Blacke Harbor

He nodded, trying to keep his imagination in check. He squashed a thought of himself thrashing through a hospital room, clearing countertops with a wave of his arm and smashing the furniture against the wall. “Your grandfather said I’ll be staying here on the island with you guys.”

“We have a fully furnished hospital room in the house,” said Catherine. “Everything you would find at a hospital we have here.”

Again Jurgis interrupted, turning around only long enough to make eye contact. “Your privacy is second only to your safety as far as we’re concerned.” He took a gnarled hand off the steering wheel and made a sweeping motion in the air. “We’re the only house on the island and we’re so far out here no one can just drop in without us knowing about it first.”

“No one in town will ever know you were anything more than a summer houseguest,” said Catherine.

Erik squinted to look at the massive stone house that was just coming into view between the mossy tree trunks. He looked at the back of Jurgis’ head and then into the concerned eyes of Catherine. He nodded a small nod to himself, finally understanding why this queer little team chose to live and work out on the isolated island.