“But that’s how he lives. He also has this weird thing about dusk, which is why I want to get there as early as we can. Grandpa Lee goes into total lockdown at sunset.”
“Lockdown? What do you mean?”
“Just what I said, lockdown.” Nick took a bite of his sandwich. “He won’t let anyone stay in the house with him. He blows out the candles and lanterns. Then he takes out his shotgun and escorts you to your car and sees you off the property. No one stays there overnight, close family or not. Ironclad rule.”
Amiya stared at him, her brown eyes huge with disbelief. After a beat, she blinked, broke into a grin.
“You’re pulling my leg,” she said.
“I wish I were. But I’m dead serious.”
“What is he protecting himself against? Is there a problem with crime in the area?”
“Crime?” Nick laughed out loud. “He lives in the boondocks, babe. The backwoods. There’s no crime there.”
“There has to be an explanation, Nick. Wild animals?”
“Maybe.” Nick shrugged. “Grandpa Lee won’t discuss it. My mom doesn’t have a clue either, but he’s been like that for my entire life.”
“I still think you’re embellishing some things.” Amiya swallowed a spoonful of her parfait. “I’m sure Grandpa Lee is only a sweet old man who decided he wants to live the simple lifeout in the country. He’s probably a little skittish and set in his ways, but I’m sure he’s fine.”
“That’s one way to look at it, I guess.”
“He lives alone, correct?”
“For sure.” Nick chuckled. “If my grandmother were still alive, I doubt she’d tolerate his eccentricities. There isn’t that much love in the world.”
“I put up with you.” Amiya grinned.
Nick laughed. “Babe, there’s no comparison. Grandpa’s a veteran. He served in the Army for years, until he got wounded by shrapnel in some overseas conflict. He still gets around pretty well, though. Anyway, I always figured PTSD could explain why he acts the way he does at sunset. It’s like he’s hunkering down every night waiting for enemy soldiers to pass by.”
“Possibly, but I’m going to do my best to resist psychoanalyzing him, no matter what you say,” Amiya said. “I want to enjoy spending time with the eldest member of your mother’s family, and soak up his wisdom. Anyone who’s lived to the age of ninety has a slew of colorful stories and insights to share.”
“He’s got plenty of those.” Nick checked his watch. “We’d better hit the road. We’ve got a long day ahead of us and we need to wrap it all up by sundown.”
7
The driveway was so well-concealed in the lush spring foliage that Nick almost missed it.
He had been using the Google Maps app on his iPhone to navigate, supplementing the program with a set of handwritten directions from his mother, and still, he nearly missed the turn. They traveled on a narrow, twisting road lined on both sides with a nearly impenetrable growth of elms, maples, birch, and shrubs. The tree branches overhung the pavement, their boughs heavy with leaves, forming a canopy that cast the area into deep shadows and reminded Nick of driving through a cavern.
He had lowered his vehicle’s speed to a crawl and was scanning the roadside for the mouth of the driveway when Amiya tapped his knee.
“There!” She pointed to the left.
He jabbed the brakes. Finally, he spotted the entrance to the property: a gravel lane almost completely hidden within the bushes. At the mouth of the driveway, a wrought-iron black mailbox stood on a weathered wooden post, festoonedwith white flowers. The name “L. Johnson” was painted on the mailbox in blocky white letters.
“You’ve got hawk eyes,” he said. “I haven’t been here in ten years and didn’t remember what it looked like.”
He turned onto the pathway, the SUV bouncing across the pavement. About fifteen feet beyond the road, a chain-link gate blocked access to the property. A sign hung on the middle of the barrier.
Private Property
No Trespassing!
“That’s inviting,” Amiya said. “I’m guessing your granddad doesn’t like visitors dropping in? It looks like the gate has a padlock on it, too.”
“We’ve got a key. Hang on a sec.”
