“You know how it goes. The news carried the story that I had been cleared, that the accusation was a hoax. The girl was underage, so she was never charged with anything. But, good news never gets the amount of coverage that the original story does. Although I was never arrested or even formally charged, people looked at me with lingering suspicion.
“The park was relieved when I asked for a transfer. I wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else. They arranged a transfer down here because it was the first opening that came up. I thought I could escape by moving halfway across the state, but I guess I was kidding myself.”
Reese finally stopped speaking. He looked dejected as if telling the entire story to Alexa had drained him.
“I knew that there was more to the story than the little I heard. It must have been terrible experience for you. You were doing your job. Then, in an instant, everything went to pieces.”
“That’s it exactly. What was so difficult to deal with was that it felt so out of control. I had done nothing wrong, but the minute she said that I had assaulted her, things just spiraled away.”
“I can see how it felt that way. I spent a summer doing an internship with a criminal law firm. Some of our clients were guilty and often in jail for their third or fourth offense. They knew the drill. What I remember the most, though, were the first time offenders. I learned to pinpoint the ones who might actually be innocent. They were in total shock. One day their lives were normal, then a cop knocks on the door and their universe turned on its head. It’s good that you were never formally charged, but the experience sounds similar.”
“It’s discouraging. I feel like this is always going to be hanging over my head. I moved 300 miles away to Michaux, but the rumors came right along with me. Am I always going to be ‘that ranger from the sex scandal’?”
“Reese, you are a decent guy. Even if people hear about it, once they get to know you, they will dismiss the rumors. Or, maybe they’ll just come right out and ask about it like I did. As far as I’m concerned, we never need to discuss this again.”
“Fine with me.” He reached for another helping of emperor’s chicken.
For the rest of the meal, they kept to lighter topics. As they cleaned up after dinner, Alexa asked, “You said that there were things you wanted to talk to me about. What things?”
“We covered one already, maybe in more detail than I expected. Should I take our conversation to mean that you still want to spend time with me? I don’t have many friends around here yet, so I don’t want to lose you.”
“Yes. I like hanging out with you, so we can still be friends,” Alexa mocked him gently.
“I also wanted to tell you about a new development in the Elizabeth Nelson case. The parents are due in town tomorrow.”
“I am still astounded that no one has come forward with more details about Elizabeth’s life. She must have had some friends here. Why hasn’t the ex-boyfriend come forward?” Alexa’s voice, which had risen in concern, dropped to a whisper. “I think it is very sad. It’s almost as if Elizabeth Nelson didn’t exist here in Carlisle.”
“It is sad. But there is at least one person out there who interacted with Elizabeth Nelson—her killer. Just be careful because that person is still out there. And the police have not ruled out the possibility that this is the same person who shot Dr. Crowe. We were laughing earlier about the two kids who scared you at Garden Fresh, but you were right to be cautious. Those two turned out to be harmless, but they could just as easily have been the people who shot the doctor. Even though you are a volunteer, you are at the clinic every week. I’m not sure that a loose cannon looking to gun down an abortion clinic worker is going to make a fine distinction about your employment status.”
Alexa nodded. “Can you throw a log in the fire?” she asked Reese. “It’s getting chilly in here. One of the downsides of living here is heating with the woodstove. It’s a whole lot of work.”
After stoking the fire, Reese sank into one of the big leather chairs in the living room. Scout ambled over to stretch out at his feet.
Alexa was about to join them when the phone rang. The phone sat on a small table next to the couch. Alexa could see from caller ID that the call was from Caleb. She didn’t want to speak to him. But, if she didn’t pick up the phone, Caleb’s message would be audible to Reese, sitting only a few feet across the room. Quickly, weighing the options, she decided to pick up the phone.
“Excuse me,” she said to Reese. “I need to take this call.” As Alexa picked up the receiver, her sweater slipped down her arm, exposing her bruised wrist.
Walking into the kitchen, Alexa answered, “Hello.”
“Alexa. I am so glad that you picked up,” Caleb said. “I hope you got the messages that I have been leaving all week.”
“I got them.”
“I want to apologize for my outburst on Saturday. I am so sorry, but when I found out that you worked at the clinic, it came as such a shock. I realized that I didn’t know you as well as I thought. But, the way I spoke to you was way out of line. I hope you can forgive me.”
Alexa turned her back to Reese and spoke softly into the receiver. “Caleb, I’m not sure that I can ever forgive you. Please stop calling.”
“Alexa, just give me a chance to explain. Can we meet face to face to discuss this? I know you’re angry. I have to talk to you about this in person. Please, can we get together?” Caleb grew increasingly agitated.
“It seems to me that enough has been said already. I need to go now,” Alexa said and ended the call. She was angry and didn’t want to give Caleb another chance; she just wanted to get him off the phone.
Even though Alexa had walked into the kitchen area, the downstairs was really one big room. It was clear that Reese had heard Alexa’s side of the conversation. He asked, “Is everything OK? It’s really none of my business, but you sounded upset.”
Alexa decided to share an edited version of what had happened with Caleb. “That was the guy I’ve dated most of the summer. I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and I didn’t think he was either, until recently. Then I got to know a little bit more about him. He took me over to Perry County to meet his family at this place called Kingdom Lodge. It turns out that he’s way more conservative than me. Learning more about Caleb finally jolted me into a decision to break it off. I had been heading in that direction anyway.
“While I was coming to the conclusion that we should break up, apparently he was going the opposite way. He wanted to move the relationship in a more serious direction. Then, he found out that I volunteer at the clinic. He was over here on Saturday and just freaked out on me about the clinic because of the abortions performed there. It was ugly, and I told him that I didn’t want to see him again.
“All week long, he’s been calling to apologize and ask for a chance to explain. I’m not sure how to make him stop calling. I don’t want to get back together.”
Reese tried to look sympathetic, but the look of delight that passed briefly across his face undermined the effect. “I wondered about this boyfriend. Breaking up is never easy, but it sounds like he’s not the man for you.”
“I always thought that we were just having a good time together, with no real commitment on either side. Then, I realized that he was much more invested than me.”
“Are you going to give him that chance to explain?”
“I don’t know. My instinct says no, that we said everything that needed to be said last Saturday. On the other hand, I spent a lot of time with Caleb over the last few months and we had some very good times together. I sort of hate to end it on such a bad note. I know that I don’t want to be alone with him if I do agree to talk. It’s got to be in a public place.”
“Why don’t you want to be alone with this guy? Did he hurt you? I mean physically? Was that why you were ‘sick’ on Sunday?” He glanced at Alexa’s right wrist, and it became clear that Reese had seen the bruise she’d tried to hide.
Alexa waffled. She had alr
eady told Reese too much about Caleb. “He was angry and lashed out a bit. I suffered no permanent damage. Don’t be thinking that I’m in some domestic violence situation. This has never happened before, and it will certainly never happen again.” She spoke the last words very forcefully.
“You are clearly not telling me the whole story, but that’s your call. If you do decide to meet this guy, you shouldn’t be alone. Just call me and I’ll go with you. I’ll ride shotgun.”
“Right,” Alexa finally found some humor in the situation. “I agree to hear Caleb’s apology and probably a pitch about getting back together. And I bring you along to keep an eye on the conversation. I’m sure Caleb would be thrilled to have another guy there while he makes his case.”
“I wouldn’t be part of the conversation. But, I’d be somewhere nearby to make sure things don’t get out of hand when you tell him no again. Because you’re going to say no, right?”
“Right. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. I’m not sure that I’ll even agree to see Caleb. I do appreciate your kind offer, sir. You’re sort of like a modern day Sir Galahad, ready to ride to a lady’s rescue at the drop of a hat.”
“I don’t really see myself as Sir Galahad, and I don’t really see you as a lady. I’ll be more like Goose to your Maverick.” He paused. “No. Nix the Top Gun analogy. I forgot that Goose dies. We’ll stick with Sir Galahad.”
When they both dissolved into peals of laughter, Scout jumped up and ran around the room barking. That only made Alexa laugh harder.
Alexa’s spirits were still high when Reese left.
What an evening, she thought. It certainly was a night for truth telling. I’m so glad that Reese was open about his trouble at Roaring Falls. I’ll have to set Haley straight and make sure that she passes the real story on to her husband and his friends.
She then reflected on the conversation about Caleb. Real smooth, Alexa.
Telling Reese all about my last boyfriend? Well, she amended, nearly all. She had skipped any mention about the sex with Caleb. It had felt good, though, to talk about what had happened.
Talking to Reese came easy for Alexa. Spending time with him had helped crystallize all the things that were missing in her feelings for Caleb. However, she was wary of quickly bouncing from a failed relationship with Caleb into something new with Reese. Still, Alexa knew she was hoping for more than friendship from the good-looking forest ranger.
Chapter Twenty-One
Wednesday, November 21, 1934.
By his gentle voice whispering low …
When Dewilla opened her eyes, she panicked. “Where am I?” she moaned. The sight of her sisters, fast asleep beside her, reassured the youngster. The three girls shared a lumpy old mattress, and her sisters hogged all the blankets, leaving Dewilla with only a thin sheet. She was cold.
Still disoriented, Dewilla rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. An anemic ray of light from the kitchen exposed a web of deep cracks etching the aging ceiling. The sickly light lacked the strength to reach the bed, which crouched low in the shadows.
Dewilla came fully awake and realized that she was in yet another dingy tourist court. Since the family left California a few weeks ago, they had stayed in a succession of these cheap cabins. Early in the trip, she and Norma could barely contain themselves at the excitement and glamour of sleeping in tourist courts.
Norma burbled, “Staying in a motor court. We’ll be just like Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night.”
Dewilla reminded her sister, “Daddy put the kibosh on me seeing that picture, remember? He said I was too young.”
“I wish you could have gone. Miss Colbert made me laugh every time she opened her mouth. I’m going to wear my hair like hers when I grow up; she’s such a looker. And, Mr. Gable …”
“Clark Gable is a keen number.”
“And, how. But, what would you know about handsome men, kiddo?” Norma teased.
“Daddy’s handsome. Winifred said so.”
A thousand weary miles and countless shattered illusions had long since ground the glamour of the road to dust. The Pontiac, a real hay burner, guzzled dime after dime of Daddy’s traveling money. Each motor court became more ramshackle than the last.
Of course, having a lumpy bed sure beat the few nights they camped beside the road, Dewilla thought. Daddy had tried to make camping an adventure, but the ground was too hard. And those spooky night sounds: coyotes and owls and who knows what else. She was glad it had gotten too cold for sleeping outdoors now.
Twilight had still lingered when Daddy coasted the Pontiac into tonight’s tourist court near Lancaster. The girls had been so happy when Winifred found two cans of stew tucked in the back of a kitchen cupboard. The sisters bolted down their portions at the tiny table and went straight to bed. Dewilla fell asleep quickly, her belly still warm from the stew.
Now fully awake, a murmur caught her attention. The sound of low voices came from the same direction as the flickering light. It must be past midnight. What could Daddy and Winifred be doing at this hour?
Quietly, Dewilla rose onto her knees and peeked over the half-wall that separated the sleeping area from the kitchen. Daddy and Winifred perched on chairs at the table with their heads close together. They spoke so softly that she couldn’t hear what they were saying. While Dewilla spied on the grownups, Winifred rose from the rickety white chair and sashayed over to Dewilla’s father. Slowly, Winifred leaned over and kissed Daddy on the mouth.
Dewilla gasped. She had seen Mama and Daddy kiss a thousand times. The two of them always joked around and then turned lovey-dovey, smooching and hugging. But, it didn’t seem right for Winifred to kiss Dewilla’s daddy. Seeing Winifred with Daddy made Dewilla miss Mama so much she could hardly breathe.
Winifred ended the kiss and stood. Then, Daddy just stared at Dewilla’s cousin with a crazy look on his face. Grasping Winfred’s wrists he pulled her down onto his lap. Daddy seized Winifred’s face with his big hands and kissed her fiercely. When Winifred snuggled closer to Dewilla’s father, a strap from her flimsy shift slipped off her slender shoulder.
Dewilla’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. She couldn’t stand to watch any longer and ducked back down on the bed. Dewilla pried a corner of the blanket from Cordelia and curled into a ball. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. The child wanted to wake Norma up to tell her what was happening, but she let her older sister sleep. What could Norma do?
Everything in Dewilla’s life had changed. Her mama had left them and had gone to Heaven forever. The family abandoned their home and their friends to go on the road for reasons that she didn’t totally grasp. Hunger had become a constant companion. And, her beloved daddy had turned into a different man, one with dark moods and a worrying bond with Cousin Winifred. Dewilla wished that she could understand everything that was happening.
Just before Dewilla drifted off to sleep, she said a prayer for herself and Norma and Cordelia. “Mama,” she whispered. “I’m scared. We need your help. Now that you are an angel in Heaven, please ask God to take care of us. I fear that Daddy has lost his way.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alexa found time after lunch to slip away for a quick trip to the hospital to visit Doctor Crowe. Doc was sitting up in bed reading when Alexa knocked at the door.
“Come in, my dear. I can tell I’m feeling better because this hospital is starting to drive me crazy. You are a welcome respite from this book Alice brought. I love the adventure novels in this series. However, I have to admit that being attached to all these monitors in a hospital bed tends to undermine that feeling of being there with the characters.”
Alexa crossed to the bed and kissed the very pale Doc on the cheek. He seemed diminished by the sterile hospital room with its white walls, white sheets, and bank of machines and monitors.
“I have been so worried about you. I’m happy to say that you’re looking pretty good for a man who was just shot. I should have known that a mere bullet c
ouldn’t keep you down.”
“The doctors tell me that it was touch and go for a few hours after they brought me in here. But, I’m doing fine now. I just need to rest and give my body time to heal. I’m counting the days until they move me out of this critical care unit. When I hit the general care area, I expect that they’ll discharge me in a snap.”
“Do you mind telling me what happened?”
“When I got shot? There’s not much to tell. After dinner, I wanted to finish an article for the regional newsletter. I realized that I had neglected to bring the flash drive with the draft document home. I’d also forgotten my research notes, probably because I was rushing to get home to dinner. One of Alice’s hard and fast rules is: don’t be late for dinner.
“So, around eight o’clock, I took a quick trip to the clinic to collect what I needed. I parked the car in my space near the back door, walked to my office, and picked up the flash drive and my research notes from my desk. I was in the clinic less than five minutes.
“Then, I made my way to the back exit, locked the door, and started toward my car. Out of nowhere, I felt this blow to my chest. It actually knocked me back a few steps, and I crumpled onto the ground. Then the pain hit, and I realized that I’d been shot. Luckily, I had my cell phone in my jacket pocket. I pulled it out and punched nine. Maybe it’s my medical background, but I have 911 on speed dial on all my telephones. So, I had just enough time to hit the single digit before I lost consciousness. I never actually spoke to the 911 operator.
“About the same time I was dialing 911, the police received a flurry of calls from people who live near the clinic, complaining about gunfire in the alley. There was a patrol car in the area, and they found me almost immediately. Their quick action probably saved my life.”
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