by Blythe Baker
“Emma, you just got there. Give yourself some time. Remember what I told you. You need to reconnect with a simpler time, a more carefree time in your life. Do the things that you did when you were untroubled by the worries of an adult, and you’ll find some peace. When you do, the visions should slip away.”
His tone was soothing and gave me comfort.
“You’re right, of course. I was just – I guess I was just anxious for an improvement,” I replied.
“That’s the problem, Emma. You are always rushing, rushing, rushing! Slow down, take it easy, and progress will come.”
I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Okay. Thank you, Dr. Jenson.”
I felt calmer when I hung up the phone. I decided to go for a walk in the pasture before I got ready to go meet Suzy and Billy for dinner.
I opened the door and found Snowball standing outside on the top attic step.
“Maaaah,” she bleated at me, seeming annoyed at being left outside the closed door.
I rolled my eyes.
“Okay, come on!” I waved my arm and she followed me down the stairs.
I walked straight out back, past the outhouse and through the woods to the back of the pasture. I followed the fence around, and came back up on the far side.
I was standing near the gate where I was the night before, and I looked down into the valley. The scattered houses at the edge of town were visible in the daylight, and just beyond them, the old fort.
As I looked thoughtfully down at the place, wondering how someone as well-liked as Preacher Jacob might have met such a fate, I felt a thud against my shin.
Yowch!
I looked down and Snowball was at my feet. She head-butted me again, begging for attention.
I squatted down and scratched under her chin. She lifted her chin higher, and for a moment she seemed to be smiling.
“You’re a cute little weirdo,” I said. “Come on. Let’s head back up to the house.”
Chapter 6
It was hot by mid-afternoon, and I helped Grandma hang damp sheets along the tops of the open windows and doors. It was an old technique, one passed down through the generations of farm families in the area, but it worked well.
“Gonna be a hot summer, Emma. Warming up this early, we’re in for a long one,” Grandma noted as we hung the last sheet over the window in the front of the sitting room.
She propped open the front door to let the breeze through more freely and I sat on the sofa to check my phone. I had one missed call from the airline.
Oh please, I thought, please tell me you’ve found my bag!
I hit the voicemail button.
“Hi, this message is for Emma Hooper. Ms. Hooper, this is National Airlines calling about your luggage. Unfortunately, your bag got held up in Canadian customs. It has cleared now, though, and we expect it to be on its way back to Branson tomorrow morning. We’ll give you a call when it gets in. In the meantime, if you need anything, please give us a call at 1-800…”
I hung up without letting the message finish playing, and let out a deep sigh.
“Problem, dear?” Grandma asked.
“Oh, no. Just my luggage. It sounds like it won’t be back until tomorrow or the next day.”
I sighed again.
“Well, at least you found some things to wear in the meantime,” Grandma said pragmatically. “Though, if you ask me, Suzy Colton’s shop is a bit overpriced. Of course, her parents did always love a dollar!”
She shook her head, and I stifled a laugh at her love of small town gossip.
I took a lukewarm bath, not ready to soak in a hot tub in the late afternoon heat, and got ready to head to town. I put on one of the sundresses I had bought at Suzy’s, along with a cute pair of sandals I had picked up. I applied the makeup I bought, lining my top lids with a kohl pencil to make my dark eyes pop, and brushed my hair to get the waves under control before I headed out the door.
When I got back downstairs, Grandma had already left for the quilting circle, and Grandpa was heating up his dinner at the stove.
“I’m heading out to dinner with Suzy and Billy, Grandpa. Can I bring you anything back?” I asked.
“No, thank you. I’ve got a fine dinner right here,” he said with a smile, and nodded.
“Don’t forget I bought whoopee pies – the box is on the counter if you want dessert. I won’t be late.” I started out the door, and turned back, reaching up to deposit a kiss on the deep lines of his tan cheek. “I love you, Grandpa.”
“Alright, alright, go see your friends!” He bristled a little, but I saw the grin creep across his face.
I got to the clinic just a few minutes before six, and when I walked in, Suzy was sitting in the waiting room.
“Well, well, well!” she said, standing and placing a hand on the curve of her hip. “Don’t you clean up nice? Billy’s in the back. He’s just lockin’ up the good stuff before we go.” She winked at me.
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, it is what people do, Emma,” Suzy replied.
“Not everyone.” Billy’s deep voice startled me as he walked through the area behind the reception counter, and closed the little half-door behind him. “Some of us don’t get married.”
“Not yet, anyway. You never know what the future may hold, Billy! You may find the right girl one of these days,” Suzy said, elbowing him in the side.
He rolled his eyes and changed the subject. “Are you lovely ladies ready for dinner?” he asked, jutting out both elbows for us to each take one.
“You have two dates for dinner. What will people say?” I laughed, taking his elbow as Suzy took the other.
When we stepped inside the little restaurant across the street, Chez Jose, I was immediately impressed with just how nice and sophisticated it was.
Seeing the look on my face, Suzy immediately commented, “Come on now, Emma, we’re not that backward around here, ya know! We do have a decent restaurant…now.”
“No, it’s just – I’m just…” I didn’t know quite what to say to recover.
“Don’t let her mess with you, Emma. You know as well as I do there wasn’t anything this nice when we were kids. This place has only been here a couple of years. Remember Madeline Chouteau? She married a guy from St. Louis – Jose Ramos. Anyway, this is their place. Jose for him, chez for her, what with her family being French and all. He’s a pretty good cook!” Billy said proudly.
“Chef, Billy, he’s a chef,” Suzy corrected him as the hostess walked over.
“Maddie! You remember Emma Hooper, surely?” Suzy directed an open palm toward me.
“Emma! How nice to see you! Visiting your grandparents?” Maddie asked, giving me a hug around the neck.
“Yeah, came back home to check on them and see how they’re doing.” The lie made my stomach clench.
“Maddie, hon, can we have a table in the back? Someplace quiet? We have so much catching up to do!” said Suzy.
“Sure thing! Follow me.”
Maddie seated us and we spent the next three hours remembering old times, gossiping about everyone from our class and what happened to them, and talking about how our lives had been since graduation. As the evening wound down, Billy asked me the question I’d been dreading.
“So, Emma, how long do we have you for? You moving back for good?” He flashed that beaming smile of his. I always was jealous of his perfectly straight, white teeth. He hadn’t had to suffer through braces like I did.
“I…I really don’t know. I’ll be here for a while though, I’m sure,” I replied.
“Okay, kids, my ride is here. Gotta run,” Suzy said.
We all stood up and Suzy kissed me on both cheeks.
“Call me. To-mor-row! I mean it, Emma. Don’t make me chase you down,” she said, grasping my shoulders in both hands. “And goodnight to you, Dr. Billy.” She scrunched her nose up at him as she said it.
Billy and I
walked outside and headed down the street toward his office, where I had parked.
“So,” he said, “when are you going to tell me what you’re really doin’ here?” He towered over me now, and looked down authoritatively as if willing me to confess.
“What do you mean? I told you…”
But he cut me off. “Emma, come on. I’ve known you since before we could walk. I know when you’re lying and right now, you’re a big, ol’ liar.”
“Okay, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even Suzy,” I conceded.
“Musketeer pinky swear,” he said, crooking his little finger and holding it up to me.
I crooked my pinky into his and we bounced our joined hands up and down three times, just like we did with Suzy when we were little.
“Well, I had an accident. I was in the middle of a crosswalk and a taxi jumped the light and hit me. I had a couple of broken ribs, and a few bruises, but my head took it pretty hard,” I said.
“Oh, Emma. I’m so sorry. So a TBI? Did you lose consciousness? Open or closed? Any seizures?” He rattled off the questions as he appeared to be scanning my eyes for symptoms.
“Thanks, but we do have doctors in New York too, ya know.” I laughed.
“Sorry, force of habit!” he said, running his hand through his hair. “But, seriously, you’re okay now?”
“Yeah, it’s just… Well, I’m experiencing some lingering effects. My brain sort of…” I paused, looking around to be sure the street was empty. We were in front of the library, so I plopped down on the bench, and Billy joined me. “I sort of see things sometimes. Things that aren’t there. Or, you know, real.”
I dropped my head and my hair fell forward. I cautiously looked at him from around the edges of it.
“Aw, Emma! It’s okay! That happens to lots of people. I’m sure it’ll pass. It’s pretty common, actually,” he said, patting my shoulder like he did when we were kids and I was upset about a bad grade or a stupid boy.
“I sure hope it goes away soon,” I said, standing, and we continued walking back toward the clinic. “It’s pretty disconcerting. Anyway, I came back to sort of recuperate. You know, take it easy, and get a change of scenery.” I realized that saying therapist sounded a little too big city, so I said instead, “My doctor thought it would be a good idea.”
“Sounds like a good doctor, if you ask me. Just as long as you’re here, and I hope you’re here for a long time, promise me you’ll call me if you need anything. I’m serious Emma – day or night. Here, put my number in your phone.”
I handed him my phone, and he put his number in, then dialed himself to save mine.
“Okay, promise?” he asked.
“Yes sir, Dr. Billy.” I winked at him, and laughed as we approached the truck. “Oh, you don’t have a car here?”
“Hmm? Oh, no. I live in town now. I bought the Johnson house up the street. I walked this morning. After I got back from the old fort, I just, I don’t know, wanted to clear my head.” He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Well, hop in. I’ll drop you off. It’s on the way,” I said.
I grabbed the keys and opened the truck door, before climbing into the driver’s seat. I suddenly realized how dusty and dirty the old farm truck was, but Billy didn’t seem to mind.
“Wait, is this your grandpa’s old truck? The one you learned to drive in?” He chuckled.
“The very same!”
I smiled proudly, remembering how expertly I had learned to navigate the behemoth.
Then a sobering thought struck me. “So, speaking of this morning, what exactly happened to Preacher Jacob?”
“Well, they don’t want it out in the news, but he was strangled. Poor fella never saw it coming. It looked like whoever did it grabbed him from behind with the strap from a haversack,” he said, shaking his head.
“A haversack? What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s those sacks the soldiers used to sling across their shoulders like this,” he demonstrated, running his hand along his seatbelt from shoulder to waist. “Anyway, there was one not too far away, and it looks like they snuck up behind him, slung it around his neck, and pulled the sack through the loop end to make a sort of noose. Awful, really awful. Such a good guy, too.”
“So, who do you think might’ve done it? You know everyone in town, I’m sure.”
“Well, I know he fought like cats and dogs with Betty over some of the decisions she made on behalf of the historical society,” he said, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
“Betty Blackwood you mean?” I asked.
“Yeah, you remember her. She was our social studies teacher?” he asked. “But heck, she was old when we were little. I doubt she’d be able to hurt a fly, let alone a full grown man. I mean, Preacher Jacob was almost forty, but he was in great shape. Always did the fall fun run.”
He thought for a moment. “And of course Prudence was crazy in love with him, but I don’t think he was seeing anybody. I hear that she made some sort of declaration a couple of days ago. My receptionist’s mom works at the church and apparently overheard the whole thing. Poor Prudence. She might never recover.” Billy shook his head as I pulled into his driveway.
“Wow, Billy! The place looks amazing!” I said, truly impressed with how the front yard of the old but beautiful home looked. Funnily enough, I used to joke with Suzy when we were kids that I would marry Billy and move into this house – the nicest one in town. I was half right, at least.
“Thanks. You should see the inside. I redid the floors and updated the kitchen. I even redid the bathrooms and put a steam shower in too.” He puffed his chest up proudly. “You wanna come in and check it out?”
“Mm, it’s kinda late, and my grandparents will be turning in soon. Next time though?” I asked, genuinely. I’d really enjoyed catching up with my old friends. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed them.
“Absolutely,” he said, reaching over and putting his arm around my neck. I put my hand around his side to return the hug. “And don’t worry, Emma, your secret’s safe with me. Watch that noggin!” He smiled and hopped out of the truck.
“Goodnight, Dr. Billy,” I yelled from the rolled down window of the cab.
As I drove out of town, I flipped on the truck’s radio, and an old country song from the 90’s began to play. I sang along to this blast from the past at the top of my lungs as I drove up through the hills, breathing in the country air.
I pulled up to the house and Snowball was waiting for me on the front porch.
“Come on, I guess. Let’s go to bed.”
I opened the front door and her furry little white tail wiggled back and forth as she trotted into the house.
Grandma and Grandpa were in the living room when I arrived, watching the nine o’clock news on the ancient television over an aerial antenna. I kissed each of them on the cheek and went into the kitchen to grab one of the pies from earlier. Then I plopped down between my grandparents on the worn-out sofa.
“How was dinner, dear?” Grandma asked.
“Good! Really good. Great seeing them. I didn’t realize how much I missed everybody.” I smiled, thinking of the funny stories we had told over dinner.
“You too, I’m sure,” my Grandpa said without looking at me. “I mean, I’m sure people missed you too, while you were gone for so long.”
“Maybe. But maybe people could’ve called and asked me to come home for a visit,” I replied, still staring at the television like he was.
“”Maybe people didn’t want to be an imposition on your fancy, big-city lifestyle,” he replied.
“Maybe people should know better,” I said, and turned to him. “I should’ve come home sooner, Grandpa. I shouldn’t have let work or being busy be an excuse. I’m sorry. I do love you, you know.”
“Hmph! Well, you’re here now, aren’t ya?” he said.
“Like it or not, apparently!” I replied, giving him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek.
“Enough, enough already! Go to bed, child!” he tried to pretend he was annoyed, but I knew it was just an act. Well, mostly anyway.
“Goodnight,” I said to them and headed up the stairs. Snowball followed me, and I decided to let her into the attic.
I put on one of the t-shirts I had purchased, and hung the bag with my clothes, my purse, and my carryon from various nails jutting out of the roof boards of the attic.
That should keep them out of Snowball’s reach, I thought as I put my phone under my pillow and climbed onto the cot.
I was exhausted, but in a much better mood after having reconnected with so many people from my childhood. I thought about how grown-up everyone looked now. I still couldn’t believe that goofball Tucker was actually sheriff, and Suzy was getting married to Brian. As I heard Billy’s voice echoing in my head, I began to drift off to sleep.
For some reason, my last conscious thought was the memory of Billy’s description of Preacher Jacob’s death—murder by strangulation.
Chapter 7
When I stirred, it wasn’t yet daylight, but the early hours of the morning. I grabbed my phone from under my pillow and checked the time. Four forty-five. It was official. I was on farm time.
My mind was too active to go back to sleep, and I needed the bathroom, so I swung my legs around off the side of the cot. I rubbed my eyes, and found the sneakers Grandma had loaned me. Snowball opened her eyes and looked at me, but soon shut them again. I stood and stretched, which captured her attention, and she leaped to her feet and walked over to me. I scratched the top of her head and went downstairs.
The attic stairs opened into the back of the sitting room and as I descended them, I remembered that one stair creaked – the one I tried to avoid when I would sneak out to go bull-frog catching with Billy when I was little. I stepped around ol’ creaky, and headed through the living room toward the kitchen.
