Deep Betrayal

story, Dad.”
    He stared straight ahead at the motel swimming pool, and I could guess where his thoughts were going.
    Dad opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again and asked, “If I dove into that pool, would I turn into a mermaid?”
    “Mer man ,” Calder said, coming up behind me.
    I spun around in my chair.
    “And you don’t want to do that in chlorine. It’s a nasty business.”

7
NEGOTIATION
    “Y ou!” Dad exclaimed, rising from his chair. He recoiled in disgust, and a vein popped down the center of his forehead. “What are you doing here?” Dad threw out an arm as if to shield me from Calder, and the other father at the pool gathered his children closer to his lounge chair.
    “I’m here to help Lily,” Calder said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
    “Help,” Dad sneered. “You weren’t much help when she was nearly drowned by that … that …” It looked like it was going to be a long time before Dad was comfortable with the word.
    Calder ground his teeth and looked sideways at me. If that look was meant to remind me that he thought this conversation was a bad idea, and that he wasn’t pleased about being dragged into it, well, yeah, I figured that much out for myself, thank you.
    “I know how you feel about me, Mr. Hancock,” Calder said. “You don’t have to like me, but you do have to believe Lily.”
    When I turned to Dad to see his reaction, it looked as if he was trying to grind his knuckles into his forehead.
    “And,” Calder added, “I would be negligent if I didn’t explain the rest before setting you loose on the world.”
    “No,” Dad said, backtracking on whatever progress I’d made with him. “You can’t expect me to believe any of this.”
    “I do, and you will,” Calder said, dropping his voice lower. “You owe it to your daughter for what she did for you last month.”
    Dad’s face paled. He didn’t look at me when he said, “Do me a favor, Lil. Go to the lobby. Get me a coffee.”
    Calder nodded at me and I stood up reluctantly, leaving them alone by the pool.
    The shabby motel lobby featured several outdated arcade games and an electric fireplace. Beside the check-in counter there was a low table with a grimy coffeemaker and a stack of Styrofoam cups. I filled one and stirred in powdered cream before hustling back to the pool. I didn’t want to miss anything.
    One of the little water-winged kids ran in front of me, and I had to stop short. Half the coffee sloshed onto the concrete deck, not to mention burning my wrist.
    When I got back to the table, Dad had his fingers laced behind his neck and his head bent low over his knees. I could tell by his posture that he was done being angry and the truth had finally settled in.
    Calder was already into his lesson. I pulled in close, irritated that he’d started without me. I set the coffee down in front of Dad, but he never touched it.
    “Ideally, you’d stay here,” Calder said.
    “But I have a job. I can’t lose my job.”
    Calder nodded. “I understand obligations. If you have to go back, there’s no reason you can’t teach in the fall. When you feel the need to swim, do it as soon as it’s practical.”
    “Practical,” Dad said, repeating the word like it was a bad joke. “What about this winter?”
    “You’ll start to dry out. More than before. More quickly, too. But you do have some options. After the channel between Madeline Island and the mainland freezes, get wet however you can, whenever you can. A tub. A sink. It’s only a temporary fix, but no one will think anything of it. And then it’ll be spring again. Trust me.”
    Trusting Calder looked like something my dad was going to struggle with for a while. “What about your sisters?” Dad asked, sitting up.
    “ Your sisters,” corrected Calder. “I’m not blood related to any of you. And you’re right—Maris and Pavati are going to be a problem. See, they think Lily is dead.”
    Dad turned a strange shade of green. I started to protest, but Calder gave me a look that silenced me.
    Dad pulled his chair in closer. “What does any of this have to do with Lily?”
    “If they discover Lily is alive, they’ll still need retribution for our mother’s death. For all I know, they’ll want two lives. One for Mother. One for Tallulah. The only thing I can predict is that they’ll be unpredictable.”
    “Lily, if you’re in any danger, I’m afraid Calder is right,” Dad said. “You’re going to