All for One

by Melody Carlson

  As she turned into the hospital parking lot, she considered blaming her bad behavior on her concern for Caroline and Caroline’s mother, even though that hadn’t been on her emotional radar at the time she was scurrying away from the gallery. Although it provided a believable excuse, it was disingenuous. She didn’t want to do that to Jack. No, the next time she saw him, she would simply strive to be herself.

  Marley spotted Caroline coming out of the women’s restroom. She looked so weary and worn out, as if she’d aged by ten years in the past week. “How are you holding up?” Marley asked her after a quick hug.

  “Okay.” Caroline made what looked like a forced smile.

  “And your mom?”

  “The same.”

  Marley just nodded. “You’ve been here all day again?”

  “Yeah.” Caroline sighed. “I know, it’s probably futile. I mean, my mom seems totally oblivious. In fact I almost feel like she’s already gone. It makes me wonder if the spirit really can leave although the body is still down here.”

  “I’ve read accounts of people who experienced the afterlife, then returned to life,” Marley told her as they sat down in the waiting area.

  “So maybe some people do leave here? I mean, before their bodies do?” Caroline looked hopeful.

  “Maybe.”

  “I hate to sound like I want her to die. I really don’t. I just don’t want to see her suffer anymore. If she did come back, well, she’d have all those burns, and the treatment for it, and then there’s still the Alzheimer’s.” Caroline almost brightened now. “Unless the frightening experience of nearly being burned to death could’ve shocked the Alzheimer’s out of her. Do you think that’s possible?”

  Marley didn’t know what to say. “I’m no expert, but I kind of doubt it.”

  “Yeah, it sounds a little nutty. Even to me.”

  To distract Caroline, Marley told her about Jack’s wooden leg.

  “You’re kidding me.”

  Marley shook her head. “I don’t think so. Hunter told me a very believable story this afternoon. In fact she said that’s why the gallery is called the One-Legged Seagull.”

  “Wow, I never would’ve guessed that about him.” Caroline frowned. “Does that change how you feel about Jack?”

  Marley had to chuckle. “I don’t even know how I feel about Jack.”

  “Well, you know what I mean. You guys spend a lot of time together. It could develop into something more. Would him having lost a leg change anything for you?”

  “No, of course not.” Marley laughed. “If anything, I find it charmingly attractive.”

  Caroline looked surprised. “Seriously?”

  Marley nodded. “I actually do. I mean, Jack kind of reminds me of an old sea captain. The fact he has a wooden leg, or whatever it is, well, I find it rather romantic.”

  “Romantic?” Caroline made a funny face. “Wow, you and I have some very different opinions about what’s romantic.”

  “I mean romantic in the storybook sense,” Marley clarified. She didn’t tell Caroline about Hunter’s inquisition. For some reason she just wasn’t ready to talk about that. Instead she let Caroline fill her in on the latest news about Janie and Victor.

  “Oh my.” Marley shook her head. “Victor’s ex living in the same house where Janie’s got her law office? That should be interesting.”

  “I’m going to live there too,” Caroline said. She told Marley all about Abby’s plans to get the B and B started as soon as possible.

  “Man,” Marley just shook her head. “I’m out of the picture for a few hours and I miss out on all kinds of things.”

  They talked for about an hour, then Caroline wanted to go in for her last visit of the day with her mom. Marley was ready to head for home, but first she hugged Caroline. “I’ll keep praying for your mom. I really believe that God is at work with her. Whether you can see it or not, I believe that God has your mom in his hands. God is big enough to handle this.”

  Caroline nodded with a grim expression. “It’s not always easy, but I’m trying to believe that too.”

  As Marley drove back toward the beach, she did pray for Mrs. McCann, and she prayed for Caroline, too. Although Marley’s faith still felt relatively young and new and perhaps even a bit naive, she sensed it was growing stronger. By the time she got home, she felt certain that both Mrs. McCann and Caroline were going to be just fine.

  Chapter 13

  JANIE

  It was hard to believe that Caroline’s mother was still alive after seven long days—especially long days for Caroline, who spent most of her time at the hospital. Janie had quite a long week as well. It was bad enough feeling like her relationship with Victor was in limbo and possibly finished. Having houseguests—including an oversized, overly friendly dog that shed hair all over the place—was no picnic either.

  Still, when Monday arrived, Janie could hardly believe that Mrs. McCann was still hanging on. Even the medical staff was surprised, and most acknowledged that only the machines were keeping her alive. Yet the court injunction remained fixed, and the police investigation crept along at a snail’s pace. Despite the mysterious disappearance of Joan Wilson, Detective Alberts refused to admit that the missing caregiver was the most likely cause of the fire. To make matters worse, the DNA results for the cigarettes seemed to have been misplaced somewhere along the line. The lab blamed the police, the police blamed the district attorney, and the DA maintained the innocence of his office.

  “Look,” Janie said to Detective Alberts on Monday morning. “I know you care about justice as much as I do.”

  He nodded.

  “I’m not blaming you for the loss of the evidence.”

  “I know you’re not.” He shuffled the papers on his desk and sighed. “You know I feel bad about it.”

  “I know.” Janie sat up straight in the chair. “But I am asking you to do everything you can to find out if Joan Wilson was a smoker, which I’m sure you’ll discover to be true, and then find out what brand of cigarettes she smokes, and then, please, let my client off the hook.”

  “I’ve tried to locate Joan Wilson,” he explained. “But the agency claims she’s gone to visit her sick sister in Texas, and they don’t know when she’ll be back.”

  “I know that already.” Janie took in a slow breath to steady her nerves. She felt like yelling at the thickheaded detective. They’d gone over all this last week. But her goal was to earn his trust and respect, and she didn’t want to jeopardize that with a confrontation. “I realize that the agency is being careful to distance itself from any responsibility in the fire,” she continued. “But it would help my client if you could encourage the agency to be forthcoming with any information. I’ve already told them that Caroline has no intention of pressing charges of negligence against them, but we can only guarantee that for as long as the agency cooperates with your investigation.”

  “Yes, I understand that.”

  “It would be helpful if you could back me in that, Detective.”

  “I can do that.”

  “And it would be helpful if you could question the other caregiver, Darlene Kinsey, about Joan Wilson. According to Caroline they were friends, and Caroline suspects that the agency is pressuring Darlene to keep her mouth shut.”

  The detective made some more notes and then nodded. “Okay. I’m on it.”

  She smiled as she stood. “Thank you, Detective Alberts. I really appreciate your work.”

  “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

  “Or if the DNA evidence shows up?”

  He gave her that apologetic look again. “Yes, I’m on that, too.” He tapped his pen against his computer keyboard. “I honestly don’t know how that happened, and I’m as upset about it as you are.”

  “I know.” Janie nodded, and
she believed him. Even so, it was aggravating. “Thanks again for your time.”

  On her way to her car, Janie decided to get a coffee at the kiosk around the corner, but as she stepped up to Crabby’s Coffee, she realized that Victor was there too. As much as she wanted to avoid him, which she’d done successfully since their brief encounter the previous week, there was no graceful way to do it now. She put on her best attorney smile, the same one she’d been giving Detective Alberts. “Victor,” she said in an even tone.

  His eyes widened. “Janie.”

  Before she could stop herself, and feeling foolish for doing so, she stretched out her hand to shake his. “How are you?” she asked in her attorney voice.

  “I’m fine.” He shook her hand and offered an uncomfortable smile.

  “I’m just getting a quick coffee,” she said as she stepped up to the counter. With her back to him, and not sure if he would linger, she ordered a latte, then took her time to pay and count out a tip. As the girl began making her coffee, Janie turned to see that Victor was still standing there. As childish as it was, she feigned surprise. “Oh?”

  “Are you too busy to talk?” he asked in a serious tone.

  She considered this. They really needed to talk. At the same time, she wasn’t ready to hear the words she was expecting him to say. “Sure.” She forced another smile. “I’d love to talk.”

  He nodded to the picnic table near the kiosk. “I’ll wait for you to get your coffee.”

  She turned back to the kiosk, and while she watched the girl steam the milk, Janie braced herself. You can do this, she told herself. You can do this. Just be a big girl, get it over with. You can do this.

  With her coffee in hand she slowly walked over and sat down across from Victor. “It looks like it might rain,” she said as she looked up at the gray sky.

  “Is it too cold out here for you?” he asked uneasily.

  “No. I’m fine.” She’d dressed more warmly today, but even so, she felt a chill run down her back. She wrapped both hands around her cup and simply waited. If he wanted to talk, she would let him.

  “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to speak to you,” he began in a formal way.

  “We’ve all been very busy this past week.” This was true, but she also knew that they hadn’t been too busy to talk. Instead Victor had not wanted to talk. She knew he’d been avoiding her, just as she’d been avoiding him. And she was pretty sure she knew why.

  “Yes, I know. It’s been a hard week for everyone. By the way, how is Caroline holding up? And her mother?”

  Feeling like a newscaster dishing out the morning report, Janie gave him a quick update, then listened to his sympathetic response, then waited for him to get back on topic. She wasn’t trying to be difficult, but she had no intention of helping him out with his little talk. She wanted him to get it over with. It would be like pulling off a bandage. Faster was probably better.

  He took a quick sip of coffee, then looked directly into her eyes. “I’ve known for a while that we need to talk, Janie. And I feel irresponsible for not making the time for this sooner.”

  “Well, at least you’re getting to it now,” she said crisply.

  He seemed to stiffen a bit. “Yes, right.”

  She sat up straighter, looking at him expectantly.

  “So, anyway, last week …” He paused and frowned. “Was it really only last week? It feels like it must’ve been a month ago.”

  She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not sure what you mean exactly.”

  “Right.” He set down his cup, then, placing his elbows on the table, he leaned forward, looking intently at her. “It was on Veterans Day,” he began slowly. “I guess that really was only a week ago.”

  She nodded with impatience. “Yes, a week ago.”

  “Ben and Donna and I went to the parade.”

  Feeling slightly lost and somewhat edgy, she just stared at him. She wanted to demand that he just get on with it, but there seemed to be no rushing this man. “It was a nice parade,” she said quietly, hoping that might encourage him to continue with his saga.

  “After the parade we were walking down Main Street, and Ben noticed you in the diner.” Again he stopped. His brow was furrowed as he looked at her.

  “Barney’s,” she filled in for him. But as she said this, a little light bulb started to dimly glow in her head.

  “So there you were in Barney’s.”

  She saw something else in his eyes, something she hadn’t noticed before, or perhaps she was imagining it now. But Victor seemed really troubled, perhaps even genuinely hurt. “What is this about?”

  “You were sitting there with Steve Fuller,” he said quietly.

  “Yes,” she said a bit eagerly. “I was sitting with Steve. Do you know him?”

  “Not well. But I know enough to know he’s a good guy.”

  “Yes, he is.” She nodded, then waited.

  “And you two were, uh, holding hands,” he said in a slightly gruff voice. “And Ben asked me if you were dating him. And I … well, I didn’t know what to say.” He looked at her with worried eyes.

  “Holding hands?” She frowned. “What?”

  “You and Steve were holding hands and you were looking into his eyes, and he was looking at you and—”

  “We were not holding hands,” she declared.

  “I saw you, Janie.”

  “I’m not sure what you saw, but I know it wasn’t anything like that. Steve and I had been working on a float for the parade, and we got to talking—”

  “Hey there,” called a woman’s voice. Victor frowned and Janie looked up to see Donna strolling their way. Wearing a pale gray parka and blue jeans, she had a couple of shopping bags in hand.

  “Coffee,” Donna said happily as she set the bags down on the bench next to Victor. “What a lovely idea.” Then she smiled at Janie. “And how are you doing?”

  “I’m well,” Janie said a bit stiffly.

  “Great. I’ll be right back!” Donna opened her purse and headed over to the kiosk.

  Janie exchanged glances with Victor. The kiosk was less than ten feet away and well within hearing distance. Janie had no intention of continuing this awkward conversation with Donna around. At least not openly. “What you saw on Veterans Day,” she began carefully with her eyes locked on Victor’s, “was not what it appeared to be.”

  He looked toward Donna then back at Janie. “In that case I’d definitely like to hear more about it.”

  “I’d be happy to discuss it with you sometime.” Janie pressed her lips together.

  “Maybe we can arrange that.”

  “Yes, I would appreciate it.”

  They sat there quietly, looking at each other, and Janie wondered if all the assumptions she’d been making about Victor and Donna were completely wrong. As she gazed into Victor’s eyes, she felt certain he was looking at her with the same warmth and longing that she felt toward him—unless it was just her hopeful imagination running amuck.

  “Here we go,” Donna chirped as she held out her coffee like a trophy and sat down next to Victor. “So, Janie, what have you been up to lately?”

  Janie told Donna and Victor a bit about her visit to city hall, making the latest incident seem bigger than it was. She explained about the lost evidence and how she was trying to get some cooperation from the police. “I decided that it made more sense to befriend them than to make them my enemy.”

  “You know what they say,” Donna injected. “You can’t fight city hall.”

  Janie forced another smile. “Yes, although sometimes it’s my job to do just that. However, this is a small town, and most of all I want to help Caroline and her mother.”

  “Speaking of Caroline”—Donna’s blue eyes lit up—”I can’t wait to meet her. Abby tells me
that she’ll be moving into the bed-and-breakfast this week.”

  “That’s right.” Janie nodded. “Did I hear that you’re going to rent a room there as well?”

  “I suppose so.” Donna’s smile faded, and she turned a pouty face toward Victor. “It seems my roommate is awfully eager to get rid of me.”

  Victor cleared his throat. “We’re not exactly roommates, Donna.”

  She laughed. “Oh, that’s okay. Janie knows what I mean.”

  Janie glanced at her watch. “It’s been nice visiting with you two, but I promised to meet up with Caroline and tell her about my conversation with the detective.” This wasn’t entirely true, but it was close enough, not to mention all she had to work with at the moment. Certainly it was better than pouring the lukewarm remains of her latte over Donna’s pretty blonde head. Janie stood and told them both good-bye, then hurried back around the corner to her car.

  Although she felt irritated with Donna, she also felt a renewed sense of hope in regard to Victor. Perhaps she had been reading him all wrong. It seemed he’d been doing the same thing with her. Maybe their relationship wasn’t really over with after all. Of course, if that was indeed the case, it might be a challenge to convince Donna of this.

  As Janie drove to the hospital, she thought about Victor. Had he really been stewing all week over the possibility that she was involved with Steve Fuller? It sounded slightly unbelievable, but Victor seemed quite certain that she and Steve had been involved in some kind of romantic interlude that day. She tried to recall her lunch with Steve. The purpose had been to talk about her father, and Steve had opened her eyes to some of the harsh realities of the battlefield. His words hadn’t been easy to hear, but they helped her to understand her father better.