by Gwen Moffat
The Scott place wasn’t really crowded, it merely appeared so after the emptiness of the rest of the village. Marge was there, and Ada, of course, but only the three of them. It transpired that Thelma had reached home, talked to Maxine and come rushing back to the village. Marge couldn’t tell her anything so the two of them had come to Ada. They knew nothing of the events in Slickrock Canyon and all they had seen of activity down here was Avril’s old pick-up go past, the driver grinding the gears. Avril had been with them at that moment and she’d been furious; it was only afterwards that they wondered why Fletcher had come down from the canyons.
Miss Pink told them what had taken place in Slickrock. Thelma was bewildered, Ada was shocked. ‘The good news,’ Miss Pink said, stretching the truth, ‘is that Tammy’s safe and well, and that Clayton’s just got a flesh wound. They’ll release him as soon as they’ve stitched him up and given him a tetanus jab. Oh yes, and the person responsible has left the area. The old pick-up you saw go past: he was driving that.’ Still dehydrated, even after pints of tea, now drinking beer and eating nothing, she was in a state of euphoria. She beamed at them. ‘Tammy will come down now,’ she assured Thelma. ‘Kristen will tell her the man’s gone.’
Ada telephoned the hospital. When she put the phone down she said quietly, ‘They’ve released him; I guess that means he’s coming back with Pearl and Avril, so he’ll be here soon.’ She smiled weakly. ‘All’s well that ends well.’
‘I don’t have Tammy,’ Thelma said meaningly.
Marge, who had kept quiet until now, perhaps feeling that, with no dependants, she was outside the drama, suggested that the police should be told of the attack on Scott.
‘But he’ll have told them himself,’ Miss Pink exclaimed. ‘Or the hospital will have done so.’
‘We should report it,’ Ada put in firmly. ‘He may be suffering from concussion, he could just forget; everybody could leave it to someone else. Maybe you should do it,’ she told Miss Pink, ‘since you were there.’
Put like that, Miss Pink had no alternative, but when she got through to the police she was relayed to an excited woman who told her that she could speak to Spikol when he was free. At the moment he was with the doctor and Tammy Markow.
‘With—’ Miss Pink checked and turned her back on the company. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, with as much deviousness as she could summon at short notice. ‘Why the doctor?’
‘What would be wrong?’ came the voice – ironic now. ‘You mean: was she raped, drugged, whatever? That kid’s got nothing wrong with her a good spanking wouldn’t cure, ma’am; she’s just a naughty little girl wants to join her daddy in Texas, never mind they got a death in the family; all she thinks of is herself. She knows her mom’s home but no way can they get her to come back to Regis. You ask me, she’s scared of a whipping. Ah, here’s Wayne now—’
‘Miss Pink?’ came his gravelly voice. ‘I can’t do nothing with this kid. Where can I find her mom?’
Thelma took the telephone as if uncertain that it was the right thing to do. ‘Tammy’s all right,’ Miss Pink hissed, and pushed a chair forward. Thelma sank into it, her expression changing from wariness to intensity as she listened. ‘I’ll come,’ she said, adding quickly, ‘You keep her there, Wayne; lock her up, don’t you let her go again.’
A pick-up stopped outside the house and Kristen got down from the passenger seat and walked towards the passage. The truck turned and went back up the street. Jay Gafford was driving.
‘Tammy’s safe,’ Ada said as her daughter came in from the patio. Kristen sighed. Her mother regarded her benignly. ‘She’s in Palomares with the police. You look hot; you got time for a shower before your dad comes home. They’ve released him from hospital so he’ll be coming back with Pearl and Avril. They took him there.’
Kristen looked at Miss Pink. ‘Who hit him?’
‘He didn’t see his attacker. We missed you in Slickrock. Did you hear the shots?’
‘Distantly. I was looking for Tammy in some old caves at the head of the canyon. I started back when I heard the shooting, thought you were trying to attract my attention, but by the time I got down you were all nearing the top of the wall, except for Jay. I found him eventually and he told me what happened.’
Miss Pink had sat down at the table and now, looking up at Kristen, she tried to visualise the head of the canyon. There was the marijuana that had been trampled by the peccaries, but were the caves at ground-level, accessible? Her chin was in her hands, her elbows on the table, and she became aware of a tense silence broken by Marge: ‘Why are you staring at Kristen, Melinda?’
She sat up, blinking. ‘I’ve had too much to drink, and no food since breakfast.’ Immediately there was a bustle of activity: ‘Why didn’t you say?’ ‘I’m so sorry. Marge, come and give me a hand, we’ll fix some sandwiches … ’
Thelma said, ‘I have to fetch Tammy.’ She sounded a little lost.
Miss Pink caught the wistful note and started up. ‘I’ll come with you if you’ll wait a moment.’ She turned to Kristen. ‘It was Tammy,’ she said clearly – and the women stopped what they were doing in the kitchen. ‘She climbed out of Slickrock ahead of us,’ she went on, ‘and rode away on Pearl’s sorrel and then she took Avril’s truck. She took the food from the saddle-bags too; the child must have been starving.’ She beamed. ‘More proof that she’s fit: yelling like a banshee when the pigs came charging along the trail, stealing all our food – and of course she was fit enough to gallop out. We saw the tracks. There’s not much wrong with Tammy.’
‘Good,’ Kristen said. ‘So when you pick her up, watch she don’t go again.’
‘I don’t need you telling me how I’m to look after my own daughter, miss.’ Thelma was snappy. ‘You coming?’ she shot at Miss Pink.
‘I’ll come—’ Kristen began.
‘You stay here,’ came Ada’s voice from the kitchen. ‘Your father’ll be home any minute.’ It sounded like a warning.
‘I’m at the end of my rope,’ Thelma confessed as they drove out of the village. ‘Wayne Spikol said Ira’s father died this morning so I’ll need to go back for the funeral, and here’s Tammy – what do I do about Tammy?’
‘Take her with you,’ Miss Pink said.
‘You mean I should give in to her!’
Miss Pink sketched a shrug. Ahead of them the desert was grey under a dark slate sky and the cottonwoods were a black ribbon across their road. There must be a window in the cloud and through it the sun came slanting to light one patch of trees which shone, achingly brilliant, like emeralds in a pit. ‘There’s nothing to Texas,’ Miss Pink said, and then adjusted it a little: ‘It has nothing to do with Texas.’
‘Her behaviour?’
‘Yes, her terror.’
‘She’s never been left on her own before.’
‘She had Kristen and Pearl. They weren’t enough. You have to talk to her.’
‘Now it’s you telling me how to raise my child.’
‘Of course. I’m drunk.’
It was a neat withdrawal and Thelma was unable to handle it so she lapsed into silence and allowed Miss Pink to enjoy the scenery. When they passed through the woodland the cottonwoods were as sombre as a cathedral and the river was a leaden lake shattered by sooty terns fishing the evening rise. The patch of sunshine moved ahead of them, lighting the desert as it went: yellow sand, glittering quartzite, a cactus flower richer than claret.
They came to the interstate and a pick-up stationary in the creosote bushes. ‘I guess that’s Avril’s,’ Thelma said.
‘Where did Tammy learn to drive?’
‘Her dad lets her drive in our pastures.’
The interstate was almost clear of traffic. ‘They’ll be broadcasting a Storm Watch,’ Thelma said. ‘Our radio’s broken.’
There was a flash in the west and a spiky range was silhouetted like a theatre set. Long curtains of rain were drifting across the valley of the Rio Grande and as the weather moved eastwa
rd storms engulfed successive ranges, striking their peaks with white fire that ran along the ridges to be drowned in gloom. Wind rocked the car and the windscreen spotted, was momentarily obscured by mud as Thelma switched on the wipers, then battered by hail. ‘I hope we can get home again,’ Thelma shouted.
The first fury of the storm passed and by the time they reached the sheriff’s office in Palomares the rain was a thin drizzle but the back streets in the town were flooded and the storm drains were running red with mud.
‘No way,’ said Wayne Spikol, ‘no way could I convince her to come home, but her mother won’t stand no nonsense.’
Tammy and Thelma were alone in an office behind a closed door and he was talking to Miss Pink in a large room dominated by computers. Miss Pink was in an office chair, the deputy perched on the edge of a desk, his thighs straining his uniform trousers.
‘Did she say why she won’t go home?’
‘Because she insists on going to her daddy in Texas.’ He lowered his voice. ‘There’s nothing wrong with that family?’ It could be taken as a statement but she knew there was a question mark at the end. ‘I guess some girls are their daddy’s favourite … ’ She said nothing. He tried again. ‘It was the same at the airport. They were on watch for her, of course, so there was no problem about holding her. Just between us, and no witnesses, they had to lock her in – and who cares about the law, she’s only twelve.’
‘You mean they had to restrain her, they forced her into a room?’
‘No other way. One of the staff went in with her: big powerful lady. No one hurt her, they just held her arms. She was screaming. Something got to that kid.’
‘They did right. She couldn’t be allowed to escape again. She hitched up the interstate. Eventually she was going to meet someone who wasn’t a friend.’
‘You’d think she did already. Who was this guy knocked out Clayton Scott? And if Tammy was the one took Pearl’s horse, then that guy is still in Slickrock canyon, except he’ll have come out by now. He’ll have gone in and left by the top road.’
‘The top road? And who told you about the attack on Clayton? I meant to when I called you earlier but your telling us that Tammy was here put it right out of my mind – and then you asked to speak to Thelma—’
‘Pearl called me from the hospital. I didn’t see Clayton yet because I had to go to the airport and fetch Tammy, but I’ll have to see him, take a statement. Pearl says he didn’t get a sight of the guy who hit him, and none of you did neither. Why do I think this guy went in by the top road? We had that same argument when we were up to Rastus last week and we found the bones. There’s only two ways into that high country from the bottom: past the Markow place and at Las Mesas, so anyone up to mischief has to use the top road.’
‘What sort of mischief would anyone be up to in Slickrock?’
He was fiddling with a stapler. She wanted to tell him to put it down before he injured himself. ‘Pearl says you came on some old marijuana plots,’ he said. ‘All destroyed now by pigs,’ he added hastily. ‘There’s an occupational hazard to growing that stuff: getting ripped off by your competitors – like guys who can’t be bothered to grow it themselves. That guy who hit Scott coulda been after the grass and he thought Scott were the grower.’
‘How does Tammy come into it?’
‘Coincidence. She holed up in Slickrock at the same time as this guy comes in to steal the crop. Of course, he wouldn’t know the pigs had destroyed it. You don’t believe that? Look, ma’am, it had to be a stranger attacked Scott. There was no way it coulda been anyone else. There’s – what? – five men in Regis not counting Scott himself, and you’re not going to suggest he hit himself on the back of the head! Now one of those five is in Texas, and three was under your eye, so Pearl says. There’s only one guy, we don’t know where he was: Professor Vosker. You going to tell me it was the professor attacked Scott? Now what’s on your mind?’
She wouldn’t be rushed. After a pause she said, ‘You’re right, it couldn’t have been any one of those four – assuming Ira is still in Texas – and Michael Vosker is so obvious, I can’t believe … apart from the fact that he has no head for heights – although that’s only on his evidence. Why does it have to be a man?’
‘Oh, come on! How could—’ There was a thunderous explosion. The lights flickered and went out. ‘Oh, shit! Excuse me, ma’am!’ The first hail hit the windows like bullets. Through the gloom Miss Pink saw a door open. Thelma and Tammy approached.
‘We’re staying,’ Thelma shouted above the racket. ‘We’ll book in at a motel and fly to Houston tomorrow. I have my bag in the car and Tammy can buy clothes in Houston. You take my car back, Melinda, if you’re happy to drive it.’
Miss Pink nodded absently, her eyes on Tammy who was so close to her mother as to give the impression that she was clinging to her. Then there was a fresh clap of thunder and Thelma flung an arm round the child. ‘Use your phone?’ she cried to Spikol, and moved to a desk, Tammy shadowing her like a dog at heel. Miss Pink took a step forward and was blocked by Spikol. ‘I’m glad to see you safe, Tammy,’ she shouted into an unexpected lull. Tammy’s eyes were like a terrified colt’s; Thelma, dialling, regarded her bemusedly. ‘I’ll be on my way,’ Miss Pink said, moving towards the door.
‘Go and fetch my bag.’ Thelma addressed Tammy but the girl shook her head vehemently.
‘I’ll get it.’ Spikol advanced between desks, giving the appearance of driving Miss Pink before him.
By the time she was back on the interstate the rain had stopped and she looked down on a town blazing with lights although it was only a little after sunset. Westward, beyond the badlands that fringed this stretch of the Rio Grande, the mountains were shrouded in night except for one torn patch of palest lemon.
The lull was temporary. Before she reached the Regis turn-off, another storm was crossing the valley and her wipers were finding it difficult to cope with a deluge sluicing down the windscreen. Occasionally she was aware of lights creeping by on the northbound carriageway and she felt a peculiar kinship with these other travellers, all of them united in a struggle with the elements.
The rain eased a little by the time she came to her exit and now, with the desert and the river ahead, she thought about real bad floods, and flash-floods, and then she thought that the flash-floods might have passed by now, water would have found its level. She drove on, forgetting to see if Avril’s truck was still in position; it hadn’t shone in her lights but it wouldn’t show up in the creosote bushes, and no way was she going to drive over and look, the desert would be a quagmire.
The old dry arroyos were now brawling torrents and where they crossed the road (beyond the signs telling motorists not to proceed if flooded) she edged forward gently, careful not to swamp her engine.
She came to the woods on the river bank; here the wind that drives ahead of the storm had taken its toll and dead branches lay shattered on the road. The rain was heavy again and twigs were hitting the roof of the car, making her think of whole trees coming down. Headlights passed – it was only the second vehicle that she’d encountered since she left the interstate; she wondered who could be abroad on such a night, and then remembered that this was only evening, it was not yet nine o’clock.
She crossed the river bridge but her lights showed only the parapets; there was no way she could judge the level of the water, except to know that it wasn’t over the road. Then came more arroyos, more shallow floods, and the gentle rise to the village, and lights showing under the escarpment. The rain had stopped.
There were no vehicles in the street other than the Voskers’ car. There was a note on Pearl’s kitchen table saying she’d gone to fetch Avril’s pick-up from beside the interstate. That explained one of the cars she’d passed on the highway. She called Maxine to bring her up to date with events only to learn that Thelma had phoned from a motel in Palomares. Maxine told her to keep the Markows’ car until the morning; she shouldn’t attempt to reach the ranch tonight,
there had been flash-floods everywhere and there was water over the road. Miss Pink was relieved not to have to make the journey; she could hear the creek at the back of the corral. She thought she should go and see how close the water was to the top of the bank. The horses could be at risk.
Taking a slicker and a powerful flashlight she squelched across the patio and through the corral. The torch beam found the horses, their coats gleaming wet, sheltering under a walnut tree. She approached the far side of the corral, treading gingerly although it was obvious that the rails were still firm. The noise was awe-inspiring, not loud, not a roar but a menacing rush. She shone the light through the undergrowth and could see nothing but movement, as if an enormous throng of animals were hurtling past. She looked down and saw water shining very close, among the vegetation, about two feet down. She thought about snakes leaving their flooded holes and threw the beam round wildly like a weapon. Shadows danced on the periphery and sent her hurrying back to the house.
Pearl came home late: breathless, apologetic. ‘No damage so far,’ she announced, shrugging out of her slicker. ‘Did you eat? Good. My God, what a day – and night! No trouble on the way back? So Tammy’s safe; if they’d only taken her to Texas in the first place, none of this would have happened.’
‘You got it out all right?’ Miss Pink asked.
‘What? Got what out?’
‘The pick-up. You left a note saying you’d gone to collect Avril’s pick-up. I must have passed you on the road.’
Pearl stared and blinked. ‘Oh, that was you? Of course – yes; we were on our way to get the pick-up: several of us, make sure no one got stuck. Coulda been there all night if we had to drag it out and got bogged down ourselves. Fletch came. Well, he had to, didn’t he? I couldn’t drive two trucks back.’ Seeing Miss Pink’s expression she gave a high peal of laughter. ‘Imagine: like riding two horses in the circus, one foot on each back. God, I’m dying for a drink; do you realise we were on the mesas all day, climbed down into Slickrock, out again, all in that blazing heat, and then: the hospital, and the storm – what a day! Are you sure you’re feeling all right? Don’t you want to go to bed?’
