Looking at her mother, Zack pictured Kate in thirty years. Not bad at all. In fact, she looked nice, he thought. He tended to look at women that way. If they were young, he wondered what they would look like when they got older; if older, he’d imagine what they had looked like when they were young. He could see that Kate’s mother at twenty-three had probably closely resembled Kate.
After showing him into the living room, Mrs. Jenkins offered him a soft drink, which Zack accepted politely. Kate wasn’t quite ready, she told him. “I’ll be right back.” She turned to go off toward what was probably the kitchen. Over her shoulder she said, “Kate will be down in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” he said, sitting down on the couch. The room was typical American colonial style with a traditional plaid couch with wooden arms, a wood coffee table, and two older, overstuffed recliners. The furniture, of course, was angled toward the TV, which was in the corner near the fireplace.
When she returned and handed him a glass with ice and Coke, he asked, “Is Mr. Jenkins home?”
“No, I’m sorry. Tonight is his bowling night. He will be sorry he missed you.”
She asked Zack questions about how and why he’d come to Michaeltown, his new job, and his family. She was sorry to hear that his parents had died. She and Zack got along quite naturally, talking easily.
“You don’t mind if I take Kate to Cincinnati for dinner, do you?” asked Zack.
“Oh, she told me all about it. She’s a grown woman, and I respect any decision she makes. You two have a good time.”
Zack turned as Kate stepped through the archway and into the living room. His eyes widened. This was his first look at her in something other than her waitress uniform. She looked even better than he’d imagined.
Looking down at her short black skirt and white ruffled blouse, she asked, “It this okay for where we’re going?”
“I think you look fine,” Zack said. “In fact”
“You look beautiful, dear,” her mother said, smiling, finishing Zack’s sentence for him.
---
A little over an hour later, they entered downtown Cincinnati. Kate had kept quiet for most of the drive into town. Now she looked back and forth along the city streets, and she leaned forward, looking up as they passed skyscrapers. She didn’t want to miss anything.
Zack found a parking spot along the street, and they walked half a block to a traditional Italian restaurant with red-checkered tablecloths and Chianti bottles holding lit candles that dripped multicolored melted wax down their sides. As they followed the hostess to their table at the center of the room, Kate eyed the well-dressed couples sitting at the other tables and strolling arm-in-arm along the sidewalk outside the window. They ordered a red wine that tasted a little bitter to Kate, but what did she know about wine?
“So, Kate, what do you think?”
“Not bad,” she said smiling and scanning the room. She looked over the menu. “I can’t even pronounce the names of most of these foods.”
Zack laughed. “You’re lucky we didn’t go to a French restaurant. Just remember spaghetti or lasagna, and you’ll be okay.”
They ate pasta covered in rich, creamy sauces with spicy meats, onions, and mushrooms. Kate’s taste buds savored the experience. Her second glass of wine tasted better. Maybe the first one had loosened her up a little, or maybe the combination of the wine with the food made the difference. They talked and joked and even tasted each other’s food. Zack shared his life story with her, about living and working in the big city of Detroit, and she talked about her quiet life at home and her job at the diner. She didn’t stop smiling all night long.
“Tonight was like a dream,” she said, as they strolled back toward the car.
“You mean you’ve never been out to dinner at a nice restaurant before?” She felt him reach for and gently take her hand in his.
“In my world, a special dinner means going to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in Compton on a Saturday night.” She turned, bringing their hands up and gazing at them. “This is just like you see in a romantic movie.”
The food, wine, atmosphere, and company had all been like a dream. Kate chalked their first date up as a great success. They decided to skip the movie when they realized how late it had gotten.
---
Zack and Kate were both quiet for most of the trip back to Michaeltown. They took delight in the evening’s events and seemed to feel relaxed in each other’s silence. She lit a cigarette, and then snuffed it out after two puffs.
Finally, Kate turned to him, saying, “Zack, that was the best time I think I’ve ever had on a date. I feel like I’ve just seen the real world for the first time. I felt like a princess back there. Does that sound silly?” She looked over at Zack, and when he shook his head no, she continued. “When you spend your whole life in a small, secluded town where you know everybody, I don’t know, I guess you quit trying hard. It’s like being in jail. You feel like there’s no escape, so why bother. Oh, I guess some people leave, but most women get married, buy a house down the street from their parents, and raise kids. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I don’t know what I want. It’s hard to explain.”
She looked over at Zack, and he nodded, sensing that she wasn’t finished. “Go on.”
“The people in that restaurant, with their nice suits and dresses, special hairdos, friends, and laughter; they seemed really alive, like they had control over what they did with their lives; they weren’t just going through the motions.” She let out a sigh and fell silent.
Zack waited a few seconds to make sure that she was finished. “You know, that exciting life can get boring, too.”
“I can’t believe that. It seems so so fun and alive! That’s the best word I can think of right now.”
“You know, Kate, I think that Michaeltown is new and exciting.”
“Come on, don’t tease me.”
“I’m serious. In the big city, you begin to feel like an ant among the tall buildings and crowds of people. People don’t say hi to each other on the street. In fact, they usually avoid eye contact. It’s like you lose your identity and just blend in with the masses. I didn’t realize how empty my life was, until I got laid off.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
“It’s true.” He looked over at her as the lights of a passing car lit her face. He’d never felt this comfortable with a woman before. They just seemed to fit. Here it was only their first date, and they were telling each other their innermost feelings, their fears, and their dreams. Zack had gone steady and had come close to getting engaged with another girl, Janet, but they had never gotten this close. “My life had no purpose back there, and I didn’t realize it until I got laid off. It took a shakeup of my routine to realize I wanted something better.”
“I guess I don’t know what to think,” she said, looking down at her lap.
He reached over and touched her hand. “You know, I think where you live is less important than who you’re with, when it comes to happiness.” He blushed in the dark car and hoped she couldn’t see him. He didn’t know that he had such a sensitive side and felt a little embarrassed talking like this.
“It’s so confusing when you think about it.” She shook her head. “For me, there seems to be so many more options out there in the big city than here in Michaeltown.”
“And for me, Michaeltown is quiet, peaceful, and you can get to know people. I like that.”
“You’ll get over it,” she said, and they both laughed.
---
Tommy sat in his truck, waiting and watching. Her house stood a few hundred feet away and across the street. A huge oak tree hung out over the street and concealed his truck under an umbrella of darkness from the light of the nearby streetlight.
He didn’t know what to do. Without Kate, he didn’t feel whole. He felt alone for the first time in years. He now realized that he’d taken her for granted, and he had to figure out some way to get her back.
> But really, this was all her fault! Why did she have to slap him that night at the bar? All she had had to do was say something if she didn’t like what he’d done. She had forced him to hit her. Why did you do it, Kate?
He’d been waiting for an hour. Where was she? He watched as the red Camaro pulled up and parked in front of Kate’s house. Kate and some guy got out and walked together to the front porch. Tommy strained to see who he was. Wait, wasn’t that Max’s friend? What was his name? Zack something. Were they just holding hands? Tommy squinted to see more clearly. When they kissed and hugged, he nearly choked on the cigarette smoke he’d just inhaled.
His head felt light as a sickening dizziness came over him and then quickly faded. The blood must have temporarily rushed from his head. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. That goddamn son of a bitch! This meant war. There was no way that Zack was stealing his girl. Tommy flipped his cigarette butt out the window and started his truck as the Camaro pulled away.
---
Later, Zack lay in his hotel bed with his hands clasped behind his head. He thought about their date, about how attracted he was to Kate, and about his new life. An hour later, he fell asleep with a big contented grin on his face.
Chapter 15
Kate worked the late afternoon shift on Saturday and would be responsible for closing up the diner at 8:00 pm. Her boss had asked if she would spend an hour inventorying the pantry for an hour of overtime pay after closing, and she had agreed. She had no special plans and figured that a few extra dollars to add to her savings account never hurt.
She ushered the last customer out the door at 8:02 and locked up. In the back, she took out the inventory sheet and began her count. On Monday, Joe would order new supplies based on Kate’s results.
She finished her task at a few minutes before 9:00, filled a glass with ice, and went to the soft drink fountain for a Coke. Sitting back in one of the booths, she drank.
While she had been taking the inventory, she thought of Zack. He hadn’t called or even stopped by the diner. The day after that almost perfect first date, she wondered if he was getting cold feet. That wasn’t the impression she had gotten when he dropped her off the night before. She felt slightly worried because she definitely wanted to continue the relationship and see where it led.
A few minutes later, Kate dumped the ice into the metal sink and washed the glass, placing it upside down with others on a tray.
After gathering her purse, she went to the door, turned off the lights, unlocked the door, and stepped outside. She relocked the door and headed home.
The night was warm, as usual, and, although she heard a thunderclap way off in the distance, the sky seemed clear when she looked up at the stars.
Again, Zack’s first date and next-day disappearance worried Kate. Maybe he would call or had left a message, which her mother would pass along when Kate arrived home. Or maybe he’d be sitting on her front porch with candy and flowers when she arrived. Maybe.
She turned the corner and began the last two blocks of her walk home. As she was about to pass through the pitch-black shadow of a large tree overhanging the sidewalk, Tommy stepped out into the light, blocking her path.
His sudden unexpected appearance took her breath away.
“Tommy! You scared the hell out of me.”
“Kate, we have to talk.”
“We have nothing to say.”
“But I think we do,” he said.
“Why can’t you just accept that it’s over, Tommy?” She took a step back. “We had a few good years together, but I don’t feel that same way anymore.” She looked around to see if anyone was within shouting distance, just in case he did something stupid again. But the street was empty, and her house was still more than a block away.
“Kate, you’re my girl. We just had a fight, and now we can put that behind us and move on.”
“That wasn’t a fight, Tommy. That was you holding me down and slapping me. Now I just want to go home. Please.”
She tried to step around him, but he slid to the side to block her path.
“I saw you last night with Taylor.”
“What? Are you following me?”
“He’s just some drifter. You have no future with him. He’ll take what he wants from you and disappear. Kate, I’m your man.”
Kate said nothing for several seconds, remembering the doubts she just had when Zack had not shown up the day after their date. But right now, that didn’t matter. She was afraid. Would Tommy hurt her like he had done before? She knew she couldn’t run, and so far it didn’t sound like he would listen to anything she had to say unless it was what he wanted to hear. So she changed her approach.
“Tommy, I don’t know. Zack and I just went on one date. We’re just friends.”
“I saw you hug and kiss him. It looked like more than just friends to me.”
“Can we talk about this some other time? I’m tired, and I want to go home and sleep.”
She again stepped forward to go past him, but he grabbed her arm, gripping it tightly almost to the point of pain.
“I don’t want you to see him again.”
She shook free and walked quickly away in the direction of her home. Then she stopped and turned to him. “We are over, Tommy. I’ll see anyone I want. Just leave me alone. That’s all I ask.” She turned and hurried away.
This time he didn’t chase her but called out, “We’ll see about that, Kate.”
As soon as he was out of sight, she ran the rest of the way home. Hurrying onto the porch, she went inside, closed the door, and locked the deadbolt. She leaned her back against the door and tried to catch her breath. Her pulse was racing a hundred miles an hour.
She didn’t know what to do.
Chapter 16
Zack guided the forks of his forklift into the next pallet and lifted a load of corrugated board. Driving through the cutting room door, he saw a group of men gathered around in a circle watching something happening. Shutting down his forklift, he climbed down to see what was going on. He worked his way through the crowd to where he saw Tommy Ray standing in the middle, looking down at something or someone. It wasn’t until he pushed farther forward that he spotted Max, a dustpan and small broom in his hands, stooping down in front of Tommy.
“What’s wrong, Max?” Tommy asked maliciously. “You keep spilling it.”
Without looking up, Max slowly and carefully brushed a pile of paper cuttings into his dustpan. He was trying to ignore the laughing and taunting spectators around him. When he finished filling the pan, he started to stand. Tommy leaned over and bumped him in the arm, causing the pan to slip from his hand, spilling the contents.
“Oops,” Tommy said nastily. “You spilled it again. Now you’ll have to start all over.” He glanced around at his audience. “Poor Max,” he said with no compassion, while some of the men chuckled guiltily, and others looked at each other like someone should do something. But no one tried to help; nobody wanted to get involved.
Max, still ignoring Tommy and the others, bent to try again. Zack couldn’t believe how patient he was. Zack stepped forward. “Excuse me,” he said stepping between Max and Tommy. “I’ve got the next load for your machine, Ray. Don’t you think you should get to work on it?”
Tommy poked a finger in Zack’s chest. “Who the hell died and made you the boss around here?”
Zack looked down at Max. “Go ahead, Max. Clean it up,” he said. He then turned back to Tommy. “If you want to keep that finger, get it away from me,” he said calmly.
Tommy withdrew his finger, looked down at Max, and then back up at Zack. His face turned beet red and Zack expected to see steam coming from his ears to relieve the pressure from his hot head. Tommy’s eyes narrowed. “I swear you’re pushing your luck, boy.”
Zack took a step closer, their eyes staring each other down and their noses coming within inches of touching. “Am I?” He waited a few seconds, turned away, and bent down to help Max with the pile of cuttings.<
br />
“He’s doing fine by himself,” Tommy called out loudly. When Zack paid no attention, Tommy raised his voice even louder. “I swear this son of a bitch is deaf.”
Zack jumped up and turned to face Tommy. “Who do you think you are calling a son of a bitch?” He stared down at Tommy, who was an inch or so shorter than him. Zack waited.
Tommy returned the stare for a few seconds, and then glanced quickly around at the other men. Zack shifted his weight to the balls of his feet when he saw Tommy’s right hand form a fist. Tommy’s arm moved back to a ready position, and just as Tommy was about to swing, a firm hand grabbed his wrist from behind.
“Back to work,” said Frank from behind Tommy, and the crowd began to disperse. He released Tommy’s wrist and pointedly looked at him. “Tommy, Zack, in my office, now.” Tommy and Zack made their way separately to Frank’s office. Along the way, Zack grinned to himself as he replayed the events in his head. How many times in high school did he stand up to punks like Tommy? They were all tough guys when it came to small or weaker kids, but they suddenly lost their guts when a guy their size stood up to them.
In his office, Frank gave them a warning. If they wanted to fight, do it off company property and after working hours; otherwise they could both look for new jobs.
Zack got the impression that this wasn’t the first time Tommy had received one of these lectures.
Chapter 17
After work, Zack stopped to talk with Frank about baseball. They seemed to have struck up a sort of friendship around the subject. Frank acted as if Zack’s call to his office earlier had never happened. He didn’t seem to hold any grudges, by the way he responded, and Zack was glad. Zack had the feeling that Frank knew who the troublemaker really was.
The parking lot had almost emptied before Zack got out to his car. As he pulled out onto Route 23, which led into town, he saw Max walking slowly along the shoulder of the road with his head down. Zack rolled down his passenger window and leaned over. He slowed down to keep pace with Max’s steps and asked, “Hey Max, need a ride?”
Kentucky Murders: A Small Town Murder Mystery Page 6
