While Tim, Derek and I waited for Gramps and the chief to return, Kevin’s old red pickup pulled in front of my house. He got out and walked up the driveway toward our ever-increasing group.
I wasn’t sure how to act or what to say when it came down to talking with him. What could I say? I didn’t want to lose him. I wanted things to go on as they had between us. But clearly, that wasn’t going to happen.
Kevin was an honorable man. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. He’d have to at least try to work it out with Ann. It was the only fair thing to do.
Even though I hated it.
Gramps and the chief finished their discussion. “Mayor O’Donnell, could I have a word with you?” The chief waited in the driveway while Gramps came back to the front porch of Old Man Sweeney’s house.
“Can I put him in the car now?” Tim asked.
“Just stay there another minute,” the chief commanded. “I’ll get to you soon enough.”
It was my turn to explain everything, in greater detail. I told the chief what had happened, glancing from time to time across his shoulder at Kevin. I wondered if he’d come because he’d heard about the goings-on at Old Man Sweeney’s from the police scanner, or because he wanted to talk to me about Ann.
I knew that what I’d felt from the medallion was right—it had brought me there in the first place. But convincing the chief was something else.
“And you’re sure you’ve never seen this man before?” he demanded.
“No. It was just a fluke that Mr. Sweeney asked for my help and I recognized the medallion. I knew it belonged to Chuck Sparks as soon as I saw it.”
“In a vision?”
“Yes.”
“There’s no accident report. No missing person report filed. Nothing that says anything has happened to Mr. Sparks.”
“Fine. Let’s call him then and ask him about it. Maybe Derek is just a friend of his pretending that the medallion belongs to him. It won’t take more than a few minutes to check it out.”
“Not a bad idea,” the chief admitted, somewhat grudgingly.
He wasn’t thrilled about having to follow up on one of my visions, but at least he was willing to try and make sense of it. If I was wrong about the whole thing, he could always apologize to Derek and let him go.
Me too, I supposed.
The chief used his radio to ask the dispatcher to get in touch with Chuck. When there was no answer at Island Realty, the dispatcher called Chuck’s home and cell phone numbers—the police maintained a list of emergency contact information for local business owners. The chief frowned when they couldn’t reach him.
“He’s a real estate broker,” I reminded him. “There’s no way he wouldn’t answer one of those phones—unless something has happened to him.”
“You know I can’t just arrest a man based on one of your visions, Mayor,” he argued. “I’ll send someone over to Chuck’s house and office. What kind of car was that you saw in your dream again?”
I ignored the dream jibe and answered, “A burgundy Lincoln. Late model, I think.”
The chief took it from there. He told Tim to take Derek to the police station and hold him for questioning. When Derek protested, Chief Michaels explained that it was only routine and that he’d probably be back where he wanted to be in time for supper.
“Where is home, by the way?” the chief asked. It was a loaded question delivered in a good-old-boy drawl, but I could see the purpose in his eyes.
“I’m from the mainland,” Derek responded with an uncomfortable look on his lean face. “I haven’t done anything wrong. You have no right arresting me.”
Chief Michaels laughed in an easygoing manner that was definitely not like him. “That’s why we’re not arresting you yet, son. But you better come up with some answers before I come to question you. The mainland is a big place. You think about where exactly you come from and why you’re here for the next time I ask you.”
Tim closed the police car door and got in the driver’s seat. “Dae? Just so you know, I was on my way here to see you. Don’t do anything crazy until you hear what I have to say.”
He glared at Kevin significantly, and I knew what he had to say. There had been a misunderstanding between us for years. Tim thought the kiss we’d shared in high school meant we were destined to be together forever. In between his other girlfriends, he always came back to me.
I knew he’d heard about me and Kevin. But no matter what happened with us, Tim and I would always be just good friends. I wished he’d see that.
When everyone else was gone, Kevin and I stood there, awkwardly, not really looking at each other. I knew Gramps had already heard the news when he made a lame excuse and left us right away, glancing back once before he went inside.
“It’s okay.” I finally broke the awkward silence. “You didn’t know this was going to happen. I understand.”
“Can we sit down for a minute and talk about this?” Kevin asked. He took my hand, and we sat together on the front steps of my house.
I really hated being uncomfortable around Kevin, but there was no way to make this easy for either of us.
“I had no idea she was being released,” Kevin said. “She doesn’t understand what happened. It’s like the last couple of years never existed for her.”
“It has to be hard for her,” I said sympathetically. “I can’t even imagine what she must feel.”
“Dae—”
“You have to stay with her,” I blurted. “You were together for a long time. I know you must still love her.”
He stared out at the cars passing by on Duck Road. “I don’t know what I feel right now. I never expected to look up and see her standing there.”
The logical, good-natured part of me completely understood. But the sappy, sentimental part that really wanted Kevin to be the person who’d share my life couldn’t stand it.
I got to my feet and let go of his hand. I didn’t want to. I just didn’t see any other way. Better to cut it off quickly. “It will be fine. Give her, and yourself, a chance to work it out. You both deserve it. I hope she likes the Blue Whale Inn.”
Kevin stood next to me. “I don’t want to lose us, Dae. What we’ve shared has been important to me. You’ve changed my life.”
I smiled and forced back the tears. “We won’t lose us. I’m sure we’ll still see each other. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
He didn’t say anything else, just got in his pickup and drove away. I sat on the stairs until it was dark. Gramps finally came outside and sat next to me.
“If it’s right, it’s right,” he said. “Things happen for a reason, honey. You can’t see it yet, but it’s there. Come on in and have some stew. You need to keep up your strength or you’ll never beat Mad Dog Wilson in that debate tonight.”
I had totally forgotten about the first debate!
I started to tell him that I didn’t care. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. It felt like it was shattered into a thousand pieces in my chest.
But pride and a commitment to Duck made me glance at my watch. I had about twenty minutes to change clothes and get to the fire station where the debate was being held. “You’re right. I have to go. Save me some stew. I’ll eat when I get back.”
Some things are just pounded too hard into your head to ignore. In the case of my family, it was community service. Gramps always made sure I understood about giving back to our hometown. I could no more sit there and sulk than I could grow gills and swim.
I changed clothes and put on a sober blue suit and white silk blouse. I wore very little makeup because I had a tan all year from being outside so much. My short, fly-away brown hair bleached out easy every summer, and that’s about all I could get it to do.
I looked at myself in the mirror over the bathroom sink, blue eyes staring into blue eyes. I didn’t think I’d ever been so unhappy, at least not since my mother had died. I was even starting to feel that life was unfair.
I could remember my mothe
r telling me that life was never fair and that we made our own happiness. I never agreed with her on anything once I’d started growing up. She’d died right after one of our major arguments while I was at college on the mainland. A storm had forced her car off of a bridge that crossed from the sound to the Outer Banks. Her body was never found.
I liked to think that part of her lived on in me. Sometimes I could almost hear her talking to me. But for all of the ghosts that frequented our part of the world, she’d never come back to let me apologize for being so stubborn and saying such terrible things.
I looked at myself in the mirror again and clipped on my grandmother’s pearl earrings. Life wasn’t fair, but it continued, and I wouldn’t let it pass me by.
“I’ll drive you down to the station or you’ll be late,” Gramps said when I got downstairs. “You look great!”
“Thanks.”
He handed me a warm corn muffin. “For strength. Mad Dog is gonna want to make you look bad tonight. Don’t let him get away with it.”
I wasn’t sure what good a corn muffin would be in those circumstances. Plus, I felt a little queasy from everything that had happened that day. I set the muffin down on the kitchen table and drank some apple juice instead.
“Don’t worry. I know he wants to be mayor any way he can. He’s going to have to do better than he does at town council meetings to beat me.”
The Duck Fire and Rescue Building had a large area where the fire department held classes for their recruits and the police department did training. At least a hundred chairs were set up in the open space. They all faced a podium, where Mad Dog was already standing when Gramps and I arrived.
It had been a harrowing ride on the new golf cart. It always was when Gramps drove. I hoped I didn’t look as unsettled as I felt. But there wasn’t time to fuss about my appearance. I patted my hair down and made sure my lipstick wasn’t smudged, then I headed for the podium with fierce determination.
Most of the chairs were filled already. I waved to friends and neighbors who held their thumbs up and wished me luck. It would be my first election campaign against another candidate. I’d run unopposed in Duck’s first mayoral election.
“Running a little late, Dae?” Randal “Mad Dog” Wilson taunted me. Before he’d announced that he would leave the town council to run against me, he’d always addressed me as “Mayor.” That had all changed since the beginning of the election season.
At six foot four and three hundred pounds, he was a formidable opponent. He made a habit of standing close and looking down at me, and everyone else. He was the town’s stock car racing hero from years ago. That was where he’d earned his colorful nickname. People said he drove like a mad dog.
“Better late than never,” was the snappiest comeback I could think of. I turned to Fire Chief Cailey Fargo, who was going to be the moderator for the debate. She’d also been my fifth-grade teacher, which was sometimes a little intimidating.
“I’m sorry we could only come up with one podium,” she said. “I’m not sure how you two want to do this. I guess you could sit down and debate since you’re so tall, Mad Dog.”
“That’s not going to happen! I say we take turns answering questions at the podium. We can debate just as well that way without giving Dae the advantage.”
“That’s fine with me.” I looked out at the sea of faces filling up the station, wishing I would spot that one special face I knew wouldn’t be there. I waved to my friends Shayla and Trudy, then noticed our town clerk, Nancy Boidyn, sitting beside them. She smiled and gave me the give-’em-hell look she usually reserved for problems with the trash company or roadwork crews.
I appreciated the support and mentally gave myself a good shake. Kevin was handling his own problems right now. I had to handle mine. People believed in me. I couldn’t let them down because I was unhappy.
“Okay,” Cailey said. “I’ll just stand over here and ask the questions. Maybe we should start with Dae since she’s the incumbent. I think that’s fair, don’t you, Mad Dog?”
“What is this—the age of chivalry?” he demanded. “This is America, darlin’. Land of the free and home of the equal. I think we should toss for it.”
I agreed. “That’s fine.” I was only reacting to whatever he said. I was going to have to do better than that. This debate was the kick-off for the political season. I had to make my mark.
Cailey tossed a silver dollar into the air. She dropped it the first time, and it rolled under the chairs in the audience. Carter Hatley, the owner of Game World, our local video game arcade, found it and gave it back to her.
She tried again with more luck. “Heads or tails?”
“Tails,” I said quickly, not waiting for Mad Dog this time.
“Hey! That wasn’t fair,” he complained. He got louder when Cailey said that I’d won the toss. “How do I know that was even a real coin? Maybe it was rigged.”
“Sit down, Mad Dog,” Cailey said in her old teacher’s voice. “Dae is up first.”
Mad Dog grumbled, but he did as he was told. He moved the chair to the side of the podium so everyone could see him, even while I was speaking.
“Dae, take a few minutes to introduce yourself for the newbies, then I’ll ask the questions.” Cailey smiled and pushed her graying brown hair out of her face, using the same sweeping motion she’d perfected during her younger, schoolteacher days. I’d often wondered why she didn’t cut her hair, since she seemed so impatient with it.
I smiled at the audience and focused on them, trying to look each person in the face. My heart gave a little extra thump when I saw Kevin seated in the back row. Ann was with him. His presence gave me the feeling that he still cared about me, even if we weren’t together.
“I’m Mayor Dae O’Donnell,” I said finally. “I was born and raised here in Duck. I’ve been mayor for the past two years. I’m excited about all the progress we’ve made since we incorporated.”
Then I proceeded to tell them all about that progress and said a few things about what we were looking forward to in the future. I thanked them, and everyone applauded.
Mad Dog, in turn, introduced himself and told everyone how long he’d been on the town council and all about his plans for the future of Duck.
When he’d finished, Cailey came closer to the microphone on the podium and asked the first question. “What’s your position on the bridge controversy, Mayor?”
Before I could speak, Mad Dog lumbered to his feet and kind of pushed me out of the way. “Let’s talk about what’s important here, people,” he rasped into the microphone. “How many murders and other crimes have happened in the two years since Dae took office?”
Chapter 4
I frowned but didn’t respond.
“Too many,” he bellowed in answer to his own question, making me wonder if he had any numbers to back up his claim. “I can tell you one thing, citizens of Duck, I wouldn’t be so worried about sidewalks and whether or not the school is teaching Duck history, if I were the mayor. I’d be out there making sure our skyrocketing crime rate is going down. And if you elect me as mayor, I can promise you that is exactly what I will do!”
There was some scattered applause at his words. Anyone who knew Mad Dog had heard rhetoric like this from him before on varied subjects. He wouldn’t be him if he didn’t go off on some rant every now and again.
Cailey demanded that he wait his turn, and he took his seat, much to my surprise.
“Well, I guess people want to hear something about this, Dae,” she said. “Would you like to respond?”
Obviously I wasn’t being tough enough. I wouldn’t have guessed that Mad Dog would be so nasty. In private, maybe. But not in public. He was setting the tone for the whole campaign. Who knew Duck politics would get so vicious?
“I’ll be glad to respond.” I took the microphone back from her. “Yes, there has been more crime. That’s why the town decided to have its own police force. That wasn’t my decision, but I think it was a good one
. I do have a question for Councilman Wilson—where were you when crime skyrocketed? It seems to me that being on the town council put you in a position to do something about this too. Have you done anything about it?”
A few loud whoops and applause came from the area where Shayla, Trudy and Nancy were sitting. Mad Dog’s friends frowned at them.
Mad Dog got to his feet again. “I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing. I’ve been working on creating a crime task force. This is only in the planning stages right now, so I’m not at liberty to discuss it. But when I’m the mayor, things will be different.”
“Yeah, right.” Althea Hinson, a county librarian who worked in Manteo, heckled him. “You can’t get out of your golf cart long enough to get anything done.”
Mark Samson from the Rib Shack restaurant stood up. “Let him be, Althea. If there’s a plan, I want to hear it.”
The crowd waited expectantly for Mad Dog to speak. He floundered around, looking uncomfortable and adjusting his big green tie. “I told you, the plan is only in the planning stages.”
“Well, just tell us the part of the plan that’s finished,” suggested Barney Thompson of the Sand Dollar Jewelry Store. “If you’re going to say you’re doing something, you better be doing it.”
“Chief Michaels won’t let me divulge those plans.” Mad Dog recovered his composure. “But even what I know now can be done, and it’s a darn sight better than what Dae O’Donnell is doing.”
“Do you have any plans to reduce crime?” Cailey asked me.
“If I did, I wouldn’t mind divulging them.” I still felt on the defensive. “But that’s not really my job. We have Chief Michaels and Sheriff Riley for that. They do a good job for us. Duck is changing, like the rest of the Outer Banks. Nobody really wants that to happen, but we’re in the middle of it now. We have to develop strategies for coping with those changes. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
A Haunting Dream (A Missing Pieces Mystery) Page 3