by Patricia Fry
“And guess what else?” Iris said. “We think we know who that old guy in the cab is. Are you ready for this, Savannah?”
“I don’t know, am I?”
“Benjamin Kaiser—Melody’s father.”
“What?” Savannah yelped. “He’s alive? What do you suppose he wants? Why did he come out to the old place and then leave so abruptly?”
“Heck if I know. It’s all a mystery to me.”
“Unbelievable,” Savannah uttered. “So Iris, do you need anything?”
“Just rest, according to my dear husband.”
“Well, call if I can do anything for you. I’ll be around. I guess Michael’s working this morning, but he’s going over to the Kaiser place later today to start putting the house back together before the cats take over again.”
“Oh good. I was wondering about that,” Iris said. “Let me know when he’s going out there. If I’m feeling up to it, I’d like to watch the process.”
“Yeah, I know you, girlfriend. You want to be a part of everything that goes on there.”
“You got that right.”
“The boy we found in the mountains is coming with his family to get his dog around lunchtime today. We’ll go over to the construction site after that. Now go rest, will you?”
****
“Hello, Aaron,” Savannah said when she opened the door and saw the young man standing, with the help of crutches, on her porch early that afternoon. “Come in,” she invited, also acknowledging a petite woman and a tall redheaded man. “How are you getting along?” she asked the boy.
“Okay,” he said, looking around the room upon entering the house. “Where is she?”
Savannah chuckled. “Probably in the kitchen in our dog’s bed.” She reached a hand out to the woman and tried not to stare at her dyed pink-and-blue hair. “I’m Savannah Ivey,” she said. “You must be Aaron’s mom.”
“Yes, Greta,” she said quietly. She nodded toward the man standing next to her. “This is my fiancé, Ralphie.”
“Where is she?” Aaron asked again. “Lassie!” he called.
Woof, came the sound from the kitchen.
“Lassie!” Aaron shouted when he saw her appear at the doorway.
Everyone smiled upon watching the dog rush to the boy wiggling her body in excitement as Aaron leaned over and buried his face in her fur.
Ralphie rushed to the boy and grabbed him before he toppled over. He carried the lad to the ottoman and helped him get comfortable so he could pet the dog without being overwhelmed by Lassie’s exuberance.
“She remembers me,” Aaron said, tears in his eyes. He held the dog tightly around the neck and sobbed into her fur. “I missed you,” he murmured.
“She sure seems to remember you,” Greta said, walking over and petting the dog.
“Yeah, she’s some dog,” Ralphie said, smiling broadly. He looked at Aaron. “Do you think she’ll like it at our house?”
“Yeah, as long as we’re together,” the boy said, hugging the dog again.
Savannah smiled down at the boy and the dog. “Well, I have to tell you, Aaron, we were almost hoping you’d change your mind about wanting her. She’s a wonderful dog. We’ve really enjoyed having her.”
“Thank you for taking care of her,” Greta said.
“Not a problem. She was a perfect guest.”
“Speaking of purrfect,” Greta said, laughing, “who’s this?”
“Oh, that’s our old girl, Buffy.”
“She’s pretty.”
“I see a cat over there, too,” Aaron said, pointing.
“Yup, that’s Walter,” Savannah said. “My stepson, Adam, calls him our camouflage cat.”
“Camouflage?” Aaron questioned.
“Yeah, he just blends right in with the pattern in that chair.”
“Oh,” Aaron said. He turned to Savannah. “Is your stepson here?”
“No, he’s with his mom this week.” She then said, “Aaron, I think Lassie might want to go out. It’s been a while. Can I help you take her outside?”
“I’ll go with them,” Ralphie said, handing Aaron his crutches.
“Why don’t you just carry him out?” Greta suggested.
Ralphie thought about it, then said, “The boy needs to learn how to use these things. The doc said he’ll need crutches for another several weeks.”
“Thankfully, he got a walking cast,” Greta told Savannah as she watched her son and her fiancé leave through the front door with the dog. “But he’s not supposed to use it too much yet.”
“Sit down, will you, Greta?” Savannah offered. She looked toward the hallway. “Oh, it sounds like our daughter’s awake. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
“Sure.” When Savannah returned with Lily, Greta said, “Oh, how cute. How old is she?”
“A year and a half.”
“We’re expecting a baby in December,” she said, rubbing her hand over her stomach. “I hope it’s a girl.”
“Congratulations.”
“Yes, we’re getting married in August if all goes okay.” She looked down at her hands. “It’s been a real battle with my ex-husband.” She looked at Savannah, her eyes swimming with tears. “He’s the one who…” Greta began to weep. “He’s so angry and vindictive. It’s been a total nightmare. At least he’s in jail now and I have a restraining order against him. He can’t legally even talk to Aaron anymore. If the charges stick, he’ll be in prison for a long time.”
“So it was his own father who took him?” Savannah asked, obviously stunned.
Greta nodded. “He could have died,” she said, trying to control her sobs. She looked toward the door. “If it wasn’t for that dog and you people…” She was unable to complete the sentence.
Savannah moved to the sofa and sat next to Greta. “Everything happened as it should and your son is okay. We were in the right place at the right time and so, evidently, was Lassie. You are blessed.”
“He sure is attached to that dog. I think we’re going to have to move,” Greta said, dabbing at her eyes. “Our landlady isn’t keen on us having a dog.” She pressed her lips together. “Especially one that large.” She smiled. “But it’ll be worth it—anything for Aaron and his new best friend.”
“Good,” Savannah said, patting Greta’s knee.
“I saw your horse out there,” Aaron said, when he hobbled through the front door with Ralphie and Lassie a little while later.
“Yes,” Savannah said, “I heard her barking at Peaches. She always barks at her, I don’t know what that’s about. Aaron, did you know she rode out of the mountains on a horse?”
The boy nodded. “Mr. Michael told me.” He then said, “She’s not barking at the horse.”
“She’s not?” Savannah said.
“No,” Ralphie agreed. He looked at the boy. “Tell her what had Lassie so excited.”
“A squirrel,” Aaron said, smiling.
“A squirrel?”
Aaron nodded. “Ralphie said she might have some baby squirrels in that tree next to the horse, because she sure didn’t like it when Lassie got too close. Didn’t you ever notice that squirrel before?”
After thinking about it, Savannah said, “Yes, I have. But it didn’t occur to me that’s what Lassie was barking at. Oh, interesting.” She looked at Ralphie. “So you think the squirrel has babies? This time of year?”
“Yeah,” Ralphie said. “Some tree squirrels actually have two families in a year.”
“Cool. I’ll watch for them to emerge from their nest.”
“Well, hello there,” Michael said when he arrived home.
“Hi,” Aaron said. “I came to get Lassie.”
“I see that.” Michael chuckled at seeing the dog resting her chin across Aaron’s lap as he petted her head. “Looks like she remembers you.”
Ralphie stood and moved toward Michael with his hand extended. “Hello, I’m Ralphie, soon-to-be Aaron’s dad.”
“Michael Ivey.”
“This is my fiancée, Greta,” Ralphie introduced, “…Aaron’s mom.”
Michael shook hands with her. “You have a fine and brave boy there. And you couldn’t ask for a better dog than Lassie.”
Aaron smiled from ear to ear and hugged Lassie around the neck.
After a brief silence, Greta stood and said, “Well, we should be going. We have a bit of a drive home. She addressed Michael. “Thank you again for being so kind and…” Greta began to weep. “…for saving my son.”
“Our pleasure,” Michael said, as he walked with the family to the front door.
“Stay in touch, will you?” Savannah called from the porch, as they trudged toward their car. “Aaron, we’d love to have a picture of Lassie and you every once in a while.”
The boy turned to look at her. “Yeah, I could do that. Mom, can I use your phone to send pictures to them?” Before getting into the car, he said, “Maybe I could send one to your boy, too. What’s his name?”
“Adam. He would love it. Take care, Aaron. Enjoy your new best friend.”
“Sure will,” the boy said before being helped into the car.
“Are you crying?” Michael asked once the two of them had ushered Lily back into the house.
“I’m just so touched by the reunion,” she explained.
He hugged her and whispered in her ear, “Yeah, I’ll miss Lassie, too.”
She laughed. “You can see right through me, can’t you?”
“Yup,” he said, smiling.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Lily called, pulling on his pants leg. “Here, Daddy,” she said.
When he looked down, he started to laugh. “Well, look at you. Did you bring Daddy his flip-flops?”
“Shoe, Daddy,” the toddler said, handing a flip-flop to him.
“Well, punkin, Daddy isn’t going to put those on today.”
“Daddy shoe on,” Lily insisted.
“But Daddy’s going to wear his work shoes. We have to go to work this afternoon,” he explained.
“Daddy shoe,” Lily repeated.
Savannah grinned at her husband. “You’d better put on those flip-flops. She’s not going to give up.”
He let out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I’d better. Okay, princess,” he said. “Come give Daddy his shoes.”
****
“Iris,” Savannah said when she and Michael stepped out of their car a few minutes later at the Kaiser place, “are you supposed to be out of bed?”
“Shhh,” she said, pressing one finger across her lips. She motioned toward a chaise lounge. “I brought my pillow and blankie. I actually feel pretty good after resting so much this morning.” When she saw Michael approach with tools in his hands, she wrinkled her brow. “Michael, are you going to work in those shoes?”
He and Savannah laughed.
“What’s funny?” Iris asked.
After lifting their daughter from her car seat, Savannah explained, “Lily insisted on dressing her daddy today.”
Iris looked at Michael. “Huh?”
“Well, you know how he always puts his flip-flops on when he gets home from work. Only today, he was going to change into his work shoes, but Lily insisted he go through the ritual of taking off his sport shoes and putting on his flip-flops.”
“Yeah,” he said, “I’ll change shoes when she isn’t looking.”
“You rule that roost, don’t you, sweet girl?” Iris said, kissing the baby on the cheek. She looked off into the distance. “Oh, it’s Melody. Hi!” she called as the woman drew near.
“How are you, dear Iris?” Melody asked, shading her eyes and taking a close look at her.
“Better,” Iris said.
“Dear God, I am so sorry this has happened to you. I feel responsible.”
“No, now, let’s don’t go there. I’m okay. Hey,” she said, “did you go down to the police station and meet up with the old gent I told you about?”
Melody avoided eye contact when she said, “He was gone by the time I got there; I had some stops to make, you see.” She looked square at Iris. “But, as I told you, I have my father’s death certificate. I don’t know who it is impersonating him.”
“Uh-oh,” Savannah said, nodding toward the front of the house, “looks like he’s back.”
“Oh my,” Melody said, staring at a cab pulling slowly into the circular driveway. When she saw the white-haired man wearing the grey cap peering through the open rear passenger window, she squinted. “Well, I certainly don’t know who that is. He’s no one I recognize. Most likely, he’s a looky-loo checking out the work going on out here.”
The small group watched as the cab stopped, then drove away at a rather high speed.
“By the way, Melody,” Iris said, “they think they’ve identified the fellow in the wall—you know—that bag of bones,” she quipped.
“Oh?” Melody said, still staring in the direction the taxi had gone.
“Yeah, do you recall someone by the name of Wallace Mumford?”
“Wha…what?” Melody said, clutching her chest. “What did you say?”
Uncertain now as to whether she should repeat the name, Iris said quietly, “Wallace Mumford.”
“Dear God,” Melody said, just before she fainted.
Chapter 9
“Melody,” Iris urged, kneeling on the ground next to the unconscious woman and patting her hand. “Savannah, get a wet cloth, would you?”
“Uh…where…?” she stuttered.
“Kitchen. There are some paper towels. Hurry,” she instructed.
When Savannah returned with a damp paper towel, she noticed that Melody was stirring.
“Wallace,” she moaned. “Dear Wallace.” She opened her eyes and stared intently at Iris. “Are you sure?” She looked around. “Are they sure it was…Wallace?” She shook her head. “It can’t possibly be. He went missing from a cruise ship. He was with my father. We were to be…married…” she wailed. “He was lost at sea.”
“Oh, my God,” Iris muttered, unable to hide the anguish she felt for the woman. “Let me help you to this chaise, Melody,” Iris said. “Can you stand up?”
“Move back, Iris,” Michael said, helping Melody up and easing her onto the padded lounge.
She lay back, her eyes closed for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. She spoke slowly. “After graduating from college, I traveled to France with some friends. My mother met me there and we shopped for my wardrobe—you know, apparel appropriate for my new life as Mrs. Wallace Mumford.” She paused. “We were to be married in a grand ceremony two months later…in August of 1976.” Melody closed her eyes and began to sob. “When Mother and I returned,” she managed, “Father was waiting to tell us of the tragedy at sea. They feared that Wallace had drunk too much brandy and it was presumed that he toppled overboard. His body was never found.”
“I’m so sorry, Melody,” Iris said. “How awful for you.”
“And to find out he was…” she paused, then wailed, “…dead in the walls of this house all along.” She sat straight up. “Father!” she shouted. “Father killed Wallace! But why? I was so happy. Didn’t he want to see his only daughter happy?” When she remembered that she and Iris weren’t alone, she became quiet. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I mustn’t go on like this in front of strangers. It’s not appropriate.” She looked at Iris. “I’m okay now. I’ll go home and take a sedative.” She struggled to rise from the chaise. “Carry on, Iris. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow when I’m…feeling better.”
“Do you want me to have someone drive you home, Melody?” Iris offered.
“Oh no, dear. I’m fine.” The distraught woman glanced around at the others. “You have work to do here—important work.”
“Lordy,” Michael said, after Melody had driven off in her vintage Jaguar.
“Yeah,” Savannah said. “That was unexpected and intense. That poor woman.” She looked at Iris. “So she thinks her
father killed her fiancé?”
“I guess so,” Iris said, lowering herself into a chair.
“You look exhausted,” Savannah said. “You should go home and rest, too.”
“After I make sure the hole is closed up and the cats are safe,” she insisted.
****
“Your husband did a wonderful job repairing the side of the house,” Melody said to Savannah Sunday when she arrived at the Kaiser place.
“Yes, you can’t even see where that gaping hole was, can you?” Savannah glanced at Michael, who was on a ladder putting the finishing touches on the repair.
“If I thought he’d leave his veterinary practice even for the rest of the summer, I’d hire him in a heartbeat,” Melody said. “I like his work ethic and his attention to detail.”
Savannah smiled. “He’d appreciate that. He does love tinkering with his tools.”
“Is that what you call it?” Melody asked, chuckling.
“Yeah, but don’t tell him that,” Savannah confided.
“So we’re doing the big reveal today, are we?” Melody asked Iris. “I mean unearth whatever might be in that spot Willie was digging the night he…”
Iris broke in. “I guess so. We really do need to remove the last of the secrets from this property.”
“So true, Iris, so true. And your husband will do the honors?” Melody asked.
“And my son—security is here to handle whatever emerges from under the Dexter rock.”
“The what?” Melody asked with surprise.
“Well, they’re going to be digging under a rock with the name Dexter on it,” Iris explained.
Melody frowned and looked out toward the trees. “Where is it? I’ve looked all over for it. You found it?” she asked expectantly.
“Yes, it’s right there where your nephew was digging. See the shovel standing up in that dirt pile?”
With that, Melody rose from her chair and walked closer to the digging site. “This isn’t where he’s buried,” she said emphatically.
“Where who’s buried?” Iris asked, glancing briefly at Savannah.
Melody began walking toward the trees. She stopped and contemplated for a moment, then stepped out again. Finally she stopped and turned. “Here. This is where we buried poor Dexter. I’m sure of it. Someone has moved his marker. I wonder why? And when?”
