September Mourn

by Mary Daheim

  “Yes,” Judith said. “I finally figured that out, too.”

  “But I couldn’t bring myself to practice medicine,” Doc continued. “That was very foolish. I wasted my life.”

  “It’s not too late.” Judith was aware that she had said the same thing about Esther Danfield. It could be said of almost everyone on the island. Missed opportunities, refusal to change, fear of the unknown—the Chavez residents were held hostage by more than the sea.

  “I don’t know,” Doc said, though there was a lack of resolution in his manner. “It’s Cilla I worry about. While they were in Alaska, things seemed to go well with them. My sister-in-law changed little Francesca’s name to Priscilla—she couldn’t bear calling her after Frannie. But Rowena did a wonderful job of raising the girl. And then things changed. I thought if they moved here, I could help them. That’s why I wrote that letter, telling them the Lowman property was available. But Chavez is no place for a lively young woman like Cilla. She should be on the mainland, or at least one of the bigger islands.”

  “But she won’t leave her mother. Her stepmother,” Judith corrected herself.

  “She could,” Doc said, anger flaring in his face. “My sister-in-law is a very stubborn woman. All that talk about not seeing a doctor! She’s just being silly. Why won’t women face middle age? You’d think menopause was a criminal activity! If Rowena would start taking her estrogen, she’d be just fine.”

  Judith and Renie couldn’t help but look at each other and grin. “So that’s it,” Judith said. “Hormonal imbalance. I should have guessed. She’s about my age, and I’ve been on estrogen for almost ten years. So’s Renie.”

  “It’s a common malady,” Doc sighed. “Maybe that’s what I should do—set up a clinic for Women of a Certain Age.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Judith said.

  “Listen, ladies.” Doc leaned his elbows on the counter. “Are you willing to take a chance and let me cart you over to Perez? It’s not too dark yet, and we can all squeeze into Frannie.”

  Judith’s eyes grew wide. “Would you?”

  Doc would. The cousins grabbed their suitcases. Twenty minutes later, they had crossed the island and reached Salmon Gap. There were whitecaps on the water and the evening sky had clouded over. As Judith and Doc climbed into the boat, Renie drew back.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” she said. “I can’t swim.”

  “You won’t have to,” Doc said. “She may not be big, but she’s sturdy.” Gently, he patted the side of the little craft. “I may have let her down years ago, but Frannie always sees me through.”

  Judith didn’t know if Doc was talking about the boat—or his wife. Maybe they were the same.

  The crossing was bumpy, but Doc pulled into the marina at Laurel Harbor right before seven. The superferry was in its slip, loading for the final departure of the day.

  “We made it!” Renie cried in jubilation. Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed Doc on the cheek. “Thanks! You’re a good sailor.”

  Doc smiled broadly as the cousins stepped onto the dock. “You’re good sports. I’m heading back now before it gets any rougher.” His face grew serious under the Greek fisherman’s cap. “Thanks for everything. You’ve given me a different slant on things.”

  Judith was touched by Doc’s gratitude. But before she could respond, Doc revved the motor and began pulling out into the bay. As the little boat headed for open water, the Frannie’s running lights seemed to wink at the cousins.

  “Let’s go,” Renie urged. “I’m starved. We can eat on the ferry.”

  Judith looked at Renie with what might have been regret. “We’re not catching that ferry,” she said. “I thought you knew.”

  Renie’s jaw dropped, then anger sparked in her eyes. “You thought I knew what? You never tell me anything! What the hell are you doing now?”

  Judith tapped her shoulder bag. “The gloves. We’ve got to turn them in to Lulu McLean. But before we do that, I want to go for a little spin.”

  Renie made a menacing move toward Judith. “I’ll spin you! Like a damned dervish! This is crazy! If we don’t get on that ferry, we’ll be stuck here for the night!”

  Judith shrugged. “So be it. But I’m not quitting when I’m so close to the truth.” She started up the dock. “Come on, let’s see if we can find Ella Stovall.”

  With ill grace, Renie gave in. All the way up the hill to the main part of town, she kept glancing over her shoulder, casting longing looks at the superferry’s bright lights. “This sure is fun,” she groused. “Carrying a heavy suitcase and probably sleeping on the courthouse lawn and not getting any dinner! What next, scrubbing our faces with Brillo pads?”

  Judith didn’t answer. Nor would she admit that the uphill climb with the burden of luggage and shoulder bag had winded her. When they reached the main street, she was more than a little dismayed to find the Perez Property office locked and dark.

  “Damn!” she breathed. “Now where’s a pay phone?” She scanned the street, then noticed that there was a light on in the Merchant. Abu’s red, white, and blue beater was parked outside. “Never mind,” she said, huffing as she crossed to the newspaper office. “All we need is wheels.”

  “I’ll bet Abu’s only got three on that old wreck,” Renie muttered. “You aren’t going to ask him to drive us, are you?”

  “We don’t have much choice,” Judith said.

  Abu was at his computer terminal, deep in concentration. He jumped when the cousins came through the door. “Yiii! Chavez ladies, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. And So Forth! You bring news to Abu?”

  “We may at that,” Judith replied. “Is it possible that you could drive us somewhere?”

  Abu’s dark face grew animated. “To where you go?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Judith admitted. As precisely as possible, she described her destination.

  “Abu find,” the young man nodded. “Come, we get into official newspaper automobile.”

  Judith and Renie left their luggage in the office. Renie was muttering under her breath as they walked out to the street. The interior of Abu’s car was also decorated, mostly with remnants of soda pop cans and fast-food meals. Renie reluctantly climbed into the backseat, while Judith gingerly sat down next to Abu. As he turned on the ignition, the entire vehicle shuddered. So did Judith. After two blocks, it occurred to her that he was heading for the ferry terminal instead of going inland.

  “Say, Abu,” Judith said mildly, “shouldn’t we have turned around?”

  Solemnly, Abu shook his head. “Abu always point official newspaper automobile toward Mecca first. Then go wherever going.”

  “Oh.” Judith sat back and tried to relax. She was thankful that she couldn’t see Renie. No doubt her cousin was looking as if she’d like to kill somebody. Judith had a good idea who Renie would choose as her victim.

  Just before reaching the now-empty loading area, Abu made such a sharp U-turn that it threatened to topple the car. Then he gunned the engine. The vehicle convulsed some more. As they left Laurel Harbor behind them, ominous noises sounded from under the hood, in the chassis, and even the glove compartment.

  It was now completely dark. The road on which they were traveling led through the heart of the island. They could see lights from the houses that were scattered along the way, but not much else. Only an occasional car passed them from the opposite direction, and no motorists in their right minds would be driving fast enough to catch up with Abu’s beater.

  The strange noises grew louder. Judith couldn’t help but express alarm. “Is that…normal?” she inquired in an anxious voice.

  “Normal?” Abu echoed. “What is normal?”

  “That’s what I was wondering,” Judith said, just as Abu let out a howl and applied the brakes. The vehicle bucked, emitted a deafening belch, and skidded off the road, knocking over a “For Sale” sign. Abu had just missed a mailbox and the barking dog that he’d apparently been trying to avoid. The animal now st
ood on his hind legs with his front paws leaning on the right-hand rear door. Only his ears showed through the window.

  Judith had braced herself on the dashboard. She felt shaken, but otherwise unhurt. Nervously, she turned around to look at Renie. Her cousin was lying with her head against the backseat.

  “Are you okay, coz?” Judith asked in a frightened voice.

  “I’m dead,” Renie replied. “I died and went to Mecca.” She sat up and glared at Judith. Then, as the dog kept barking, she turned and pounded on the window. “Beat it! You stupid mutt, you almost got us killed!”

  Opening the passenger door a scant inch, Judith peered at the dog. “It’s Edelweiss,” she said in a bemused voice.

  Abu was hunched over the steering wheel. At last he spoke, in a detached, dreamy voice: “Abu Hamid Mansur, twenty-three, of Babol and Laurel Harbor, maybe injured in official newspaper automobile mishap on Pheasant Run Road, Thursday, September fifteenth. Chavez ladies want to buy very used car? And so forth?”

  Judith did her best to see if Abu was seriously hurt. It appeared that he was not, though she advised him that he’d better remain in the car until help arrived.

  Renie was now leaning over the front seat. “What help?” she demanded, as the dog continued to bark. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Hardly,” Judith replied. She pointed to the fox terrier who was now sitting on the ground and howling. “I’m sure that’s Edelweiss. Unless I’ve misjudged, the turnoff to Laurel Glen Academy is straight ahead. Let’s ask June Hennessy to call for help.”

  Renie, however, refused to get out of the car. She waved a hand in Edelweiss’s direction. “That dog will eat me! Or at least my shoes!”

  Annoyed, Judith stepped out onto the shoulder of the road. Edelweiss leaped up, raced over to Judith, and tried to lick her hand. “Come on, coz!” she yelled at Renie. “He likes us. Maybe we’ve finally made a friend in the Animal Kingdom.”

  Through the window, Renie was looking dubious. But she finally got out of the car. Edelweiss sat again, now panting at Renie.

  “Look,” she said to the dog, “I doubt we can be real buddies, but let’s call a truce. Okay?”

  Edelweiss seemed willing. Indeed, he ran ahead of the cousins, as if leading the way. Twenty yards ahead, just off the main road, twin brick pillars indicated the entrance to Laurel Glen Academy. The white iron gates stood open, no doubt because school was not yet in session. From what Judith could see of the layout, there were at least two large buildings, and several smaller ones. A playing field was on their right. To the left, lights shone in a brick cottage that was surrounded by a tidy garden.

  The doorbell chimed a few notes from what Judith recognized as one of Beethoven’s symphonies. A moment later, June Hennessy appeared, wearing a quilted ivory bathrobe. She looked startled though not displeased to see the cousins. Edelweiss plunged inside. “I was wondering where he went,” Miss Hennessy said, her fond glance following the dog out of the tiny foyer. She turned back to Judith and Renie. “I hoped you’d visit Laurel Glen.” The schoolteacher’s tone conveyed eagerness. “Better to see the academy in daylight, though. But do come in.”

  “Actually,” Judith said with an apologetic air, “we have a problem. Could you call the sheriff for us? We got involved in a car accident.”

  “My word!” Miss Hennessy’s thick eyebrows quivered. “Was anyone hurt?”

  “We’re okay,” Judith said, “but we’re not sure about the driver.” She thought it best not to mention Edelweiss’s unwitting role in forcing Abu off the road.

  With a brisk step, Miss Hennessy led them into her sitting room and immediately went to the telephone. “Where did the accident occur?”

  Judith started to explain, then threw up her hands. “Just tell them to come here. We can lead the way in person.”

  Both June and Renie looked puzzled, but the schoolteacher gave a nod. “Of course.” Quickly, she dialed the sheriff’s number. The exchange was brief and to the point. “They’ll be here right away,” she said to the cousins after hanging up the phone. “Shall I make tea while we wait?”

  “No, thanks,” said Judith. She and Renie had seated themselves on a chintz-covered sofa. The small room was furnished in a far more feminine style than Judith would have expected. June Hennessy’s plain taste in wardrobe didn’t carry over to her decor.

  “Well.” June had sat down on a lyre-back chair next to the telephone table. Ramrod-straight, she folded her hands in her lap. “You must have seen the two larger buildings. One for classrooms, the other’s a dormitory. We’ve a full-time staff of ten, though only eight are teachers. There’s a counselor and a groundskeeper. Naturally, I handle all the administrative work, though I teach one class each semester. I couldn’t bear not to be in the classroom.”

  Judith nodded in understanding. “You’re very dedicated, Miss Hennessy. I admire that.”

  Miss Hennessy gave what was intended as a modest shrug. “Young people are our future. There’s no higher calling than the teaching profession. I’ve put every cent I have into this school. Much of my time is devoted to fund-raising. I’ve been fortunate. Some generous people have stepped forward. They realize education is the answer to society’s ills.” Miss Hennessy’s eyes shown with zeal. “We can never do enough to help disadvantaged children. Never.”

  “That’s true,” Judith said sadly. “But sometimes, even for the worthiest causes, a person can go too far.”

  Miss Hennessy’s chin shot up. “Nonsense! I’ve given Laurel Glen everything I have, all that I am. My contribution will not only affect this present generation of students, but the next, and the next.” Her voice had risen, and she was speaking more rapidly. “How many others have struck out on their own to salvage the disadvantaged? How many care? How many even notice? Someday the world will recognize what I’ve done and be grateful!”

  “H. Burrell Hodge isn’t grateful,” Judith said, still in that same sad tone. “That’s because he’s dead. You struck out, Miss Hennessy—literally. I meant it when I said I admired your dedication, but I despise the fact that you went too far. No matter how Mr. Hodge intended to ruin your school, you shouldn’t have killed him with that croquet mallet. If Laurel Glen goes on, it’ll have to do it without you.”

  June Hennessy scoffed at Judith. Her laugh was derisive. “I knew nothing about H. Burrell Hodge or his intentions! This is preposterous!”

  “I saw the ‘For Sale’ sign next to your property just now,” Judith asserted. “In fact, we knocked it over. It was a well-known fact that Burrell was looking at various properties, both on Chavez and here on Perez. You were the one who told us how quickly news passes in the Santa Lucias. The land adjacent to your school would have been ideal—secluded, remote, rural. But I suspect Burrell wanted more than that—he wanted the school itself. The letter that Perez Properties sent him indicated he had expressed interest in more than the parcel next door. Laurel Glen is a perfect setup for a rehab center. And you can say all you want about fund-raising and using your own money, but nobody short of a billionaire could keep this place going when the students pay virtually no tuition. You were going to be forced to sell and give up your dream. You couldn’t bear that, so you killed Burrell. But another buyer would have come along, or eventually you would go bankrupt. I can only guess how many other lives you’d sweep away in your struggle to keep Laurel Glen. Unfortunately, it’s a losing battle. You might as well give up now.”

  “Ridiculous!” June Hennessy shouted. But she was shaking so hard that she could barely open the front door. “Edelweiss!” she called in a piercing voice.

  The fox terrier came running down the hall and leaped on Renie. Judith tried to grab the dog’s collar, but couldn’t get a firm hold. Renie and Edelweiss grappled on the sofa. But Edelweiss was now licking Renie’s cheek in an obvious show of affection.

  The dog’s apparent defection seemed to unhinge June Hennessy. She rushed to the front door. With her ivory robe flapping at her an
kles, she ran out into the night—and straight into the arms of Abu Hamid Mansur.

  “Don’t let her get away!” Judith shouted. “She’s a…scoop!”

  The young reporter seemed to understand. Miss Hennessy was a big woman and Abu was a small man. At first, it appeared that she would overpower him by sheer size. With a growing sense of alarm, Judith and Renie watched them wrestle.

  “Where are the sheriff’s people?” Judith muttered frantically. Then, seeing that Miss Hennessy had Abu in a head-lock and was about to thrust him into a small hedge, Judith started to run to the rescue. At that moment, Edelweiss streaked out of the cottage, causing Judith to stumble and almost fall.

  But Abu was not without resources. As the dog prowled around the combatants in an apparent show of canine indecision, Abu broke free and let loose with a series of rapid movements that resulted in sending June Hennessy flying into space and landing under a rosebush. Triumphant, Abu directed an epithet at his vanquished foe.

  “You, Miss June Hennessy, Laurel Glen Academy headmistress and teacher of history, very bad woman. Lucky for Abu he room in college with Japanese student knowing karate. And so forth!”

  As Abu turned to beam at the cousins, a sheriff’s car pulled into the drive.

  Renie was only mildly disappointed that Charlie G.’s didn’t have the sockeye salmon on the menu that Thursday night. “I’m in the mood for oysters anyway,” she said after the waitress had brought the cousins’ drinks and taken their orders.

  Almost two hours had passed since June Hennessy and Abu had dueled in front of the small brick cottage. When the two sheriff’s deputies had shown up, Judith had shouted at them to arrest Miss Hennessy for murder. She had recognized them as the same two men who had accompanied Lulu McLean on the night of Burrell’s murder. One of them regarded Judith’s accusation as if it had come from the lips of a lunatic; the other had reacted in a more cautious manner. The two had argued for several minutes. Surely, the first officer insisted, a local person of Miss Hennessy’s fine reputation couldn’t be a criminal? You never knew about people, the other deputy asserted. If nothing else, maybe they should collar both Miss Hennessy and Abu for disturbing the peace. Despite his victory, Abu showed more battle scars than did the headmistress. The lawmen finally agreed to take in Miss Hennessy and to let Abu go to the Laurel Harbor Hospital’s emergency room to be treated for cuts, lacerations, bruises, and a possible broken toe.