Autumn Dreams

by Gayle Roper

  At least she had her purse. She threw the strap of her shoulder bag over her head and stuck one arm through until it lay across her chest like a bandoleer. She pushed it to rest across her back.

  Okay, Lord, please help me. And please don’t let me fall and break something.

  Taking a deep breath, she climbed onto the vanity, turned backward, and stuck one leg out the window. Carefully she slid her second leg out and balanced, her hips on the sill, her upper torso and head inside. She gripped the inside edge of the windowsill as tightly as she could and pushed herself out. She used her feet, braced against the siding, to keep herself from losing control.

  Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

  Slowly she lowered herself until she was hanging with her arms fully extended.

  Oh, Lord!

  She let go.

  Twenty-Seven

  AUNT CASS! AUNT CASS!” Jared raced up the steps and through the front door, Paulie hard on his heels.

  Heart pounding, Cass came running from the kitchen, Dan right behind her. What was Jared doing home from school in the middle of a school day? “What happened? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Jenn.”

  Cass grabbed Jared’s hand, her heart kicking. “How badly is she hurt?”

  Jared blinked. “She’s not hurt.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “I was looking out the window in the cafeteria, see, when all of a sudden I saw Jenn.”

  He stalled and Cass, her hand over her pounding heart, prompted, “And?”

  “She was walking down the street with Derrick.” Jared looked green around the gills. “They got into his car and drove off!”

  “I saw them go too,” Paulie said. “I was standing right beside Jared.”

  Jenn and Derrick? In his car? In the middle of the school day? Cass felt the blood drain from her face, and she became light-headed. She grabbed the banister to steady herself. Brenna, who had hurried downstairs at Jared’s raised voice, placed her hand comfortingly over Cass’s. She turned her hand over and gripped Brenna’s.

  Oh, dear Lord, help!

  Quietly Dan came and stood close behind her, his strong hands resting on her shoulders. Immediately some of her fear dissipated.

  Jared started pacing the entry hall. “Two other cars drove off after them.” He looked at Cass, his face full of anguish. “Aunt Cassandra, those guys have such bad reputations. Everybody knows what wild men they are, but Derrick’s got Jenn snookered. She thinks that he’s so hot, and she likes all the attention he pays her. She has no idea what he’s really like, no idea what she’s getting herself into by going off with him. None.”

  “That’s why we couldn’t let her go to the movies with just him,” Paulie said. “We don’t trust him an inch. The man is evil.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was so awful?” Cass asked. “I’d never have let her go.”

  “Then she might have tried to sneak,” Jared said. “And we’d never know what was going on. We thought that if we kept a close watch, we’d be able to keep her safe.” His shoulders slumped. “Not.”

  “They’ve done this type of thing before,” Paulie said. “Bagging school, I mean.” He buttoned and unbuttoned, buttoned and unbuttoned the top of his jacket. “Not Jenn. Derrick and his gang.”

  “Where do they go?” Dan asked, his voice calm.

  Cass held her breath as she waited for the answer.

  Jared looked as sick as if he’d gotten another large whiff of last night’s obnoxious smoke. “I’ve heard them talking before, bragging, you know? They like to break into empty summerhouses and spend the day hanging out.”

  Cass flinched. Breaking in was bad, but … “How do you define hanging out?” She already knew the answer, but she needed to hear the words. Maybe then it wouldn’t seem so unbelievable.

  Unhappily Jared stared at his feet. “They drink and smoke.” He hesitated. “And stuff.”

  “Drink heavily?”

  Jared nodded.

  “Smoke what?”

  “Anything. Everything.”

  Cass closed her eyes. It was the party all over again, only worse, much worse. The thought of what Derrick might talk the infatuated Jenn into doing made her want to throw up.

  “Just a sip, Jenn. You’ll like it.” Or “Come on, Jenn. Just a puff. It’ll make you feel good.”

  Dan’s hands on her shoulders, hands that gently massaged the tense muscles, were all that held Cass together. That and the knowledge that God loved Jenn even more than she did. Otherwise she’d explode from tension, little pieces of her raining down all over Seaside. She took a deep breath.

  “You said, ‘And stuff.’ Tell me. I’ve got to know.” Her voice shook.

  Jared swallowed uncomfortably, looking out the still open front door rather than at Cass. His young face was a study in misery. “Sex. Lots of sex.”

  Cass brought her hand to her mouth as she swallowed against the nausea. She dimly realized that she was leaning against Dan and hoped he didn’t mind because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stay erect on her own.

  “Some of the wild girls always go along,” Paulie said, his usually happy countenance pinched with dread. “But the latest idea is for one of the guys to con a virgin into going. When she leaves, she—” he swallowed convulsively—“she isn’t a virgin anymore.”

  Cass had read and heard about such things happening, but to Jenn?

  “Do they use force?” Dan asked quietly, and Cass shuddered.

  Jared and Paulie looked at each other. Paulie looked ready to cry.

  “Tell us,” Cass said. Rape? Beautiful, willful Jenn? Please, God, no!

  “Some of the guys were talking at football practice about Roofies being available in town,” Jared said.

  “Roofies? Rohypnol, the date rape drug?” Cass couldn’t believe it. In quiet little Seaside? “And Derrick’s gotten hold of some?”

  “I don’t know for sure.”

  “But you think so.”

  Jared nodded unhappily. “I know lots of the kids are easy as far as sex goes, but it’s with their dates or their steadies. But these guys—Aunt Cass, Jenn can’t take care of herself with these guys. She’s too—”

  “Naive,” Cass said.

  Jared made a face. “I was going to say stupid.” He looked as though he wanted to cry right along with Paulie. “She knows better. She may be innocent, but she’s not ignorant. She knows what’s what.”

  “Okay.” Dan’s voice was steady and strong. “So we’ve got to find her before she’s hurt. Derrick drives what?”

  “A black Explorer. Two other cars followed them, a dark green Jeep, and a yellow VW Beetle.”

  Dan nodded. “We should be able to find them.”

  “But what if they go off island?” Cass asked in despair.

  For a moment no one said anything. If the kids drove off island, there was no way they could find them.

  Dan spoke to Cass. “Do you want to call the police to help us search?”

  She closed her eyes and let herself lean even more heavily on him, absorbing his strength. She tried to think around her fear. Breaking and entering. Underage drinking. Drugs. Illicit sex.

  Oh, Lord, let me make the right choice!

  “You say they usually stay in Seaside?” she asked the boys.

  They both nodded.

  “Let’s try by ourselves first. They only left school, what? Ten, fifteen minutes ago? It’ll take some time for them to find a house to break into, won’t it?” Unless they already had one staked out, she thought but didn’t say. “If Jenn doesn’t have to have a police record, it’d be better.”

  “Okay,” Dan said. “We’ll look ourselves. Agreed?”

  Everyone nodded, and Dan continued. “They have to park somewhere. There aren’t many garages in the south end of town where most of the summer homes are. Cars are in the open. We can drive around until we spot those three cars. The island isn’t that big. When we find them, we’ll rescue Jenn.
”

  “Whether she likes it or not.” Jared looked ready to fight anyone or anything.

  Brenna spoke for the first time. “We can help. I’ll get Mike—it’s his day off—and we can look too.”

  “Jared, why don’t you take your Aunt Cass’s car? Paulie, you go with him. Cass and I can go in mine, and Brenna and Mike will make a third team.”

  Cass listened to Dan organize the hunt and was grateful. She herself could scarcely think. She was too afraid for her pretty little niece whom she planned to kill as soon as they’d saved her. And they had to save her. How could she face Tommy and Rhonda if they didn’t?

  “Do you each have cell phones?” Dan asked.

  Brenna and Jared nodded.

  “Trade numbers. Here’s mine.” Dan recited it. “Jared, you start at the south end and drive east-west patterns, ocean to bay. Brenna, you and Mike start in the Gardens and drive east-west patterns until you meet Jared in the middle. Then start again. We’ll drive north-south. Whoever finds the cars, call the rest of us immediately.”

  Brenna and Jared nodded again.

  “Then wait until we get there,” Dan said as they both turned to leave. “Don’t go running in alone. It might be dangerous. Wait for Cass and me. And now, Father God, help us locate Jenn. Keep her safe in Your care.”

  Oh yes! Oh, God, keep her safe! Don’t let her get hurt. Please!

  They ran for their cars, and in minutes, Cass and Dan were driving, looking, hoping, praying.

  When Cass sniffed, Dan glanced at her. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Shh, Cass, it’ll be all right. We’ll find her. Don’t cry.”

  At his words she became aware of the previously unnoticed tears on her cheeks. She rubbed at her face with her jacket sleeve. “Dan, she’s so young!”

  “She’s not that young. And she knows right from wrong. After all, she has you as her model.”

  There was little comfort in that. All she could imagine was the Rohypnol being used, maybe slipped into a drink when Jenn wasn’t looking. It didn’t taste or smell, so she’d never know she’d been drugged until she woke up, and then it would be too late. “But what if—”

  Dan gave her hand a shake. “Don’t go there, Cassie. You’re making it worse for yourself.”

  She nodded and sniffed again. “You’re right.” She stiffened her back. Oh, Lord! Please!

  They made their way slowly up and down the length of the narrow island, first one street then another, then another. They scanned every car they saw, moving or parked. None matched the descriptions Jared had given. Cass felt panic rising.

  “The alleys, Dan. Drive the alleys. They might park behind a house they wanted to get into rather than at the curb.”

  He nodded and turned down the nearest alley.

  “Look! A yellow car!” Cass’s heart leapt with hope.

  “But it’s a Honda, not a VW.” Dan’s voice was full of regret.

  “What if they’re in a garage?” Cass’s words quivered in the air as they drove past the yellow Civic. “We’ll never see them then.”

  “There were three cars according to Jared. That’s a lot to find convenient garage space for.”

  They drove from the north end of the island to the south, turned, and drove back on the next alley. They passed a dark green Explorer and a black Jeep, neither the correct combination of color and vehicle.

  “It’s my fault, isn’t it? I drove her to it with my hard line on Derrick.”

  “Cass! Jenn’s doing what she knows is wrong, and it is not your fault. And you weren’t too hard-line. You always gave her an alternative, a way to be with Derrick, but a way that kept her safe.”

  “And all he wants is to corrupt her.”

  “It sounds that way.”

  “Oh, Lord, please!” Derrick’s thinking and plotting was so beyond Cass’s experience that her mind balked. She couldn’t imagine purposely hurting someone. She couldn’t help but feel she was taking part in a movie, a very evil movie. The cameramen and director were just invisible.

  As they turned to begin another pass, Cass spied a girl limping along the sidewalk, head down, arms hugging her middle. The girl’s shoulders shook, and her long auburn hair hung down her back in a tousled mane.

  “Dan!” Cass pointed, her heart in her throat.

  “I see her.” He pulled to the curb, and Cass threw the door open before they were even stopped.

  “Jenn!”

  The girl whirled, her face full of fear, her body bent in a protective crouch.

  “Jenn, it’s me.” Cass spread her arms.

  Jenn blinked her tear-swollen eyes, and her face lit up in relief. “Aunt Cassandra!” She raced into Cass’s arms and glommed on. Great sobs tore from her throat.

  Cass hugged her back. “Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay.” She ran one hand soothingly up and down Jenn’s back. “It’s okay. We’ve got you. You’re safe.”

  “It was awful, Aunt Cassandra! I was so scared!” Jenn’s whole body shook. “We were just going to drive around the block, but they hadn’t even been to school.” She shuddered. “Derrick only stopped in to get me.”

  Cass wasn’t sure she understood everything Jenn was saying, but she hugged the girl and repeated, “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  “They were drinking.” Jenn’s voice grew disbelieving.

  “Derrick, too?”

  “He started as soon as we pulled away from school. He said it was water.” She sniffed. “I think it was vodka. He offered me some, then told me how beautiful I was.”

  Just what any young girl wanted to hear. He was so clever. Cass shuddered as she led Jenn to the car. They leaned against the silver fender as Jenn continued her story. Cass kept an arm about her niece’s waist.

  “I’m so dumb. I thought the house belonged to one of the kids. Then one of the guys found a liquor cabinet, and they broke in.” Jenn stared at Cass in a mix of disbelief and horror. “They took a penknife and forced the doors apart. The wood cracked and splintered, and they all laughed. That’s when I knew I was in deep trouble.”

  “Ah, baby.” Cass kissed her temple.

  Jenn gave a weak smile. “Derrick wanted me to drink. I didn’t want to, but he forced me,” she wailed.

  “Shh, honey. It’s all right.” But Cass knew it wasn’t.

  “It made me cough, and it burned! It tasted terrible.” She made a face. “Everyone laughed at me, especially Derrick.”

  Cass could see the pain of betrayal in her eyes. The boy she thought was wonderful, the boy who kissed her and told her she was beautiful, had mocked her instead of protecting her.

  Jenn sighed and put a hand to her mouth like she was trying to control the wobble in her lower lip. “I felt like my throat was on fire, and I thought I’d never breathe right again. I ran to the kitchen for some water, which only made them laugh harder.” She swiped at her runny nose with a crumpled tissue. “I was coming back to the living room, trying to figure out how to get out of the mess I’d gotten myself into, when I heard Derrick laughing with the guys, a nasty laugh, you know? It made the hair on my arms stand up.” She rubbed her arms at the memory.

  Dan tapped Cass’s arm and held out his jacket. For the first time she realized that Jenn was without her coat. She refrained from mentioning the fact, took Dan’s jacket, and draped it over her niece’s shoulders.

  “R-roofies,” Jenn said as she pulled the jacket close. “He had Roofies. ‘She’ll never know,’ he said.”

  Jenn sniffed and wiped at her nose again. “Do you know what R-roofies are?”

  Cass nodded.

  “H-he was going to use them on m-me.” Large tears washed Jenn’s cheeks.

  “Ah, sweetheart.” Cass held her as she cried, rocking her gently.

  “I w-wish my mom was here,” Jenn whispered.

  “I’m sure you do.” Cass ran her hand down Jenn’s fall of hair. She wished desperately that Rhonda were here too. Rhonda would know just what to say to make it all better. Mothers were l
ike that.

  “So how did you get away?” Cass made her voice brisk to help counter Jenn’s tears.

  Jenn straightened and sniffed. “I told them I felt sick to my stomach from the drink and had to go to the bathroom. I even managed to make gagging noises.” She slumped again. “I felt sick, all right, sick with fear. I locked the door, prayed like crazy, and climbed out the window.”

  Cass gave a puff of laughter. “You climbed out the bathroom window? Good for you, girl! I’m proud of you.”

  “I was scared stiff.”

  “I’m sure you were.” Cass looked at the house in front of them, raised on pilings. Her heart broke a bit more. “First floor?”

  Jenn shook her head. “Second.”

  Second. “Onto concrete or dirt?”

  “Dirt.”

  Cass closed her eyes, thankful beyond measure for that strip of dirt in the sea of concrete that ran beneath most houses built on pilings. She could imagine the terrified girl opening the window, scrambling over the sill, lowering herself by her hands, and dropping, dropping to the ground, all the while expecting Derrick to break in and grab her.

  Thank You, Lord. How easy it would have been for her to break her legs. “Is that how you hurt your ankle?”

  Jenn nodded and studied her foot. “It’s swelling.”

  “Some ice will take care of it.” Cass hoped she was right, that it wasn’t any more serious than a sprain.

  Brakes squealed as a car whipped around the corner. Jenn jumped and huddled closer to Cass. Dan stepped near them both. The car screeched to a stop, and Jared and Paulie leaped out. Jared raced to Jenn. He reached for her as she held out her arms to him. Their hug was fierce and full of love. Cass had to blink away her tears.

  Then Jared stepped to the side, and Paulie gave Jenn a quick, awkward hug. For once Jenn didn’t pull back.

  “I’m glad you got away,” Paulie said, holding Jenn by her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He frowned. “You are okay, aren’t you?”