Outnumbered

by Shay Savage

  “Different? How so?”

  “I didn’t understand it all at first,” I say. “Initially, she was just Seri. She was perfectly normal and liked learning how to cook on the fire and playing with Solo.”

  “Solo?”

  “Oh, uh…I have a cat.”

  “You have a cat?” Margot’s eyes go wide. She reaches over and grabs me by the chin. “Are you sure you’re Bishop Harp?”

  “Stop that.” I pull away from her. “He’s just a kitten. Found him in the barn.”

  “Uh huh.” She grins. “You have to admit, this whole conversation is very un-Bishop-like. In fact, this may prove to be the longest conversation we have ever had.”

  “Will you just listen? The cat’s not important right now!”

  “All right, all right! Tell me what you want to say.”

  “It took me a while to figure it out,” I say. “The thing is, Seri…she’s…she’s not just Seri.”

  “Bishop, I’m trying to understand, but you aren’t making much sense.”

  “I know I’m not.” I sigh and rub my fingers into my temples as I attempt to find the right words. “It’s not just Seri. It’s her sister, Iris.”

  “You’ve got two women in your cabin?”

  “Netti, too. She’s kind of the go-between for the other two.”

  “Three women? The man who wants to live in nearly complete isolation to the point of forbidding me to come to see him now has three women living with him?”

  “Not really.”

  “For goodness’ sake, Bishop! Tell me what the hell you’re trying to say!”

  “There’s only one body,” I finally say, “but there are three women inside of her.”

  Margot’s brow furrows as she stares at me in silence. She turns and leans against the door as she stares at me for another full minute before she speaks again.

  “She has multiple personalities?”

  “Yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s it.”

  “I’ve read about that. They call it dissociative identity disorder now. Some people say it doesn’t really exist.”

  “I would beg to differ.”

  “How do you even know who you are talking to?” Margot asks.

  “I didn’t at first,” I say. “I’m starting to figure it out. They’re all pretty different, really. Seri is very sweet and kind. Netti is always calm and controlled, and Iris…well, Iris cusses a lot.”

  Margot shakes her head slowly as she looks away from me for a minute. When she looks back, her eyes are serious.

  “Bishop, if she’s got multiple personalities, that must mean she is really, really messed up. Are you sure you want to be involved in all of this?”

  “I promised to protect her.”

  Margot’s eyes widen.

  “You really care about her.”

  “Yeah,” I say quietly, “I do.”

  Margot takes a couple of deep breaths before she sits up straighter and turns toward me.

  “What do you need me to do?” she asks as she gives me a tight-lipped smile.

  “Can you look and see what you can find out about her? Serenity McGuire or maybe Iris McGuire. See what you can find out about either of them.”

  “I’ll try,” Margot says. “It might take some time. How do you want me to contact you?”

  “I can try to get back here in a few days,” I say. “I guess if you find something, you could come out to the cabin, if you can make it.”

  My stomach tightens at the thought. I guess getting used to Seri being there isn’t the same as inviting Margot.

  “I can do that.” Margot focuses her dark eyes on me, then reaches up and pushes my hair off of my forehead. “Be careful, Bishop. This all sounds just a little too bizarre.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” I mutter.

  “My offer still stands,” she says. “If you need to come back to my place, you can. I’m not trying to make more of it than it is, either—just a friend offering to help.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be all right.” I give her a half smile. “Want me to drop you off at home? Or I could take you to the lodge—whatever you want.”

  “No, that’s okay.” Margot nods toward the house at the end of the street as she opens the door. “I was on my way to see Mom.”

  “Okay.” I nod slowly and then look back at her. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” she says. “You may not like what I find.”

  “I appreciate it anyway.”

  Margot gets out of the Jeep and stands there with the door open, staring at me with her dark eyes.

  “You seem to have hooked yourself quite a fish there, Bishop,” she says. “I hope you can land it.”

  “Cute,” I mutter. “Always a fishing metaphor.”

  “It’s a talent.” She smiles and starts to shut the door.

  “Margot?”

  “Yes?”

  “I…I like her. I really like her. I don’t care that she’s a bit fucked up.”

  “You can’t help who you love.” She grins at me. “Leave it to you to find someone more broken than yourself.”

  Chapter 20

  The medicine works. The next day, Seri has her color back and is able to keep down fluids but spends the day in bed while I haul the metal basin from the bathroom to the fire to do some laundry. Washing clothes by hand takes most of the day, and every surface ends up covered with drying shirts, pants, underwear, and socks. I hope the humidity will help Seri breathe easier through the night. It’s very dry inside the cabin.

  The following morning, Seri is much better and ready to try some solid food. I chop up a few potatoes to cook over the fire, figuring bland food is a good place to start. If she keeps that down, I can always make something more substantial.

  “How are you doing?” I ask after she takes a few bites.

  “Okay, I think. My stomach is still sore, but I don’t feel like I’m going to puke, so that’s a plus.”

  “Yeah, I’d say so.”

  “So how did I get this parasite?” she asks.

  “From the marsh water, I guess. Amanda said it was pretty common.”

  “Is that the woman who was here? I barely remember seeing her.”

  “Yeah, she’s a nurse.”

  “Is she the one who cuts your hair?”

  “That’s her.”

  “I’m kind of surprised you brought someone here,” she says. “I thought you didn’t like visitors.”

  “I don’t. It was the only way to make sure you got the medicine.”

  She looks at me with a small smile on her face.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” she says. “I was thinking about one summer when I got food poisoning from one of those food carts near the beach. Bad clams. It’s the only thing that even comes close to how I felt yesterday.”

  “You should finish those electrolyte drinks,” I say. “You lost a lot of fluids.”

  “Ugh. Don’t remind me. I was terrified you were going to go into the bathroom after me and…well…”

  “TMI?”

  “Yeah, very much TMI.”

  I head to the kitchen for the electrolytes. I also reach up and grab a bottle of vitamins from the cupboard.

  “I did go in,” I tell her. “It’s not like I had any other place to pee. And yeah, it was bad. Really bad. Solo didn’t even want to go in there.”

  “Very funny!” She scowls at me.

  “I’m serious! He tiptoed up to the door, took one whiff and ran away, rubbing at his nose!”

  “He did not!” Seri laughs and then holds her stomach. “Ow! Don’t make me laugh anymore.”

  “Sorry.” I can’t stop smiling. I hand her the bottle and one of the vitamins.

  “What’s this?”

  “A vitamin. Help you get some nutrients back, too.”

  “Is this a cartoon character?” She holds the vitamin up between two fingers, squishing it slightly and laughing. “It’s a gummy!”

  “Sh
ut it,” I say with a grumble. “I can’t swallow those big pills.”

  She covers her mouth with her hand but can’t stop laughing.

  “What is so funny?”

  “It’s just…you’re this big, rugged mountain man living in the middle of nowhere, and you eat gummy vitamins.”

  “The orange ones are the best.” I grin.

  “Do they taste different?”

  “No, but they’re shaped like bunnies.”

  “Very funny!” She scowls at me and then smiles again.

  “You do seem like you are feeling better.”

  “I am,” she says. “I should probably get in there and clean the bathroom.”

  “Already did it.”

  “You did?” She covers her face with her hands. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry!”

  “It’s all right,” I say. “Really. You were just sick. Everyone gets sick sometimes.”

  “So who takes care of you when you get sick?”

  “Well, I never get sick.” I grin and twirl the hair on the side of my head. “Those bunnies keep me nice and healthy.”

  “Jerk!” Seri snickers, then winces as she holds her stomach. “Stop making me laugh!”

  I hold up my hands in surrender and take a seat beside her on the rug.

  “Actually,” I say, “being alone has its advantages. When you aren’t around people, you can’t catch what they have. The last time I was sick was a couple of summers ago. Caught something from Margot when I stopped in at the lodge for some fishing supplies. I’ve never been sick during the winter here.”

  “Did you see her when you went into Whatì?” Seri asks.

  “Um…” I swallow, not sure if I should divulge that information but then realize my hesitation answered the question. Seri raises an eyebrow at me, and I have to say something. “Yeah, I did. Briefly.”

  “How is she?” Seri’s tone has changed, and she’s not longer making eye contact.

  “She’s good. She was on her way to see her mother.”

  “That’s nice.” Seri reaches over and picks Solo up from his box where he’s been sleeping. He startles, meows, and resists her attention for a minute, then starts licking potato off her fingers.

  She’s jealous, and I consider calling her out on it but decide not to do so. The conversation has lead me in a good direction to ask her about the men I saw in town, and now is as good a time as any.

  “I saw someone else while I was at the clinic.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know his name, but a guy was there looking for you. Two guys, actually. One was driving.”

  “For me?” She stares at the cat and doesn’t make eye contact with me. “What did he look like?”

  “A little shorter than me. Dark curly hair and a beard. He had your picture. I didn’t get a good look at the driver.”

  “Did you talk to him?”

  “Briefly.”

  “What did you say?” I see her throat bob as she swallows.

  “I told him I saw you at the gas station,” I say. “I didn’t tell him you were here.”

  “What would they want with me?” Seri releases the cat and reaches for her drink.

  “You tell me.” I stare at her, and she finally looks up at me.

  “I have no idea.”

  She’s lying to me.

  Seri suddenly jumps up and heads to the bathroom, and I give her a worried look.

  “I just have to pee,” she says with a blush. “All these fluids are catching up, I think.”

  “That’s a good thing.”

  “I guess so.”

  Solo meows at the door, demanding Seri come back out.

  Seri’s reaction is alarming. This isn’t the same as when she hasn’t been aware of something Iris has done. She knows exactly who I’m talking about, and she’s denying any knowledge. I’m hesitant to call her out on lying. The very idea of confronting her makes my head hurt, and I’m not sure if she will be any more willing to give me a straight answer if I did call her a liar. I might be better off talking to Iris.

  Iris asked me for protection, and I think I’ll have better luck demanding information from her, but I don’t know how to summon her. I’m pretty sure she will be able to identify him if I tell her what he looks like. Netti may have information as well, and I find it easier to get information from her than either Seri or Iris.

  So how do I get one of them to come out?

  Netti comes around when Seri is scared. I suppose I could try to scare her, but I’m not sure I’d know how. Anything that comes to mind seems more cruel than frightening. Iris just shows up when I least expect it. I have no idea how to draw her out.

  Seri comes back, still red-faced and scolding the cat for being so needy. She picks him up and cuddles him as he continues to fuss. She consoles him with some chopped up bits of caribou, and he seems to be appeased. She feeds him and plays with him for a bit, then tilts her head to the side as if she’s trying to appear casual.

  “Is this place on a map?” she asks.

  “Why do you ask?” I already know the answer, but I’m interested in what she’ll say.

  “Just curious.”

  “No, it’s not.” I sigh. “The guy looking for you isn’t going to find this place by looking up my address.”

  Seri looks at the floor. Since she’s brought it up, I’m more willing to push the issue.

  “Are you going to tell me the truth now?” I ask her.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about you start with telling me who he is.”

  “I’m not sure,” she says, “not exactly. I’m pretty sure he’s one of the guys Iris was involved with, but I don’t know what he wants with me.”

  “You think he’s the one who…who killed her?”

  She nods.

  This definitely explains why Iris would be afraid. If he’s the one who killed her, of course she’s going to be afraid of him and want protection.

  I squeeze my eyes shut for a second and shake my head, sorting through my own, ridiculous thoughts. Dead people can’t be afraid of the person who killed them, so what really happened? The information I have is too broad, so I try to narrow my focus with more precise questions.

  “How long has he been following you?”

  “I first saw him in Montana. That’s why I left there.”

  “Did you know who he was?”

  “I recognized him.”

  “How?” I ask. “Did you meet him through Iris?”

  “No.” She shakes her head. “I hadn’t met him before. She wasn’t with him until after…after she left for college.”

  She bites down on her lip. Something about what she said isn’t right, but I’m not sure why. I can hear an odd, distant tone in her voice. It’s not quite like Netti, but it’s close.

  “So, how did you know who he was?”

  “From the news reports, I guess,” she says. “After Iris washed up on the river bank, there was some news coverage.”

  “Did the police ask you about him?”

  “No, not me. I think they asked my parents.”

  I narrow my eyes. This isn’t adding up. When I was arrested, the detectives involved talked to every teacher I had in school and every student who shared a classroom with me. There is no way they wouldn’t talk to the sister of a dead woman. However, I don’t get a sense that Seri is lying about this, and I remember what Netti said about how Seri compensates for missing information.

  Maybe Netti talked to the police, and Seri just doesn’t have the recollection. It would have been a frightening situation, and that is Netti’s forte.

  “Do you know his name?” I ask.

  “No.” Her voice is small and fragile. When I look closely, I see her hands shaking.

  If I keep pressing her, I might very well get Netti to come forward. I might also upset Seri so much that she has some kind of breakdown. What if Seri freaks out and “goes to sleep,” as Netti put it, but is too upset to wake up again?
r />   Seri has to be protected.

  I don’t want to upset Seri. As much as I might like to speak with Netti right now, I need to think of Seri first. I can get my answers later.

  I get up into a crouch and pick Seri up off the rug.

  “What are you doing?” she cries out.

  “Taking you to bed,” I say. “You need the rest so you can recover.”

  I walk her over to the bed, lay her down, and then crawl in behind her.

  “Now what are you doing?” She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “Making sure you stay warm.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to my chest.

  “Bishop, this is hardly necessary. You don’t have to force me to take a nap.”

  “I usually spend half the winter asleep,” I tell her as I settle my head on the pillow. “I need a nap, too.”

  She sighs loudly and then lays her head on my shoulder. She’s quiet for a little while as I watch the fire with half-lidded eyes. She looks at me and reaches over to run her fingers across my jaw.

  “Should we talk?” she asks suddenly.

  “About what?”

  “The other night,” she says, “before I got sick.”

  I’m pretty sure she’s talking about having sex, but I have become used to her denials, and I’m not sure what she wants to say now.

  “What do you want to say about it?” I ask.

  “Do you regret it?”

  “Regret it?” I furrow my brow. “No. Why would I regret it?”

  “I don’t know.” She looks away from me. “You haven’t said anything about it, and I just wasn’t sure.”

  “You’ve been sick.” I’m not sure why she needs the reminder. I have no idea why she thinks I would regret having sex with her. “Was I supposed to jump you again while you were hovering over the toilet?”

  “Fair point,” she says with a blush. “I wasn’t sure how you felt about it though.”

  I reach up and brush her hair off her forehead, slowly tucking it behind her ear.

  “I thought it felt pretty amazing,” I say. “Do you disagree?”

  “Not at all.” She glances away. “It was wonderful. Making love on a bearskin rug in front of a fire… That has to have been from one of your romance books.”

  “Now you know my secret.” I snicker softly, but the words “making love” are running through my head and making me sweat a little. Is that what we did?