A Penny for Your Thoughts

by Bess McBride

  Penny managed a crooked grin. He was probably right. She remembered.

  “What happened, Matt? Do you know?”

  “All I know is when I got back from the store, you were gone. I found the broken beads, and I knew something was wrong. Your car was still in the parking lot. Patty called and said that someone heard a woman scream somewhere in that vicinity. I knew it was you. I just knew it!” She watched a muscle in his jaw spasm. He leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “I’d been so jealous, I never even thought to check into this guy. Like you, I assumed the caller was probably in Michigan.”

  “You were jealous?” Penny couldn’t believe she could focus on affairs of the heart at the moment, but his words resounded.

  “Yes, I was jealous. I’ve always been jealous. I just didn’t want you to know.” He shook his head and gave her a wry half smile. “Anyway, we sent out a search team but couldn’t find anything in the dark. That brush was so thick. I took a few licks myself but nothing like you.”

  Penny’s heart skipped a beat as Matt stood up and moved over to the couch. He settled in next to her and picked up one of her arms to examine the scratches.

  “How did you find me?”

  “I didn’t. I have to tell you I was beside myself. I honestly couldn’t think straight. Cliff called and--”

  “Cliff!”

  “Yes, Cliff. He told me that he was Jerry’s brother.”

  Penny nodded, wincing at the pain of even that small motion.

  “He told me that the other day. I-I didn’t know what to say. I think he blamed me...as Jerry’s therapist.”

  Matt raised one of her hands to his mouth and pressed his lips against it.

  “He doesn’t blame you, Penny. In fact, he feels responsible for what happened to you.”

  Penny turned toward him with a wince as she twisted her neck.

  “What do you mean? Why would he feel responsible?”

  “He said he’d suspected this David for some time, but hadn’t said anything about it. He said he feels bad that he didn’t.” Matt tightened his lips. “And I think he should have. I’m pretty upset with him.”

  Penny drew in a sharp breath. “No, Matt, don’t be angry with him. How could he know? I should have figured it out. After all, I’m the one who advised Jerry to let David go.” She blinked as if to clear cobwebs from her dull brain. “I can’t get used to thinking of Kevin as David. He was such a nice kid...so much like Travis.”

  She swallowed hard and lifted her chin. “David wanted something else. He wanted a set of keys that Jerry had left in my office. Did you know about that?”

  Matt turned to her with a raised brow.

  “No. What kind of keys?”

  “Well, just two keys really. Jerry always wore them on his belt loop. He didn’t drive, so they weren’t car keys. One looks like a house key and the other one is really small. I don’t know what they go to.” She shuddered. “But enough for Kevin to break into my apartment. He told me he’d been there more than once.”

  Matt stared at her and looked away, his jaw working.

  “I let you down.” His voice cracked. “I can’t believe I didn’t just bring the deadbolt over myself and install it. How stupid could I be!”

  The edge of emotion in his voice tore at Penny’s heart.

  “No, Matt, please don’t blame yourself. I’m the one who didn’t take steps to protect myself.”

  He shook his head again, and took one of her hands to his lips and kissed it before he pressed it to his forehead for an instant. A thrill ran up Penny’s spine. He lowered her hand but held onto it.

  “So, what do the keys look like? Do you still have them?”

  She nodded. “At least I think so. They’re in my purse in the car. Where is it?”

  “It’s downstairs in the parking lot. I had Sam bring it over here. Do you think the smaller key could have gone to a safety deposit box?”

  Penny shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never had one, so I don’t know what they look like.”

  “I’ll look into it...later.”

  She leaned her aching head back against the back of the couch.

  “I just couldn’t figure out what he wanted. That’s the worst, you know?” She turned to look at Matt. “When he first dragged me off in the darkness, I thought he was going to...” She didn’t finish the sentence. Matt stiffened beside her. “And then he said he wanted to kill me. Then he wanted the keys. And I’m not sure, but I think he wanted me to be his therapist. I just didn’t know if he was going to kill me or not.”

  Matt gave her a grave look. “It seems likely he might have. He’s got quite a record of violence and has served some prison time...one stint for a convenience store robbery. His parole officer has been looking for him.”

  Penny remember Kevin’s phone call on the beach. He’d said he borrowed something.

  “In fact, he has a recent arrest record for domestic violence involving Jerry, though Jerry dropped the charges. It seems David beat him up and stole some money. And that wasn’t the first time. This time Jerry did call the police, but David disappeared. That was two and a half months ago.

  “Oh dear, I can’t believe Jerry didn’t tell me about that latest incident. That was right before he died. He missed his appointment one week.” Penny rubbed her forehead but winced on contact with scratches. “How could poor Jerry survive such an awful childhood and end up with yet one more violent person in his background?”

  Matt shook his head. “Cliff told me a few things about their youth. I can’t imagine...”

  Penny gave up her struggle and dropped her heavy head on Matt’s shoulder. “I can’t either. Do you know, I thought Kevin/David might have done the bank robbery?”

  “No, we’ve got the guy for that. A regular on Cliff’s list. The FBI caught him over in Florida.”

  “Oh, good,” she whispered.

  Matt slipped his arm around her.

  “Well, what matters now is that you’re safe and sound...and here with me.”

  “Am I safe, Matt?”

  “Oh, yes, David is going back to prison for kidnapping and attempted murder...probably for life. He sure is some piece of work.” He paused. “No, you won’t be seeing him again.”

  Penny said nothing but wondered how Kevin/David would fare in prison. She knew he needed help, but prison seemed too awful to contemplate.

  “And I’m here with you,” she murmured with an upward glance through her lashes.

  “That you are.” He pulled her closer.

  Penny couldn’t bite back the cry of pain.

  “Did I hurt you? I’m sorry. Come on. Let’s get you into bed so you can get some sleep.”

  Matt gently pulled her to a standing position and steered her toward a bedroom which led off to the left. A dark blue quilted king-size bed dominated the well-shaded room, and she sank onto the firm, comfortable mattress.

  She sighed and pushed herself back off the bed. “I can’t sleep on your bed in these clothes, Matt. They’re filthy. I need a shower.” She could smell the scent of fear and sweat in her clothing and on her skin.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “Wouldn’t you rather just get some sleep right now?”

  With a last longing look at the bed, she shook her head. “I have to take a shower.”

  Matt stared at her for a moment. He took a deep breath and pulled her to her feet once again.

  “Okay, a shower it is. The bathroom is through there.”

  Penny wobbled toward the bathroom on unsteady legs.

  “Do you need help, Penny?”

  “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “Well, let me turn the shower on for you. It can be tricky to get it just right.” He stepped ahead of her and moved into the bathroom to slide back the glass shower door.

  Penny followed him into the bright white and stainless steel bathroom and waited while he adjusted the water temperature. He grabbed several large dark blue towels from a shelf and handed them to her.

 
; “I’ll be right outside. Call if you need me.”

  Penny gave him a smirk. “I’ll be fine, Matt, really.” She had no intention of letting him see what time had done to her body, not to mention the night’s events. At least, not until she had a chance to take an appraising look in a full length mirror and assess the wear and tear.

  She closed the bathroom door behind him and looked at her face in the large mirror over the granite topped sink. Before it steamed over, she saw a wild-eyed woman with dark circles under her eyes, scratches all over her face, a dull red stain across her cheek and matted hair that seemed to stand on end.

  She turned away with a shudder, and set about trying to extricate herself from her clothing with a minimal amount of pain. It had been excruciating dressing herself in the hospital. She kicked off her sneakers and socks and gingerly peeled off her shirt, jeans and underwear.

  She carefully removed the bandages around her wrists and examined the lacerations. She would have to ask Matt if he had some gauze to redress them.

  Steam filled the bathroom, and she stepped into the shower. The warm water burned her open wounds at first, but that soon eased, and she relished the feel of the silky water against her skin. She reached for the bar of white soap and held it to her nose. It held Matt’s scent, the fresh smell of some sort of talc. Penny lathered her body as best she could given the restriction in her shoulders and the pain of the soap in her scratches.

  She dipped her head under the water and reached for the shampoo. She poured a small measure in her hand and reached for her hair, but an intense wave of pain hit her when she tried to raise her hands above her face. She tried once again, but her arms simply would not cooperate. She couldn’t stand her filthy hair. It smelled of sand and sea and sweat. She desperately needed the perfumed smell of shampoo to banish the memories of the previous night.

  “Matt?” she called timidly, hoping he wouldn’t hear.

  “Yes?” He responded from just outside the bedroom door. Had he been waiting there?

  “Ummm...do you think you can help me for a minute?” She hoped he would say no.

  “Sure. Do you want me to come in?”

  “Ummm...yes, please.” Penny’s knees shook as she watched Matt open the door open tentatively. He stuck his dark head in.

  “Yes?”

  “I-I can’t raise my arms to wash my hair. This is so embarrassing. Do you think you could--”

  “Sure,” he said. He moved toward the shower and pulled the shower door open.

  Penny turned her back to him and did her best to cover her body with her hands. Goose bumps sprung up on her skin.

  Matt grabbed the shampoo without comment and poured some onto Penny’s hair. He began to massage the suds into her hair while she braced herself against the shower wall and closed her eyes against the soapy water and embarrassment. Was he looking at her? What did he think of her body? So many years had gone by.

  Penny gave into Matt’s hypnotic massaging of her scalp and her head lolled while she relaxed. She ceased to worry about what he might see from behind. At the moment, she felt cared for, nurtured, coddled and protected.

  “Okay, rinse up,” Matt murmured in a husky voice. He cleared his throat.

  Penny opened her eyes with a start.

  “Are you done?” she asked mournfully. Was that it? Perversely, she wondered why he’d made no attempt to touch her.

  “I’m done washing your hair. Is there something else I can do for you?”

  Penny winced as she twisted her neck to look at him over her shoulder. His face glowed with a red tinge and he dropped his eyes discreetly to the floor.

  Penny drew in a deep breath. It was now or never. She must find the courage.

  “As a matter of fact...”

  Matt’s hazel eyes flew to her face.

  “You look like you could use a shower yourself.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He blinked and bent to survey his clothes. “I was just waiting for you to get out of the shower.”

  Penny sighed. Was he being deliberately obtuse? Or was making love to her the farthest thing from his mind?

  “You could join me.” She turned to face him.

  “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” Matt’s face glowed as he kicked off his shoes. Penny gulped and ducked her head under the water to rinse her hair. She turned around and sputtered as an unclothed Matt stepped into the shower and pulled her into his arms. His warm body exuded strength and tenderness...as it always had.

  “Welcome back, honey. I missed you so much.” He bent his head to kiss her, and Penny forgot about every ache and pain in her body as Matt made love to her under the warmth of a soothing warm shower.

  Epilogue

  “I really wish you wouldn’t do this, Penny. What good will it do?”

  “I just want to see him, Matt. I feel like I have to talk to him.”

  Matt pulled into the parking lot of the Baldwin County Corrections Center, a sprawling mass of red brick buildings behind barbed wire. Penny gulped. She really wasn’t sure about her decision to come to the jail, but she had made it this far, and she really needed to talk to him.

  Matt turned off the engine and looked at her.

  “I think I need to go in with you. I’m not sure I want you to be alone with him.”

  “He’s going to be...shackled or something, isn’t he, Matt? There will be a guard there, right?”

  “I’m pretty sure he will be, and yes, there will be a guard with you.”

  “Then I’ll be all right. I feel like I owe it to him.”

  Matt shook his head. A muscle pulsed in his jaw.

  “You don’t owe him anything,” he said gruffly.

  “I know,” she sighed. “But I can’t help feeling like I do. I think Jerry would have wanted me to try to clear the air.”

  Matt snorted.

  “Well, since there wasn’t any trial, I didn’t get to hear his side. There are things I need to know.” Penny’s palms were moist with anxiety. “Besides, you know you don’t want to see him anyway. You said so.”

  “I don’t...and I wish you didn’t think you needed to see him either.” Matt sighed and stepped out of the car. He came around to let Penny out, but caught her in an embrace as she stepped out.

  “Woman, you’ve been nothing but trouble ever since I married you. You know that, don’t you?” He planted a kiss on her forehead.

  Penny grinned.

  “I know, honey. That’s why you love me, isn’t it?”

  Matt grinned. “Don’t make me admit it.”

  Penny patted his cheek tenderly.

  “I won’t, dear. It’s enough to hear you say you love me. I won’t ask you why.”

  She followed him into the prison and registered for her visit, facilitated by his position as the Chief of Police. They were led down a long sterile hall until they reached the visitor’s center where Matt took a seat outside while a guard in a beige paramilitary-style uniform escorted Penny inside a large room with tables much like a college cafeteria. She took a seat on a bench and waited with her heart in her throat.

  A door opened on the end, and he entered, wearing a black and white striped prison jumpsuit. His hands were cuffed, and a guard brought him over to the table. He slid into the bench opposite Penny. The guard moved a few feet away but stood by.

  Penny stared at Cliff in wonder. The classic black and white prison uniform of the legendary chain gangs of history seemed incongruous with the elegant man she’d known. His face was drawn, and he’d lost weight.

  “Cliff,” she whispered.

  “How are you, Penny?” His voice was quiet. He rested his entwined cuffed hands on the table between them.

  “I’m okay. How are you?”

  Cliff shook his head and gave her a wry smile. He jerked his head toward the guard.

  “I’m as well as can be expected. I’m where I’m supposed to be, I guess.”

  “Why, Cliff, why?” She leaned forward.

  Cliff gave a mirthl
ess laugh. “Why? Because I killed someone, that’s why.”

  “Why did you kill him, Cliff? David was probably going to prison for the rest of his life anyway.”

  “I wanted to make sure of it, Penny. I should have killed him when I shot him on the beach, but my aim was off. I wanted to, but he used you to block his body as he held you at knifepoint. I aimed--and I missed--that time.” He grimaced. “I didn’t trust the court system to see it through. They probably would have sent him to a psychiatric hospital, and he would have been out in no time. He killed Jerry, Penny. Matt told you, didn’t he? That he flaunted killing Jerry?”

  Penny gritted her teeth and nodded.

  “Yes, I heard about that. If only I’d known he was there when Jerry was on the phone to me. If only I’d known...”

  “You couldn’t have done anything, Penny.” Cliff narrowed his eyes. “But I did. He wasn’t going to be leaving that hospital on two feet.” His gaze, belligerent and hard, faltered for a moment. “I should have done something sooner. He almost killed you. I don’t forgive myself for that, Penny. You have to know that.”

  Penny shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn’t bear the thought of Cliff in prison, no matter what he’d done.

  “I’m okay, Cliff. No harm done. I was rescued in time, thanks to you.”

  “I should have figured it out sooner. I should have known David was stalking you, that he would take you to Jerry’s old place on the beach. Jerry left it to me in his will, but I never went there. I left it to property managers to take care of.”

  Penny shook her head. “I didn’t realize Jerry even had a house down here on the Gulf Coast until Matt told me later. I don’t know how I could have forgotten he said he lived here once.”

  “It was a long time ago. He bought it cheaply, but he didn’t stay long. He was homesick for Michigan and moved back. He hasn’t been back in years. The property management company took care of it for him. I guess he told David about it. My poor, foolish brother.” Cliff brought his shackled hands to his forehead for a moment and closed his eyes. With a furrowed brow, he sighed and rested them on the table once again. His silvering hair looked surprisingly unkempt.