. Because I’ll go with you. We’ll take my Blazer. It does
better in the snow than your Honda.”

Briefly, Lacey thought about objecting. She’d
done everything on her own for years. And God knew there was reason
for Seth, of all people, not to accompany her. But staring into his
troubled blue eyes, looking at the concerned expression on his
face, she knew there was no one else she’d rather be with. “I’d
like you to drive up with me, Seth. It would mean a lot.”

“Good, because I wouldn’t have it any other
way.” He turned to Mitch. “Thanks for pulling these strings, buddy.
I owe you one.”

Mitch studied Seth for a moment—a quizzical
look on his face. But he let the personal remark go. “Just call us
after you’ve seen Kevin. No matter what time it is.”

“All right.”

After Mitch left, Seth drew Lacey into his
arms and his lips grazed her hair. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, but cuddled close to him for a
minute.

“You don’t have to hold back with me,
Lace.”

“I know. It’s just that I’ve got to keep it
together until I see Kevin.”

Reaching for her coat, he said, “Then let’s
go.”

o0o

AT NINE O’CLOCK, Kevin saw Lacey come into
the ward. She was blurry because he was lookin’ at her through one
eye that only opened halfway; the other was swollen shut. He lay on
a narrow bed that had a lumpy mattress. The lights were too dim and
the whole ward smelled like piss. He tracked Lacey as she crossed
to him after the fag orderly pointed his way.

She smiled down at him, but her eyes were
worried. Kevin had lost count of the number of times he’d put that
look there. “Hi, honey,” she said softly. “You all right?”

“It hurts like hell.” His words were slurred
by his fat hp. “Those bastards,” he added, letting out a string of
obscenities. “They cut me up bad.”

The color drained out of Lacey’s face. Dimly,
Kevin realized he should go easy on his sister, but it was hard
because of the freakin’ pain. Besides, Lacey had always been
strong. She could handle anything.

Slowly she sat down next to the bed, eased
off her coat then took his hand. It felt good, even though his
knuckles were scraped. “How did this happen, Kev?’’

“It wasn’t my fault.”

Doubt flickered over Lacey’s face and it made
him mad. “You don’t believe me, just like Taylor didn’t believe me
about Bosco.” Lacey didn’t answer. “All right. I did hit Bosco. But
I didn’t do anything wrong today. I been workin’ in the laundry.
These two jerks, Brazil and Black Eyes, been fightin’ over who’s
gonna be the main importer.” At Lacey’s blank look, he said, “Just
stuff like cigarettes and food.”
And razor blades and a
shitload of weed
.

“Anyway, they made all the laundry guys
choose sides. I went with Black Eyes ‘cause he’s got more bro in
his corner.” Kevin closed his eyes, remembering the terror of being
trapped when he went to the storeroom to get towels. “I was afraid,
Lace,” he told his sister. But he remembered knowing he could never
show the fear. “
You hurt me and Black Eyes is gonna come after
you
,” he’d warned the two guys who’d pounced on him. No need
to tell Lacey about that little display of power. It hadn’t worked,
anyway.

“I’m so sorry, honey.”

Kevin felt his insides twist at her hurt
tone. “Grandpa know?”

“No. I’ll tell him when I get home. I just
wanted to see for myself that you were all right.”

Kevin yawned and his eyes grew heavy. They’d
shot him up with something just before Lacey arrived and it must be
kickin’ in. “Tell him I’m all right.” He looked up at her. “You
gonna be okay to drive back?”

“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “Don’t worry
about me.”

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes closing. He
wouldn’t worry about Lacey. She could take care of herself.

o0o

LACEY MADE IT out to the foyer area before
she burst into tears. And Seth was there to hold her when the flood
finally broke loose. Turning his back to Cramden, who watched them
with the leering eyes, Seth hugged her to him. “It’s all right,
love. Go ahead and cry.”

And she did. Lacey wept from the pain of
seeing Kevin hurt in a place like this and from real fear for her
brother. He could have been killed with that vicious weapon. She
was also drained from the tension of the two-hour drive up, and the
anxiety of wondering what effect this whole incident would have on
her grandfather’s health.

So she held on tight to Seth, who’d been a
rock through the interminable car ride, and whose body gave her
strength just by its nearness.

After she settled down, she drew back and
peered up at him with watery eyes. “Sorry.”

He took out a handkerchief and dried her
cheeks. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart.”

She looked around the waiting area of Hope
Hall. The infirmary was only slightly less dismal than the other
prison buildings. There were still bars on the windows and a bored
guard at the desk. She brought her gaze back to Seth. “This isn’t
your problem, Seth.”

His face told her exactly what he was
thinking.
Isn’t it?

In that instant, Lacey realized she truly
didn’t blame Seth for what had happened to Kevin. Her brother had
admitted hitting Bosco. Kevin’s cocky attitude, his supposition
that he could do anything he wanted with impunity had landed him in
Barker Island and probably gotten him into trouble inside the
place. Kevin hadn’t been able to control his behavior—even with
medical help. His situation was tragic, but it was definitely not
Seth’s fault. Lacey glanced over her shoulder at the guard. “Let’s
call Cassie and Mitch from the cell phone in the car. Then I want
to talk to you.”

Ten minutes later, they settled into Seth’s
Blazer. The car warmed up as Lacey called the Lansings, for the
second time that evening, to fill them in on Kevin’s condition.
Earlier, on the drive up, she’d phoned to alert them that she was
going to call Philip and tell him she was sharing a late supper
with them. That way, she could say she’d been at their house when
she’d been notified about Kevin, and that Mitch had driven her
up.

She could never tell Philip the truth—that
Seth Taylor had accompanied her to Barker Island.

Now, looking at the man toward whom Philip
had directed all his anger, she said, “I need to tell you
something.”

He grasped the steering wheel as if bracing
himself for a blow.

“I don’t blame you for Kevin’s being injured,
or for the fact that he’s in prison.”

He held her gaze for a minute, then stared
past her. “Thank you for that. But I’m not sure you shouldn’t.”

Prying one of his hands from the steering
wheel, she held his warm palm between the two of hers. “It’s time
to stop blaming yourself. Now. Kevin told me what he did to worsen
his situation. It’s the same thing he’s done his whole life.” Lacey
drew a deep breath. “Seth, Kevin told me tonight that he
did
attack Bosco all those years ago.”

“What?”

“He admitted it. So you see, it reinforces
what I’m trying to tell you. Kevin does exactly what he wants
without thinking. He carelessly makes people angry, then rubs their
faces in it.” She sighed heavily and looked out at the prison
jutting into the sky before her. “You know. I’m not sure it’s
possible to change him. This place is only making it worse, but all
the best psychiatrists in the world couldn’t keep him out of
here.”

“Lace…”

Her eyes filled. “I’m not sure he’s ever
going to change, Seth. No one’s been able to do it. All those years
ago, you couldn’t either. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Maybe. But I wish I could have helped your
brother. And I hate seeing you go through this.”

“Holding me right now would help.” She
couldn’t still the quavering of her own voice.

Gently he drew her into his arms. He was so
solid, so warm and so safe. Just hours ago, swept away by passion,
she’d wanted to burrow into his chest and touch him as a woman
touches a man. Now, she took comfort from him that had nothing to
do with sexual attraction, with his physical appeal. And this
reaction was even more potent than the first.

o0o

EIGHTEEN HOURS LATER, Lacey drove back from
Barker Island Prison once again—this time with Philip alongside
her. He sat as still as death in the front of the Honda, his head
thrown back on the seat, his color alarmingly pale.

Outside, the snow fell in big fat flakes, so
she kept the windshield wipers on; they beat a soothing rhythm as
she covered the miles to Bayview Heights. She’d turned off the
radio when it began playing the melancholy notes of “I’ll Be Home
for Christmas.”

“Are you all right, Grandpa?”

He grunted, then ran a hand over his face.
“He’s hurting bad.” Philip’s strong vibrant voice was hushed with
sorrow.

“I know.”

“How can they have done this to my boy?”

For a minute, Lacey wanted to tell him that
“his boy” had more than likely provoked the inmates with his cocky
attitude. She didn’t say it, of course, and was ashamed of her
unkind thoughts.

“There’s no rhyme nor reason in a place like
that. Don’t waste your energy trying to figure it out.”

He was silent, staring into the blackness of
a winter Sunday night. Then he said, “Who did you come up here with
last night?”

Lacey swallowed hard. She’d stuck to her
story when she’d gotten home at midnight and went through the
hellish experience of telling Philip that Kevin had been wounded.
She knew he’d been so upset he barely heard the details.

“I told you last night, Mitch Lansing drove
me.

From the corner of her eye. Lacey could see
Philip scrutinizing her. Keeping her hands on the steering wheel,
she willed her body not to tense. Lying had never come easily to
her. After a long silence, Philip said, “The guard—the one Kevin
hates—told Kevin he saw you falling all over some guy in the
waiting area of the infirmary.”

Taking in a breath, Lacey said, “I...um...was
crying.”

And Seth held me, and calmed me and—did
the impossible—made me feel better.

“Isn’t this Lansing guy married to your
friend Cassie?”‘

“Yes, and they’re expecting a baby. It was
just platonic comfort, Grandpa.”

“Cramden said it looked like you two were
ready to—” Philip broke off. “Well. I don’t need to repeat the
words, you get the picture.”

“Cramden was wrong. I guess.”

Philip didn’t ask any more questions but
Lacey was afraid she hadn’t convinced him. The deceit gnawed at
her, but what was the alternative? To confess,
I was with your
worst enemy, Grandpa. No telling what would have happened if Mitch
hadn’t interrupted us at Seth’s house earlier. And later, when we
got back from the prison, his goodbye kiss—which he meant only to
give solace—was more passionate and arousing than anything I’ve
ever felt in my life.

Thankfully there was no conversation for the
rest of the trip, and she and Philip arrived home by eight
o’clock.