The Dark Stage: Wylie Westerhouse Book 2

by Nathan Roden

  “So you’re going back,” I said. “When?”

  “Tomorrow,” Q said. “Mid-afternoon.”

  There were a few moments of silence.

  “You’re not coming,” Q said. It was more of a statement than a question.

  “I called Skyler last night,” I said. “I tried to buy a little time—I hoped that I could postpone the whole thing, for just a little while.”

  “I’m guessing that didn’t work out,” Q said.

  I shook my head.

  “Not even close.”

  “You haven’t told Holly, have you?” Q asked.

  “No,” I said. “That’s why I came here first.”

  “You want me to tell her?” he asked.

  “No, no, no,” I said. “I’m not quite that chicken.”

  “You’re in a tough spot, that’s for sure,” Q said. “That deal would be hard to pass up. Maybe the better question is, if you let this pass by and you never get another chance at a music career—can you live with that?”

  “Or maybe the question is whether I can live with myself knowing that I wasn’t there for Holly when she needed me,” I said.

  “I can’t tell you what to do, Wylie,” Q said. “But I’ll support you, whatever you decide.”

  “Thanks, Q,” I said. “That’s why I’m here, I guess. I need a friend today.”

  “What about Nate?” Q said.

  “Yeah, I have Nate,” I said. “But his girlfriend isn’t speaking to him, so his opinion might not be the most unbiased right now.”

  “That’s tough,” Q said. “Seeing ghosts all of a sudden isn’t the easiest thing in the world to come to grips with.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Maybe so, but it shouldn’t be enough to drive two people apart—people who love each other.”

  “Who knows?” Q said. “What about Holly’s mother? Maybe some people just don’t have what it takes to cope with it.”

  I shook my head.

  “You know, every day that goes by, I see what Holly has been through,” I said. “I’m not sure this is a ‘gift’ because of all the problems that come with it; Like crazy people that will do anything to take it.”

  “Holly won’t ever be alone, Wylie,” Q said. “You don’t have to worry about that. My money and my crazy ideas have put me in the middle of this thing. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her parents back.”

  “I really appreciate that, Q,” I said.

  “When are you leaving?” Q asked.

  “I have to be there in the morning, so I’m driving up tonight,” I said.

  Q nodded.

  “Let me get dressed, and you can follow me to my mechanic’s garage. I’ve arranged to have him look your car over and make sure that it’s dependable. You can ride with me to the castle,” he said.

  “You don’t have to do that, Q,” I said.

  “Or we can just trade it in for a new one if you’d rather do that,” Q smirked.

  “You are not buying me a car,” I said.

  “Your car needs to be dependable,” Q said. “This isn’t just for you. I don’t want my phone ringing at three in the morning because you’re stranded on the side of the highway. And besides, I didn’t get you anything for your birthday.”

  “It’s not even close to being my birthday,” I said.

  “Yes, but when your birthday comes, don’t be surprised if you just get a card and a cupcake.”

  “I won’t,” I said. “I promise.”

  “Besides,” Q said. “When you get nominated for your first Grammy award, I expect to have a seat. At a table. And not in the nose-bleed section, either.”

  “Of course,” I said. “Maybe I should be writing this down.”

  “Oh, I won’t let you forget,” Q said. “And of course, I’ll need food and lodging—”

  “All first-class accommodations, for sure—” I said.

  “That goes without saying,” Q said. “First-class airfare, an ample number of cocktails—”

  “How many is ample?” I asked.

  “More than you would think.”

  “Maybe you should type up a list,” I said. “Have your secretary send it over to my people.”

  “You have people?”

  “We Pop Stars have to have people so that they can talk to other people’s people,” I said. “About stuff. And things.”

  “Well, everybody knows that,” Q said.

  Holly was talking to two of the new tour guides when Q and I arrived at the castle. I waved to her as I passed by the office. She smiled back at me. Her hair was still wet from a shower, and her skin had that unreal, healthy glow that has always impressed me. Tomorrow she would be back on another trans-continental flight— and dealing with the fact that I was not there.

  I saw Duncan in the hallway on his way to the main room on the first floor.

  “Hey, Bro,” I said.

  “Good morning,” he said, a little sheepishly.

  “You didn’t come home last night,” I said.

  “Yeah,” Duncan said. “We were up late. All the excitement about Holly’s parents—plus Mary and Fred wanted to sit in on Lord of the Rings. We’ve been trying to get them caught up without having to start over.”

  “So, Nora’s parents are cool with that? You staying over?” I said. I was trying to push his buttons a little.

  He looked a little surprised.

  “Uh, Wyles, it’s not like we can….you know…”

  I laughed and let him off the hook.

  “I know,” I said. “It was a joke.”

  “Storytime starts in a few minutes if you want to listen,” Duncan said.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Maybe for a little while. I have to talk to Holly pretty soon.”

  “She came back late last night,” Duncan said. “She looks awfully tired.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “She came to the house and told Nate and me about what happened in Scotland.”

  “What are you going to do?” Duncan asked.

  “I tried to talk to Skyler into postponing everything, but that’s not going to work.”

  “So you’re leaving?” Duncan asked.

  “I have to, Dunk,” I said. “I might never have another chance like this.”

  Duncan laid his hand on my heart.

  “Your talent is in here,” he said. “Skyler KwyK doesn’t own it, no matter how big a deal she is.”

  “Look, Duncan,” I said. “I already feel rotten about not being able to stay with Holly right now. But I’m twenty-three years old and I have a high school education. What does my future look like if I don’t take advantage of an opportunity like this?”

  “I’m just saying that there’s no reason to believe that this is your last chance,” Duncan said.

  “What about Mom and Dad?” I said. “What if Dad is never able to hold another job? What if Mom can’t afford to take care of both of them? What if they can’t pay the bills?”

  Duncan stared at the floor.

  “I don’t know, Wylie,” he said. “You would never have been able to see me if it wasn’t for Holly. This whole thing wasn’t an accident. You two should be together, but I don’t know how this is going to work.”

  “Neither do I,” I said. “But I do know that ‘Supportive Boyfriend’ is not a solid occupation to build a future on.”

  “But you’re doing really well, here, working for Mr. Lynchburg,” Duncan said. “He treats you like you were…like you were his son. And he’s rich.”

  “Look, Duncan,” I said. “Quentin doesn’t owe me anything. I’ve only known him for a few months, and he’s been good to me, but I can’t—”

  “You never got past that whole Dancing Monkey Day thing, did you?” Duncan said. “That’s why you don’t want anyone’s help.”

  “I have nothing against ‘help’,” I said. “I would certainly call what Skyler is doing ‘help’— in very large quantities.”

  “So what’s the diff—?” Duncan said.

  “There’s a big differe
nce,” I said. “Quentin would pay me a hundred dollars an hour to sweep the floors at Castle McIntyre, with no questions asked. But when it comes to my music career, if I don’t have the talent to perform in the studio and on the concert stage, then my career will be over. It’s all up to me. No questions and no excuses. And in spite of Skyler KwyK’s best intentions, she will shake my hand and say, ‘Sorry, Wylie. It just didn’t work out’.”

  “I wish you all the luck in the world,” Duncan said.

  “I know,” I said. “I’ll think about you every day, just like I always have.”

  “I won’t be able to read very well if I’m all crying and stuff,” Duncan said.

  I laughed in the middle of my own quick sob.

  “Don’t let me get in the middle of the Master Thespian and the Lord of the Rings,” I said.

  I said hello to the McIntyre family and the Atkins family and then sat down to listen to Duncan read. Charlotte sat next to Duncan and waited to turn the pages. Her little horse, Honey, tossed her head in the air and clip-clopped across the room. She disappeared through the wall and into the courtyard.

  Charlotte winked at her father, and then they both raised a fist into the air.

  “To Mordor!” they said in unison.

  Duncan looked at me and smiled. We raised our fists together.

  “To Mordor!” we shouted.

  I was quickly absorbed by the story. Duncan was a good narrator, and the McIntyres and Atkins were an engaged audience. My mind was eager to dive into the fantasy adventure—and avoid the tension of the real world. After about an hour, I saw Duncan motion with his thumb. Holly was passing by.

  I walked into the office. Holly had her back to the door as she leaned against the counter, watching the coffee maker finish its job. Quentin was not there. I saw him out of the side window, filling up bird feeders.

  “Good morning, Beautiful,” I said. She turned and smiled—a sleepy smile. The coffee maker gurgled its last, and Holly filled a large mug. I saw Quentin through the window and willed him to come inside. I’m a chicken.

  “You’re up. That’s good,” a voice from behind me said. It was Bruiser Brady, followed by Dougie Day and Delbert Scoggins. I wasn’t counting on having an audience.

  “Good morning,” Quentin said as he walked into the office, wiping his hands on a towel. Bruiser didn’t get out of the way in time. Quentin walked right through him.

  Holly grabbed Quentin’s arm. Quentin turned around and was face-to-face with Bruiser.

  “I’m sorry, Bruiser. I didn’t see you.”

  Bruiser shuddered.

  “I feel violated,” Bruiser said.

  “I said I’m sorry. It’s thirty minutes until we talk to the Finnegans,” Q said. “Have you remembered anything else that might be important?”

  “Just one thing,” Bruiser said. “This Wellmore feller is smart, and he sure ain’t afraid to push people around. He’s a dang good liar, too. You shoulda heard him tellin’ a straight-faced whopper to that taxi driver. Oh, yeah. He’s slicker than a New York lawyer. But one thing I forgot to mention was that we saw him nearly—well, a couple of times when he was by hisself, he started cryin’ and put his gun to his own head.”

  “And then he even put it in his mouth,” Delbert chimed in.

  I heard a quick, little sob. It was Holly. I stepped beside her and put my arm around her shoulder. This was just getting worse.

  I sat beside Holly. We held hands during the conference call with the Finnegan brothers. I felt her tremble again when Bruiser recounted his story for the Finnegans.

  Quentin confirmed the arrival times for his and Holly’s return to Scotland. He avoided any mention of me in the plans. Holly didn’t seem to notice.

  When the call was over, Quentin addressed Bruiser, Dougie, and Delbert.

  “You three are welcome to come back with us,” Q said. “Though it’s probably not necessary.”

  Dougie stepped forward.

  “Whaddya mean?” Dougie said. “We’re a team, here!”

  “Yeah,” Delbert said. “And we work pretty dang slick together if you ask me!”

  “And we ain’t got much else to do, anyway,” Dougie said. “We might as well do somethin’ good. Shoot, that’s the most exciting vacation I ever had.”

  “That’s the only vacation you ever had,” Bruiser said.

  “Well, yeah. That too,” Dougie said.

  “We’ll be ready tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Lynchburg,” Bruiser said. “We’re supposed to spend the rest of the day with Miss Arabella. She’s gonna be crossing over with the rest, you know.”

  “Yes,” Q said. “Perhaps the rest of you have a mission to fulfill here. It will be an honor to have you with us.”

  “Yeah, who knows how long we’ll be here?” Bruiser said. “Maybe we’re destined to become the greatest team of ‘Ghost Detectives’ that the world has ever known.”

  “That’s some ‘glass half-full’ thinking, right there,” Q said.

  “Huh?” Dougie said.

  “You’ll find Arabella in the main room, listening to Lord of the Rings,” I said.

  “Okay, thanks,” Bruiser said. “Maybe we’ll listen for a bit.”

  Quentin stood and looked at his watch again.

  “Well, I guess I should—” He stopped talking when he noticed me shaking my head discretely. Holly spoke before I had the chance to.

  “I can’t believe that they’ll be gone,” she said. “The McIntyres have been like my own family for almost as long as I can remember. Tomorrow I’ll have to say goodbye to them all—forever.”

  “I’ll miss them, too,” I said.

  “So will I,” Quentin said. “What a delightful family. And it would have been great to get to know Duncan better.”

  Holly sniffed.

  “We just have to be happy for them, and know that we’ll be together again one day,” Holly said. She turned to me.

  “You’ve never been to Europe before, have you?”

  “No,” I said.

  “The trip isn’t bad at all,” she said. “We’ve had the first class chairs—they’re very comfortable. You can even sleep in them.”

  I tried to swallow, but I couldn’t. I felt dizzy, and like I might be sick.

  “Wylie,” Holly said, grabbing my arm. “What’s wrong?”

  Thirty-Four

  Wylie Westerhouse

  Branson, Missouri

  I looked at Quentin, but he couldn’t look at me. The moment that I had been dreading had arrived, and I was on my own.

  “Holly,” I said. “I have to tell you something.”

  I saw her face change—as if she had been dealt one too many blows and might just fall over.

  “Something came up,” I said. “Like, in just the last few days—an opportunity that I could never have dreamed of. Some very successful and powerful people have offered to sponsor my music career.”

  Holly looked confused. I wasn’t sure if she knew what I was saying.

  “They had to have my decision immediately. Everything they want to do starts right away—but then we found out about your parents. I mean, the timing is rotten, right?” I said. “I called them and tried to explain, but they’ve already made plans—the wheels are already in motion. The music business machine is moving ahead—there was nothing I could do at that point. I—”

  Holly shook her head. She tried to hide her eyes from me. Quentin took a step toward her, but then he stopped. He looked as lost as I did.

  “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Wylie,” Holly said. “You have your own life to live. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I know I don’t owe you anything,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t do anything possible to be with you right now.”

  Holly didn’t say anything. She put a hand on the back of the chair in front of her.

  “When do you leave?” she asked without looking at me.

  “Tonight,” I said. “Late tonight. Look, I can cover
the tours today. I know you’d like to spend time with the McIntyres.”

  “No,” she said. “That’s okay. I’ll have to say goodbye to them tomorrow. Doing the tours will help me to keep my mind off of—everything.”

  She started toward the door without looking at me.

  “Holly—” I said.

  “Please, just go,” she said. “Does Duncan know?”

  “He knows,” I said. “But he doesn’t know that I have to leave today.”

  “I’ll send him in,” she said.

  I stared at the door after she closed it.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that,” I said to Q. “I’m a big baby. I didn’t want to be alone when I told her.”

  “I know it wasn’t easy,” Q said.

  “She’ll never forgive me,” I said.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Q said. “Who knows what is going to happen? If you walked away from this opportunity you might never forgive yourself, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

  “Thanks, Q,” I said. “That’s why it was important for me to have you here.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” he said.

  “Yes, you did,” I said.

  I followed Q outside. We filled up bird feeders, cleaned and filled birdbaths, and hosed down the mess that the birds made on their houses and everything else.

  “Hey, Wyles,” Duncan said.

  “Hey, Dunk,” I said. “Is the reading group on break?”

  “I guess so,” he said. “Holly says that you’re leaving today.”

  Quentin walked over and stood beside me.

  “Who are you talking to?” he asked.

  Something felt really strange.

  “It’s Duncan,” I said. “You can’t see him?”

  “Nope,” Quentin said. He held out his hand. “I need a recharge.”

  Quentin had been around Holly a lot more than I had lately. I grabbed his hand.

  “Hey,” Q said. “How you doin’, Spiderman?”