“Not a chance,” Betty said, under her breath.
Fluff held up her badge. “We’re on a mission to retrieve a stolen horse and we have strong reason to believe he’s aboard this ship.”
The man eyed the badge, and then looked her up and down. He glanced over at the rest of them. “Haven’t seen any horses loaded today.”
Daisy felt her heart drop and was ready to turn and leave, when he looked beyond them and said, “Unless these fellas have a horse in that trailer,” nodding to a truck and trailer backing in. The trailer had Sinbad stenciled on the side in red.
All the hairs on Daisy’s neck stood up. She knew that truck anywhere. Black with wooden slats along the flatbed, the truck was a familiar fixture at Montgomery Ranch. Both doors opened, and Johnny Boy stepped out of the driver’s side and a pudgy spectacled man from the passenger’s.
Lei froze. “George? What are you doing here?”
Daisy glanced from Lei to George to Johnny Boy, her mind sticking all the pieces together.
George looked at his wife and the row of uniformed women standing next to her, then toward the entry to the docks, then over at the two guards. For a moment, Daisy thought he was going to make a run for it. Instead, he flushed red and stood there biting his lower lip. The guard asked to see their papers and George fumbled for them in the cab of the truck. The way his shoulders slumped and his hands shook, you could tell he knew he was in for it. Daisy went to the trailer and looked between the slats. “Moon, is that you in there?” The horse let out a loud whinny. She could see ropes going every which way, securing him so he couldn’t move an inch. A big brown eye looked out at her.
“It is you! My big, beautiful boy. We’re going to get you out of here, I promise!”
When she came away, she noticed Archie standing off to the side. He gave her a nod but made no move to get involved, just watching from the periphery, a guardian of sorts. Daisy whispered thank you. She stayed with Moon as the guard looked over the papers. No matter what happened, she was not going to leave his side until he was back at home in Mokul¯¯e‘ia.
“These look to be in order,” the guard said, handing them back to George, who got a smug look on his face.
All five of the girls started talking at once.
“No!”
“They’re fake!”
“This is my horse!”
“You can’t let them get away with this!”
Daisy stood in front of the trailer door with her arms crossed, and Peg joined her. “There is no way you are letting this horse on the ship, Private Logan. I won’t let you.”
Johnny Boy, who had been quiet up until now, said, “These broads have no idea what they’re talking about. This ain’t their horse, and we’re putting him on that ship. He has a ticket.” He glared at Daisy and spit out a hunk of chewing tobacco near her foot. “You going to let a female tell you what to do, Logan?”
Apparently it was the wrong thing to say because Logan raised his rifle. “I don’t like your attitude, cowboy.”
Daisy butted in. “How about we let the horse out and you can see for yourself.”
George coughed loudly. “That’s a bad idea. This is all a big mistake and if you’ll kindly move aside, we can get him loaded. We’re already late.”
Private Logan glanced at his friend, who nodded toward the trailer.
“Open it up,” Logan said.
Johnny Boy didn’t budge.
Lei came and stood next to Daisy and Peg, and said to her husband, “Go on, you heard him, you lying piece of filth.”
When neither Johnny Boy nor George made a move, Daisy took matters into her own hands and unwound the chain and opened the doors. As quickly as she could, she unclipped the hooks that bound Moon into his cell. She kept a hand on him at all times. He tossed his head around, blowing and stomping and making a huge racket. Daisy could see why as soon as she caught sight of the bit, which was too small and too tight. Lei and Betty unlatched the ramp and let it down.
“We’ve got you. Easy, Moon,” Daisy said in a low, steady voice. At the bottom of the ramp, when he saw Johnny Boy, the horse reared up and went wild, pawing at the air and whinnying loudly. Daisy managed to grab the lead and this time held on for dear life. She would be dragged through the docks and through downtown Honolulu if she had to. This horse was not leaving her side.
“It’s over, Moon. We’re going home,” she said.
It took a moment, but he seemed to understand. She ran her hand along his neck. Lord how she’d missed his strong lines and coal-colored coat. Before Moon had vanished, Daisy had taught him numerous cues. As far as horses went, he was a fast learner. She motioned for him to lower his head and spoke softly. “Relax. No need to be afraid anymore.”
Moon responded right away, dropping his neck down and placing his chin in her palm. Daisy risked leaning down and placing her forehead against his, and tenderly kissed his muzzle. He sighed. For a few moments, it was just the two of them. Woman and horse.
“I’ve missed you, my big love,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
When she looked up, Logan and his buddy were restraining Johnny Boy and George. At long last, it was over.
* * *
After the bust, Archie had lingered on the docks and offered to help get Moon home. In anticipation of recovering the stolen horse, he’d brought a trailer from the racetrack. As he and Peg and Daisy made the long drive to Mokul¯e‘ia, Daisy started off elated, but with each mile closer, she began to dread an encounter with Mr. Montgomery. Their lives were inextricably bound, but would he be able to see past his own self-importance?
“Maybe I should have stayed behind and let you two deliver him,” she said.
Peg patted her thigh. “You’re the one responsible for finding Moon. You need to be here.”
“I’m nervous.”
“So am I, but deep down, my father is a good man, Daisy. He wants to make amends, I know he does. He just doesn’t know how. I think it’s been easier for him to sweep it under the rug,” Peg said.
Daisy wanted to ask more, but knew this was between her and Mr. Montgomery.
Archie chimed in. “The problem with that is, eventually the rug falls apart. You might think you’ve outrun it, but there’s no escapin’ da truth. Remember that.”
With all those years under his belt, and lines on his face, Archie commanded a certain respect.
“Yes, sir.”
When they pulled down the dusty drive to the ranch, that old familiar smell of horses and salt reminded her that this was where her heart resided. Lord how she’d missed this place. In the trailer, Moon began a series of loud whinnies and stomped hard on the metal.
Archie chuckled. “The boy knows his place.”
Mr. Montgomery’s car was right where it always was, next to the naupaka hedge, so clean and shiny, you could have eaten dinner right off the hood. A moment later, the stable door opened and he came outside, standing with his hands on his hips and squinting into the late sun. Daisy could hardly swallow.
Archie raised his hand, just barely, and nodded toward the rear. “We got some precious cargo here for you, Hal,” he said out the window as he pulled to a stop.
Mr. Montgomery looked inside the cab, taking in the sight of Daisy and Peg next to each other, and looking a little confused. “What’s this about?” he asked.
Peg climbed out, pulling Daisy along with her. “We got Moon back, Dad! He’s alive and well and we have Daisy to thank for it.”
He frowned. His gaze fell on Daisy. As much as she wanted to turn away and look anywhere else—the ocean, the field, the mountains, she held her ground. “I’d like to get him out of this trailer. He’s been locked up for heaven knows how long,” she finally said.
Mr. Montgomery didn’t say anything, but walked around back and began unfastening the door. They all followed. Hi
s hands shook on the latch, and in that moment, Daisy realized how much the horse meant to him. She felt a stab of guilt. Moon’s ears twitted and he raised his nose in the air as he walked down the ramp, sniffing all the familiar scents. His coat was still black as freshly cooled lava.
Mr. Montgomery held a leathery hand against Moon’s neck. “Well, I’ll be damned. I had all but given up hope. Where was he all this time?”
Peg explained the sequence of events as they led the horse over to the pasture and water trough. Her father’s expression remained hard to read, and Daisy let her do all the talking. When they neared, several of the horses grazing looked up. Nalu, Daisy’s other favorite horse, trotted over and the two began nickering and snorting. Some people said horses easily forget each other, but Daisy knew that to be false. Horses that were close never forgot. They were social beings, just like people.
They watched for a while, and then Peg said, “I’ll leave you two alone. I think you have a few things to discuss.”
Daisy gave Peg a look that said, Don’t leave me! But a part of her knew this had to be done. Moving forward might require going backward in time, to the moment her life had spun off course. Lies and actions needed to be addressed. Mr. Montgomery cleared his throat. His hand went to his waxy mustache, smoothing it down with two fingers. He looked even more uncomfortable than Daisy felt, and moved so he was leaning on the wooden fence, one foot up. Daisy joined him.
They stared out at the horses in an awkward silence, and then he surprised her by speaking first. “You know, I loved your father. He wasn’t just an employee, he was part son, part brother, and he worked five times harder than anyone one else at the ranch. I let him down in the worst possible way. I ruined more than a few lives along the way, and I want you to know that I’m sorry for everything. I know that a bunch of words can’t fix anything, but there you have it.”
A gust of wind swept in from the ocean. Daisy said nothing, and he continued.
“Lying about shooting Billy, well that hole was too big to ever climb out of. You probably don’t remember, but I couldn’t sleep, lost weight.” He shook his head. “Lost my mind, really. I swear to you on a stack of Bibles I did not pull that trigger intentionally, but I was a coward and I worried what it would look like if I told the truth.”
His voice caught and Daisy snuck a glance. Tears streamed down his face. This was a new Hal Montgomery, one she never thought she would see. “But Walker made you?”
“My son is a much better man than I am. He made me come clean. I don’t think I slept a wink until then. But even still, the memory of that day haunts me and it’ll be planted in my mind for the rest of my life. God’s punishment, I suppose. I tried to make up for it by giving you work, but being around you made me think of how badly I had screwed up, and of Billy. And poor Louise alone in that shack. You have all their talents and then some.”
The cadence of his voice reminded her of Walker, a chip off the old block, but one with a conscience. Maybe Mr. Montgomery had one too, somewhere under that thick skin of his, trying to push its way to the surface. None of this was new information, but he was making some sort of effort at an apology. She would give him that.
“As a girl, I always looked up to you and your family. You were the man who made our world go round. We lived and breathed Montgomery ranch. My father loved you, too. Which is why it made it even harder for me to fathom what happened. And then to find out like I did from Thelma, it felt like a bomb dropped directly in my lap. It wasn’t fair,” Daisy said.
He shook his head. “We all thought you knew, that Louise had told you.”
“She never did.”
“Everything she did was to protect you, so don’t be too hard on her.”
It wasn’t her mother she wanted to be hard on. “If you felt so bad, why fire me when it came to losing Moon? You knew I had no other options, and that my livelihood was wrapped up in the ranch. You could have made things better then, but instead you made them so much worse.”
“I’m not proud to say this, but I thought that if you were gone and you two left for the Mainland, maybe it would be easier to forget,” he said, pausing to wipe his cheeks with his plaid shirtsleeve, then huffing. “That was a mistake. I only felt worse. Not only for being a complete asshole, but for losing the best worker I have.”
By now, Daisy’s resolve was slipping. She wanted to sit in the grass and have a good cry and let the ground soak up a lifetime worth of tears.
“One thing I do know is that my boy loves you. And Peg, she cares about you. We all do. I know that sounds like a ridiculous notion coming from me, but it’s the truth. When this whole war blows over, I want to have you back at the ranch,” he said.
Daisy swayed with the weight of his words. Could she ever go back?
He held up a hand. “Don’t give me an answer now. This is a lot for you to chew on, but I want you to know the offer stands. You and Walker can run the place. And you would be the lead trainer, like you should have been long ago. I can’t fix my mistakes, but I can do my damned best to make up for it. I owe it to you and your mother, and to myself.”
There was no way she could go back now. Time would be needed to settle into this new reality. But the war would not be over anytime soon, of that she was sure, and in that time, she would attempt to come to terms with things. Mr. Montgomery was Walker’s family, after all. She would think on it, let the idea simmer and her heart mend.
Lead trainer.
Her dream.
A few days later, Daisy snuck in a box of malasadas to Tripler for Walker and his roommates. “Any word on Johnny Boy and George?” he asked.
The story had come out that Johnny Boy and George knew each other from the racetrack, as both men had a hankering for betting. On the morning of December 7, Johnny Boy had been on his way to church when he saw Moon in a field off to the side of the road, munching on grass. He knew what Moon was worth, and instead of taking him back to the ranch, he hid him away and contacted George. Even as the island was under attack. When brought in for questioning, Johnny Boy claimed he did not recognize the horse, and George blamed Johnny Boy for duping him. Daisy knew better. Both men knew exactly what they were doing.
Daisy sat on his bed with her legs crossed. “They’re awaiting trial. Neither man can make bail, which was set suspiciously high,” she said.
The Montgomerys having clout came in handy sometimes.
“Did you find out what their plan was for Moon?”
“From what I gather, he’d worked out a sweet deal. Deliver Moon to Kentucky and walk away with a pretty penny. JB and he would split the profit, though I doubt he was up-and-up with JB, who is not the sharpest guy around.”
Some races had been shut down on account of the war, but not the Kentucky Derby. Heaven forbid people were not able to drink their mint juleps and wear those big fancy hats. Though Daisy had to admit, it would be a dream to attend one day and see the likes of Seabiscuit or War Admiral. She wondered how Moon would have measured up.
31
THE EXPLANATION
Daisy, this is where I tell you how badly I failed you and that I am ever so sorry. I fell apart and I left you with a heavy burden. Some of us are more fragile than others, and I’m one of those people with a delicate nature. I simply could not take the loss of my Billy. Nothing I say will ever make up for not telling you the truth when I learned it, but maybe this letter will help you understand. And Hal’s son, Walker, did come by one day to tell me the truth. You’d have thought Hal himself would have been man enough, but no. Only his teenage son had the gumption. And trust me, I debated about telling you, but at that point you were already working at the ranch and I knew how much you loved those horses. I didn’t want to take that away from you, too. I knew we needed the money, and I knew I was incapable of scraping what little there was left of me off the floor. I know that words fall short, but sometimes they’re all we
have. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me one day.
Your mother, Louise
32
THE ENDING
Late September 1945
The winds had shifted out of the south, heralding a Kona storm blowing in. Clouds brewed on the horizon, black and ominous, and the ocean kicked up small whitecaps in Pearl Harbor. Daisy, Fluff, Lei and Betty all stood near the dock, arm in arm. Waiting.
Celebrations had been going in earnest for days, now that the war was officially over and surrender documents had been signed aboard the USS Missouri. People were calling it V-J Day—Victory over Japan. Parades and marching bands filled the streets of Honolulu, and Daisy and the girls participated proudly. Lord knew it had taken longer than anyone expected, with years of suffering and brutality, but better late than never. Over four hundred thousand American lives lost and upward of sixty million total. Those numbers were nothing to be proud of. But the relief was palpable. You could taste it in the air.
News had also come of the official disbanding of the WARD organization, since more military personnel would now be available to staff the radar installations and command centers around the islands. Operation Magic Carpet was newly underway, with carriers transporting men home who had been scattered around the Pacific and Southeast Asia. General Danielson, who had been transferred to California, sent a handwritten note to Lei—who was now chief supervisor—when he heard.
In my time, I’ve seen my share of fighter controls. I’m in charge of a handful right now, but you ladies in Honolulu should know that the one at Lizard, manned by the WARD, is in my opinion the best. The war might be over now, thank God for that, but you ladies should take pride in the fact that you were running the best Air Raid Defense system in the world. Hands down. When the threat was greatest, you rose to the occasion. Best wishes to all the girls remaining.
Radar Girls Page 29
