Thief River Falls

by Brian Freeman

  “Thank you,” Lisa murmured. “I really appreciate your coming over here like this. I’m sorry it’s so late.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Laurel replied. “I’ve told you before, I’m always around when you need anything. Day or night. Now let’s go inside where we can talk.”

  “Can I ask you a favor first?”

  “Of course.”

  “Can you park your Bronco behind the house? Where no one can see it from the highway?”

  Laurel cocked her head. “Okay, but why?”

  “I don’t want anyone to know that someone’s here if they drive by. I’ve been keeping the lights off.”

  Laurel didn’t protest or ask for an explanation. She got back into her SUV and started the engine again. Lisa heard the radio boom to life, playing a song she knew called “Little Talks.” Laurel routinely traveled all over the northland for her work, and she liked loud music to keep her company as she drove. She could also provide a half-hour analysis of the lyrics of just about any song. Lisa watched Laurel drive the Bronco onto the wet grass and continue past the house until the vehicle was invisible. Then the music shut down, and Laurel walked back to where Lisa was standing.

  “There you go. Is that better?”

  “Thanks. I know I sound paranoid.”

  Laurel didn’t say anything to that. Lisa kept an arm around her friend’s shoulder as they headed into the house. Inside, Lisa locked the front door and led Laurel into the kitchen. They’d sat together in this room many times over the past two years. The only light came from the clocks glowing on her stainless steel appliances.

  “Do you want tea?” Lisa asked.

  “Sure.”

  Lisa heated an electric kettle. When the water was boiling, she poured it into two mugs and dropped a pouch of pomegranate tea into each one. She brought the mugs to the wooden table and sat across from Laurel.

  “I know I was cryptic on the phone,” she said.

  “Yes, you were, but I’m here now, so fill me in. What do you think is going on?”

  Lisa shook her head. “I wish I knew. A boy showed up outside my house. He’s alone and on the run, and I’m pretty sure he’s in trouble. He may be caught up in something dangerous.”

  “Start at the beginning. Tell me everything.”

  Lisa got up from the table and paced restlessly. She took a minute to gather her thoughts and then told Laurel what had happened in the past few hours. About the police and their guns and their thoughts of breaking into her house. About hunting for the boy in the backyard and finding him hiding in the barn. About his inability to remember who he was or what had happened to him. About the spent cartridge she’d found in his pocket.

  When she was done she sat down again, feeling breathless. Her headache throbbed.

  “Normally, the first thing I’d do is call the police,” Lisa said, “but the boy says the police may be involved in whatever’s going on. I don’t want to risk doing the wrong thing or talking to the wrong person and putting Purdue in more jeopardy.”

  “Purdue? As in Thief River Falls?”

  Lisa gave a short little laugh. “It seemed appropriate.”

  Laurel nodded, because she understood the irony. She eased back in the chair and sipped her tea without saying anything right away. That was how she always was. She didn’t rush in; she didn’t speak without thinking through what she was going to say. Laurel conveyed a sense of unflappable calm that Lisa envied, because her own emotions bubbled right below the surface and were always threatening to overflow.

  They’d known each other casually for years, enough to say hello and share an occasional lunch. Both of them had worked at the hospital in Thief River Falls, and Laurel still did on a part-time basis. After Lisa’s mother, Madeleine, died in the accident, Laurel had offered to listen if Lisa ever needed to talk. Lisa had resisted for a while, but then she’d decided she needed a friend outside the family, and Laurel had proven to be someone with good ears and a kind heart. They’d grown closer as things in Lisa’s life got worse.

  First her mother.

  Then her father. Then her brothers.

  Laurel was older than Lisa. She’d turned fifty in July, although she hid it behind careful makeup. She was tall and slightly heavyset, with a long, elegant neck. She kept her hair shoulder length and sandy blond, with bangs all the way across her forehead. Her nose and chin were both sharp and pointed. Her pale eyes were as intense as lasers, and she rarely laughed, no matter how much Lisa tried to draw her out with inappropriate jokes. The most she ever got from Laurel was a gentle smile and a little shake of her head. They were opposites in most ways, but Lisa had always felt that she could trust Laurel with her secrets and her life.

  She watched her friend puzzle through what she’d told her.

  “Is Purdue familiar to you at all?” Laurel asked. “Can you describe what he looks like? Does he remind you of anyone?”

  “You mean, have I seen him before in TRF? No, I haven’t. I’ve spoken at the school several times, but I don’t remember seeing him there. He’s a beautiful child. A little small for his age. Sunny blond hair, amazing blue eyes. And such a strange, serious expression all the time. He’s a smart one. You can probably tell that I like him. I don’t always do well with kids, but Purdue and I seem to click. I guess he brings out the mother in me.”

  “Is that so bad?” Laurel asked. “You shouldn’t run away from that feeling.”

  Lisa laughed. “Me? We both know I’d make a terrible mother. My books are my kids, and it’s better that way.”

  “I don’t know that at all. That’s simply wrong.”

  “You’re sweet,” Lisa said. She took a sip of tea, but it was already cold.

  “The boy,” Laurel went on. “Is he here? Where is he now?”

  “He’s upstairs sleeping. I put him in my bed.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “Sure, but try not to wake him up. I told him I was going to bring over a friend to talk about what we should do next, but I’m afraid he might be frightened to find a stranger in the room.”

  Laurel got up and left the kitchen. Lisa stayed where she was in the darkness. She listened to the thump of her friend’s shoes in the hallway and felt the subtle shifting of the house as Laurel went upstairs. Not long after, the footsteps started downstairs again, and Laurel came back into the kitchen.

  “He’s a sweet kid, isn’t he?” Lisa said. “I don’t like to think about what he’s been through.”

  Laurel looked thoughtful as she sat down. “When did you first see him?”

  “Right after midnight. I saw the police officers first. There were two deputies from Pennington County, but I didn’t recognize them, which is odd. I know pretty much everyone over there. Mostly, I was concerned because they had their guns out.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Laurel asked. “It was dark. Maybe you didn’t see what you think you saw.”

  Lisa shook her head. “There was a bright moon. I saw it clearly. Seeing the guns made me wonder if they were really cops at all, although the county vehicle looked legit. Anyway, after they left, that’s when I spotted Purdue in the yard. I think he may have been hiding from them.”

  “Did anything else unusual happen today?”

  Lisa shrugged. “You mean before now? Not that I recall. I was in Thief River Falls all day. I got home pretty late in the evening.”

  “What were you doing in town? Where did you go?”

  “I was shopping. I still have a long list of things I need for the house. I got back after nine, and then I did a call-in book club with some readers in California.”

  “Do you remember anything else about the day? Anything at all?”

  “No. Look, I know what you’re getting at, because that was my first thought, too. I wondered whether Purdue stowed away in my pickup sometime during the day while I was in town, but he says no. He claims he was in a different truck and escaped when it stopped. I also don’t think he came here specifically to find me.
It was just luck that he wandered across the fields and found my house.”

  “Luck?”

  “Well, luck or fate or whatever you want to call it. Anyway, the question is, What do I do with him? The boy’s here, and he’s all alone. I want to help him. I feel like he needs protection.”

  “How about we talk to the police together? You and me. There’s safety in numbers.”

  “I appreciate that, but I want to have some idea what’s going on and who’s involved before I do that. Until then, I think it’s better that no one know he’s here.”

  “What about going to the hospital?” Laurel asked. “You know everybody there. They’re your friends.”

  “Sure, but if we take him there, they’ll have to report it. Plus, I think he’ll run. Hospitals scare him for some reason. He said if he goes there, he’ll die. Why would he say that? What happened to him? There are too many mysteries here, Laurel. I want to get some answers before I’d feel comfortable handing him over to anyone else.”

  “And how do you plan to do that?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. That’s why I called you. I don’t know what else to do, and I don’t have anybody else who can help me.”

  Laurel reached across the table and took Lisa’s hand. “Well, I’m glad you called. I’m always here for you. But it’s not true that you don’t have anyone else in your life. You have a brother, too. Have you called Noah?”

  Lisa shook her head. “That’s not an option.”

  “When did you last talk to him?”

  “Not since he left. You know that.”

  “So more than a year ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has he left messages for you?”

  Lisa shrugged. “When he does, I delete them.”

  “But you still have his number, don’t you?”

  “Assuming he hasn’t changed it. Look, Laurel, I don’t even know where Noah is now, and I don’t care. He bailed on me. He couldn’t deal with it, and he left, and all he did was leave me a note. He didn’t even have the guts to say it to my face. He left me to handle everything myself. He’s a coward. I never want to see him or talk to him again. Ever!”

  Even a year later, her anger was never far away. It was buried below the surface, but not so deep that it couldn’t escape.

  Laurel was patient and let Lisa’s anger soften before she went on. “I’m not excusing what Noah did by leaving. Not at all. But people deal with loss in different ways. Not always healthy ways. Sometimes it’s just too much for one person to handle, and they snap. All I’m saying is, you may want to give him another chance. He might surprise you this time. He’s still your twin brother. And he was Danny’s best friend. I think you should tell him what’s going on with you.”

  Lisa heard a roaring in her head again, as if she might faint. She didn’t want to have this conversation about her brother. Not now. Not when she was worried about Purdue. She got up and went to the sink and poured a glass of cold water for herself, and then she stared out the window at the empty darkness. “There’s nothing Noah can do for me.”

  Her friend sighed with resignation. “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry, Laurel. That’s how I feel.”

  “I know, and I don’t blame you for that. I’m just trying to help.”

  “Thank you.”

  Laurel got up from the table. “Look, it’ll be daylight soon. I’ll make a few phone calls and see if I can figure out the best way to deal with this situation. In the meantime, why don’t you lay low until I call, okay? The best thing to do is just stay home and stay out of sight.”

  Lisa came away from the window and gave her friend another long hug. She could feel Laurel hesitate about hugging her back. Her friend didn’t deal well with expressions of emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Lisa said.

  Laurel separated herself and responded with a tentative smile. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Okay.” Lisa took Laurel’s arm and held her back before she could leave. “Hey, one more thing.”

  “What is it?”

  “If you’re asking questions about Purdue, be careful,” Lisa told her. “Don’t say too much to anyone else about what’s going on. I know you may think I’m crazy, but I really don’t know who we can trust.”

  7

  When Lisa went upstairs again, she discovered that Purdue wasn’t in bed.

  The blankets were rumpled, and his clothes were gone. She checked the bathroom and closet, but there was no sign of him anywhere. She realized that the boy must have slipped downstairs while she and Laurel were talking in the kitchen, and he was so light of foot that they hadn’t heard a thing. He was an escape artist who’d escaped again.

  Lisa ran back to the first floor. In the foyer, she felt the slightest draft in the hallway that led to the rear of the house. The cool air led her to the back door, which opened onto the empty land stretching for miles behind her property. The door was closed, but the lock was undone, and she could feel a breath of wind through the frame. She opened the door and went outside, trembling in the chill. The breeze swirled her brown hair.

  All she could see around her were the barren fields and the craggy trees dotting the landscape like soldiers. Somewhere back there were rivers and roads, parks and railroad tracks, leading as far as Canada. Purdue could be anywhere. There were no footprints this time to give her a clue about where he’d gone. She shouted for him over and over, but got no answer. He’d run away.

  In a fog, Lisa went back inside the house. She returned to the kitchen with a heavy heart and made more tea, but she still didn’t turn the lights on. There was an emptiness around her now that she hated, and it felt as if it would never go away.

  Part of it was losing the boy. Part of it was Laurel’s mention of Noah.

  Her twin, born six minutes after her. Her brother who, like Purdue, had run away from home and left her behind.

  She fished her wallet out of her pocket and took out the handwritten note that was folded inside. She still kept it there. She’d read it a thousand times, and every time it made her angry. She went back and forth between screaming and crying whenever she saw it again.

  I’m sorry, Lis. It’s too much for me. Too much death. Too much grief. I can’t deal with the Dark Star anymore. I hate to leave you, but I have to get away from this place. If I don’t, I think I’ll lose myself completely. Don’t hate me, okay?

  Noah

  Her brother. A selfish man-child who made everything about him. Not a thought to what it meant to her to go through it all alone. No, she never wanted to hear Noah’s voice again. Her family was gone.

  “Hey, Lisa.”

  Her head snapped up. She saw a small figure standing among the shadows in the kitchen doorway. It was Purdue. He was back. She felt a warm rush of emotion, like sunshine pushing away the white clouds.

  “Oh my God!” She hurried to him and swept him into her arms. Then she knelt on the floor in front of him and took his hands. “Where were you? Where did you go? I was so worried about you!”

  “I hid. I’m sorry.”

  “I looked everywhere and couldn’t find you!”

  “I went into that little cottage outside with all the books. I waited there until I saw the other lady leave.”

  “But why did you hide?”

  “She scared me,” Purdue said.

  “Scared you? No, no, Laurel’s my friend. You can trust her. She’s one of the good guys.”

  He frowned. “I was awake when she came upstairs. I pretended to be asleep. I didn’t like the way she looked at me.”

  “How did she look at you?”

  “Like she knew who I was.”

  Lisa’s brow furrowed with the tiniest pang of worry. “No, that’s impossible. There’s no way that Laurel could know who you are. And if she recognized you, she would have told me.”

  “She knew me, Lisa,” Purdue repeated. “I could tell.”

  “Did she talk to you? Did she say anything?”

&nb
sp; “No.”

  “Well, did you know her? Did she look familiar to you at all?”

  “No.”

  Lisa shook her head. “Then believe me—you don’t have any reason to be scared of Laurel. She’s always trying to figure people out, and that may be why you felt the way you did. That’s just how she is. The fact is, she would do anything to help me, and there aren’t many people like that in the world. She wants to help you, too.”

  “She wants to take me away from you. I heard her. She thinks you should give me to the police. I told you, the police want to kill me.”

  “Yes, I know what you said. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you until we get to the bottom of this. The main thing is to keep you safe. We need to find out what happened to you, and then we need to figure out where you come from and get you back to your family.”

  “I don’t have a family,” the boy announced.

  He said it so simply and quietly that it broke her heart.

  “Why do you say that?” she asked.

  “Because it’s true.”

  “Did you remember something about who you are?”

  “No, I’m just pretty sure my family is gone. That’s why I left.”

  “Left where?”

  “Wherever I was.”

  He was talking in riddles, and Lisa couldn’t understand him. But that didn’t matter to her. He was back, which was the only thing that was important. She picked up the boy—he felt light as a feather—and put him down in one of the kitchen chairs. Outside the windows, the pink of dawn had begun to wake up the world. She could hear the morning chorus of the birds, all squawking their greetings to the day.

  “Do you want some breakfast?” she asked.

  “I’m not very hungry.”

  “Well, I’m going to make bacon and eggs, and I’ll bet you get hungry when you smell them.”

  Lisa puttered in the kitchen, humming as she put breakfast together. Purdue sat in the chair and watched her with the same quiet seriousness he always did. He had his hands folded neatly together in front of him. He didn’t say anything at all until the sizzle of bacon had already filled the room.