“Oh, yes. Unfortunately. Five years and one child. I finally booted him out. It’s a long story.”
Then Jay put it all together. Very blond hair and very striking black eyes. An unusual combination. Now he could see it. Jenny was Deva’s child. Oh, boy! “We’ve got time. I plan on spending some time in Victory. Maybe the summer.” If little dolls who come to life don’t drive us all crackers. “Come on, let’s sit in the living room, sitting room, whatever the hell it’s called.”
Deva laughed and stepped out of the foyer. “That your daughter riding the bike up and down the sidewalk?”
“Yes.”
“She’s lovely. That bike looks familiar.”
“I believe the girl’s name was, is, Carla. I’m afraid your kid – if her name is Jenny – and my kid have gotten off to a rocky start.”
“What do you mean?”
Briefly, Jay explained.
Deva’s face tightened. “If Jenny pulled that, Jay, she will certainly come over here and apologize. That’s a lousy thing to do.”
Jay smiled. “I believe Kelly’s word for it was shitty.”
Deva’s face lost her tight anger and she laughed. “That’s better than the word Jenny picked up and used for a time. First time she used it around me I dropped a cup and saucer.”
Smiling, Jay motioned her into the living room.
There was nothing forced or awkward between the two. No moments of embarrassing silence. It was as if they had stepped back in time twenty years.
“Drink?” Jay asked.
She shook her head. “I seldom drink. You go ahead if you like.”
“No. I’m not much of a drinker either. Not in years.”
“Yes. I heard. I wanted to help, but I just didn’t know how. I’m glad you whipped it, though.”
“I drink a little wine with meals sometimes. But I keep booze around the house for other people. The army saved my butt, Deva. Gave me a direction and helped straighten me out.”
The front door opened and closed, and Kelly was introduced to Deva.
“I believe you’ve met my daughter, Kelly. Jenny?”
Kelly narrowed her eyes but kept her cool. “Oh, yes, ma’am. I sure have.”
Smiling, Deva walked to the phone and called her house. Jay and Kelly heard her say, “Don’t argue with me, girl. You get on your bike and you get over here right now! Fine. Just do it.”
Back in the living room, she said, “Jenny will be right over Kelly. Why don’t you two meet on the porch and hash out this little squabble?”
“Hope you know how to fix a black eye,” Kelly told her. ” ’Cause she’s liable to get one.”
“Kelly,” Jay cautioned. “It wasn’t that big a deal. So you just settle down and work this out.”
“I’ll meet her halfway.” Kelly walked out onto the porch.
“Tough being a single parent, isn’t it, Jay?”
“Yes. At times. Coffee?”
“Fine.”
“Black with one sugar.”
“You have a good memory.”
“I couldn’t find the coffeepot so I bought instant.”
“That’s fine with me. Let’s sit in the kitchen, Jay. This room is so stiff!”
While the water boiled, the two old friends and high school lovers sat across from each other in the breakfast nook.
“I’m sorry about your aunt, Jay. I didn’t like her; but I’m sorry for you. I still don’t know exactly what happened. One day she’s dead, killed in a fall, so the story goes, and the next day she’s cremated.”
Careful here, Jay thought. Let’s feel her out. “You know more than I. I didn’t know she was cremated.”
Should he tell Deva about the doll rooms? He thought not. Not yet.
“Done very quickly, Jay. You’d be surprised what I know.”
“Oh?”
“I know that Jim Klein spent some time over here today. As did Amy.”
The memory of those few minutes with Amy flooded Jay’s mind. The sweaty, hot flesh; the moaning as they coupled like animals in heat. “The intelligence network of small towns never fails to amaze me, Deva. Yes, Amy helped me unpack – and for some reason her father was furious about that – and Jim stopped by to chat.” No point in telling her about the raging headache.
Or the sudden thrust of voices speaking to him.
“The water is boiling, Jay.”
* * *
The two young girls sat on the porch and glared at each other.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” Kelly asked.
“No big deal.”
“How come you guys took off and left me?”
“What happened to your ankle?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.” Jenny moved closer to Kelly; now the girls were sitting side by side on the porch steps.
“Maybe later,” Kelly said. “I don’t know whether I trust you or not.”
“You better be real careful who you trust in this town, Kelly. And you better choose the right side when you do.”
“Now what does that mean!”
“We’ll talk about it tonight.”
“Why tonight?”
” ’Cause I think your dad and my mom will be going out to dinner. You’ll probably be staying over at the house while they’re gone.”
“Why should my father have dinner with your mother?”
“They’re old sweethearts. Isn’t that a kicky word? Sweethearts.”
“Yukk!”
“Yeah. Let’s go bike ridin.’ I promise not to take off and leave you.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
Kelly stuck her head in the front door. “We’re gonna go riding. That all right?”
Jay and Deva smiled at each other. “Fine, baby. Don’t be gone too long.”
“Right!” The door slammed.
Jay fixed coffee, and the two sat and looked at each other while the coffee cooled.
“I don’t even know what you do for a living, Jay.”
“I own an accounting firm in New York City. You?”
She grinned. “I write romance books under the name of Yvette Michoud and I own the local newspaper.”
“Hell, Deva! I’ve seen your books all over the place.”
“Ever read any of them?”
“Ah ... no.”
She laughed at his expression. She was used to that from men. “I started writing after college. While I was married. I got very lucky with it.”
“Well, I’ll just be damned. I’m proud of you, Deva.”
She took a tentative sip of her coffee. “Now, then, Jay . . . don’t bullshit me about Jim Klein. That man is not what he appears to be.”
So Jay had been right in his silent opinion that Jim Klein was more than he appeared to be. But he held back from her. “You’re talking over my head, Deva. And I mean that.”
She studied his face with those lovely black eyes. “All right, Jay. Play it close if you like. But you’re forgetting that I know you probably better than anyone in this town. And you never could lie to me. You’ll get around to telling me the truth.”
“I don’t know that you’d believe me if I did tell you some of the things that happened this day. I’m not sure I believe them. Just give me a little time, Deva.”
“All right.”
“Why are you suspicious of Jim Klein?”
“Have you listened to the man? Hell, Jay, he’s got a Masters, minimum. The man speaks three or four languages. He’s a serious listener to classical music. Now what in the world would he be doing playing a small-town cop?”
Jay shrugged. “Good question, Deva. Okay. I do get the feeling that Jim is more than he appears to be.”
“All of a sudden, well, funny things started happening around town. About a month later, this Jim Klein shows up as a cop.”
Funny things? Jay mused. If you only knew. “Funny things, Deva?”
“I’ll get to that. Oh, Jay.”
She took his hand. “I can’t begin to tell you what a relief it is to have someone here that I can talk with and know I can trust.”
“I get the feeling that Jim has taken a shine to Amy.” He threw back his head and laughed. “Taken a shine? God, it’s been years since I used that phrase.”
“You’ve come back home, baby,” Deva said quietly.
* * *
Jenny’s “gang” was waiting for them at the end of the block.
“Oohh, shit!” Kelly said, upon seeing them.
“Everything is cool,” Jenny assured her. “I just wanted some protection in case you’re one of them.”
“One of them?”
“Later. To the safe place!” Jenny ordered, and there was no doubt in Kelly’s mind that Jenny was the boss.
The “safe place” was a small building behind Jenny’s house. Two rooms. Jenny said it used to be a guest cottage. Pods of garlic were hanging on the front door.
“Instant salad?” Kelly asked.
“Don’t be a smart ass,” Ange told her. “This is the only really safe place in the whole town.”
Jenny opened the door and waved Kelly inside. As she stepped in, someone behind her pushed, knocking her to the floor. The boys held her down. Jenny produced a large knife and held it at Kelly’s throat. “You better have the right answers to my questions,” she warned. “Or you’re dead!”
* * *
“Jay, have you ever found any trace of your family?”
Jay shook his head. “Not a trace. No. I stopped looking years ago. What would be the point of continuing?”
“The town has, and is, changing, Jay.”
“I noticed. But nothing tangible. Except for that huge toy store.”
“I’ll get to that, too. Nothing tangible, huh? Just a ... feeling, Jay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a rich man, now, Jay. Are you aware of that?”
“I haven’t met with the attorney yet. Parnell. But I would imagine Aunt Cary was worth a lot.”
“Millions. Richest woman in the county. She even owned the phone system. Yes, we have our own. Jay, on the surface, everything appears normal. Nice little midwestern town. And it used to be ... or so it seemed. But a few months ago, I began to really notice the change. And I started doing some research on the town.”
“And?”
“Very odd things have been occurring in this town for years, Jay. A century, or more. And the deeper I dug, the more, well, ominous it became.”
“Like what?”
“The town has a secret, Jay.”
“And that is?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. Yet. But where this town, and you know it, was always one of the friendliest towns in the state ... well, it just isn’t friendly anymore. And the people are becoming withdrawn, more so with each day it seems to me.”
“When did you first notice the change, Deva?”
“Right after my first book was published.”
“What would publishing a book have to do with it?”
“It was then I started really getting into research. I was going to do a novel, historical romance, and set it in this part of the state. The harder I dug for material, the more I seemed to sense, well, resentment on the part of many people. Jay, did you know that we’ve always had a writer-in-residence here?”
“In Victory?”
“Yes. Going as far back as 1835.”
“They must not have been very famous. I never knew anything about them.”
“They always wrote under pseudonyms, and the publishing company only issued a few books.”
“Isn’t that rather strange? I mean, how could the company make any money?”
“The company wasn’t interested in making money. It’s always been owned by the same family, and that family has plenty of money.”
“What family?”
“Clute.”
6
“Are ye a witch-woman?” Jenny asked.
“Are you nuts!” Kelly said. “Let me outta here!”
The knife blade touched her neck, and Kelly knew, then, with a pounding fear, that this was no game. “Are ye a witch-woman?” Jenny repeated the question.
“No,” Kelly said. “At least, I don’t think so. How would I know?”
Jenny smiled down at her; a hard, savage curling of the lips. “Why did you come to Victory?”
” ’Cause my dad told me to, that’s why.”
“Why couldn’t he leave you with your mother?”
” ’Cause she’s on tour, I think. Yeah, as a matter of fact, her last showing is gonna be in St. Louis. This week, I think.”
Jenny pulled the knife away from Kelly’s throat and carefully sheathed it in leather. “Sit up,” she ordered.
“Whew!” Kelly breathed.
“You’re not clear yet,” Ange said. “You made fun of the protection. Why?”
“What protection?”
“The garlic.”
“Garlic protects you? Well, if you eat it, I guess it would make people stay away.”
Andy laughed and rocked back on his heels. “I think she’s okay.”
“Maybe,” Jenny said. “But she’s still a Clute.”
“Only half,” Carla spoke.
“Dumb, dumb!” Jenny looked at her. “Everybody is half something!”
“Not in this town,” Robert corrected.
“That’s why we’re doing this,” Jenny told Kelly.
Only then did Kelly have the opportunity to look around her. The walls of the rooms were covered with religious symbols: crosses of all sizes and material. Numerous Bibles were placed around the room; and there were strange drawings and weird-looking symbols painted on the walls.
Kelly took her eyes off the religious symbols to look at Jenny. “What is this place, some kind of a church?”
“Do you go to church?”
“Not very often,” Kelly admitted. “Not since I was just a little girl. I was baptized a Catholic, though.”
“Your father?”
“He never goes to church.”
“A true Clute.” Jenny spat out the words.
“Your mother was Catholic?” Ken asked.
“Is Catholic. She goes to church whenever she can.” She looked at Robert. “What did you mean when you said, ’Not in this town’?”
“Maybe later,” Jenny said. “When we’re sure of you. You gonna tell on us?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s a good answer. Truthful. Maybe you are okay. I kinda think so.”
“Do we vote?” Carla asked.
“Not yet. Tonight will tell.”
The others smiled.
* * *
“Deva,” Jay said, “I never heard of any publishing company owned by any member of my family. I know my father didn’t own one. We weren’t poor by any means, but we sure weren’t wealthy, either.”
“Cary owned it. I think.”
“That’s possible. Mr. Harper handled a lot of Cary’s affairs, so Parnell would know.”
“If you can get a straight answer out of him, Jay, I’ll give you the royalties off my next book. Not that you need them now,” she added.
“I haven’t seen any armored trucks pulling into the driveway yet.”
“When do you go for the reading of Cary’s will?”
“I don’t know. Tomorrow, I guess.”
“It should be very, very interesting.”
“What are you doing for dinner?” Jay impulsively asked her.
“I don’t have anything planned.”
“You know of a good sitter?”
“Jenny stays by herself, Jay. She is a very responsible kid. If they’re getting along, Kelly can stay over at my place with Jenny.”
“Let’s drive over to Rolla.”
“You got some wheels, boy?” she kidded him.
“Damn right!”
“You got a date!”
Kelly and Jenny chose that time to enter the house. “How are you
two getting along?” Jay asked his daughter.
“Oh, super!” Kelly told him.
“Jay and I will be driving to Rolla this evening,” Deva said to Jenny. “Kelly’s going to stay over at the house with you.”
“Great! Can I have the gang over? We can make pizza.”
“That’s fine. With all of you working, the kitchen should be spotless when we get back.”
“Right,” Jenny said, a little less enthusiastically.
* * *
Jay and Deva were on the road an hour later. The kids had gathered in the clubhouse behind the house.
“I didn’t even know kids had clubhouses anymore,” Jay said. “What was that stuff hanging on the door?”
“Garlic. It wards off evil spirits.”
“Like in the movies?” Jay grinned at her.
Deva did not return the grin. “I’m tempted to hang some on my front door. Look out, Jay!” she yelled.
Jay almost lost control of the car as he fought the wheel, trying to avoid striking the object that had darted across the road. He finally got the car under control and sat for a time. His hands were trembling.
“What the hell was that!” he almost shouted the question.
“It ... looked like a ... little man,” Deva’s voice was trembling.
“That’s the second time today for me. What is going on around here?”
She touched his arm. “Take it easy, Jay. Pull off over there before we get smacked in the rear.”
With the car off the highway, pulled onto a gravel road, Jay unloaded on Deva. He left nothing out. He chronicled the day’s events, starting with his sighting of a little person and ending with the attack of the Viking on his daughter.
Deva sat in silence, absorbing it. When he finished, she looked at him. “You made it with Amy?”
“I think I did. Hell, I know I did. It was the strangest experience I have ever had. I’m telling you, Deva, we could not help what happened, and that’s the truth.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that, Jay?”
That really got him angry. Turning in the seat, he grabbed her arm and shook her. “Now, goddammit, Deva, get off my case. It’s been a very long and very confusing day. I don’t need your sarcasm!”
“You let go of my arm, Clute,” she warned.
Jay released her and leaned back against the door.
“You heard voices?”
“Yeah, I heard voices.”
“Kelly was attacked by a little warrior?”
Toy Cemetery Page 5
