Framed in Death Valley

by Dana Mentink

  “Thanks, Herm.” He inhaled a deep lungful of the garlic mashed potatoes and succulent meat. “That smells fantastic.”

  “Oughta be—I’ve been perfecting the recipe for a couple of decades. Here, let me dish you up a plate. You look like you haven’t eaten since the eighth grade.”

  “Put me aside some, okay? I’m looking for Laney. Worried about her.”

  Herm became suddenly busy wiping down his workspace.

  “Herm?”

  “Yeah?” No eye contact.

  “Do you know something about Laney? About her health maybe? She looks tired and stressed.”

  “Naw. Imagine it’s a shock, you being back and all. Poor lady’s been through it, you know?” Still he continued to wipe the already clean counter.

  “Has she been sick?”

  “Don’t think so. Say, I got to get this food in the warming oven and start on the potatoes.”

  It was clear Herm wasn’t going to betray any private information about Laney, and though his instincts were prickling, he respected Herm for doing his best for her. “All right. One more question. There’s someone staying on the property, a lady with a dark braid. Know anything about her?”

  “Name’s Rita something.” He whacked the slotted spoon against the side of the pot to shake off the juices. “Brown. Rita Brown. Checked in two days ago.”

  Two days ago. Right after Beckett’s jail-cell beating. “Alone?”

  “Far as I can tell. Since the place is pretty empty, we upgraded her to a nicer room. Seems to stick around the lodge a lot. Haven’t heard of her going into the park yet. Why would someone come and stay here without going to see the sights? Odd.”

  Odd, for sure. The muscles deep in the pit of his stomach tightened. “Thanks, Herm.” The cook saluted as he left the kitchen.

  He heard the high tone of a female voice coming from the back porch. He found Laney there sitting on a wooden swing talking on her cell phone. “Thank you for calling, Irene. I’ll do my best.”

  She must be talking to the local doctor, Irene Kincaid. Irene and Laney had been fast friends since Irene had opened up her practice in Furnace Falls five years prior. So was Laney sick? He realized she’d disconnected and now she was crying. That paralyzed him. Barge in or retreat? The last thing he wanted to do was upset her further or pry into her personal life.

  He knew in his bones he was the reason for her sadness, and he feared distressing her more. While he attempted to ease backward, Admiral poked his head up from Laney’s lap and offered a happy whine and tail wag at him.

  Laney looked over.

  “I, uh...I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She looked alarmingly exhausted, her eyes shadowed underneath.

  She stood, Admiral tucked against her chest. “I have to go help serve dinner.”

  “I will too.”

  “No, Beckett. You heard what Jude said. You should go.”

  “Please listen to me. Kenny is coming here. I’m not leaving you unprotected.”

  “Leaving me unprotected?” A flash of anger lit the depths of her eyes. “You didn’t worry about that when you filed for divorce.”

  Pain cut through him like a buzz saw. “I did it for you.”

  She huffed out a breath. “Right. So now that you’re out of jail, what happens? You’re dropping the divorce proceedings?”

  A challenge rang in her tone and his heart sank to his knees. “No,” he said. “I’ll always be seen as a killer. Divorce will protect you from that. You can take your old name, have a fresh start.”

  She laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “Thanks for filling me in on what I should do. It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

  She tried to move by him, but he stopped her with an arm on her shoulder. She stiffened under his touch.

  “It isn’t how I wanted it to turn out,” he said, fighting through the lump in his throat. “What else was I supposed to do?”

  She didn’t look at him, but he heard her convulsive swallow. “You were supposed to love me for better or for worse, like I was prepared to do for you. You broke your vow, Beckett, the promise you made to me on our wedding day.”

  His throat tightened and he struggled to breathe. “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter now. What’s gone is gone.”

  He slowly dropped his hand. Whatever love she’d had for him had evaporated, leaving only the dregs of bitterness behind. What had he expected? He deserved nothing more. She’d been let down time and time again in her life, but nonetheless, she’d put her trust in him and he’d broken it. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

  She eased away from his grip. “Don’t be sorry. Just move on and restart your life. I’ll do the same as soon as we sign the papers.”

  He let her ease away a few steps before he spoke again. “Like I said, I’m sorry, but I’m going to sleep in one of the tents until I’m convinced things are secure here. I’ll try to stay out of your way, and I’ll make sure the hotel is legally signed over to you before I leave.”

  Now she turned, and there was an indecipherable expression on her face.

  “How long will all that take?”

  “I don’t know. I won’t stay any longer than I need to.”

  Light shimmered in her blue eyes. “Promise me one thing.”

  He waited.

  Her silence spread out until he shifted uncomfortably.

  After another moment more she seemed to come to a decision. “Okay,” she said quietly, shoulders squared. “Promise me that you’ll leave here and not come back, no matter what you find out.”

  He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “Just promise. After you go, you won’t be involved in my life for any reason.” She was fighting some strong emotion. “Promise.”

  “All right,” he said. “If that will make you feel better.”

  Laney hesitated for a moment, then reached into the pocket of her jeans and fished out a bottle. “Irene’s call wasn’t purely a social one.”

  His gut cinched. She was sick. He’d guessed right. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Nothing. She wanted to be sure I was taking these.”

  He looked down at the white bottle, and two words blazed at him like the tiki torches Laney insisted on.

  Prenatal vitamins. He read it over and over. “Prenatal...” His gaze flew to her face. “But I thought...”

  “So did I,” she said, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

  “You’re...you’re pregnant?”

  She nodded. A sad smile curved her trembling lips.

  “But I didn’t think... I mean...” He gulped. “The doctors said...”

  “They were wrong.”

  He stood there, stunned and silent.

  Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “Isn’t it incredible that God gave us a baby, just as you ended our marriage?”

  He couldn’t form a thought. Laney was pregnant with their child.

  “Laney...”

  She shook her head, lips pressed tight together. “This doesn’t change anything, Beckett. Remember your promise. You’re leaving, and you’re not coming back,” she said before she disappeared into the kitchen.

  * * *

  As she plastered on a smile, passing out the platters of meat and potatoes to the handful of diners, Laney’s insides quivered at what she’d revealed. She hadn’t wanted to tell him, but she knew he’d find out. Worse than having him stick around out of some sort of need to protect her would be him lingering out of guilt.

  He’d promised to leave, and he believed it better than tainting her with his reputation. Would he feel the same now that he knew she was carrying their child?

  “Doesn’t matter,” she muttered savagely. “He
won’t be your husband anymore in a few weeks.” A baby, even from a woman who wasn’t supposed to be able to conceive, wouldn’t change that.

  “Snake.”

  The word cut through her reverie. She blinked at the woman, taking a few seconds to remember her name. Rita Brown.

  “I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else. What did you say?”

  The woman lifted a shoulder. “I heard there was a rattlesnake in your van.”

  “Yes,” Laney said, wondering how that bit of news had gotten around. “Probably crawled into the camping supplies. The perils of living in a desert.”

  “There are a lot of perils here,” Rita said, running a finger around the edge of her water glass.

  Laney tried for another smile. “Well, it is one of the hottest places in the world. The record is one hundred thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit. They don’t call it Death Valley for nothing.”

  “And you had a murder on the property four months ago.”

  Laney stared. “It’s not something we talk about.”

  Rita’s intense gaze did not waver. “I heard your husband was out of jail. They mishandled some evidence or something. Word around town is people think he’s guilty.” She cocked her head. “But you don’t think so, do you?”

  Now the hairs on the back of Laney’s neck stood up. She lifted her chin. “Can I get you some dessert?” she said stiffly. “Our cook has made a delicious apple cobbler.”

  “No, thanks,” Rita said, standing. “I’m not here for the food.”

  Rita wasn’t there for the food, nor did she show any particular interest in the area.

  So why exactly was she there?

  The wall phone rang, and Laney jumped. It rang again and she stared at the old clunky thing. Calls were few and far between, and now two in one day.

  Rita’s mouth twisted into a grin. “Shouldn’t you answer that?” she said over her shoulder as she left the dining room.

  Laney picked it up, her gaze still following Rita’s departure. “Hotsprings Hotel.”

  There was a long pause. “Is this the property owned by Beckett Duke?” It was a man’s voice.

  Her pulse ticked up. “Who is calling, please?”

  Silence.

  “Who is this?”

  The caller abruptly disconnected. Laney found that her hand shook as she hung up the phone. She called Jude on her cell and reported the strange incident. He promised to check the phone records to see where the call had originated.

  Rita’s prying and the call plagued Laney through the dinner service, or maybe it was Beckett’s agitated presence. It was all she could do to keep away from him, clearing dishes, helping arrange a tour of the national park the following day, preparing the coffeepot for the morning breakfast service. Should she tell him about the call? But the police were investigating, and surely there was no reason to discuss anything with Beckett. The farther she could stay away from him, the better.

  At last she saw him stride off toward his tent, and she figured she might have gotten free of him at least for the evening. She knew he probably wanted to discuss the baby, but as far as she was concerned, there was nothing more to talk about. The papers were ready to go to the lawyer; she’d see to that when she had a spare moment. Perhaps she could convince Jude to discuss security plans or some such thing with Beckett and then he’d be cleared to leave, this time for good.

  The sun set into a molten swirl of color, and with it went her remaining energy. Admiral’s waggling behind reminded her there was one chore left: secure the gate to the hot springs.

  “All right, Admiral,” she said, taking the key ring from the peg by the back kitchen door. “Shall we finish up and call it a night?” She had a new chapter of a travelogue to read and a baggie of vanilla wafers waiting for her, not to mention a nice bacon-flavored chewy treat for Admiral. The old dog waddled along and she kept her pace slow so he would not get left behind or overexert himself.

  As she trudged, she let the whisper of cool autumn air revive her. The scenery never failed to lift her spirits as she surveyed the glorious sprawl of the Inyo Mountains in the distance. The vast desert soothed her, as it had since she’d come to live here with Kitty Duke, Jude’s mother. Kitty found her hungry and hopeless, in a Las Vegas bus stop, took her in and found her work at the Hotsprings. Aunt Kitty, as Laney called her, was the mother she was meant to have.

  “God saved you then,” she murmured to the night sky, “and He’ll watch over you and your baby now too.”

  Inhaling deeply of the scent of the desert at night, she started off. She climbed the sloping trail until she got to the spot where the spring lay caged in on one side by trees, the mountains poking out above. The mineral-rich water steamed as the air cooled around the oblong patch of milky water that hovered between ninety-five and one hundred and seven degrees, depending on the season. It was a perennial favorite of the guests. The springs were a jewel unique to the Hotsprings Hotel, a brilliant gem in a dull, sandy setting. A jet roared over, a common occurrence since the military used the valley for their flight exercises. Her good friend Willow, another of Beckett’s cousins, was currently dating a pilot training there.

  She made her way along the gravel path to the arm of the gate, using her key to unfasten the padlock threaded through a metal loop. As she tugged on the arm to pull it across the access, something rustled in the shrubs.

  A wild burro, probably. One of the many that frequented the area. Usually they were not a problem until visitors mistook them for the tamer variety and tried to get too close. The bossy, ornery critters were anything but docile.

  Admiral cocked an ear. She paused. Had he heard something? Nerves tingled along her spine.

  After a moment, he continued nosing around in hopes of finding small bits of dropped snacks.

  Feeling foolish, she began to pull the gate closed. It fought her as it always did, the metal squealing in defiance.

  Admiral barked at the sound, the hair standing up on his neck.

  “It’s okay, sweetie. I’ll get some oil on it as soon as I can.”

  There was nothing to alarm her until a stirring of air caused her to look up, just as a rock came hurtling toward her temple.

  FOUR

  A baby.

  Beckett stood in the middle of the musty canvas tent. Though the surroundings were familiar, the wood frames housing two twin mattresses, a small set of drawers, the plain lamp and footlocker containing extra blankets and a Bible, he felt like he had landed on another planet.

  Even locked up in jail like a rabid animal, he had not felt anywhere near this level of bewilderment.

  Laney was pregnant...in spite of the doctor’s dire proclamation after her failed pregnancy when she was a teen. Something about her uterus. They’d intended someday to adopt, but never in their wildest dreams did they expect to have a biological child. He experienced alternating waves of elation and anguish.

  A little life was silently growing inside Laney, cocooned and secret. He wanted to scoop his wife up and hold her, to somehow be close to the incredible phenomenon taking place.

  His wife, their child... Reality rushed back in a wash of bitterness.

  Why now, would God grant their deepest desire? When their marriage was over? Their future in tatters? He remembered the woman from town who’d seen him being led to the squad car after his arrest.

  “You deserve to rot in jail,” she’d spit.

  Did he deserve this too? To lose everything?

  There is no condemnation for those who follow Jesus, Miss Kitty used to say when he’d begun to visit regularly as an excuse to see Laney outside their hotel duties. Miss Kitty had seen her own share of trouble, including abandonment by her abusive husband, but she clung to the Lord with the unflagging strength of a cactus holding tight to a desert cliff. Why couldn’t he do that? Perhaps because deep down he didn’t bel
ieve he was worthy of that kind of great love. No condemnation? That wasn’t the life he knew.

  His mind returned to the baby. When would it be born? Would it be a son or daughter? The thoughts both tortured and tantalized him.

  He was in such a fog he didn’t at first hear the high-pitched yip followed by a wheeze.

  Admiral plowed into the tent. The dog’s tongue hung out in a fleshy pink ribbon and he was wheezing, eyes bulging more than usual. Beckett dropped to his knees. Admiral collapsed and let out a pitiful whine. He’d obviously been running, but Admiral was never out of Laney’s sight and she was nowhere to be seen.

  A fist of fear punched Beckett in the gut.

  He scooped up the exhausted dog and ran out of the tent. Lights burned in the main house. Herm would be in the kitchen cleaning up before heading to his own cramped room on the property. He would have heard Laney if she called for help, or found the agitated dog and come running.

  He stumbled to a halt, his eyes drifting to the trail that stretched away toward the springs. He jerked a look at his watch, a gift from Laney on their wedding day. Seven forty. She would have gone to lock the gate to secure the hot spring. Holding Admiral like a football, he sprinted. His heart thundered in time to his panicked thoughts. He’d left her alone. Kenny had found her.

  The gravel slipped under his steel-toed boots, but he held firmly to Admiral and did not slacken his pace. Panic like he had never known filled him to bursting.

  “Laney,” he shouted when he was within a hundred yards. There was no answer. The gate was unlocked, the metal arm pulled only partially across the opening. “Laney,” he yelled again.

  He shoved through the gate.

  Lord, he prayed, please. His shipwrecked life was not redeemable and he did not ask the Lord for any favors, but Laney... Laney did not deserve an ounce more pain...and the baby... That innocent life should not pay for the mistakes of his or her father. The setting sun glinted off the water, setting the surface aglow. “Where are you?” he hollered again.