by Jaden Skye
“I’m actually starving.” Wayne smiled at her. “How about you?”
“Famished,” Olivia replied, moving closer to him on the couch.
“Sorry I didn’t realize that.” Wayne paused a moment. “I should have bought you something to eat as the day went along. What was I thinking? I can get so caught up. I don’t mean to, though.”
Olivia smiled. Wayne had moments of such sweetness and concern. But then suddenly he’d switch and be all business.
“Well, at least we can enjoy the evening now,” Olivia offered. “Dinner and wine will be perfect. We can also put on some soft music, too.”
Wayne smiled, closing his eyes momentarily.
Olivia reached over then and put her hand on his. He looked down at it a moment and squeezed her hand tight.
Olivia looked up into his eyes. “It feels so good to be here close to you,” she said.
Wayne put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her to him, and gave her a light kiss and embrace. It felt right and natural to be together this way. Olivia wanted more, but then everything stopped suddenly.
“Where’s the food?” Wayne asked.
“This is better than food,” Olivia murmured.
But Wayne stood up from the couch abruptly and walked to the door, looking at his watch. “We’ve been waiting longer than usual, haven’t we?” he remarked.
Disheartened, Olivia wondered what was going on with him. He seemed alarmed by the prospect of getting closer. What could possibly be next between them? Maybe nothing, she suddenly thought.
Olivia got up from the couch and walked over to where he was standing. “What’s wrong, Wayne?” she asked directly.
“Wrong?” Wayne seemed discomfited.
“It seems there’s something’s in the way between us,” Olivia went on softly. “We get close and then it disappears.”
“It doesn’t disappear,” he said, looking straight ahead. “It just doesn’t go further.”
Olivia needed more than that. “Why doesn’t it go further?” she asked.
Wayne turned and looked at her directly. “You know that my ex was killed in a car accident,” he suddenly said, mournfully. “I told you how hard it was for me for a long time after.”
“Yes.” Olivia recalled Wayne telling her that. She had been surprised and saddened by the story.
“Later on I dated several people,” Wayne continued, “and nothing worked out. Not one relationship lasted. It couldn’t.”
“Why couldn’t it?” Olivia felt dismayed.
“I’m not sure,” said Wayne, “but I know what we have here and I don’t want to ruin it. We work fabulously together. We’re great partners and I love that.”
“I love it too,” said Olivia.
“It would be a mistake to threaten what we actually have,” Wayne repeated sadly, as finally, someone knocked on the door.
“Just leave the food outside,” Olivia called out.
“Let’s take the food in now.” Wayne looked troubled.
“In a minute,” said Olivia. “First tell me why no other relationship could ever work out for you.”
“I don’t know, maybe it could, I’m not sure.” Wayne seemed nervous. “I wish it could, but I don’t trust it.”
“You don’t trust women?” Olivia asked, disconsolately.
“I don’t trust myself,” Wayne answered slowly. “I don’t trust the whole process and I just couldn’t stand going through another breakup. Especially with you! Especially!”
Olivia appreciated his honesty deeply. She suddenly wanted to throw her arms around him and hold him close.
“I lost two fiancés myself,” Olivia said softly. “One to cancer and the other to murder and infidelity. But I’m still willing to try.”
“You’re a brave woman, Olivia,” Wayne said. “I saw that about you immediately. You’re beautiful, too. You move me, impress me. You inspire me totally.”
“So hold me again,” Olivia whispered.
Wayne looked at her sadly. “Let’s have dinner now, please,” he pleaded as he went to the door to bring in the food.
Olivia took a step back as she wondered if something else was wrong. Did Wayne have trouble getting close to women in general? Was the death of his ex was just an excuse? Maybe he was right and they should just leave well enough alone. As it was, their relationship worked perfectly. Wayne was a wonderful support and partner in every way. But something else tugged deep inside of Olivia’s heart. And it was hard to shut it off and put it away.
Olivia couldn’t help but think of Todd and how joyous it had been to be with him. There were been no hold-backs between them. Both went with the moment, jumped into their feelings, let it take them wherever it did as if they were surfing waves in the ocean. When she and Todd had been together, a sense of oneness had pervaded Olivia’s life. True, it had ended horribly and abruptly, but that didn’t take away from the happiness she’d known. She wanted it back. Life without Todd lacked something deeply important.
Olivia looked at Wayne again now. She could see herself getting there with him, too. Wayne was different from Todd, but wonderful in his way. Of course, the feelings between them had to be mutual, and clearly, they weren’t right now. Olivia felt she had to accept the good they had, and leave the rest alone. It didn’t make sense to push for things to be different. Wayne was right, she’d mess up what they did have.
Wayne opened the door then, rolled in the dinner cart, and took the lids off the dishes. Olivia went over to the TV and turned it on. It would be a casual dinner.
“The food looks wonderful,” Wayne said, more cheerful then.
“Great, let’s have some,” Olivia replied, returning to their usual way of being together and letting the moments of intimacy melt away.
Suddenly the TV station flashed a Breaking News alert.
“Breaking news!” The reporter’s voice grew louder. “Hank Waring, formerly in jail for murder, has suddenly left town!”
“Oh boy!” Wayne called out.
“The former inmate, who was questioned regarding the Townsend murder, has apparently hightailed it out of town! Not only is that a parole violation, but he had given guarantees he would remain close by. Police in neighboring towns are mobilized, searching for him right now.”
A photo of Hank Warning, dressed as an inmate, flashed on the screen.
“If you’ve seen him anywhere at all, please call the number on the bottom of the screen!” the reporter insisted. “And be careful! It’s likely that he’s armed and dangerous.”
“Oh God,” said Olivia, “this doesn’t look good. The case may have ended before it began.”
“Not really.” Wayne refused to jump on the bandwagon. “Hank could have panicked and felt the cops were closing in.”
“Nobody was closing in,” Olivia objected. “He was questioned and released.”
“But it’s understandable that he felt like a sitting duck just waiting for them to get him,” Wayne insisted.
As Wayne was involved working with restorative justice, Olivia noticed that initially he always took the side of anyone who’d been imprisoned. He wouldn’t let anyone jump to conclusions.
“The police do it all the time,” Wayne said again now. “It’s convenient to grab an ex-inmate, without sufficient evidence, and pin suspicion on them. It’s a mistake though, a big mistake. It takes the focus off plenty of others who are drifting in the shadows, getting away with everything.”
The reporter’s voice got louder with a sense of urgency in it. “As we said, please keep your eyes open for Hank Waring. There’s a handsome reward for anyone who spots him. Mort Townsend’s family demands justice for his horrible death.”
*
After dinner, Wayne returned to his room down the hallway. The plan was that Olivia would return to the Townsend home in the morning to speak to Penny and Lance in depth. And, if possible, Mort’s wife, Christine. Wayne would go to Mort’s clinics and familiarize himself with those who worked there and th
e work Mort was involved in.
When Wayne left, Olivia walked out onto the small balcony in the room, overlooking the hotel gardens. It was a beautiful night with a crescent moon in the sky. She would have loved to walk down there in the gardens, arm in arm with someone she cared for. It would have been a resting place away from the endless anxiety that surrounded each case of murder. Without that, the work could feel relentless. There were no breaks from the horror and fear everyone seemed to be surrounded in.
CHAPTER SIX
The next morning, Olivia decided to have breakfast in her room alone before going off to the Townsends’ home. Usually she and Wayne connected first thing in the morning and had breakfast together. After that they’d embark upon the day. But this morning Olivia didn’t want to. Instead, she got up early and called for some scrambled eggs, coffee, and toast. Then she dressed in a lovely, light blue, printed silk dress, put on open sandals, brushed her hair a long time, and looked at herself in the mirror. If Wayne wasn’t interested in her, someone else surely would be. She was young and people said she was beautiful. But more than all of that, she had so much to give the right person.
Breakfast came quickly, and as soon as she’d eaten, Olivia left the hotel to go speak to Penny and Lance. Hopefully, she would also be able to get some time with Christine. But who knew if Christine would be up for it yet?
Fortunately, when Olivia arrived at the Townsend home, the door was half open. Even though it was early, their day had begun. Olivia stood outside and rang the bell anyway. After a few minutes, Penny arrived in the doorway, dressed in a short skirt and T-shirt.
“Oh my God, you’re so early,” said Penny, frazzled.
“I can come back in a little while if that’s better,” offered Olivia.
“No, not at all. The earlier the better,” Penny exclaimed. “Come in, come in.”
Olivia followed her into the house, which still seemed messy and in disarray.
“Everyone’s freaking out about the news that the killer left town!” Penny uttered. “Tons of people have been calling us about it.”
“Big mistake,” agreed Olivia. “He shouldn’t have done that.”
“Big mistake? That’s putting it mildly!” Penny stared at her. “It makes him look guilty as hell, doesn’t it?”
“Looks like it,” Olivia agreed, “but people run away for all kinds of reasons.”
“My mother’s positive he did it,” Penny breathed. “She said she’s glad he ran away and made his guilt so public.”
“We still have to keep investigating,” Olivia insisted. “Until we’re sure, we can’t stop.”
“Of course,” Penny agreed. “You seem so smart, how come?”
Olivia smiled. “I’m just good at this,” she answered lightly. “I’m not so smart about everything, though.”
Penny liked that. “Come on into the kitchen. Lance is there having coffee. Our older brother, Thomas, is out of the country.”
Olivia was startled; she didn’t realize they had an older brother. “What’s Thomas doing there?”
Penny shrugged aimlessly. “Who knows? Thomas barely stays in touch with us anymore. It’s one thing after another.”
“That’s rough,” said Olivia as they got into the big, white-tiled kitchen that had a beautiful round table in the corner, where Lance sat drinking coffee, the paper spread out before him.
“It’s not rough on us anymore,” said Penny. “We’re used to it. After college Thomas went to live in Europe and by now, we hear from him occasionally at best. He lives in one country and then another. Seems he has all kinds of odd friends over there that he doesn’t want us to know anything about.”
“Does Thomas know about what happened to your father?” asked Olivia.
“My mom has been trying to reach him frantically,” said Penny. “So far I don’t know if she’s been able to. She’s the only one who manages to keep even slightly in touch with him.”
Lance stood up then. “Talking about Thomas?” he asked as Penny and Olivia came over to the table where he had been seated. “I’d say he’s barely a family member by now.”
“That happens in many families,” Olivia said, thinking of her own twin sister, Mauve. Olivia had barely seen her for the past year. “People drift off in different directions.”
“Please sit down, won’t you?” Lance said, sitting again.
Olivia sat down.
“Thankfully, Lance and I are very close,” said Penny as she sat down beside Olivia. “And I have a best friend, Andrea, who’s like a sister to me.”
“Good,” said Olivia. “It’s amazing how friends can turn into family.”
Lance grimaced. “Family is family,” he said, “and friends are friends.”
“Lance is very literal,” said Penny. “He likes to call something exactly what it is and take things as they come. Lance is going to be the best possible lawyer, ever.”
Olivia was impressed. He did seem as if he’d make a wonderful lawyer, the way he attended to details and facts.
“How are you doing, Lance?” Olivia turned toward him, taken by his calm demeanor. How could he be so unruffled, she wondered, so soon after his father had been murdered? Had that fact even hit Lance yet?
“I am doing all right,” Lance replied. “What good would it do if I went crazy now? My job is to keep the family together and learn as much as I can about the crime.”
Lance would also be a fantastic detective, Olivia thought. “And what have you learned so far? Who do you think could be involved?” Olivia asked quickly.
“No one in the family, naturally,” Lance replied immediately. “Despite Thomas, we have a happy family and we had a great dad. My father was someone you could count on totally.”
“He traveled a lot for work though, didn’t he?” Olivia asked.
“He was in Nashville half a week and half a week here.” Lance smiled. “He had clinics there. It was natural, we were all used to it. And it was fun in a way. When he came home, he always brought us gifts.”
“Really? What kind of gifts?” Olivia was surprised.
“Gifts, all kinds.” Lance smiled. “Whatever we were into, sports for me, books and recordings for Penny, and usually jewelry for Mom.”
Penny stood up then and ran to the sink to pour herself a glass of water.
“Did it bother you that your dad was gone half the week, Penny?” Olivia asked.
“No, it didn’t. Nothing about him bothered me,” Penny insisted, drinking the water quickly before she returned. “I knew he cared about me totally and that he still does.”
“Still does?” Lance looked at Penny oddly.
“He still does,” Penny insisted. “I see my dad in my dreams every night now and I know that he stills cares for me.”
Lance shook his head slowly. “Sometimes Penny can be a bit like Mom,” he murmured.
“In what way?” Olivia was fascinated.
“Dramatic,” Lance murmured. “As you know, our mother is a very dramatic individual. Penny’s really not like that, but once in a while, it breaks through. She imagines things.”
“There’s nothing dramatic about having dreams about someone you loved, who died,” Penny insisted.
“Of course not,” Lance agreed, “but to say he still loves you? It’s just a way of keeping him alive in your mind.”
Penny took a deep breath. “You can’t argue with Lance. There’s no point to it. If he doesn’t believe something, he refuses to even consider the matter. But I talk it over with my friend Andrea, and thankfully, she understands everything I say.”
“How about your mother?” asked Olivia.
“What about her?” Penny withdrew for a moment.
“Can you discuss these kinds of things with her as well?”
“Excuse me,” Lance interrupted then, “but what has this got to do with anything?”
“I’d like to know more about your family dynamics,” Olivia answered plainly. “It can help me understand your father and wh
at might have happened to him.”
“As I said, we have a fine family,” Lance repeated emphatically. “Mom can be a bit hard to handle, especially when something goes wrong. But my parents had a wonderful marriage, if that’s what you’re wondering about. He was always good to her and she was always good to him. Everyone will say so.”
Olivia looked at Penny, who nodded intensely. “My father was always good to everybody,” Penny exclaimed fervently.
“It’s nice to hear that,” Olivia responded. “And it’s pretty rare to hear about a long, wonderful marriage these days.”
“Well, my father was a rare man,” Lance insisted. “Frankly, as I see it, his murder was due to the fact that he became a target of opportunity for that deranged killer. There’s no other possible explanation for it.”
There were always other possible explanations, thought Olivia. But it seemed that it was impossible for either Penny or Lance to even imagine that anyone might have willfully harmed their dad.
“Can I speak to your mother now?” Olivia asked then.
“Yes, you can, but not now,” Lance said. “We had to give her medication to sleep last night. She hasn’t woken yet. It’s best to let her rest as long as she can. This is having a terrible effect on her.”
“Of course,” Olivia agreed, standing up then.
“I’ll contact you as soon as our mom is able to talk to you,” Lance added.
Penny stood up, too.
“There are other people you can talk to though,” Lance offered, taking a piece of paper from his pocket. “I’ve prepared a list of neighbors and friends and their phone numbers for you. They’ll all tell you the same thing, though. My dad was a good man, a wonderful husband and perfect father.”
Olivia took the paper gratefully. “Thanks for this,” she said, turning to go to the door.
“Stay in touch with us,” Penny chimed in. “Let us know what you’re finding.”
