The Stepfather Page #6

Maybe l'm wrong,

but for a while there,

l thought we were

off to a good start.

And now l'm getting the feeling that

somehow we're not on the same page.

l know it can't

happen overnight, Michael.

But for the sake

of the family,

you gotta understand that things

are going to change around here.

lt's not gonna

be like it was,

but hopefully better.

Yeah, l do. l know.

Good.

l just want you to

always be up-front with me.

No lies,

no sneaking around.

Your mom wouldn't like that.

And you need to

win back her trust.

l don't want to see you have

to go back to that school again.

You swore on your life.

Just look at the

police sketches.

Please,

that's all l'm asking.

There is a resemblance. You got to

admit, it kind of looks like him.

You know who this

actually looks like?

It looks like Mr. Rockwell, our

biology teacher from freshman year.

No, you hardly looked at it.

All right. It could be anybody.

Look, this is Grady Edwards.

The police couldn't match his ID.

They couldn't trace any fingerprints.

And there are similarities.

He said he was in sales.

He said he traveled a lot.

They can never find

any pictures of him either,

so l asked Beth

this morning

if she could find any pictures of him

in the house, any pictures of David.

There aren't any because he doesn't like

having his picture taken, apparently.

So what?

Neither do l.

But l swear l didn't kill

that woman and her kids. Okay?

lt doesn't prove anything.

The website was in

the browser history.

He was checking it out.

So what if he was?

Or maybe it was your mom.

Or maybe they both

were because they were

curious about what

Mrs. Cutter said.

l mean, that's what

made you check it out.

All right.

lt's fine.

Just forget about it.

Are we gonna

finish these, Michael?

Hold on one second.

What is it? You just don't want

to go to college with me anymore?

By the way,

l'm screwing Mark Helford.

Hmm?

What?

l'm leaving.

l'm going home.

Call me later.

Or, you know what,

don't actually. l don't

care. Whatever. You know.

Kelly. Kelly, come on.

l'm sorry. God, l didn't

even know you were there.

You scared me, Mr. Harris.

Call me David.

l was just getting myself

a lemonade. Do you want one?

No, that's okay.

Looked like Michael and you

were having a bit of a fight.

No.

lt's nothing, really.

Anything l can

help you with?

No, it's cool.

You sure?

Something seems to

be troubling him.

Maybe the two of us

can help him work it out.

l don't know. It's just...

l don't get it.

He's been such a jerk lately.

lt's called being a guy.

We're all jerks.

That's why you women like us.

We're like projects you take on.

See, Kelly,

young women like you

seem to mature faster.

lt takes boys a little

Ionger to catch up.

You know, you might be a part

of the Harding family one day.

And l'd like you to think of me as

you would the others, as family, too.

Yeah, l do.

l mean, you know, l will.

And if you ever

need anything,

please come to me.

Especially if it

concerns Michael.

Neither of us want to see him

do something stupid, do we?

Something that might get him

sent back to military school.

He won't.

But thank you, Mr. Harris.

David. Call me David.

Hi. l'm not here, l'm there.

Leave a message.

Hey, it's me.

l really want to see you

tonight, so give me a call. Bye.

Sorry it took

so long to get back.

l'll try to call you

in the next few days.

Hope all is well. Dad.

l've tried to reach you

on your phone.

Want to talk to

you about David.

Call me. Jackie.

This is Jay Harding.

Leave a message.

l have to call

you back on that,

but the money sounds like

we're in the ballpark.

We'll talk tomorrow.

All right.

What's up, Michael? You look

like you've seen a ghost.

No, l, um...

l heard a phone ring.

l thought it sounded

like it was coming

from the basement.

You probably just heard mine. l got a

call on a job. l think l'm gonna take it.

Money sounds good.

l won't have to travel much.

Hey, where's the key? David,

where's the key to the basement?

Yeah, l was wondering

that myself.

l needed to get some of my tools

this morning. The key was gone.

Someone took it out

and forgot to put it back.

Forgot to put what back?

Hey, honey.

Hey, guys.

That key to the lock on the

basement door is missing.

l'll call a locksmith

in the morning.

Better yet,

l'll go down to Home Depot

and get a replacement.

That lock was getting old.

l can do the work myself.

By the way,

l think l found a job.

That's fantastic.

Yeah, the pay's good

and very little travel.

l like that.

l thought you would.

Let's celebrate.

Okay.

Maybe you should

get a job this summer.

He's already got one.

He's the lifeguard

at the pool here.

No, no, l'm serious. That way you

could earn money toward getting a car.

You're getting your license.

You're gonna need

a car of your own.

Especially if you're gonna spend

your senior year here in Portland.

Wait, Mom.

Are you serious?

Wait, do you mean that?

Yeah,

l think David's right.

The only way for us to be a proper

family is if you're home with us.

Besides, when you go to college,

you're not going to come back.

- Who wants dessert?

Oh, me. l do.

l'm gonna drop Sean and

Beth off at the Kagans,

'cause they're

gonna spend the night

and then Carrie's mom's gonna

drive them up to camp tomorrow.

Want to ride with me?

l wish l could.

But l need to get back on the

Internet and finalize this job.

Okay. l should only

be a couple hours.

A couple hours. Okay.

Well, have fun,

guys, huh?

Bye.

Bye.

Bye, David.

Susan.

Yeah.

l love you.

l love you, too.

What are your plans

this evening?

Um...

l might go see Kelly.

For how long?

l don't know. Why?

Just be careful.

The news said there's a

big storm headed this way.

lt's gone.

What? The shot l took of him before?

lt's gone. He deleted it and now

there's no pictures of him anywhere.

Well, maybe you deleted it

by accident. No, l didn't...

Have you not been

listening to me?

l thought you said he

didn't see you take it.

Maybe he did or

maybe he's been

checking my phone this

whole time. l don't know.

But he came into my room

when l was in the shower.

He deleted it.

l know he did.

He doesn't want

his picture taken.

That doesn't mean

he's a killer.

The key to the basement

didn't just get lost,

all right.

He's always down there.

He's hiding something.

So what's the weather like?

l'm trying to pack.

All you're gonna need

is a bikini and a smile.

Neither if you

forget the bikini,

because l'll have enough

smile for both of us.

Hold on a sec.

Are you on your cell phone?

Hey. This is Susan.

Leave me a message...

lf you're trying to do some

last-minute business, give it a rest.

You've got a plane to

catch in three hours.

No, l'm trying

to reach Susan.

l think l did

something stupid.

l called Jay and l left a

message that l wanted him

to do a background

check on David.

You think you did

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