Summer Shadows

by Killarney Traynor

  “Hi, Mrs. Lamontaigne!” she said.

  “Miss,” Julia corrected her with a wince.

  “My dad said I could come over and help today if you wanted me,” Amelia continued. “He’s working in the garage today and said that I couldn’t stay for lunch, but I could come back in the afternoon if you needed me.”

  “He said that, did he?” asked Julia. Her opinion of Robert Wilde plummeted: what sort of person just let their kid go hang out with a brand new neighbor whom they had barely met? Why hadn’t he come over to check this out with her first?

  It went against the strong first impression that he had given her. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she’d taken Wilde as a man who could be even more protective than she was.

  Before she had time to decide what to do, Ron was speaking.

  “We’re bringing the paint upstairs now,” he said. “That way we can start on it right away.”

  Julia had to speak loudly over the sound of the lawnmowers. “Be careful on those stairs. Those cans are heavy and I think the stairs are uneven.”

  “I’m alright,” Amelia declared. “Mrs. Jurta says I’m as strong as an ox, and Mrs. LaVallee says that I can climb like a mountain goat.”

  “Mrs. LaVallee?”

  “She’s my Girl Scout leader. She said that mountains are a symbol of life and all its struggles and that it’s only by going through the struggles and stuff that you can make it to the top and see the view. She says…”

  “She says an awful lot,” Ron interrupted. “Come on, Amelia, my arms are killing me.”

  He started up the stairs again. Amelia followed with a chipper, “Not me! I’m not tired!”

  Ron looked back at Julia and shook his head, amused.

  Smiling, Julia went into the kitchen. It was surprisingly in order. The sacks of groceries were unpacked on the kitchen table, sorted by box, bag, or can size. The bags had been thrown on the floor in one corner and the stuff from the hardware store was piled up in the doorway. Dana knelt in front of one of the cabinets, neatly stacking the cans that Jack handed to her.

  Julia complemented the children on their organization while she opened the kitchen window. Ron and Amelia clamored back downstairs, Amelia still talking a blue streak. Ron’s face had grown impassive, as though he had shut down his hearing.

  “Hey, Amelia!” Dana called out, breaking into the conversation. “Want to give me a hand with the groceries?”

  There was a plaintive, lilting tone in her voice – she was jealous of the attention that Ron was receiving from their new friend. Julia wasn’t surprised to hear it, but she suddenly realized that Dana didn’t really have any girlfriends, now that Colleen was no longer next door. That meant, aside from Ron, Jack, and herself, Dana had no one. No wonder she was desperate for a friend.

  Amelia hesitated, and looked from Dana to Ron.

  Ron said. “Why don’t you help Dana? You guys need some girl-talk.”

  Julia watched the emotions play out on Amelia’s face. She thought that they ran the gamut, which was surprising for a decision of such little import. Why such a big deal when she’d come over here to hang out with Dana in the first place?

  When Amelia gave Ron a sidelong look, Julia understood. Amelia had a crush on Ron. It was cute, and definitely innocent, but Julia wanted to stifle it as quickly as possible. The last thing they needed was to incite an adolescent summertime romance.

  She straightened up and checked her watched, clearing her throat as she did so. The four children looked at her.

  “Actually, here’s what I need done. Girls, I want you to open all the windows downstairs and start the fans. Ron, you can do the same for the upstairs, and then start sanding the walls. Make sure to wear the mask.”

  Ron seemed relieved. “Sure!” he said, bolting for the stairs.

  “Can I help with the sanding?” Amelia asked.

  “Me, too?” Dana added.

  “No, I’ve only got two masks and I’m going to need one. Besides, I need you two to look after Jack and start things going for lunch. Dana, we’ll be using the hot dogs and vegetables for lunch today. You can make your dip, if you like.”

  Dana’s face lit up and she grabbed Amelia’s arm.

  “Want to help me make dip?” she asked.

  Amelia nodded quickly. “Okay! That sounds like fun!”

  “First the windows,” Julia warned. “And take Jack with you.”

  She caught a bit of the girls’ conversation as they pulled up the windows in the dining room. They had to speak loudly to be heard over the sound of the lawn mowers. Dana told Amelia about how she’d found the dip recipe while watching a cooking show on TV.

  “It’s really good,” she said, proudly. “You’ll like it – are you staying for lunch?”

  “Oh, sure!” Amelia replied enthusiastically. “My dad said I could stay all day, as long as you guys needed help.”

  The two girls chattered on, tugging Jack into the hallway, while Julia stood rooted in place. Robert Wilde wouldn’t have told Amelia both that she could and couldn’t stay for lunch. And if Amelia was lying about that, then there was a good chance that he didn’t even know she was there. Amelia could have told him that she was going to hang out with the dog lady who, Julia had gathered, was a frequent babysitter as well as dog sitter.

  Julia checked her watch: 11:30 a.m. Time for a little tattling before lunch.

  She went to the foot of the stairs and called for Ron. He didn’t respond, but she could hear the soft scraping sounds of the sandpaper at work. He probably had his ear buds on.

  She took the stairs two at a time and found him in the boys’ room, his iPod in his pocket, working the sandpaper like a pro. He spotted her and pulled a bud out of his ear.

  “I have to go next door for a minute,” she said. “Could you keep an ear out for the kids downstairs?”

  He nodded and pulled the other bud out. “No problem. What do we do after I sand?”

  “Wipe the walls with a damp rag,” she said. “Not too wet, but just enough to remove most of the dust. I’ll be back in a second, though, so don’t worry too much about it.”

  Julia left the house with the side door propped open and hurried down the driveway. One of the lawn mowers had gone quiet, and the members of J. C.’s crew were wrestling with large bags of seed and mulch. She had a momentary doubt about leaving the kids alone with them, but shoved it aside – she wouldn’t be gone long and there was a cop next door, for heaven’s sake. They would be safe.

  The Wildes’ driveway led right up to the attached garage. The doors were open, and she could hear the soft sounds of classic rock playing on an old radio while tools clinked methodically. An avocado-green two-door car from the 1970s sat on blocks in the center of the garage. There were patches of white on the body and doors, spare parts on the bench and scattered around on the cement floor, and the hood was raised. The owner was nowhere to be seen.

  Julia stepped in and rapped on the side of the door. “Hello? Mr. Wilde?”

  He popped up like a jack in the box from behind the car. His clothes were worn and grease-streaked. His face and hands were dirty and he rubbed a tool in a filthy rag as his face creased in a friendly smile.

  “Oh, hi!” he said.

  Julia said, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m the woman who just moved in next door. We met on Saturday.”

  He came from around the back of the car. “I remember. Julia Lamontaigne, right?”

  “Yes. You have a good memory.”

  He shrugged with a self-deprecating grin. “Sometimes.” He bobbed his head in the direction of her house. In the clear midday air, they could hear J. C. issuing orders to Mitch and the others. “I hear that you hired Irwin’s son to do the lawns.”

  Some of Julia’s self-righteousness slipped away. He seemed so nice and unconcerned that she hated
to spoil his day by telling him that his daughter had probably lied to him.

  “Yes,” she smiled. “There were ticks in the lawn and, well, I’m kind of squeamish about bugs.”

  “I don’t blame you there. We’ve had a few cases of Lyme disease in the area and it’s not an easy thing to get rid of. But J. C.’s a good kid – you won’t have any complaints.”

  “He seems very efficient. I am impressed.”

  “The Irwins are a good family. They’ve been around here a long time.”

  “Have they?”

  “At least for three generations. Franklin’s a pretty old city, and quite a few of the founding families are still here.”

  “You sound like an expert. Are you a founding family?”

  He grinned and leaned against the car. “Nope. I’m a recent immigrant.”

  Julia nodded. “Well, that makes me feel better. I was starting to feel strange around all the natives here. Are you from Massachusetts?”

  “No, Manchester, but I went to school in Mass. Boston University.”

  “Good school.”

  “That’s what they tell me.”

  “Don’t remember much?”

  “I remember being overwhelmed a lot. I’m not much of a scholar.”

  She waved a hand at the car. “You have to know quite a bit to restore one of these things.”

  He turned and smiled at the car. “Yeah, it can be tricky, but finding parts is the most difficult thing.”

  “Ah.”

  There was a moment of silence. Julia was still trying to figure out how to bring up Amelia when he said, “So, do you like the new place? Are things working out for you?”

  She saw an opening. “It’s going very well,” she said. “It’s tight for the four of us, but we’re managing. There’s been so much cleaning and arranging that I haven’t had time to decide whether or not I really like it.”

  “It’s been empty a long time. You must be finding a lot of things to repair.”

  “Actually, no. So far we’ve been lucky. The cabinets in the kitchen are shot, but that’s it. What it really needs is a face-lift and, to be honest with you, I’m not sure how Ron and I are going to get it all done before school starts again. There’s a lot to do.”

  “Well, if ever you need an extra hand, be sure to let me know. I like doing handyman work – I worked as a painter and handyman during summer breaks when I was a kid.”

  “Oh, really?” she said, and saw an opening. “Well, I’ll be sure to call on you sometime, when we need an expert opinion. Right now, we’re doing well. And thank you so much for sending Amelia over – she’s been a real help, and I think Dana’s been a little lost for female company right now.”

  Wilde straightened up and looked at her, confused.

  “Amelia?” he said. “Amelia’s at your place? My Amelia?”

  “Yes. She’s helping Dana with lunch. Actually, that’s why I came over here – she told me you’d given her permission to stay for lunch, and I wanted to check with you. We don’t really know each other very well, and I just wanted to make sure that you were comfortable with that.”

  Robert was looking toward her house, tapping the wrench into the palm of his hand. His frown deepened.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked.

  He looked at her. “It’s just that she was supposed to be with Mrs. Jurta and her dogs today. I had no idea that she was over at your house.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. I’m glad that your daughter and her get along, but…”

  “I understand,” Julia said quickly. “She’s more than welcome to stay, but I’ll understand if you need to, you know, lay down the law and all that.” She blushed when she remembered that she was talking to a cop.

  He regarded her sympathetically. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve… well, Amelia’s been getting a little difficult to handle lately. She’ll agree to do one thing, then go out and do another without telling me. I don’t get it – she never told a lie her entire life.”

  Julia hastened to reassure him. “I think all kids go through that. You know, testing and trying to see how much they can get away with. I did it when I was young. I drove my poor mother crazy.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said. She could tell that he didn’t believe it. Or if he did, he thought it little help.

  He continued, “But I can’t always be here, obviously. Today, when I thought she was with Mrs. Jurta, I really had no idea where she was. I’m relieved that she’s with you and safe, but she could have been anywhere and I would have no idea.”

  Julia shifted uncomfortably. She was new to this whole parenting thing and had no experience to offer him.

  “Should I send her home?” she asked.

  At that moment, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air. It was like being doused with icy water.

  Julia froze.

  “Dana!” she gasped.

  Another scream followed, and the two of them went racing down the driveway, their hearts in their throats.

  12

  They found the children huddled in a group around the side door with J. C.’s boys moving around them in a protective, if confused, circle. Julia’s relief at seeing them whole and apparently unharmed quickly reverted to panic when she realized that the two little girls were crying, and Jack’s face was smeared with blood.

  She raced over and scooped Jack up. He clutched at her, burying his face into her shirt. It was only with difficulty that she managed to pull his face up and see that he had a split lip. The two girls ran over to her as she examined Jack’s head for further damage.

  “What happened?” she demanded. “Jack, tell me what happened.”

  “I fall down!” he cried.

  “The girls found an animal inside,” Ron said. He looked scared. “It’s still in there.”

  “We heard the shouts and came over to see what was happening,” J. C. added.

  “Did it bite anyone?” Julia asked, and relief rolled over her when everyone shook their heads. “What is it?”

  “A wolf!” Amelia shouted.

  “A wolf?” J. C. sounded skeptical.

  “Amelia,” Wilde said. There was a warning note in his tone that caused the girl to fall silent.

  “Dana, what happened?” Julia adjusted her grip on Jack.

  “We…” Dana gulped back tears. She was barely able to talk. “We were playing by the fireplace and then a fox came down it! He tried to bite us!”

  She burst into tears and buried her face into Julia’s jeans. Amelia was quick to follow suit, and Jack was already soaking her collar. It was a comical and embarrassing scene.

  “They must have loosened the damper,” J. C. said.

  “What’s a damper?” Ron asked. He had his back plastered to the screen door, as though he expected claws and teeth to shred the metal mesh at any moment.

  “It’s a sort of door in the chimney that keeps stuff from coming down it when you’re not using it,” Wilde said.

  “But a fox? In the fireplace?” Julia said.

  “More likely a squirrel,” Wilde said.

  “Yeah,” J. C. agreed. “They nest in unused chimneys, like bats and birds. You haven’t had this chimney cleaned out yet, have you?”

  “Er, no,” Julia answered. “I wasn’t expecting to use it. Should we call animal control?”

  Wilde shook his head. “Why bother them? The boys and I can chase it out, can’t we, boys?”

  “Count me in,” Connor said. “Beats weed whacking!”

  “What if it has rabies?” Derval asked anxiously.

  “Bring it,” Mitch said, snapping his shears with mock ferocity.

  Arming themselves with gloves and rakes, Wilde, J. C., Mitch, Connor, and Ron went into the house in search of the squirrel.
Outside, all Julia could hear were the faint sounds of battle. After a few moments, the squeaking rodent fled out the front door and they returned triumphant, singing Ron’s praises.

  “He was able to slip right past the squirrel and open the door,” J. C. said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Slick work.”

  Wilde nodded, the grin reaching his eyes. “I think he was smarter than the rest of us combined.”

  “Ron’s the smartest guy I know,” Dana said proudly.

  Ron shrugged. “Oh, it wasn’t anything.”

  But he looked very pleased, and even swaggered a little under the praise.

  Wilde and the boys searched the house and declared it rodent free. The crisis was over, but the living room was a mess. Sticks, soot, and indistinguishable garbage spilled out from the fireplace, and there was a fine layer of darkened dust over everything, disturbed by human and squirrel feet. Small, dark brown pellets were scattered all around, even in the hall.

  To Julia’s surprise, J. C. , Billy, and Connor were already cleaning up the nest and the pellets while Mitch made huge gestures with his arms, giving a detailed and exaggerated blow-by-blow of the great squirrel hunt to the two gaping little girls. Ron and Wilde joined the cleanup crew and started to help.

  “Dude, so disgusting,” Connor said, making a face as he accidentally smeared something he was cleaning.

  “That’s what they do when they’re panicked,” J. C. said.

  “Do you have any bleach or disinfectant?” Wilde asked Julia. “This will smell if we don’t clean it up right now.”

  “I’ll get it!” Ron hopped up and raced out of the room.

  Feeling unnecessary, Julia took Jack into the kitchen, washed him up, and soothed his wounds. When she came back into the living room, everything was cleaned: the damper was put back in place, the soiled bedclothes were in the laundry basket, and the boys were standing around chatting.

  J. C. was leaning on his broom, surveying the room. “When I came here this morning, I wasn’t figuring on this much excitement,” he said.

  “Neither was I,” Wilde laughed. He turned to Julia, and the talk died down as everyone looked at her expectantly.

  Jack turned and buried his face in her neck, and Julia had to adjust her grip on him before she spoke.