Catalyst

by Ross Richdale

  Though fearful, Linda was curious. She edged forward and around the next corner.

  She gasped and stopped dead still.

  The tunnel disappeared into blackness and she could feel the breeze again but it was coming from between her legs. She could feel the wall on her right and reached in the opposite direction with her left hand. Yes, the opposite wall was there.

  A sound made her leap in fright. Voices. The faint rumble of voices appeared to float with the breeze from below.

  And there were lights. Millions of blue dots, like stars on a clear summer's night, spread in a tremendous dome above her. Of course, she was in a cavern and they were glowworms.

  Dozens of feet below, three flashlights shone and the voices returned. Fascinated now, rather than scared, Linda sat and edged herself forward a few feet on her bottom but stopped. The floor beneath her had gone. There was just a drop into darkness and the people way below. They would be the group she saw at the parking lot when they arrived and this must be the cavern Lem, Renee and Courtney fell into.

  Linda smiled. She still had her flashlight off and felt like an aerial spy watching the tourists. The voices were so sharp she could almost distinguish the words. A few moments later, the tourists moved away, until everything became dark again, except, of course, for the heaven of glowworms above.

  Linda lost all sense of time but realized she had been playing spy for quite a while. She wondered about Lem's predicament, decided she had better return and crawled backwards. She stood, turned back the way she had come and clicked on her flashlight.

  "My God," she squealed and her heart leapt into her throat.

  Something was lying on the ground.

  Terror gripped her until she forced herself to move her head so her helmet flashlight focused on the object. She held her heaving chest and stared transfixed, then as quickly as the emotions appeared they dissipated, for she realized what was there.

  She chuckled and bent down to pick up a bulky jacket. It must have been lying there for a year. With a cheeky grin, she put it on. The garment was so large it went around her twice and reached beyond the bottom of her shorts. She was certain it was Lem's jacket. Nobody else would have one this size.

  Feeling proud of her discovery, Linda set off to find the others.

  ****

  CHAPTER 26

  "Well, at least I got out the correct side," Lem lamented after he managed to free himself from the narrow section of the cave.

  He grinned at Ken and rubbed dust off his clothes. "Want to go through?"

  "Not really," Ken admitted. "But I can't leave the other two."

  He squatted and was about to crawl through the gap when Stephanie called out that they were coming back. It was a smirking Linda who appeared first. She slid out with an object tucked beneath her.

  "Look what I found?" she said in an unsuccessful attempt to remain serious and held the bulky fabric up.

  "My jacket," Lem exclaimed. "What a little beauty you are."

  Stephanie returned and they all watched grinning while Lem went through the pockets. He produced a jackknife, two handkerchiefs, some candy bars, a set of keys and several pieces of paper. "Well, Patrick is out of luck. There's no sign of a necklace. It was a long shot, anyway."

  "But you got your jacket back," Ken said. "It looks like a pretty good one to me."

  "It's an old favorite," Lem admitted and burst into laughter.

  Linda gave him a curious look.

  "I was thinking of Chuck's premonition," Lem explained. "If I got stuck so firmly, imagine what would have happened to Renee and Courtney if they'd come with us?"

  "I see what you mean," Linda replied. "The roof could have caved in or anything."

  Ken laughed but the ranger gave a slight smile and didn't join in the banter.

  "I'm glad it worked out okay," she said. "Come on. Let's head back. We've been down here over two hours."

  Lem glanced at his two younger companions and raised his eyebrows. The locals seemed serious about the Native American's rites and customs. He gave Linda and Ken an affectionate hug and followed Stephanie along the tunnel.

  ****

  The party arrived at the surface fifty minutes later to a scene of frantic activity. People stood everywhere. Police and park vehicles were parked haphazardly. A rescue helicopter hovered overhead. Lem frowned and watched as a police sergeant met them.

  "There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Erksberg, but I'm afraid that members of your family have been involved in a traffic accident, " the officer said in a somber voice.

  "What happened?" Ken interrupted in a shout. "Tell me, what happened to Courtney?" His eyes, as wide as saucers, never left the police officer. "She's not dead, is she?"

  Lem glanced up and noticed a coroner's hearse parked beside the police cars. The vehicle's rear doors were open and officers were clearing spectators away so the helicopter could land.

  An officer walked up and interrupted them. "Excuse me, sergeant, I've been told to tell you they're going to unload the two body bags here and take the wounded to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper."

  "No." Ken staggered so severely he almost fell. "It can't be?"

  The sergeant turned to the shaking youth. "It's not what you think, Son," he apologized. "I'm sorry about the confusion. The fatalities are from the other vehicle, which exploded. The jeep was pushed off the road and rolled into a ravine. Your friends had seat belts on and are not seriously hurt. Miss Bonnett has a broken ankle and Miss Howlett, facial lacerations."

  "Thank God," Lem replied, his own face white. He stopped and stared at the sergeant. "Broken ankle, you say?"

  "Yes," the man replied. "We believe Miss Bonnett broke her right ankle."

  "Oh shit," Lem whispered.

  He wrapped his arms around Linda and Ken as they watched the helicopter land and medics wheel two plastic-covered bodies out.

  "There's room on board if you three would like to go to the hospital," the sergeant shouted above the helicopter's engine roar.

  "Right." Lem sprang into life. "Come on, kids. Let's go."

  Inside the small cabin, Courtney, who had a large Band-Aid across her right cheek, smiled as Ken rushed in and seized her in his arms.

  "Whoa, there big guy," she shouted. "I'm okay. Just a few cuts, that's all. It's poor Renee who's broken her ankle."

  Across the cabin Renee looked up. "I'm sorry, Lem. It happened so quickly. This pick-up ran us off the road and…"

  "Shut up," Lem retorted and bent down to hug her in his arms.

  A medic shut the door, the engine roared and the helicopter lifted off.

  ****

  Renee limped from the emergency room with her right leg in a heavy bandage but it was not in plaster. "It wasn't broken," she told the others. "Only sprained and bruised."

  "Tell them the rest." Lem said.

  "Well, I've had quite a bit of pain over the last few months. The surgeon said it's a pinched nerve damaged during my original accident. The dislocation and bruising put extra pressure on this nerve, hence the sharp pain."

  Courtney's face had swollen and she supported a bandage around one arm and her waist. She grinned. "I know exactly how it feels. The doctor said I had two cracked ribs but there's little they can do." She smiled at Ken. "Bruising hugs are strictly forbidden."

  "Kissing is still allowed, though," Ken added in a deadpan voice and reached over to kiss her one cheek that wasn't covered in a sterile dressing.

  "Ken!" Courtney screamed. "Not in front of these old guys."

  "We found out something else. Nothing to do with the accident," Lem said and glanced at Renee who flushed slightly.

  "It appears I'm pregnant," she whispered.

  "Oh my God, you aren't?" Linda gasped.

  "They gave me a thorough examination," Renee continued but stopped when the girls rushed to hug her.

  Ken, meanwhile, stuck a hand out to Lem. "You've got a twenty-year contract there, Old Fellow," he said with a slight smirk. "Cost you
a couple of hundred thousand bucks over all."

  "Yeah, well," Lem replied and gripped his friend's hand. "I guess I'd better call our last agreement off and head for Europe."

  "Don't you dare," Renee retorted and produced her left hand to show a diamond engagement ring. "We thought it would save the embarrassment of sorting out a surname for junior."

  "How did you get that so quickly, Lem?" Courtney asked. "Don't tell me you just whipped down to the jewelers."

  "Tell them, Lem." Renee saw Ken's quizzical expression and burst into laughter. "No Ken, I will not be a nagging wife."

  "I've had it for over a month," Lem admitted. "This seemed to be a good opportunity."

  "Yeah," Linda teased. "Catch a girl when she's vulnerable."

  "Barefoot and pregnant," Courtney retorted. "Going to keep her in the kitchen, Lem?"

  Renee realized she was indeed bare-footed. She limped back to the examination room to recover her shoes.

  ****

  The next surprise came the following day when they were back in French Maiden preparing to head home. Renee was packing clothes and picked up Lem's jacket. The odds and ends had been removed from the pockets but she rummaged through again and took out odd bits of paper. There were the usual things, a credit card receipt, checkout counter slips and candy wrappings. In an inside pocket was a piece of folded pink paper that looked like an invoice. She unfolded it and read the contents.

  She grabbed Lem. "Look at this, Sweetheart."

  Lem stopped and glanced over Renee's shoulder. "What is it?"

  "A receipt for a safety deposit box in a Seattle branch of the Bank of America. It's made out to Nikki Fromont."

  "That was Nikki's maiden name," Lem said and grabbed the paper. "This could be it." He read the carbon copy but it didn't tell a lot more. There was a number, Nikki's name and a fifteen-month-old date. He studied the small writing on the back of the receipt and read one section out loud. "Keep your access number in a secure place. In the event of your bank card being lost, this number, as well as proof of identity, is required for access to your safety deposit box." Lem glanced up. "Interesting. Perhaps Patrick will get his necklace back after all."

  ****

  Whether it was a family heirloom or not, Lem and Renee didn't know but the diamond necklace they withdrew from the box glittered in their hands.

  "My God." Renee gasped. "This is worth a fortune."

  "Quarter a million or more," Lem replied as he ran the glittering diamonds through his fingers.

  "So what do we do with it?"

  "I don't believe a long drawn out lawsuit on whether it was a gift to Nikki or not is worthwhile. If you agree, I think we should tell Patrick we have it."

  "I'm not greedy," Renee said. "But I do think Linda deserves some of that reward he hinted at. After all, if she hadn't gone on and found your jacket, it could still be lying in the cave. I doubt if any of us would have bothered to go back again."

  "Agreed," Lem replied. "I'll give Patrick a call."

  ****

  The meeting with Patrick McQuilkin was held in Renee's office with Lem and Linda present. The elderly man's eyes lit up when Renee brought the box out from the firm's safe, placed it on her table and opened it.

  "Yes," Patrick whispered and lifted the necklace up. "It originally belonged to my grandmother." He turned and smiled at Linda. "You found his jacket that had the invoice in?"

  "Well, sort of," Linda replied in a shy voice. "I happened to be the one who stumbled over it."

  "Were you all there?" McQuilkin pressed.

  "Yes. Ken and Lem were in the cave with me. Courtney and Renee went up the mountain and were in the jeep accident."

  Patrick coughed. "So you earned the right to receive the reward."

  Linda flushed. "I guess," she said in a shy voice.

  "I believe you're starting at Washington State University in the new academic year?"

  "Yes."

  "That is a remarkable achievement at your age," Patrick complemented. He fixed the girl with a long stare. "I never waste money, Linda but believe in sound investments."

  Linda glanced at Renee and Lem but they appeared as perplexed as she was.

  Patrick smiled. "I am prepared to pay your full tuition fees as long as you complete your degree in the usual four years. After that, you're on your own. Do you agree?"

  "The lot? That's tens of thousands of dollars. I was going to take out a student loan."

  "Yes," Patrick replied.

  "Thank you, Mr. McQuilkin."

  Patrick turned to Renee. "Could you make up a contract, Renee?"

  "Of course."

  "Oh, one other thing," Patrick added, almost as an afterthought. "Make out two similar contracts for Ken and Courtney. Since you good people have taken these youngsters under your care, I think it is only fair to treat them all the same, don't you?"

  "Three contracts for full university fees for four years?" Renee was surprised.

  "Better add a bit for living expenses," Patrick said with a smile. "Say ten thousand a year each for four years."

  "Of course," Renee answered in a monotone and caught Linda's bewildered eyes. "I'll have it drawn up and ready for signing tomorrow."

  ****

  "I can't believe it," Linda said after Pat McQuilkin shook everyone's hand, gathered up the diamond necklace and left. "He must be a multi-millionaire."

  "Something like that," Lem replied. "Nikki knew how to pick her boyfriends, I'll give her that much."

  "Can I use the phone, Renee? I left my cellphone in the car and want to call Ken and Courtney," Linda continued, her voice brimming with excitement.

  "Sure," Renee replied. "Go ahead."

  She watched the seventeen-year-old grab the telephone, reached over to Lem, found his hand and squeezed it so hard her fingers hurt. Somehow, she knew Patrick McQuilkin had made a sound investment in supporting their three charges.

  ****

  The trial was halfway through the second day when Judge Ward interrupted the plaintiff's attorney with an abrupt, "I am declaring a fifteen minute recess and wish to speak to Mrs. Erksberg in my chambers." He glared at the defendant's attorney. "You, too, Mr. Pyratt."

  Renee frowned and turned to the fifteen-year-old girl beside her. "It'll be okay, Tania," she said in a confident voice that she didn't feel. "There's some technical hitch, that's all."

  "I hope so," the girl whispered. Her dark eyes looked haunted.

  Renee swung a rotund body from the bench and limped across the courtroom. Every time she became tired her ankle ached but at least the baby had stopped kicking. She was determined to finish the case. It was so important, not only for Tania but the precedent it would set. She sighed and brushed a sweaty hand across her brow.

  Once they were in the small anti-room the judge turned to Renee like a stern high school principal. "How many cases have you handled in this court over the last three weeks, Renee?"

  "Four," she replied, "but this is the only major one."

  "And how long do you intend to stay here today?"

  "Until the end of the hearing," Renee replied as she stood with a shaky hand gripping the edge of the judge's desk.

  "Oh, sit down," Maurice Ward retorted and almost pushed Renee into an armchair.

  Renee nodded, swung her body around and let go to collapse into the soft leather.

  "How long is it before your infant is due?" the judge asked in a softer voice.

  "Ten days."

  "And your leg?"

  "I know it's there."

  "Well, I'm declaring you unfit to continue," Judge Ward said. "You are going home even if I have to call a cab to get you there."

  Renee protested. "I have to bring my client to the stand. It is imperative I handle her with discretion, or she will freeze and everything we've gained will be lost."

  "Get Suzanne Norwood to do it. She's a capable lawyer, Renee...a carbon copy of yourself in many ways. I'm sure she is well informed on what your approach will be."r />
  "She is," Renee sighed.

  "Mrs. Erksberg," the judge retorted. "You've won this case and we are now going through the motions. Don't you agree, Mr. Pyratt?"

  The opposing lawyer gave an embarrassed cough. "As the respondent's attorney, I..."

  "Can it, Peter," Ward interrupted. "You haven't a snowball's chance in hell and you know it."

  "The girl may slip under my cross-examination," Pyratt replied, saw Renee's tired face and smiled. "Okay, Renee. I agree your client deserves to win. Get Suzanne to do the closing arguments and leave Tania off the stand. I'll tidy up my side and we'll save ourselves three hours."

  "Thank you, Peter," Judge Maurice Ward said and turned back to the pregnant woman. "Do you need a cab, Renee?"

  "No, I can drive myself."

  "You will not." The judge reached for the telephone. "Who do I call?"

  "Lem is in Everett renegotiating a contract with Boeing, so will be out of touch." Renee sighed.

  "Trouble? I noticed the big extension being built at Epsilon Products."

  "No," Renee replied. "It's the opposite in fact. A while back Lem won a massive contract with the Airbus consortium. We also won another Boeing contract." She grinned. "So the two competing airplane companies will be using Epsilon components."

  "I'm pleased but that doesn't solve our immediate problem. I don't think you should go home to an empty house."

  "I have the kids' cellphone numbers. They'll be at Washington State but one could be free."

  "Good." The judge took the address book Renee handed him.

  ****

  Twenty minutes later Courtney arrived and escorted Renee to her car. "God, you look awful. I'm taking you straight to your doctor."

  "No." Renee grimaced. "The maternity hospital, I think."

  Courtney turned and stared at the redheaded mother-to-be. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes." Renee managed to smile. "I'm getting pain in more places than my leg."

  She leaned back and let Courtney concentrate on getting through the afternoon's traffic. A misty rain fell over the city and traffic moved at a walking pace. Courtney cursed and Renee bit her lip as another spasm of pain shot through her body. "They're getting closer."