The most important task for me today was the preparation and delivery of another shipment of crystals to the rendezvous point. Never again will the word ‘rendezvous’ stir up romantic fantasies as it once did. Now, it elicited the dark specter of death sealed in each container. I wondered if I would ever know the ultimate destination for my deadly cargo or if the information would remain eternally top secret.
As I stepped up into the military jeep next to the uniformed driver, Tom thundered through my mind. If he was determined to postpone the development of the gadget, would he assault us along the way? I needed to talk to Dennis to see if he was having the same doubts about Tom as me.
Despite my fears, the exchange was seamless and uneventful. All my driver wanted to discuss was the war in the Pacific and how much he wished he had joined the Navy to be part of the action. He nattered on and on about the fighting in the Philippines and on the island of Okinawa. I, on the other hand, had grown weary of hearing tales of combat and death with each passing day.
At lunchtime, I waited in front of the building for Dennis to emerge from the Alpha lab. Unlike the rest of the chemists in my area, I still had security clearance to the other lab but I drew the line at using it for personal reasons. I didn’t have a long wait.
We walked to the cafeteria, side by side. ‘Dennis,’ I asked, ‘are you worried about Tom’s story or his motives?’
‘I hate to say this, Libby, but I’ve been concerned ever since he skipped out on us yesterday morning. His actions make me question everything. But, at the same time, my suspicious thoughts raise feelings of guilt that I am betraying a friendship. Is there any chance that Crenshaw was just playing with us and he already has Tom in custody?’
‘How, Dennis? I can’t believe they could slip into the house and spirit him away while we slept. One of us would have heard something.’
‘They could have been waiting outside and took him away when he was leaving.’
‘That’s true, particularly if they followed him for a while before confronting him. Still, he left willingly. Why?’ I asked.
Dennis shrugged. ‘I should have paid more attention in psychology class.’
‘You took a psychology class?’
‘Yeah, everyone said that Miss Browning’s class was an easy A and I wanted to pump up my GPA.’
‘That’s why I took art appreciation,’ I said with a chuckle. ‘Did you get that A?’
‘That’s the worst part – I got a B. Libby, I have a question for you: would you mind if I asked Ruth out to dinner?’
‘Ruth? Absolutely not.’
‘Do you think she’ll want to go out with me?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Oh, look, Teddy’s coming this way.’
‘Do you mind?’ I asked.
‘Not at all.’
‘Wave him over.’
‘You two look cozy over here in the corner,’ Teddy said.
‘Teddy—’
Dennis patted on the tabletop. ‘Libby, Libby! Once again, you won’t mind if Ruth and I go out together?’
I could tell by the begging look in Dennis’ eyes that he was trying to save me from myself. He knew I was about to jump on Teddy’s comment and he didn’t want me to go there. He was probably right. ‘Not one bit, Dennis. I think you and Ruth will get along well.’ I thought I saw a flash of relief on Teddy’s face but I might have imagined it.
While Teddy ate his lunch, Dennis and I updated him on what had happened with Tom and Crenshaw. He looked back and forth at us after we finished talking. ‘So tell me,’ he asked, ‘what’s bothering you?’
‘Are we that obvious?’ I asked.
Teddy nodded. ‘You are to me.’
We summarized our uncomfortable thoughts as Teddy cleaned his plate. When we finished, Teddy pushed his tray aside and said, ‘The big problem here as I see it is simple: you don’t know who Tom talked to on that train.’
‘Why would that matter?’ Dennis asked.
‘If it was just some ordinary guy, Tom’s over-reaction doesn’t make a lot of sense,’ Teddy said. ‘The man could have been an agent of the Japanese government.’
‘Tom would have said something if the man was oriental,’ I objected.
‘Besides that,’ Dennis added, ‘I think he would have been skeptical if the man was Japanese.’
‘The Japs aren’t stupid,’ Teddy said. ‘They would recruit spies that looked like ordinary white men. Someone trained in psychological warfare techniques, perhaps armed with a drug from the Orient that makes people more suggestible. Maybe he was staking out the train station looking for someone in a vulnerable state of mind.’
‘How would they know about our installation here?’ Dennis asked.
‘The Russians know. Why not the Japanese? For that matter, maybe it was a Soviet spy. America is being credited with winning the war in Europe. Maybe Stalin feels threatened by that. Maybe he’d want us to get our comeuppance in the Pacific. What better way to do that than to slow down the development and ultimate deployment of the gadget?’
‘But still, it seems so convoluted,’ I said.
‘Yes, it does,’ Teddy admitted. ‘Maybe it’s far simpler. Tom has been trudging through life filled with lots of anger and negativity. At a time when he was experiencing loss and guilt, it might not take much for him to crumble psychologically.’
‘Sounds like you studied psychology at school,’ I said.
‘Sure. Intro to Psych was an easy A. You’d have to try not to succeed in that class.’
‘So, Dennis,’ I said with a grin, ‘did you try to fail?’
‘No but …’ Dennis said.
‘You took Intro to Psych and didn’t get an A?’ Teddy asked. ‘What did you get?’
‘We’ve gotten way off track here,’ Dennis objected.
‘Tell me, please, you at least got a B,’ Teddy said.
‘Yes, okay, I got a B. Can we change the subject now?’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘we need to get back to work.’ I stood and disposed of my trash and placed my tray and plate in the returns. On the way back, we talked about the current situation with Tom.
‘Do we have any way to contact Tom?’ Teddy asked.
‘Aside from leaving another note under the jar, I don’t have any idea of how to reach him. Although that’s something, it’s not much and it would require him to take the action to come and pick it up,’ I said.
‘Is it possible that he’s still at the shack and told us he wouldn’t be there to keep us away?’
‘Anything’s possible at this point,’ I admitted.
THIRTY-EIGHT
I started the analytic process on new samples from Alpha lab and was interrupted by Charlie. ‘Libby, you have a phone call in my office.’
‘Let me finish up the next step, first, Charlie.’
‘No, Libby. I’ve been told it is urgent. It’s a person-to-person call from beyond the fence. I think you’d better take it now.’
For a moment, I forgot how to breath. I picked up the receiver in Charlie’s office and said, ‘This is Libby Clark.’
‘Please hold for a person-to-person call from Dorothy Clark.’
I willed my imagination to remain still as I waited for the sound of my aunt’s voice.
‘Libby dear, I hate to inform you but your mother has passed away.’
I closed my eyes and threw my hand over my mouth.
‘Libby, are you there?’
‘Um, yes. Yes, I am. I …’
‘That’s okay, dear. If you are near a chair, sit down. I know it will take some time to absorb the news. She slipped into unconsciousness for a few hours before she died. The last thing she said before that was, “Tell Libby and Ernie I love them”.’
A sob jerked out of my throat. Words, however, could not form.
‘Libby, I wish I didn’t have to turn your thoughts to practical matters while you are still shocked by the news, but it is necessary to make arrangements right away.’
I nodded but realized she couldn’t hear that movement on the phone line and croaked out a ‘yes.’
‘I am bringing your mother’s body back to the farm to bury her next to your father. I plan to have the funeral service and burial on Thursday, as long as everything with transportation goes smoothly. Do you understand?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ve spoken to Mrs Early and she will deliver the sad news to Ernie when he gets home from school. She expressed a desire to have you there as soon as possible. She thinks Ernie will need you. Can you leave tomorrow?’
‘Uh, yes.’
‘Good. I’ve already purchased your train ticket. You can pick it up at the ticket counter. You might not be able to reach me for a while. I am taking an overnight to Richmond and traveling with your mother’s casket to Bedford early tomorrow morning. If you need to talk to anyone, Mrs Early said she would welcome your call any time of day or night. Listen, Libby, you can rest easy. Yes, you pushed your mother away for a long time but you made your peace with her before she died. You did the right thing – take comfort in that.’
‘Thank you, Aunt Dorothy. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Charlie had hovered near the doorway while I was on the phone. As soon as I set down the receiver, he rushed in and placed a palm on each of my upper arms. He bent down and looked me straight in the eye. ‘Are you okay, Libby?’
I nodded.
‘Was it news about your mother?’
I nodded again and said, ‘Yes, Charlie. My mother is gone.’
He wrapped his arms around me and I burst into tears. ‘Cry it out, Libby. One of the most painful moments of anyone’s life is when their mother dies.’
I wallowed in my self-pity for a bit, then my thoughts turned to Ernie. I had to keep it together for his sake. I straightened my posture and stepped back from Charlie. ‘Thank you, sir. I need to get back to my analysis. And I need to leave tomorrow morning to be with my little half-brother.’
‘Go to the ladies’ room first and throw some cold water on your face. You can have as much time as you need to deal with this situation. Just let me know your plans when you know them.’
Sniffling, I said, ‘I plan to return on Friday and be back to work on Saturday.’
‘There’s no need to rush, Libby.’
‘Yes, there is, Charlie,’ I said, forcing a smile on my face. ‘We got a war going on and it’s all hands on-deck.’
‘You don’t have to be a brave little soldier all the time, Libby. You can show vulnerability and still be strong.’
‘Ideally, I know that is how it should be, Charlie. But I don’t think it is an option for women. Someone’s always looking for the chink in our armor.’
‘The people who care about you will always allow you that latitude. You don’t need to put up a false front for us.’
‘Thank you. I will try not to test your hypothesis too often.’
THIRTY-NINE
Teddy and Gregg volunteered to stay at my house while I was gone in case Tom attempted to contact me again. Teddy drove me to the train station and kept my car to pick me up when I returned. I didn’t think I’d forgotten anything but, of course, as I traveled east, I worried that I’d missed something that I’d later regret.
The second I stepped down on the platform in Bedford, Ernie threw himself into my arms and blocked the egress of those behind me. I walked sideways with him to get us out of everyone’s way.
Justine Early gave us a couple of minutes for Ernie to sob his sorrow on my shoulder before she spoke. ‘Ernie, grab your sister’s suitcase and let’s head off for home. We’ve got livestock to feed before dark.’
Ernie stepped back and dropped his arms. ‘I’m so glad you came, Libby.’
On the ride out of town, I sat on the front seat next to Justine. Ernie hung over the back of our seats pummeling us with questions.
‘Miss Justine, why aren’t we waiting for Aunt Dorothy to arrive?’
‘We talked about that Ernie. Your Aunt Dorothy preferred to meet the undertaker at the station without the distraction of our presence. The funeral director agreed to give her a ride out to the farm.’
‘Whose farm?’
‘Your farm, Ernie.’
‘So, when are we going to see her?’
‘After we finish the chores at our farm. I already told you, I’ll take you and Libby over then. Your Aunt Janice is over there now straightening up and airing out the house. She’ll make supper for the three of you and you can spend the night there with your sister and your Aunt Dorothy if you want,’ Justine said.
‘Aunt Janice?’ I asked. ‘Your side of the family or your husband’s?’
‘She’s my sister. She lives over in Radford. She only planned to visit for a couple of days but when we heard the news about Annabelle, she offered to stay longer to help out.’
‘So, Libby, are you sad?’ Ernie asked.
‘Ernie,’ Justine reprimanded, ‘that is a rude question. Don’t let Libby think that’s how I’m raising you. Of course, your sister is sad. She lost her mother, too.’
‘It’s okay, Justine,’ I said. ‘I don’t mind.’ Turning to Ernie, I added, ‘Yes, I am very sad. It’s not easy to lose a mother no matter how old you are.’
‘Aren’t you happy you went to visit her?’
‘Yes, I am, Ernie. I’d feel a lot worse if I hadn’t.’
‘Aunt Dorothy said that, too. She said it was the best thing we could have done.’
I thought about the impact of loss on one so young. I was close to his age when my father died and the pain of that grief drove me to my knees. Because of the experience, I knew the death of our mother was worse for him but I didn’t want him to feel all alone. His relationship with her was much less complicated than mine. He still had her on a high pedestal while I had seen all her weakness on full display, and yet, I still loved her. Knowing she was gone left a dark abyss in my heart.
Ernie changed the topic without warning. ‘Have you ever tasted Aunt Janice’s cooking, Libby?’
‘No, Ernie, I’ve never even met her before.’
‘Oh, she makes the best chicken ’n’ dumplings. Is she going to make that for dinner, Miss Justine?’
‘I told her that is what you wanted and she said she would.’
‘Oh, goodie! I can’t wait. She makes the best dumplings in the world.’ As he finished that sentence, he choked. I looked at him and saw tears spilling from his eyes.
I twisted in my seat and grabbed one of his hands in mine. ‘I’m so sorry, sweetie. I wish I could make it better.’
‘I’m an orphan now, Libby,’ he said through loud sobs.
‘I know, darling, so am I. We’ll make it, I promise.’
‘Miss Justine,’ he said. ‘Can I call you Mom now?’
Justine’s words strangled in her throat. She pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car, flipped up the seat and climbed into the back with Ernie. Embracing him, she said, ‘Yes, Ernie. Absolutely, positively yes. I would be honored.’ She rocked him back and forth in her arms while I brushed away tears. Picking her to raise Ernie was most likely the best decision I’d ever made.
After we finished taking care of the animals, Justine and I sat on the front porch while Ernie packed his things to spend a couple of nights with me and his aunt. I asked, ‘Do you think going back to the house might bother him?’
‘Oh no, not any longer. He goes over there a lot. I once asked him why and he said, “I need to make sure nothing is being neglected. I have a responsibility to my Aunt Dorothy.” A little while later, he added, “That’s not the only reason. I spend some time just sittin’ in the living room and kitchen getting used to knowin’ that Mama will never be there again.” I can tell ya, Libby, that floored me. In some ways, he’s such a little boy and in others, he has more self-awareness than many people ever achieve in a lifetime.’
‘Good. I was afraid I might be making a mistake.’
‘Don’t assume too much. I imagine just see
in’ his Aunt Dorothy will bring on another wave of intense emotion. It’s going to be a difficult time but, in the end, Ernie will cope with the loss of his mother as well as he has every setback in his life. He’s got a solid core.’
‘Thank you, Justine.’
‘Don’t thank me. I should be thankin’ you. He’s been a joy to have around and he always says he wants to be strong and courageous just like you.’
‘Me?’
‘I know you think he’s put his mother up on a pedestal and it’s true. But the one he’s erected for you is twice as high. I hope you don’t ever fall off,’ she said with a chuckle, ‘you’d be sure to bust your head or somethin’.’
At the farm, Ernie insisted on carrying the bags into the house. He left them in the front hallway and escorted me back to the kitchen where he introduced me to his Aunt Janice. Even without being told, I would have known she was related to Justine. She had a little living-in-town polish in her hairstyle, dress and carriage, but she was the spitting image of her farmer-sister.
‘Pleased to meet you, Janice,’ I said.
‘The pleasure is all mine. This boy talks up a blue streak about you every chance he gets.’
‘I’ll leave the two of you alone to get acquainted,’ Ernie said, ‘and I’ll take your bag upstairs, Libby.’
Janice and I just stared at him as he left. ‘He must have picked that line up from a movie. He sure didn’t learn that from my brother-in-law. I do like the man my sister married but he’s a bit rougher around the edges than your little brother.’
‘He surprises me all the time,’ I said.
‘Your Aunt Dorothy told me she’d be here a little after 7 o’clock. So, I’ve timed supper to be ready about then. Would you like a snack to tide you over? I’ve got some homemade bread and some mighty fine cheese.’
‘Did you bake the bread?’
‘Did indeed. And my sister-in-law made the cheese.’
‘Really? I haven’t known many cheese makers around here.’
Sabotage in the Secret City Page 18
