Narration by Hilarey Johnson
Recap: The more Anna digs, the more she senses something is wrong. Anna and Charlie’s partnership intensifies, and the mystery surrounding refugee Tri Upreti’s missing stepson pulls them both toward danger—and toward each other. Attorney William Johnson, the witness to Tri’s accident and an attorney for the TAP, a known alt-right group in town, seems to have connections all over the Treasure Valley—from the Mayor and non-profit groups to top business leaders. Anna interviews Johnson, and it becomes contentious, which leaves Anna even more convinced the TAP, Johnson, and possibly other major corporations in Boise are determined, for some reason, to cover up the truth of Tri Upreti’s accident. While Anna struggles to understand what the story is and her part in it, Charlie makes a drunken, midnight visit to her house and finally reveals his backstory. She leaves him asleep on her couch, mixed-up and troubled, only to be awakened by Charlie’s shouts, and flames…
It was not, she knew, that night had come, but something as dark as night had come. No, worse than that. It had not come, but it had sent that shiver…to say that it was coming.
JM Barrie, Peter Pan
When I met Madam Charlotte and I showed her my book, we read it through together, many times. I would tell her some of the things I’m telling you now. She would pause in our reading, sometimes and always at this sentence, and seem like she was remembering. But she never told me what her memory was. I didn’t ask—I have enough memories of my own.
From the “Their Stories” project, Pashghar Orphans Home
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Searing heat emanates in waves from Anna’s burning home. With each pop and explosion, she pictures another one of her possessions, her memories, turning to ash. Her house sizzles, producing colors she wouldn’t have imagined. Despite the oxygen mask pumping plasticky air into her lungs, the acrid, chemical stench makes her gag.
Perched on the back bumper of an open ambulance, she watches the firefighters slowly douse the flames with floods of water and chemicals. Wind carries the smoke across her housing development, sprinkling grey ash on all the perfectly manicured lawns and prettily painted houses, a different kind of spring shower.
All the paint on her house has bubbled and charred while flames shot through the roof and out the windows. A shudder runs through her, and someone squeezes her shoulder. She becomes aware of Charlie’s arm around her blanketed body, at the same time she realizes her tears are puddling around the claustrophobic oxygen mask.
She pulls the mask away and peers up at him through tears. All the emotions running through her play across his face, as well—astonishment, fear, anguish, a sense of being gutted.
She rasps, “I’ve heard houses burn really fast.” Controlling the tears is impossible, and her words come between sobs. “I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. What started it?”
She interrupts herself with another bout of coughing, and it must be contagious, because Charlie joins her. She waits until they can both catch their breaths. “I was asleep, Charlie. If you hadn’t been here…”
He shakes his head once. “Don’t say it. It’s a miracle we’re both still alive. I heard your neighbor’s dog barking like a maniac—so thank the dog. It’s what saved your life.”
Once they’d made it through her bedroom window, they’d dropped onto the roof of the patio beneath. From there, they had an eight-foot jump to the lawn.
Charlie had navigated the leap with ease. Her throbbing ankle reminded her she hadn’t exactly stuck the landing.
Anna covers her face. She can’t watch her house burn any longer.
She’s only faintly aware when Charlie’s arm around her shoulders is replaced by Cassidy’s. A kind police officer, maybe Jos, says he’ll take her statement in the morning. A firefighter tells her she won’t be allowed inside to salvage anything for at least two days. Her mind registers all of this, but she’s gone numb and feels none of it.
She’s hollowed out. Everything that made her, her—is gone. Except, she reminds herself, the two things she cares about most in the world—her children. She needs to call them and starts to cry again when she realizes she has no phone to do so.
She allows Cassidy to gently herd her into her car, then lead her, limping, into an elevator and through the front door of Cassidy’s downtown condo. Like Anna might shatter at any moment, her friend gingerly helps her lie back on the couch.
She sighs, exhausted, but it catches like a sob and quickly accelerates into a ragged cough.
Cassidy rubs her back, hands Anna a tissue for the tears seeping from her scratchy eyes and murmurs, “It’s okay. You’re okay now.”
But I’m not. I might never be again.
She leaps from her porch roof and the pain in her ankle wakes her from the nightmare—Charlie’s wild-eyed stare in her head and his name on her lips. But when her frantic soul thumps back into her body, Cassidy’s concerned face materializes above her.
“It’s just a dream, sweetie. You’re safe.”
Anna takes a breath and immediately starts to cough. “Water,” she chokes out. Glancing around, she gathers her senses. She’s in Cassidy’s tiny Linen District condo, lying on her couch, still clothed in smoky, grass-stained clothes from the day before. Slices of weak, early-morning light seep through the vertical blinds. Pushing herself upright, she stumbles to the balcony’s sliding glass doors, desperate for a breath of fresh air.
She can taste the ashy remains of her house.
Cassidy follows her out and hands her a glass of water, which she practically gulps down in one swallow.
“Can I get you some more?” Cass asks, wide-eyed.
Anna shakes her head, and they both drop onto patio chairs. Without speaking, they watch sunlight spill across the foothills. The air is spring-crisp and, thank God, smoke-free.
“What time is it, Cass? Can I use your phone to call the kids before they hear it from someone else, or read it in the news?”
Cass squeezes her hand. “I knew you’d be worried, so I called them last night, after you fell asleep. I hope that was okay. They wanted to get on a flight home immediately, but I was able to reassure them you weren’t injured, and you’d call them both this morning…”
Anna watches the city brighten and wonders why she feels like Cassidy stole something from her. Cass knows, and cares, about her kids almost as much as Anna does. She’s their Auntie Cass. She should be thankful Cass was brave enough to deliver the bad news.
“I’m so sorry,” Cassidy murmurs. “Your whole life was in your house. You raised your kids there. I can’t imagine… Any idea how it started?”
Anna shakes her head. “First thing I knew, Charlie was crashing into my room…” She stops, her words replaced by an awkward silence.
“Yeah…?” Cassidy finally says. “And Charlie was spending the night at your house because?”
