Shadow in Serenity

by Terri Blackstock

  “We’ve even got a name for the park,” Cecil said. “Thunder Road.”

  “Thunder Road? Don’t you think that’s a little silly?”

  Logan laughed. “Hey, if he’s willing to invest millions of dollars, we’ll name it anything he wants.”

  “And he really suggested Thunder Road?”

  “Well … no,” Logan said. “Actually, that was sort of my idea. I haven’t run it by him yet. But he’s ninety percent committed, and I’m giving Serenity a few more days to invest. It’s not too late to throw some in, Carny.”

  “I don’t think so, Brisco. How do you know Roland Thunder?”

  “I don’t know him,” he said. “One of my investors, a bank down near Houston, does business with him, and he was looking for some new ventures. It was actually his idea. He got the idea from Dollywood. My investor decided to hook him up with us.”

  “So, do you have a contract?”

  Undaunted, he shook his head. “Nope. None of this is a done deal. It all depends on my getting enough enthusiasm here to convince my employers and bigger investors that Serenity’s the place to build it. Thunder can’t sign anything until they know for sure there’s going to be a park.”

  It all sounded so pat, so logical, yet there wasn’t anything anywhere that could be verified as authentic — it was all based on Logan’s word. Logan had just appeared here out of nowhere, his company had never returned Carny’s calls to verify his employment, and no one in Serenity knew yet who the major investors were. Meanwhile, this man was taking money from her friends like there was no tomorrow.

  “What if it all falls through?” she asked. “Do the investors really get their money back?”

  “Of course.”

  “With interest?”

  He laughed. “No, not with interest. It’s a risk, and I’ve told everybody that. They won’t lose their money, but if the park falls through, they won’t make any, either.”

  To Carny’s disappointment, this wasn’t the same man she had seen, ruffled and vulnerable, in his motel room last night. He was on stage now, all charm and salesmanship, the man with all the answers.

  “You sure you don’t want to come in with us, Carny?” Cecil asked. “You stand to gain more than any of us in Serenity. You’ll have to expand the airport, and you could make a killing.”

  “Not interested,” she said, going to the door. “I didn’t come to Serenity to get rich.”

  “Well no, but wouldn’t it be nice if you did?”

  “It’s kind of a moot point, isn’t it, Brisco?” she asked over her shoulder as she left the barbershop. And she knew, even as she walked away, that he watched her.

  Driving home, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he had almost counted her among his marks. He had almost persuaded her, yesterday, that he was legitimate. He had almost made her think he was an honest man.

  But he’d had on his con man mask today, that charismatic smile that hid the poison. She really didn’t know much about him, despite her research. And all she’d learned last night was that he’d met a man when he was fourteen …

  Montague! That was the man’s name. And his last name … Montague … Montague Shelton! When his guard was down, when he hadn’t been covering up or putting on, when he’d only been himself, he’d revealed that name. Quickly, she turned her truck around and revved it, heading for the sheriff’s office to dig a little deeper into Logan Brisco’s past.

  Joey Malone was Carny’s primary connection at the sheriff’s office, though she knew everyone there. Two of the six deputies had been past suitors whom she had finally shaken off, politely but firmly. Joey was the only survivor among them, and he was clearly pleased that she had decided to pay him a visit.

  “I need a favor,” she said, when he’d bought her a Coke from the machine and offered her a seat at his desk. “I know you can help me.”

  He smiled. “I’ll do anything you ask, Carny, you know that. Unless it’s illegal.”

  “No, it’s not,” she said. “I want you to run a name through your computers. See if he has a record, any arrests, anything you could tell me.”

  “I can do that,” he said. “Who is it?”

  “Montague Shelton,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s his real name. Would his aliases be registered?”

  “Maybe, if the FBI or somebody ever had reason to investigate him. What’s the deal? Is he one of your dad’s carnies?”

  “No, no,” she said quickly. “This has nothing to do with my father. Actually, it’s a long story.”

  Joey punched a few keys on his computer. “Let’s see,” he said, waiting for it to come up. “Montague Shelton …”

  In a moment, the screen filled with data, and Joey stared at it, fascinated. “Wow. Look at that. Had charges under three aliases, plus his real name. Maurice Hinton, Shelton Ainsworth, and Sidney Moore. Died sixteen years ago.”

  She stood behind Joey and scanned the screen. “Are those arrests?”

  “Yeah,” Joey said, moving the cursor down. “Had one conviction in 1983 for mail fraud. Served six months.”

  “Mail fraud,” she repeated. “That’s a con artist’s crime, huh?”

  “Could be. Another conviction in 1985, for passing counterfeit checks. Only served three months that time.”

  Both of those convictions would have been before he had taken Logan in. “Does it say anything about a partner?” she asked. “Any accessories to his crimes?”

  He scanned the rest of the report and shook his head. “No, nothing. There is something else here, though. Apparently, between the time he got out of prison the last time and the time he died, there were twenty-four warrants out for his arrest.”

  “Twenty-four?” she asked. “Where?”

  “All over the states,” he said. “The charges range from theft by swindle to counterfeiting. Looks like he managed to evade the authorities until he died.”

  For some reason she couldn’t name, Carny felt as if a fist had just punched through her stomach. Those were the years when Logan would have been with Shelton. And if Shelton had been involved in swindling, then Logan had been a part of it too.

  And that meant she wasn’t wrong about him.

  “Are you sure there’s no mention of anyone else in these arrest warrants?” she asked. “Maybe even a child? A teenage boy?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “The FBI file might have something a little more detailed.”

  “Joey, could you get that?” she asked. “It’s real important.”

  He frowned. “Why? Who is this guy?”

  She sighed and glanced around, making sure no one overheard them. “I think he was someone real close to Logan. In fact, he might have been his mentor. If I’m right, that gives us a big clue to Logan’s credibility. Please, Joey. Can you do this for me?”

  He sat back in his chair and stared at Carny. “I’ll do my best, but I should tell you. I ran a check on Logan myself, just because you were so upset about him at the meeting. Turns out, he has no priors. None at all.”

  “That only means he’s never been caught,” she said, getting to her feet. “And that may not be his real name. Call me when you get the file, Joey. And try to hurry. Serenity might be running out of time. If he leaves and takes all that money with him, we might never be able to find him again.”

  “You’re assuming an awful lot, Carny.”

  She looked at him sharply. “Are you going to help me or not?”

  “Yeah, I’ll help you,” he said. “Just don’t get your hopes up. And I gotta tell you, I hope to God you’re wrong. My dad just cashed in his IRA and invested it with Brisco. And my uncle’s taking out a second mortgage on his house.”

  Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Why is everyone so stupid?”

  “Because they want it to be true. It would be such a good thing for Serenity if he can do what he says he can.”

  twenty

  Logan wished that this whole thing wasn’t a scam. As he stood in the assembly hall of the elem
entary school and looked out at the bright, clean, hopeful faces of those children who expected him to change their world into something magical, he hated himself. Serenity already had magic, but he’d made them long for more. When the principal had asked him to come talk to the children again about the school project related to the park, he’d almost said no. But he had to commit. Either he would see this scam through, or he would take off. Since he wasn’t ready to go, he made himself accept the invitation.

  “So what I’m proposing,” he went on, standing and pacing across the stage with Jack close on his heels, “is that you children help me by drawing pictures, writing down ideas, brainstorming, if you will, until you come up with wonderful, outrageous ideas of the kinds of rides you’d like to see in the park. We’re going for originality, and the more fantastic the better.”

  He saw Jason’s hand go up in the middle of the auditorium. “Yes, Jason,” he said.

  Jason smiled, puffed up with pride that Logan knew him by name. “Do you want the rides to have something to do with Roland Thunder?”

  “They can,” he said, “but they don’t have to. I’m looking for ideas that we can develop, things that no one else has, that will draw people from all over to our park.”

  Another hand went up. “Yes?”

  “What if a kid wants to invest?”

  Logan hesitated. “Well, now, every little bit helps, sure, but I think ideas are more what I’m trying to get from you.”

  “But if we have some money, and we give it to you, would we be partners too?”

  “I’d only take your money if your parents let me know they’re okay with it,” he said. “But yes, everybody who invests is a partner.”

  “And would we get free passes?”

  “Every one of you who comes up with an idea that we use will get free passes,” he said. “I guarantee it. You don’t have to give me your allowance.”

  “But we can if we want?” someone else asked. “And then, when the park starts making lots of money, we’ll make money too, won’t we?”

  “Theoretically, yes,” Logan said, “but like I told you, I’d rather have your ideas.”

  The bell rang, saving him from any more questions about investments, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the children were dismissed. He shook the principal’s hand and thanked him for allowing him to come again. Then he felt someone tap his side.

  Jason stood behind him, his eyes wide and admiring, and when Logan stooped down to the child’s eye level, Jason said, “That was good, Logan. And I have lots of ideas.”

  “That’s great, Jason,” he said, “but you know, it’s too bad we can’t reproduce your fishing hole and offer it as a part of the park. That was the most fun I’ve had in years.”

  “We can go again! How about today?”

  “Isn’t your mom expecting you home?”

  “No,” he said. “I’m going home with Nathan today, because she had a couple of flights she had to make. You could come over, and we could all three go!”

  He straightened and watched the children dispersing from the auditorium. He really had no reason not to go with Jason. He had nothing to do until the children went home and worked on their parents. Tomorrow was the day he expected to sweep up and prepare for his getaway. Between the enthusiasm of the kids and adding Thunder’s name to the park, very few citizens would be able to resist.

  “Besides, you told me you could help me with my math. I’m having a little trouble with my addition. I could bring my book, and we could work on it while we fish.”

  Logan smiled. This kid might have a future as a con artist. That persuasive nature must run in the family. “All right,” he said finally. “Let me go change, and Jack and I’ll meet you at Nathan’s in half an hour. How does that sound?”

  “Great!” Jason said, jumping down from the stage and heading out of the auditorium. “See you in a little while. We’re gonna catch a zillion fish today!”

  Nathan and Jason were armed with bait, poles, and math books when Logan got to the Trents’ house. Taking his share of the load, he went with the two boys and Jack through the woods, around the lake, to the special, private area where he and Jason had fished the other day.

  While Nathan watched their poles, patiently waiting for one of the lines to get a bite, Logan looked over Jason’s homework. “Ah, here’s what you’ve done wrong,” he said, pulling a pencil out of his pocket. “You haven’t carried the one.”

  “I don’t understand about carrying the numbers,” the boy said.

  Patiently, Logan explained how it was done. Rapt, Jason listened. When he thought he understood, Jason attempted a problem himself, and his eyes lit up with pride when he got it right.

  “I’ve got it now. My friend Caleb in fifth grade has to do fractions. I’ll hate that.”

  “Yep. Understanding the least common denominator is a whole new thing.”

  Jason thought a moment. “So when Mom says that the park will reduce us all to the least common denominator, is she talking about fractions?”

  Logan chuckled. “She means that the bad people will bring the good people down, instead of the good ones bringing the bad ones up. But she shouldn’t worry, because there won’t be any bad people here. We’ll keep them all out.”

  “Anyway, if they did come, I think bad people can turn good, don’t you?” Jason asked.

  “I couldn’t have put it better myself, Jason. And if there’s ever a place where a bad person could turn good, it’s got to be Serenity.”

  The words left him feeling surprisingly melancholy. Was it really possible for someone like him to change? No, he thought. He was in too deep.

  They fished until they’d caught more fish than they wanted to carry home, and then they pitched Jason’s baseball until it was time for Logan to make his way back.

  “Your mom worked me in for a lesson at five thirty,” he said.

  Jason wasn’t ready to leave. “You go on, and we’ll stay here for a while longer. And remember, this place is secret, okay?”

  “All right, kiddo.” Logan picked up a stick for Jack to fetch as they made their way back through the woods. “See you later.”

  “Tomorrow?” Jason asked hopefully.

  Logan laughed. “Yeah, okay. Tomorrow. And I want to see that math paper again. See if you can have all those problems corrected by then.”

  “Piece o’ cake,” Jason said. “And don’t rile Mom, okay? I don’t want her coming home in a bad mood.”

  Logan couldn’t help laughing as he walked back through the trees.

  twenty-one

  Leaning against Logan’s car fender, Carny watched Logan and Jack emerge from the woods behind the Trents’ house. She saw the look of guilt that passed across his face when he saw her. “Where’s my son?” she asked.

  “With Nathan — down at the lake fishing.”

  “Have you been with him?” She already knew the answer. Her flight had been canceled, so she’d come home early. When she’d come next door to pick up Jason, she’d discovered the truth.

  “Yeah, we did a little fishing,” he admitted.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve,” she said through her teeth.

  He sighed and slumped against the car. “What exactly is wrong with my going fishing with your son?”

  “First, you didn’t ask my permission. And second, I warned you to stay away from him.”

  “Look, Jason invited me,” he said. “He’s a hard kid to reject. He looks up to me, God knows why, and I can’t help responding to that, because I don’t think anyone else ever has.”

  “Give me a break,” she said, her face warming. “Every kid in town looks up to you. I heard about your little assembly at school today. You’re the pied piper, for heaven’s sake.”

  He turned away. “That’s different. That’s business. Jason looks up to me for different reasons.” He brought his gaze back to hers, and for a moment, she almost believed she saw sincerity there. “He seems to be hungry for a father figure.”
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  Those words enraged her, and she blinked back the tears that only came when she was livid. “He has me, and he has this town. There are men all around him who love him. His grandfather, our neighbors, our friends, coaches … that’s a whole lot more than a lot of little boys have.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Don’t feed me that, Brisco. You had a man in your life. A very dominant influence.”

  He frowned. “And who would that be?”

  “Montague Shelton,” she said, throwing up her chin. “I can just imagine what he taught you.”

  For the first time since she’d met him, she saw fury in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about your friend, the grifter. I’m talking about his two convictions for fraud and counterfeiting, and the twenty-four warrants out for his arrest when he died.”

  Compressing his lips, he said, “And what conclusion has that brought you to, Carny?”

  “That I’ve been right all along,” she said. “That you’re nothing but a low-life swindler.”

  “Let me tell you something about Montague Shelton,” Logan said, his eyes blazing as he stepped closer to her. “He was the only person in my entire life who cared what happened to me. He was a good man.”

  “You think taking someone’s life savings is something good people do?” she asked. “You think he was better than most other crooks because he didn’t pull a gun on his victims?”

  “People can recover from temporary financial setbacks.”

  “Yeah,” she said with a bitter laugh. “If they’re willing to work two jobs and never retire and sell everything they own to buy food! You don’t get it, do you?”

  “All right, so he was a con artist. So are your parents. You can’t assume that I’m one any more than I can assume you are.”

  “Hey, I live here. I work here. I’m raising my son here. You’re the one who blew into town with nothing but a smile and an idea.”

  “It’s a good idea, Carny, and you know it. And I may have had a questionable upbringing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get the chance to settle down myself! I’m no different from you. You should just be glad that when you came to Serenity, no one here judged and accused you the way you’ve judged and accused me!”