The next morning Tom stopped by Aunt Bessie’s to check on
her and break the news about Abby. He
knew the gentle soul would be horrified by the details so he kept it as light
and sparse as possible. He would give
the cleaners a couple of days to remove the worst of the damage and then he
would walk Aunt Bessie through her first trip to the house.
“Oh, Tommy, how is she?”
“She’ll be O.K., Aunt Bessie, but it’s going to take some
time. She’s kind of in a state of shock
from the experience,” he said. “It’s
going to be a bit of a job to get her going again and Tess, Blackie, and I were
thinking that if anyone in town could help her it would you and you’re the only
one Abby would trust.”
“Why you know I’d do anything to help that child. You both put your lives on hold when Fred was
in the hospital,” she said.
“Are you sure you’re up to it, Aunt Bessie?”
“It’s time I got busy again,” she said, “And I have to
decide what to do about the store, too,” she said, “We’ll help each other.”
“Well, Aunt Bessie, it’s going to be a little like when I
moved back to town only worse,” he said, “Here, I brought you a legal pad and
pencil so you can make a list.”
“Well thank you, I guess I’ll be needing that.”
“See right there at the top you’ve got my number along with
Blackie’s and Tess’ number. We’re all on
this committee together so you call any one of us any time you need help,
O.K.?”
“Yes, what’s number one on the list, Tommy?”
“Remember the cleaning company I had when I first came back?” At her nod he added, “We’re going to have
them do the dirty work with your supervision.
Just like you did at my house,” he said.
“Well, I sure know plenty about cleaning,” Bessie said.
“Then were going to have the repair people come in and fix
everything that’s broken. We want you to
keep your eye on them.”
“It sounds like he really caused some damage,” she said’
“He did, I’m afraid,’ Tom acknowledged.
She shook her head and wrote more on the pad.
“And number three he threw her clothes and papers all around
so maybe you can….”
“Don’t worry, son, I’ll just check the whole house out to
see what needs tidying up.”
“After that we’ll all take a run through and see what we
need to buy to stock things back up and one or two of us will go with you to
help carry things. If there are any
unmentionables needed, Aunt Bessie, you and Tess can handle that on your own.”
She nodded and kept writing.
Tom waited smiling on the inside at how well this was
going. Aunt Bessie had been a bit of a
recluse since Fred had passed on and giving her an opportunity to help someone
she loved was the best way to get her out and among the living again. On top of that it would help Abby, too.
“The last thing, Aunt Bessie, if you wouldn’t mind giving up
your comfortable bed for a while, maybe you could stay with Abby at night until
she’s comfortable alone in that house again.”
“Well, I think you young people came up with a real good
plan for getting her back on her feet.
We’ll just make sure she’s back to her normal, cheerful self again as
soon as possible.”
“Aunt Bessie, we want to thank you for taking this on so
soon after your own troubles. I’ll be
calling you as soon as the police will let us in the house again,” Tom said.
“I’ve been wallowing in my own sorrow long enough,
Tommy. There’s a reason for all things
and it’s time I got on with life and God just gave me a good reason to get
going again.”
Tom leaned down and kissed her cheek, “Thanks, Aunt Bessie,
we know you’ll be praying for Abby and if you think of it you might give her a
call at my house tomorrow,” he urged.
“I’ll do that Tom and I’ll be waiting for your call,” she
said, shoulder’s squared.
Tom drove home with that ‘mission accomplished’ look on his
face.
“Yancy, here,” he said when his cell phone rang.
“Yancy, here,” he said when his cell phone rang.
“Detective Kelly, where are you, Tom?” he asked.
“On my way home,” Tom responded.
“Good, that’s where I am.
We found the camper, Yancy.
Turner’s dead.”
“All right, I’m pulling in the driveway.”
Kelly walked over to the jeep and the two men shook hands.
“Morning detective, what do you have on the house?”
“Want to do a walk through with me?” he asked Tom.
The detective unlocked the door and they both reeled at the
stench of alcohol and the shards of broken glass littering the floor.
“Lots of rage here,” Kelly said.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Tom said.
“Usually when you see something this bad, you find a body
somewhere. Don’t tell Ms. Cavanaugh I
said it, but she’s lucky she got out when she did.”
They went from room to room through the whole house and Tom
said, “It looks like most of the damage is in the kitchen and the attic.”
“Maybe he was jealous of the lady’s professional
abilities. Then he went after her
domestic side in the kitchen.”
“Why not the bedroom?” Tom asked.
“Who knows, maybe he was a lady’s man and couldn’t fault her
there. Certain logic even to craziness.”
“Did he have family?” Tom asked.
“Don’t know yet. The
Ohio police will be checking that end of things out and see if he had a will
and a burial policy, family, the usual.”
“Tom do you want me to tell Ms. Cavanaugh about Turner?”
“No the three of us will.
We decided last night that whatever the news was we’d break it to her
together.”
“The four of you are close, unusual now days.”
“Actually five, detective.
Bessie Gurney too. You have family here?” Tom asked.
“No, my wife passed on before I left the force in the city.
She had cancer and I didn’t like living in the house anymore without her and I
was tired of all the violent crime in the city so here I am in Trinity Cove.”
“Seem to be quite a few of us who come here or come back here
to start over detective, welcome.” And he shook the detective’s hand again.
“Here’s the key Tom.
Looks like this one is pretty well wrapped up.
They went out the backdoor and Tom locked it and slipped the
key into his pocket.
“How about the camper?” Tom asked.
“Total wipe out,” Kelly answered as he got into his car.
After the officer left Tom went over and stood at the edge
of the bluff, hands in pockets, looking out at the ocean then he took out his
cell phone and called Blackie.
“Hello?”
“Blackie, they found the camper and Turner’s body. We need to tell Abby,” Tom said.
“I can take a long lunch, I’ll be right over,” Blackie said.
Tom went in the backdoor and found Tess at the table. He reached down and massaged her shoulders,
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“Barely,” she said, "I'm tired."
“Abby still sleeping?”
“Yes, I just checked on her.”
Tom went and closed the kitchen door, “The detective was
just here. They found the camper, it was
totaled and Turner was dead.”
She looked down, “I suppose it’s a sin but I’m glad he’s
gone and won’t be around to threaten Abby anymore.”
“Yes, Blackie’s on his way over to break the news and then
you can go and get some sleep,” Tom said.
When Blackie got there he asked, “Has she been sleeping the
whole time?”
“Either that or pretending to,” Tess said, “I’m guessing she
may not want to come out and face things.”
“Can’t blame her for that,” Tom said.
“No but we can’t let it become a habit with her,” Blackie
said seriously, “She’s been through hell twice with that bastard now, it’s
enough to make anyone retreat.”
Tom broke in and told both of them about stopping by Aunt
Bessie’s and the plans they made.
“That’s great,” Blackie said, “When can they start on the
house.”
The detective gave me the key an hour ago. I called the cleaning company and they can
start tomorrow morning.”
“Good work,” Blackie said standing, “Let me go up and check
the patient out and then I’ll bring her down and we can break the news.”
Five minutes later Blackie escorted Abby into the
kitchen. Maybe it was Tom’s big terry
cloth robe but she looked small and pale sitting in the kitchen chair.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” she said to them all in a
calm even tone.
Tess scooted closer and took her hand. It felt cold and lifeless in Tess’ warm
hands, “Honey, we have some news about the camper,” Tess said.
Tom picked up the story, “Detective Kelly was just here,
Abby, I’m afraid your camper is totaled.”
She gathered herself together, “And Mark?” she asked.
Blackie put his arm on her shoulder, “I’m afraid he was
killed in the accident.”
“I want to see,” she said, “I have to know for sure.”
“I figured you would. It makes sense,” Blackie said.
Tom and Tess went next door to get Abby something to wear
while Blackie stayed in the kitchen and sent Abby upstairs to shower. Tom touched Tess’ hand before he unlocked the
door. “Brace yourself Tess, and remember
this guy was crazy. He broke everything
he could get his hands on and threw the rest of it around. He was in a complete rage.”
“Got it,” she said but she wasn’t ready for what she
saw. “Violence,” she said, “Pure hate
and violence.”
“Yes, it even bothered the detective,” Tom said, “Let’s
hurry.”
Tess didn’t look as they went through the house to the
stairs and bedroom. She went straight to
the walk-in closet and gasped.
“Tom get that overnight bag down for me, please.” She went to the master bath and gathered
Abby’s toiletries and underwear packing them in the open bag. She picked out several casual outfits with
shoes then said to Tom, “Let’s get out of here.”
When they got back Tess took everything upstairs. Abby was still in the shower so she hung
things in the closet and opened the bag on the dresser.
She knocked on the bathroom door, “Ready or not, here I
come.” She carried the toiletries in and set them on the counter, “How are you
doing in there?”
Abby stepped out of the shower in a cloud of steam and Tess
handed her a towel and the big terry cloth robe. Tess took her in her arms and cuddled her,
“What are you feeling Abby?”
“Nothing
Tess, I can’t feel anything. What’s
wrong with me?”
“Don’t worry sweetie, the paramedics said it might be
several days before you start to recover.
Your body just turned off because there was too much to handle. Your feelings will come back as you can cope,”
Tess told her.
“I hope so, I hate this emptiness. It feels so lonely,” Abby said.
Tess hugged her again, “Are you sure that you’re up to this,
we can do it tomorrow or the next day?”
“No let’s do it now,” Abby said standing at the door to the
closet. “Would you pick out something for me to wear?”
“Can you get dressed?” Tess asked as she laid out clothes
and shoes and showed Abby where her underwear was in the top drawer.
“Yes,” she said, “I’ll see you downstairs.
Tess went into the kitchen and sighed as she sank into one
of the chairs, “She told me she can’t feel anything, Blackie. Is that normal?”
“It’s not unusual after the kind of shock she had, but let’s
make sure it doesn’t last long.”
“If it does will take her to the wrecking yard and let her
see her camper. If that doesn’t do it,
nothing will,” Tom said.
Abby joined them in the kitchen looking better with lip
gloss and blusher. “I don’t seem to have
a purse,” she said.
“I think you’re going to have to replace everything, Abby,
he did a number on everything in your purse,” Tom said.
Abby frowned and then said, “Yes, I remember now. He took all of my money too.”
“We’ll take you to DMV for a new license whenever you want,”
Tom said, “And I’ll cancel what we can find of your credit cards and have them
send new ones.”
Tess had the biggest car so Tom and Abby rode with her and
Blackie took his car because the morgue was in the hospital basement and he
could just stay at the hospital when they finished.
“Where was the wreck?” Abby asked.
“Sorry, honey, I forgot to ask,” Tom said.
Blackie had everything set up when they reached the hospital
and escorted them from the main lobby down to the basement level to the viewing
room.
Abby was trembling as the orderly wheeled the body in and
pulled the sheet down. All of the color
drained from Abby’s face and she held on to Blackie and tried to put something
into words but failed. She stepped
forward and touched Mark’s face and then began to cry great sobs.
Blackie asked if she wanted something and she shook her
head, “I’m coming back with you,” he told Abby.”
“Oh no, Blackie…” she started to say.
“Oh yes, Abby, I’m coming back with you.”
Tom nodded affirmatively to Blackie and it was settled.
Tess said, “I’ll drop you two off and then I have to get
back to the Inn,” she said, including Abby who was weeping more softly now.
Tom said, “Blackie, why don’t you take Abby and I’ll ride
with Tess to the Inn and hitch a ride home from there.” Tom handed Blackie a
key.
“Thanks, friend,” Blackie said and shook Tom’s hand in
gratitude for all the things that he had done for Abby and then he hugged Tess.
Tom and Tess kissed Abby’s cheek and left. Blackie soon followed with Abby after she had
taken one last look to reassure herself.
The threat was over. But Mark was
dead, it wasn’t a happy ending she thought.
They rode to Tom’s with few words and Blackie helped her out
of the car and brought her the Sacramento hat from his boot. “You forgot something after the art show,” he
said.
She smiled softly and took the hat and set it on her head,
“Doesn’t match the outfit does it?”
He was happy she was doing better and gave her a big hug,
“Just set one foot in front of the other for the next few days,” he said.
“The house is a mess isn’t it?” she said.
“Yes, but Tom has a cleaning company coming in tomorrow and
then repairmen after that. And,” he
said, “When you’re ready to go back Aunt Bessie will stay with you to help get
you back on your feet. Tom says it will
be good for Aunt Bessie, too.”
“Tom’s been so good to me, and Tess, and you,” she said to
Blackie, “And now Aunt Bessie’s willing to help right on top of Fred’s heart
attack,” Abby started crying again hopelessly grateful for everything she had.
Blackie settled Abby on Tom’s sofa and said, “Don’t be so sad
little girl.”
“My feelings are all confused, Blackie, I’m crying right now
because I have so many wonderful friends.
I was crying before because Mark is dead and he could have done so much
in some other field. And I’m mad that
I’m grateful that someone is dead. On
top of all of that I feel guilt, so much guilt for being grateful that Mark is
dead.”
“I don’t think you’re glad he’s dead, Little Flower, I think
that you’re relieved the threat he posed for of all of these years is gone from
your life. Who could blame you for
that?”
She looked at him with respect for his wisdom, “Pray for me,
Blackie?” she asked.
Moisture welled up in Blackie’s eyes as he said, “I pray for
you constantly, Little Flower.”
They held each other until they heard Tom come in and then
they smiled and separated.
Tom walked in, looked at them, and said, “I feel like the dad
in a teenage sitcom.”
Blackie and Abby looked at each other and then they looked
at Tom and all three of them laughed at Tom’s dead pan expression.
Abby said, “You’re not Tim Conway yet but you’ve have
Newhart down pat,” she said.
Tom answered, “What we need here in River City is (drum roll)
a Little Theatre.”
Blackie sat back down and started enjoying the banter
because Tom amused Abby, and because Tom enjoyed her as an audience and friend.
They were a natural as friends and Tom was very good at something that he,
Blackie, was very poor at. Black Eagle had been so serious all of his life that
he’d never been through a carefree stage.
Black Eagle wasn’t very good at ‘playing’.
Blackie decided that anytime he saw Abby go without smiling,
at least once an hour every day, that he would suggest having Tom over for
dinner.
Blackie could feel the longing for a home with babies and
his Little Flower at the middle of his life.
He looked up to see them both looking down at him, “Sorry,
my mind wondered,” Blackie said.
“On a case?” Tom asked.
“Actually, on my children, or our children,” he smiled at
Abby.
“In the middle of a Trinity Cove Little Theatre Production?”
Tom asked, deadpan.
That one even amused Blackie.
On that high note Tom excused himself and headed off to bed leaving
them to carry on.
They talked for a while and Blackie told her to get some
rest and that he’d stop by tomorrow to see how she was doing.
Abby fell asleep feeling a little better about the future.
She wondered if she would ever be able to fall asleep in a house by herself again
without hearing bumps in the night. One step at a time she told herself.
A week later Abby went home to her house and Aunt Bessie was
there with all the warmth of Christmas Eve to hug and prompt her with prayer
and Bible study. They walked together,
puttered in the garden, planned Sunday school lessons, and ate simple
meals. Abby was learning to sleep at
night but every little noise still woke her and often kept her awake in the
night. She didn’t want to become
dependent on pills or start sleeping during the day so she grit her teeth and
held on.
Somehow, some little birdie told Blackie that she wasn’t
sleeping well at night so he prescribed a very weak sleeping pill to help her
adjust. He told her not to worry about
addiction because he would stop them long before that was even a possibility.
The pills helped her get over her jumpiness and soon she wasn’t taking them every
night, just when she couldn’t go to sleep at all. Very foggy nights made her sleeping problems
worse which made sense to Blackie and the others.
The house was
beginning to shape up and feel comfortable again. It was like recovering from an earthquake or
hurricane, you just rolled up your sleeves and started over again with God’s
help. Slowly both she and Aunt Bessie were healing and getting ready to move on
with their lives.
Blackie was walking on the beach below Abby’s house thinking
about Abby’s recovery. He didn’t want to
rush her now after the horrible session with Turner and his death in her
camper. He sighed and stared vacantly at
the ocean. But didn't she need him now to
feel protected, or did she need to come to terms with the whole thing on her
own before there was any commitment between them? He prayed for wisdom, not know what was best
for Abby.
He was bringing her a gift today. Mark had destroyed so much of her art work that
he had gone through all of his hiking photographs from the days when he and
Abby had hiked and fished together and found a photo of the wild orchid they
had found on that magic day when he knew that she was the woman for him. He also had photographs of her from the art
gallery in Sacramento in the wide brimmed hat that made her look so sophisticated. And another in the foxy suit taken at lunch in the deli after their
meeting with Jack Brannon. Next to that
he picked one of Abby catching her first trout and three of her with Raintree’s
work. They were all mounted, matted, and framed; ready for hanging. He would
let her choose. Probably five of them
would make a good arrangement on one wall.
He had gone in to the hospital early this morning and
barring an emergency he was free until tomorrow. At the top of the bluff he thought he saw her
through the window in her sun porch. He knocked and Aunt Bessie answered.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here doctor, Abby needs company more
her own age,” Bessie said.
“Mrs. Gurney, my people venerate their elders and it’s
considered an honor to have their attention,” he said.
Bessie smiled at the praise, “Go on in, I think she’s in the
living room trying to decide what to do with the bare walls.”
“In that case let me get a package from the car, it might
help her make a decision,” Blackie said and went back to his car for the photographs. It took two trips but he left half on the sun
porch and took three into the living room.
“Hello Little Flower,” he called, not wanting to startle
her.
She was at the window and turned to him and smiled softly,
“I’m glad to see you, Blackie.”
He put the packages down and held her for a moment, “It
looks pretty bare in here. Could I offer
some suggestions?” he asked.
He began unwrapping the framed photographs and leaned them
up against a wall and the sofa.
She sat on the floor with the beautiful work he had brought
to her and started to cry when she saw the orchid.
He sat with her and said, “I wanted to make you happy,
Little Flower, not sad.”
She gave him a smile and cuddled into his arms, “What makes
you think I’m sad, Black Eagle? It’s our
wedding flower,” she smiled happily.
He held her close, sighing a deep sigh of contentment and
asked her if she wanted to see the rest of them and he went out to the sun porch
to retrieve them.
When he got the other pictures Bessie asked, “Can you stay
Blackie?” Do you have to get back to the
hospital soon?”
He gave her a big grin and said, “I wrangled some time so I
don’t have to be back until tomorrow morning.”
. He unwrapped the
last three framed photographs for Abby and she was pleased with the photographs
of herself concentrating on Raintree’s art. The photographs were carefully
selected to show both the works and her appearance as well as her absorption
with the art.
She hummed while rearranging the art work, “They’re all
beautiful Blackie, thank you so much.
Especially for the wild orchid.
That day did mean a lot to you too,” she said.
“I told you it was the day I stopped dating and started
waiting for you, Little Flower.
“Are you sure you still want me, Blackie?”
“Sweetheart, you didn’t deserve what Turner did to you. It was a sickness in his head. Not something wrong that you did.”
“I’m just glad that you’re mending and wanting to get on
with life,” he added.
“I’ll be all right, Blackie, I promise. Aunt Bessie and I have been reading the Bible
and praying and healing together. Can
you stay for a while? Have dinner,
here?”
“I can and plan on it,” he told her.
They both heard the knocking on the backdoor at the same
time. They looked at each other and went
together to answer it.
“Hi Tom,” they said.
“I came by to see if my favorite girl could go out for
dinner with me,” he told them. I thought
if you’re going to be here with Abby, I could take Aunt Bessie to the Inn for
an early dinner. She’s never been
there.”
“Barring an extreme emergency I’m off until tomorrow
morning,” Blackie said.
“Call me if there’s an emergency and I’ll go back home and
call Aunt Bessie on her cell phone,” Tom winked and left.
“Isn’t everyone being nice,” Abby grinned.
“Not afraid to be alone with me are you?” Blackie asked.
“Good heavens no, Blackie,” she smiled at him.
“How long do you want to wait to marry after what happened?”
he asked.
“The truth?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said.
“I’ve been hiding from life since dad died. What happened
with Mark was awful but it triggered something in me, Blackie. I’m ready to start living again. Not in the past but in the now,” she said. I’m ready to marry and have babies with you,
Blackie. I know I will handle your hours
because they are a fact of life. I trust
you to cut down you hours over time. You know that it’s right for your
children.”
“Do you really believe that I can, Abby?”
“Blackie, your father was absent from your life, you won’t
let that happen to your children. I know.”
“A very telling perception, Abby, it clarifies shady, gray
areas for me. Any time taken from your child’s needs is selfish, whether it’s for
booze or bigger professional success”
“I’d like to marry before school starts,” Abby said.
“What kind of wedding would you like?” he asked.
She closed her eyes, picturing the wedding in her mind,
“Let’s get married where we found the little orchid,” she decided, “And maybe
Raintree could come,” she said.
“Interesting, Little Flower, we could seek the blessings of
the Chief and my people in the woods but I don’t think it would be legal in the
eyes of the state,” he said.
“I want that ceremony,” Abby said, “Afterwards we can have
everyone over here for a big barbecue to celebrate.”
Blackie took a deep contented breath, “Sounds wonderful
doesn’t it,” he said.
“We could get married at the Inn on the following weekend
and have Tessie cater it,” she said, “With just a few close friends.”
“How many close friends?” Blackie grimaced.
“I want to invite Tess, Aunt Bessie, Tom, with guest and Ken
and Sherri Tanaka,” she decided, that’s five to eight,” she said.
“Wow, that is small, I thought you’d come up with fifty,” he
laughed, “Let’s see, my sister, of course, Raintree, and Jack Brannon and I
have gotten closer lately, so maybe Jack.
That’s three to six for me,” he said.
“With the two of us that’s sixteen at most, not too bad,”
she said.
“We need to drink a toast he said and then we’ll set the
date,” he said getting up.
She looked worried, “Never fear,” he said, “I have mimosa in
the car.”
She met him in the kitchen with an ice bucket and two
glasses and they walked back to the living room with the ice bucket between
them, Abby barefoot. The two sat there
on the floor amidst the crumpled paper with the framed photography leaning
against the walls drinking peach mimosa from the last two champagne glasses left
in Abby’s set. It was ironic but Abby
felt like the richest woman in the world; she had her life back.
“Blackie?”
“What, sweetheart?”
“Where are we going to live?” she asked.
He grinned, “I’ve been thinking about that,” he said, “As
long as I continue to sleep at the hospital some evenings they’ll count on me
instead of the on call doctors; but,” he said, “Sometimes I’m too tired to
drive all the way to the coast, especially in the fog. What do you think about getting a small place
in town for both of us when I get tied up at the hospital but have your home as
our main residence? And then I have a
small, pretty primitive cabin up in trout country.”
“They’re turning the old Swensen Building into lofts with
shops below; maybe we should take a look at them?” she suggested.
“The location couldn’t be better for the hospital and the
campus,” he said.
“Let’s go look tomorrow,” she said, “Before they’re all
leased to university faculty,” she said, “I understand they’re light and airy
with lots of open space and design options,” she said.
“Are you ready for that drive?” Blackie asked.
“Maybe we could look at cars too since mine is totaled,” she
said.
“Good idea,” he said
“I suppose I should look for something practical if we’re
going to have babies right away,” she said.
“And I’ll hang on to mine, since it’s paid off and I like
the way it handles the road,” he said.
“One car payment and one house payment?” he asked.
“Yes, and maybe build a guest house for Aunt Bessie,” she
said.
“We need her?” Blackie asked.
“To hold down the fort and look after the babies,” she said,
“Especially if we get stuck in town.”
“Can we afford all of that?” he asked.
Abby got a pencil and began writing on a piece of wrapping
paper, “Income and bills,” she said handing it to him.
Blackie added his income and they pondered the figures and
included their savings to pay for the weddings, a small guest house and the
rental for one of the lofts.
“We’re going to have to be careful but it’s doable,” Blackie
said.
“I’ve managed to put quite a bit of equity into the house
when I sold mine in Morgan County. We
can probably refinance to build the guest house and the payment won’t go up
much,” she said.
“We’ll manage,” Blackie said and pull her over to him and
kissed her softly.
Soon they were lying together and Blackie could feel her
full length against him. She clung to
him with unexpected passion knowing that Blackie was right for her. Exercising caution Blackie broke it off and
asked God for strength.
She laid there, “I suppose we have to wait?” she said.
“As God will,” Blackie said.
“You’re right, Blackie.
As God wills,” and she dreamed about their wedding in the glade where the
little flower grew so bravely in the cold, early spring.
