"Yeah, but it might take me a while to calm down."
"I could stop by after a while. I need to do a few things first. I could check up on you, unless it's too late."
"I'd like that."
"I'll stop by in a couple of hours. Now, go in and lock the door. I'll wait."
She relished taking orders from a man like Charlie. She locked the door and flicked the porch light on and off as a sign everything was secure. His car started up, and she heard the tap of his horn.
Although the deputy had searched the house and all the lights were on, and despite what she told Charlie, Ellen was still spooked. She double-checked every room before she padded into the bathroom and drew a hot bath. She locked the door for security, though any man could battle his way through if he wanted to. She recalled Libby telling her how Dan had busted through a secured bathroom door. But that was Dan and Dan wasn't here.
She studied her naked body in the mirror, admitting to herself it was going to take years at the gym to improve the image she saw. She shrugged with indifference.
As she lowered her body into the tub, her pale skin reddened, and she welcomed the soothing heat. She sank deeper into the water and let her feet rest against the smooth porcelain surface. Her thoughts coasted from Kipp and Libby to Charlie's recent visit, and to other less-defined reflections until she drifted toward sleep.
A banging noise catapulted her into consciousness, and she struggled to sit up without sinking any deeper. A rattling sound, followed by several short rings, had her grasping for a towel. The ringing persisted, along with several pounding sounds.
She wrapped her robe around her on the way to Libby's room, her heart bursting through her chest with every breath. She was thankful Libby kept a pistol in her nightstand drawer--insurance against an impromptu visit from Dan. Without giving a thought to what she would do with it, she dug out the gun and strode toward the front door.
By now the banging and pounding had increased. Ellen held the pistol with both hands, lengthened her arms, and pointed at the door. Shaking uncontrollably, she screamed out, "Who's there?" The rattling ceased. "Who's out there?"
"It's me. Charlie. Are you okay?"
Energy rippled down her body as her muscles relaxed. She lowered the gun and opened the door. "What are you doing here? You scared the pants off me."
"I didn't mean to. When you didn't answer, I thought something might have happened to you."
"I was in the bathtub. I must have dozed off. Is it that late already? I didn't think I was in there that long."
"I decided to come back early. I was worried about you."
"What a sweet thing." She melted at the concern in his eyes. "Come in. Come in." When he didn't move, she woke up to the fact that the screen door was still locked. She let him in.
The first thing he did when he entered the house was stare at the gun in Ellen's hand. "You know how to use that?"
Ellen glanced at the gun, then grinned. "It's Libby's. I got scared. I wasn't really going to use it, I don't think."
He relieved her of the gun and checked the chambers. "It's empty. Why don't you put it back where it belongs, in a safe place?"
"She keeps it by her bed in case her ex decides to make a grand entrance. When I heard the noise, I thought it was him."
"I doubt if a gun would deter a guy like that. They can get crazy."
Ellen returned the gun to Libby's drawer and came back to the living room. "I'm sorry for the mistake, but I'm glad you're here. Would you like some coffee, a beer?"
"A beer sounds good. I've had a long day."
Ellen went into the kitchen. When she leaned over at the refrigerator, her robe flared, reminding her she was naked underneath. In all the commotion, she'd forgotten about her lack of clothing. She secured the robe's ties.
She handed him a can of beer, and he moved over on the couch. He had changed from the slacks he had on earlier to well-worn jeans, but he wore a short-sleeved shirt that looked as if he had recently run an iron over it, a wrinkle here and there. He rested his arms on his thighs and rolled the can around in his hands.
Ellen waited for him to say something, then decided to break the ice. "I didn't see much of you at the reunion."
"I had to finish a report. I've been swamped at work."
"If I didn't know that, I'd think you weren't too fond of high school. You live in town and don't even go to your reunion."
"I could take it or leave it."
"I guess."
"Seems to me you had a great time in high school. Even when you had to practice that cheerleader stuff after school every afternoon, you looked like you were enjoying it. You were always laughing and carrying on."
Ellen cocked her head. "How did you know that?"
"I used to hide near the bleachers and watch every day."
"What for?"
"So I could see you."
Ellen's mouth dropped open. "Me?"
"I had the biggest crush on you."
"Charlie Bender, why didn't I know that?"
He hitched a shoulder. "Oh, you know how dumb boys can be in high school. By the time I figured out how I was going to ask you out, you'd taken up with Mel."
"Oh, Charlie, you could have saved me years of heartache. So, do you miss being married?"
"Not with Patty, but I like the concept. I miss having someone there. How about you?"
"Me? I would just like the experience of having someone there."
"Wasn't Mel home much?"
Ellen huffed, shook her head.
"Was it his job, or was he tomcatting around?"
She raised two fingers. "I'll take door number two."
"Did he have a lot of women?"
"Yeah, I suppose. I never really added them up, though."
"Is that why you're leaving him?"
She thought she could handle the questions. Attempting an answer, she burst into tears.
Charlie draped his arm over her shoulders and pressed her toward him. As she scooted his way and leaned her head against his shoulder, her robe fell to the side, revealing a naked thigh. Charlie reached across and covered it with her robe.
That one sweet act from the boy who had had a crush on her sparked something in Ellen. She lifted her head and planted a kiss on Charlie's lips. He responded in kind.
She hungered for the attention of the man who seemed to care about her, and she could have smothered him with the passion of a woman deprived, but she suppressed her feelings, thinking more about her hideous body. She leaned back instead. "You're a good kisser."
"So are you." He leaned around and kissed her cheek. He ran his tongue around her lips.
Her heartbeat quickened, and the sexual feelings, long suppressed, wiggled to the surface. She pushed him back and flapped her hand in the air. "Whoa."
He grinned. "Am I moving too fast?"
Her head, captured by two voices, was spinning in different directions; she craved more, but the critical voice reminded her over and over she was too fat to pursue this. "I need to think."
He kept her close with his arm still locked in place. His fingers stroked the flesh on her upper arm, his touch gentle, yet insistent. Being honest with herself, Ellen wanted him to touch her whole body, not just her arm. Squashing the critical voice--the one that paraded all her faults into the open--she turned toward Charlie and kissed him again. He held her with both arms and returned the kiss with a passion that was so very foreign to her.
Sensual feelings were bubbling up, overpowering the need to hide her body, and she allowed him to slip his hand inside her robe and massage the thigh that had once been thoughtfully covered. She was anxious to run her hand over his bare chest, and everywhere else for that matter, but in an unlit room. She whispered, "The bedroom?"
Charlie responded with a huge grin. They held hands all the way to her room. Ellen crawled into bed, struggled under the covers to remove her robe, and waited for Charlie to undress. Neither of them turned on a light.
When Ch
arlie climbed in next to Ellen, the bedsprings groaned. Immediately, his hands began to explore her body, breezing over her breasts, her belly, her thighs. For a second she tensed up at the realization that he could feel the bulges that defined her, but it had been so long since she had been touched this way, she let go of her angst and anticipated what was to come. "This feels so good. You don't know." She began tearing up.
"I don't want you to feel bad in the morning," he said.
"Sweetie," she said, sniffling, "if Libby were here, she'd predict we'll both feel good in the morning."
Once she opened her arms to him, the passion returned full force, and their hands were all over each other. For a while she worried he would be turned off by her weight, but once she was overcome by one sensation after another, she completely forgot about her appearance and gave in to the pleasure.
He stopped in the middle of a caress, and she froze, worried he was repulsed by her body. "What's wrong?" she said.
"I need to get a condom."
She released an audible sigh. "If you haven't been with anyone besides Patty and I haven't had sex with Mel for I don't know how long, then you're one lucky boy. I had a hysterectomy."
"In that case..."
"Come here, big boy."
Charlie rolled back to her and kissed her again and again, deepening the passion for both of them, Ellen breathing hard and moaning with delight, when he let out a muffled groan. "Jeez, I'm sorry. It's been a long time."
Panting, she hugged him close. "It's okay. I understand."
"You women have it easy."
"Oh, sure. Like you miss having to shave your legs or having a period."
He chuckled. "Are you always this clever?"
"That's me, Miss Funny Ha-Ha."
He ran his hand over her breasts. "You're funny and beautiful, Ellen."
"Every inch of me, right?"
"Every inch of you."
* * *
In the morning Ellen woke to Charlie's staggered snores. She rose on an elbow and watched his lips move with each breath. His hair was straight in the slept-on places.
This had been the best night she could ever remember, even though she was a little sore from all the love-making. He had surprised her in the night by kissing her awake and making up for the overeagerness he'd experienced hours earlier.
She gave Mel a quick thought. Feelings for Charlie, the man who treated her with more respect and tenderness than Mel ever had in their whole marriage, washed away any guilt she may have felt by being with Charlie. He stirred, and she kissed his cheek. "How ya doin, big boy?"
He opened his eyes and smiled. "I think I died and went to heaven. How about you?"
"You have to ask? I'm glowing. You're such a good lover."
He slid his arm under her neck, and she nestled against him. "Want to have another go at it?"
"Let me slip into the bathroom first. Now, close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Come on, sweetie. In the dark is one thing."
He threw the covers to the foot of the bed.
"Charlie." She scrambled to catch hold, but he secured the sheets with his feet.
"Look, Ellen. Look at me." He patted his belly. "I'm not a model of slimness. You're beautiful just the way you are." He pulled her next to him.
As her gaze slid down his body, her eyes lit up. "My, oh my, Charlie. There's one part of you I like nice and plump." Just as she reached for the object of her affection, the phone rang. "Oh shoot. I better get that. It might be Libby."
* * *
CHAPTER 23
Kipp lingered at the door of Libby's motel room, suitcase in hand, his mind crowded with yesterday's events. Libby did not have to tell him they were getting close to something. He could feel it, like a person sensing bad weather; his muscles ached with it. Ready to convince her to go back down that gravel road, he rapped at the door with fierce determination.
She answered with her cell phone to her ear and motioned him in. He watched her move around the room, chatting and laughing. Dressed in an aqua blouse, tucked into lightweight, cream-colored jeans that hugged her hips, she was picture-perfect. His pinched lips broadened into a grin. He'd lost his edge.
She finished her phone call, her smile widening. "I just called Ellen. You'll never believe who was there."
"Am I supposed to guess?"
"Charlie."
"Oh no, did she have a problem?"
"If you could call needing some affection a problem."
Kipp gave her a questioning look.
"He stayed the night."
"Charlie? Charlie and Ellen?"
"Isn't that fantastic?"
"How'd that come about?"
Libby told Kipp about Charlie investigating a possible break-in, how he checked on her later and never left. She also told him about Ellen holding a gun on him.
"I hope it works out between those two," Kipp said.
"I knew something good was going to happen to her."
"You seem to know everything."
"I just had a feeling." Libby brushed by Kipp. "Let me get something out of the bathroom."
"Why do you have a gun in your house?"
She returned with her makeup case and tucked it into her bag. "You don't want to know."
"But I do. Tell me."
She looked up at Kipp. "To keep the big bad wolf away."
"The what?"
"Ex-husband. It's a long, boring story, and I'm sure you'd rather get on the road."
"Will you tell me someday?"
"Maybe. Did you get a good night's sleep?"
"I wanted to get going hours ago."
"I guess that's a no."
"How could I?"
Libby zipped up her bag and set it next to Kipp's.
"We should go to the Idaho Falls police and ask about the group living in those hills, like we talked about last night," he said.
Libby was silent.
"This town wouldn't have an invested interest in that group," he said. "The people in Grand are too enmeshed."
Libby didn't say a word but was focused elsewhere. Kipp knew by now not to press her for answers, but it was beyond him where her mind wandered when she got quiet. She seemed to reach someplace deep inside. She was a well of information.
She made eye contact again. "I think you're right. Hopefully, there will be someone we can talk to on a Saturday. We need to find out if they're in trouble with the authorities, find out what they're about."
Kipp made a move to pick up the luggage, but she shook her head. "Now what?"
"It might be wise to keep our rooms here. Who knows where our search will lead. At least we'd have rooms to come back to later."
Kipp acquiesced and called the lobby, then covered the phone's mouthpiece. "We can only have one room. They're full up tonight."
The expression on Libby's face told him she was not too pleased. "Have them hold it for two nights. Maybe another room will open up tomorrow night."
On the way, Kipp wondered about Libby's ex-husband and why she felt so compelled to have a gun in the house. He could only speculate how dangerous the man was. A thousand questions haunted him, but when the police station came into view, he let the questions slide.
By the number of cars in the parking lot, Kipp guessed the place would not be teeming with activity. Libby followed him inside to a counter where the officer on duty, a stocky, barrel-faced sergeant with the name Dubing on his lapel, stood up from his desk.
"What can I do for you?" Sergeant Dubing said.
"We want to know more about the people who live in the hills around Grand," Kipp said.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I'm a photojournalist, and I want to do a story about them, but I can't seem to get any cooperation from the locals there."
"That doesn't surprise me. They're pretty private. I doubt if you'll be able to do anything with them."
"We know they're a polygamist group."
"A religious cult, to be more spec
ific."
"Are they Mormons?"
"The Mormons don't want anything to do with them. Some guy just made up his own rules."
"So, how does it work in this day and age? Do they really have multiple wives?"
"Yeah, and it's all in the family. Cousins marry cousins, and Grandpa marries nieces. From what I understand, the brides are awfully young."
"Do they ever take women or children from outside their community?"
"Not that I know of. I think it's strictly an internal operation."
Kipp glanced at Libby for support.
"Sergeant Dubing," Libby said, "has there been any attempt to stop them from existing like this? I mean, if these women are young."
"I've heard some of them are fourteen, fifteen, maybe." He scratched his chin, shuffled some papers in front of him. "They did have some internal problems a while back, some deaths due to illness, more than usual. I know there have been complaints against them, but those folks are so entrenched there. Plus, it's a religious organization, and nobody wants to deal with that, especially the authorities. And it's out of our jurisdiction."
"Do you know of any way we can contact the head of the community?"
"Not really, but I can give you the name of a lady in town here who has helped some of the girls leave. She has a safe place where they can go. I don't think she'd mind talking to you. She knows a lot more than we do." He went back to a desk and scribbled on a scrap of paper. He handed it to Kipp.
In the car Kipp handed the note to Libby. "What good is this going to do? He said they don't take kids from outside their families. Is this going to be another dead end?" He stared out the side window and wondered, for the millionth time, what in the world he was doing on this wild ride.
Without answering him, Libby exited the car and went inside the station. When she returned, she ordered him to follow her directions.
They drove along the Snake River through the central part of the city, past a stately LDS temple. Up ahead, a grouping of brick houses lined the street, but the direction she pointed in veered to the right. Halfway down the block on one of the side streets, Libby had him pull up to the curb in front of an older two-story house.
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