Second Chances(94)

"Jason, you kept your cellphone?"

He nodded. The phone began again but stopped after the second beep.

"How old is this thing?"

He shrugged. "Fifteen years, maybe more. I don't know anymore."

"How the hell does it still have power?"

He simply flicked his head. She understood and looked back into the cigar box, now noticing the charger."

"You charged it last night, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"What if they are tracking this?"

"A phone that old? I wasn't even sure if it would still work until I tried it last night."

"But it is tied to you, Jason. I don't know if they can't track this. Neither do you."

"It's not tied to me, well not really."

"What do you mean, of course it's tied to you. It's yours, right?"

"Yes and no. It was signed out to me. One of the perks from one of my teaching gigs."

"You haven't taught since...I don't even know how long."

He grinned. "Neither do I, but I have an excuse."

"That isn't funny, Jason."

"Sorry. The only way that phone is tied to me is by the past. The distant past. I just couldn't get rid of it."

"Why not?"

"It was on that phone that...that I got the call about..."

Julie nodded, now understanding.

"Somewhere, on some campus, in some ledger that phone is tied to me and some university is still paying the bill. The amazing thing is that it still gets service."

"But why, Jason? I guess I can understand keeping it, but why charge it? Who do you think even knows that number? Who do you expect to ca..." She stopped, understanding hitting her.

He looked at her, but said nothing.

"No. No, Jason. I am sorry but you can't believe that."

"Paige knew the number, Julie. She did and I thought maybe...maybe she still does. She needs help and I thought maybe she would call."

"But that just isn't possible. You have to know that."

Julie looked down at the phone as it made a noise and she saw the outline of an envelope flash in the corner of the screen.





CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE



He was driving aimlessly. She had been quiet since they had left Daniel's. He had tried to engage her several times, but she had waved off his attempts. He had decided to just give her time and space, but when she erupted into tears he pulled the car off the road. He got out and came around, pulling her out of the car and into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"We'll figure something else out. I promise."

She shook her head.

"I died in the fire."

"No. No, you didn't. That wasn't you."

"Yes it was. Somehow it was. I don't know how, but I died in that fire. I know it. I feel it."

Nathan could think of nothing to say that could possibly soothe her, so he did the only thing he could and held her tightly as she cried.

Her tears gradually subsided until they ran out completely. She hugged Nathan tightly, her unspoken thanks.

"You going to be okay?" Nathan asked, when she pulled away.

She shrugged.

"Can we go to the beach?"

He looked at her questioningly, but said nothing. When it became apparent that Paige wasn't going to elaborate on her request, he nodded yes and they got back in the car and he followed her instructions.

He passed the sign that welcomed them to Sachuest Beach and pulled into the parking lot. Beach season was over, but there were still a smattering of cars scattered throughout the parking lot. They got out and Nathan began to follow Paige. He couldn't see the beach yet, but he could smell it and hear it. They walked along a wooden path from the parking lot. They crested the rise and Nathan saw the waves crashing along the shoreline.

Paige slipped out of her shoes and wiggled her toes in the sand before starting to walk toward the water. He could see a few others on the beach, some jogging with their dogs along the waterline, others slowly walking and even one or two working on a sandcastle a ways down the beach. He took off his sneakers and socks and followed after Paige.

She was standing just on the edge of the waterline. Waves crashed and the water ran up the beach toward her feet, just barely tickling the tips of her toes before retreating back into the ocean. He stood next to her, unsure what to say or do.

"Sachuest Beach. No one calls it that. None of the locals anyway. It's second beach. The beach you can see from school, that's first beach. This one is better. Gets better, bigger waves and usually stays cleaner, less seaweed."

Nathan nodded, unsure how to respond.

"See that," she said pointing down the beach. "That's St. George's School."

Nathan followed her finger. He looked down the arc of the beach and up at the hills well beyond. Among the buildings, he could see one of them rose above all others. It looked like a church.