The Reluctant Daddy

by Helen Conrad

  Glenna was still smiling as she watched Pam take off down the steps. But when she turned back into the house, her eyes were troubled, and thoughts she’d been holding back flooded her mind, filling her with an anxiety that seemed to be following her around like a little cloud lately.

  Going back over the things she and Lee had talked about, the things he’d said, she felt a wave of nausea. She had been in the park that day, just hours before the fire. She’d taken a group of children to videotape them playing on the swings and the slides and merry-go-round there, as well as among the trees. They’d had a wonderful afternoon, but at one point...she had seen something that had bothered her.

  Why had she lied to Lee? Why hadn’t she come clean? And even more disturbing, could she have caught something suspicious in the background of one of her tapes?

  After checking on the kids, she walked slowly to the den where she kept her videotaping equipment and the tapes she’d produced so far. She found the one she’d used that day and turned on the VCR, then stared at the blank screen of the television set. Did she really want to do this? Did she really want to know?

  She had to. Reaching for the remote control, she clicked on the tape and sat on the edge of her seat. The picture began and she pushed the fast-forward button, searching for the scenes at the park.

  The kitchen door slammed. “Hello there,” her mother called out. She was already back from her part-time job as receptionist for Dr. Phelps. “Where is everybody?”

  Glenna’s heart lurched and she quickly switched off the VCR.

  “In here, Mother,” she called. “I was just editing some tape footage. I’ll come help you with the groceries.”

  She pulled the tape out of the machine and stuck it on a high shelf, out of sight. Her heart was still beating a dull tattoo as she hurried out to greet her mother, pretending that everything was just the way it had always been.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “HEY.” THE PRETTY blond counter girl at the Dairy King leaned over and looked at him after she took his order. Her quick smile showed off her dimples. “You’re that fire guy, aren’t you?”

  Lee had to hide his grin. “Guilty as charged,” he admitted, though he wasn’t sure what exactly she thought a fire guy did.

  “Well, how long do you think it will be before you can wrap this investigation thing up so the Ingallses can rebuild and get their people back to work?” she asked him earnestly, her hand on her hip.

  He pulled some napkins out of the dispenser and looked back at her, still smiling. “Why? Are you in a hurry?”

  “You’re darn right I am. My husband works at the plant. I’ve got him sitting around the house and moping all day. I want that place rebuilt and up and running again before I go nuts.”

  Lee chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  She sighed, handing him his burger and fries. “Listen, we’ve got three kids and Christmas is coming up. You know what I mean? The way things are right now, I’m scared to buy a tree.” She shook her head. “We went through this once before, when Hank worked for Price-Gornit and they went on strike. That year, all I could afford to do for Christmas was buy the food for dinner. For toys for the kids, Hank went looking for castoffs at the dump, we were that bad off.” Her eyes were watering as she thought back to those days, and she used the corner of her apron to wipe them. “I sure hope we don’t ever go through anything like that again,” she said, her voice shaking.

  Lee’s smile was wan and he shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I hope not, too. I’ll do the best I can to get that report out quickly.”

  He took his food and turned toward one of the few tables in the cheerful little place, though his appetite had abated somewhat. The lady certainly knew how to pour on the pressure. Please, mister, don’t let my children starve.

  After a minute he put half his burger back in the basket and wiped his mouth. What was he, the grim reaper? That gunslinger image had seemed a bit amusing at first, but it was getting real old now. In the future, he was going to have to figure out some way to stay incognito while he carried on his investigations. He had to make decisions based on facts, and he would just as soon not know what the consequences of those decisions turned out to be. It wasn’t his problem.

  But his eyes met the blonde’s again as he rose to leave. She waved and he felt a surge of remorse. People like that deserved consideration. But there was nothing he could do to weigh the balance in her favor.

  The people were always there, whether in the small towns or cities, and he came in and did his thing and left them to suffer the results. People like this woman, people like Glenna Kelsey.

  It isn’t my problem, he tried to tell himself again. But it didn’t sit well.

  Sliding into his car, he took the highway too fast, like a teenager trying to forget something that bothered him. He came to a stop in the parking lot at the burned-out F and M and found the fire crew had beaten him to the site.

  “Hello, Lee,” Fred Khan called out, approaching him as he got out of his car. “We’re ready to roll. Just give us the word.”

  Lee looked at the other firefighters assembled and then looked at the charred building with the yellow tape holding out the curious and those with scavenging on their minds. There was a strange reluctance inside him, a feeling almost of revulsion. For the first time he could remember, he didn’t want to do this.

  Procrastinating, he looked over at the park. It was a warmer day, and a few children were playing on the equipment. He frowned, thinking of something.

  “Say, Fred,” he called to the man, causing him to turn and walk back toward him. “Is there any way we can find out who was in that park in the twenty-four-hour period before the fire?”

  Fred considered. “I don’t know. I suppose I could ask at the parks department. They might have some sort of record, or someone might remember something.”

  “Good. I’d appreciate it.” Shrugging out of his leather jacket, Lee opened the trunk of his car and took out the coveralls he would wear into the building. It was time to go to work.

  * * *

  GLENNA HAD JIMMY and Megan by the hand and was guiding them past the crowd of children into the playroom at TylerTots. She called a greeting to Sarah Fleming, the preacher of the little church where the center was located. Glenna wasn’t working here today, but she did have a class at three out at Sugar Creek, and she left her kids while she went. As usual, she was running late.

  TylerTots Community Day Care was sponsored by the Tyler Fellowship Church and run by Angela Murphy, whose father had the hardware store just off the town square. Some mothers volunteered to help out on certain days, and some students from the college did their apprentice teaching here. Glenna did a little of all those things these days. It was a convenient place to leave Jimmy and Megan when she needed to run errands or go to class, and at the same time, since she worked here herself, they were beginning to feel very much at home.

  She’d barely settled Megan with puzzles and Jimmy with blocks when Liza Forrester came breezing in, looking for her daughter, Margaret Alyssa, whom she’d left there since noon. Dressed in black tights and cowboy boots, she could have been coming in from a day in the country or heading for a night at a jazz club. You never knew with Liza.

  Glenna smiled and waved and prepared to dash past her, but Liza had other ideas. “Hey, girl,” she said saucily, stopping right in her path. “I heard that cute fire investigator was at your house this morning.”

  Glenna sighed in exasperation. Small-town life was always like this. “Who told you that?”

  “Word gets around in Tyler.” Liza grinned and flipped up her hair with a casual hand. “You know that.”

  “Oh, boy, do I know that.” Glenna smiled back at her, preparing to make her excuses and hurry away.

  But once again Liza forestalled her. “So tell me.” Her
gaze sharpened. “Who’s the suspect?”

  That surprised Glenna, and she did a double take. “What makes you think there’s a suspect?” she said quickly.

  Liza rolled her eyes. “The way you jumped when I asked the question. Come on. Give. Listen, everyone in town is so sanguine about this. They all think he’ll declare the fire an accident and we’ll be home free.” Her gaze darkened for just a moment and she looked at her friend sharply, as though trying to fathom her thoughts, then regained her cocky attitude. “But I’ve been getting vibes that point in a different direction, and I have a feeling you have, too. So spill it, babe. What did he tell you?”

  Glenna looked around at the mothers beginning to mill into the room. “Liza, I can’t...”

  “Come here.” The tall blond woman grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, into the alcove where the children’s meals were prepared. “Are you telling me he’s found evidence? That he thinks it’s not an accident?”

  Glenna took a deep breath. She didn’t want to get into this. Her own doubts were in such turmoil, how could she talk to Liza about it? She hadn’t had a chance to look at the tape as yet. Something deep inside was telling her she was going to hate what she saw on it, and she wasn’t sure why. And she hadn’t settled in her own mind just what Lee had been after this morning. But Liza was the type who didn’t take no for an answer. Never had, never would.

  “I didn’t say that,” Glenna told her. “Liza, don’t put words into my mouth. He hasn’t said anything of the sort.”

  Liza grabbed her by the lapels of her jacket and stared into her face with typical intensity. “Okay, forget what he said. I don’t care who said what, Glenna. I want to know what you think.”

  Glenna sighed. “What I think? Why would I think anything at all?”

  “Let’s put it this way.” She dropped her hands, but didn’t move out of Glenna’s way. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips together. “Who was he nosing around about?”

  Glenna hesitated. “He asked about a lot of people.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, mainly two people.”

  Liza’s sigh was loud and impatient. “Okay, Glenna. I’m giving you one more chance before I scream.”

  Screaming would not be good. Glenna shook her head, exasperated and amused at the same time. “Take it easy, Liza. And don’t talk so loud.” She glanced into the main room to see if anyone were listening, but the women she saw were chattering happily with one another and no one was paying any attention to what she and Liza were up to in the little alcove. “Okay, here’s the name. Michael Kenton.”

  “Ah, Michael. That’s true to form.” Liza nodded, looking sharply at her friend again. “What did he say about him?”

  Glenna shrugged. “Nothing, really. He just asked if I knew anything about him.”

  Liza bit her lip. “You haven’t heard the rumors?” she asked Glenna softly.

  Glenna looked at her, vaguely remembering something some of the day-care mothers had been whispering about recently. “What rumors?”

  Liza grabbed her arm again. “Never mind that. There are always rumors. Stranger in town and all that.” She shrugged it away. “Who’s the other one?”

  Glenna hesitated, knowing she was about to wave a red flag before a bull. “Well, he was asking questions about Judson.”

  Liza stared at her for a moment, stunned, then slapped her forehead. “Not again! Give my poor grandfather a break. Why does he always have to be targeted? Hasn’t he been through enough, what with the murder trial and everything?”

  “Liza, that was years ago, and anyway, he was acquitted.”

  “Listen, once you get accused of something like that, it’s never over. The stigma stays with you for the rest of your life.” Liza looked slightly crazed. “And now they’re going to accuse him of burning down his own business, a business that’s been in our family for more than a hundred years. What kind of idiocy is this?”

  It was Glenna’s turn to grasp her friend by the shoulders. “Liza, calm down,” she said firmly. “I didn’t say anyone was accusing him of anything. I merely said Lee was asking questions.”

  Liza stared into her eyes for a moment, then shook her head, more in sorrow than anger. “I know what that means. Listen, I’m not as airheaded as I look.” A new light came on in her eyes and her head rose. “I think I need to have a talk with that man,” she said musingly.

  Glenna’s heart sank, although she’d known, once Liza heard what she had to say, that it was inevitable. “Oh, Liza, I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

  Liza looked up at her defiantly. “Why not?”

  “Well, I don’t know.” Glenna dropped her hands and turned toward the little sink, running her fingers along the cutting board. “He’s...well, he’s darn good. He wriggled things out of me I didn’t think I would say.”

  Liza snorted. “You think he could outtalk me?”

  Despite everything, Glenna found herself laughing softly. “Who knows? He’s awfully smart.”

  Liza smiled back. “Smart, is he?” she asked, pushing back her hair and striking a sassy pose. “We’ll just see about that.”

  Turning on her heel, she went off in search of her daughter, leaving Glenna to wonder if there was any use in trying to make her class at the community college. She stopped by the playroom to check on her two little ones. They were having such a good time, they didn’t even look up to say goodbye, so Glenna went out into the parking lot and trudged toward her car, her mind on other things than her classes. So Liza was going to confront Lee. That made her smile. Their meeting might almost be worth eavesdropping on.

  “Go for it, Liza,” she whispered as she got into her car. “Take him down a peg or two.”

  But as she turned her car out onto Second Street, she didn’t drive toward the highway. Instead, she headed for home. Her mother was at work, her father was visiting a friend across town. The house was empty and she knew she would have a chance to watch that video. Suddenly, that was all she could think about.

  Back at the house, she reached up and pulled the tape off the shelf, then pushed it into the VCR and sat down to watch. There were a few jerky scenes, and then the camera panned smoothly. She’d had a whole gang of kids with her that day, Jimmy and Megan and four others. The winter sunlight had filtered down through the stark branches of the bare trees, making patterns on the children’s laughing faces. She’d taped them on the swings and on the merry-go-round. As she watched, she began to relax. You couldn’t see the F and M in the background at all. There was just the highway at times, and then the trees. The park served as a trailhead for some wooded hiking areas, and joggers could be seen heading off in the background, wearing knit caps and zippered warm-up jackets against the cold. Maybe there was nothing here. She’d been worried about nothing at all.

  And then the children moved on to the slides. Glenna sat forward. The angle was different here and suddenly she could see the F and M in the background. The parking lot was empty, but behind a child’s head, she could see a car turning into the driveway. Her heart stood still. It was her father’s car. She would have recognized it anywhere. The car pulled into a spot near the back entrance, parking behind a large trash container, and then Johnny Kelsey appeared, looked around furtively and took a key out of his pocket, disappearing into the building. Megan’s face suddenly obscured the picture, laughing right into the lens. And Glenna realized she’d been holding her breath.

  “My God,” she whispered, stunned, her hands to her mouth. “Oh, my God.”

  What did this mean? Why hadn’t he said anything about being in the building just hours before the fire? It was a Sunday afternoon. No one ever went in on Sunday. It was company policy, established by Judson’s father years ago. A religious man, he’d declared Sunday a strict day of rest.

  Her thoughts were a jumb
le. There must be an explanation. Sure, there had to be. All she had to do was ask him about it. He would tell her...what? She rewound the scene and watched it again. Why had he parked behind the trash container? So the car wouldn’t be seen from the highway? What other reason could there be? And, yes, he was looking around in a definitely sneaky fashion. No matter how she tried to explain it, there it was. This just wasn’t normal for him.

  Glenna was shaking now, shivering uncontrollably, unwilling to fully face her own fears. But she couldn’t stop her mind from working. She remembered the resentment her dad had shown when she’d asked about the traditional feud between the families. Could he possibly have decided to take his revenge? No, that was crazy. Why would he do that now, after all these years? What if...what if instead of doing it against Judson, he was doing it for him? What if things were going badly with the plant financially and Judson had seen this as a way out...?

  “Oh, my God, now I’m doing it,” she cried, pulling the tape out of the VCR and staring at it as though it were poison. The first order of business was to destroy this evidence.

  “What’s the matter, sugar?” said a voice from the doorway of the room.

  She whirled, gasping as she found herself face-to-face with her father. “Oh! Daddy!” She gulped in air, trying to catch her breath. “You scared me to death.”

  “Sorry.” He smiled at her wanly and came on into the room. “I’m not feeling very well. I thought I’d come on home and watch a video. What’s that you’ve got in your hand?”

  “This?” She resisted the urge to thrust it behind her back. “Oh, nothing. Just some children playing.” Quickly, she stuck it in behind some other tapes on a shelf. “Why don’t you watch that old Western Patrick brought over the other night?”