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.” He shrugs.Chief Anderson closes the file and hands it to Reardon.“We’ll keep an eye out, too.We’re the ones who live around here, not the Staties.”Chapter 17James thinks he probably shouldn’t go near that neighborhood for a while.He doesn’t know if anyone will remember seeing him around, but it’s better not to take the chance; smarter, safer.Yes, he will definitely not go there.As he thinks this, he pulls from Mossy onto Oak.He just wants to take one more look and see if the kid is around.It is a compulsion he can’t understand and, therefore, doesn’t name.Doesn’t even acknowledge.He pulls to the curb and stops.From the street, he can see past 18 Oak Ave back to the Simonellis’ house.He knows their names now.First and last.He’d read it in the paper he’d gotten from WaWa.There is yellow police tape fluttering in the breeze, tied to trees and parts of the fence.There is heat in his right front pants pocket, warming his thigh.He digs his hand into the pocket.He pulls his hand out, closed around the object.The heat feels good, gentle but also slightly electric, exciting.This is what he found in the garage.The lost thing.The found thing.The thing he was meant to have.He opens his hand.The object spins slowly, clockwise, and canted at a slight angle.It drifts slightly upwards, about an inch from his palm and hovers, shining mildly.The heat from it radiates in gentle waves over his hand, over his arm.He leans over, closing his eyes, and feels the heat on his face, on his neck.James blots his forehead with the back of his wrist, where blood trickles out from under the bandage.But he isn’t really aware that he is bleeding any more than he is aware that he is right now parked in the neighborhood where he killed two people.He watches the object spin in its corona of warm, soothing light.It was all worth it.Everything that led him to this…all worth it.Movement catches his eye, and he turns his head.Just outside the driver’s side window stands a police officer.He is staring in amazement at the object spinning above James’ hand.Chapter 18Arch sits on the aisle, hands clutching each other in his lap.His mom sits next to him in the pew.Chuck couldn’t make it to the funeral; he’s still on night shift.Arch thinks he should have come anyway.The church is filled to capacity.“The Simonellis sure knew a lot of people,” his mom says.Her tone is surprised, like she can’t believe how many people are here.Can’t understand why.And Arch also hears the jealousy in her voice.He feels lost, anonymous.He wants to cry, but there are so many people who aren’t crying.He’s afraid he’ll look like some kind of fake.A phony.Especially with his mom next to him, her face swiveling around like a fucking bobblehead on a dashboard.He can see the caskets way up front.They are side by side and open, surrounded by more flowers than he’s ever seen outside of a movie.His stomach turns over.He has a flash of how they looked when he found them.Hot bile rises in his throat.He can’t believe this is real, that the Simonellis are dead.A hand taps his shoulder tentatively from the aisle.He turns, and it is Mrs.Simonelli’s face but smoothed out and on a middle-aged lady.She is medium height, overweight, and packed into a shiny black dress.She looks stiff and uncomfortable, but her eyes are just as warm as Mrs.Simonelli’s, and she is smiling.“Archer?” she says, and he nods.“I’m Amy, William and Antoinetta’s daughter.”He nods again, not knowing what to say.Her hand is still on his arm, and he stands awkwardly in the pew, hunched half over and twisted sideways.“I’m sorry, I…” It is all he can manage before his throat closes.She pulls him toward her, and he goes easily, putting his head on her shoulder, and hot tears leak like something molten from his eyes.He feels a tremble run through her and realizes she is crying, too.He closes his eyes and tightens his arms, feeling the warmth of her solid bulk, and he feels anchored, soothed.Then there is a heavy hand on his back, and he turns to a middle-aged man with tears in his eyes, a handkerchief held absently by his side.“Archer?” he says, but he says it to Amy, and she nods, smiling and kind of half pushes Arch forward, as if presenting him.Presenting the treasure she has found.“We were looking for you,” the man says, stuffing the handkerchief into his pocket and taking Arch’s hands unselfconsciously in his own.He has Mr.Simonelli’s eyes, and he is staring at Arch intently.He swallows hard and takes a breath.“I’m Bill, William and Antoinetta’s oldest son.I wanted to tell you that Mom and Dad talked about you all the time.They really loved you and…” It is all he can manage before the tears roll freely down his cheeks, and he draws Arch to him.He feels Amy’s arms go around them both, and he is sandwiched between these warm, loving people.And he thinks about the times he spent watching them all together at the Simonellis’ house and in the yard as they roughhoused, manhandling each other, and he thinks so this is what it feels like.It’s better than he could have imagined.Bill pulls back, laughing a little.“Come on, Amy, let him go, he’s gonna think we’re crazy.”Amy laughs too, wiping her eyes.She is smiling at Arch with so much affection that he suddenly becomes embarrassed and looks down.She doesn’t seem offended, just grabs his arm and presses it firmly to her side.“Come up front with us,” she says, pulling him a few steps down the aisle.Arch thinks he should say something to indicate his mom, bring her forward to meet Amy and Bill.But then he sees Amy glance back to where his mom sits with her false-looking, tentative smile and edge-of-the-seat posture, hovering, preparing to stand.He realizes that Amy has seen her, does recognize her, but has deliberately singled him out.Arch is only seventeen, but he has a very adult insight: Amy doesn’t like Arch’s mom.She has probably never met her, but of course she would know everything about Arch and Arch’s family that Mr.and Mrs.Simonelli knew.Having been backyard neighbors for years, they’d heard and seen a lot.Arch turns away from his mom, letting Amy pull him forward.Bill is behind him, and Arch feels surrounded, as if by security or an honor guard.And he does feel secure.And honored.The first three pews on both sides are taken up with family members, and Arch is passed hand-to-hand like a party guest everyone has been waiting for.They each want to meet him, thank him, and tell him how much the Simonellis loved and appreciated him.Finally, Bill is at his side again, his hand on Arch’s back.“Are you ready to go up?” he asks.Arch is not sure what Bill means at first but realizes quickly: he is asking if he is ready to go see the Simonellis
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