Down in Flames

by Cheryl Hollon

  “Samuel!” Savannah turned to face him. “What are you doing?”

  He frowned and gave her a what gives look. “I’m chopping onions.”

  Edward came in from the dining room. “Samuel! What are you doing?”

  Samuel gave Edward the same what gives look. “I’m chopping onions. What’s the big deal?”

  Edward puffed out his cheeks and threw his hands up in the air. “You did what every bar owner despises! You left in the middle of service last night without a word.”

  Edward was within a foot of Samuel when Savannah stepped between them and Edward crashed into her, knocking both her and Samuel into the stainless-steel prep table. The containers of condiments and chopped salad vegetables tottered like little drunks, then spilled onto the floor. That little distraction allowed Edward to regain his composure.

  “Calm down, both of you,” whisper-shouted Savannah. “You’re going to scare away the customers.”

  That worked instantly with Edward. “Right, sorry.” He pointed a finger at Samuel’s chest. “Where have you been? You know this is our biggest week of the year. Why did you leave your station and then your apartment?”

  Samuel held both hands palms-out in front of his chest. “I know. I know. Let me explain.”

  “Hurry!” said Edward. “There’s a ravenous crowd out there.”

  “Fine,” said Samuel. “I got a call from a friend at my apartment house that my landlord was furious with me. My rent check bounced. He threatened to confiscate what little I own out of my room. Then he threatened that he was going to call the police.”

  “For a bounced check?” Savannah’s eyebrows raised.

  Samuel studied the floor. “It wasn’t the first time, and I knew my deposit would cover everything, but I couldn’t afford to lose my stuff. I left here, packed up my stuff, and left the suitcase with my friend.”

  Edward put his hands on his hips. “Everything you own fits in a suitcase?”

  “Yes.”

  But you could have told me what was going on. It was leaving without saying anything that stings.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s why I came back. I know you need the help and I thought you might forgive me. Besides, I didn’t know if you would find out that Nicole had given me a warning.”

  “She threatened to fire you?”

  “Yes, but she didn’t. I thought she might after she caught me panhandling for rent money near here. It’s a last resort when I haven’t made enough money at my part-time jobs. I hate it. But it works.”

  “But she didn’t say anything to me,” said Edward.

  “I didn’t know that. As far as I knew, she was going to tell you after the burger contest was over. She kept looking at me and pressing her finger to her lips. It was a threat to be quiet.”

  “She wouldn’t have fired you,” said Savannah. “She liked to help people with their problems. She’s sent more than one of the staff here to rehab centers. If they weren’t insured, she would pay.”

  Edward’s mouth dropped. “I didn’t know she was doing that.”

  “That was her thing. Earlier this year, I found her out behind the dumpster talking to one of the homeless guys. I overheard her telling him where to meet up with a social worker that she knew. He ended up in rehab and went back to his family. I kept her secret.” Savannah stared at her feet. “She was complicated.”

  “No kidding?” said Samuel. “She was trying to help me—not turn me in?”

  “Yes,” said Edward. “That was perfectly Nicole.”

  “Okay.” Samuel looked from Edward to Savannah and back. “She was helping Myla Kay somehow.”

  Savannah tilted her head. “My student?”

  “Yes, she told her she needed to sign up for the class.”

  Savannah and Edward looked at each other in disbelief.

  “Why would she do that?” Savannah frowned.

  Edward frowned in the exact same way. “It makes no sense. There’s got to be something more to this. Anything else?”

  “Just one more thing.” Samuel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “That’s who Nicole was meeting out in the street when she was killed.”

  “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” asked Savannah.

  “Because I didn’t want to call attention to myself. Just because I’m here legally doesn’t mean that I’m free of harassment. I work hard to stay out of the notice of the authorities.” He looked from Savannah to Edward then back to Savannah. “What now?”

  Edward and Savannah both shrugged their shoulders.

  Edward turned to Samuel. “We’re going to do what Nicole would have done. You’ve got a full-time job with us on the condition that you stay out of trouble. I want you to apply for US citizenship. I will sponsor your application. That will help.”

  Samuel looked at his shoes for a long moment. “That’s a hard one for me.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m asking for that as an employment condition. It’s important that you start the process before things change.”

  Samuel whispered, “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?” asked Savannah.

  Samuel nodded. “Yes, I’ll apply for citizenship.” He looked up. “Thanks.” He fetched the broom and dustpan and cleaned up the condiment debris. In a few deft moves, he had resupplied and the prep station was ready to go.

  Just then, Savannah’s phone rang. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and pulled the phone out of her back pocket. It was Amanda. Savannah slipped out the back door so she could hear.

  “Hi, Amanda. What’s up?”

  “Oh, Savannah. I need you. Mom is much worse. It looks like she’ll pass away tonight.”

  “What? But you said she had a terrific day yesterday. She was as bright and cheerful as ever. What happened?”

  “The hospice counselor said that it happens this way quite often. She said that there is usually a big rally right before the end. They use all their strength to have a final perfect day. I need you. I can’t do this by myself.”

  “You’re not alone. I’m so sorry. I’ll be right there.”

  She went back inside. “Edward, I just got a call from Amanda. It looks like her mother is in her last few hours. I—”

  “You need to be there with Amanda,” he said.

  “But what about all this?” She waved a hand to the frenzy in the kitchen.

  Edward grabbed her by the shoulders. “This is just burgers. It’s only a meal. Besides, Samuel’s back. He might be a mess, and his judgment appears questionable, but he’s great in the kitchen. Go to Amanda. That’s where you need to be right now.”

  Savannah pulled her apron over her head and threw it in the kitchen’s laundry basket, then drove over to the hospice center. She made her way to Mrs. Blake’s room and entered the dimly lit interior. Soft music played in the background and Savannah found Amanda holding her mother’s hand in both of hers. Amanda looked up through red-rimmed eyes. “She’s slipping away.”

  “I’m so sorry, Amanda.” Savannah went around the bed and pulled Amanda up into her arms. As soon as Savannah folded her into a warm hug, Amanda sobbed like a child. “I can’t let her go. She’s all I have.”

  “I know. I know.” Savannah released Amanda and pulled a chair right beside Amanda’s. “This is hard, but you have so many good friends.”

  Amanda took a tissue from the box sitting on the bedside table. The only other item on the table was a picture of Amanda laughing, in full rainbow mohawk. It was her mother’s favorite. After a hearty blow and wipe, Amanda stood and tossed the used tissue into the practically full wastebasket. Then she straightened her mother’s pillow, which had a hand-crocheted lace trim, and tucked in the soft pink quilt in a stunning wedding-ring pattern.

  “She had me bring these from home yesterday. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe how energetic she was. She made sure I understood which dress she wanted to be buried in and where all her important papers were filed. She even told me to take the afternoon to catch up on my chores.” Amanda looked at h
er mother’s placid face. “It’s like she wanted to go without me in the room.”

  “That’s certainly a possibility.” Savannah kept her voice low and measured.

  There was a soft tap on the door and a hospice nurse slipped into the room. “Hello, Amanda. Is this the friend you called?”

  “Yes.” Amanda stood without releasing her mother’s hand. “This is Savannah Webb. She owns the glass shop where I work. She’s been good enough to let me off most afternoons since Mom came here.”

  The nurse looked at Savannah. “I’m so happy you’re here to be with Amanda and her dear mother.” She leaned over Mrs. Blake and checked her pulse, holding her wrist while looking at her plain silver wristwatch. She nodded slowly. “Indications are that these are Mrs. Blake’s last hours, if not minutes. Now that your friend has arrived, I expect that it won’t be long.”

  Amanda sat and put her mother’s hand to her lips. “What do you mean?”

  The nurse put her hands behind her back and leaned against the wall as if she had all the time in the world to spend with Mrs. Blake. “That is one of several scenarios that we’ve seen with parents who are leaving their unmarried children. One scenario is that they’ll slip away while their child is out of the building.”

  “That’s why she sent me to do my chores yesterday.” Amanda got another tissue.

  The nurse stroked her chin. “Yes, I think that could have been the reason. Another scenario we see is that they’ll wait until someone comes to support their loved one. At that point, they’ll leave. I have a feeling Mrs. Blake was waiting for your friend to arrive.”

  Amanda grabbed a tissue and blotted her eyes. “Can you tell if she’s in pain?”

  “She’s resting easy and completely pain-free. It would be helpful if you told her how much you love her and what a good job she’s done raising such a confident young woman.” She waved a hand to Savannah. “You, too. Tell her that you will look out for her daughter.”

  The nurse left the room without making a sound.

  Amanda turned her tear-filled eyes to Savannah. “I’m not ready.”

  Savannah inhaled a deep breath. “This is where you need to be brave for your mom. She is ready. You must tell her that she can go. You must thank her for loving you. You must tell her that you will be fine.”

  Amanda took another tissue, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She stood and gathered up her mother’s frail and mottled hand. “Mom, I want to thank you for giving me a strong sense of right and wrong. I want to thank you for instilling a moral compass so strong that I’ll never get lost. I want to thank you for teaching me by example the importance”—her voice broke and she swallowed quickly—“of being true to my spirit.”

  Amanda stopped and kissed her mother on the cheek. “Thank you for being my mom. I will love you forever.”

  Savannah stood by Amanda and put one arm around her shoulders. They stood as Mrs. Blake’s breaths came softer and slower and softer and slower. Finally, no more breaths came, and the soft pink of her skin drained away to a chalky dust.

  Chapter 32

  Saturday morning,

  Webb’s Glass Shop

  Drained, Savannah barely managed to stumble through her morning routine to open Webb’s Glass Shop for her students to pick up their glass beads. As usual, the first to arrive were the Rosenberg twins. They were wearing a soothing palette of dove gray, from their oversized silk shirts down to ballet slippers. It was the perfect note for a somber morning.

  “We heard about Amanda’s mother,” said Rachel.

  “We sent a substantial donation in Mrs. Blake’s name to Suncoast Hospice,” said Faith.

  “I know Amanda will appreciate that.” Savannah placed their beads in separate jewelry presentation boxes. “I hope you can come to our house next Saturday for her Celebration of Life ceremony. Amanda is attending her mother’s cremation this morning.”

  “Alone?” said Rachel.

  “All by herself?” said Faith.

  “That’s the way she and her mother planned it.”

  The twins looked at each other. “Of course, we plan to be there on Sunday,” said Rachel.

  “We’ll send flowers to your house. We already know your colors,” said Faith.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Savannah frowned. “Edward and I can manage. Budgets are always tight with small business, but we’re doing fine.”

  “Agreed, sweetie,” said Rachel. “We’re not doing it for that—”

  “—reason,” said Faith. “We know how busy you are. We love picking out flower arrangements. We’ll have our caterer friend drop by a few dishes for nibbling as well. You two don’t have the time.”

  Rachel patted Savannah on the arm. “It’s our way of honoring a properly old-fashioned lady. Don’t resist. Mrs. Blake would agree with our wishes.”

  Savannah could see that they would not bend, and it would be a great help to her and Edward for them to organize the memorial.

  “It would be wonderful. I accept.”

  Several hours later, Herbert walked in. “Hi, I’m here to pick up my finished beads. Are they ready?”

  “Sure, everything’s ready.” She placed the beautiful beads in his hands. “Have you decided to accept my offer to work here?”

  Herbert shrugged his shoulders. “I’m still thinking. Although the thought of more students isn’t what I would have predicted after so many years, I’m surprised at how much I miss the excitement.”

  “No pressure, Herbert. I’m doing fine, but you seem like a natural.”

  “I also miss the reward.” He reached into his back pocket and handed her his employment application. “I’m in.”

  Savannah felt tension melt away that she didn’t realize she was holding. The next class would be so much easier with an assistant. Not only that, she would be able to spend more time with Edward. They needed more time together.

  After Lonnie and Patricia had picked up their beads, Savannah turned to the painting and the notes that Jacob had written comparing it to Nicole’s phone images of SNARK’s graffiti and murals.

  Sorting through the printed pages, she saw that he had written that the strongest link appeared to be a stylistic treatment of the eyes. In the painting, the glint painted in each eye was asymmetrical. This effect added to the realism of the portrayal but was not a common technique of the original forger.

  The doorbell jangled and Myla Kay walked up and leaned over the table. “What’s this?”

  Savannah shrugged. “It’s a special project I’ve given to Jacob. He’s working through some health issues and he’s a particularly sharp analyst.” Savannah turned his notes facedown on the workbench. “I hoped this would be a great distraction.”

  Myla Kay rubbed her hands together. “Are my beads ready? I want to string them up today. They’re a present I’m giving to me.”

  In no time the beads, a length of rawhide, and a clasp were wrapped up for Myla Kay to take with her.

  Savannah returned to the graffiti images and confirmed that Jacob’s assessment was correct. The glint in the portrait’s eyes mimicked the exaggerated images in SNARK’s murals and graffiti. He also mentioned a tendency to include small elements of bright high-contrast color pairs.

  She flipped through the notes again. There was a doodle in the margin. Jacob had drawn a small car.

  He saw the car that hit Nicole!

  That drawing might be the resolution to the case. She called Jacob’s mother.

  “Frances, Jacob sketched a car on one of his analysis notes. Some part of him must remember the car that hit Nicole. Do you think the reason he doesn’t want to come over to Webb’s Glass Shop is because it’s where he saw the accident?”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “So, it’s possible he saw the license plate,” Frances replied in a low, pensive voice. “I’ve talked to his therapist about a reenactment to unblock Jacob’s speech, but as a therapist, he’s incredibly conservative and he’s unwilling to agree. But he
also thinks it might work—irritating man.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Jacob is much stronger than he appears. Let me just ask him.” The phone went silent for a few seconds. Savannah could hear Frances talking to Jacob, but the words were muffled. She was probably holding the phone against her chest. “As I thought, Jacob is impatient with these additional disabilities. He is so frustrated that he has agreed to go forward with this. I’m going to bring him over. Let’s hope this will remove the uncertainty.”

  “Park in the alley. There’s a reserved parking spot back there.”

  Savannah was as nervous as a newly adopted kitten. She wanted to help Jacob recover his voice and memory but didn’t want to be the cause of something worse. She admired Frances for all the times she had to be strong for Jacob’s welfare.

  In a matter of minutes, there was a knock on the back door. Savannah opened it and Frances entered, followed by Jacob holding Suzy in his arms.

  Frances headed for the front of the shop. “Let’s do this quickly.” She spoke over her shoulder. “It will either work or fail and there’s no reason to procrastinate. Follow me, Jacob.” She opened the front door and motioned for Jacob to come through.

  Jacob’s jaw tightened, and he adjusted his hold on Suzy. He trudged through the shop as if he were being dragged to jail. He stood on the exact spot where he had witnessed Nicole’s hit-and-run. He stood rock still in absolute silence.

  Savannah slipped out the door and stood next to Frances. They glanced at each other. They waited.

  Jacob looked at a spot in the road just a few yards in front of him. He adjusted Suzy once more. Savannah felt like her insides were quivering. Would he regress even further? Maybe physical paralysis? His face was pale, and his jaw was clenched rigid, with his lips pressed into a thin line.

  Jacob continued to stand in deathly silence. Then he turned to Savannah. “I remember,” he said.

  Frances grabbed Savannah’s arm with the grip of a power lifter. Savannah heard Frances gasp, then she swallowed and said in a low, calm voice, “What do you remember, Jacob?”