Ghost Time

then Mel saw there was something wrong, so she asked, What is it? Nothing, I said, squeezing her hand. But my hand was clammy, and I think she knew. And if she didn’t, a minute later, the bell rang over the door, and Foley walked in. He saw us through the window, I know he did. Knox had his back turned to the door, but he saw my face go pale, and just as he was turning to look, Foley came straight for us, smiling. He goes, Detective Knox, and all I wanted was to throw my body over Mel like a blanket and protect her. But there was nothing I could do, you know, except stare at the table, feeling Foley walk straight over.
    Agent Foley, Knox said. He didn’t offer his hand, he didn’t say anything. Hello, Theadora, Foley said, and Mel still had her back turned, and then Foley bent over to look Melody in theeye, and said, And who is this? I didn’t say anything, and Knox didn’t say anything. At that moment, I think we both wanted to jump Foley and strangle him. This is my daughter, Melody, Knox said, and Foley goes, I didn’t know you had a daughter, Detective Knox. Melody , Foley drawled, sort of singsong. What a beautiful name. And what a beautiful girl, he said, leaning around to face her, and I shuddered. Then Foley did the most vile thing: he took Melody’s right hand and shook it. I swear, I almost stabbed him in the neck with my fork.
    Melody, I almost feel as though we’ve met before, Foley said, eyeing me, meaning the night he went to their house, looking for Knox, and I shook my head. I don’t believe you’ve met my daughter, Knox said, intervening, and Foley said, No, I certainly wouldn’t forget her if I had, acting all suave, and Mel goes, Gag! Foley smiled and said, What’s that? My jaw dropped, and all I could do was look away, staring at the table, trying to breathe. Mel picked up on it, too, because she said, Thee, can he hear me? She was thinking out loud, in my head, and Foley touched her arm, standing up again. He did—I swear Foley heard Mel, speaking, and it was all I could do to sit there, clenching my fists beneath the table.
    Have you two been friends a long time? Foley asked me, and I couldn’t even find my voice to answer. We were just giving Thea a ride home, Knox said. It’s been a difficult week, he said, reaching for Mel’s arm and telling Foley to back away from his daughter. I imagine so, yes, Foley said, still looking at me. Well, nice to see you all, I just came in for the coffee. Really, who has better coffee than Silver Top? Good-bye, Melody, Foley said, leaning aroundher chair again, looking her in the eye. Such a pleasure to meet you. Theadora, he said, and then he stepped away, taking all the oxygen in my lungs with him.
    Neither one of us said anything, Knox or me, and then Mel goes, Who the hell was that? Long story, I said, and then she convulsed, her whole body. We thought the same thing, Knox and I, and then she goes, Disgusting , like practically hissing. I started laughing, and then, I lost it. Because Foley is so disgusting, and I almost fell out of the booth, I started laughing so hard. And then Melody said, Is that the one, Dad? Is that the guy? Without even thinking, I raised my right hand, speaking for her, and I said, Is that the one, Dad? Is that the guy? And then I realized what I’d done, talking loud enough for anyone to hear. Automatically, I turned to see if Foley had heard, and he was sitting there, at the counter, looking at us. The way he was looking at us, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he knew exactly what was going on. Shall we, ladies? Knox said, squeezing out of the booth, taking out his wallet.
    No one really had anything to say the whole way back to my house. We took the back road, because it was quieter, and I could still slip in and out of my building easier. When Knox pulled over, I started to get out, and then I stopped. I need to tell you something, I said, and Knox sighed a sigh I’d never heard, like an I’m not getting out of this, am I? sigh. So I just came out with it: Foley has my medical records, I said. How do you know? Knox said, frowning. I just know he does, I said, and Knox shook his head and he goes, Are you sick? I couldn’t help smiling, and I said, Sometimes. My stomach was all twisted, so I just spit it out:I was in a hospital for a few months. Psych ward, I said, and all I could think was, He’s never going to let me see Mel again; he’s never going to believe me… But Knox didn’t say anything