“For one thing, he wouldn’t say a word about where he came from. He just said he’s looking for family.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing on the surface, but it’s what’s under the surface that worries me.”

“I think you’re worrying for nothing.”

“There was another very weird thing, Lyd. We were chitchatting. I told him he had to try all the island cuisine while he’s here, you know just trying to be friendly. And I started listing my favorite places. And then—I don’t even know why I said it—I told him he should try the Quahog Pit.”

“The Pit? They closed ten years ago.”

“Yeah, but I told him he couldn’t miss it. And he said, Just look for the giant quahog, right?”

“That sign’s been down for ages,” Kim said.

“Righto,” Eddie said. “So how did he know about it?”

“Was he joking?” I said. “Like just guessing that someplace called the Quahog Pit would have a giant quahog out front?”

“It didn’t sound like he was joking. Or guessing. It seemed like he knew the place.”

“Well, that doesn’t make any sense. Unless Lucas told him about it.”

“Can I ask you a question...?” Eddie hesitated. “I don’t want to offend you or anything. This isn’t something I would have thought of normally, but Kim and I were talking last night—”

“We were,” she said.

“About Lucas, and if you guys ever, you know, had him looked at.”

I felt instantly deflated. “You’re wondering if he’s crazy?”

“No, shut up. I wouldn’t say that. I just know he has some challenges...”

“There’s a whole history,” I said, a little sharply. “We have had him looked at, if you really want to know.”

“I didn’t mean to say it like that,” he said.

“Things just come out wrong for Eddie,” Kim said. “It happens all the time.”

“It’s just anxiety,” I said. “Like in social situations. The same thing a million other people have. For Lucas it’s just really intense. My mom—well, you knew my mom—she was adamantly against medication of any kind. My dad was always pushing to get, you know, a psychiatrist to help him. With his shyness. Do you remember my dad?”

“Of course. Who didn’t love your dad?”

I looked at him. “You loved my dad?” I said. “How did you even know him?”

“You’re kidding, right? He was our Scout leader.”

I looked at him blankly.

“Boy Scouts?” he said.

“My dad?” I said.

“For like three years. The whole troop loved him.”

“How did I not know this?”

He shrugged. “Well, it was for boys, so you wouldn’t have been there. And Lucas never wanted to do—”

“No, he wouldn’t have.”

“Don’t you remember at his funeral?” Eddie said. “We were all there.”

“I thought you were just being neighborly or something.”