A Short Time to Die

by Susan Alice Bickford

  “Things just continued. In their junior year, the non-compete period was over and Elaine and Marly began another startup. Marly moved out there to go to Stanford for grad school and Elaine signed up for an MBA. After three years, the company was acquired again and this time she did much better.”

  “Like how much?” Jack asked.

  David demurred, waving his hands. “Hard to say exactly. Elaine says not to believe everything I read. Still, I could retire now thanks to her and so could my brother and I know Mom could. Elaine paid to have this place fixed up and after that was done, Mom sold it to me for a song. Elaine bought a cute home for Mom in Mountain View and a place for herself almost next door.”

  “What does she do now?”

  “Ah. Do you know JaX?” David smiled. “That’s the name of her newest venture. Something to do with augmented reality. I barely understand it. We’re hoping Elaine and Marly will hit the big time.”

  “Another great Silicon Valley success story,” Jack said.

  “Not bad for two smarties from the Springs,” David said. “I’m so proud of Elaine. Still, it’s not all about the money for her. She’s very competitive.”

  “So Marly also lives out there?” Vanessa asked.

  “Yeah, kind of close by.”

  Vanessa leaned forward, her arms on her knees. “Would Marly have called the police in California if she saw Louise or Troy?”

  David’s eyes were round and he blinked several times. “I think so. I mean, I’m sure she would. Del was her stepfather but she isn’t really a Harris. No way she’d let Louise or Troy get close.”

  Jack walked over to a wall covered with framed pictures.

  “Tell me about these folks,” he said, beckoning to David.

  Vanessa followed and gave a grunt when she recognized three children she’d seen in Betty and Carl’s pictures.

  “I know who those kids are,” she said, and pointed. “That’s Mark and Pammy. And that’s Alison. They’re Betty’s grandchildren.”

  David came to stand at her shoulder. “There’s Betty with my mother in that picture. In elementary school, I was best friends with her son, Johnny Martinson, and Judson Harris, Carl’s son. Our moms were all real tight. When we went to high school, we drifted into new friendships. Betty married Carl after his wife died. Carl being a Harris meant she and Mom stopped socializing for a while after Elaine’s problems. But now they’re good friends again.”

  Vanessa looked over all the pictures. “Is that Elaine and your mother?” She studied the handsome middle-aged woman with short gray hair and wire-frame glasses. Mrs. Fardig was tall with a broad, muscular frame. Her daughter had a more delicate build with the same fair coloring as the man in the next picture. There was no visible indication of which eye had been damaged. Vanessa pointed. “That must be your father, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” David said.

  “Where’s Marly?”

  “Family joke. Marly’s always the one who takes the pictures. I think there’s one at the far end.”

  Two young women stood together with their arms around each other’s shoulders in front of an ocean view. Both wore floppy hats and sunglasses. All Vanessa could determine was that Marly was white, slender, and taller than Elaine.

  “Who is the mother of those kids? Where is she?” Vanessa asked.

  “Marly has custody of them, but she is their aunt,” David said. “Marly has an older sister, Charlene. Pretty, but not as bright by a long shot. She was in the same class with me too. After Del moved in with their mother, we heard that Del was sleeping with Charlene after Denise passed out.”

  “How old would she have been?” Vanessa tried to keep her voice level and unemotional.

  “Thirteen or so. Maybe fourteen. I know she was in the eighth grade because we all took the bus up to junior high in Avalon. All the kids seemed to know. To be frank, I think we were a bit in awe. Charlene was cute and looked a lot older, plus Del was the local main guy and a lot of women had a crush on him. We didn’t dare say anything or even tease her. Now I have kids and as I look back at it, I’m ashamed.”

  “Did she get pregnant?”

  “No. At least not right away. She did get pregnant when she was a sophomore and she had the baby later that year. But that was with Johnny Martinson, Betty’s son. I’m told Del had been minding his manners by that time.”

  “He stopped?” Vanessa asked. “That would be kind of unusual for a sexual predator.”

  “I don’t know much about it, only the rumors. I gather that Zeke had told him to stop.”

  “So the baby wasn’t his?” Vanessa asked.

  “A lot of people assumed Del was the father, but no. Two years later, Charlene had a little girl and Johnny went missing right after that. Del said the kids were his and no one dared say otherwise until after he died.”

  “And Betty was able to reclaim her grandchildren.”

  David nodded. “Over time. But that’s about right.”

  “You said Marly took custody of the kids. How did that come to pass?”

  “Charlene had married Greg Harris and they had Alison. Greg was always in some kind of trouble, but things got very complicated and tense after Del and Zeke disappeared, with Rosie fighting for control. Greg got caught in the crossfire. He was busted for a huge drug deal that went bad. I was told Rosie set that up. No one died, but it was a close call. Charlene got pulled in as an accessory. She went to prison for a while. The kids went to California.”

  Vanessa wondered if her eyes were as round as Jack’s. She took a swig of cold coffee to wash away the nasty taste in her mouth.

  “Where do things stand with Marly and Charlene now?”

  “Let’s see. I don’t keep real close track. Charlene got out about three years ago. I’m not a criminal attorney but from what I know, she was damn lucky to serve only eighteen months. She lives out there with Marly, I hear. I am not going to pretend that I’m the least bit sorry to hear Louise and Troy dead.”

  “We’re scheduled to meet with Greg Harris in Attica. Would he know why Louise and Troy went to California?” Jack asked.

  “He might. He’s connected to Carl somehow.”

  “And Carl won.” Jack scribbled on his pad, updating his notes. “He outlasted everyone else.”

  “Yeah, I suppose. I’m not sure that the Harris clan is a worthy prize these days. New people are moving into the Springs. Now that the Internet and cell phone coverage have arrived, these folks have enough money and resources to ignore Carl. Not that Carl is toothless, mind you. Watch out for him.”

  “Carl Harris doesn’t seem like a good guy to cross,” Vanessa said.

  “That would be an understatement, although he’s a real gentleman compared to his predecessors.” The knuckles in David’s hand turned white around the coffee mug.

  Vanessa studied her notes. “Do you think Carl carried a grudge against Louise and Troy?”

  “I’m sure Carl hated them.”

  Vanessa tapped her pen and frowned. “More to the point, would he have thought they were a threat? Is it possible he sent them out there to get rid of them?”

  David raised his eyebrows. “You mean like a setup?” He held his hands up in mock surrender. “No idea. You’re asking the wrong person. I’ll just say that Carl should not be underestimated. We all used to think he was the nice Harris.”

  Vanessa and Jack exchanged glances and a quick nod.

  “I think we’re done here, David,” Jack said, offering his hand for a farewell shake. “Please get in touch if you think of anything else. We’d like the addresses and contact information for your mother and Elaine. And Marly.”

  * * *

  The driveway down to the main road had accumulated several inches of new snow, but the road down to the Springs was well plowed and sanded.

  “To think I didn’t believe this interview would be interesting,” Vanessa said once they were underway.

  “Do you really think it’s possible that Carl had Louise
and Troy taken out?” Jack asked. He kept his eyes focused on the road and both hands wrapped around the wheel.

  “He’s definitely capable of it and he had a mountain of motivation. He might have connections with common values in California.”

  “Any thoughts about Elaine? Or Marly?”

  “From what we’ve heard, they don’t strike me as Carl’s kind of peeps.” The car went into a skid and Vanessa’s voice failed as she stomped on the phantom brake under her feet.

  “What if Louise and Troy went to pay them a visit?”

  The car straightened out and Vanessa released her death grip on the door handle. “I don’t see it. Louise and Troy had already come out losers trying to take on Elaine. Plus, Elaine seems like a real straight arrow. Her mother, too, I gather. I think they would have contacted the police. And Marly’s a Harris. She’s family.”

  “With family like that, who needs enemies?” Jack chuckled at his own wit.

  Vanessa peered out ahead, mesmerized by the stream of snow careening straight into the windshield. “True, but you do need friends. The right friends could make all the difference.”

  12

  Marly: Orpheus

  December 2–16, 2000

  The phone rang and rang and rang.

  Why doesn’t Denise get an answering machine? Marly could not leave Alison unattended on the changing table. The baby thrashed and screamed from the pain of a diaper rash but did not want her diaper changed.

  “My mother should answer her own phone and your mother should be the one changing you,” Marly said as she struggled to clean and lubricate the baby’s red bottom.

  Someone picked up the phone. Or perhaps the caller had given up.

  It was Saturday. Marly wanted to leave for the standard errands. After that, she needed to pick up Elaine and go to the library for work.

  Now dry and diapered, Alison cooed and reached for Marly’s nose. “Mmmly.” Marly melted and gave her niece a big smacking kiss, which drew giggles.

  From downstairs, Charlene yelled, “Mom. Mom. They’ve found Del and Zeke. Their truck is in that ravine off Beckwith Road.”

  Marly bent over the changing table and buried her face in Alison’s neck. She savored the sweet soapy scent of the baby’s skin and waited for her gagging to subside.

  Charlene was calling her. Marly hoisted the baby onto her hip.

  “Let’s go find your mother and see what’s up with Del.”

  Charlene and Denise had already stuffed the older two kids into jackets and boots.

  “Marly, you won’t fit in the car. Sorry,” Charlene said.

  Denise grabbed Alison and wrapped the baby in her winter coat. The entire family, minus Marly, headed to the ravine in Charlene’s car.

  Marly called Elaine.

  “It looks like Del and Zeke have been found in a ravine off Beckwith Road.”

  “You mean they wandered in there? Are they alive?”

  “I don’t see how they could be alive. They were found in Del’s truck,” Marly said. “Do you want to go see? I think half the village will be there.”

  “Including Rosie and Louise?”

  “I’d count on that.”

  “My mother would have a fit and I’d rather not. I don’t want to be included in any Harris gatherings.”

  “Got it. Okay. I’ll take Mom’s car. She won’t like that, but I’ll work it out.” Marly had made a promise to Mrs. Fardig that she would only use Elaine’s car for activities that involved Elaine’s benefit.

  “Couldn’t you walk through the woods? That area must be close once you’re over the hill.”

  “It’s cold. I’d rather drive.” Marly smiled. How like Elaine that she would pick up on that simple piece of rural geography.

  Marly pulled on her new walking boots. Winter weather had arrived but a slight warming trend left many frozen places a bit defrosted, including—she hoped—Beckwith’s potato field.

  She parked her mother’s car near Beckwith Road, not far from the Rock. There was no shoulder to speak of. She joined a long line of parked cars crowding out the right lane.

  Since that night in October, Marly had made a point of avoiding this route, either by car or on foot. Now she noticed little dips and bumps where she had stumbled and faltered. She wondered whether some of those deeper divots were bullet holes.

  The beat of her heart in her ears propelled her through the crowd along the road at the base of the hill above the ravine. She noted with some satisfaction that little kids and a few teenagers were running around in the half-frozen muck of the potato field. If any of her footprints remained, they would soon be camouflaged.

  Once in the lane, she passed two ambulances that idled in the ruts. A small crowd of police officers peered over the edge of the ravine and the heads of a few more could be glimpsed down below. Tad Morrison’s tow truck sat at an angle across the dirt road. The cable attached to his winch ran down to Del’s truck.

  Rosie and Louise glared at all around them. Marly decided to back away a bit and bumped into Paul Daniels, who was making some pretense of crowd control.

  “This is terrible. You are all disturbing the crime scene,” he said. “How will we figure out any footprints or evidence?”

  “Wow. That’s too bad.” Marly tried to sound sympathetic. “Who found them?”

  “Deer hunters. After bow season’s done there are more around. Beckwiths post this land but of course people come through here.”

  Tad’s winch began to turn.

  “How did they die?” Marly asked.

  “Can’t tell yet. The coroner will take a good while, I’d say. Lots of decay.”

  The truck emerged like a muddy fish from the ravine, dripping water, and dragging branches like moldy fins. The common sulfurous smell from the hard water mixed with a different stench and spread across the crowd.

  Many gasped and moved away. Marly imagined what the corpses inside might look like.

  Now that it was time to remove the bodies, the crowd was pushed back and screens were put up to prevent casual glimpses.

  Paul stood close behind her and spoke in a low voice.

  “You know it could be dangerous for you around here. I could pick you up at school and drive you home.”

  Marly turned and stared.

  “Okay then, at the bus stop,” he said. “You could use a friend in the police department.”

  “No thanks, Paul.” Loser.

  “Marly, I’m just trying to keep you safe. And we could get cocoa or coffee or something.”

  Marly bit her lip and ignored him.

  Paul moved forward to supervise the crowd as the body bags emerged from behind the curtains and were loaded onto gurneys and from there into the ambulances.

  After Del’s truck was hauled away, the spectators lost interest and dispersed. Marly mingled with her neighbors and made her second escape from Beckwith Road.

  * * *

  Home life that night was weepy. Mark and Pammy sat quiet and wide-eyed as Denise sobbed her way through a very nice roasted chicken dinner. Even Alison ate in silence until she dumped her bowl of rice onto the kitchen floor, signaling she was full.

  “At least we know where he’s gone,” Denise said.

  Marly considered herself an atheist but wondered if her mother thought Del would go to heaven.

  “Yes, Denise. It was just awful not knowing,” she said.

  Denise patted Marly’s hand. “Now at least we can settle his estate and get some money coming in again. Lord knows we need it.”

  Marly looked at her sister, who was trying to stuff more chicken into Alison. The baby banged on her tray. Leave her alone, Charlene. She’ll start crying in a moment.

  “Did he leave a will, do you think?” Marly asked.

  “What do you mean, did he leave a will?” Denise’s eyes narrowed.

  Marly knew she should shut up. Saying more would hurt her mother, but someone had to explain the facts to dim Denise.

  “You weren’t married.
You can’t inherit if you’re not the wife or if there’s no will.”

  “I couldn’t marry him!” Denise said. Her face flushed bright red. “Your father had disappeared, so it wasn’t like I was a widow. And besides . . .” She stopped.

  And besides, Del was your cousin, completed Marly in her head. At least she didn’t say that out loud.

  “But children can inherit without a will,” Charlene said. Her voice was quiet and soft.

  Denise, Charlene, and Marly all turned to look at Mark and Pammy, who jumped up and ran off to get ready for their baths upstairs.

  Denise tottered into the living room to finish drinking while Marly and Charlene cleaned up.

  “I’m glad he’s dead,” Marly said.

  Her sister stared at the suds.

  “Charlene, he raped you for years. He’s gone at last. You can talk.”

  Charlene dunked the children’s glasses under the soapy water and wiped around the rims. “You know, he treated me so nice. He was so sweet in bed. I felt special. And the girls at school were so jealous.”

  Marly’s eyes widened.

  “He always said Mark and Pammy were his.” Charlene’s voice had a new assertive edge.

  “You know that’s not so.” Marly wanted to scream.

  Charlene held up a glass and looked at Marly through the bottom, still smiling.

  “The point is, he said it. He wrote it. I have letters. Zeke sent money every month since Mark was born and a bit more since Pammy.”

  “That will piss Rosie off. Everyone knows that they aren’t Del’s kids. If you go after his money or his property, you could alienate both sides of the family. Now that Zeke’s dead, Vernon and Elliot may make a play to run things. But if Rosie wins, you know she’ll always think that you cheated your way into some money and she’ll use Mark and Pammy to get back at you.”

  “They have lots and lots of money. They don’t spend it right, but they have it stored away.” Charlene’s voice turned low and bitter. “That’s our money. That pays for Daddy. That pays for Johnny.”

  “Yeah, but I bet that all Del’s worth on paper is that quarter acre with his old crappy double-wide, plus a little bit in the bank. The property isn’t worth shit and the kids might have to pay taxes on anything they’d get. You could end up owing money. Just sit back and wait. Let Rosie make an offer and let her take on the liability. I want you safe.”