The Charity

by Connie Johnson Hambley

  Dr. McCarthy and Jessica laughed. “Of that, I have no doubt,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I just want to take another look at my patient here.”

  Electra was not used to being summarily dismissed as she was, but gave in on the unfamiliar turf. She gave Jessica a kiss and brushed out of the door with a flourish.

  “Don’t expect to be invited for dinner any time soon.” Jessica looked at the Doctor with a smile.

  “What? Oh, right. I’m not too worried about it.” He focused on the charts again and looked at her. “Do you remember anything more about your fall?”

  The smiled faded from Jessica’s lips. “No. I remember waking up once and being surrounded with sirens and lights and another time here, with you talking to me. That’s it.”

  The doctor looked at her with concern. “Why were you out on that ledge?” Seeing the confusion cross her face, he went on. “If you were trying to repair a leak, why did you break the window and sash with your shoulder? You had a lot of glass in your clothes. What was so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”

  “I’d like to hear the answer to that too.” Michael stood at the foot of the bed. Jessica had no idea how long he had been standing there.

  “Sheriff Conant! Nice to see you again.” The doctor greeted Michael warmly. “What brings you all the way down here?”

  “I was checking on the drunk driver who side-swiped that young family. He’s lucky he didn’t kill anyone.” He did not take his eyes off of Jessica.

  “I heard he got himself stewed just over the line in Tennessee. Came this way just for the hell of it.” The doctor returned his attention to his patient.

  “Tennessee? I’ll give my contacts a call down there and have them follow up on it.” Michael walked over to the other side of the bed and looked down at Jessica. His face was a mixture of anger and concern. “Tess. How are you? You’ve given us all quite a scare.”

  Jessica frowned. “I’m doing better. As soon as these drugs get out of my system I might be able to think straight.” No one smiled at the weak attempt at a joke.

  The doctor began to take the bandages off of her hands. “Concussions have a way of clouding thinking for a while, Tess. Many people don’t remember much about what happened to them for days or even weeks later. Having a shock like that hurts the mind as well as the body. Some people suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that can cause panic attacks, memory lapses, headaches and a host of other symptoms. Dizziness comes with the territory, too. The drugs are just to help you through the worst of the pain.”

  “I’d like to hear the answer to Doc McCarthy’s question.” Michael was not going to be distracted from his quest.

  “I, um, I guess I was trying to get some leaves out of that old gutter so my roof wouldn’t leak. I, I just slipped.” Jessica’s heartbeat quickened at the lie. She hoped the men would not notice. “Ouch!” She gave a loud yelp at the removal of her hand’s bandages.

  “Gee, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that was going to hurt.” Dr. McCarthy looked wounded at his failed attempt to be gentle. He then painstakingly re-bandaged her hands, avoiding any further protests. “Well, your hands will heal quickly. I’ll check on you again later. ‘Bye Tess. Sheriff.” He nodded his good-byes and left.

  Jessica looked down at her red and swollen fingers and shrugged. “I guess that rotted gutter must have put up a fight.” Michael’s presence made her uncomfortable, and she wanted the conversation to keep moving.

  “Rotted wood doesn’t shred skin or leave splinters like that, Tess.” He walked back around the bed and sat in the chair that Electra vacated. “What happened?” He looked at Jessica with unwavering eyes.

  Jessica tried to control the emotions she was feeling. She was soothed and comforted by his presence, but in the same moment, she was repelled. Dr. McCarthy addressed him as ‘sheriff’.

  Tears of frustration crept down Jessica’s cheeks. She wanted to talk to him but couldn’t. “I don’t remember. I really don’t remember.”

  Electra settled her charge on the large lumpy sofa in the living room and tended to the first wave of recruits laden with casseroles and desserts. She stood in the kitchen and relayed the list of precise instructions Jessica had given her concerning the horses to assorted hands and grooms. Electra was unsuccessful at keeping Jessica out of the barn altogether. Jessica had insisted upon checking the mare and other horses to make sure they were all right before allowing herself to be confined in the house.

  Jessica was overwhelmed at the flowers she had received at the hospital and at the response Electra got to her solicitations for help. She had only been back in her home for a few days, but already it seemed that she had seen or heard from half the town in their efforts of dropping off food or offering to help with the farm. Her conversation with Hoyt nearly brought tears to her eyes.

  Hoyt was thunderstruck by the notion that somehow he had given a young lady the impression that crawling around her roof was something that she could and should do. Jessica tried to reassure him that it was all her own stupid idea, but her voice did not carry with it the confidence needed to make him feel better. Jessica was frustrated because she could not convince herself why she was there and could hardly convey any comfort to the obviously guilt-ridden Hoyt.

  The small bits of exertion exhausted Jessica and made her sides ache. She was grateful when during Electra’s visits the older woman would pull up the coffee table and set a plate of steaming food in front of her. As much as she hated relying upon anyone to help her, she did not know how she would have managed without her neighbor’s help.

  It was obvious that Electra was in her element commanding forces with military precision. Only during her infrequent rests would she settle next to Jessica in the horrible gold armchair and talk. Jessica had to plead with Electra not to make her laugh. The combination of the sore sides and hot gossip was proving to be a hazardous one.

  “Please stop!” Jessica sputtered out the plea after Electra’s point-perfect rendition of the pompous Chad Bleauvelt holding court before a throng of well-wishers at Electra’s party.

  “Oh, Tess! What would I ever do without you!” Electra smoothed her hand over her well-moisturized cheeks.

  “You? Without me? You have that reversed, my dear. I am the one who could not do without you.” Jessica’s heart filled with gratitude at all that Electra had done for her. In a soft voice she said, “Thank you.”

  “Nonsense! It is my pleasure and my lot in life to play mother hen to anyone I damn well please. And you, my unfortunate friend, are at the center of my bull’s-eye!” Electra drew her shoulders back. “You are the daughter I never had. Besides, I have to find some way to get to know the mysterious Tess White. I had no idea how little I or anyone knew about you before your little mishap. Why when Michael asked me if there was anyone I knew who should be notified for you, I could not think of one name!”

  Jessica felt the walls of her new friendship begin to move in on her. “I guess there isn’t anyone.”

  “I don’t see how that can be true. Look at these flowers and cards,” Electra made a sweeping gesture around the room. “Anyone who touches people the way you have must have a nucleus of people who really care. What about your family?”

  Jessica hated Electra for being so pushy and at the same time loved her for being exactly that. “I... I don’t have any family. They’re gone.” Jessica looked at Electra with pleading eyes. “Please, I can’t talk about them. Not yet. Maybe one day I’ll be able to, but it’s just not now.”

  Electra understood the plea. “I am so sorry, Tess. I think you’ve had enough to deal with without me being so God-awful nosy.”

  She stood up and gave Jessica a kiss on the forehead. “Oh! Just one more thing. I didn’t think you’d mind. I have some old furniture in the west wing of my house that I thought you could use until you got something of your own. I also
made a couple of calls and Hoyt and I have arranged for some handymen to come and do some odd jobs around here.” She looked at the worried expression on Jessica’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they don’t come too early.” The hurricane turned and departed.

  The next day dawned bright and clear with an additional chill in the air, and Jessica was out in the barn when the helpers, paid and unpaid, began to arrive. She chatted easily with them and remarked at the fine weather they were having. Tiring easily, she watched their handling of the horses carefully while seated on a bale of hay and made adjustments where she saw fit. The pregnant Snugs was holding her own. The foal was not expected for a while more, and she was handling the pregnancy well.

  “I don’t think being out in the barn was on the list of Doctor’s orders.” Michael strode up beside Jessica and smiled down on her. “I’m glad to see you up and around. I had a feeling you might push yourself to do more than you should these first few days.” He guided her away from the barn to her house. “Can I offer myself a cup of coffee? We need to talk.”

  Jessica resisted. “I really wasn’t done checking the animals. I’m... I’m not ready to talk to you.” She pulled her arm from his guiding grasp. Michael was dressed in his full uniform of blue shirt and pants and broad-brimmed hat trimmed with gold cord. His badge and gun were on prominent display under the heavy jacket he was wearing. She hated to admit the effect it had on her.

  “Tell me what you want people to do, and I’ll make sure it gets done. You really ought to take it easy.”

  A flash of anger burned into her. No one, especially him, was going to tell her what to do. She whirled around to confront him. The motion was too much for her. Stars flashed in her eyes, and she swayed.

  He reached out to steady her by putting his arm around her, brushing her healing ribs as he did so. She pushed him away in pain.

  “I’m sorry. You looked a little unsteady. Ribs bad?”

  “They hurt. I’m hurt. Pretty simple.”

  Michael looked at Jessica to assess her shift in attitude. “I just wanted to talk to you alone.”

  They walked side-by-side to the house. Michael seated her on the couch before he poured two cups of steaming coffee from the large urn one of the women had left there that morning. A plate of warm muffins was set beside it on the counter. A stack of unread newspapers sprouted from the floor. “It looks like you’re being well cared for,” he said looking around the house.

  Jessica’s mouth turned up into a smile. “I’ve been really overwhelmed by what people have done for me. Most of this is thanks to the ‘human hurricane.’” She met his eyes cautiously. What did he want? She tested him. “Michael, I’m sorry, but Electra said Pete ran away. I didn’t know he was gone until a few days afterwards. I guess he didn’t feel like this was home.”

  Jessica watched as emotions rippled under the surface of Michael’s face. “Tess, now that we’re alone, I want to talk to you about a few questions I have about the night you fell. The first one is, Pete did not run away. I found his body in that room over there.” He motioned toward the dining room across the hall.

  Jessica looked at her hands and remembered them being covered with some red, sticky substance that night. With her confusion from the concussion, she had convinced herself that it was her own blood from the fall. “Pete’s dead.” She repeated the words again to try to wake more memories. None surfaced.

  Michael continued. “What do you remember about that night?”

  “Not a lot.”

  “Try.”

  Jessica sighed and thought for a moment. “I had just sat down and Pete was beside me. He seemed nervous at the storm and the noises from the wind and would not leave my side. I went out to check on the horses. The barn door was opened, and I closed and secured it to stop its groaning. When I got back inside the house, there was a flash of lightning and everything went dark. That’s it.”

  Michael listened intently and looked at a small pad of notes he was carrying. “The hand swears he closed that door securely. Did you notice anything unusual when you went outside?” He studied Jessica carefully. Her skin was pale, and she focused on her hands. She was hiding something.

  “No. Nothing. The wind was blowing so much that I could hardly make it back and forth to the barn. I just came inside and called for Pete.” She closed her eyes in sadness at the thought of her dog.

  “Tess. The power and phone lines to your house were cut. Did you see anyone that night?” Michael knew the answer he was looking for. He wanted to hear it from Tess.

  Jessica stopped fidgeting and paused as she remembered the second flash of lightning. A shard of recollection sliced to the surface, and she put her coffee mug down on the table to protect it from spilling. “Oh my God! There was someone here!” Searching Michael’s face, she asked, “Who was it? Why was he here?”

  Michael drew a deep breath and looked at Jessica. He chose his words carefully. “Tess. I think there were two men here that night. They apparently cut the wires and came in through a window in the dining room. It looks like it was a pretty professional job.” He watched every facial and hand motion Jessica made. He knew something was going on under her surface. He had to find out what it was.

  “What you are telling me is that someone broke into my house and killed my dog? Why? I don’t have anything here of any value. Just look around.”

  “If they weren’t here for a thing, then they were here for you.”

  Jessica tried to get off the couch away from Michael. Her ribs screeched their protest to her with a stab of pain. She grabbed her side and forced herself to straighten up, refusing his extended hand of help. “They? I don’t know what you’re talking about. If this is some big burglary or something, then why wasn’t this in all of the papers? Why is everyone having me believe I was fixing my roof like some crazy pioneer woman and that my dog ran off?” Her head pounded, and panic crystallized in her veins. A shadowy figure laughed at her from the corner of her mind. She held her ears against the dry cackle.

  Michael followed her into the kitchen. “Look, Tess. I’m sorry to be upsetting you like this, but I have to know what happened here that night. What I know wasn’t in the papers.” He stammered at Jessica’s look of distrust. “I... I have some friends that helped me keep the lid on this.” Jessica’s blue stare turned to ice. “There’s something else I need to know. We found a body a few days ago on the other side of this ridge. We are still trying to make an identification. It looks like his face was peeled off by some kind of animal. But he had this.” Michael held out Tess White’s driver’s license. Her picture and Utah state seal could be seen against the off-white and green background of the card.

  “Stop. Please,” she pleaded, voice small.

  “I have to push you like this, Tess. Dr. McCarthy had said that the concussion and drugs would cloud your thinking and that it would take a while for all the details to become clear. The doctor also said sometimes after injuries like concussions or other emotional shocks that the memories of the time leading up to or surrounding their injury don’t come back.”

  “So why are you pushing me? Why aren’t you leaving me alone?”

  “Because I’ve gotten you to remember one man, I want to see how much more you remember.”

  “I remember you. I remember you were here. How could that be?”

  Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “That night I tried to call you to find out how the storm was up here and to check on Snugs. I didn’t get an answer, so I decided to drive along the mountain pass just to have a chance to drive by your farm” He paused as he considered what to tell her. “I’ve done that a few times in the past, and each time I passed the house I would take in all the details. But that night all of the buildings were black even with the red light on the emergency panel on the telephone pole a mile back still on. That meant power was still being fed up the mountain. Radio dispatch to
ld me that no trees or wires were down. I stopped and thought I saw an open window on the ground floor. In a storm like that, no one would have a window open.”

  Jessica shook her head and walked to the far side of the room to put distance between them. Window? “So you crept around my house?”

  “You had Pete and I didn’t want him to bark. I thought I would just check on the window and leave. That’s when I heard breaking glass. I tried to get in the front door, but it was locked or jammed. By the time I got inside I couldn’t find anything, especially you. When I heard you scream I ran outside where I found you lying in a bed of glass. I went to the cruiser to radio for backup. I guess that’s when whoever took your license and scared you enough to make you jump got away.”

  Silent tears spilled from Jessica’s eyes. “I don’t remember.”

  Michael was not going to stop. If he had just gotten there earlier, he chastised himself. He wanted answers. Now, Tess White was linked to a mutilated body of a man by her driver’s license—and a fake one at that.

  Jessica reached out and took her license out of his hand. No attempt was made to disguise the growing contempt she felt for him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a cop?”

  “It’s a small town. I thought you knew.”

  “It’s a small town that didn’t know enough about me and someone, like a cop, just had to find out more.”

  “Tess. A dead man had your license. There’s more to this.”

  Nothing was making any sense. She looked at him with cold eyes and waved the license in the air. “I didn’t even know this was missing. I guess the thief was nothing but a simple purse-snatcher.”

  “Look, Tess. I need to know if you’re in some kind of trouble.”

  “Please, please just go away. I don’t know what happened that night, but if the dead guy is the man who was here, then it’s over. He’s not coming back.”