Sarah was quiet for a moment while she considered Doris' words. She finally nodded and while she couldn't manage a smile, her frown at least disappeared.
"You may be right."
"Now I wouldn't suggest we implement a new treatment plan where we berate the residents in hopes of eliciting a response, but I don't think you need to beat yourself up over this."
Sarah did smile at her words this time and nodded. She looked over at Jason. She hoped he understood why she had said what she had. Was he still there enough to comprehend that?
"Do you think you could keep an eye on him for a minute? He seems content where he is for the moment and I want to go put together his lunch."
Doris looked and her watch and then nodded. "Certainly, you go right ahead. Besides, its been quite a while since I've spent any one-on-one time with Mr. Kimball." She began to walk away from the desk before adding, "Who knows, maybe I can elicit a response as well."
Sarah chewed softly on her lower lip as she watched her boss walk away. She took a step after her but then stopped, shook her head, dismissing the notion that flashed through her head, and headed off to the kitchen.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Nathan remained quiet while Paige drove. He tried to watch her without being too obvious, tried to appear to be looking at the scenery. She drove slowly, her eyes sweeping back and forth. He noticed a bit of a frown on her face from time to time. He got the sense she wanted to say something, but held back. They moved out of Newport, into Middletown and then he saw a sign for Portsmouth. He wondered if she was planning on heading off the island entirely.
They were traveling down East Main Road when Nathan noticed her frown disappear as they passed the Newport Vineyards and then a nursery and gardening center. She even loosened her grip on the steering wheel a little. They continued for another few minutes, entering into Portsmouth. She slowed as they neared the State Police station and she nodded to herself. Then her grip on the wheel tightened again as they passed a small strip of stores and her frown returned as well. Nathan had decided to say something when she clicked on her turn signal and then crossed over the middle of the road turning into a small gravel parking area.
He looked at the building before them, the sign read Wayside Grille. To Nathan it looked like it might have once been a barn that had been converted into a restaurant. They parked in front of the building. Two large windows looked into the restaurant, and he could see a few people sitting at the tables by the windows and some further back at the bar. Above the red awning he could see more windows but not what was up there, though he suspected it was more dining area.
He looked over at Paige, who was staring at the building. The silence stretched for several minutes. He watched her, there was a bit of a scowl on her face and she seemed in deep thought. He was getting nervous.
"Good food?"
She twitched at the sound of his voice, startled out of her intense scrutiny of the building before her.
"Umm..what?"
"Just asking if they have good food? Was this one of your favorite places?"
He didn't think she had any clue how long they had been sitting in the car. He didn't know where her mind had been for the last few minutes but he knew it had been far away from here.
"Umm...no. I mean I don't know how the food is. I can't remember ever eating here.
"Just some place you always meant to try?"
Nathan didn't think she heard him because she didn't answer, but she did kill the engine.
Lunch passed in near silence. They both ended up ordering fried clams. Nathan enjoyed his but wasn't sure that Paige ever tasted hers. She broke up the clams into pieces and moved them around on her plate but he couldn't recall her even lifting her fork to her mouth. He tried to engage her in conversation but she seemed lost in thought and constantly had to ask him to repeat what he'd said.
When they left the restaurant it was Nathan who took the keys and slid behind the wheel.
"How about we go to the hotel and check-in and then we can wander around the Brick Market Place. It's right near the hotel."
She stared at him for a moment before saying, "I thought you said you'd never been here."
"I haven't, but Paige, my Paige, talked about it plenty."
She nodded, satisfied with the explanation. He noted that she had resumed her grip of the door handle.
"But hearing about it and seeing it are two different things. And finding it is a third. So navigator, think you can get me there?"
He was rewarded with a slip of a smile and a nod. Moments later they were heading back to Newport. Her directions were spot on and she seemed to relax a bit with each successful set of instructions. He caught her frowning from time to time, but could not tell at what.