“You want to know what’s on my mind? I’ve got to say – I think it’s a sincere love for that woman who I discovered at the bar last night. That hurting, sad, yet beautiful woman from the painting never left. She’s still right there in your heart like-”
“Get out!” she shouted, “Get out of my room and get out of my apartment!”
“You can’t conceal who you really are and that person is lovely. I’m not the only one who knows this. I was talking to someone who loves you even more than I do and you won’t even accept these truths. You WANT to be hated, despised, and abused. You want to be treated like-”
She leapt at him and punched him hard on the cheek. She swung again, but he caught her hand. She began to swing with the other, but he grabbed that wrist as well. Before she had the opportunity to kick him, he pushed her down onto the bed and pinned her beneath him.
“I’ll scream rape and the cops will be here in less than a minute,” she spat, squirming beneath him.
“But you won’t because as much as you want me to shut up, you know I speak the truth. You can’t get past the fact that I don’t hate you and that I respect you. If you scream, I may be carted away and you’ll never see me again,” he said, “Scream it and I swear I’ll wait just like this until the police arrive. Scream it right now.”
She squirmed again beneath him, frantically trying to break free. Her refusal to scream spoke something to him. That in itself brought a choked sob to his throat . The tears sprung from his eyes, startling him as much as it did her. She stopped squirming all of a sudden, staring at the anomaly before her. He let go of her wrists and dropped his face into her neck as he tried to hide the unwelcome tears.
Her hands slowly found their way to his back as he continued to cry. She stared up at the ceiling, unsure of how to react to the curious man in her bed.
“I…” she said, “I think…”
He rose up from the bed and covered his eyes, still trying to regain his composure. He turned and located his shirt on the floor next to his shoes.
“I should leave. I’m sorry if I said some things that I shouldn’t,” he replied, “But I spoke the truth.”
Without another word from either of them, he donned his clothing and rushed out of the apartment. The tears would refuse to depart much of the morning as he roamed the streets of 1890’s New York.
“I wonder about my mistaken beliefs, Lord. You knew that I had been envisioning an idealized disaster,” he said, chuckling at his definition of her, “Yeah, I figured she would be about twenty pounds lighter and at least reasonably pretty, but what happened? She looks more like fifty-nine instead of thirty-nine.
“And I know I shouldn’t be focusing on her appearance, Lord. And I have been seeing her with my heart. But that heart is getting trampled. I’m… I’m ready to give up already. Help me please. I don’t know how, but please help me.”
“Are you asleep in there?” Eddie asked.
“No, but I am turning into a prune,” she replied, “I want to hear the rest of the story. What if he never comes back and finishes the Lord’s work?”
“You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to find out.”
He got up and walked back over to the bed. He shoved the book into his back pocket before stretching out.
“Do you think he will get her heart?” Brooksie called from the bathroom.
“I don’t think it would be a good story otherwise.”
He looked up at the ceiling and grinned. It was funny how they had already become such good friends in such a short time. He could think of nothing better to do than to sit here and share a science-fiction romance with her. He could think of nothing better than taking Brooksie and heading off to the ends of the earth.
He envisioned a two-day trip on a bus with Brooksie. He could imagine her spirits lifting more and more with each passing mile. Then, when they finally hit the ocean, they would buy a beach towel to share while they watched the July 4th fireworks. He closed his eyes and smiled.
He would later wonder if it was the tune she was humming, the dim lighting, or the softness of the bed beneath him that finally knocked him out. By the time he would open his eyes again, it would be dark in the room and Brooksie would be pressed into the curve of his body, sleeping soundly. It would have appeared improper to those who didn’t understand their circumstances, but he viewed it as simply dozing next to the one he loved.
The smell of lilac filled his head as he breathed in those soft blonde curls near his face. Brooksie had somehow been replaced with Patience Webb. He closed his eyes and listened to her breathe. Now that he had already spent part of the night here, he simply put his arm around her and held her as he drifted back to sleep.
11
July 2, 1928
“Do you want one last look before I cover it up again?” Brooksie asked from the bathroom doorway.
He turned and grinned at her as she posed with her hands near her hair. He was surprised that she had been able to cover up so much hair with such a small brown wig.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like Patience Webb?” he asked, “Who, by the way, is equally as stunning as Brooksie.”
“Well, say good-bye to Patience Webb. I’m going back in the bathroom to attack my hair with a million bobby pins,” she said, offering him one last movie star pose.
He loved seeing her in such a pleasant mood. It was nice to know that she was confident in their escape plan. Even Eddie couldn’t foresee any obstacles that would take away his Brooksie.
He put on his shoes and tied them while he sat on the end of the bed. It was already seven o’clock and the day offered plenty of time for them to extend the distance between Patience Webb and Silver Falls. Plenty of time to fight destiny and fate.
“I don’t even want to stop for breakfast until we’re in another state,” Eddie said as he neared the bathroom.
He stood in the doorway to watch Brooksie pin up every inch of her natural hair.
“So, do you still respect me now that we’ve slept together?” she asked with a flirtatious grin.
“Don’t even joke about that. I’m already frantic for the day that I can make an honest woman out of you,” he said with a laugh, “How does a July fourth wedding sound to you?”
She raised her eyebrows as she gave him a devilishly alluring smile.
“Well, there would definitely be a fireworks show later that night,” she said.
“Arggh!” he growled, turning back into the bedroom.
“Oh, am I causing you thoughts that you shouldn’t be thinking?” she prodded.
“As you once said to me – you’re killing me!” he replied.
She laughed. He walked over to the curtain and peeked out. He was immediately taken aback by the sight of a police car parked directly in front of their window. His heart sank to the floor as he quickly closed the curtain again.
“Brooksie, I think we might have a problem,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“There’s a police car parked out there,” he said.
Just then, they heard a knock at the door. He inhaled sharply as he stepped back toward the bed.
“No,” Eddie whispered, “I can’t… This can’t happen.”
Brooksie stepped out of the bathroom and stared at Eddie. She seemed to be pleading for some sort of help, though Eddie didn’t know how to provide it. He felt like all of his imagined control was gone. He was suddenly powerless.
“I’ll die if that’s what it takes, Brooksie,” he whispered, “You will not die today!”
The knock came louder this time, followed by a deep and familiar voice calling for Patti.
“It’s my brother!” she shouted in relief.
“How’d he find us?” he asked as she ran to the door.
“I called him last night after my bath,” she said, opening the door and pulling Ben into the room, “Get in here, you big lug! You scared us.”
“I scared you? You’ve given a lot of people some s
cares lately, Patti,” he said, “Lowell Barnes is poking his nose all around Silver Falls looking for his beloved fiancée.”
“Beloved?” she said with a laugh, “I like that one.”
She rushed back into the bathroom to continue pinning up her hair. Ben looked to Eddie before glancing curiously at the bed. He frowned as he looked back to Eddie again.
“No,” Eddie answered the unspoken question.
Ben was definitely playing the cop today instead of that light-spirited club manager from the other night. He pursed his lips as he seemed to scan the room.
“I’d offer you something to drink, but…” Eddie said – an attempt at a joke.
Ben paid Eddie no regard as he sauntered to the bathroom.
“So where are you headed?” Ben asked.
She looked up at his reflection in the mirror as she inserted the final bobby pin.
“I’m not sure yet, but I can promise you that it will be far away from Lowell and Hollywood,” she said, lifting the wig from the sink.
“What has gotten into you? You had the dream life. My little sister was the hottest act in Hollywood. And don’t feed me that line about how hard life was back there,” he said.
She looked up at him again. His furrowed brow told her that he was trying to be that protective “big brother” she hated so much. He was part of the reason she was so anxious to escape from Indiana.
“No, big brother, I didn’t have the dream life. I’ll agree that I had a pretty nice thing going for me, but then my agent started selling me off like a prostitute. He thought he-”
“Isn’t it an agent’s job to sell you? Isn’t that why he gets paid?” Ben interrupted, “You’re just acting like a spoiled brat who didn’t get her own way.”
“Whose side are you on here? If you like Lowell so much, why don’t you go work for him?” she shouted.
Ben shook his head as he turned back to the bedroom.
“I’m serious, Ben,” Brooksie said, situating the wig on her head, “Whose side are you on? You’ve been my only support for years and now you’re calling me a spoiled brat?”
“I’ve supported you when it made sense. I’ve supported you when you weren’t cheating on your fiancée. I’ve-”
“Cheating?” she shouted, storming out of the bathroom, “How dare you!”
“This is your sister, man!” Eddie added, “You don’t even know your own sister?”
“Obviously, this man has clouded your senses,” Ben retorted, waving his hand toward Eddie, “I don’t know what he filled your head with in Hollywood, but it’s all lies.”
“I didn’t even meet ‘this man’ until I arrived in Silver Falls,” she said, waving her hand toward Eddie.
“Not according to-”
“To whom?” she approached him with her fists clenched at her sides, “Is Lowell outside the door? Is he waiting in your car?”
Ben shook his head as he glared at her. Eddie reached over and took a hold of Brooksie’s arm.
“Let’s get out of here, Brooksie,” Eddie said.
“Yes, let’s,” Ben added, pushing Eddie away from her, “We’re going to the train station so you can catch the next train to California where you belong.”
“She’s not going to California,” Eddie demanded.
“Get out of here, Ben,” she spat, “You have no idea what’s going on and you’ll have no part in my future.”
Ben snatched her left arm, but not before she responded with a hard slap across his face. Eddie realized in that moment that he was losing control of the situation. He examined the large man and realized he was facing a mighty adversary who happened to carry a badge…
and a gun…
in a holster…
that wasn’t snapped.
In a moment of impulse, he reached out and snatched the gun from Ben’s holster. Ben instantly spun around, quickly knocking the weapon from Eddie’s hand. It flew across the room and smashed into the lamp near the bed.
Brooksie reached out and grabbed a hold of Ben’s hand as he swung at Eddie. Eddie ducked the wild punch and then dove onto the bed.
“Let go of me, Patti!” Ben shouted, twisting his arm from her grasp and then pushing her into the wall.
Eddie reached inside the broken remains of the lamp as a hand clutched onto his ankle. Ben pulled him away from the lamp just as he grabbed for the gun on the nightstand. Eddie spun around and faced his opponent just as Brooksie leapt onto Ben’s back. Ben didn’t even seem to notice the weight of his sister as he reached out and grabbed a fistful of Eddie’s shirt.
“She’ll die if she goes back,” Eddie shouted, “Lowell will kill her.”
Those words didn’t seem to penetrate the police officer, nor did they stop the large fist that was already in motion.
* * * *
He stared up at the ceiling, hoping for a moment that it had all been just a horrible nightmare.
“Brooksie?” he hollered, rising up from the bed.
He looked over at the shattered lamp and the clock that read 7:35. He leapt from the bed and opened the curtain. The police car was gone.
“Brooksie?” he shouted, “No! Where’s the train station?”
He made a quick search of the room before running outside. His head ached from the magnified vibrations resulting from each step he took. He scanned the parking lot, unaware of what he was even searching for.
“God, if you can hear me…” he muttered, running to the hotel office, “Help me please? I don’t even know what to do.”
He opened the door and wiped his eyes. He hadn’t even realized that he had been crying. The man at the counter gave him a confused look.
“How do I… where’s the train station? I need to get there quickly,” Eddie said.
The clerk rose from his stool and stretched as he peered over at a cluttered bulletin board. He didn’t seem to appreciate Eddie’s hurried state.
“Are you looking to travel long distance?” the clerk asked, “There are two train stations.”
“Yes, I – I need to get to California,” he sputtered, choking back a cry.
“Then you want the one in Silver Falls. I think there’s one leaving around nine today,” he said.
Eddie gasped and then ran his fingers through his hair. He turned to the door as the tears started to come again.
“Can you take me there? It’s an emergency,” Eddie said, turning back to the counter.
“I can’t just leave. I have to stay here until my brother comes in at nine,” the man stated.
Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out the remaining 6 silver dollars and a dime he had left over from the park. He placed them on the counter.
“It’s all I’ve got, but I’d give you a hundred dollars if I had it,” he said.
The man looked at the money and shook his head. Eddie thought for a moment and realized that he might have something else.
“Patience Webb. Look at my swollen eye and these tears that I’m having a bit of trouble concealing. I’m sure you can see that something is seriously wrong right now,” Eddie said, “And you also know that I need to catch the train to California. Maybe all this can corroborate my bizarre story. But listen to me. Patience Webb is being kidnapped right now. You must’ve read about her disappearance in the papers. She’s been hiding out in Silver Falls and I was even helping her, but… but we were just attacked and the person she was running from just took her. He’s taking her back to California against her will.”
The man stared at Eddie for a moment. Then he looked down at the six dollars and ten cents. Every second of the clerk’s hesitation felt like an hour to Eddie.
“I think you’re crazy, so I’m doing it for the money. I don’t want you to believe that you pulled one over on me and convinced me,” he said, grabbing the pile of coins and then stuffing them in his pocket.
“Thank you,” Eddie said, “But just so you know, it’s the truth about Patience Webb. You may even proud to know that she stayed in your hotel l
ast night.”
The man grabbed his keys and appeared to ignore him as he walked around the counter. Eddie followed him out of the office, wishing suddenly that the guy would hurry it up as he locked the office door.
“Bring her back here for an autograph and I’ll believe you. Heck, I’ll even give you your six bucks back,” he said, waving his hand toward the small Chevy.
“I’ll definitely do what I can. Right now, I’m just focused on saving her life,” he said, “If you read something horrible in the paper tomorrow, then you’ll know I failed. But you’ll also know that I was telling you the truth about her existence in Silver Falls.”
The man looked at Eddie and seemed to consider his story for the first time. He opened the car door and told Eddie to get in.
“Are you sure about the train schedule?” Eddie asked.
The man shook his head as he started the car.
“No, but it always leaves between 8:30 and 9:00,” he said.
* * * *
The clock tower was already reflecting 8:40 when they pulled up to the train station. Eddie didn’t wait for the car to stop before opening the door and leaping from the vehicle.
“Remember the autograph!” the clerk shouted as Eddie ran toward the building.
Eddie raised his hand in a wave as he ran faster. He could see a long train parked beyond the building and thick smoke was clearly rising from the engine. It didn’t appear that the train was moving though.
Saving Brooksie Page 12
