Uncertain Alliance

by Davis, Mary

  “There’s another one.” Burl pointed to the Green Pasture across the street.

  It wasn’t on their way, but they searched the alley and were greeted by a low growl. A massive dog had something in its mouth, and it was cornered. Ian pushed Burl against the building, and the dog darted away. Fred would be no match for that dog. She’d likely stay away from this place. “Let’s go.”

  “Aren’t we gonna knock on the kitchen door and ask about Fred?” Burl sounded hurt.

  “It wouldn’t hurt.” As Ian turned, he noticed an even bigger dog than the other lying down with its head resting on its huge paws in the entrance to the alley. He pressed them both back against the wall. If Ian remembered correctly, that was a Great Dane.

  The dog crawled forward a few feet, gave them a furtive glance, then trotted to the kitchen door and scratched.

  The door cracked open and a burly voice said, “Tiny, it is so good to see you. Wait here.” The man had a German accent.

  The dog sat, and its tail brushed the ground as it moved back and forth.

  The man returned. “This chicken is too old for me to serve to the customers, but it is still good for you.” He held the meat out on his upturned hand, and Tiny gingerly took it from his palm. This dog was clearly not a threat.

  Ian stepped forward. “Excuse me, sir.”

  The man studied him as he and Burl approached. “You are obviously not a beggar.” Then he squinted at Burl. “But you could be.”

  “We’re lookin’ for a dog,” Burl piped up.

  The man smiled and pointed to Tiny. “You found one.”

  “No. Not that big.” Burl described Fred.

  “That sounds like my Angel.”

  “She’s your dog?” Burl sounded disappointed.

  “No more than Tiny is. Most of the strays run in a pack and find food together. A few are stragglers, and I feed them now and then when we have scraps or old food that has not gone bad yet but is not fit to feed people.”

  Burl shifted his feet. “Have you seen Fred—I mean Angel today, sir?”

  “Not today. But then it is not Saturday. She’s my usual Saturday customer, but I have not seen her for nearly a month. I hope nothing bad has happened to her.”

  Ian hoped so, too. “My employee brought her home and has been training her to dispose of the rat problem I have at my store.”

  The man nodded. “I imagine she would be good at that. A dog likes to feel useful. I am glad she got a good home.”

  “But she’s lost!” Burl squealed.

  “There was a bit of trouble at my store this morning. I think she got scared and ran away.”

  Compassion creased the German man’s eyes. “I have not seen her, but if I do, I will hide her in a box in the back until you come for her. I like to see a good dog like Angel get a fine home with a boy to play with.”

  “Oh, she doesn’t live with me. She lives with Mr. Jackson at the store, but I see her every day and play with her. Mr. Jackson was hurt and he’s in the hospital.”

  “I am sorry to hear that. I will keep a watch for Angel.”

  Ian felt something gently nudging his hand. Looking down, he saw Tiny maneuvering his large head under it. He scratched the dog behind the ear.

  “Looks like Tiny favors you.” The man laughed then told them about a couple of other restaurants that might have fed Fred.

  The problem was that those places took them farther away from his store. “We will ask at these two restaurants then go straight back to your sister.”

  Burl nodded.

  Fred had not been seen at either place.

  “Let’s ask down there.” Burl pointed to the fish market that was all but closed for the day and headed off for it.

  After that, he would have to call it a day even if Burl protested. He just hated to disappoint Burl by returning without Fred.

  The man at the near booth scrubbed the whiskers on his fleshy chin. “That sounds like the mongrel I run off not more than a half hour ago.”

  Burl let out a squeak. “You shouldn’t have done that. She’s a good dog.”

  “Which way did she go?”

  He pointed. “Thataway.”

  “Thanks.” He took off after Burl.

  Burl called to Fred over and over. Fred came around a building limping toward them with one front paw raised. Burl ran to her and scooped her up. She whined.

  Ian took up the paw she’d been favoring. Blood caked the pad. “Let’s get her back to the store and fix this up.”

  It was dark by the time they reached the store. Mr. Lansky’s street-level store was closed, so Ian and Burl, with Fred tucked inside the boy’s coat, took the side entrance stairs to the sidewalk below. He unlocked his door. It was dark inside. “Alice?”

  No reply.

  His stomach clenched. “Wait here. I’ll get a light.” He headed for the back. Lord, please let Alice be safe.

  A slight glow emanated from the potbelly stove. He opened the door, lit a slender stick, and held it to a lamp nearby.

  Eleven

  Ian held the lamp high so it shed light about the whole room. A half-knitted scarf lay on the chair near the stove. Where was Alice? He didn’t see anything newly broken or disturbed.

  Burl came back with Fred still in his coat. “Where should I put her so we can fix her foot?” Burl didn’t seem to notice that Alice was missing.

  Ian moved the knitting. “Sit here with her. I’ll be right back.” He didn’t want Burl to know he was concerned about Alice. Let the boy just worry over the dog.

  Ian went back to the front of the store and looked around all the counters. He was relieved that Alice wasn’t lying on the floor somewhere. He stepped into Conner’s private room. There lay Alice on top of the bed, sleeping peacefully. Ian’s pent-up fear escaped in a breath. Thank You, Lord. He knelt beside her, reluctant to wake her.

  “Mr. MacGregor,” Burl yelled from the other room.

  Alice stirred and opened her eyes. “You’re back. I must have nodded off. I suddenly got so tired, I decided to lie down for a minute.”

  He helped her sit up. “We found Fred.”

  “Good.” She rubbed her face.

  “She’s hurt.”

  “Mr. MacGregor?” Burl’s call was more urgent this time.

  “Coming.” He helped Alice up.

  “What can I do to help?”

  He followed her out to the other room where Burl sat with Fred. “Get a bowl of warm water, please, and any clean cloths you can find.”

  They soaked Fred’s foot in warm water to remove the dried blood and found a piece of glass in her pad. Ian pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. “She must have picked this up when she ran out the door.” He wrapped her foot with a strip of clean cloth.

  Alice put her knitting into her bag. “We need to be heading home. Grandpa will be wondering what happened to us.”

  He stood from where he’d laid Fred on a blanket on the floor near the stove. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “That’s not necessary.” She pulled on her coat.

  “Until they catch those boys, I’d feel better if I did.” Who knows what they might do next?

  “I’m stayin’ here with Fred.” Burl lay on the floor by the dog, stroking her gently.

  “No, Burl. We need to get home.” She held out his coat.

  Ian gave the boy a hand up. “I’ll stay here with Fred over night. She’ll be fine.”

  As they walked up the exterior stairs to ground level, he could immediately feel eyes on him as though someone were watching them. He looked around.

  “What’s wrong?” Alice asked.

  He saw no one. “Nothing.” He didn’t want to alarm either her or Burl, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed. They reached her apartment without incident.

  “I was beginning to worry about the two of you.” Arthur crossed over to them from the kitchen area.

  “Ma.” Miles came over with his arms raised, and Alice lifted him.

 
Ian took Alice’s coat and hung it on the back of a chair. “It’s been a very long day. I’ll let Alice and Burl fill you in on what all happened.”

  “You’re staying for supper. I cooked.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to. “Thank you for the offer, but I need to get back and make sure Fred isn’t trying to pull off her bandage.”

  He headed back for his store with the same feeling of being watched and followed, but he never saw anyone. Was it his imagination? Or was someone very sneaky?

  He locked himself inside his store and went back to check on Fred. The blanket was vacant. He checked in Conner’s room. Fred lay curled up in the middle of the bed. “Is that where you usually sleep? Or are you taking advantage of your master being gone?”

  Fred looked up at him with sad eyes.

  “Very well. You can stay.”

  Fred laid her head back down.

  Tonight he’d sleep here at the store to look after Fred and to make sure no one else tried to get in.

  ❧

  The next morning on the way to work, Burl pulled Alice toward the hospital. “I wanna see Mr. Jackson.”

  She was anxious to see how he was doing as well; then she could let Mr. MacGregor know when they arrived at the store. They asked for Mr. Jackson at the nurses’ desk.

  The nurse gave her a gentle smile and said, “He’s in the second room on the left. The doctor’s with him.”

  Alice thanked her and went down the hall, trying to keep her shoes from thumping on the polished wood floors. The first room on the right was large and had eight white iron beds down each side, half of which appeared to be empty. Burl veered off to the room on the left. Four beds occupied this smaller room, along with two patients and a doctor. It was nice that Mr. Jackson—or was it Mr. MacGregor—could afford a semiprivate room. The man in the bed by the door lay curled and asleep. Just inside, she stopped and held Burl back as well. She didn’t want to interrupt the doctor at Mr. Jackson’s bedside by the window.

  The doctor turned. “Come in.”

  She walked to the edge of the white-railed bed with Burl. “How is he?”

  “An angel.” Mr. Jackson smiled at her then turned to the doctor. “Am I dead?”

  “No, you aren’t dead.” The doctor wrote on the chart he held. “I’m making a note that they not bury you yet.”

  Mr. Jackson reached out his good arm to her. “Marry me.”

  The doctor smiled and turned to her. “Between the concussion and the pain medicine, he’s a little confused. Keep your visit short. He won’t stay awake much longer.” The doctor walked out.

  Alice was going to ignore his proposal. He probably didn’t know what he’d asked anyway. “Mr. Jackson, I’m glad to see that you’re all right.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile, put his arm back down, and closed his eyes.

  “Did he die?” Burl whispered.

  “No, he’s just sleeping. We should go.”

  The doctor stood at the nurses’ desk.

  “Doctor, when does Mr. Jackson get to go home?” Mr. MacGregor would want to know.

  The doctor handed the chart to the nurse and turned to Alice. “Does he have someone at his home who can watch over him night and day for the next couple of days?”

  “Not both night and day. He lives alone.”

  “Then I’d like to keep him here one more night where the nurses can look after him.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Mr. Jackson shouldn’t mind staying in the hospital where nurses would care for him. Then he could propose to one of them.

  The doctor turned to leave then turned back to her. “Oh, if you need a witness that he proposed marriage, just let me know.”

  She definitely wouldn’t be needing that.

  Burl was quiet as they walked then finally he said, “Are you gonna marry Mr. Jackson?”

  Of all the questions. “Of course not.”

  “But you didn’t say no.”

  “Mr. Jackson didn’t know what he was saying.”

  “What if he did? Know what he was sayin’.” Burl turned and walked sideways. “Would you marry him?”

  She looked directly at him. “No, Burl.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t like him that way. He’s a friend.”

  Burl started walking backward. “But what about Mr. MacGregor?”

  “Would you turn around? You’ll trip.” This was none of Burl’s concern.

  He turned back around. “Would you? Iffin he asked?”

  “No.” Her chest tightened. She would not look at him. “He’s a friend, too.” But those words didn’t seem quite right.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not marrying anyone.” That should close this matter.

  “Why not?”

  Exasperated, she sighed heavily. “Because I don’t want to get married.”

  “Grace, at school, said that all girls wanna get married.”

  “I was married once.” She just wanted to get off this topic. “Can we talk about something else or nothing at all?”

  “I bet Mr. MacGregor would marry you iffin you asked him.”

  “Burl! Stop it this instant. I’m not—I wouldn’t—” She didn’t know what to say.

  She stopped short at the pharmacy door. Or rather a few feet back from the door. It looked like a small horse was lying in front of the door on his side with his legs stretched out.

  “Tiny!” Burl knelt down beside the beast.

  “Burl, be careful!”

  “Tiny’s a nice dog.” Burl scratched the dog’s chest, and it rolled onto its back.

  That was a dog? She’d never seen anything like it. Its legs had to be two and a half feet long. She knocked on one of the boards that served as a window.

  Footsteps, then the door opened.

  “Hello.” Mr. MacGregor smiled at her then looked down. “What’s he doing here?”

  “He was here when we came,” Burl said. “Can we keep him?”

  “Burl. We can’t have a huge thing like that at our apartment.” She’d never be able to feed it. “And I’m sure Mr. MacGregor doesn’t want him.”

  Tiny turned his head and looked up at Mr. MacGregor with big, soulful brown eyes.

  Mr. MacGregor knelt down and scratched the dog’s chest. “Are you who was following me last night?”

  Her stomach clenched at the thought. “You were—we were followed last night? Is that why you kept looking around?”

  “I never saw anything. Just sensed it.” He stood. “It must have been Tiny.”

  “What if it wasn’t?”

  He gave her a direct look. “It was.” Then he looked down at Burl. “Bring him in for now. He doesn’t make a very useful doormat. No one can get inside.”

  “Come on, boy.” Burl patted his legs, and Tiny flipped over and onto his feet. “How’s Fred? Did she leave her bandage alone? Did she eat? Did she drink? Can she walk okay?”

  “Burl, take a breath.” She took a breath for him. Would he never stop this morning?

  Mr. MacGregor smiled at her. “Fred’s fine. She’s on the blanket by the stove. Why don’t you take Tiny back there?” In a softer voice only for her he said, “That will get that horse out of the front and keep it from scaring any customers.”

  “You aren’t going to keep it, are you?”

  He shrugged. “It can’t hurt to have him in the back just for today.”

  “He’ll think he’s come home and never leave.” Mr. MacGregor had that comforting effect on people.

  He looked at her sideways. “I thought you liked dogs. You never said anything against Fred.”

  “I love dogs, but Fred’s not going to eat Mr. Jackson out of house and home. I can only imagine how much a huge dog like that would eat.” Likely more than her whole family. But Mr. MacGregor was free to do as he wished.

  Burl came back out. “Tiny licked Fred’s head and lay down by her. They’re friends. Fred’s gonna like havin’ Tiny here.”

 
“I think it’s you who are going to like having Tiny here. And I doubt Mr. MacGregor is going to keep him.”

  “Then Mr. Jackson will.” Burl said it as if it were all settled.

  She just shook her head. As long as she didn’t get talked into taking the beast home. She had no room. “We went to the hospital on our way over.”

  “How was Conner?”

  “Fine. The doctor wants to keep him another night if there’s no one to look after him both day and night.”

  “I’ll see to him. It’s the least I can do. Was he awake or talking or anything?”

  Burl stepped between them. “Mr. Jackson asked Alice to marry him.”

  Mr. MacGregor’s eyes widened.

  Not this again, and not in front of Mr. MacGregor, of all people. “He wasn’t lucid. He also thought I was an angel.”

  “You do look like an angel.”

  She sighed. “I do not.”

  “So what was your answer?”

  She knit her eyebrows together. “To what?”

  “If you would marry Conner?” He gazed at her intently.

  She huffed. “It wasn’t a real question, and he likely won’t even remember he asked it.”

  “He’s a handsome man. You could do worse.”

  “I’m not interested in marrying Mr. Jackson.”

  Something in the twitch of his mouth told her that pleased him.

  “She won’t even marry you,” Burl piped up.

  “Burl!”

  “Well, that’s what you said.”

  The pleasure on Mr. MacGregor’s face washed away. “It’s not personal. I don’t plan to marry anyone. I. . .I’m going to see how Fred’s doing.” Flustered, she walked to the back. Tears burned the back of her eyes. Fred limped over to her and whined. Alice scratched Fred’s head. Tiny came over and sat in front of her. She gave him a scratch behind the ear, as well.

  It was silly to feel like crying. She willed the tears away. She had no reason to cry. No reason at all.

  Twelve

  Late in the afternoon, Ian used his telephone for the second time in two days and called for a taxi. He would see Alice and Burl safely home then retrieve Conner from the hospital unless he preferred to stay an extra night. “The taxi should be here momentarily.”