Water Town

by Laurel Veil

  “Have you had breakfast yet?” I asked. “I can fix you something. Scrambled eggs and toast?”

  “That’d be real nice.”

  “Would you like me to turn on your phonograph?” asked Toni.

  “Oh, yes.”

  In no time, I had breakfast ready and Toni helped Miss Betty come to the table.

  “That coffee smells wonderful,” Miss Betty said as she buttered her toast.

  We chatted in between bites and then Miss Betty cleared the elephant from the room. “So, I reckon you told Toni here what we talked about yesterday.”

  “I did,” I said.

  “So you’re up to speed?” Miss Betty asked Toni.

  “Yes, ma’am. And I want to tell you something now.”

  I stared at Toni without blinking, not sure what she was about to say.

  “What’s that?” asked Betty.

  “Ronnie and I went to Thorton Mansion last night.”

  Miss Betty’s eyes went big. “You did?” She set her fork down. “Why?”

  Toni shrugged. “Cause, I wanted to see what the man who upset my friend looked like in case I needed to kick his butt later.”

  Miss Betty was quiet for a moment. I held my breath until she started laughing, and then we all laughed together.

  “You girls shouldn’t have done that, though.” Miss Betty was serious now.

  “Why is that, Miss Betty?” Toni asked.

  “Because it’s dangerous. He’s dangerous.” She leaned in and whispered, “He’s a killer.”

  Toni shot me a look and I swallowed the lump that was rising in my throat.

  “What do you mean? Who did he kill?” I asked.

  Miss Betty was quiet now, consumed by her thoughts. Her eyes seemed a little teary as she began to tell her story.

  “I’ve never told a soul what I’m about to say.” Her hand trembled as it rested on the table. Toni and I noticed at the same time, both reaching out and placing our hands on hers for a moment. She took a deep breath and then let it go.

  “I reckon I had been at the orphanage for a couple years when Mr. Thorton showed up. Miss Percible—I called her Miss Annie—had caught pneumonia and died, and he was going to take over running things. Miss Annie was a nice lady. I liked her and I still miss her.” Betty took a sip of coffee before continuing. “He seemed pleasant—at first. But after a while, he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight and tall. It was so bad, I kept my hair down because I thought everyone could see it. I felt like a porcupine most of the time when he was around.”

  “What made you feel that way?” I asked.

  “It wasn’t so much what he said, but what I saw him doing. He was always touching the girls. Hugging them and patting them on their shoulders and back. That didn’t seem so bad at first, but the way I would catch him looking at them—well, it just wasn’t right. It was like his eyes changed. Like someone or something else was looking through them.” She shook her head. “It was evil.”

  My stomach twisted when Toni said, “I know that look.”

  Miss Betty turned to Toni. “You do?”

  Toni nodded. “Yes ma’am, I’ve seen it. Unfortunately.” She brushed at the corner of her eye with the tip of her finger. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted you to know I understood. Please, go on.”

  “Well, it was around that time I got in trouble for not tending to my chores very well.”

  “Why was that?” I asked.

  “I was tired. I wasn’t getting much sleep at night.”

  “Why?” asked Toni.

  “I saw Mr. Thorton come into our room one night. He didn’t know I was awake, though, and I watched him walk over to Emily’s bed. He always watched Emily during the day. He watched her the most. I knew it wasn’t right for him to be there. I was afraid, but I got brave and sat bolt upright in bed and asked him what he was doing.”

  “You did?” Toni and I said at the same time, in awe.

  “I did. And I scared him. I know I did because he jumped. He told me he was just checking on everyone and told me to go to sleep. He left, but I couldn’t sleep. That’s when I started walking the halls at night to make sure he didn’t go into anyone else’s room.”

  “Did he?” I asked.

  “He tried to. I stopped him. He hated me at that point. He told me I was making stuff up because I was a liar and just jealous of the others. He told me if I didn’t mind my own business, he would have me sent to an asylum.” Betty choked up. “I knew what that meant. Daddy took me to one once. If Miss Annie hadn’t taken me in at the orphanage, that’s where I would’ve been. It was kind of pretty on the outside, like a castle. But the inside—” She tried to shake the memory away. “It was terrible. I was so afraid of being sent there.”

  “Oh, Miss Betty,” said Toni. “I’m so sorry you didn’t have anyone you could turn to for help.”

  “Did your dad and his wife, Clara, ever check on you?” I asked.

  “I haven’t seen or talked to my dad since the day he dropped me off. No letters or cards even. I guess I wasn’t surprised. He never even told me bye that day.” A couple tears escaped her troubled eyes—mine and Toni’s too.

  “I was glad when the girls got old enough they got to leave. But then… that terrible day happened.” Betty placed her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands for a moment. “One day I went for a walk. I did it all the time, but this time, I don’t know… something just told me to go a little farther than I normally did. The wind kicked up and it got dark. A storm was getting ready to blow in on the island. I started to feel afraid and thought about turning back when a beautiful red bird landed on a limb, only a few feet from me. Oh, he was so beautiful. He was the reddest cardinal I had ever seen. He looked right at me and chirped, like he was talking to me. He flapped his wings and then hopped to another limb, then looked back at me and chirped some more. Even though I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, I wasn’t afraid anymore and I followed him.”

  Betty went to take another sip of coffee and found her cup empty. I filled it with the carafe that was sitting on the table. Steam rose, lifting the pleasant aroma into the air.

  “Thank you,” she said, and took a sip. The delicate china cup clinked against the saucer when she set it back down. “So, I continued to follow him as he went from branch to branch. When he finally stopped, he really went nuts, sounding like a mama bird protecting her nest. I stepped closer and that’s when I realized the branch he was on was blocking a small hole in the side of a hill. I pushed some of the limbs to the side and kneeled. It was a small cave. I looked inside, and that’s when I saw them.”

  “What?” Toni and I asked at the same time.

  “The bodies.”

  Lightning flashed and lit up the window. A clap of thunder followed and Toni and I jumped.

  “They were covered by dirt and rocks, but not completely. Two long heaps. I wasn’t sure who they were at first; there wasn’t much left of them. Their bones were draped in the coats we wore at the orphanage, so I knew I had to know them. My stomach hurt so bad. I looked around, and that’s when I saw the suitcases. I opened the first one. It had Emily’s things. I recognized Benny right away.”

  “Benny?” said Toni.

  “Her teddy bear. I crawled over, closer to the bodies, and saw the silver heart-shaped locket hanging around the neck of one of them. I knew then that was Emily. Poor Benny. The other girl was Katy. They were both so pretty. Someone would have married them. They would have had lots of beautiful children. They would have been nice mamas.”

  “This is so sad,” I said.

  “Yeah,” said Toni. “It’s terrible. But how did you know it was Mr. Thorton who killed them?”

  “Mr. Thorton was the one who drove Emily to the bus station. And he took Katy to the train station.”

  “Did you tell anyone?” I asked.

  “No. Because when I tried to tell Miss Mary, a teacher, how Mr. Thorton used to look at Emily, she told m
e I was wrong and that I should be ashamed of myself. She said Mr. Thorton was a good man and that if it wasn’t for him and his family, I wouldn’t have a place to live. She used to look at Mr. Thorton the way Mr. Thorton looked at Emily. She was so mad at me, I never mentioned it again.

  “After I found the bodies of Emily and Katy, I kept an even closer eye on Mr. Thorton. Other boys and girls left the orphanage on their own when they got old enough to. But when it was time for pretty Susan to go, Mr. Thorton insisted he would take her to the train himself since he had business in town anyway.”

  Toni gasped.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Just before dark, I hid in the bed of his truck under some stuff he always hauled around. It felt like forever, but he finally tossed her suitcase in the back and I heard the doors slam. The orphanage was no sooner out of sight than he slowed the truck down. It was almost dark when he pulled off into the brush. I could hear a commotion in the cab of the truck, and then Susan jumped out. She was upset and tried to run, but Mr. Thorton was faster. He wrestled her to the ground. I slipped out of the truck and picked up the biggest rock I could find. I held it up with both hands and slammed it against the backside of his head.

  “Susan’s eyes were so big. She looked so scared and so surprised to see me. She tried to slide out from under him, but he started moving again. She screamed and then managed to get free. She took the rock from me and finished him off.

  “After that, we just stood there staring at each other. Finally, she started to shake and cry. She said all she wanted to do was get as far away from there as she could. That was all she ever wanted and she didn’t want anything stopping her. I told her there wouldn’t be any trouble, that this would be our secret. I didn’t want to go to jail or to an asylum either.

  “She grabbed Mr. Thorton’s feet and I got his arms. He was heavy, but we were so scared it made us strong, and we carried him into the cave. It was so dark at that point, she didn’t notice the other bodies. I’m glad, because she was already upset enough. I think she would’ve lost it and she needed to get out of there.

  “Susan thanked me and then said she would take Mr. Thorton’s truck to the station and board her train. She said it would probably be days before anyone noticed it. If anyone asked her about it, she would just say she didn’t know where he was and hopefully they would assume he hopped a train to somewhere too. And as it turned out, she was right. That’s exactly what happened.”

  “Did you ever hear from Susan again?” Toni asked.

  “Only once. She sent me a letter about a year later. She’d gotten married and purchased this house for me so I would have a place to live when I got too old for the orphanage.” Miss Betty had a look of admiration as her eyes moved around her kitchen. “It was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me. I love this little house. It’s been a good place to live. Most all the friends I made over the years—my neighbors—have since passed, but I’ve had a happy life here. And I don’t know where I’d be right now if she hadn’t looked out for me.”

  “I don’t think you have anything to be afraid of, Miss Betty. Ronnie and I won’t tell and besides, you saved Susan and no telling how many other lives.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “You’re a hero.”

  Betty looked down sheepishly. “Well, I don’t know about that. And one thing’s for sure—he doesn’t think so. Why else would he be back?”

  “I think the man you saw is Mr. Thorton’s relative Edmond. He lives in the mansion now,” I said.

  “Yeah, relatives can look a lot alike,” said Toni.

  “The man I saw isn’t flesh and blood like us,” said Betty. The thunder rumbled. “He’s been to my house. I’ve watched him pass through the walls. I’ve seen him standing in my garden.”

  I could feel Toni looking at me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Miss Betty. I couldn’t help but wonder if the man—the ghost—she was referring to was the same one I’d seen all those years ago at Thorton Mansion.

  “I know I’m not going to be alive a whole lot longer. I’m old and I’ve been sick. The doctor has even told me to get my affairs in order while I still can.”

  I felt my mouth tremble.

  “Don’t be sad. I will get to be with my mama again, and I can’t wait for that.” Betty smiled for a moment at the thought of seeing her mom. “It’s for this reason though, I had to do something. You girls helped and don’t even know it.”

  I looked at Toni.

  “I decided that before leaving this earth, I needed to give the girls a proper burial of some kind.” She pointed to the garden. “After you two dug the holes, I buried their things. I think the rose bushes are prettier than any old tombstone I’ve ever seen.”

  “I think you’re right,” said Toni.

  “You said you’d found two girls, Emily and Katy.” I motioned with my head to the garden. “There are eight rose bushes. Were there more girls?” I asked.

  “I didn’t find no more bodies, but I found their suitcases further down in the cave.” Betty lowered her voice. “I saw on the news the other night that they found some bodies at the orphanage, though. I bet that’s them.”

  Toni and I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and helped with a few things around the house. Before leaving, I opened a large can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and poured it into a crockpot so it would stay warm. Toni placed some bowls conveniently next to the crock pot so Betty wouldn’t have to reach up into the cabinets later.

  “Thank you, girls.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Toni.

  “We have to go to Fins now,” I said. “But call if you need anything.”

  Toni and I got into the Jeep and headed toward the boardwalk. “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “With this new information we have—what are we going to do with it?”

  “You mean like tell your uncle—the cops?”

  “I guess. That’s what you’re supposed to do when you find out someone killed someone, right?”

  “Why should we? I mean—what good would it do? It’s not like Miss Betty’s going to hurt anyone else. She’s an old woman. And besides, that bastard deserved it.”

  “There’s no telling how many lives she saved,” I said.

  “Right?”

  “You know, I wasn’t going to tell anyone. I just felt like we needed to have this conversation.”

  “Like you needed to justify our secrecy?” Toni said.

  “Exactly.”

  ***

  Just before our shift ended at Fins, Toni walked up next to me and said in a low voice, “You wanna go see if we can find it?”

  I scrunched my brows together. “Find what?”

  “The cave.”

  My scalp prickled. “But I thought we agreed to keep her secret? Finding it could jeopardize that.”

  “I know, you’re right. It’s just I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  I sighed.

  “What?” said Toni. “You too?”

  “Yes. It’s all I can think about. And it’s not like I don’t believe her and I want proof. It’s actually the opposite. I do believe her. I don’t want to go—I’m afraid. But something is gnawing at me to go, and it won’t stop.”

  22.

  The Cave

  I missed seeing Dane at Fins that night, but it was probably for the best. He might have wanted to go out afterward, and Toni and I had plans now. We decided that though it might be spookier to look for the cave at night, going in the daylight could get us busted.

  I parked in the same spot as last time.

  “I know this was my idea, so I really hope we don’t regret it,” said Toni.

  “Me too.”

  We got out of the Jeep, and I held a flashlight as we walked the same path we had the other night.

  After a while Toni asked, “I mean, I know I haven’t lived here that long, but are there even caves on the island?”

  “I guess
we’re about to find out.”

  “It was less scary when Dane and Jimmy were with us, huh?”

  “Definitely,” I agreed.

  I could feel my heart begin to race as we approached the enormous dark silhouette of the orphanage. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until we were past it and I exhaled.

  We walked along the road that ran in front of the gigantic building. The weeds that reached for our legs from the edges told me it was hardly ever traveled, if at all. The limbs that formed the canopy overhead would’ve scraped the roof of even a not-so-tall vehicle. They were heavy with leaves and blocked most of the moon’s light.