Discord's Apple

The stranger glanced at her, then at Alex again, then marched down the porch and across the gravel drive in her high heels without wobbling once.

Falling silent at last, Mab turned and licked Evie’s face.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled absently, ineffectively trying to push Mab away.

“Are you?” It was Alex, leaning against the wall on the other side of the door. They looked at each other across the threshold.

“Yeah.” Mab eyed him warily, but didn’t growl. Evie thought that a point in his favor. “Who was that? Who are you?”

They had known each other. She hadn’t understood them, but their words had held a tone of ritual and familiarity.

He shook his head absently, more a gesture of denial than of ignorance. “I thought she was dead. Years ago. She should be dead.”

“Who is she? What’s she doing here?”

“Same as me, evidently. Looking for something.”

“For what?”

“Don’t know. Could be anything.” He let out a tired sigh. A sheen of sweat dampened his brow.

“Who are you?”

Smiling, he looked away. “A traveler.”

She didn’t know whether to invite him in for coffee to coax the whole story out of him, or slap him for being so cryptic. “Why are you spying on us? You were watching the house, weren’t you?”

A car pulled into the driveway, kicking up gravel. It wasn’t her father’s pickup, but the passenger door opened and Frank started to climb out. The driver—one of Frank’s friends, Pete Losasso from the hardware store—rushed to the passenger side to help him. He took her father’s arm.

Frank brushed him away, but he leaned on the door. “I’m fine.” Her father’s voice carried across the driveway. Then, “Thanks for the ride, Pete. I’ll get the truck back tomorrow.”

Pete stood by the car, watching until Frank reached the porch. He was limping.

Evie stood, keeping her hand on Mab’s back. What had happened? Alex stood with her, his brow furrowed.

“He’s sick, isn’t he?” he asked softly.

Her father didn’t seem to notice Alex until he came to lean on the railing of the porch steps. At that point, he stared hard at Alex, glanced questioningly at Evie, then turned and waved to Pete, who took the cue to drive away.

“Dad, you okay?”

He glared, a silent reprimand for even asking the question, then nodded at Alex. “Is this guy bothering you?”

“No.” Far from it. She had a feeling he’d saved her from something. But she didn’t tell her father about the woman, about what had brought Alex here. She didn’t want him to worry.

Her father said to Alex, “I told you, there’s nothing here for you.”

“A man can hope.” He gave Evie a look that made her blush. “I won’t trouble you again, Mr. Walker.” He turned his collar up, nodded a farewell to Evie, and walked off the porch, his hands shoved in his coat pockets. She almost ran after him. She had more questions, like what had he been looking for in the Storeroom?

She said, “So that guy’s been here before?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure he’s harmless. Just . . . desperate.”

“About what?”

“Couldn’t say.”

“What’s going on?” She was surprised at how angry she sounded. “This all has to do with the basement, and I don’t understand—and don’t tell me I will!”