Read Online The Moon Around Sarah by Paul Lederer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Paul Lederer
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minute, will you?’
They splashed across the street toward him, Edward’s shoes sinking ankle-deep in cold water.
Don March stood waiting for them, his hands on his hips, unsmiling as the two strangers crossed to meet him.
‘We’re looking for our sister….’
‘Sarah?’
‘How did you know? Yes, Sarah.’
Don was staring at Eric’s bruised face. ‘I’ve seen you before. Earlier. You were running past us.’
‘Yes,’ Edward said with a sharp glance at his brother, ‘but that doesn’t matter. What matters is….’
‘Sarah’s all right,’ Don told them. His expression was one of frank disgust. ‘No thanks to her family.’
‘Do you know where she is?’
‘She’s in my studio – and don’t give me that kind of look, friend – either one of you. You’re the ones who left her out inthe rain. I just tried to keep her dry. Have you got a problem with that? Because I’ll tell you, I don’t think much of you.’
‘Our mother.…’ Eric began weakly.
‘Yeah,’ Don said bitterly. ‘I know all about that. Your mother was watching Sarah. Except it doesn’t seem that your mother is competent to watch anybody, does it?’
‘Watch it,’ Eric said, leaning nearer, but his own battered face subtracted from his menace.
‘OK,’ Don said with a sigh, lifting a semi-apologetic hand, ‘maybe there are things I don’t understand about this business . I just found your sister sitting in the rain and took her someplace dry. If you don’t already know, your mother’s been taken to the hospital. She got drunk and fell off a barstool.’
‘How could you know…?’
‘I went looking for her. I sort of met your mother earlier and knew what she looked like. I found a bartender who recognized her from my description.’
‘All right,’ Edward said hastily, ‘we’re sorry you had to get involved in this.’ He was beginning to feel ridiculous in his gray suit. As the sun beamed down now, steam rose from his shoulders; a $300 suit ruined forever. ‘All we want to do is find Sarah and take her home.’
‘OK, follow me,’ Don said. Residual anger still stiffened his expression.
The three men slogged up the street where puddles as bright as mirrors now danced with a blue and silver sheen. A flock of gray pelicans passed overhead, returning to the sea now that the storm had passed.
‘Up here,’ Don said, leading the way to the studio.
When they had climbed the outside stairs and entered the cluttered studio, Don’s blue robe was neatly folded on the wooden chair, the kerosene heater turned off, Sarah’s dress, which had been hanging from the ceiling, was gone.
And Sarah was not there.
‘What’s going on here?’ Eric demanded. ‘Where is she?’
‘I guess she took off….’ Don rambled into the other room and returned, his cap tipped back, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. ‘She’s not here. I don’t know where she went.’
There was nothing to show that she had ever been there at all, it seemed. But Don discovered the small piece of paper carefully pinned beneath the study of fish and winging birds, and he showed them what was written on it:
Sarah.
‘That’s terrific,’ Edward said roughly, ‘where in hell is she? You let her just walk away!’
Don turned on the lawyer, his face set dangerously, ‘Listen, my friend, she isn’t
my
sister. I found her out there and tried to help her. I’m not the one who lost her … oh forget it!’ Don said, calming a little. He took a deep breath, ‘Let’s go out and find her so that you can take her home.’
‘Is
that
where she thinks she’s going, Edward?’ Eric asked his brother with evident hostility. Edward didn’t answer. He seemed to pale slightly; his hand tightened on the handle of his briefcase.
‘What does he mean by that?’ Don asked.
It was a long silent moment with rain trickling from the eaves beyond the window before Edward replied.
‘She’s going to a hospital where they are equipped to take care
They splashed across the street toward him, Edward’s shoes sinking ankle-deep in cold water.
Don March stood waiting for them, his hands on his hips, unsmiling as the two strangers crossed to meet him.
‘We’re looking for our sister….’
‘Sarah?’
‘How did you know? Yes, Sarah.’
Don was staring at Eric’s bruised face. ‘I’ve seen you before. Earlier. You were running past us.’
‘Yes,’ Edward said with a sharp glance at his brother, ‘but that doesn’t matter. What matters is….’
‘Sarah’s all right,’ Don told them. His expression was one of frank disgust. ‘No thanks to her family.’
‘Do you know where she is?’
‘She’s in my studio – and don’t give me that kind of look, friend – either one of you. You’re the ones who left her out inthe rain. I just tried to keep her dry. Have you got a problem with that? Because I’ll tell you, I don’t think much of you.’
‘Our mother.…’ Eric began weakly.
‘Yeah,’ Don said bitterly. ‘I know all about that. Your mother was watching Sarah. Except it doesn’t seem that your mother is competent to watch anybody, does it?’
‘Watch it,’ Eric said, leaning nearer, but his own battered face subtracted from his menace.
‘OK,’ Don said with a sigh, lifting a semi-apologetic hand, ‘maybe there are things I don’t understand about this business . I just found your sister sitting in the rain and took her someplace dry. If you don’t already know, your mother’s been taken to the hospital. She got drunk and fell off a barstool.’
‘How could you know…?’
‘I went looking for her. I sort of met your mother earlier and knew what she looked like. I found a bartender who recognized her from my description.’
‘All right,’ Edward said hastily, ‘we’re sorry you had to get involved in this.’ He was beginning to feel ridiculous in his gray suit. As the sun beamed down now, steam rose from his shoulders; a $300 suit ruined forever. ‘All we want to do is find Sarah and take her home.’
‘OK, follow me,’ Don said. Residual anger still stiffened his expression.
The three men slogged up the street where puddles as bright as mirrors now danced with a blue and silver sheen. A flock of gray pelicans passed overhead, returning to the sea now that the storm had passed.
‘Up here,’ Don said, leading the way to the studio.
When they had climbed the outside stairs and entered the cluttered studio, Don’s blue robe was neatly folded on the wooden chair, the kerosene heater turned off, Sarah’s dress, which had been hanging from the ceiling, was gone.
And Sarah was not there.
‘What’s going on here?’ Eric demanded. ‘Where is she?’
‘I guess she took off….’ Don rambled into the other room and returned, his cap tipped back, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. ‘She’s not here. I don’t know where she went.’
There was nothing to show that she had ever been there at all, it seemed. But Don discovered the small piece of paper carefully pinned beneath the study of fish and winging birds, and he showed them what was written on it:
Sarah.
‘That’s terrific,’ Edward said roughly, ‘where in hell is she? You let her just walk away!’
Don turned on the lawyer, his face set dangerously, ‘Listen, my friend, she isn’t
my
sister. I found her out there and tried to help her. I’m not the one who lost her … oh forget it!’ Don said, calming a little. He took a deep breath, ‘Let’s go out and find her so that you can take her home.’
‘Is
that
where she thinks she’s going, Edward?’ Eric asked his brother with evident hostility. Edward didn’t answer. He seemed to pale slightly; his hand tightened on the handle of his briefcase.
‘What does he mean by that?’ Don asked.
It was a long silent moment with rain trickling from the eaves beyond the window before Edward replied.
‘She’s going to a hospital where they are equipped to take care
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