Ghost Not Forgotten

XXI: Now

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As I rang the doorbell, I wondered if I was in real danger.

I guess, in theory, I was walking into the lion's den. After all, Stanley had told Bennet he would hurt me if Bennet ever came back to town. Well, now Bennet was in town, Stanley knew it, and I was walking right up to him. Was I stepping into a trap?

But this wasn't just any house and this wasn't just any man. I had been here thousands of times over my lifetime, and, since Bennet left, I had been alone with Stanley too many times to count. Never once did he threaten me or make me feel unsafe. Why would today be any different?

And anyway, if Stanley was suspicious of Bennet telling me everything, then me coming to him like this should give him some doubts. If I knew what kind of monster Stanley was, if I knew my life was in danger because Bennet was back in town, why would I come for a visit like normal? All alone and vulnerable?

I hoped I could play the ignorant role well; I had never been much of an actress.

When Stanley ripped open the door with a big laugh, I felt my stomach jitter. As he raised his arms, outstretched, I looked at all his wrinkles, his big watery brown eyes, his shoulders hunched forward with age and it made it all so much harder.

How could I believe any of what Bennet told me? How could this little old man do anything wrong?

And how could I lie to my Stanley?

Stanley may have fooled the town for the better half of a century and torn Bennet and me apart in the process, but it was still hard to want to make him pay.

"Well there's my pumpkin!" Stanley said, hobbling his way through the screen door to hug me.

I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his round belly push into my flat one and all I wanted to do was lay my face in his shoulder and cry, asking him why. Why him? Why did it have to be this way?

Why did he do this?

"Hey Stanley, ya old coot," I said, not putting my face in his shoulder, but pushing a big kiss to his wrinkly cheek. Then I pulled back, smiling away and putting on a good act of being eaten with excitement to see him. "Lookin' good! Still runnin' 50 miles a day?"

"Up to 60 now." Stanley smiled. Judging by the mess in his hair and the puffiness of his eyes, I figured I had woken him up from a nap. The man woke up at 4 every morning then took a nap at 6:30. I always figured I would get it when I was old.

"What did you bring me?" Stanley said, eyeing the bag of cookies in my hand and giving me a sly grin.

I knew that any other time I would have giggled and played along. I couldn't get any giggle going, so did the next best thing and played along.

"I brought Ginger Snaps as a welcome home present," I said. "Though you hardly deserve such things, abandonin' me in my time of need and all."

I was relieved when he laughed again, taking the cookies when I offered them and then standing to the side of his door and motioning in.

"Well, come on in, darlin'," he said. "You can catch me up on all the gossip I haven't heard from Della yet, which isn't much, but you never know. I want to hear your side anyway."

My stomach twisted, wondering if he knew everything somehow. Did someone see Bennet's car parked at my house? Had word spread? It was hard to tell. Stanley was acting how he usually acted.

Then again, so was I. Were we both playing each other?

As I walked into his living room, there was a sound – a bang – outside, but it was far away and sounded like someone's front gate slamming shut. I thought nothing of it.