“I promise you, baby, you’ll feel euphoric. You know what that word means, right?”
A sharpness in Willow’s voice. “Of course I do!”
“Well, this will be euphoria like you’ve never imagined. You’ll get so high, and I’ll be right here holding you, and after a while, you’ll get relaxed, a little sleepy, it’s called ‘on the nod.’?”
“Logan—”
“Okay, fine. I spent some money to get some really good, pure, sweet stuff for you, but I don’t want to force you.”
Thank God, Darcy thought, relaxing her shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Logan.”
“No worries. I kind of thought you were too young for me, anyway.”
The grass rustled. Logan was moving away from Willow.
“I’m not too young for you,” Willow protested. “I love you, Logan.”
“Well, I snort heroin and I kind of imagined us doing it together…and then doing it together.”
“Are you going to snort some now?”
“Not now. I wasn’t going to. I wanted to stay clear and watch you for your first time. See how you do. Look, see this packet? Look how small it is. I wouldn’t use more than half of it. I’d make a line of it on my hand, and you’d snort it—you’ve seen people snort heroin, haven’t you?”
“In movies.”
“I wish you trusted me.”
Another silence.
“All right,” Willow conceded in a small voice. “I’ll do it.”
“My baby. You won’t regret it. You know I love you, don’t you, Willow?”
“Do you? Really? You’ve never said that before.”
As Darcy listened to sounds of what was undoubtedly some major kissing, she stood up, hands clenched at her side, panicking. Willow’s parents weren’t home. She had her cell, she could call someone, she could call the police, but they couldn’t get here soon enough to prevent Willow from snorting the heroin. Willow was not her child, she, Darcy, was not responsible for Willow, she’d been told by Boyz to butt out of Willow’s life, but this, this…
“Okay now, see this nice straight line on my hand? Hold one nostril shut with your finger, put your nose down—”
“Don’t do it, Willow! I’m coming over there!”
Darcy sprinted through her yard, beneath the arbor, around and down the narrow path near the Brueckners’. She burst into the Szwedas’ backyard. Willow and Logan sat staring at her wide-eyed and openmouthed as if she’d landed from outer space. And she sort of felt like it, as adrenaline flooded her system. She was shaking, and she was red-hot mad.
“No, Willow, you are not snorting heroin.” Darcy kicked Logan’s hand, and the white powder flew into the grass.
“Hey!” Logan yelled. “Lady, that was a lot of money you just lost me.”
“Good!” Darcy eased her voice down from bellow to loud. She wanted to sound threatening but in control. “I live on the other side of the hedge, and I’ve heard every stupid word you’ve just said. You’re Logan Smith and I know your parents, and I’ve got a cellphone in my hand and if you don’t get your sleazy, sneaky drug-dealer ass out of here now, I’m calling the police.”
Logan looked at Willow. “Are you going to let this freak tell us what to do?”
Willow’s teeth were chattering so hard she couldn’t speak.
Darcy held up her cellphone and hit a button.
“Bitch,” Logan said. He stood, tall and so thin Darcy thought she could push him over with one hand. He glanced down at Willow. “Coming with me?”
Darcy stepped between Willow and Logan. “No. She’s not coming with you. She’s not coming with you ever again, especially after I tell her about the girls you’ve knocked up.”
Logan narrowed his eyes. “I’m gonna get—”
Darcy folded her arms over her chest. “Shut up, Logan. You would be extremely stupid to threaten me. Leave. Just leave.”
“Nasty old snake-face bitch.”
Darcy said nothing. She knew he would go more readily if she let him have the last word.
Logan turned and walked away, sauntering, so Willow knew he was no coward.
He disappeared from sight. A moment later, a truck door slammed and an engine roared and Logan laid some rubber. Then he was gone.
Darcy was trembling. She knew it was the adrenaline rush, but she wanted it to stop. She wanted to appear calm and sensible to Willow. She knew she’d frightened the girl. Hell, Darcy had frightened herself.
She squatted down in front of the girl. “Willow, my name is Darcy Cotterill. I live in the house on the other side of the hedge.”
Willow was still shaking too hard to speak.
“I’m not some weird voyeur. You can trust me.” Darcy hesitated. “I know your stepfather, Boyz Szweda.”
“Okay,” Willow whispered, still clutching herself tightly and shivering.
Darcy sat down on the grass next to Willow. “This is a very cool spot,” Darcy said. Soft grass beneath an ancient maple, with two of its roots veeing out, the trunk of the tree served as a backrest and concealed them from the view of anyone in the house, while the porch lamp provided enough light for Darcy to see Willow. “I’m a librarian,” she said. That should reassure the girl. Everyone thought librarians were helpful and bossy. “Here, at the Nantucket Atheneum. I live here year-round. So I know all about Logan.”
“Don’t tell my parents. Please. They would totally kill me.”
“I don’t know, Willow. I’ve got to think about that. But let’s go inside. I’ll make hot chocolate and we can talk.”
“Hot chocolate?” Willow drew back, suddenly looking like a normal teenager being offered something truly lame.
“Beats heroin every time.” Darcy stood, held out her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief when the girl took it. She pulled Willow up. “If you don’t want hot chocolate, we can just go in your house and talk for a while.”
Willow hung her head, as if ashamed to admit it: “I like hot chocolate.”
“Good. Let’s go. We can go along this funny path between my hedges and my neighbors’ house—there’s a family there this summer with three little boys.” She held Willow’s hand as they walked. “You might have met them. The Brueckners. They borrowed some milk from me.” Babble, babble, Darcy thought, but it was soothing her to talk and she hoped it was soothing Willow. “I have a cat. Do you like cats? His name is Muffler and he’s extremely vain.”
“I like cats.”
They came out into the narrow street, turned, and went into Darcy’s house.
“Come in the kitchen while I make the hot chocolate. If we’re both in the kitchen, Muffler will get curious and make a guest appearance. Be prepared. He will expect praise for his awesomeness.”
Willow smiled weakly. Darcy felt like she’d won the lottery.
“Sit down.” Darcy went to her cupboards and took out the tin of Hershey’s cocoa and the sugar bowl. She measured two cups of milk into a pan and began to mix the ingredients together.
Willow looked puzzled. “You’re not making Swiss Miss?”