by V.
Alexander laughed and patted him on the back as he struggled to recover. “To you, my friend.” He took a swig of champagne and handed the bottle to Danny. “You’ve been blessed. Not everyone loses his virginity to such a loving woman. Cherish her memory.”
“You bet I will. Forever.” Danny toasted to the heavens and took a sip. Under the moonlight, the two naked men sat on the rock smoking, drinking, and taking in the beauty of their surroundings. Two kindred spirits separated only by experience and time.
Danny glanced at Alexander and caught him wiping a tear from his cheek. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“For love. You should try it sometime.” Alexander forced a smile. “This place has me all shook up. Raw nature like this gets into your soul, permeates your senses and grabs a hold of what really matters within you.”
“Wow.”
“Sorry, chap.”
“Sorry? For what?”
“I don’t like to get so emotional, it breaks open too many scars. But now you’ve witnessed that I’m a sentimental fool.”
“You’re a romantic. That’s why you could write it so well in your book. That’s why Wesley—”
“Stop.” Alexander shook his head. “Let’s not go there. Let’s stay in the here and now with you and your awakening to love and manhood.”
Danny smiled. “Okay. But how about you? How did you lose your virginity? I bet it was something special, like me.”
After a sarcastic grunt, Alexander glared into the foaming water beneath the waterfall and remained silent. At length he sighed heavily and turned to Danny with a grimace of disgust chiseled across his face. “A whore stole it from me.” His eyes wandered up the waterfall. After another long sigh he looked at Danny and smiled. “And I can never get it back.”
“How could you get it back? Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.” Danny sipped more champagne and puffed on his cigar. It was clear that he disliked the taste, but understanding that it was a rite of passage, he forced himself to puff on it nonetheless.
“Not if you don’t let it. It’s all about the purity of love.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
A sad grin formed on his lips. “Once.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I let it go. I let it slip through my fingers. Gone, vanished, nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You will. Someday.”
Danny sighed and stared into the waterfall. “How come she chose me?” “For the same reason I chose you. You have what we covet.”
Danny stared at him inquisitively.
Alexander gently placed his hand on Danny’s head. “Innocence.”
“I don’t get it, Alexander. You’ve gotten all philosophical on me and I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Alexander smiled and mussed Danny’s hair. “Fair enough. It’s quite simple. We’re all corrupt. We’re like vultures, every one of us. Your Mrs. Foster, your father, your mom, the grocer, the mailman.. .me.”
Danny shook his head. “That’s not true.”
“Oh, but it is. Why do you suppose it’s so easy with Mrs. Foster and so hard with Ellie?”
“Well, because.. .Ellie is.. .she’s.. .well, she’s—”
“She’s like you, the proud owner of her irrepressible innocence.”
“Wait a minute, I’m no longer like her. I lost my innocence this afternoon.” Alexander guffawed and slapped Danny on the back.
“Not quite, my friend, you’ve lent it out. Put it momentarily aside.”
“No, no, no. It’s completely gone. Believe me, it’s gone. Zip.history. Disappeared for good. It’s—” He stopped as an unpleasant thought crept into his mind. “Oh, God, what will I do about Ellie now? What will she think of me? Oh, God!”
Danny put his face in his hands and shook his head.
Alexander placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Listen, my friend, as long as you believe that what you’re doing is honest, as long as you love your Mrs. Foster for what she is, as long as you accept life as it is, without question, without premeditation, without malice.. .your innocence is still yours.. .very much yours, and Ellie will never notice the difference. So enjoy the moment.”
In one fluid motion, Alexander jumped to his feet and threw himself into the churning waters and disappeared. He emerged on the backside of the waterfall and moved beneath the plunging water and let it pour down his face.
Danny jumped in and swam toward him, but stayed away from the fall.
Moments later, Alexander joined him. “Don’t let yourself worry about this, Danny. All is well. It’s a part of life. And yours has barely left the starting gate. So let yourself go and just be.”
The boy nodded and said, “You inspire me to think. I like that. I wish you could stay here forever.”
“I will, in a manner of speaking. Memories never die.unless you let them.”
“How did you guess Mrs. Foster was going to.. .well...”
“Seduce you? Possess you? Have you? Fuck you?”
“Yeah.”
“Say it.”
“What for? You’ve already said it.”
“Because you have to own it.”
Exasperated, he yelled, “Okay, love me. How did you know she was going to love me?”
Alexander smiled. “Your Mrs. Foster and I are very much alike, my friend.”
“Bull.”
Alexander stared at Danny for a moment, then swam back to the rock and climbed out. Danny followed, but stayed in the water.
Alexander picked up the bottle and downed several gulps, smacked his lips and stared out at his young friend. “Why do you suppose I’m here, in this godforsaken little town?”
“To finish your novel. And for your information God has not forsaken my little town. Look at how much this place has affected you.”
“Touche, Master Danny, you got me there. Okay, the fact is that I’m here looking for...well...I’m in search of...” Alexander ran his fingers through his hair as if trying to shake loose some long-lost memory. “The whore that stole my—” he looked at Danny and shook his head. “Never mind that.” After a deep sigh, he went on. “For me, life has become.premeditated, fake, a series of repetitive cliches always leading back to the same place. But you, you take life as it comes. To you the colors are real, the people are good, and you have no cliches.” He looked up at the sky shaking his fist and bellowed. “Damn you! Give me back my innocence! Give me the world that Danny sees!”
Alexander waited silently for an answer from the heavens, but none was offered. Shaking his head sadly, he leaned back on the rock and gulped down more champagne.
“There you have it, Danny boy—innocence is not to be mine. But damn, do I yearn for it. So does she. That’s why she chose you. That’s why I chose you. We thirst for what you have. Although, after today colors and people will change for you. I’m afraid you may have started the long journey toward corruption, my friend.”
Danny clambered onto the rock and sat next to Alexander.
“C’mon, be cool. I’ve had the best experience of my life. First you tell me how great I am, and now you tell me I messed up? Which is it?”
Alexander roared with laughter and lovingly squeezed Danny’s neck shaking him vigorously. “I’ll shut up.”
“No, tell me the truth.”
“The truth. Ah, that’s hard to do.. .impossible, I’d say. Who can even tell what truth is?”
“What do you mean? The truth is simple and clear, uncomplicated. My dad says it’s the lies that complicate life, make a mess of it.”
“Your dad. Well, he’d be all over that, wouldn’t he? After all, he’s in direct contact with God, right?
“Not sure about direct contact, but he reads the bible and interprets it.”
“Aha. There you have it, my boy, interpret. How do we know that he’s interpreting the truth of what it me
ans? Isn’t it his—by that I mean your father’s—opinion? His view? His truth? What if he messes up the truth to serve his own corruption? What if—”
“Oh no, my dad could never do that.”
“Well, then you should talk to him about your Mrs. Foster and ask him for the truth you seek.”
“Are you kidding? I can’t do that. He’d be horrified if he knew what’s happened.”
Alexander looked him in the eye and nodded. “There you have it. No room for truth.”
Sarah jerked back as if slapped. Blinking repeatedly, she glanced around. She sat in a corner of the public library in front of a computer monitor. A large atlas rested on her lap and several maps were strewn about the desk.
“This is not right,” she muttered.
“What did you say?” The question came from an older gentleman sitting across the desk.
“I’m sorry. I was talking to myself,” she said, embarrassed.
“Not to worry. I do that often, honey.”
Sarah smiled. “Did you happen to notice how long I’ve been here? I got so immersed in my research I lost track of time.”
“I’d say half an hour or so. The librarian”—he nodded toward a woman behind the counter—“came to ask you something a few minutes ago and you didn’t even notice her. She’s a bit worried about you. She’s called someone to come by and check on you.”
“Oh dear. Thanks. I’ll go talk to her.” Sarah closed the atlas and placed it on the table. She logged off the computer, collected her belongings, and went to the counter.
“Hi, I’m sorry to have worried you. I’m okay. I was focused on my research.”
“Glad to hear, Mrs. Thompson. Since you were asking about Sheriff Williams, I took the liberty of calling Billy to ask if he could come by and check on you.” Shit.
“Thanks. But I’m perfectly okay. If you don’t mind, please call him back and tell him that there’s nothing to worry about. Bye.”
“Good-bye. I’ll give him a jingle, but he may already be on his way.”
Crap.
Sarah hurried out of the library and rushed to her car. As she approached it, she spotted Williams. He’d parked near her car and was making his way toward her.
Damn, damn, damn.
“Hello, Mrs. Thompson. Rushing off to rescue someone?” He asked with a sarcastic lilt.
“Sheriff, what brings you here?”
“Checking on you. They tell me you had an episode in there.”
“Oh, no, no, no. No episode. I was very focused on what I was doing and didn’t hear the librarian. That’s all. Sorry you were bothered. Thanks for coming, though. Good-bye.”
“Leaving already?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you going in such a rush?”
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but where I’m headed is certainly none of your concern.” She walked around him and made her way to her car.
Williams followed. “What’s with the attitude? And why the big hurry?” he asked.
“I have something to do.”
“It is said that your husband comes from a long line of women who were into some weird hocus-pocus. Are you a witch, too?”
Sarah froze and all color drained from her face.
Williams remained slightly behind her—a satisfied smirk on his face.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Sheriff,” she finally managed to say.
“Sure you are. Bet that’s what led you to our crazy mystery guy to begin with.”
Sarah turned to face Williams, eyes narrowed. “First of all, Daniel’s not crazy, and second of all, I’m not a witch. What’s the matter with you, anyway? Why are you so—”
“Whoa there missy, this isn’t about me. This is about you. And let me tell you something else,” he said, pointing his finger at her. “I don’t like you asking questions about me, and certainly not about my father. Do I make myself clear?”
Despite the man’s menacing stance, Sarah stood her ground and stared into his eyes. “Then stop harassing me, or I’ll get to the bottom of what actually happened the day your father died. Do I make myselfclear?
Williams’s face turned ashen. “I don’t like threats, especially coming from witches.”
“Okay by me since I’m not a witch, but if I come across any, I’ll be sure to warn them.” Sarah stomped off to her car.
“I’m not finished,” he called after her.
She spun back toward Williams with an icy glare. “But I am. Good day to you, sir.”
She got into her car, slammed the door, started the ignition, and sped off.
Williams frowned as she drove away, his jaw clenched in anger.
CHAPTER 11
Sun blazed through the window when a startled Danny woke to find his mother sitting at the edge of his bed, with a look of deep concern.
“Good afternoon sleepyhead. Are you feeling all right?” She placed her hand on Danny’s forehead. “No fever.”
“Mom!” Danny yanked the blankets up to his chin. “What are you doing here?”
“What’s the matter with you? I live here.”
“I mean you’re not supposed to be back yet. Are you?”
“Danny, what on earth’s going on? It’s past one o’clock and you’re still in bed.”
Avoiding her gaze, he muttered, “I’ve been staying up late.. .reading.”
Shirley scooted closer to him with a smile and gently combed his hair with her fingers. “You and your books.”
Visibly uncomfortable, the boy slid out of the bed completely forgetting he was naked.
“Danny, where are your pajamas?” his mother said.
Danny jumped back into bed and slid under the covers, muttering, “Oh God. I’m sorry.”
His mother stared at him in bewilderment. “What is going on?”
“I.. .well.. .I was hot.. .that’s it.I was hot so I took them off, and.. .well... I fell asleep, and, uh.I forgot I didn’t have them on.. .so—”
“Something is going on here. What is it?”
Danny feigned a scolded puppy look. “Nothing, Mom. Honest. You caught me by surprise, that’s all. I was hot. I was alone. No harm done.” He reached over and took her hand. “Dad would say it’s indecent to sleep without pajamas and all of that, but with the heat I plain forgot and fell asleep. Please.. .don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
Satisfied, she smiled. “I guess you’re right. I’m a little on edge. I got here real early, and your father had already made his bed and left.”
“Really? I didn’t hear him at all.”
“The strange thing is that I can’t find him. He’s not at his office or the church, so I’ve been waiting for you to wake up and tell me where he is.”
“I have no idea. But Dad’s been real busy. I haven’t had dinner with him since you left, or breakfast, or lunch either. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him at all except for the evening of the picnic and the next morning. Hey, would you believe that he went to the picnic with me? After all the years you’ve been asking him to go with us.”
“Yes, he told me when I called to tell him I’d be staying longer. He said you both had a grand time.”
“Really? He said I had a good time?”
“Yes, of course. Didn’t you?”
“Did he tell you I danced?”
“No, he didn’t mention that. Did you?”
“Well, I did. I liked it.”
“With Ellie?”
“Yeah, we’ve been going out.”
“Ah, so that’s what’s going on.”
Danny blushed and nodded shyly.
“So, you were with Ellie last night?”
“No. She’s out of town visiting her grandmother. I was reading, like I told you.”
“So when did your father come in?”
“I didn’t hear him at all. He’s been gone by the time I wake up and. well.. .at night he’s real quiet I guess. They should tell you where he is at the church office.”
“He didn�
��t tell them. I’ve left a dozen messages for him to call all this past week and he never called back. Now no one can tell me where he is today.” “Yesterday he had to go over to console the Wests.”
“Andrew finally passed away?”
Danny nodded. “Dad left a little note telling me he’d be gone and if anyone called to tell them that he had to attend to the widow and her kids. It rained all morning, and then it got real muggy. Mrs. Foster called...” he stopped in the middle of the sentence, his face turning beet red. “So.. .well.. .I told her Dad was gone.”
“Allyson Foster? What did she want?”
“No clue. She called for Dad.. .didn’t say what about.”
“That’s odd.”
“Is it? Why?”
“She’s not in the congregation.”
“Maybe she’d like to be.”
“That’s possible. Anyway, don’t worry darling.” She leaned down, kissed Danny on the forehead and headed for the door. “How about if you get showered and dressed and go to the store for me? I’d like to wait here in case your father calls or comes home.” She left, closing the door behind her.
“Sarah, how could you?” Conrad’s eyes burned with anger and with something even more alarming—betrayal.
Her heart ached from being the cause of his pain. “I’m sorry,” she said. Conrad paced up and down the living room. “Sorry is not enough. How am I supposed to protect you if you go off and act so irresponsibly?”
“Conrad, I couldn’t stay put and do nothing.”
“Then do research on your own, but don’t go around town asking folks about Williams and his father. How could you? You must have known he’d hear about it. For crying out loud, Sarah, he’s a cop.”
“Right, he’s a cop who’s more worried about badmouthing me than solving the attack on Daniel. I find that troublesome.”
“So your answer is to investigate him?”
“I went to the library to search for the lake in an old atlas. I was trying to help.”
“I’m not asking about what you did today.”
“I also searched for a photo of Sheriff Williams’s father.”
“Whatever for?”
“I had a hunch—I needed to find out if he’s the man I saw through the rifle scope.”
“And?”