Iris Avenue

by Pamela Grandstaff

  “You don’t have a cell phone on you, do you?” Ed asked.

  Ava shook her head.

  “I know everything’s bugged. That’s why I didn’t bring my purse,” Ava said. “Someone’s probably watching us, but I think if we speak quietly they won’t be able to hear us over the sound of the water.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I think Jamie was involved in Brian’s death,” she said. “I think he may have murdered him because of me. I’m afraid of what he might do next. To Patrick, to Scott …”

  “I think you’re right,” Ed said. “But if we go to the authorities, or I publish a piece about it, it would derail the case against Mrs. Wells. Plus, I don’t think our story would hold up in court. So many people would get hurt and what would we have accomplished?”

  “So we’re stuck,” she said.

  “Maybe not,” Ed said. “Someone recently advised me not to use a shotgun if a pea shooter would do.”

  “I don’t think I could shoot him,” Ava said. “Not unless he hurt one of the kids.”

  “I’m not suggesting that,” Ed said. “We have to think of something that would stop Jamie, and get him to back off, but not hurt anyone else in the process.”

  Ava looked thoughtful.

  “I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this,” Ed said. “I’m sorry about Brian, too. He didn’t deserve to die that way.”

  “If this is about Jamie eliminating his competition,” Ava said. “I’m the only one who can put a stop to it.”

  “You need to be careful,” Ed said. “These people are vicious.”

  “Don’t worry,” Ava said. “I think I may have the right weapon for the job.”

  Ed found Scott in the police station, where he was working the phones, trying to get more supplies donated to the shelter at the Community Center.

  “What’s up?” Scott said.

  “We need to talk, but I guess not here,” Ed said.

  They left the station and walked down toward Lotus Avenue, where the Little Bear River was swarming through the houses and stacking up debris against the brick walls of the old glassworks factory. There were barricades up but people were hanging out in small groups, some with tailgating tents and lawn chairs.

  Scott told Ed what happened the night before.

  “After they got me back to the station, Cal left and Malcolm went to get Doc. Jamie questioned me and then suggested an alternate version of events. I called Sarah to report what happened, and she was thrilled to be involved. She never even questioned my statement.”

  “So everyone thinks you killed the guy.”

  “It was clearly self defense, and I’ve got the feds and the county to back me up. Once we hit the water the bugging device shorted out and they only have my word as to what happened.”

  “Will there be an investigation?”

  Scott shrugged.

  “Why protect Gabe?”

  “He saved my life, for one thing,” Scott said. “Plus, if he went back to prison, he couldn’t testify against Mrs. Wells.”

  “If he’s alive and ran off, he may still go back in.”

  “What’s done is done,” Scott said. “If all this has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes you have to put your ideals aside and do what’s best for everyone.”

  “Sam recommended that same approach,” Ed said. “Being pragmatic, he called it.”

  “I’m hoping that after Mrs. Wells is arrested, tried, and sent to prison, the feds will leave, and everything will get back to normal around here.”

  “Is that even possible?”

  “I’m counting on it,” Scott said.

  “How’s Maggie doing?”

  “She’ll be fine,” Scott said.

  “She didn’t get back together with Gabe,” Ed said. “That’s good news, right?’

  “It’s over between us, whatever it was.”

  “She’s pretty upset right now. Maybe when things settle down …”

  “That’s just it, though, isn’t it? Things never do settle down, and she’s always upset about something. It’s time for both of us to move on.”

  “I’m sorry. Maggie and I never hit it off, but I know you love her.”

  “Sometimes you have to do what’s best for yourself even though your feelings may want something different.”

  “That sounds pretty pragmatic.”

  “You know what?” Scott said. “Being pragmatic hurts like hell.”

  Ed walked back up to the Community Center and found Mandy in the kitchen, washing dishes.

  “Take her home,” Delia told Ed. “I told her to take the rest of the day and night off, but she won’t listen to me.”

  “I know better than to tell any woman what to do,” Ed said. “Whatever Mandy wants to do is fine by me.”

  The other women in the kitchen laughed and Delia said, “You’ve certainly trained him well, Mandy.”

  “I know a good one when I find one,” Mandy said. “He already done been trained when I found him. I oughta write that ex-wife of his a thank-you note.”

  Mandy dried her hands and Ed got her coat for her. As they left the Community Center, she leaned against him.

  “I’m plum tuckered out,” she said. “I don’t feel like I seen you for weeks.”

  “Let’s go home,” Ed said. “I’ll run you a hot bath and scrub your back for you.”

  “You’re a good man, Ed Harrison,” she said. “Where’s my son, by the way?”

  “He’s taking care of all the dogs over at Bonnie’s house. That boy loves to be helpful. You’ve done a great job with him.”

  “Let’s leave him with Delia tonight,” Mandy said. “You and I’ll have a quiet evening at home, just the two of us.”

  The evening didn’t quite go as Ed had planned. After Mandy got out of the tub, he performed his speech again, but her reaction wasn’t at all what he anticipated.

  “Whatta you mean, get a divorce?” Mandy yelled. “I thought you was already divorced!”

  “It’s no big deal,” Ed said. “I haven’t seen Eve in a long time. It’s only a legal detail we didn’t take care of right away, and then we let it go. Why are you so upset?”

  “Why am I upset?” Mandy said as she dried off with a towel. “Because I didn’t know I been living with a married man.”

  “In name only,” Ed protested. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes, it matters,” Mandy said. “I’d never have moved in here if I’d knowed you was still married to her.”

  “I thought you knew,” Ed said, but when Mandy gave him an evil look he amended that. “I didn’t think it was such a big deal. Patrick knew. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you.”

  “Well, he’ll have to answer for that,” she said. “I hate bein’ the last person to find out somethin’ like this. People have probably been laughin’ at me behind my back all this time.”

  “Mandy, I truly thought you wouldn’t care.”

  “Didn’t think I’d care. Lord God almighty, what a load of crap you can talk. I have half a mind to move out of here right now.”

  “What about Tommy?” Ed said. “Please don’t jerk him out of here. He’s used to being here. He loves this, and I love this, us being a family.”

  “Well, you shoulda thought about that before you kept this from me,” Mandy said. “Everyone told me it was a mistake, but I just had to have my way. ‘He’s too old for you,’ they said. ‘He’s too set in his ways,’ they said. But never once did someone say, ‘by the way, he’s still married.’”

  Mandy had been pulling on her clothes while they argued. She put on a shirt inside out and backward but Ed didn’t think now was the time to point that out.

  “I think you may be overreacting a little bit,” Ed said. “You’re tired and there’s so much going on right now that it probably seems worse than it is. I think if we both take a deep breath and discuss this calmly and rationally we can work through it.”

  “I know you been thinking you made a big mistake
. I ain’t completely stupid. I know I don’t talk good enough and I ain’t smart like your wife, with her college degrees and fancy job. Does she even know about me?”

  “No,” Ed said, “But …”

  “I’m not surprised,” Mandy said. “You’re ashamed of me. If you weren’t, you would’ve already told her ‘bout me and asked for a divorce.”

  “I’m not ashamed of you.”

  “I know you love Tommy, and I know you like going to bed with me, but I’m done kiddin’ myself. This ain’t exactly the real thing for you, is it? You’re willin’ to make good on your promise to take care of us, but I think maybe you better be honest now. If I didn’t have Tommy, would you be askin’ to marry me?”

  Ed hesitated.

  “That’s what I thought,” Mandy said. “I think I’ll stay at the trailer tonight and move out of here while you’re at work tomorrow.”

  Mandy tugged on her coat and zipped up the front. She stuck her feet down in her snow boots and hoisted her over-sized purse up over her shoulder.

  “Please, Mandy, don’t do this,” Ed said. “Tommy will be heartbroken.”

  “I think it’d be better for him to know the truth and deal with it,” Mandy said. “He’ll have to decide for himself if I done the right thing or not.”

  Ed stood in the doorway and watched her walk away. Unlike him, she was brave enough to act on what she knew was right without worrying about the consequences. He’d been prepared to shortchange her as if he was doing her a favor. He admired her now more than he ever had. And she was gone.

  Mandy flung her purse down on the floor of her trailer and looked around in disgust. Patrick wasn’t known for his cleaning abilities, and it would take her several hours to whip this place back into shape. Then she needed to go pick up her son and break his heart. First, however, she had something to do that she’d put off way too long. She took the letter out of her purse, unfolded it, and then dialed the number written on the bottom.

  “Mrs. Wilson,” she said when the older woman answered. “You don’t know me but I knew your daughter Miranda. My name’s Melissa. Melissa Wright.”

  Maggie Fitzpatrick was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling when the bell to her apartment rang. Her first thought was, “Now what?”

  Maggie ran downstairs and found Tony Delvecchio at the door to the street. He was wearing dress clothes under his raincoat and smelled really good.

  “Hey, Tony,” she said when she opened it.

  “I was so sorry to hear about Brian,” Tony said. “Right on top of your grandfather dying, that must be difficult.”

  “Thanks, Tony, I appreciate you stopping by.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “Am I interrupting something? I can come back at a better time. I should have called first.”

  “Look, Tony,” Maggie said. “Your brother Paulie told me your family wants to fix us up, and although I’m flattered, I’ve got too much going on in my head to even think about dating anyone.”

  “Oh, Maggie, I’m so sorry,” Tony said.

  “No, don’t be,” Maggie said. “You’re a great guy and incredibly handsome and any girl would be lucky to date you. It just can’t be me right now.”

  “Actually,” Tony said quietly, “it’s Sean I came to see.”

  “Oh, Tony,” Maggie said. “Just kill me now.”

  “It’s okay,” Tony laughed. “My family doesn’t know any of my friends from the city. This is such a small town and my mother ... well, you understand.”

  “Of course I understand,” Maggie said. “Sean’s staying at our parents’ house tonight. You may want to call first; my Dad’s probably drunk with no pants on. Please don’t tell Sean what happened here.”

  “Maggie, don’t give it another thought. I won’t tell him, I promise.”

  “Good night, Tony,” Maggie said. “I just need to go upstairs and die of embarrassment now. I’ll see you later.”

  Maggie closed the door behind her and leaned against it, laughing and cringing at the same time. Then she thought, ‘Tony and Sean? Hmmm …’ and ran upstairs to call Hannah.

  Ava thanked Delia for coming to get the children.

  “Are you going to have a service for Brian?” Delia asked her.

  “We’ll have a small one for family only. I’m leaving all the details up to Bonnie. I’m hoping that will help her and the kids.”

  “How are they doing?”

  “I’ve told them about Brian. Charlotte has memories of her dad, and there are lots of pictures of him with her. She may have a harder time at school, especially when word gets out about what all he’s done. Timmy’s more upset over Grandpa Tim dying.”

  “We’ll get through it,” Delia said. “We’ll just hold our heads up and get on with it.”

  “Thank you for taking them today.”

  “I’m glad to have them,” Delia said. “I miss having little ones around, and Ian’s good with children. He’ll keep Timmy and Charlotte entertained and there’s nothing I like better than to rock a baby. We’ll be fine.”

  Delia looked askance at Theresa, who was putting on her coat, preparing to come accompany them.

  “Does she have to come?” Delia asked. “I don’t know what I’ll do with her.”

  “Theresa’s here to make sure nothing happens to them. Don’t worry about entertaining her. She’s a big reader, and she’s got her book reading gizmo with her.”

  “This is awful,” Delia said quietly. “You must be terrified.”

  “I feel numb right now. I appreciate you giving me this break.”

  “Are you sure you feel safe alone with them?” Delia asked, nodding toward the family room where Jamie and Agent Dulvaney sat talking quietly.

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Ava said. “I can handle them.”

  “I hope when this is all over you can have some kind of peace in your life.”

  “Well, the two men who made my life hell are both dead now. That should help.”

  Delia looked a little shocked at this statement, but hugged her, gathered up the children, and left.

  Jamie and Agent Dulvaney were talking in low voices with grim looks on their faces. They stopped abruptly when Ava entered the room, and then Agent Dulvaney went out, leaving Ava and Jamie alone in the kitchen.

  “I need to talk to you,” Ava said, “but not here, and not with any listening devices present.”

  “Okay,” Jamie said, and put his cell phone on top of the refrigerator, pushing it back so no one could see it.

  “You want to pat me down?” he joked, but Ava didn’t smile.

  “Let’s take a walk,” she said, and put on her coat.

  The sky was still overcast, but it wasn’t raining. They walked up Pine Mountain Road to Lilac Avenue, and then through the city park. They sat on a bench, looking up at the houses on Morning Glory Avenue.

  “That’s what I wanted, you know,” she said, gesturing at the large homes on the highest street in Rose Hill, “a big beautiful house full of children.”

  “But you’ve got that,” Jamie said.

  “No, I’ve got a business I live in the back of while strangers enjoy the best rooms in the house,” Ava said. “I work all the time, I constantly worry about bills, and I lie awake every night wondering if I’m a good enough mother. That life, up there, would mean no worries about money, no strangers in my house, and no working unless I wanted to. I could live in the best rooms, and I’d never have to smile if I didn’t feel like it.”

  “Is there a man in that dream?”

  “Well, there’ve been two. One who could afford to give me that life whom I didn’t love, and one who couldn’t afford to whom I did love, for awhile.”

  “Are you going to tell me why Theo left you all that money?”

  Ava nodded.

  “Why now?”

  “Because you’re falling in love with me and it’s a big mistake.”

  “Nothing you could tell me will make a difference in how I feel.”

 
; “We’ll see,” Ava said.

  “It won’t,” Jamie said. “I don’t have you up on a pedestal. I know you aren’t perfect and I find that sexy as hell. You won’t budge me, Ava, but you go on and tell me anyway.”

  She shrugged as if to say, “You asked for it.”

  “How much do you know about Theo and his brother Brad?” Ava asked him.

  “I know Brad Eldridge drowned when you guys were teenagers, and that Theo was suspected of having something to do with it.”

  “He did do it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Theo drowned his brother. He tackled him in the lake and held him under until he drowned.”

  “Did Theo tell you this?”

  Ava shook her head.

  “Then how do you know?”

  Ava turned and looked at Jamie.

  “You saw him do it,” Jamie said.

  Ava nodded, and continued to look at Jamie.

  “You saw Theo drown his kid brother and you did nothing to stop it,” Jamie said.

  “I thought he might kill me, too,” Ava said.

  “Where were you?”

  “I was in the boathouse. I had come to tell Theo I was pregnant. I saw them through the boathouse window.”

  “Did Theo see you?”

  She nodded.

  “I ran up the hill to the house and he followed me. I got in my father’s car, but he stood in front of it so I couldn’t leave. It was so hot that morning. We didn’t have air conditioning in our car, and the vinyl seats were burning the backs of my legs. I had locked the doors and the windows were rolled up. I had morning sickness and I was nauseated. He stood there with his clothes dripping, his hands planted on the front hood of my car, looking at me, smiling at me.”

  Ava was looking over Jamie’s shoulder, and seemed to be reliving the scene.

  “I screamed at him to move, that I’d run him over, but he just stood there smiling that awful smile. Finally I rolled down the window, just enough so that he could hear me. I screamed, ‘I didn’t see anything. I didn’t see anything.’ Then I closed my eyes, covered them with my hands, and kept screaming. It felt like for hours. When I looked up, he was gone.”