“I still don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it,” Frank growled.
Webb knew that Frank was determined to kill one of the Conrad girls. He’d convinced himself that it was the right thing to do, and no amount of arguing was going to change his mind. All Webb could do was go along and try to stop it.
“What are you doing out on the porch at this hour?”
Nona jumped at the sound of the voice. Simon stood at the bottom of the steps. It was late, nearly two o’clock in the morning, and she hadn’t expected anyone else to be up and about.
“What are you doing?”
“Jack and I are taking turns patrolling the grounds.”
“I have so much on my mind, I couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Are you going to let me come up there and join you, or are you saving that seat for someone else?”
She patted the place beside her. Simon sat down. In the darkness, she could see little more than his profile, but having him near was comforting. For several minutes they sat in silence, staring out at the shining lake. A handful of stars twinkled in the night sky, most of them drowned out by the luminescence of the nearly full moon. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled.
“I remember a time when Maggie was about nine years old,” Nona started, giving voice to the thoughts that had kept her awake. “We lived in Little Rock, in a run-down tenement near the river. I was working for practically nothing as a waitress. Long hours and little pay. We just had enough to make ends meet.”
Simon silently nodded his understanding.
“One day I was ten minutes late for work. It was the heart of the winter and I hadn’t given myself enough time to get there. The owner was a wretched old man who tried to pinch all the girls’ butts. When he’d tried for mine I’d slapped him right across his wrinkled old face.”
“Sounds like you.” Simon chuckled.
“When I showed up late, he wouldn’t even listen to my excuses and fired me. Just like that, I didn’t have a job. I was mortified! By the time I got home I was a wreck. I sat down at our little table and started worrying that we’d have to move and that we wouldn’t have enough money for food.” With each word, Nona’s voice became more choked with emotion. A tear made its way down her cheek. “Maggie listened for a while and then left the room. The next thing I knew, she was standing in front of me with a candy bar she’d gotten for Christmas. She must have been saving it, but there she was, holding it out for me. She looked at me and said, ‘Don’t cry, Nona. I’ll take care of you.’”
“She loves you,” Simon said softly.
“That’s what makes this so hard,” Nona explained as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m all she has. She’s all I have.”
Simon reached out and took one of her hands and enveloped it in his own. His skin was rough but warm and inviting. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Simon, thank you for being here.” She sniffled.
“Put the notion out of your head that we won’t find her,” Simon scolded. “You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. You’re going through a difficult time now, but you won’t give up hope. We could hear from the kidnappers any day. Hell, you’ve stood up to my guff from the moment you first laid eyes on me. If that isn’t courage, I don’t know what is.”
“You’re right,” Nona admitted.
“Of course I’m right,” he said as he turned her head to look down into her wet eyes. His gaze was piercing, even in the sparse light of the porch. “If you don’t believe me, just ask.”
A longing filled Nona as she held his gaze. She hadn’t felt this way since they’d sat in the truck together. Even though that had only been a few short days earlier, it felt as if months had passed. She ached to touch him and have him hold her.
“You’ll not ever be alone if you want me,” he whispered, repeating the words he’d said before. His warm breath fell across her face. The anticipation of the kiss grew so great that Nona felt it as a weight on her chest. When finally their lips met, the joining was sweet and tender. Her hand squeezed his tightly, never wanting to let go. She leaned on him, her head snuggled against his chest, listening to the rapid beating of his heart.
“Oh, Simon,” she sighed. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“So am I, my sweet,” he whispered as he ran his hand up and down her back. “We’ll not give up hope. We’ll find her.”
Simon’s words echoed in Nona’s head, as she was lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his heart and the touch of his hand.
Chapter 18
MAGGIE SAT PATIENTLY in front of the cracked mirror, her hands clasped together in her lap, as Dusty’s mother combed out the tangles in her hair. Maggie could see that she had begun to look more presentable.
Morning sun flooded the small room with light, and the sounds of chirping birds came in through the open window. Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway’s bedroom was tiny, but there was enough room for a bookcase and a chest of drawers. Judging by the number of books displayed, this was a reading family, Maggie decided.
“Would you like me to put your hair in a French braid?” Denise smiled into the mirror. “I’ve missed having a girl around to do things with. I used to do this for my little sister. Dusty’s a fine boy, but I don’t think he’d take too well to his mama braiding his hair!”
“Probably not,” Maggie agreed.
Maggie had awakened early, hoping to get back to Nona and Mabel, but the Hathaways had insisted that she wait until Dusty and Avery could look around in the woods. Only when they returned would they leave for the camp. Time dragged. When Denise offered to comb through her hair, Maggie had agreed immediately. Anything to hurry the clock!
“Is your sister as pretty as you are?” Mrs. Hathaway asked.
“Oh, she’s much prettier than I am! She’s got this bright red hair that always seems to attract attention,” Maggie explained.
“What about you? I bet you have your share of boyfriends.”
“Oh, no! Not me!” The truth was that she’d never been much interested in boys until just lately. They had gone from being creepy little sneaks, through being gangly with squeaky voices, to become rather attractive teenagers. She felt awkward and unsure of what to say or do when she talked to them.
“That’ll change soon. You’re going to be pretty as a picture in a year or two . . . not that you aren’t already. It’s one of the strangest things. One day you think there isn’t anyone in the whole world who knows who you are, and then guys start knocking on your door!”
“I don’t know about that,” Maggie murmured.
“Don’t worry! That’s what happened to me when I was your age.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really! When I met Avery, I was teaching school in San Francisco. I knew instantly that he was the man for me. They say you don’t fall in love at first sight, but I would argue that. Avery made my knees wobble and my heart sound like a locomotive going uphill. It took me a while to figure out that I had fallen in love with him. Later on we made plans to come here, and I have never regretted leaving the city. We’ve been here sixteen years. Dusty was born here.”
“Well, he certainly seems to know every inch of these woods.”
The slam of a door and the pounding of footsteps interrupted their talk. Avery stuck his head into the room, his face wet with sweat.
“What’s up, sweetheart?” Mrs. Hathaway tried to make her voice light, but she sounded concerned.
“A couple of men are coming this way,” he said between gasps. “It could be the guys looking for Maggie.”
Before Maggie could even open her mouth, Denise was up out of her chair and pulling her into Dusty’s room.
“You can hide in here,” she said.
“Thank you,” Maggie whispered. She was so scared she was breathless. The room seemed even smaller than it had the day before. It was hard for her to imagine she could hide in suc
h a tiny space.
“Get in the chest.” Denise pointed at a battered, steel-gray chest lying at the foot of the bed.
“But I won’t fit . . . ,” Maggie began.
“Hush now!” Denise cut her off. “We don’t have time to argue.”
The woman quickly lifted the lid and pulled out two quilts. She motioned for Maggie to climb in.
Maggie hesitated, unsure of what she should do.
“Quickly!” Avery warned from the doorway. “They’ll be here any minute!”
“Trust me, darling,” Denise said softly, placing a hand on Maggie’s shoulder.
Returning her gaze, Maggie knew she was trying to help. Gathering all of her courage, Maggie stepped into the chest, lay down on her side, and did her best to fit.
“Keep quiet,” Denise warned as she covered her with one of the quilts.
The lid was lowered and Maggie was thrown into a near panic. All was silent but the loud hammering of her heart. She held her breath, hoping that the men would not come into the house. Seconds passed before she heard one knocking on the door.
“And we commend the eternal soul of Ernest Leasure to You, O Lord! Receive him and take him into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
LeAnn looked down into the hole in the ground in which Ernie’s body lay. The casket was little more than a pine box. A mound of red earth was piled next to the hole, a pair of shovels stuck in the pile, their handles glinting in the morning sun. A couple of men stood at the cemetery gates, smoking cigarettes and waiting for their time to work. Soon the service was over. Ernie was in the ground.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Pastor Kent said softly.
A Baptist minister with a small congregation in Home, Willis Kent was an overweight young man with thinning blond hair. His face was soft, his skin pale. LeAnn had never met the man before that morning, but he’d acted as if she’d been part of his congregation all of her life, and she’d warmed to him instantly. She’d allowed him to assume the best about the man Ernie had been. Now that he was gone forever, it seemed the very least she could do.
Jack stood silently beside her, his hat clutched loosely in front of him. He’d helped her make all of the funeral arrangements, calling into town and contacting the right people. He’d gone with her when it was time to pick a casket and to set up Ernie’s interment in the Home Memorial Cemetery. She’d hated having to burden him by asking for his assistance, but he’d insisted that it was no trouble. Through all of her hardship, he’d been there to walk, to talk, and to listen. What would I have done without Jack?
“Amen,” Pastor Kent finished, closing his Bible.
“Amen,” Jack said softly.
Slightly embarrassed that she’d been thinking about another man at her own husband’s funeral, LeAnn quickly added, “Amen.”
After accepting further condolences from the pastor, LeAnn stood and stared down at Ernie’s coffin. She’d expected to be sadder. She’d expected to cry, to be flooded with memories of all of the good times that they’d spent together, but in the end she’d felt little. The truth was that Ernie Leasure had been a terrible husband and not much better as a person. He’d always be a part of her life, the child she would give birth to would make sure of that; but she wouldn’t carry him in her heart. Her feelings would be buried, too.
Turning to Jack, she said, “I’m ready to go.”
“Now, don’t be in a hurry on my account,” he protested. “You take all the time you need. If you’d like, I’ll go back to the truck and wait for you, give you a little privacy.”
“There’s nothing left for me to say, Jack. I’ve been grieving for years.”
He nodded solemnly and pressed his hat back on his head. He offered her his arm, not wanting her to slip in the still-damp grass, and they walked back to his battered pickup truck.
“Thanks again for coming.”
“I told you before, LeAnn,” he explained. “I’m here for you whenever you need me. This is no trouble at all. It’s the least I could do. I’m only sorry more folks couldn’t come.”
“It can’t be helped with Maggie still missing.”
For two days and two nights everyone had been waiting for news of her. No word had come. There had been enough hardship in LeAnn’s life; she didn’t wish any for Nona and Mabel.
“I’m sure they’d all be here, if they could.”
LeAnn suddenly stopped walking and turned to face Jack as he halted beside her. Looking up into his face made her heart flutter in a way it never had before. His eyes were the bluest she’d ever seen. It had been the same from the first time she had gazed at him. This quivery feeling was something she’d never experienced.
“I’m just glad that you’re with me,” she said softly.
Jack reached out and took her hand in his own. His skin was rough, it was a working man’s hand, and she could feel its strength. They looked at one another for what seemed forever but she never wanted to speak, to break the moment; on the contrary, she wanted it to go on forever.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” he finally said.
They walked the rest of the way back to the truck hand in hand.
Avery Hathaway cautiously moved to the door. A man he didn’t recognize stood on the porch staring at him through the thin screen. His frame was large. He wore a wrinkled shirt and his belly hung over the belt in his pants. He wasn’t the sort that’d usually be traipsing around in the woods. Sweat ran in rivers down the side of his face. He lifted his hat and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. His dark hair was wet with sweat, his clothes equally soaked. Avery glanced quickly at the man’s waist before looking away. A pistol hung from a holster at his hip. Another man, little more than a skinny kid, stayed in the yard.
“Something I can help you with?” Avery asked innocently.
“I hope so,” the man answered. “I’m looking for a young lady that’s been missing for a couple of days from Pine Tree Camp. Her name is Maggie Conrad. She’s fourteen years old, tall, with light brown hair. We’re asking around to see if anyone has seen her.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you.”
The man only nodded in reply. He craned his neck to look over Avery’s shoulder, examining the inside of the small house. The heel of the man’s hand came to rest on his gun and his fingers drummed along the hilt. Avery cursed himself for putting his shotgun in the kitchen; having it closer would have made him feel more secure. He heard a rustle behind him as his wife moved to stand next to him.
“Ma’am,” the man said politely with a nod of his head.
“Why are you looking for her? Is she family?” Mrs. Hathaway asked bluntly.
“Afraid not, ma’am,” he said as he fingered the tin badge pinned to his shirt. “I’m a deputy with the county sheriff’s office. We were called in to help look for the girl.”
“What do you think happened?” Avery asked matter-of-factly.
“Could be a number of things, I suppose,” the man said as he wiped his brow again. “She’s from the city and not used to the country. She could have wandered into the woods and found herself turned around, not knowing how to get out. Course, it could have been something else. Somebody might have taken her against her will. You’ve lived here for quite a while. Do you have any suggestions as to where she might be?”
Avery regarded the man with suspicion. A tin star and the story of being a lawman searching for a missing girl were easy things to come by, the pistol at his side even easier. Maggie hadn’t said much about the men who’d taken her, so for all Avery knew, the man before him was not what he pretended to be. It was clear he was fishing for information. Avery wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of taking the bait.
“No. Sorry I can’t help you, Deputy.”
The man nodded absently and turned to step off the porch.
Avery could feel the sweat forming on his brow. He half expected the man to turn, pull his gun, and force his way into the house, but instead he simply stood on the porch. Fina
lly, he turned back to them and said, “Remember what I said. If you see the girl, hold her. We’ll check back with you tomorrow.”
Avery nodded.
Denise snatched her husband’s hand and held it tightly as the man descended from the porch, conversed with the man in the yard, and headed back into the woods. In a matter of moments, both were lost from sight. Denise started to the bedroom to let Maggie out of the chest, but Avery held her in place.
“We need to make sure they’re gone,” he said softly. “They might have settled down out there to watch us.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “They could be watching with a pair of binoculars.”
For the next fifteen minutes, the Hathaways went about their everyday chores. Denise went to the kitchen and peeled potatoes while Avery went to the shed and milked the goat.
After a while, Denise opened the chest lid. Maggie was damp with perspiration. “Stay here in Dusty’s room. We’re not sure they’re gone.”
“Was it one of them?” Maggie whispered as she climbed out of the small chest and stretched her aching legs and back.
“Avery didn’t think so.”
“One of the men who took me was bald with a black mustache.”
“This man wasn’t bald. He had a badge and a gun and said he was a deputy.”
Chapter 19
YOU MADE A MISTAKE!” Webb couldn’t resist the dig.
“I made a mistake!” Frank snarled.
“You’re the one who wanted to take the girl.”
“Shut your mouth! When something’s got to be done, I do it.”
“The end justifies the means, huh, Frank?”
“You’re damn right and you’d better not forget it. I haven’t gotten to where I am by being gutless.”
Webb was tired and hungry. He and Frank had spent the whole day moving from one spot to another, watching the camp with a pair of powerful binoculars. Groups of men, most of them in the company of a deputy sheriff, roamed the woods. Many of them carried guns. The dumb shits didn’t have any idea how close they had come to him and Frank several times during the last few hours. The sound of voices and the crackle of their radios always preceded the deputy and his men, giving Frank and Webb time to leave one spot and settle in another.
On Tall Pine Lake Page 16
