The Lake

THIRTY-ONE

“So Nelson’s dead.”

Leigh gripped the phone, feeling startled yet vastly relieved. She heard her voice shaking.

What Mace had to say was good, yet bad, news. He chose his words carefully.

“We have a body, Leigh. But it hasn’t been officially identified yet. Nelson have any family?”

“None that I know of. Parents died in a fire when Nelson was ten or so, I believe. He never spoke of brothers or sisters. Something of a loner, I gathered.”

“We need someone to identify him, Leigh. Feel up to it?”

Oh my God, she thought. I’m not sure… I need time to think about this.

Avoiding his question, she asked, “Where’d you find him, Mace?”

“Buncha kids spotted something out on the Headlands. Washed up on the beach. Thought it was a mess of old rags at first. Turns out it was a body. Been in the water five, six days by our reckoning.”

Five or six days. What’s left to identify?

“Okay,” Leigh gave a deep sigh. The last person she wanted to see was Nelson. Especially a dead Nelson. “If it has to be done, I’ll do it.”

“ ’Preciate it if you would, Leigh. But I warn you. He’s not a pretty sight.”

I bet.

“Pick you up in, oh, twenty minutes?”

“Sure.”

Stepping out into the hallway, Leigh went through to Deana’s room. She lay in bed, awake. Leigh went over and sat on the bed. Stroking Deana’s hair, she said, “Nelson’s gone, honey. He won’t bother us anymore.”

“He’s dead?”

“That’s right. They found him washed up on a beach over on the Headlands. Must’ve jumped off the Bridge.”

“My God.”

“I have to go identify him, honey. Mace’s due to pick me up shortly. You be okay?”

“Sure. I don’t envy you, Mom. Identifying a corpse. Especially one that’s been in the water so long.”

“Somebody’s got to do it, hon. No one else around who knows him… Staff back at the Bayview, maybe; but when all’s said and done, as his employer, it’s probably down to me.”

“Sure. Okay. Oh, Mom…”

“Yes?”

“In an awful kinda way, everything’s turned out for the best, hasn’t it?”

“Sure it has, honey. Thank God it’s all over now.”