The Marked One

“I know that man,” Ruth Bell said from the doorway. Nobody had heard her come in. She held a ring of keys and looked as if she had finally decided something. “Or I knew him thirty years ago. He wasn’t a cop. He wasn’t an engineer. And he wasn’t ever listed as a town resident. He was the only person who walked out of the tower after that accident, and then everybody forgot him.” “Name?” Jessa asked. Ruth closed her eyes. “Silas Venn.” The room seemed to tighten around the name. Dale’s face changed instantly, like someone had just pointed to a scar he had buried deep. “No,” he said, too fast. “Why not?” Mara asked. Dale didn’t answer. His fingers were shaking now, hard enough that his knuckles went white.