Canyon Secret

by Patrick Lee

  “That’s right. He is.” She turned away and slid another piece of paper into the typewriter.

  David moved around in front of her and put on his best flirting face, “Are you wearin’ your hair different these days?”

  Without looking up or stopping her quickly moving fingers on the keys, she answered, “No. Same as I have for the last fifteen years.”

  He walked back over and looked out the window at the cement crew in the last block as they vibrated the cement into every possible edge in the block. David looked more intensely and watched Tomas and his partner easily handle the powerful two-man vibrator. His interest quickly changed as he heard the door to Scalf’s office open. The man in visiting the Superintendent thanked Mary for the coffee and spoke quietly to David.

  Scalf waved him in and pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat, Dave, I’ll be right with you.” He walked out and used the bathroom behind Mary’s desk. While he stood there, he reviewed the instructions given to him by the two FBI agents. They told him to ask each walking boss the questions written on the typed sheets. He walked by Mary and into his office.

  David nervously started the conversation, “What’s goin’ on Supt.?”

  He picked up the sheet of paper with David’s name on it and prepared to start with the FBI questions. “Dave, I can’t tell you too much about this, so you just need to trust me. I’m askin’ every one of the walkin’ bosses these same questions. That’s all I’m tellin’ you right now. Later on I might be able to tell you more.”

  After he waved his hands that he understood, David flashed a sigh of relief from his anxiety all morning about why the Superintendent might want to talk to him. The adjusted timecards seemed to be the top reason for a meeting. But then he remembered that the auditor still planned to work here on the financial records for another few weeks.

  Scalf began the questions and recorded David’s answers on the sheet in front of him. David easily answered the questions until he got to question number ten. “Last question, Dave. Has anyone on the job contacted you about doin’ anything illegal?”

  David felt the effects of the lack of sleep from worrying about Lila’s husband. Throughout the night he wrestled with the idea of the man in the old pickup taking pictures of him leaving Lila’s cabin in the morning. “Maybe the guy just liked takin’ pictures of the lake or somethin’? But then maybe he was Lila’s old man’s friend spyin’ on her?” Scalf cleared his throat and snapped David back to the question. “What was the question again Supt.?”

  Scalf repeated the question. David squirmed and unconsciously rolled his head several times. He moved his lower lip up tight against his upper lip. “Um, no. Um, not that I can think of.” His eyes darted around the room and stopped on the photo of the early clearing of the trees from the canyon in preparation for the Dam. He read the handwriting on the black and white photo. “To W.R., from Al Sutter.”

  The Superintendent stopped writing and looked up. “You don’t sound too sure of yourself there, Dave.”

  He struggled to gain his composure, “I’m sure, Supt. Nobody talked to me about nothin’ like that there. I, I haven’t done anythin’ illegal.”

  “I never said you did.”

  He rubbed his brow and then felt the whiskers on his chin. “I’m fine. I just didn’t understand you the first time.” David faked a laugh and asked, “Anything else, Supt.?”

  Scalf shook his head and finished writing David’s answer to the last question. He made a mental note to remember how David acted but didn’t put any notation on the list of FBI questions. David left and walked right by Mary without saying a word. He felt his stomach flip over as he replayed how poorly he reacted to the final question. I need a couple of drinks to settle me down. David walked over to his pickup and pulled out a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam. He swallowed the remaining whiskey in one drink.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The Care Less Group noisily chattered about the upcoming activity scheduled for August third. Hannah got the attention of the other women by clinking her spoon on her coffee cup. “Ladies, ladies. Let me read the article in the Daily Inter Lake about the upcoming copper liberty bell parade in Martin City. We have lots of work to do and less than two weeks to get it done.”

  Mabel wet the pencil on her tongue as she wrote down some of the jobs to be done. She listened to Hannah read the article from the newspaper.

  The Montana copper liberty bell, symbol of the U.S. Savings Bond Independence drive, will be on display in Martin City the afternoon of August sixteenth. The bell, one of forty-nine Independence Day replicas cast at Annecy, France will arrive by truck at noon. The nationwide U.S. Saving Bond Independence drive opened on July Fourth and will continue until Labor Day on September seventh. The Montana bell replica was officially dedicated on July Fourth in Butte. Six U.S. copper companies donated copper for the bell project.

  Columbia Falls mayor Fred Keller today issued a proclamation declaring Wednesday as the start of the bond drive in the Flathead Valley. The mayor’s proclamation follows: On Wednesday, August sixteenth, the U.S. Savings Bond Independence drive opens throughout the Flathead Valley. Its symbol is the liberty bell, encircled by the campaign theme: Save for your independence-Buy U.S. Savings Bonds.

  The year-round savings bonds program, of which this annual campaign is an important part, fosters true spirit of self-reliance and the urge for self-betterment that, along with individual enterprise, inventiveness, productivity, and thrift have carried us steadily forward since the first settlers braced the wilderness to build a free America.

  As your mayor, I urge all who are able to help the volunteer savings bonds committee of this Valley reach every possible bond buyer during the campaign. The more we exceed our Independence drive quota and the more we spread the habit of regular saving, through the payroll savings plan or purchase of bonds at banks and post offices, the more we shall have done for ourselves, our community, and our nation. I call upon the citizens of the Flathead Valley to signal the opening of this independence drive by the ringing of bells throughout the Valley and the displaying of flags of our nation during the parade through the five cities. The parade will begin in Martin City and continue through Hungry Horse, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and finally end in Kalispell.

  Hannah set the newspaper down and took a drink from her water glass. “So. What jobs do we need to do to pull this off? The parade starts here in Martin City.”

  All eyes shifted to Mabel as she adjusted her glasses and placed her pencil on the first item on her list. “Number one, we need to advertise here and in Hungry Horse so people will know what’s going on. Number two, we need to get a hold of the sheriff to take care of traffic and lead the parade.”

  Betty Hansen interrupted Mabel, “I’d like to get a hold of the sheriff right by his—”

  Hannah laughed and then said, “Don’t say it, Betty Hansen. We’ll never get back to Mabel’s list.”

  “Okay. But you ruin all my fun. Sheriff just has such a cute bum.” The ladies returned to their noisy string of laughs and snorts. Mabel released gas, and the group lost control.

  Finally Mabel replaced her tear-stained eyeglasses and continued, “Number three, someone and not me, needs to hand out information on the savings bond drive. I think a couple of you could walk through the crowd giving out the sheets of paper. Number four, how about a little picnic or something down in Hungry Horse?”

  Hannah noticed that Lila looked down at her hand and spun her wedding ring around in circles. She tilted her head as she looked at Lila. Lila shook her head and managed a slight smile. Hannah mouthed the words, “Are you okay?”

  Lila looked at Hannah, shook her head no and mouthed back, “I’ll tell you later.”

  The waitress refilled all of their coffee cups. After she walked away, Hannah volunteered to take Mabel’s list and make assignments, “I’ll plan this out and we can go over it Saturday here durin’ lunch. I think Betty should contact the Sheriff. I’m sure he�
�d do whatever she says.”

  Betty slapped her on the arm. “I’d be happy to contact him. The sooner the better.”

  After Betty and Mabel drove away from the Club Café, Hannah put her arm around Lila as they waved goodbye to their two friends. “What’s going on Lila? You look like you’re a thousand miles away.”

  Lila bent over and picked up an empty crushed pack of Camel cigarettes and dropped it in the trashcan near the door of the Café. She looked up through tears at Hannah and spoke in a low voice, “I’m in trouble, Hannah. Can we go somewhere private and talk? I, I really need a friend right now.” She burst into tears and welcomed Hannah’s embrace.

  “Ya. Let’s take a walk up to the Royal. I need to open it up anyway for tonight’s movie. We can have all the privacy we need.” Arm in arm the two women walked across the gravel road and entered the front door of the theater. Hannah guided Lila into a small office to the side of the concessions. The stale smell of popcorn from the night before lingered like a permanent resident.

  Hannah cleared a messy stack of magazines from a wire-frame ice cream parlor chair and slapped it a couple of times. Lila formed a weak smile and sat down. She blew her nose with a well-used white handkerchief that she retrieved from her purse. After she inhaled deeply a couple of times, she quietly spoke, “I’ve been seeing a married man for a few months now. I’m pretty sure my husband knows something’s up. He’s accused me about it several times. God knows I’ve tried to break it off. But I keep going back. Oh I’m so stupid, I—”

  “Take it easy, Lila. You’re doin’ fine. Get it all out. Start from the beginnin’ if you have ta. I’m just here ta listen. Go ahead.”

  She set the drenched handkerchief back into her purse and continued, “He works at the Dam and his wife and little girl live in Butte. It just happened. I didn’t see it coming at all. Next thing I know he was in my bed every time my husband left for Havre overnight. I broke it off the night of the fundraiser at Rocco’s. Remember. You saw me crying in the bathroom.” Hannah nodded her head forward, but didn’t say a word. “I thought I ended it. But I ran into him in Columbia Falls at the Post Office and we spent last night together. I broke it off again this morning. But I don’t know if I can stay away.” She fought tears again.

  Hannah slid her chair closer to her. She padded Lila’s shoulder and handed her a clean handkerchief. “Did you say he’s from Butte?”

  “Yes. He’s got a good job as a boss and everything. His little girl has polio. In fact, he and his brother-in-law are going to Butte this coming weekend to see her.”

  The words struck Hannah like lighting. She remembered Mikhail talking about his sick little granddaughter in Butte. Mikhail also told her that his son worked with him on the Dam. He even grumbled about his son-in-law living and working here. She slid her chair back and moved around to the door. Without looking back at Lila, she quietly talked to herself. “Oh shit. He has to be Mikhail’s son-in-law. What the hell do I do now?”

  Lila interrupted her thoughts, “I’m fooling myself, Hannah. He ain’t going to leave his family for me. Plus, my husband’s bound to find out and then we’ll really be in trouble. What should I do? What would you do?”

  Hannah focused back to Lila. “I’m not sure. I need to think about it some. I’m here for you, Lila. But I’m just not sure what you should do.”

  There weren’t any more tears left for the moment. Lila stood up and walked toward the theater door. “Thanks, Hannah. Please don’t think poorly of me. It just happened.”

  Hannah wrapped her arms around her. “I don’t think poorly of you. Why don’t you come up and watch the movie tonight, and afterwards we can go over to my house and drink a couple of homemade beers. We’ll work out somethin’. I know we will.”

  Lila thanked her again and told her she’d see her at 7:00. Hannah watched her as she slowly walked down to the Café and climbed into her car.

  They sat outside of Mabel’s and talked about the meeting with the Care Less Group. Mabel placed her hand on the door handle as she prepared to step out of Betty Hansen’s 1952 Ford sedan. “Betty, do you have a crush on the Sheriff? You lit up when his name came up. It seems like—”

  She turned and faced Mabel, “Oh, I was just carrying on a little bit. I think I have a crush on every twenty or thirty-year-old guy around that will give me the time of day. I’m thirty-eight years old, and my husband turns fifty in a month. We ain’t lovers or even friends for that matter. I don’t think he knows I’m alive. We pass like strangers in our house. The only thing important to Mr. Hansen is makin’ money.”

  Mabel removed her hand from the door handle and set it on Betty’s shoulder. “Have you tried to talk to him about it?”

  “I’ve tried. I really have. He acts like everything is just fine. Mabel, we don’t sleep in the same room, let alone the same bed. It’s been two years since he touched me. The only time he acts like we’re married is at his stupid parties or dinners with the other big shots who work at the Dam. Then he’s friendly and very cozy to me. But soon as we’re alone, he gets quiet and lost in his own world. I could walk around stark naked and he wouldn’t know the difference. Maybe I’ll try it tonight just to see.” She faked a laugh and threw her hands in the air.

  “Why do you stay with him if it’s that bad? I mean, you’re young, very good lookin’, and have lots of money. Why not pack up and leave?”

  “Oh believe me, Mabel, I think of that a hundred times a day. I married him when I was twenty years old and had nothing. He promised me the moon, and for a while I got it. But he changed at the Grand Coulee Dam job, and we continued to drift even more apart ever since he took this job. His mind’s always somewhere else. I’ve cried, thrown tantrums, threatened to leave. Everything, and he ignores me.”

  “Maybe you should leave for a while and see if he changes.”

  Betty returned the key to the ignition. “I think I need to add a little spice to my life at least. Maybe I’ll come and work for you a couple of nights a week.” They both laughed as Betty turned the key and the engine fired right up. “I’ll stick around for the summer and then I might head to Seattle and stay with my sister for a while. She knows what’s goin’ on here and says the same thing you’re sayin’.”

  Mabel opened the car door and peeked back in before saying goodbye. “Maybe the Sheriff might add a little spice to your life. After all, he does have a cute bum.” Betty erupted into laughter and watched Mabel limp toward her house.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Shorty Davis finished his bacon and eggs breakfast with his wife Carol. As his daily routine demanded, he then used the bathroom, walked to the kitchen window, and wound his pocket watch. He carefully placed the antique silver watch in his lined Copenhagen can and twisted on the lid. The butterscotch mints waited by his packed lunch bucket. Shorty stuffed them into the pants pocket of his bib overall jeans. As he stared out of the window, he blessed himself and whispered the same prayers he said for the past twenty years. Carol laid his yellow rain slicker on the back of the chair near the front door. “It rained and snowed off and on all night long, Johnny. You’ll be needin’ your slicker today.”

  Shorty turned around and said, “August first and the thunderstorms and sticky snow are right on time. Did you hear that thunder last night? There were some beauties.”

  Carol closed the distance between them and kissed him on the cheek. “It might be worth your while to shave tonight after work Mr. Davis. After all, it’s your fiftieth birthday and who knows what I might have in store for you tonight.” She twisted her head away in a flirty motion and continued, “I just hope you ain’t too old.”

  He laughed and replied, “You’ll see how old I am when I get a hold of you tonight. Fifty ain’t too old. You’d better take a good nap this afternoon ‘cause you’re goin’ to need it.”

  The slap on his behind barely reached his skin. “Go to work and bring home the bacon. I’ll be fresh as a daisy when you come through that door. Now get going old
timer.” Shorty picked up his lunch bucket and rain slicker, kissed his wife goodbye, and walked to join his waiting ride to Hungry Horse.

  Carol picked up the breakfast dishes and smiled to herself at the thoughts of their bantering. She thought of how fast time had gone by since their wedding thirty years earlier. Now he’s fifty. She flashed on how handsome he looked in his blue wedding suit that he borrowed from his older brother. Carol sat down at the kitchen table and finished her second cup of coffee. He’s still cuter than hell, and I’ll fix his wagon tonight with the surprise party.

  The men slowly boarded the bus. Yellow rain slickers and silver hardhats trudged along as each man waited his turn to climb onto the bus. Tomas walked right behind Shorty just like he did every day. Shorty continued with a Navy story that he started while the men waited in the quonset hut. “We just finished pulling out of Frisco and cleared the Golden Gate Bridge when the Captain sounded general orders. I was a Seaman E-3 Gunners Mate and I bolted to the bow to join my gunner at our BMG-M2. I—”

  Tomas listened carefully and interrupted Shorty’s story, “What’s a BMG?”

  “It’s short for a Browning Machine Gun. We used them against hostile small surface craft and commando-types. Shit, you interrupted me and I can’t remember where I was goin’ with that. Let’s see—”

  Buck Morris seized the opportunity to tease his nemesis Shorty Davis. “No wonder you can’t remember where you was goin’ with another one of them borin’ Navy stories. You’re fifty years old for Christ’s sake. It’s lucky you remembered to get on the bus this mornin’.” Except for Tomas, most of the men within earshot of Buck’s comment laughed. Over his right shoulder, Shorty flipped Morris the finger.