Wind Over Marshdale

by Tracy Krauss

  Con slowed the vehicle as they turned the corner by the hotel. Brandi appeared to be puffing on a cigarette.

  “I can’t believe that even her parents would allow her to be loitering outside the hotel like that—and she’s smoking!” Rachel exclaimed.

  “They probably don’t know,” Con suggested.

  “They wouldn’t know where their own daughter was after dark?” Rachel asked, raising her brows.

  “It is Halloween. They probably think she’s out getting candy, like most of the other kids her age. Besides, Brandi’s home life leaves a lot to be desired.”

  “You know her parents?” Rachel asked.

  The corner of Con’s mouth turned up as he gave Rachel a slightly withering look. “This is Marshdale, remember?”

  “Oh, right. Of course.”

  “It’s no secret that Ralph Lane has an alcohol problem. It’s also no secret that his wife, Janet, has some problems in that department as well. The poor kid’s home life probably stinks. Add to that the responsibility of several younger siblings, and it’s no wonder she’s angry. I’ve seen her in the store a few times with the whole pack. Runny noses, dirty faces and all, counting out enough change for a couple of cans of food.”

  “That’s terrible! Someone should report this to social services.”

  “Oh, I think they’re involved already. But just what are they expected to do? Sometimes it’s harder on the kids if they get too involved. In this case, if the kids got sent to a foster home, they would probably be separated. Some of them may even have to go to a different town. I don’t think breaking up families is the answer. They need help in learning how to deal with their problems. Not create new ones.”

  “So what are we supposed to do?”

  “I’m not sure. Pray, maybe?” Con glanced at Rachel before turning his attention back to the street. “It makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it? When I talk like that. About my faith.”

  Rachel shrugged, “Maybe. I guess I just don’t really understand it. You make it sound very simplistic.”

  “It is.”

  “So you’ve said before.”

  “Why don’t you come out to church sometime and see for yourself?”

  “Oh, I’m not sure…”

  “Why not? Are you afraid?”

  “Afraid? Of course not.”

  “Then there shouldn’t be any problem. Listen. I’ll even pick you up if you like, so you don’t feel awkward about walking in alone.”

  “Well…”

  “Great! And I’ll tell you what else. As part of the bargain, I won’t talk about God again—not until after church.”

  “How can I refuse? You’ve got a—Oh my gosh!” Rachel was cut off in mid-sentence as Con swerved to miss a child who suddenly came running out onto the street. He pulled over and both he and Rachel jumped out of the truck. The child, dressed as a miniature Dracula, seemed disoriented and was crying hysterically.

  “Hey, little fella,” Con tried to steady the child, “What seems to be the problem?”

  The little vampire made some unintelligible screeches while pointing wildly in one direction.

  “Robbie? Robbie Nordick, is that you?” Rachel asked, kneeling down to the little boy’s level. He nodded. Calmly she said, “Now just slow down. What’s going on? You need to tell us what’s going on.”

  Robbie grabbed Rachel’s hand and started dragging her down the street. He pulled her through a narrow space in an overgrown carragana hedge, past the front stoop of a ramshackle bungalow, and into the back yard. It looked more like a salvage dump than a residence. There were old cars, pieces of washing machines and who knew what else lying in twisted piles all over the place. An unpainted board fence leaned drunkenly in spots, enclosing the yard. Robbie started whimpering and making other ineffectual noises as he tugged Rachel toward the shell of a rusted ’72 Cadillac.

  “What were you kids doing in old Benwick’s yard, anyway?” Con asked sternly, not far behind Rachel and her little guide.

  Robbie let out a shrill grunt as he pointed to the interior of the car. Con switched on the flashlight he’d brought and both he and Rachel peered inside.

  “Oh no! It’s Tanner!” Rachel exclaimed. Rhoda’s ten-year-old son let out a moan. He was lying on the floor where the seats had once been. One leg seemed to be out of sight.

  “Looks as though he’s broken through the rusty floorboards. His leg seems to be caught. Tanner? Can you hear me, son?” Con asked gently as he examined the damage to both the leg and the car.

  The only response was another low moan.

  “It looks as though part of this metal is jamming right into his leg. We’ll have to cut the metal back before we try to move him.” Con said. “Rachel, I think you should go and find some more help.”

  “Right,” Rachel agreed, standing up. She felt slightly disoriented—light headed, even.

  “Now!” Con cut sharply into her thoughts.

  She turned and tripped her way back to the opening in the carragana hedge. Suddenly, someone else came rushing through the trees, almost crashing right into her. It was Brandon, Tanner’s twelve-year-old brother, followed by Rhoda, her husband Jerry and a couple of other men.

  “My baby! My baby!” Rhoda cried, her voice reaching hysteria. “Is he all right? Con! Thank God you’re here!”

  “I think he’ll be okay,” Con assured. “Jerry, we’re going to need to cut part of this metal out of the way. Bill, maybe you could see if you can get old man Benwick to open up. He might have some tools handy. Wade, why don’t you contact the RCMP?”

  “You mean there’s been someone in the house all the time?” Rachel asked, her own voice rising.

  “Benwick doesn’t open his door. Kind of a hermit. He especially keeps all his lights off on Halloween night,” Con explained.

  Rhoda started to howl. Jerry tried to shush her, but she batted him away. Con looked at Rachel. “Rachel, why don’t you take Rhoda back a ways? We can handle things.”

  Rachel put her arm around her friend and led her a few paces off. Her own strength was returning. “I knew I shouldn’t have let them go off on their own,” Rhoda wailed. “But they didn’t want their mother tagging along anymore. And Jerry agreed with them. The jerk!”

  “Now, now,” Rachel chided. “You can’t go blaming Jerry.”

  “Oh, I know!” Rhoda agreed with a dramatic sigh. “It felt good for a second, though. Sorry I freaked out back there. I hate it when people freak out. I don’t know what got into me. It’s really disgusting.”

  “Forget it. It’s natural. You were worried about your son.”

  A small crowd of ghosts and various other creatures of the night had gathered. Two police officers had also arrived.

  Brandon came to stand by his mother. “What were you boys doing in Benwick’s yard, anyway?” Rhoda demanded, her voice rising dangerously high again.

  Brandon shrugged, tears very close to brimming over. Rachel laid a hand on Rhoda’s arm. “There’ll be time for questions later. Look. I think they’ve got Tanner’s leg free.”

  Rhoda rushed forward as two of the men lifted Tanner from the car. His jeans were torn and there was a lot of dark wetness on his leg.

  “Dead?” The question came from a small and unfamiliar voice. Rachel looked down at Robbie Nordick, who had stayed close by her side.

  “Robbie? Did you just say something?” Rachel knelt down and looked the little boy in the eyes. “Robbie? Did you just speak?”

  He just looked at her with unflinching eyes, but didn’t open his mouth again. Rachel gave him a huge hug and released him when she heard one of his older sisters calling his name. “Over here,” Rachel called out in response.

  “Robbie! What’d ya go an’ take off like that for? We’ve been hunting for you everywhere! Mom’ll be mad if she finds out we lost you. Now, come on!” The bigger girl bustled the little boy off in a motherly fashion. He acquiesced in silent submission.

  Rachel looked around at the disbursing cr
owd. Con came to join her. “The RCMP is looking after the details. We’ve got a pressure bandage on Tanner’s leg and Rhoda and Jerry are taking him to the hospital in Silver Creek.”

  “They’re not taking him in an ambulance?” Rachel asked as they maneuvered their way back through the maze of Benwick’s yard.

  “The ambulance would have to come all the way from Silver Creek. And on a night like this they could be busy. It’s faster just to take Tanner in by car.”

  “That seems like an awfully big strain on Jerry and Rhoda.”

  “That’s life in a small town. Besides, Bill is following them in his truck, just in case.”

  They had reached Con’s pickup.

  “Now I see the merits of this patrol,” Rachel mused as she climbed in.

  “Yeah. Stupid kids. Should have known better. Maybe now that someone’s been hurt, they’ll listen for a while.”

  “Only a while?”

  “You know kids. The effects of the last scare that took place on Benwick’s property only lasted about… oh, ten years. A kid fell through the roof of one of his sheds. And the time before that… let’s see. That maybe kept the kids away for a good seven or eight years. He came after the trespassers with a shotgun.”

  “What? You’re just kidding me.”

  “Nope. I’ve got the scars on my behind to prove it!” Con grinned.

  *****

  Crash! Thomas bolted from his office chair and ran full tilt to the living room, from whence the sound had come. The picture window had imploded onto the floor, leaving crystalline splinters to glisten in the moonlight.

  Thomas stopped in his tracks, not wanting to step on any glass in his stocking feet, and surveyed the damage. Shards of broken glass with a large rock right in their midst. The curtains flapped in the now exposed opening, letting in a rush of cold air.

  “Daddy?” Thomas turned to his little daughter, standing in her nightgown, clutching a stuffed animal. Ryder was right behind her, hovering. “I’m scared, Daddy,” Whisper said.

  He felt it rising in his chest. All the anger and frustration he’d been keeping inside for so long. Was any vision worth this?

  “It’s gonna be okay, Princess,” Thomas said, barely checking the anger in his voice, but trying for her sake to control himself. He gave her a quick hug then turned to his son. “Take her back to your room and lock the door. And stay away from the window. I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?” Ryder asked, his young voice sounding anxious now at the prospect of being left alone to protect his sister.

  “Out. I won’t be long,” Thomas replied briskly, striding toward the door.

  “Dad, I’m scared,” Ryder admitted.

  “I said take your sister to your room,” Thomas ordered again. “I won’t be long.”

  Ryder nodded mutely and Thomas watched as he shuffled his sister in front of him down the hall. She had started crying, and he knew he should probably stay to comfort her. But there was no time for that now. If those hooligans were outside he needed to find them while their trail was fresh. What he’d do if he did find them, he wasn’t sure. One thing was certain, though. Nobody would put his family in danger and get away with it.

  ****

  Guilt. Con decided to ignore it. It was overrated, definitely. He much preferred the memory of a sweet kiss as he’d left Rachel on her doorstep and the anticipation he felt at seeing her again.

  He waved at a passing SUV. Thomas Lone Wolf. Wait a minute. Was Thomas trying to wave him down?

  Con brought his pickup to a halt and put it in reverse, letting it roll backward several meters. “Thomas. What’s up?” he greeted, rolling down his window.

  “Have you seen the RCMP?” Thomas asked. “I thought they’d be around tonight.”

  “There was a bit of an accident,” Con explained. “A kid got hurt. They might be busy with that.”

  Thomas grunted in disgust. “Of course.”

  Con peered at Thomas’s tight features. “Hey, everything all right?”

  “There’s been an incident down our way,” Thomas replied, gesturing backward with his head.

  “What kind of incident?” Con asked. “I’m still on patrol. I could come take a look.”

  “A rock went through my living room window,” Thomas informed, his anger just barely in check.

  Con narrowed his eyes. “Come on,” he said, not waiting for an affirmative. He put his own vehicle in gear and headed toward the outskirts of town. Thomas had little choice but to turn around and follow.

  Con pulled into Thomas’s driveway, letting the gravel fly as he came to a sudden stop. He felt almost as angry inside as he was sure Thomas did. “When did this happen?” he asked as soon as Thomas had joined him.

  “Twenty minutes, tops,” Thomas said. “I searched around the entire area, looking for clues. Then I got in my car and I’ve been trying to find the cops. Seems they can’t be found.”

  “Man, this stinks,” Con breathed. “Hear anything?”

  “Other than the crash itself, no. By the time I realized what had happened, they had plenty of time to get away.”

  “Think it was just kids playing a prank?” Con asked.

  “Do you?” Thomas asked pointedly.

  Con narrowed his eyes. “Sometimes I don’t know what to think any more. This used to be a nice, quiet town. A good place to raise a family.”

  “If you’re white,” Thomas quipped.

  Con looked at the other man. He could see that he was on edge—that his emotions were raw, near the surface. “I wish I could disagree with that, but I know there’s a fair bit of prejudice here. You just need to know that we aren’t all that way.”

  Thomas nodded his head. “I know. Thank you for reminding me. It’s easy to forget sometimes.”

  “You should go in with your family. They’re probably scared. I’ll find the police and be back.”

  Thomas nodded again and they parted. Con watched until he was safely in the house, then backed out of the tiny drive and spun around in the direction of town.

  ****

  The candles flickered low. The hour was almost up. She lifted the vial and let a dark, coagulating drip extinguish each flame, one by one. Acrid wisps of smoke ascended, filling the room with their pungency.

  Miss Hyde smiled to herself. It was a powerful charm. Whenever blood was let, great power was released…

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “I’m more than just a little concerned by what took place last night at Lone Wolf’s place.” Con leaned back in his customary chair in Pastor Todd’s office, and waited expectantly for an answer.

  “And I’m still not sure what you expect the church to do about it,” Todd replied. “It’s really out of our jurisdiction.”

  “I thought that’s what a church family does,” Con said. “Help each other out in times of crisis. We could send some people over to help fix the damage. Maybe pay for it, too.”

  “Well, if you want to go over…” Todd shrugged.

  “I was planning on it,” Con replied tightly. “As a friend. I just thought you might like to join me. Show them that the church is behind them. Give some moral support.”

  “Um.” Todd frowned as he flipped through his day-timer. “I might be free in a couple of days’ time.”

  “Forget it,” Con bit out. He rose abruptly from his seat. “I’m heading over there now.”

  “Give my regards—”

  “No,” Con cut him off.

  “Pardon?” Todd asked in surprise, his eyebrows rising.

  “I’ll show you my faith by my actions. Didn’t you just preach on that a few weeks ago?”

  Todd nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’m not making excuses for anybody. Even you,” Con said. “Come if you want to, or don’t. Just quit letting hacks like Marni Hyde intimidate you.”

  Todd watched the other man stride from his office. With Marni Hyde on one side and now Con McKinley on the other, he was strapped to an instrument of
torture designed to tear him apart. A chill along his spine made Todd shiver involuntarily. The icy fingers of fear had begun to penetrate even the safe confines of his office.

  ****

  Ryder shut his locker and reattached the combination lock with a click. As he turned he almost bumped headlong into another student.

  “Watch it, chug,” the other boy sneered, eyes narrowing. He brushed past.

  Ryder mumbled an apology, keeping his gaze focused on the floor.

  The other boy, whose name was Trent, made a less than complimentary remark under his breath. It brought a pelt of laughter from two of his friends.

  Ryder kept his eyes on the double doors at the far end of the hall and started walking.

  “Hey, chug,” Trent called out to Ryder’s retreating figure. “Watch out for flying rocks.”

  The light streaming in through the door panes flared with the brightness of a searchlight, matching the white hot rage that erupted within Ryder’s being. Instinct took over. The thud of his books hitting the floor reverberated in his brain as, in slow motion, he charged, tackled, swung, connected.

  Reality came back into focus with alarming clarity. His own heavy breath roared in his ears as he felt Billy Chang pulling him backward. Ryder looked around, bewildered. From nowhere, a crowd had gathered. One of Trent’s friends was helping him to his feet. Mr. Roust was marching double time down the hall.

  “Crazy Indian!” Trent bellowed.

  “Trent!” Principal Roust barked. “Language!”

  “But this…this…he jumped me!” Trent defended, his voice loud.

  “Save your explanations for the office,” Mr. Roust ordered. “Both of you boys are coming with me.”

  The fight had gone out of Ryder now. He acquiesced willingly, shoulders slumped as he followed a few steps behind the principal. Trent was a few steps ahead, beside Mr. Roust. He glanced back angrily at Ryder several times.