Silent Witness

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Do you want to come in and have tea with Gram and me?” Jennie asked as they reached her cabin.

  “I don’t think I’d better. I have to meet Ken at five­thirty in the morning. And unlike you, I didn’t get a nap this afternoon. See you tomorrow night?” Before Jennie could answer, he added, “I’ll let you beat me at pool.”

  “I have a better idea.” Jennie lifted her hand to brush some stray hairs out of her eyes and realized he was still holding it.

  “Let me guess,” he said. “You want to have a contest to see who can take the longest nap?” His sea-green eyes sparkled under the soft light of a nearby utility lamp.

  “You nut.”

  “No, I know. You want to have a contest to see which of us is the best kisser.”

  “Be serious.”

  “I am.”

  “Scott …” Jennie pushed past him. “You’re being a pest.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. What’s your idea?”

  Jennie relented and turned back to face him. “How good of a swimmer are you?”

  “Want to race me?” Scott loved a challenge as much as Jennie.

  “Yeah,” she said. “As long as you’re not an Olympic

  contender.”

  Scott laughed softly. “You’re on. Meet you at the pool at three, tomorrow afternoon.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Nothing dramatic, just the kind a person might give a brother or sister. Jennie touched her cheek. Then why did it feel like so much more?

  Jennie watched him jog away. Even after the darkness had swallowed him up, she stood there. They had a lot in common, she and Scott. Maybe that’s what attracted her to him. They both liked to joke around, but they had a serious side too, and a passion. His was saving the environment. Hers was finding Dad.

  The phone rang, disrupting Jennie’s thoughts. As she walked in the door, Gram held the phone toward her.

  “I thought I heard you out there. This is for you.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s Ryan.”

  10

  “Ryan?” Jennie pressed the phone to her ear. Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear him. The static on the line didn’t help either.

  “Hey, Jennie!” Ryan responded. “You wouldn’t believe this place. I’m taking tons of pictures. When I get home, I’ll put them online so you can see them. Or maybe we could look at them together next time you come to the beach.”

  “I’d like that.” Jennie imagined the two of them sitting on Gram’s porch swing looking at pictures—and at each other.

  “How’s Florida?”

  “Wonderful. And warm. The sunsets are fantastic. You’d love them. I’ll get some pictures, but it won’t be the same as being here in person.” They went on talking about nothing in particular for about five minutes, both grasping for things to say.

  “We’re about ready to take off again,” Ryan said. “I’ll try to call you next time we’re in port. Oh, say hi to Gram for me. Tell her I’ll bring her back some salmon. You too.”

  “That would be great.”

  “Jennie?” Ryan hesitated. “I miss you.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “I miss you, too,” she said.

  Oh, McGrady, her ever-present inner voice said, you’ve got it bad. Three weeks ago you weren’t even dating, now look at you. You’ve got not one but two boys interested in you. She could hear Lisa now, “Oh, this is so much fun.” Well, for Jennie it was about as much fun as getting her teeth drilled. Well, maybe not quite. But she was beginning to wonder if having boyfriends was worth the effort.

  After hanging up, Jennie dried her eyes, blew her nose, fixed herself a cup of tea, and went in search of her grandmother. She found Gram in the bedroom. “You didn’t have to leave,” Jennie said, settling herself into the cushioned high-backed rattan chair.

  “Nonsense. I thought you’d like some privacy.”

  Jennie shrugged. “He didn’t have a lot to say except hi. He wants to show me pictures, he’s going to bring us some salmon, and he misses me.” “I’d say that was quite a lot.”

  “I guess.” Jennie hooked her leg over the arm of the chair and took a sip of the warm peppermint brew, letting the aroma soothe her senses. Gram asked about her evening with Scott, and Jennie told her about the bet she’d lost and how tired she was of liking two guys at once.

  “What should I do, Gram? I keep going over and over things about Ryan and Scott, Maggie and Sarah, Mom and Michael, Nick, and of course, Dad. Now I’m starting to worry about dolphins. My brain feels so stuffed, if I add one more thing it’s going to explode.”

  “I’m not sure what will work for you, but I can tell you what helps me. First I pray about it and try to put every worry, anxiety, and concern out of my mind.”

  “How can you do that? I used to be able to stuff things away and think only about what really mattered, but now it seems like there’s too much.”

  Gram retrieved her Bible from the bedside stand and after flipping through it, bookmarked a page and handed it to Jennie. “You might also want to read this section in Matthew where Jesus reminds us that it doesn’t really do much good to worry. Things have a way of taking care of themselves.”

  It seemed like good advice, and when they’d finished their tea, Jennie gathered up their cups, took them downstairs, and got ready for bed. The room was warm and stuffy, so Jennie opened the window and stretched out on top of her blankets. She prayed that God would give her the right attitude about guys and help her not to worry so much. It seemed as though lately she’d been doing nothing but worrying. It had gotten to the point where the most important thing in her life was fading into the background—finding Dad.

  Jennie picked up the Bible Gram had given her and opened it to the marked page. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life …” When she’d finished reading the entire passage, Jennie took a deep breath and mentally set aside the concerns she’d been having. One by one she stacked them in a neat corner at the back of her mind. As she’d done many times before, Jennie pulled the memories of her father into the foreground. In her mind’s eye, she could see his dark hair and eyes, so like Nick’s and her own. A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

  The next morning Jennie felt more relaxed than she had in days. She and Gram greeted the morning by walking and jogging along the beach, which wasn’t easy when they stopped every few feet to gather shells. After about an hour they made their way back to the cabin, set their treasures on the patio to dry, and got ready for breakfast. It was still only seven o’clock, but except for Debbie, Sarah, and Maggie, the dining room was empty. Debbie had eaten and was getting ready to leave. She had explained the night before that they served breakfast from six to eight and most of the staffers ate early. A twinge of disappointment at not seeing Scott surfaced, but Jennie quickly sidestepped it. Not today, McGrady. Today is for swimming with the dolphins.

  Jennie was in an adventurous mood and at Debbie’s suggestion tried the granola topped with raspberry yogurt. She also helped herself to a banana muffin and a glass of milk. Her crunchy, tangy concoction tasted surprisingly good.

  While Maggie and Gram chatted, Jennie studied Sarah. Nothing had changed as far as Jennie could tell, except that she felt more comfortable with the girl than she had the night before. Just act like she understands, Maggie had said.

  “I’m swimming with Delilah today,” Jennie told her. “Your mom says that’s the dolphin who works with you and Debbie during your therapy sessions. Debbie and your mom told us it would be okay if we sat in on your session today. I hope you don’t mind.” After making several more mundane remarks, Jennie fell into an uncomfortable silence. Now what? Come on, McGrady, you ought to be good at this, you talk to yourself all the time. Yeah, right, I could always say, “Hey, Sarah, snap out of it.”

  Jennie contemplated her banana muffin, then took a bite. Talking to Sarah was like try
ing to communicate with a photograph. No matter what you said or did, the expression didn’t change. It was like she’d been frozen in time. Jennie remembered how she felt when Dad had disappeared. She’d been numb and lost. Sometimes she felt as if her world had stopped and she had been locked inside herself.

  Maybe later she’d tell Sarah about Dad, and that she knew, at least in part, what Sarah must be going through. Maybe, but not until they were alone.

  When they’d finished eating, Jennie and Gram went back to the cabin to retrieve Gram’s camera and note pad, then headed for the docks. Ken met them there and gave them a tour of the facilities. They first stopped at a pond, which housed a loggerhead turtle named Mr. Lucky.

  “This really was a lucky turtle,” Ken said. “A couple of marine biologists near Palm Beach found him washed up on the beach. He was still alive—though just barely—so they called me. We’d found another turtle like that a couple of months before, only he was already dead. I had done an autopsy and found some plastic bags and over a hundred cigarette butts in his stomach, so I played on a hunch and performed surgery on Lucky. Sure enough, his stomach was full of cigarette butts and plastic too. We removed the garbage and got him started eating again. Now he’s almost ready to join his friends in the wild.”

  “Yuck,” Jennie scrunched up her nose. “Why in the world would a turtle want to eat cigarettes?”

  “Unfortunately, most people don’t stop to ask that question. Smokers toss millions of butts on the ground, in the sand, off boats, and never give a second thought to the damage they can cause. The filters don’t readily break down in the environment. Instead, they attract bacteria. Before long they’re covered with algae. The turtles eat them, thinking they’ve just captured a nice juicy morsel. Since the filters don’t break down, they don’t pass through the digestive system. The more the turtles eat, the fuller their stomachs get.”

  “I see,” Gram said. “So eventually, he feels full all the time, doesn’t eat, and starves to death.”

  “Exactly.”

  Jennie was beginning to understand how Scott could get so worked up about environmental issues. While she didn’t think she wanted to carry protest signs, she might be able to do something. “Do you have anything written about this?” she asked. “I was just thinking, maybe I could do a report for one of my classes.”

  “While you’re at it,” Gram said, “why not write an article for one of the teen magazines? I’ll be happy to let you use my notes.”

  Jennie bypassed Gram’s suggestion. She liked writing but wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. Besides, one writer in the family was enough.

  Ken walked them through the rest of the facility, stopping briefly to talk to them about the various sea animals in their “hospital.” Gram, of course, took pictures of each one, jotting down the details she wanted to remember. The menagerie included Pierre, a dolphin with ulcers who’d been sent to them from a zoo in Europe, and a sea lion named Max, whom they’d found wrapped in fishing line. The hook had been imbedded in his stomach, and they’d had to surgically remove it.

  Ken then introduced them to several of the bottle­nose dolphins who’d chosen to live at Dolphin Island. Cleo and her baby, Squirt, approached the dock, eyed the humans, and dashed away. Squirt’s was one of the few dolphin births they’d been able to observe at close range. Ken pointed to a dock across the lagoon where Scott and Debbie were feeding Splash and Corky.

  From the opposite side of the dock, two dolphins headed toward them at breakneck speed, and Jennie was certain they’d crash into the dock. At the last second they both turned, spraying water onto the dock and barely missing their human targets. “This is our most friendly pair. Folks, meet Samson and Delilah.” Ken gave them a series of signals, and they delighted their small audience by spiraling through the water then jumping high into the air in perfect unison.

  “Since you’ll be swimming with Delilah later, Jennie, why don’t you come get acquainted with her?” Ken signaled her to approach the dock. Delilah lay in the water watching Jennie for a moment, then came in close so Jennie could pet her. The dolphin’s skin was sleek and rubbery. “Giggle for her, Delilah.” Ken signaled her again, and she lifted herself halfway out of the water and swayed back and forth, making a sound that really did sound like laughter. The dolphin then swam away, only to return a moment later, swishing her tail and sending a wall of water onto her audience.

  “Delilah! Is that any way to treat our guests?” Ken scolded, removing his glasses and wiping the water from his face. “She loves to tease,” he explained. After more discussion on dolphins and rules like, “Don’t touch their blow hole,” Ken announced that it was time for Jennie’s swim with Delilah.

  After changing into her swimsuit, Jennie donned a life jacket and entered the water. A wave of panic coursed through her. She wished her mother had never let her watch Jaws. Being in the water with a 400-pound animal was far different from watching them perform. Ken had told her that swimming with Delilah would be safe. Jennie gulped.

  Gram’s warning to be careful hadn’t helped. Neither had Ken’s informative remark that a flick of a dolphin’s tail could break a man’s arm. Okay, McGrady, pull yourself together. You can do this. You’ve withstood a kidnapping,been held at gunpoint, and even been shot at. So what’s the big deal?

  Jennie took a deep breath and moved away from the dock. Delilah circled her, swam away, then came back and gave her a nudge that sent Jennie farther into the lagoon. “Help,” she wanted to scream, “she’s going to push me out to sea. I don’t think I want to do this.”

  Jennie pushed her fears back and focused her attention on Delilah. “Okay, Delilah, what’s the plan?”

  Delilah swam close to Jennie as though she were sizing her up. Then the oddest thing happened. Suddenly all fear left Jennie, and she gently stroked the animal’s side.

  Ken tossed a ball into the water and Delilah caught it on her nose, tossing it to Jennie. Jennie laughed and threw it back. About half a dozen throws later, Delilah chuckled, dove deep into the water, then came back to circle Jennie again. Jennie wasn’t sure, but there seemed to be a mischievous gleam in her eye.

  Delilah ducked between Jennie’s legs, sending her toppling. “You stinker,” Jennie sputtered. “You could have warned me.” Gram and Ken stood on the dock laughing.

  The next time Delilah approached, she stayed at Jennie’s side. “Take hold of her dorsal fin, Jennie. She wants to give you a ride.”

  She did, squealing with delight as Delilah circled the pool with Jennie in tow. On the second pass by the dock, Delilah dove deep and sped away.

  “Sorry, kid,” Ken said. “I’m afraid you’re being dumped. It’s time for Sarah’s therapy session.”

  Jennie climbed out of the water and hung her life jacket on a post to dry. While she’d been swimming, Maggie, Sarah, and Debbie had arrived on the dock. Ken helped Sarah into a dry life jacket and lowered her into the water with Debbie. Jennie frowned. “Isn’t it dangerous to let Sarah swim with Delilah? She was pretty rough with me.”

  Ken adjusted his glasses and smiled. “That’s one of the things we find so fascinating about dolphins. They seem to have an inner sense of how tough or fragile humans are and what they need. Watch and you’ll see what I mean.”

  Delilah swam close to Sarah, gently bumping her as she had Jennie. A few minutes later, Debbie took Sarah’s hand and placed it on Delilah’s dorsal fin, and Delilah took Sarah for a ride.

  “I can’t believe the difference,” Gram said as she scribbled something on her note pad. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you switched dolphins.”

  Jennie focused her attention on Sarah. Something had happened out there, but what? Think, McGrady. What did you see? It might be important. But the moment had slipped into a black hole in her brain. She replayed the scene over and over in her mind as Sarah finished her session, and she, Gram, Maggie, and Sarah w
alked back to the cabins.

  It wasn’t until Jennie and Scott were swimming laps in the pool that it came to her. She stopped dead in the water and Scott plowed into her. He came up sputtering. “What’s going on? Why’d you stop? You had a good ten feet on me.”

  “She smiled!” Jennie grabbed his arms. “Sarah smiled!

  11

  “You’re nuts,” Scott said, treading water.

  Out of breath from the swim, Jennie gulped air and tipped her head back. “No …” she panted, “… it’s true. She was out … with Delilah … had her back to us. Delilah turned and I saw it. I wasn’t sure at first …”

  “Probably a mirage. Or a nervous twitch.” He leaned back and floated on the water’s surface. “I just saw Sarah this afternoon. She still has that creepy stare.”

  Miffed, Jennie pushed his head under water and swam toward the sun deck at the deep end of the pool. Scott issued a challenge and raced after her. Jennie reached the deck ahead of him and was toweling off her hair when she heard him step out of the water. “I know what I saw …”

  His arms went around her, and Jennie’s feet left the ground. “Scott Chambers, put me down this instant.”

  “Okay.” He let her go and she landed in the water. Jennie came up sputtering but ready for revenge. “You asked for it.” Scott was still laughing as he reached a hand down to help her out.

  Jennie took his hand and with a hard yank pulled him in with her. They splashed at each other until Jennie called for a truce. Since their towels were soaked, they sat beside the pool and dangled their feet in the water while the sun dried their suits. “I did see her smile, Scott.” Jennie closed her eyes and leaned back on her arms.

  “If you expect me to disagree with you again, you can forget it. I think I’m beginning to understand what they mean by ‘a woman scorned.’”

  Jennie jabbed his arm.

  “You are one cruel woman, McGrady.” Scott winced and massaged his muscles, then lay back against the wood decking. He lifted his arm to block the sun. “Anyway, what’s the big deal? I mean, so what if she did smile? It doesn’t seem to have made much difference.”