by Patricia Fry
When Arthur saw that Lily was looking directly at him and smiling, he smiled back and reached out for the toy. He took the toy and Lily began clapping her hands together and laughing.
“She really is cute,” Arthur said. “And she isn’t afraid of me. I don’t frighten her.”
“No, Arthur. She sees who you are, not your scars.”
“Looks like you have made a new friend, Artie,” Ruth said, smiling.
Arthur grinned, only one side of his scarred face cooperating. “Yes, I guess I have. Cool,” he said as he began playing airplane kitty with Lily.
****
The following morning, the Iveys and their guests sat around the kitchen table eating waffles with fresh peach preserves.
“So you made this peach topping?” Arthur asked. “How do you do that?”
“Well, you start with fresh peaches…” Savannah explained.
“Which we grow right here on the property,” Michael added.
Ruth nodded. “I thought I saw fruit trees out there.”
“Yes, maybe you’d like to take a tour of the orchard this morning,” Savannah suggested.
“And meet the horse?” Arthur asked.
Savannah glanced up at the kitchen clock. “Yes, and feed her. I’m late feeding her today.”
“Already did,” Michael said. “She’ll be ready for company by the time you finish breakfast.”
“That would be great,” Arthur said, picking up Lily’s stuffed kitty for the sixth time. This time, he examined the toy. “Hey, what if we tie a ribbon to this and attach it to her chair or her hand; then she can’t throw it on the floor.”
“Aww, you’d spoil her fun,” Michael said, chuckling. When Arthur appeared to be puzzled, Michael continued, “She does that for attention, you know. She likes making people bow to her demands.”
Arthur looked at Michael for a moment then smiled. “Oh, I get it,” he said. “It’s a game with her.”
Michael nodded. “I think so.”
Just then the doorbell rang. “That’s probably Craig,” Savannah said, heading for the door. When she ushered him in, he spotted Arthur and immediately approached him with his hand out and a wide grin on his face. “Hi there, guy.”
Arthur stood and greeted the detective equally enthusiastically. “Good to see you again, Detective.”
Craig nodded in greeting to Ruth and asked, “So how’s it going with you two?”
Before they could respond, Savannah offered Craig a cup of coffee, which he eagerly accepted.
“How about a waffle?” Michael said. “…with Savannah’s peach preserves,” he added in a tempting manner.
“Mine and Adam’s,” Savannah corrected. “Adam helped me make this batch.”
Craig held out his arm crookedly and jested, “Come on, one more twist…”
Arthur looked confused for a moment, then he laughed out loud as he sat back down at the table. Craig sat opposite him. While Savannah prepared a plate for Craig, he peered across at Arthur and Ruth and asked again, “Everything’s okay with you two, huh?”
The boy glanced at Ruth. “Yeah, good.”
“Artie has a doctor,” Ruth announced. “He will start the skin grafts soon.”
“That’s great news, son,” Craig said. “Then what?”
Arthur took a sip of his hot chocolate, looked at the baby for a moment, then said, “I’m not thinking about that this week. Just want to relax with friends.”
A strange clattering drew everyone’s attention toward the dining room. They watched as Rags tore into the room with Koko close behind. When Rags came to a sudden stop, Koko leaped over him, and the chase was on again, going in the opposite direction. Laugher filled the room.
“So, Arthur, you brought your cat?” Craig asked.
“Yes, Koko goes where I go.”
Craig looked confused, “Koko...isn’t that the same cat that…”
“Yeah,” Savannah said as she placed a waffle in front of Craig. “That’s Karen. Arthur gave her a new lease on life, too—she’s now using her real name.”
“Oh,” Craig said, still slightly confused. He reached for a pat of butter and began smothering his waffle with it. “So what do you plan to do while you’re here, Arthur?”
“We’re going to tour the grounds after breakfast. I’d like to ride a horse.”
“You haven’t been out to ride the horses at the estate?” Craig asked.
“No. We’re laying low for a while.” Arthur looked to Ruth for confirmation.
She leaned toward the detective. “His attorney suggested we should stay away from there until things calm down. Savannah and her aunt and uncle arranged to have the cats taken care of.”
“Yeah, they had some of them brought right here,” Arthur said, excitedly. He looked up at Savannah. “Maybe I can visit them.”
“Of course you can,” Savannah said. “They’re living right next door.” She faced Craig. “There’s a great agency in San Francisco that’s seeing to the rest of them. At Arthur’s request, they’ll be placed in homes with families.”
“Yeah, with kids,” Arthur added.
“How many were there?” Craig asked.
Arthur took in a deep breath. “I guess there were thirteen, not counting Karen—I mean Koko…and Rags,” he said rather sheepishly.
“Rags doesn’t count,” Savannah said, grinning. “He was just visiting you.”
Michael flashed a disapproving look in Arthur’s direction, then he smiled. “So, you want to ride while you’re here, visit your cats, what else?” he asked. “I understand you have an interest in veterinary science. Would you like to tour our clinic?”
“Sure would,” Arthur replied, eagerly.
“There is so much he has not experienced,” Ruth said. “He is excited to do just about everything.”
“Want to help me do some canning…make some jam?” Savannah asked, winking.
“Yeah, that’s something I’ve never done before. I haven’t even seen where food comes from—it always just magically appeared. Even before the…accident, I never went into the kitchen. Karen…” he made brief eye contact with the others “…my sister…and I were expected to pretty much stay in our quarters. That is…before she drowned.”
“What about your schooling?” Michael asked.
Arthur set his fork down and smiled over at his companion. “That was pretty much Ruthie’s job—to educate us.”
“You’re a teacher?” Savannah asked.
Ruth nodded. “Actually, yes. I earned my credentials shortly before Artie’s real father hired me as the nanny. I was prepared to teach third grade, so I had a lot of studying to do in order to teach two children through all the grades.” She looked at Savannah through dark-brown eyes. “There are resources for home-school teachers, you know.”
“I thought Rupert was in charge of the kids. That’s what he told us,” Savannah said.
Ruth looked at Arthur, who stared into his cocoa mug. “Well, shortly before Karen…um…the accidents…Charles Peyton began finding fault with me.”
“Fault?” Craig asked.
Ruth sighed. “Yes, he thought I was coddling them too much—that the boy was becoming too soft. He convinced their mother to let me go. That’s when he brought in Rupert—well, he was already on the grounds, in charge of the children’s cats, but at that point he also got involved with the children—entertaining them, making sure they got their meals, that their rooms were cleaned regularly...”
“When did you come back?” Savannah asked.
“While Artie was in the burn center. Mrs. Peyton had me stay there with him most of the time while she…”
“So I didn’t interrupt Mother’s perfect lifestyle,” Arthur interjected sarcastically.
“How long were you there, Arthur?” Craig asked.
Ruth responded. “A couple of months, wasn’t it, Artie?”
“I don’t remember a lot of it—but that seems
about right.”
“So you resumed his studies when he got home?” Craig asked.
“Yes.” She winked at Arthur. “Artie is on his own now that he’s studying law.”
“How’s that going?” Craig asked the boy.
Arthur set down his cocoa mug. “Good! I took a few tests and passed.”
“He is smart and curious,” Ruth said. “He will do well with whatever life path he chooses.” She laughed. “…but he has some catching up to do when it comes to everyday existence. There are things he has never encountered before.”
“Like using money,” Arthur said, chuckling.
Ruth’s face lit up. “Yes. He went shopping one day.” She glanced at Arthur. “He had never been shopping before. It was quite an experience, was it not, Artie?”
He nodded. After swallowing a sip of cocoa, he said, “What a concept—you give money and get something in return.”
“So what did you buy?” Craig asked, now rather intrigued.
“A candy bar and a bag of peanuts,” he said proudly.
“And your new clothes,” Ruth reminded him. She added, “He generally stays home when I go out to get groceries.” She peered at Arthur. “He will go out more once he gets some surgery.”
“But I think you’re feeling more confident about being around people, aren’t you?” Savannah asked, noticing that he was no longer wearing the hood over his head.
Arthur nodded. “Yeah, with you guys. You aren’t all freaked-out when you look at me.”
“Others won’t be either, if you’d give them a chance,” she said gently.
He stared at her for a moment.
Suddenly, Ruth jumped a little. “Oh, my phone. Excuse me,” she said as she pulled the phone out of her pocket and walked into the other room.
When she returned, Arthur quickly asked, “Ruthie, what’s wrong?”
“It was your attorney, Artie. He said we must return and be available for questioning in the preliminary hearing for Charles Peyton.”
“Oh,” he said, looking down at his plate. “When?”
“Not until next week.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Do you think you can do it, I mean…sit at his trial?”
“Pre-trial,” Craig said. “They probably need Arthur to testify about what happened seven years ago. He was a witness…and a victim.” He looked at Arthur. “I guess they still figure that your stepfather had something to do with Karen’s death and your accident.”
“So they’re going to revisit that theory after all these years?” Michael asked.
Craig shook his head. “The original investigation, as you know, was botched. They decided that Charles Peyton’s mother was negligent, but not criminally negligent. There were no witnesses other than Pearl Peyton-Smith.” He looked Arthur in the eyes, “…or so they thought.”
“And now she’s dead,” Savannah said.
Arthur stood and walked toward the large kitchen window. After peering out for a few moments, he turned and said, “Yeah, I can testify. I’ve come this far, haven’t I? I’ve made a commitment and I will follow through. There’s no turning back now, only…”
“Only what, son?” Craig asked.
“…only I can’t talk about what I can’t remember or what I don’t understand.”
Ruth stood and put one arm around Arthur’s shoulders. “You are a brave boy…I mean, young man, Artie.”
Craig grimaced, then changed the subject. “Did you get a new accountant?”
Arthur frowned and returned to his chair. He peered across the table at Craig. “Yeah, that was a strange thing—that other guy was bananas. I didn’t have a good feeling about him when we met for the first time. He seemed…”
Ruth jumped in. “…too devoted to the Peytons, right Artie?”
“Yes, like his loyalty was misguided or misplaced, somehow. He just didn’t seem to want to cooperate with us.”
“So you fired him?” Savannah asked.
Arthur grinned. “Sure did.”
“And that is when we saw his true colors,” Ruth explained.
Arthur jumped in and became animated. “He went crazy on us, pacing back and forth like a mad man, slamming things down on the desk. I’ve seen that sort of thing on TV, but I didn’t expect to see it in the real business world.”
“So are you all set up with a new accountant?” Craig asked.
“Yes, my attorney arranged it. I like this new guy just fine.”
“And your attorney?” Michael asked. “He’s doing a good job for you?”
Arthur nodded. “Seems to be.”
When Michael sensed that Arthur was growing weary of the topic, he said, “Hey, it’s nice out. Shall we finish our coffee on the porch?”
“No work today, Michael?” Craig asked, lifting himself out of the chair.
“Nope. It’s Sunday, remember?”
“Let me help Savannah clean up,” Ruth said.
Savannah protested. “Oh no you don’t. You’re a guest.”
Ruth put her hands on her hips and peered up at Savannah. “I insist.”
Savannah smiled. “Well, in that case, I’d love the company.”
“You have a busy life,” Ruth said while wiping down the kitchen table, “with a baby and this big place to care for. Do you have any help?”
“We have a wonderful housekeeper who comes in once a week or so and a gardener. Otherwise, it’s just us.”
“You must know how to do many things when you run a home alone.” She looked pensive. “I am learning that. I have always worked as a nanny. I never had a home of my own, until now. It is work, is it not? …but nice work.”
“Yes, I consider it a labor of love.” Savannah wiped Lily’s face and hands and lifted her out of the high chair. She looked at Ruth. “You never married?”
Ruth stared at the floor. “No.” She thought before saying, “I met someone in college, but he was from a different world and had very different goals at the time. His culture seemed to clash with mine and I could not go through with our marriage.”
“So you were engaged?”
“Yes, for a brief time. I realize now that I was too attached to my parents to be a wife. The Mexican culture, you know, can be confining at times.”
“Confining?” Savannah asked.
“Well, we are so family-oriented it’s hard to let someone else in, especially someone with a conflicting lifestyle. He wanted to travel widely with his work and I felt I needed to stay close to my parents.”
“I wondered if you had some Mexican blood,” Savannah said.
“I am half Mexican.” She chuckled. “…and that was the half that ruled the family. My mother came from Mexico and married my Irish father, who had lived for a time in Guadalajara and loved the Mexican culture. Throughout my childhood, we lived in a sort of barrio, so I was deeply rooted in the culture.” Her face brightened. “Artie can speak Spanish, you know.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“He took to it easily—he’s fluent. I believe it will serve him well in his life, no matter what he chooses to do.”
“It seems as though Arthur is adjusting nicely to his freedom.”
“Yes, only…”
“Only what?”
“Only I am concerned about all of the attention he is getting because of the investigation.” She shook her head. “The paparazzi are relentless, Savannah. Their lurking and pursuits make you feel like you are not free to come and go as you please. It has become another sort of prison for Artie.”
Savannah grimaced. “Hopefully he will have a quiet week here before he has to face the reality of that situation again.”
Chapter 3
“Michael! Michael!”
“What is it, Arthur?” he asked, lowering the newspaper he was reading early that evening. That’s when he noticed the Siamese cat in the boy’s arms. “Is that blood?” he asked, leaning forward to take a closer look. “What happened?”
/> “I think I broke her leg,” Arthur said, choking up. “I didn’t mean to, Michael,” he wailed.
“How? Did you step on her?”
“No. I was studying on your computer and I ran over her with a wheel of the office chair. I didn’t know she was there. Please, can you help her?”
“Hold her still there, buddy,” Michael said. “Let me take a look.” After a few moments, he let out a sigh. “Well, Arthur, there could be a hairline fracture.” He ran his hand through his straight dark-brown hair. “Let’s go down to the clinic and take some pictures, shall we?”
“Will she be okay?” Arthur asked. “She won’t die will she? I feel just horrible,” he said, burying his face in the cat’s fur.
Michael chuckled. “No Arthur, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Let me get a carrier.”
“No,” he protested. “I want to hold her.”
Michael thought for a moment, then said, “Well, she seems comfortable in your arms. I guess she’ll be okay. Just hold her still, if you can.” He walked into the kitchen where Savannah and Ruth were preparing dinner.
“What’s wrong?” Savannah asked, as soon as she saw Michael.
He thinned his lips before saying, “Can you hold dinner for us?”
“Why?” she asked, creasing her brow.
“Koko has hurt herself and Arthur and I are taking her to the clinic for x-rays. Her leg may be broken.”
“Oh no,” Ruth said, heading out of the kitchen. Savannah and Michael followed. When they reached the living room, they saw Arthur perched on the ottoman with Koko in his arms. Rags sat close by staring at the injured cat.
“She’s purring,” Arthur said.
“Yes, cats purr when they’re contented, but also when they’re stressed,” Savannah said, gently scratching the cat behind one ear.
“But she didn’t start purring until Rags came in,” Arthur said. “As soon as she saw him, she relaxed in my arms and started to purr. Michael, can we take Rags with us to the clinic?”
Michael frowned. He looked at Savannah, then back at Rags, and sighed. “Well, I guess we could, only then we’ll have two cats to keep an eye on.”
Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think he’ll leave her side.”
“Okay, then let me get his harness and leash.”