Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise

by Joyce Magnin

  "I'm sure Ginger is with her."

  "That's good. But she needs you, I think."

  I had never felt so glum and helpless. There was absolutely nothing I could do but wait. It was almost like the day Herman died. But with him, well, it was easier, different somehow. I held him. I held his big head in my lap while I waited. But this time, this time I had nothing to hold on to.

  The closer I got to Rose's trailer, the lower I felt. I could not begin to imagine the horror that Rose had endured, and now this—this fire was certain to bring it all roaring back.

  I saw her up in the hand with Ginger.

  "Rose," I called. "Are you okay?"

  I waited a few seconds but heard no response.

  Ginger came down the ladder. "She's okay. Been praying the whole time."

  "I figured," I said.

  Ginger grabbed my pant leg and shook it to get my attention."She'll be okay, Charlotte. I imagine God will get her through better than we can."

  "I guess. But I still want her to know I'm here. Sometimes you need help you can touch."

  I climbed up the ladder. "Rose, it's me, Charlotte." I noticed a small lantern between the thumb and pinky. It cast eerie lights and shadows.

  Tears streamed down her face. She blubbered and sobbed and reached out her arms. I fell into them and held her for a good long time. I petted the back of her head. I cried with her.

  "The flames," she said. "It was the color of the flames. Orange and red and purple. That's what did it. For so long after what happened, I saw those colors whenever I closed my eyes. And now they're back."

  "For now," I said. "The colors will go away, Rose. God will take them away."

  She blubbered and wiped her nose on a tissue she pulled from her pants pocket. "Did you find Suzy?"

  I took a breath. "No, Rose. We didn't. But Asa is out looking for her. He'll find her."

  "Fergus?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

  "Dead."

  Rose closed her eyes a moment. "No sign of Suzy?"

  "Not in the trailer, Rose. Not in the trailer."

  A look of relief passed over her face.

  "Asa thinks she might have run off somewhere. Got scared and ran."

  She nodded.

  "There's something else, Rose."

  Ginger started up the ladder again. "I heard that. Tell me too."

  I waited until Ginger was sitting with us. "The fire marshall is calling it an act of arson."

  "Arson," Rose said. "You mean, it was deliberate?"

  "Uh-huh, they found a gasoline can, and apparently that leads them to believe it was arson."

  "Fergus," Rose said. "It must have been Fergus."

  "Then why did he run back inside?" Ginger asked.

  "And Suzy wasn't in the trailer," I said. "It doesn't make any sense."

  "Maybe he felt guilty after he did it," Rose said. "Maybe he ran back in for Suzy. Maybe he didn't count on the thing going off like the fourth of July."

  "And Suzy got out in time," Ginger said.

  "She could be hurt." Rose closed her eyes. "Dear Lord, help us find Suzy."

  The three of us sat for a few more minutes, hoping against hope that Suzy would appear in the night.

  "Rose. It's getting late," I said finally. "I should go check on my mother. Maybe you should get some sleep. You can stay at my house if you want."

  She shook her head. "No. I think I'll stay here."

  "In the hand?"

  "Yep. Won't be the first time I spent the night up here."

  "I'll stay with you," Ginger said.

  "Thanks," said Rose.

  "But it's getting chilly," I said. "Are you sure?"

  "I'll go get blankets," said Ginger. "We'll be safe and sound."

  I hugged them both. "I don't know what I can do. But I'm just up the road if you need me."

  39

  I heard Asa calling my name just as I reached my wooden path.

  "Any sign of her?" I asked.

  "No. Not a clue. I'm worried, Charlotte. I think Fergus did something to her and then set the trailer on fire to hide the evidence."

  "But why would he run back?"

  Asa scratched his head. "That's the part that makes no sense. Maybe he forgot one of his precious stamps."

  "But to risk his life for a stamp?"

  "Greed is powerful. And it's the only thing I can think of. There was something inside that he needed. And he thought he had time. He didn't count on the propane tanks going so fast."

  I heaved a huge sigh. "Crazy."

  "Yep. Look, Charlotte, I know this was a lousy way to end the day, what with the game and all."

  I nodded. "That doesn't matter anymore. Finding Suzy is most important."

  "I'm gonna keep looking. But let's hope and pray that she comes wandering out of the woods with daylight and this was all an accident. That would be best."

  We stood together a minute. Quiet.

  "Good night," he said. Then he kissed my cheek. "We'll find her."

  I watched until Asa disappeared into the darkness. About a million stars were visible through the trees. "God," I whispered, "I suppose if you know where every single one of those stars belongs, then you must know where Suzy is. Help us find her."

  It was weird walking up to my front door that night. The little path lights were not turned on, and for some reason I didn't see Lucky bouncing at the kitchen window. It was eerie, but it might have just been the mood. I stood a moment before turning the key. The smell from the fire still lingered. It probably would for a while.

  I gave the door its usual hip action, expecting to see Lucky bound through the door. But he didn't. I saw my mother standing there looking about as awful as she did the day Daddy died.

  My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my ears.

  "Mom, what is it? Did they find Suzy? Is she . . . is she dead?"

  Mother shook her head. "Now, Charlotte. You need to settle down and not say a word. Just let me talk a minute."

  "Where's Lucky?"

  She took my hand and led me to the sofa. "Sit down, Charlotte."

  "Lucky. Did something happen to Lucky?"

  He barked. I heard his bluster loud and clear coming from my bedroom. I tried to get up, but Mother held my shoulders."Charlotte. Stay. Let me say what I have to say. Lucky is fine."

  I swallowed. Mother handed me a glass of water. "I had this ready. Figured you'd be parched from the smoke. Drink. It will help."

  "Mother."

  "Shh. Now listen. Suzy is here. She's in the bedroom with Lucky."

  "Why didn't you tell me? Let me go see her."

  "Not yet. I have to tell you something."

  "Mother. This isn't right."

  "Suzy started the fire, Charlotte."

  "What? You're making that up."

  "No, I'm not. I've been with her all night. She told me everything."

  "I have to go see her."

  Mother let me go this time. "Charlotte, I didn't tell her about Fergus."

  Suzy sat on the floor with her back against my bed. She had her arms so tight around Lucky he could barely move. He barked once, but low and not with his usual bluster. He squirmed and wiggled and Suzy had no choice but to let him go. He bounded toward me and licked my face. "It's okay, boy. I'm home."

  I knelt near Suzy.

  "Are you all right?"

  "I did it, Charlotte. I burned the trailer. I set the fire."

  "But . . . but . . ." I didn't have a clue about what to say. I just pulled her close. "It's okay, Suzy. It's okay."

  "I couldn't take it anymore, Charlotte. Fergus, he was real good for a while but then he started again. He wouldn't let up. Something snapped inside my brain and I set the fire. I just set it. I did it."

  "But he wasn't in the trailer when you set the fire."

  "No, no. I could never . . . I just . . . just thought I'd get rid of the trailer, you know. Burn the place and those stupid, lousy stamps of his. He cared more for them than me. T
hat's why I did it, that's why. So I waited until I knew he'd be gone for a while. Until he went into Cranston like he always does on Tuesday, you know. He was fooling around with some two-bit hussy."

  I pulled her close again. "Come on, let's go into the living room."

  "I'm scared, Charlotte."

  "I know. Now look—" Mother and I helped her up. She seemed so stiff, like she had been in the same position for hours. "No one knows you're here. Let's just go get a cup of tea or something, a glass of water, and sit."

  She nodded, and I led her into the living room.

  I was going to have to tell her about Fergus. But this wasn't the time.

  "That stamp collection was worth thousands of dollars, Charlotte," she said. "He told me he was getting ready to sell it and then run off with that Tuesday woman. And I snapped."

  "But the whole trailer. Your home. Why would you destroy your home?" Mother asked.

  I gave Suzy a glass of water.

  "I got a little carried away, I suppose." She sipped. "I was just gonna burn the stamps, you know, take them outside and do it. But he hit me so hard—" She touched her swollen left eye. "I went berserk, I suppose, and dumped gasoline all over the place. Then I tossed in two matches, just two matches, and—"

  "And then you came here."

  She nodded. "I knew you'd all be at the softball game. And I hoped you didn't lock your door.

  "I waited here with Lucky. I was happy about it for a little while, Charlotte, but when I heard the sirens I started to get scared and regret what I did, but I was so upset. Do you think they can find out I started it? Do you think they can put me in jail?"

  My mother held Suzy's hand. "We'll get you a lawyer, Suzy. Don't you worry. You acted in self-defense."

  For someone who barely spoke ten words in all the weeks I'd been living in Paradise, Suzy sure poured it on that night. It was almost as though setting the fire had opened a valve or something inside of her.

  "Fergus will be coming home soon. He always gets back before two in the morning. He's gonna blow his ever-lovin' stack when he sees it. Does it look bad?"

  "It's destroyed, Suzy. Completely and utterly gone."

  She swallowed twice. "I am in so much trouble, but I just wanted to get back at him, that's all. Honest. I just wanted to get back at him."

  "Well, that you accomplished," Mother said.

  I raised my left eyebrow at her. "Mother."

  I stood there a few minutes, hoping for the right words to drop out of my mouth, but I didn't know what to say to a woman who had just burned down her house and inadvertently caused the death of her husband—even if he was a rat.

  The kitchen clock read one-thirty. I yawned. "You don't have to do anything right now, not this minute. Let's get some sleep and see what the light of day brings."

  "Have you seen Asa?" Suzy asked.

  "He's out looking for you. I should go try and find him."

  "No," Mother said. "I won't let you go out in the dark under these circumstances. Asa will find his way home, and you can tell him in the morning."

  The morning brought more rain to Paradise. I rose before Suzy and Mother. I peeked into Suzy's room just to make sure she hadn't run off. She was still asleep, snug under the covers like a caterpillar in a cocoon. I felt thankful she was able to sleep. Lucky spent the night on the floor nearby.

  "Good dog," I said. I patted my thighs, and he came running."You wouldn't have let her get away."

  Lucky went outside. The acrid smell of charred metal and wood drifted inside the trailer. The rain made the smell even heavier as dark clouds rolled overhead.

  Lillian woke next and padded into the kitchen.

  "You have to tell her," she said over the rim of her coffee cup.

  "I will. As soon as she wakes up."

  "I imagine the police will want to talk to her," Mother said."It'd be best coming from you."

  Suzy woke around nine. She stood in the living room, still wearing the same thin dress she had worn the day before, and stared at me.

  "Are you okay?" I asked. "Want some coffee?"

  "I'm a little scared, Charlotte. My legs are shaking."

  "I guess I'd be more concerned if you weren't scared."

  She made her way to the sofa. "Wonder what happens now."

  "I think we wait."

  I could hear Herman hollering at me from the grave. "I told you if I ever left you on your own you'd get into a heap of trouble. You probably spurred that woman onto doing that heinous act. It was your fault, Charlotte."

  I shook him from my brain and almost spoke out loud to him. I kept my thoughts to myself and poured coffee. "Suzy, do you take cream and sugar?"

  "Just cream. But you don't have to give me coffee."

  "It's okay. Are you hungry?"

  She twisted her mouth. "Nah, not hungry. My stomach feels a little funny. I been worrying all night about Fergus coming home. I thought for sure we'd hear some kind of ruckus once he saw the trailer."

  "Maybe he didn't come home this time," Mother said.

  Suzy looked away and then back at me. "Maybe. It would make sense, since I didn't hear him tearing up Paradise trying to find me, unless he thinks I was inside the trailer and got killed in there. You think he could be thinking that, Charlotte? Maybe he went to the police to check on me."

  "Charlotte, you need to tell her now, or I will."

  "Tell me what?"

  I had no choice but to tell her the truth. But I wasn't ready. I wanted to have the right words. "Breakfast?" I asked instead.

  "Charlotte," Mother said. "I'll do it."

  "Raisin toast, maybe, or how about a bacon and marmalade sandwich?" I called from halfway to the kitchen.

  Suzy shook her head. "My stomach is funny. I better not."

  "Suzy," I said, walking back to the sofa. "Do you have family?"

  She sipped her coffee. "No. Just me. My mama died a few years back, and I never knew my daddy. I married Fergus in high school."

  "Fergus," I said. I sat next to her on the sofa and patted her knee. "Suzy, I have to tell you something."

  "It's about Fergus. He—"

  "Hold on," Mother interrupted. "Here comes Asa."

  "Asa?" Suzy said. "I can't let him see me. Not like this. He'll be so angry at me."

  I patted Suzy's knee. "It's okay. He'll understand. He's been worried sick about you."

  Asa stood on my stoop looking like a lost sheep. "I can't find her anywhere, Charlotte. I looked everywhere, been over every inch of Paradise, and I—"

  "She's here, Asa. She's inside."

  His eyes grew wide. "Really?"

  I let him inside, and he went straight to Suzy.

  "Suzy, honey, are you all right? What happened? Where you been?"

  "Asa, oh, Asa." Suzy hid her face in her hands and sobbed."I am so sorry. It—it just happened."

  Asa pulled her hands from her face. "What happened, Suzy?"

  Mother and I stood close together and listened.

  "I did it, Asa, I started the fire. I—"

  "You? But—"

  "Asa," I said. "She doesn't know it all."

  "Why, Suzy?" he asked. "Why?"

  She explained to Asa what happened. "And that was all there was to it. I dropped two matches, just two matches, and then I ran. I ran as fast and as hard as I could, straight here, straight to Charlotte's."

  "So you didn't see?" Asa sat next to her on the sofa. He took both her hands in his hand and looked into her eyes. "So you don't know about Fergus."

  "Fergus?"

  "He came back, Suzy. He came back minutes after the fire started. We saw him run into the trailer and it . . . it exploded. Fergus was killed."

  Horror stretched across Suzy's face. "No, he was supposed to be out all night, like he always is, you know, Asa, with his girlfriend."

  "He came back. No one knows why he ran into the trailer. Maybe he thought you were in there."

  Suzy shook her head. "No, no. Not me. His stamps. He went in for
his stamps, I'm sure of it." Then she buried her face in Asa's shoulder and cried.

  Lucky perked his ears and ran to the door.

  "Now what?" I said.

  I pulled open the door. "Charlotte Figg?"

  Two men stood on my stoop. The shorter of the two men said, "I'm Lieutenant Dix, and this is Officer Pelka. We'd like to speak with you."

  "Uh, certainly," I said as I backed away from the door. "What can I do for you? Would you like a nice slice of pie or is it too early for cherry? I'm sorry, but that's all I have at the moment. Maybe a cup of coffee?"

  "No, thank you, Ma'am, that's very nice of you," Officer Pelka said. He had a nice, smooth baritone voice, and I wondered if he practiced it into a tape recorder.

  Mother joined me at the door. The officers introduced themselves again.

  "Pleased to meet you," she said.

  "Mrs. Figg," Dix said. "Have you seen Suzy Wrinkel?"

  My mouth dropped open as my brain instantaneously rolled through every possible answer in this situation. I could have said no. I could have said I saw her yesterday but not since. But I knew I couldn't lie.

  "Yes. She's in here." My mother and I answered in unison.

  Dix eyed us suspiciously. The two men waited for us to step aside and then walked into my living room.

  Asa stood.

  "Who are you?" asked Dix.

  "Asa Kowalski."

  Dix looked past Asa at Suzy. "Are you Suzy Wrinkel?"

  She nodded. Lucky growled and took a protective stance near Suzy. He knew Suzy was in trouble, and he was going to stay with her as long as he could.

  "Ma'am," said Officer Dix, "where were you last night, during the fire?"

  "I . . . I was here with Charlotte."

  They looked at me. "Yes. She was here," I said. "All night. She spent the night in fact."

  "She was," Mother said. "I can corroborate that."

  Lillian always pulled out the twelve-dollar words when she felt nervous.

  Lieutenant Dix cleared his throat. "A gas can was found inside the trailer. It was arson. Do you know anyone who would have deliberately set fire to your home?"

  Suzy swallowed. Asa grabbed her hand. I tried to will her not to speak, not to say a word until we could arrange for a lawyer. I learned that much from watching Perry Mason. Suzy kept shaking her head. I could feel her pulse in her wrist thrumming like hummingbird wings.