by CeeCee James
We followed the fence through some beautiful country. Trees spread out before us in what appeared to be living ocean waves of glowing leaves. There were splotches of yellow, red, brown and green, like someone had shaken a paint brush across the scene.
“So, with everything that happened, how safe are you feeling around here?”
“I’m okay. The police are driving by, and I have Jasper.”
Sharon sucked on her teeth. “When I was a young girl, we left our doors unlocked. Times have never been the same since the bank robbery.”
“What was that?”
“Oh, about twenty years past. Town bank got robbed and the cashier was held at gun point to open the safe. She did and still got killed. Town’s never been the same since then.”
“Wow! Did they ever catch the robbers?”
She shook her head.
Right then I stepped into something soft. I stared at the ground in alarm, fearing the worst, but it turned out to be swampy mud from an underground spring. Sharon sloshed through it with nary a blink, while I picked my way around, probably appearing like I was trying to navigate through a pile of mouse-traps. I understood now why she wore rubber boots.
A couple of minutes later we found the second breach. The gate was open and had been pushed back against its hinges.
“Well, you’re lucky that cow didn’t escape out this way,” Sharon noted. “Down there is a pond and Running Creek, and even further is a drop-off.”
“I didn’t realize there was a creek back here.”
“Yeah, it connects to a river. My cousin runs boats up and down it for tourists. You ever want a trip, you tell him I sent you.” She gave the gate an experimental tug. “Whoever came through was in a hurry. Bent the post.”
I pushed on the post attached to the twisted hinge, trying to figure out what to do next.
“You keep that cow in her stall for a bit longer. I’ll call Roy and have him stop by.” Sharon nodded again.
“Who’s Roy?” I asked.
“Oh, he’s my handy man. He’ll get this fixed, no worries.”
“I don’t have a lot of money,” I admitted.
“That’s his specialty, cheap fixes.” She patted my arm. “Don’t you worry none. From the looks of your hands, you’ve got enough to worry about.”
I laughed and explained what happened. She grinned as well. “I’ve always liked that girl. Emma is a spit-fire.” She tipped her head. “Where you from again?”
“Charlotte”
“Huh. Big city girl, huh? Never been up that way. You look like someone I used to know way back when. Well, we need to be getting back. I’ve got my own animals I need to round up.” She tipped her head. “Speaking of animals, you haven’t seen a gander around here recently?”
Memories of my flight around the car came to mind. “Oh, yeah! He chased me up the porch!”
She sighed, air hissing between her teeth. “That boy is my guard goose. But every now and then he wants to chase the ladies down at the pond back there. You weren’t hurt none?”
I shook my head. “Scared me, though!”
“Just be glad he wasn’t a turkey. A pack of those things can be worse than wild dogs.”
I glanced at my watch. “Emma will be off soon. I better head back.”
We trudged straight across the field this time. I did keep an eye out for any patties. I figured if I were to step in something soft again, I wouldn’t be as lucky as last time.
“So, you said you knew Clint McDaniel?” I asked after a while. Time to cast my fishing line.
“Yeah. Funny thing, he’s been out of town for a while. I’m surprised he’s back.”
“Oh, really?”
“He left for the big city years ago, to make his mark on society, I suppose. We were all young and dumb back then. Would you believe I won the title School Prankster?”
“You both went to school together?” Now I felt sad for her.
“Yeah, we sure did. Didn’t like him then, and I can’t say my opinion improved through the years. He was flashy, always tried to do things the easy way, and didn’t mind dragging any naive chump along with him.”
I made a face. “So, it sounds like he might have made a few enemies then?”
“He could charm a honeycomb off of a brown bear’s hairy paw when he felt like it. But you couldn’t trust him. As soon as he found someone better, he’d move on to the next.”
“Do you think he got into drugs?” I asked.
“That’s what I heard. Partied with the best of them.”
By now we’d reached the front breach in the fence. Carefully, we picked over the wires. I reached back to help her, but she was already over it.
“Like I said, someone was in a rush to get out of here. You didn’t hear it?”
I shook my head, slightly embarrassed.
“Hang on a second,” I said, and jogged into the house. I grabbed the hook and brought it out. “What do you make of this?”
“Oh easy. It’s what they use to pick alfalfa hay bales up with.” She pointed to the hay that the Farm and Feed had brought in its emergency delivery. “The man probably dropped it delivering that.”
I nodded. But I knew it had been here before the delivery. Back when the delivery guy had disappeared.
Sharon clucked for her goose, and he came waddling out at her voice. “What are you doing, George?” she scolded and picked him up. Shielding her eyes, she stared out at the barn. “Sure is a shame what happened. Hope it doesn’t color your perception of our town none.”
“I really like it,” I reassured her.
“Me too, with the exception of our mayor. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was him who knocked his cousin off, truth be told.”
Chapter 13
My mouth dropped. “The mayor?”
“He’s got political aspirations. And that cousin of his was no good. Mayor McDaniel especially needs to watch his Ps and Qs because he has a real chance of losing the election this year. Laura Owens is running against him, and she’s a smart cookie. She’s got a rebuttal to every one of his arguments and can really shut his pie-hole.” She shrugged. “In the end, I always suspected the mayor bribed Clint to go away all those years ago. Then Clint came back. Maybe the mayor thought of another way to handle it.” She winked. “But you didn’t hear that from me.” She straightened and began walking briskly toward the road. “I’ll have the handy man come out to repair the fence. Just a heads up. Roy’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s one in a million. Now, let’s go home, George.”
The two of them had made it a few feet past the driveway when the school bus swayed down the road like a yellow hippopotamus. She waved at the driver as he passed her and then ducked her face at the rising dust.
I headed to the end of the driveway to wait for Emma.
The bus stopped with a squeak and a shudder that indicated worn-out struts. The doors opened and, amidst screams of goodbyes and laughter, Emma bounded out with blue hair cascading around her shoulders. Fantastic. So much for my bun idea to hide it.
Eyes wide, she streaked past me and toward the house in a whirl of wind and hair flying behind. “I’ve got to use the bathroom!”
I followed after her, reaching the porch as the bathroom door slammed shut.
Jasper barked to remind me he was still on his lead.
“Come here, boy.” I got him unclipped and led him into the house.
All right, next get a snack for Emma. I opened the cupboards and searched through the shelves. Soon, cheese in a can and crackers on a plate joined a basket already filled with napkins on the kitchen table. I rummaged in the fridge and added a glass of milk, and a few slices of pepperoni to the plate. Jasper watched my every move, his eyebrows jumping up and down over each eye.
Now, where was she?
I headed down the hallway. The bathroom door was left open with no Emma in sight. I traveled upstairs to her room but she wasn’t there either.
“Jasper! Where’s Emma?�
� I asked. The dog wagged his fringy tail like it was a flag and bounded back down the stairs. I followed the dog to find Emma sitting at the table with a box of crayons and a huge piece of orange construction paper. Geez, she could be quiet when she wanted to be.
“What a good dog.” I scratched his ears to thank him for finding her.
Then I noticed the cat was curled up in the napkin basket. I scooped him out and set him onto the floor. He flounced away, greatly displeased with me.
“Hi, Emma. How was your day?”
“Good,” she said. Her swinging legs thumped against the chair rails.
“Well, that’s good. Do you like your snack?”
“Yeah,” she said. She paused in her drawing to do one careful line of cheese on a cracker and popped the creation into her mouth.
“So, I see your hair is down. Did anyone say anything?”
“They thought it was cool,” she said, simply.
“Were you able to get some lunch?”
She nodded and stood up, fishing the change out of her pocket and setting it on the table. A couple of the coins rolled toward the edge. I swatted them down before they fell off.
“Thanks, Emma! So do you have any homework tonight?”
She shook her head, her tongue poking out to the side as she drew.
“What are you drawing?” I tried again.
“I’m drawing a picture. It’s my favorite person. Besides my momma, I mean.” She looked at me and smiled.
Oh, my gosh. She meant me. My heart melted, and I wanted to grab her in a hug. But I knew she didn’t like touching, so I leaned over her shoulder to see what it was.
Huh. If that was me I had short hair. And a mustache. “Who’s that?”
“It’s Mr. Frank. He’s my teacher.”
“Your teacher is your favorite person?”
She nodded and drew a flower next to him. And then another, along with a big smilie face.
“What’s that?” I pointed to the face.
“That’s Rosy. She’s bringing him flowers.”
Way to rub salt in the wound. “Are you sure she’s not eating them, instead?” I grumbled. “Or maybe getting ready to give him a kick?”
Jasper jumped up on the couch and began barking. I glanced out the window in time to see a white truck pull into the driveway. It was lifted with chrome accents, and I could tell the guy was having fun, like pedal-to-the-metal kind of fun. He slowed at the driveway and entered respectfully. On the side of his truck was a decal that said, “The Caretaker. How may I care for you?”
I walked to the porch as the truck jolted to a stop. A thin older man jumped out. He had dark hair, a mustache, and sparkling eyes. “Well, hello there! My name’s Roy. Sharon told me to you needed some help.”
“I so appreciate you coming out so fast.” I skipped down the steps and showed him the fence.
He gave a low whistle and stooped to pick up a broken post. “Okay. It’s been crazy around here lately for you, hasn’t it? Sharon said a regular disaster zone.”
I lifted my eyebrows at the description, but what could I say? “It’s been pretty bizarre. Did you know the guy that died?”
His lips thinned and disappeared under the mustache. “Can’t say it was my pleasure. But I knew people who knew him.”
“And…?”
“Let’s just say I don’t exactly hang with that crowd. Good way to end up on the wrong side of a prison door.”
“Wow, so he was some type of criminal, huh?”
“Some type of something, anyway. I don’t get too close to find out. After all, if something happened to me, who would take care of my dog?”
As if the animal had heard his owner, a black-and-white face poked out the driver’s window.
“Oh, my gosh! He’s adorable!”
“Thanks! Found him running along the highway one day. Poor bugger got dropped off by some scumbag.”
“Aww.” Pain squeezed my heart. “I’m so glad you found him.”
“Hard to believe people are really that cold-hearted. But there are some real monsters out there. You can take that to the bank.”
He headed back to his truck and pulled out a post hole digger. “All right, I’m going to get started. Sharon said there was also a post broken at the gate?”
“Yes, over there on the other side. Hang on a sec. Let me go check on Emma.” I ran inside to find her still drawing. When I returned, he’d already cut the old post free from the wire and had restrung the fence.
“Wow! You’re fast.”
“Been stringing fence most of my life.” He gave the new post a final pat. “Okay, I’ll be back in a few.” He opened the truck door for his dog and whistled. As he tromped through the field, I could swear I heard him singing. The dog leaped at his feet as if joining the joy.
He might say there were monsters out there, but I was finding more and more hidden gems the longer I lived.
Chapter 14
That morning, I had the nightmare again. I woke up sweating and heaving as if I’d just run a marathon. Strawberries and grass, red smears. Sign posts. Tears rolled from my eyes, and I squeezed them tight, trying to make the images disappear.
I have the right to live. I have the right to live. I have the right to live.
I rolled over and grabbed my wallet to look at the photo. Mom was so beautiful. And there I was in that funny little dress, always looking at my profile in the mirror.
After a moment the dream eased away, allowing reality to fit back into a nice safe shape. The cow mooed, the dog barked, and from some place in the house, a door slammed. Time to start the day.
But I needed a bit more coddling. I dug around my suitcase that I’d still not completely unpacked until I found my pink fuzzy socks. Soft like duckling down, they were practically like slippers, and I loved them.
Then life became like an assembly line. Breakfast for the kid, the dog and cat, the cow, the goats, and the bunnies. Back inside to make sure Emma was dressed, teeth brushed, dog on the lead, books packed and kid being walked to the end of the driveway. I was starting to feel like a pro.
“You have your lunch money?” I asked as we waited for the bus.
“Uh huh. I get chocolate milk today.” Her gapped smile made me grin too.
“Oooh, I’m jealous,” I said, reaching out to tousle her hair.
She didn’t let me. Instead, she skipped ahead, arms out, and was walked along Roy’s tire track like it was an imaginary tightrope.
The bus rolled down the road in all its mustard yellow glory. Emma jumped up and down and then twirled in a circle on her toe. As it approached, I got a firm grip on the strap of her backpack to hold her back, and we waited less than patiently for the bus to squeal to a stop.
The door opened, and I sent her off again to the hoard of screaming zoo animals otherwise known as elementary school-age kids.
Through the windows I could see her little brown pigtails as she bounced down the aisle and into the seat with her friend. Fortunately, it turned out that the eight hair washes was really one long wash with a capful of diluted vinegar. They both turned to look at me and wave like they were in a parade. I waved back, and the bus drove off.
After a quick shower, and another scoop of food for poor Jasper who looked at me so pitifully, I climbed into the car to head to work. As I started the engine, I stared at the hoof prints all over the windshield. Pressing my lips together, I pressed the windshield wiper fluid switch. Liquid sprayed the glass, and the wipers did their best to clear it. Unfortunately, the rubber part of the wipers was notched with little goat teeth marks.
Rolling my eyes, I backed out of the driveway. Just as soon as I hit the road, I was serenaded with a weird rattle coming from the engine compartment. Not a normal weird noise, one that sounded like a very important piece was about to fall out.
Fantastic. I flipped the music volume higher to drown it out.
As I drove, I started to think about the mayor. Had Sharon actually inferred that he could be r
esponsible for his cousin Clint’s murder? She had. And no amount of fancy speech, winking eyes, or shrugging shoulders of innocence could take that away.
Tom from Sweet Buns Bakery sure clammed up when he realized Clint had died at my house. He said he had to be careful. That made the mayor sound vindictive. I wondered if Mayor McDaniel knew about me?
The thought chilled me more then when I had to go into the deep freezer when I worked as a teen at the grocery store.
I was lucky enough to find a spot to park near the front of In For A Penny. I couldn’t forget the last time I’d been here, when that creepy guy yelled that woman’s name at me. I glanced around a bit like I thought he could still be lurking, before hurrying out of my car and up to the door. Just before I went in, I turned to press the lock on the car fob.
The store was as bright and cheery as yesterday. There was a huge box of doughnuts on the counter and Polly was working on a puzzle that seemed to be about fifty percent finished.
“Why hello, you!” Polly called after snapping in a piece. “Want a doughnut?”
“Hi!” I said, shrugging off my coat. “Maybe in a little bit. Where can I put this?”
“Suit yourself. Just put it back there.” She indicated with a lifting of her elbow to the back room.
I headed back there where I was greeted with a table and a wall of coat hooks. I hung up my jacket and took a quick peek of myself in the antique wall mirror. I had to give myself a thumbs up. Even with my crooked eyetooth, I was looking pretty descent.
“Hello, dear, how are you?” asked Pam.
I spun around, surprised at how she’d snuck up on me.
Her tone was weird, like something was wrong. The expression she gave me mimicked the mood with a pair of lowered, concerned eyebrows.
“I’m fine,” I said, with a smile, feeling decidedly unsure. “You been busy?”
“Only baking. We make supper once a week for someone in our church, depending on who is in need.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
She shook her head and stirred her tea. “What’s not so nice is how gossip gets around.” Here she shot me another look.
