Summer In Iron Springs

by Margie Broschinsky

  “Yep.” Jenna was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Who’s Spencer Lewis?” Phoebe searched the document for an address or phone number but, aside from his name, there was no other information. “That’s got to be a pretty common name.”

  Jenna folded her arms across her chest and smiled proudly. “Well, it just so happens . . .” she paused for a moment before going on. “Mr. Lewis is the principal of Iron Springs High. My principal.” She patted a hand on her chest. “I got his number from the phone book. I already left him a message. I’m sure he’ll remember the cameo.”

  “Wait a minute.” Phoebe furrowed her brows and considered whether or not to ask the obvious question. She inspected the record again. “So, your principal broke into my parent’s home and . . .”

  “No, no, no . . .”Jenna held up a finger and moved it back and forth. Her finger froze in mid-air when the thought registered in her mind. “He couldn’t have . . . I mean, it’s impossible.” She shook her head and added, “He must have bought it from someone.”

  “One step at a time girls.” Billy held his hands to supply the voice of reason. “Let’s go talk to him on Monday and find out where he got the cameo.”

  ***

  Sunday afternoon, while relaxing with Billy in the porch swing, Phoebe thought about the Sunday school lesson she’d heard that day. It was about forgiveness and how it is required of all people to forgive those who hurt them. It was a concept Phoebe had never considered before. For as long as she could remember, she was angry that her mother was not there to take care of her. She was angry at the doctors who were unable to save her mother from the cancer Phoebe used to believe had taken her mother’s life. Then, when she found out that her mother had been murdered, her anger turned to the person that broke into their house and took her mother’s life. She had never thought that she might be doing something wrong by justifying her anger and carrying it around. Now, she found herself wondering if it was even possible to actually let go of that anger.

  “Do you think I’m supposed to forgive the person who killed my mother?”

  Billy expression told her that he, too, had been deep in thought about something. He glanced at her and, after taking a moment to process her question, he spoke. “Where did that question come from?”

  “I was just thinking about that bible passage—the one about forgiveness? The teacher read that scripture about how we have to forgive everyone in order to be forgiven.”

  Billy looked into Phoebe’s eyes and smiled before answering. “I’m impressed that you were listening and now you’re thinking about the lesson.” He cleared his throat before going on. “I know it sounds really difficult, but yes, we are supposed to forgive people who sin against us.”

  Phoebe took a moment to think about Billy’s answer. The idea that she should openly forgive the person who took her mother’s life was a lot to digest. “What if I can’t do that?” She tucked her legs beneath her and turned to face Billy. “I mean, what if I don’t want to do that?”

  Billy nodded and smiled a soft, understanding smile. “Feebs, forgiveness is a process. It is not something you have to do right now. The important thing, to God, is that you’re allowing yourself to be taught. I know He is happy about that. And, I know that He will help you with your challenges. If forgiving the person that killed your mother is a challenge, you can turn to Him; and, if you’re not ready to do that right now, you can do it whenever you are ready.”

  “What if I’m never ready?”

  “You will be. I promise. Someday, you will be.”

  “Maybe. Someday.”

  ***

  It was only nine fifteen Monday morning when Phoebe checked her watch for what had to be the hundredth time. “I wonder why Jenna hasn’t called yet. She was supposed to call the moment she heard from Mr. Lewis.”

  Billy extended his arm and helped Phoebe down from the ladder before moving to the next tree. “I’m sure he just hasn’t called yet.” He positioned the ladder steadily up against the tree. “Last one. Climb on up there.”

  “It’s just that we’re running out of time,” Phoebe glanced down at Billy from the top of the ladder. “I’m leaving in less than two weeks.”

  “I know,” Billy gave a sigh. “I’m sure she’ll call.”

  The day dragged by slowly and Phoebe spent most of it conjuring up the worst possible scenarios to explain why Jenna hadn’t called. By the end of their shift, when they still hadn't heard from Jenna, she was an exhausted mess of frazzled nerves.

  “I hope nothing’s wrong. What if Mr. Lewis won’t talk to us.” Phoebe told Billy during the ride home.

  “Why don’t I call and check in with her.” Billy suggested. He gave Phoebe a reassuring look but it did little to calm her worn-out spirit. He pulled the phone from his pocket and opened it. Searching his contacts, he found Jenna’s number and hit the send button.

  “Hey Jenna, what have you heard?”

  Phoebe crossed her fingers as she studied Billy’s expression.

  “Okay, sounds good.” Billy ended the call. He put an arm around Phoebe’s shoulder and pulled her close to him. “She still hasn’t gotten a call back. She suggested we stop by Mr. Lewis’s house. She’s texting me the address.”

  “Great. Let’s go as soon as we get home. You go get your truck and come pick me up. I’ll get changed really fast.” After a short confused pause Phoebe added, “I wonder how Jenna knows where the principal lives. I have no idea where my principal lives.”

  “Small town life, Feebs.”

  ***

  They pulled into the driveway of a small red brick home, got out of the truck and walked to the front door. After a brief wait, the door opened and a middle-aged woman smiled at them. “Can I help you with something?”

  “I hope so,” Phoebe said. “We’re here to see Mr. Lewis.”

  “Oh, you must be the one who called earlier.” The lady pushed the screen door open and motioned for them to enter. She ushered them into the living room. “Please, have a seat.” She motioned with her hand toward the brown leather sofa. She took a seat across from them on a matching love seat.

  “My husband is out of town until tomorrow.” She pointed to a picture of a man and woman holding an infant. “That’s our daughter and her husband; and that’s my grandson.” Her face lit up as she eyed the small photograph that sat on a wooden end table. “Our son in law had to go out of town on business—they live in Boise. So my husband went to stay with Alicia until he returns.”

  Phoebe glanced at the photograph and nodded appreciatively. “We’re sorry to bother you, Mrs. Lewis. But we need some information, and we believe your husband is the only one who can help us.”

  Mrs. Lewis gave Phoebe a sideways glance. “Would you like to tell me what you need? Perhaps I can help.”

  “Sure.” Phoebe started at the beginning and repeated the entire story once again. She hated how routine and rehearsed the story was starting to sound. And she was getting weary of recounting it over and over.

  “I remember that cameo.” Mrs. Lewis scrunched up her eyes as she tapped a finger against her chin. “My husband gave it to his mother for her birthday one year. She loved it. She wore it everywhere.”

  “If he gave it to his mother, how . . .”

  “Well, we inherited it back after she passed away,” Mrs. Lewis said, reading Phoebe’s thoughts.

  “Do you know where your husband got the cameo?” Billy asked.

  “I wish I did.” She furrowed her brow. “I’m surprised I don’t recall.” She paused for a moment before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I just don’t remember.”

  “It’s okay.” Phoebe did her best to hide her disappointment. “I appreciate your help. Would it be okay if we ask your husband when he returns?”

  Mrs. Lewis glanced at the long faces before her. “Why don’t I just phone my husband right now? I’m sure he’ll remember where he purchased it.”

  “We’d really appreciate that,” Billy said.
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  Mrs. Lewis stood and left the room. Phoebe’s leg bounced up and down while her eyes scanned the area as though the answers she needed were hidden somewhere in Mrs. Lewis’ living room. Billy scooted closer to Phoebe and took her hand in his. “It’s going to work out, I promise.”

  “I hope so.” Phoebe blew out a long frustrated breath. “I just wish we had more time.”

  “I know.” Billy leaned over and pressed his lips to Phoebe’s cheek. “It’ll be okay.”

  “It took a minute to track him down.” Mrs. Lewis said after returning to the room. “He wasn’t answering his cell phone, so I called my daughter’s house, but there was no answer there either. Then I tried her cell phone and sure enough she answered, and he was right there with her. They had gone out to eat before he got on the road. He’s driving home tonight.”

  Billy and Phoebe listened for her to tell them what Mr. Lewis said about the cameo but Mrs. Lewis just sat smiling at them.

  “Did he remember the cameo?” Phoebe asked.

  Mrs. Lewis shook her head and continued. “Oh yes. Sorry, I was rambling and forgot what I was talking about.” She gave her forehead a light tap with the palm of her hand. “He said he bought it from the school janitor.” Mrs. Lewis handed Phoebe a piece of paper with the name Mike Smith written on it.

  Chills ran down Phoebe’s spine when she looked at the name. Did this Mike Smith guy kill my mother?

  “He said that Mike came to him and said that he needed to raise money to pay his rent—he was selling several pieces of jewelry. My husband felt sorry for him so he gave him a couple hundred dollars for the cameo.”

  Phoebe folded the piece of paper and put it in her pocket. “Did you happen to ask him if he knows where we can locate Mr. Smith?” Trying to find a man named Mike Smith would be harder than finding the donation record in Ms. Cox’s office.

  “I did. But, he said that after the janitor sold him the cameo, he left town without telling anyone. He stopped showing up for work, and nobody around here ever heard from him again.”

  Phoebe and Billy exchanged knowing glances. It was becoming more and more clear that Mike Smith was very likely the person they had been searching for.

  “We need to locate Mr. Smith.” Billy’s words expressed the urgent nature of their request. “I imagine your husband has an employee file on him.”

  The lady nodded in agreement. “I’m sure he does. He keeps a file on all of his employees past and present.”

  “Can we come back tomorrow to talk to him? Maybe the file contains information that will help us find Mike.

  Mrs. Lewis nodded. “Of course you can. I’ll tell my husband to expect your visit.”

  Twenty Three

  “I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with us Mr. Lewis.” Phoebe followed the principal of Iron Springs High through the school’s front doors with Billy and Jenna trailing behind.

  Mr. Lewis turned and smiled at Phoebe before unlocking the door to his office. “Well, my wife was quite taken by you three—I’m sure I would have been in big trouble if I didn’t agree to help you.” He gave a little chuckle. “Have a seat.” He held his hand out to the chairs that faced his desk before turning and opening a file drawer. “Let me just see what I have here. As I recall, Mike didn’t have any family.” The man tilted his head and reflected. “He was a quiet man, kept pretty much to himself.”

  “Do you have any idea where he is or how we can get in touch with him?” Phoebe asked when Mr. Lewis sat down and placed Mike’s employment file on the desk in front of him.

  “I don’t. Like my wife told you, he left town without a word to anybody.” He paused. “I guess now we know why.”

  “Maybe some information in his employee file will be helpful,” Billy said directing his eyes to the unopened file.

  “Well, let’s hope so.” Mr. Lewis opened the file and reviewed the contents. Meanwhile, Jenna’s cell phone rang and she excused herself and walked outside. Phoebe could tell it was Dave calling. Her voice changed slightly whenever she talked to him—it was a little more high-pitched and a lot more flirtatious.

  After a moment, she poked her head back in Mr. Lewis’ office. “Guess what!” She said; her hand covering the phone’s mouthpiece.

  “What?” Phoebe asked and Billy asked in unison.

  “I gave Dave the janitor’s name and he is doing a background check on him. He did a quick search but it’s such a common name, he was wondering if we could get his date of birth or social security number.”

  Mr. Lewis glanced up from the file and directed his attention to Jenna. “He was born on September 2, 1961.”

  “Great. Thanks.” She started to pull the door closed but peeked back in and snickered. “It’s nice having a boyfriend who works at the courthouse.” After a loud giggle, the door closed and Jenna returned to the outer office.

  “Let’s see what else might be helpful.” Mr. Lewis reached for a notepad and jotted down some information. He tore the sheet of paper from the pad and handed it to Phoebe. He pointed to an address he had scribbled on the page. “That’s where he lived when he worked here. That’s basically all there is in here. He has no emergency contact person, no family listed.”

  “Do you have his social security number?” Phoebe asked. She was sure the number was in Mike’s file since it would have been required for employment but she was also sure Mr. Lewis was not supposed to share that information with anyone.

  “Yes, I have it.” Mr. Lewis nodded. “But, unless you are completely certain that Mike is the one that killed your mother, I would not be comfortable sharing it with you.” He looked at Phoebe and then Billy. “I hope you understand. Technically, I shouldn’t have given you any information but, given the nature of the situation . . .”

  “We understand,” Phoebe said. “I appreciate your help more than you know.” She shook Mr. Lewis’ hand. “You have been very kind.”

  Mr. Lewis stood and walked Phoebe and Billy to the school’s parking lot.

  “Good luck to you.” Mr. Lewis smiled as he unlocked his car door. “If I can help you out in any way, please don’t hesitate to call.”

  When Phoebe and Billy met up with Jenna in the parking lot, she was still on the phone with Dave. She was busily taking notes as Dave talked. Once she hung up, she related all that Dave had told her.

  “Mike Smith is currently in the Utah State Prison.” Jenna handed a piece of paper to Phoebe. It contained the address of the prison and gave details about which block he was being housed in. “He has a long criminal history ranging from petty crimes to armed bank robbery. That’s what got him put in prison this time.”

  “So, he’s the guy that killed my mother.” The words fell from Phoebe’s mouth and were followed by a long moment of silence.

  “I wonder if we should talk to Norm or Anna.” Jenna suggested. “This is getting a little creepy.”

  “No.” Phoebe answered quickly. “I don’t want to do that unless we absolutely have to. I don’t want them to try and stop us when we’re this close.”

  “You’re right.” Jenna agreed. “But, you have to promise me that you will be very careful. This isn’t just some small time criminal, Phoebe. This guy is dangerous.”

  “I know. And I promise we’ll be careful.” She looked at Billy. “We need to go to the prison.”

  “Just say when,” Billy said.

  “Jenna, can you ask Dave to find out when visiting hours are and how we go about arranging a visit?”

  “Yep.” Jenna pulled out her phone and called Dave again.

  “Do you think we can go tomorrow?” Phoebe asked Billy. “We’d have to take the day off but we can’t tell Norm why. Do you think he’ll let us miss work?”

  Billy leaned over and gave Phoebe a peck on the lips. “Don’t worry, Feebs. Norm is my friend. I’ll just tell him we have something important to do, and he’ll understand.”

  “Okay.” Phoebe knew Billy was right. Over the past few weeks, she found out that Norm was ac
tually a very likeable guy; quirkiness and all.

  “Dave said visiting hours are from nine to nine. He also said you should be able to visit Mike unless he is on lockdown. There are no rules about having to be a blood relative. The only thing that would be a problem is if he refused to see you. They are allowed to refuse a visit if they want.”

  Phoebe wondered what the likelihood was that Mike would agree to a visit from a perfect stranger. She had one chance to get in to see him, and she didn’t want to blow it. She thought about the things that she would say to him. She was anxious to tell Mike how she felt about him. She would tell him what a coward he is and how he selfishly took the life of another human being without any regard for the person or her family. As she considered the confrontation she would have with Mike, her pulse sped up and her body became tense. And as the Sunday school lesson came into her mind, she wondered how on earth she could ever forgive Mike Smith for what he did.

  “ . . . What do you think, Feebs?” Billy asked.

  “Huh?” Phoebe put her thoughts on hold as she was brought up to speed on the conversation she’d missed while her thoughts were elsewhere.

  “We are thinking of going to the Village Candy Shoppe for a treat. What do you think?” Billy asked.

  “Yeah, that sounds good.” Phoebe’s response was half-hearted. She wished she could press a fast forward button; it was going to be a long night anticipating her visit with Mike tomorrow. But, as Billy slipped his hand in hers and pulled her close to him, she relaxed and told herself to enjoy the time she had left in Iron Springs.

  It was a beautiful evening, so they parked the truck at the bottom of Park Street and walked to the Village Candy Shoppe. From the sidewalk, the group glanced in the large display window at a display of tempting delicacies. One shelf was lined with various flavors of fudge. This was, of course, the shelf that attracted Phoebe’s immediate attention. Another displayed chocolate dipped fruit and caramel apples. To the right of the window was a machine that was hard at work pulling taffy. A mouth-watering aroma was carried out the front doors and wafted through the crowd enticing them to follow their noses inside for a treat.