Blue as Sapphires

by Constance Bretes

  “You have all these walls up, and I understand why, I really do, but these walls are keeping you from enjoying your life and getting on with it. You may think you’re dealing with it, but you aren’t. You’re hiding. Every relationship is a risk. Even when you came back here, and I saw you, it was a risk for you to get back to having me around as your friend. But relationships in most cases are worth the risks. Riley’s worth the risk, and you need to get rid of your defenses and let him in. Besides, you guys certainly don’t have problems sucking faces.”

  “Heidi, I could strangle you for what you did on July fourth.”

  Heidi smiled. “But you won’t because I’m your best friend.”

  “Poor Riley, he has the fire department picking on him every chance they can.”

  “Those guys are a hoot.” Heidi laughed.

  “Mmm-hmm.” Marissa gave Heidi a don’t-you-do-that-again look.

  “Well, if there was ever two people who look good together, complement each other, and belong together, it’s you two. I expect that sometime soon I’ll be asked to be your matron of honor.”

  “Do you believe that?”

  “Yes, I do. Remember, I’m an outsider looking in, and sometimes an outsider can see things more clearly.”

  “Promise me you won’t pull any more stunts like you did sending those firefighters to us.”

  “Aw, gee. You’ll take away all the fun!” Heidi stood up, resting a hand on her hip.

  “Riley is a respected citizen in this county. People look up to him. They shouldn’t be poking fun at him.”

  “Well, then he shouldn’t have been kissing you so passionately in public.”

  “That’s true. I should have realized that and pulled away.”

  “I don’t think he was too bothered by it.”

  “True again. I’ll try to not be in that situation again so it doesn’t embarrass him, but you have to promise not to do anything like that again.”

  “All right, I promise not to do that as long as I see that the two of you are moving forward on your relationship. Now, shall we get back to work?”

  Chapter 21

  Riley walked into the station and was greeted by Jamie, the desk sergeant. “Good morning, Sheriff. What brings you into the office on a Saturday?”

  “Good morning, Jamie. Got a few things to do today.”

  “Okay, are you taking any calls?”

  “No.”

  Riley strolled over to the coffee room and poured himself a cup of coffee. When he entered his office, he flipped his cellphone open and called Len. Len answered after one ring.

  “Conley.”

  “Len, it’s Riley, I got a rush request I wonder if you could check out and get back with me on today.”

  “I’ll try. What have you got?”

  “I talked with Marissa, and her ex-husband has shown up, claiming to be sober, wants her to take him back. He says his father is dying and wants him and Marissa back together one last time. Question one, did he really give up drinking? Question two, is the old man dying? And anything else you can find out.”

  “Okay, I’ll see what I can dig up and get back with you shortly.”

  “I can’t stress how important this is. I’d do it myself, but I don’t want to be seen as abusing my position for personal gain.”

  “I understand.”

  While waiting to hear back from Len, Riley shifted his attention to Campbell. He checked the reports, and he was surprised the town was quiet last night. He went to the hospital to talk to Campbell. When he got there, Campbell was sitting up in the hospital bed with his face covered in bandages.

  “How are you doing, Campbell?” Riley asked.

  “I’ve had better days,” he answered with a muffled voice.

  “Do you remember what happened to you?”

  “Clear as day.”

  “Okay, are you up to telling me what happened?”

  “Yep. The two Ferguson boys broke into my room. Before I could do anything, that one named Joe hit my face with his gun. It knocked me out for a few minutes, and I came to while he and his brother were getting stuff out of my safe. I tried to get my gun, but they heard me, and Joe fired his gun. They came around and hit me repeatedly in the head. I fought with them as hard as I could and tried to get to the door, but after several blows, I passed out.”

  “You’re sure it was Joe and Ryan Ferguson?” The noose just tightened its grip.

  “Yes.”

  “You didn’t see their cousins or their father?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, Campbell. I’ll be arresting them for attempted murder and robbery. I’m going to post an officer outside your door until I get them arrested in case they try to come back and finish the job.”

  “Okay, Sheriff.” Campbell laid back in his bed and closed his eyes.

  Once Riley was outside Campbell’s room he called the station to get one of his deputies to come over. When the deputy arrived, Riley went back to the office and called Theodore Haggerty, the county attorney, at his home, requesting two arrest warrants. Theodore agreed to go to the office and prepare the papers to have Joe and Ryan Ferguson arrested, then take them to the judge to be signed.

  Riley’s cellphone rang. “McCade.”

  “Riley, it’s Len Conley. Mark Simpson may be sober from alcohol, but he’s not sober from drugs. He’s been doing coke and meth. He claims his life was messed up because of what his ex-wife did to him and his company. He’s saying she was the mole that brought them down.”

  “Did he make any threats to harm Marissa?”

  “No, he fell just short of saying anything like that. But he was pretty adamant that Marissa was involved. As far as his father is concerned, he looks in better condition than Mark. I couldn’t find anything about him dying, or even being sick. In fact, I have a picture of him leaving a health spa looking quite fit. Mark, on the other hand, looks really bad.”

  “Really?” Riley said.

  “Yeah, like he’s hooked on drugs bad. He’s got quite a rap sheet.”

  “Okay. Thanks for checking this, Len.”

  After Riley snapped his cellphone shut, Theodore walked into his office with the two arrest warrants signed and ready to be served.

  Riley took Deputies Martinez, Verdinstradt, and Normandy in two patrol cars and drove out to the address where the two men were living. They took Highway 17 to Highway 350. They found the ranch and pulled into the half-mile long winding drive. Riley and his deputies came up next to the white Ford F150 with the banged-up side. Since it matched the description that Judy gave at the Motel Six, Riley called for the wrecker to come and seize the vehicle. Riley and his deputy stepped out of the car, and the other two deputies stepped out of the second car.

  Jed Ferguson was sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette. “Well, hello, Sheriff. What can I do for you and your three deputies on this Saturday afternoon?”

  “I’m looking for Joe and Ryan Ferguson.” Riley’s voice had depth and authority as he and his deputies walked up the steps to the porch.

  “You made the trip out here for nothing. They ain’t around right now.”

  “Where are they?” Riley asked, in a low, composed voice.

  “They headed to Wyoming for the weekend.”

  “What’s in Wyoming?”

  Jed blew out smoke in Riley’s face from his cigarette. “They didn’t really say. They sometimes like to go there because they can go to the bars and have a good time, unlike here where they get arrested every night.”

  “What town they are visiting?”

  “Sorry, I don’t know.”

  “Okay, when they get back, have them give us a call. We have some questions for them,” Riley said with cool authority.

  “Have you found out who cut that belt on my trommel yet?” Jed asked.

  “No, I’m still investigating it.”

  “Got any suspects?”

  “No, I don’t. Hard to find anyone when apparently no one saw it happen and there�
�s no fingerprints or evidence,” Riley said.

  “Yeah, well. Okay, Sheriff, I’ll let you know when the boys are back in town,” Jed snorted.

  “Thank you for your cooperation.” Riley and his deputies turned and got back into the patrol cars.

  “I don’t think he’s gonna tell you anything,” his deputy said as they were fastening their seatbelts.

  “I don’t think so either.” Riley grimaced.

  “Didn’t even have the decency to blow the damn smoke the other way.”

  When Riley got back to the station, he left instructions regarding the two warrants and then left to go to Marissa’s. He arrived at her house around four o’clock and knocked on the door.

  “Hi, Riley. Come on in,” she said.

  “Marissa. We need to talk, now,” he said in a no-nonsense manner.

  “Okay.” Marissa slid him a guarded look as they sat at the table in her dining room.

  Riley wasted no time. “First, Simpson’s lying through his teeth to you. He may not be drinking alcohol, but he has another problem, and that problem is drugs. He’s been doing coke and meth, and he has an arrest record as a result of it. Secondly, they are on to you. Simpson says his company problems are because of you and that you were the mole. Third, there’s nothing wrong with Simpson’s father. He’s the epitome of senior good health. You cannot be alone with this man, Marissa. He’s not safe, and he has an agenda. He’s out to harm you, to pay you back for turning him in.”

  A look of terror crossed her face. “What am I going to do?”

  “You’re going to stay with me as much as you can, and I’ll work on getting him to leave town. But for now, you’ll be coming with me and staying at my house.” His tone was warm as well as concerned.

  Marissa thought about it for a few seconds. “Okay.”

  They walked out of her house, got into his truck, and drove up to his house.

  “I’m sorry to have to lay such a load on you, but this man is dangerous.” His voice was tender.

  “I know. I’m afraid he’ll attack me if I see him again. What can I do?”

  Riley could hear the fear in her voice and saw the color drained from her face.

  “I suggest you tell Cindy and Dave what’s going on, so they don’t leave you at the store alone, in case he comes to the store looking for you. Stay around other people. Me, Heidi, Cindy and Dave, Mrs. Buell. Just don’t let him catch you alone.”

  * * * *

  It suddenly dawned on Marissa what it was that Mark said that made her hair stand on end. He said he loved her, past tense. She wondered if she would have figured that out if Riley hadn’t investigated him for her.

  Riley was so protective of her. It seemed as if he really cared about her well-being. Then it hit her. Everything that Heidi said to her today made her realize that she loved Riley. She loved him with all her heart and her soul, and she knew he was the right man for her. She wanted to be married to him and have his children. She wanted him as intimately as two individuals could be. Now she had to prove to him, and to herself, that she was ready to go that next step with him.

  Riley fixed them a nice dinner, and they sat and ate in his dining room. Marissa did little more than play with her food. Her stomach was doing flip-flops.

  “I got two arrest warrants out for the Ferguson boys. Campbell told me today who assaulted him.”

  “How’s he doing?” Marissa asked.

  “Pretty good, I think. He has a hard time talking because of all the bandages on his face, but he was sharp as a tack when I asked him questions about what happened.”

  “They wanted his gold and his sapphires,” Marissa said, then took a bite of food.

  “Yeah. Do you know if he had a lot of it?”

  “He had quite a bit. I’d say about five or six thousand dollars’ worth.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Marissa took a big gulp and said, “Riley, I have a lot to tell you.”

  “You can tell me when you’re ready.”

  “I think I’m ready now, if you want to hear it.”

  “Okay.” Riley waited patiently for Marissa to tell him what was on her mind.

  “When Mark and I got married, he was not abusive toward me. In fact, I thought we were happy then. It was four years into our marriage when he started drinking heavily. At first, we’d just get into shouting matches. But it began to escalate with a slap across the face and stuff like that. Then it got pretty bad where he was breaking bones and leaving bruises on my arms. When he was drunk, he was very loud and obnoxious toward everyone, and then he’d get mad at me for no reason. Even his father came to me and asked me to do what I could to get him to stop drinking because he was becoming an embarrassment to him.” She clasped her hands together on the table and stared at her fingers.

  “What was he so angry about that he had to drink and do this to you?”

  “I honestly don’t know. He wasn’t that way when we got married. Anyway, we belonged to a yacht club and everyone would go out to the docks and party down, going from one boat to another. As usual, Mark started drinking early, and kept on. He wanted to take the boat out on the lake, and I became alarmed because he had so much to drink. I asked him if he’d wait and go in the morning, and he got angry at me. I made him another drink, against my better judgment, and I tripped on something on the floor and spilled the drink on him. He went ballistic. At the island, there was a cabin we owned in which Mark was doing some remodeling, and he brought back some of the wood to be disposed of back on the mainland, and a couple of the boards had rusty old nails in them. He never did get rid of them and left them on the boat. He was so mad at me that he grabbed the wood, swung it around, and caught me in the back with the nail. It punctured my skin, and he pulled the wood away, and it ripped my side around to the front of me. I spent a while in the hospital because the nail had pierced my liver. I had to have surgery on it to clean out the wound and to fix my damaged liver.”

  She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and shifted in her chair.

  “When I came out of it and was able to talk, the hospital sent in a caseworker that dealt with abuse victims. She talked to me a great deal and got me into one of their shelters for abused women. Mark came, all apologetic, but I said that I’d had enough and I was going to divorce him. When he realized that I wouldn’t take him back, he filed for divorce first. I never received the summons, and when the case went before the judge, since I wasn’t there, Mark won by default and the judge awarded him everything he had asked for. I was left with nothing, except for my parents’ old house, which I think is because Mark forgot I owned it.”

  “Couldn’t you have contested it?” Riley asked.

  “I suppose I could have, but I didn’t care about the money. I just wanted to get the divorce and put it all behind me. I was able to go to our house with a deputy to get my personal papers and a few articles of clothing, but that was all. I had quit my job a few months before because of all the abuse, and I signed up for welfare and went to Legal Aid for help with the divorce. In the end, I was destitute. I received the Volkswagen from the Volunteers of America so I could go on job interviews, and I got my first and only check from welfare. I left there and came back here. I decided that I would live quietly here in Montana and keep to myself and never let myself love again. I had so much to deal with, my emotional state of being, my self-confidence, my own sense of self, everything. I was so mixed up inside. But I knew that I wanted to live, and I wanted to live peaceably and quietly. I knew there was a chance for me to grow whole again. I was determined to build a new life for myself. I love to dig for sapphires, and I love to pan for gold, not so much because I had to survive, which did help me in that respect, but to do something I enjoyed and wanted to do. When I got here, I immediately went to Southerlyn’s and got hired. I had to get the utilities turned on at my parents’ house, and I had to pay a deposit for that, which was all the money I had left, and then I had to wait two weeks before I got paid by Dave and Cin
dy.”

  “So you were losing weight. You had no money and no food.” He set his palms down flat on the table.

  Marissa looked up at Riley. He knew this too? She sat back, momentarily confused.

  “Remember, I came and asked you if you were okay, I said I thought you looked very thin, like you weren’t eating kind of thinness. I asked you if you had some medical problems or if you were having other problems. I knew something was wrong. But I couldn’t get you to talk to me.”

  “It wasn’t too bad. I made the money I got from the state of Nevada go as far as it could. I lived on granola bars and water for a little over two weeks.”

  “You were too proud to accept a lunch invitation with me.” Riley turned in his chair and stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles in front of him.

  “Yes. But I was so scared and so unsure about men, and it took a while for me to trust again. I’m glad you persisted and didn’t give up on me.”

  “I’d never give up on you. I was attracted by you right from the first time I saw you.” He smiled and reached over and gently stroked her face with the back of his hand.

  “Riley, there’s more I have to tell you.”

  He looked into her eyes, waiting for her to continue.

  “I have this huge, ugly scar that goes from my back to my front, where Mark hit me with the two-by-four that had a nail in it. It’s an awful-looking scar.”

  “I know,” Riley said quietly.

  “What? What do you mean?” Marissa asked. Her heart skipped a beat.

  “The night I brought you home from Ramblin’ Rose, you fell as you were getting out of my truck and got into the burrs, and other prickly stuff, and I had to help you get undressed. I saw the scar then. Is this why you wouldn’t make love to me that night? Because you thought I’d see the scar?”

  She nodded and hung her head. “I just felt…so ashamed of it, and I didn’t want you feeling sorry for me or pitying me.”

  “I think you’re beautiful, inside and out. I am amazed and in awe of your strength, your determination to rise above your circumstances, and just for being you.” He cupped her face in his hand.