The Piper

NINETEEN




Olivia put it down to imagination, but the house did not seem to welcome her anymore. It seemed distant somehow, and strange. When she looked at the stone fireplace, the wide planked wood floors, the high ceilings in every room, the aura of magic was gone. They were just rooms. Her rooms. As long as she lived.

Winston charged in first, heading for his food bowl. Teddy chucked softly in her doggie voice, and filled his bowl with kibble, then dumped the leftover spaghetti on top. Olivia wondered if Winston would even notice an intruder if there was spaghetti to be had.

‘Go get your bath, Teddy. It’s almost time for bed.’

‘Can I take a bubble bath?’

‘Not tonight, Teddy. You need to take a really quick bath and get to bed. It’s already a half hour past your bedtime.’

But Teddy did not move. She squatted beside Winston and did not look up. ‘Mommy, can we play boat tonight?’

Boat. The game where everyone piled in the same bed, dogs included, and the bed was the boat with water all around.

Olivia rubbed her forehead, wondering how much sleep she’d get with Teddy in the bed. Then she thought about SUNDS and changed her mind.

‘Okay. But you and Winston have to get on the boat ahead of me. You need to get to sleep, and I have some boxes to unpack.’

‘Will you run the water for me?’

Olivia looked over her shoulder at Teddy, who was still squatting beside Winston, and would not meet her eye. Clearly, Teddy did not want to go upstairs alone. This whole damn thing was getting out of hand.

‘Fine then.’ Olivia dropped her briefcase on the sunroom table and kicked off her shoes. ‘Come on, let’s get moving, and get you tucked into bed.’

Olivia went first up the stairs, but Teddy and Winston scrambled ahead. Teddy was at the turn of the staircase when she stopped and cocked her head.

‘Mommy, do you hear that?’ Teddy said.

‘Hear what?’

The three of them paused on the landing at the top of the stairs, and Olivia flipped the wall switch, felt relief when it actually came on. Teddy took a step forward, but Olivia touched her arm.

‘Hang on a minute, Teddy, I do hear it. Did you leave the bathroom faucet running this morning when we left?’

‘No, Mommy, I promise.’

Olivia went down the hallway, eyeing the grill of the attic fan. The mercury light in the hallway was dim, but growing slowly brighter. The sound of running water was unmistakable, and the bathroom door was closed. Olivia opened the door. Switched on the light.

The hot water tap for the claw foot tub was turned full blast, and the tub was full but not overflowing, the drain working overtime.

‘Teddy, come in here.’ Olivia twisted the tap shut, and turned to look at her daughter, who hung in the doorway, her backpack sliding down one shoulder. ‘Did you do this? Leave the water running all day? Do you have any idea what our utility bill’s going to be like? Teddy, we don’t have the money for this kind of thing.’

‘Mommy, I didn’t do it, I promise.’

‘Teddy, if you tell me honest, then I believe you. But just don’t lie. I won’t be mad at you if you tell me the truth. Did you leave the water on, Teddy? Just answer me, come on, will you, I’m tired. Did you leave it on or didn’t you?’

Teddy would not meet her eye.

‘Teddy?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘You don’t remember or you did it and don’t want to say?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘I don’t know isn’t a good answer.’ Olivia moved swiftly, so fast that Teddy stumbled backward when she took her arm. ‘Look. I just need to know the truth about what happened here. Because either you left the water running or it came on by itself. Are you telling me it came on by itself? Or are you going to tell me Duncan Lee did it?’

Teddy folded her arms and stared at the floor. ‘Maybe I did do it.’

‘Maybe you did do it? That’s just great. You know what, just brush your teeth. There’s not going to be any hot water anyway, so forget the bath. Get your pajamas on and get into bed.’

‘Can we . . . can we still play boat?’

‘Fine. Just get on with it, Teddy, I’m tired and I’ve had a long damn day.’

‘You promised I could call Daddy. I need to talk to Daddy tonight.’

‘Teddy. Go to bed.’