Stopped Cold

by Pallotta, Gail;

“It’s no—shhh—” Jimmy stopped short. “I hear someone talking. We better hide.”

  We lay down behind large mountain laurel bushes with thick undergrowth as Jimmy turned off the light.

  The voices grew louder, twigs snapping close to us.

  My nose plunged into damp soil and leaves. Flashlights in front of the bushes created a glow. A large pair of white sneakers trimmed in orange stood in front of me. The bottoms of dark colored sweat pants touched them. I cut my gaze to the right. A pair of brown loafers and jeans.

  “Loathsome, get the muscle builder out here by this week-end.” A smooth baritone voice wafted through the air.

  I put my hand over my mouth to hold in my gasp.

  “Who you callin’ Loathsome, Wretch?” A guttural tone sounded then a laugh. “Do you want more steroids? I’ve heard customers get excited and say they think the stanozolol will make them as strong as bulls when dealers tell them it was originally for animals.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes.

  “No. No more. Apparently, you didn’t hear about those kids going to the hospital. One had a stroke. We can’t risk that again.”

  His words fueled my hatred for them, and I started to shake.

  Loathsome grumbled, “You know there’s always a chance something like that can happen.”

  “You just get the other stuff to the temple Saturday night. Right now, the cops are as confused as cats chasing their tails. Let’s keep it that way. Soon we’ll be sitting on a Caribbean island counting our money.”

  With every fiber of my being I wanted to manhandle these men, but I couldn’t. I tried desperately to keep my body still. I couldn’t do that either.

  The drug dealers stopped talking, and twigs snapping underneath me echoed through the silence.

  “What was that? Give me a stick. It came from the direction of those bushes.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Would one of them poke us? And discover us?

  The leaves stirred above me, the swings going deeper into the bush. Trying to stop trembling, I held my breath. It did no good. Air swirled over my head. Jimmy pressed his body against me, holding me tight, steadying me. His touch took my breath away and soothed my jagged nerves. I stopped quivering. Then something rustled above us, and the searching stopped.

  “Duck, Wretch, it’s only an owl, but it’s coming right at us.” With a thump, the bough hit the ground. “Don’t let news of a few kids going to the hospital upset you.”

  “All right, my wife’s expecting me home by nine-thirty or ten o’clock. I better go.”

  “We won’t meet again until Saturday night, right?”

  “Nope, I have to work. They think I’m at a conference today.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  The footsteps drifted into the darkness.

  Jimmy stood. “I believe they’re gone. We can get up.”

  Anxiety pricked my skin like pins. “I have to know who they are. Follow them.”

  Emily’s eyebrows shot up. “How? We can’t turn on the light. They’ll see us.”

  Jimmy tilted his head and stared at the flashlight. “I’ll cover it with my coat and aim it toward my feet. Both of you hold onto me.”

  Emily grasped Jimmy’s right arm. “Well, where are they? I don’t want to run into them.”

  My muscles tensed. “Shhh, I hear crunching.”

  Quickly, Jimmy turned off the flashlight. We stood perfectly still as shadows moved in the moonlight and twigs crackled in the distance. My heart yearned for it to be Loathsome and Wretch. Barely breathing I waited for them to walk past us with their flashlights shining on their faces. I’d report them to Joe. But the sound disappeared.

  Jimmy switched on his flashlight. “I think they’ve gone. It’s late. Let’s go home.”

  Emily held out her hand. “Yeah, Margaret, those men scared me so bad I’m shaking.”

  Jimmy and I put our arms around her and held her close. Then Jimmy lit the way, and we headed out of the woods.

  Emily stayed next to me. “Who were those people?”

  Wretch’s words about a conference rang in my head like a gong. “It could be someone at Meriwether. Who’s not at school? Who’s supposedly at a conference?”

  Jimmy shook his head. “All my teachers have been in class. No employee of Meriwether would do that.”

  Emily nodded in agreement.

  Just like Mom. They thought those at Meriwether wouldn’t be involved in drugs. Sean went to Meriwether. Still Mom, Jimmy, and Emily seemed to hold the staff, administration, and even the students on a pedestal. I wouldn’t dare start an argument with Jimmy and Emily. They were such good friends. Anyway, the louse who sold Sean steroids could be selling drugs to students in several or all of the schools in the area.

  Emily broke the silence. “Well, whoever they are, they scared the daylights out of me. They sounded so mean. I think we should tell Joe.”

  Jimmy stopped walking. “Who’s Joe?”

  My heart nearly stopped.

  Emily pressed her lips tight, but it was too late. She’d already blown Joe’s cover. Jimmy glanced at me then Emily.

  After all he’d done, one of us had to tell him. We had to trust him, and I knew we could. I nodded toward Emily.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. “He’s the undercover cop working on this case. But we’re not supposed to tell anybody.” She pointed her finger at Jimmy. “You are sworn to secrecy.”

  Jimmy’s eyes widened. “I promise I won’t say a word.” He directed his gaze at me. “Do you want to tell him about tonight?”

  My lip quivered. “Please, not yet. What if he wants us off the case? I need to find the temple for Sean.”

  Emily tensed her body. “All right, if we can hunt for it Saturday morning in broad daylight. The temple probably is deserted then. Those drug dealers said they’d meet at night.” Emily’s voice sounded more stern than usual like she meant what she said and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. “I need to see them, to know who they are.”

  Jimmy hugged me. “First things first, we’ll find the temple. Then I’ll make sure you see them. I promise.”

  Hugging Jimmy was different from hugging Emily. The affection I found in his arms comforted me. The assurance in his voice soothed the burning desire that pulled me toward the temple.

  9

  The lights at Meriwether shone in the distance as Jimmy, Emily, and I sprinted out of the woods and bounded onto the asphalt road, which led past the football field. Helplessness ran through my bones. Finding the shack was a bust and anyway, what did I expect? It wasn’t as if the simple act of knowing where the drugs originated could make Sean well. As frightened as I’d been hiding from the criminals in the bushes, I’d never survive going head to head with them on my own. How could I claim justice for Sean, Mom, Dad, or me? I was like a caged animal running in circles.

  Jimmy stopped. “Detective work makes me hungry. Want to go to The Grill?”

  “After being so scared the thought of food gives me a queasy feeling but hanging out in The Grill will probably settle it down.” Emily rubbed her stomach. “OK, I’ll try it.”

  “I hear you, Emily.” Not only were my insides still shaking, a sense of responsibility told me to go to the hospital, but I couldn’t stand to see Sean lying in that bed, especially with my nerves already on edge. I needed more time with Emily and Jimmy to settle my internal shivering. “A soda might help. Let’s go.”

  As we strolled on the lonely sidewalk beneath the soft glow of campus lights with no one in sight but the three of us, Jimmy took my hand. His touch comforted the sorrow in the pit of my stomach and quieted my fury. He opened the door to The Grill, and we went inside.

  Students sat at some of the tables, but the crowd seemed sparse compared to the number of kids here in the daytime and after school events. The hushed chatter settled near the back of the room as we slipped into a booth near the front.

  A dark-haired
woman took our orders. The place seemed less familiar and friendly without Ray, but he had to take time off.

  Who was bugging Emily? She glared at some guy I didn’t recognize.

  I leaned forward. “Is that Harold Gravitts?” Ire ran up my spine, but it wasn’t Harold’s fault the coach replaced Sean with him. If anyone deserved my wrath, it was Coach Rogers.

  The waitress set burgers and fries in front of Jimmy and me and served chicken salad to Emily.

  Jimmy smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  Emily picked up her fork. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I couldn’t help but stare. I heard Coach Rogers told Harold he could develop his talent, and he’d play at a big-name college and then go pro. I don’t see it, and I thought I’d give him the evil eye to let him know he’s not welcome around here. I wish Harold Gravitts would leave.”

  “No worries. I can’t make him disappear. He’s part of life at Meriwether now.” The irritated tone in my voice betrayed my words.

  Jimmy ate a French fry. “You see the jerk’s alone. He’s probably not at The Grill with anyone, because no one likes him. I don’t think a team will draft him. I don’t know what Coach Rogers thought he could do for Harold, but whatever it was it isn’t working. We’re losing most of our football games. I haven’t been to one in a while. They’re too boring.” Jimmy puckered his mouth as if he’d eaten a lemon. “I hate to run, but I need to get home. Mom will be worried if I don’t show up soon.” He looked at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow in English.”

  “Sounds good.” I let my gaze follow him to the door. He looked back, and I waved just before he went out.

  Seeing Harold Gravitts turned my stomach. But I couldn’t take my eyes off him. It was as though he held some power over Sean and me, and I was trying to understand why. Finally, I turned away and focused on Emily. “Will you sleep over? Mom’s staying at the hospital. Dad might too. Even if he comes home, he’ll get in late and go straight to bed. After all that’s happened tonight I’m bummed out.”

  “Absolutely. If your parents don’t mind.”

  “They don’t. I’ll call Mom and tell her if you want me to.”

  “Yeah. That way they’ll know I’m there.”

  It seemed I never saw Mom anymore. I couldn’t wait to hear her voice as I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and punched the numbers. Going in the house without her created an empty spot in my heart. Since I couldn’t find the courage to return to the hospital, I didn’t see her there either. She’d said she didn’t want me to spend all of my time at Mistville General. Lately, I hadn’t spent any. An ache hit me in the stomach as guilt soaked into my being.

  Mom answered. “Hi, honey.”

  “How’s Sean? I’m sorry I didn’t make it tonight. I’ll visit him soon. I promise.”

  “There’s no change. I don’t think he knows who’s here.”

  At least he didn’t know I wasn’t visiting him as far as Mom could tell. “Maybe he’ll talk tomorrow.” I didn’t really believe Sean would speak the next day, but I wanted to make Mom feel better.

  “That’s what I’m praying for.”

  “Would it be OK if Emily slept over?”

  “You know Emily’s always welcome. “

  “I’ll tell her.”

  “Have a nice evening.”

  A knot formed in my throat when I hung up, disconnecting from Mom in more ways than one. I needed my family. I directed my gaze at Emily. “Mom says you’re always welcome. If you want, I’ll ride with you to ask.” I didn’t want to be alone.

  “Well, yeah. I’m not leaving you at The Grill. I’ll take you to school tomorrow too.”

  A break from the bus. That cheered me. As we strolled out the door I said, “There’s nothing like having my own private chauffeur.”

  We giggled.

  In fifteen minutes we walked onto the shiny, waxed wood floor in the foyer at Emily’s house. Mrs. Daven must have heard us pull up. She entered in a blue housecoat and white socks and touched my arm.

  “How you doin,’ honey?”

  “I’m good.” I wouldn’t be close to good until I found the drug dealers and Sean was well.

  “Margaret wants me to sleep over. Is it OK?”

  Mrs. Daven smiled. “Sure. Please tell your folks “hello” for me.” She headed toward their den while Emily traipsed up the oak staircase.

  In a flash Emily returned with a red overnight bag, and we zipped down the street to my house. I was thankful I had someone to go in with me.

  “I like the fresh, pine scent,” Emily said.

  My mouth gaped. Dad sat in the den. He must have come home early to welcome Emily. Sometimes he surprised me. I gave him a hug.

  “Hi, hon. I’m glad you could spend the night.” Gratefulness lined his voice.

  “Oh Dad, Mrs. Daven wanted me to tell you hello.”

  “Thanks, honey.”

  I spun around and left the room with Emily on my heels.

  Dad’s voice followed us up the steps. “You girls have fun, but don’t stay up too late.”

  It was nice of Dad to act as though things were normal, calling out to Emily and me as though it was a typical family evening. The sorrow in his tone reminded me it wasn’t. I stopped in the upstairs hall and hollered down the steps. “We won’t.”

  My black swim towel and athletic bag lay in the floor in my room. Scooting them over with my foot, I shoved them out of the way. Thank goodness, I’d made my bed, hung up my clothes, and shut the louvered door to my closet.

  Emily and I sank down on the pale green carpet in front of my desk, the sound of the television in the den playing in the background.

  Emily wiggled her toes. “Your dad seems to be doing OK.”

  “I suppose. Mom says we have two choices when we see people. We can smile or frown. It’s better to smile. No need making everyone else unhappy just because we are.” How hard that must have been for her now. There was little joy in our house. She couldn’t do it if it weren’t for her strong faith. “She’s probably smiling at the nurses, but I’ve heard her crying at night.” I ran my hand through my hair.

  Ever since Sean had the stroke, as far as I could tell, drug dealers, bank robbers, and just plain mean dudes had a fine life. It made my insides boil. Before I burst I needed to tell someone. To calm my ragged nerves, I picked at a tuft of carpet. “When I think of Sean being so ill, I have a pain in the pit of my stomach. I hardly can eat. All of the bullies and criminals are doing great. I can’t deal with it.”

  Emily raised her dark eyebrows. “Hoodlums and uncaring people have no peace. My dad says bullies get more attention because of their ugliness. They may be able to force other kids to do what they want, but they can’t control anyone else’s heart. Their cruelty and hatred will come back to haunt them. They’ll make enemies and live lonely lives.” Emily’s eyes widened. “Gangsters go to prison. Some of them get shot, even killed.”

  Emily’s company kept tonight’s loneliness from swallowing me alive. Grateful she was here, I didn’t want to make her fearful or uncomfortable. “Do you want to take a shower or anything?”

  She stood and stretched. “If you don’t mind.” She ambled into the bathroom.

  I peeled off my brown-checked top and blue jeans and put on a large T-shirt. My favorite, it had a big pair of pink goggles imprinted on the back. Sean was at the county meet when I bought it. He teased me, saying it looked like I had eyes on my back. I popped him on the arm for being so goofy. Then he said it was neat. Tears trickled down my cheeks, but I wiped them when the bathroom door opened.

  Emily dropped down on the carpet.

  I left for a quick shower then returned and plopped down beside her.

  My emotions bit at me like ants, but I tried to appear carefree. “Your lotion—Funtime by Island Dawn?”

  “Right.” Emily pulled up her knees and tucked the tail of her nightgown under her feet. Kindness sparkled in her eyes.

  How could I resist talking to a caring person
willing to listen? “Can I tell you something just between us?”

  “Sure.”

  “On the day Sean had the stroke he had to tell Dad Coach Rogers made Gravitts the first-string quarterback. It was so hard for him to talk about losing his position.” I dug my fingers into the carpet.

  Wrinkles creased Emily’s brow. “I see. I’m sorry.” Her voice sounded soft, understanding.

  “That’s only part of the problem. Sean had issues because Dad pushes him. If we aren’t winners, Dad—well—he’s not too happy with us.” The words stuck in my throat. Grateful for all the good things Dad did for me, I didn’t want to betray him, but this was the first opportunity I’d had to let out some of the hurt bottled up inside me. “I love Dad. He can be lots of fun, and he’s good-hearted.”

  But no one was perfect. I pulled up my knees, grasped them, and rocked back and forth. “Dad was this big star quarterback at his university.” I had to blink back tears because the words pierced my heart like arrows. He wants Sean to be one too. When Sean was twelve, Dad forced him to play ice hockey to toughen him up. Poor Sean came home so battered and bruised. It went on for months. One day this kid hit Sean so hard with a hockey stick he broke his leg.” Heat crawled up my neck. “Dad said, ‘that’s all right, son, you’ll get him next time. You can do it. I know you can.’ How dare him.

  “When Mom said Sean wasn’t playing hockey anymore, Dad argued. ‘You’re going to turn him into a sissy.’ Mom screamed, ‘I don’t think he even likes this sport. Let’s ask him.’ “Sean hung his head and wouldn’t look up. ‘Mom’s right, Dad, sorry,’ he said.”

  I dissed my own father in my soul and out loud. I shook and put my face in my hands. If Dad hadn’t pushed Sean... If Harold Gravitts hadn’t come to Meriwether... I couldn’t stop the sobs.

  Emily put her arm around my shoulder. “Everyone has issues with their parents. We’re kids. I don’t think I could have done as well as you.”

  Looking up, I wiped my cheeks. “Honestly?”

  Emily gazed at me with dark, steady eyes. “Honestly.”

  The television no longer played. Dad must have gone to bed. “When I asked you over, I hadn’t planned to talk about Sean, but every time I walk in this house I think about him. I try to remember the good times and tell myself I’ll have more with him. Then I see Dad, and the bad times bounce in my head. I wish I could yank them out with a crowbar.”