Purling Road - The Complete First Season: Episodes 1-10

by M. L. Gardner

  "Now I'm convinced that you can read my mind," he said, grinning. Slowly the smile slid from his face.

  "When I went to the orphanage there was a boy. Just a little guy. He came up to me in such a businesslike manner, almost like he sensed that that was what I would understand and respect."

  "What did he want?"

  "He wanted me to adopt him."

  Ava couldn't help but let out a little laugh and instantly regretted it. In the pale light she could see that it bothered Jonathan. She straightened her face. "What did you say to him?"

  "I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything," he said with a helpless shrug. "I just haven't been able to stop thinking about him since I left that place."

  She didn't ask because she didn't really want to know-was he seriously considering adopting? Surely he couldn't be. Not in their hand-to-mouth situation. Sure, things were fine enough right now, from a getting by point of view, but one week of missed work due to weather or sickness and it would send them scrambling to survive.

  "I'm sure someone will come along and see in him what you do," she said gently.

  "Maybe," he whispered. "At the very least, I'm going to write to Ruth," he said, watching Ava from the corner of his eye.

  "Oh? Why?" She looked curious, but not threatened. He hoped that'd be the case. She'd grown and changed so much over the last few months. He always knew she had nothing to worry about when it came to Ruth, but he was relieved to see that now she knew it, too.

  "Those kids at the orphanage, not just the one who came up to me, but all of them. They weren't in rags, but they could use some new clothes and shoes. And I thought perhaps Ruth could donate some money, influence her friends to do so as well and get them what they need. Maybe brighten the place up a bit, too."

  "That's very kind of you. I think she just might. Claire said she's maternal to the bone now."

  "I'm counting on it."

  "You're going to have a hard time sleeping thinking about those kids, aren't you?" she asked, slowly dragging her fingers through his hair. He leaned his head back and relaxed at the soft touch. He was exhausted. The trip hadn't been that long, but the near freezing temperatures made it seem to last forever. That, and he'd held himself so tight all day, every muscle ached.

  "No," he said as he closed his eyes and hoped it was the truth.

  ***

  The next morning Muzzy stood in her office staring at another note. It offered one hundred dollars to buy the paper and for her to leave town. They'd be in touch to arrange a time and place to make the payout.

  "Leave town?"After staring another moment she crumpled up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket. Her eyes narrowed. "There is no way I'm selling my paper or leaving town."

  She set to work for the day and tried to forget about the note, but had a hard time concentrating. She couldn't keep her face from sliding into a frown and her eyes traveled over pages of copy without really reading the words. She started to form a plan. They'd be 'in touch' to arrange a time. That meant another letter. That also meant one more chance to find out who was slipping these notes into her mail slot in the middle of the night.

  She sighed with a heavy slump. How on earth would she stay up all night staking out her own front door and be able to get all her work done the next day?

  She squared her shoulders. She'd just have to.

  ***

  "Do you have any ideas?" Peter asked anxiously as Aryl approached the edge of the walk. As before, their meeting was after dark, far from Claire's ears.

  He shook his head. "I keep coming back to the same thing. It's best if you just disappear."

  "I can't just disappear."

  "Why not? You said yourself you don't have anybody here."

  Peter's eyes flickered down. "Yeah, I know. But I also told you that this was home."

  Aryl drew in a deep breath. "Okay, here's what you can do. Come back to work on the boats with us. Tell them that you have a girl and she's curious as to why you're gone all the time and wants to see where you live and work and all that. You have to get a real job and a real place. You're doing it to protect them, you see. To keep everything operating smoothly. But, you're a man and you have needs and you don't want to mess things up with this girl, or for them. Some distance is the best thing for now."

  "They only have one other runner and he isn't that reliable. They're going to want me to keep delivering on the side."

  "Tell them you will for a while, unless your girl gets suspicious. If that doesn't work..." Aryl snapped his fingers as the idea hit him like a hammer, all falling together perfectly in his mind.

  "We can get William involved."

  Peter nearly yelled. "That's just the kind of thing I'm trying to avoid!"

  "Not really get him involved," Aryl said and put his hand on Peter's shoulder, pulling him closer. "You have an advantage that I didn't. William's a good man. I'd be willing to bet that he'd help you out without giving you away."

  "You're going to have to explain this to me, Aryl."

  "We go to William and we tell him everything. He arrests you. Somehow we have to make sure that they find out about this. Then, we have Muzzy run an article in the paper on bootleggers and mentions that the latest runner caught refuses to give up his sources. That sends a message to them and-"

  "And keeps my name out of it."

  "Exactly. You spend a week or so in a jail cell, no official charges of course, and when you get out, well, it just makes sense for you to keep your distance."

  "William may be a good man, but he's a good sheriff, too. He's not going to let this house continue to operate once he knows about it."

  "We can ask him to let a bit of time go by before he shuts it down. A month, maybe six weeks. He knows, you know and I know that once it's shut down it's just going to spring back up somewhere else a week later."

  Peter was nodding slowly, considering the idea. "The two guys that run it, they're old. They aren't hardened criminals, you know? It's their last chance at having something to live on when they're really old after they lost it all a few years back. Still, it's risky," he said, crossing his arms.

  Old men or not, and comfort during their golden years aside, they were messing with someone's desperate attempt at getting by and getting ahead, all while avoiding jail. "All your options are risky."

  "You don't lie," Peter said in a breath and looked up at the night sky. There was a cover of clouds shutting out all traces of moonlight.

  Aryl waited for him to decide. Finally Peter looked at him. "If you'll help me talk to William and if we can keep it real quiet, I think that's the best route to go."

  "I do, too."

  "Sitting in a cell for a week will drive me nuts, but..." He lifted his shoulders. "If Muzzy can create that article, it just might save me from looking over my shoulder every day."

  Aryl held his hands out. There were no guarantees.

  "I don't think I want her to know. Muzzy."

  "We can try to avoid that."

  "When I get out, can I still come work with you guys?"

  Aryl was a little worried about how Jonathan would react to Peter coming back, especially knowing the trouble he was caught up in. The last thing any of them wanted was trouble. But Aryl also knew that Peter was a hard worker and he would be one man closer to getting Caleb back where he wanted to be.

  "Yeah, you can come work with us. Start thinking about a place to live, too. Once we do this, you won't ever be able to go back there," Aryl said.

  "I understand."

  ***

  With everyone gathered in Arianna's kitchen, Emily stayed just inside the living room looking sad and feeling hopeless. She halfheartedly listened to Jonathan explaining what he'd discovered and where he'd been. Heard him answer a dozen questions and listened as they expressed shock and disbelief, discussed his parents and their reasons for doing what they did. Then conversation turned to a trip to Boston in the spring with everyone excited as they made plans.

&nbs
p; Emily sighed and stroked Arthur's cheek. He slept in the crook of her arm and she watched him for the longest time. She loved watching him sleep.

  "It's just me and you, baby boy," she whispered. While she was grateful for Caleb and Arianna's hospitality, it made her progressively more sad to see the bunch of them. All together in a clan while having their own clan to go home to. Everyone had someone, or multiple someones. She only had Arthur. They had a home and plans for the future. She was living on charity waiting for a man whose letters brought one delay after another in their ever being reunited and living a real life.

  She sat back on the sofa and snuggled Arthur closer. She should go upstairs, but to do so she'd have to cross the roomful of people and face questions and offers to join them.

  They were such nice people. It wasn't their fault she was lost and alone in this world. But it was her fault that she wasn't doing anything about it. Her options seemed few. What was a young woman, not even twenty supposed to do with no education and, technically, an illegitimate child?

  "The orphanage broke my heart," Jonathan's voice carried into the dimly lit living room. "I told myself that if I were still wealthy, I'd have changed everything about that place. I'd make it so nice that children would be begging to stay, not to leave."

  "Was it as awful as that?" Arianna asked.

  "They seemed content enough. They were clothed decently and they seemed to be eating. But that's all it was. Barely enough. Starved for attention and the only one able to spend time with them was Anne. Both the director and Anne live there, so I suppose they are mother and father to all the children."

  "It's just them with nearly three dozen children?" Arianna asked.

  "I didn't see anyone else working there besides her and the director."

  Emily stood up carefully so as to not wake Arthur. She stepped into the light of the doorway and spoke lightly.

  "Jon, what was the name of this orphanage?" she asked.

  ***

  Four nights later, Muzzy spotted someone walking down the sidewalk toward the Rockport Review a little after midnight.

  She stood alongside the building concealed by the darkness of the narrow alley. She turned quickly, pressing her back against the wall and pulling her scarf over her mouth to hide the plumes of white breath. The streets of Rockport were silent; a thick cloud cover insulated the town, making even her thoughts echo around her.

  She leaned ever so carefully and silently to peek around the corner. A tall man in a hat and long coat stopped at the door, looked down the road opposite of where Muzzy stood. When he looked her way, she pulled her head back just in time, but not too late to see who it was. Then he bent to slip a note through the mail slot. He turned and quickly walked away. Muzzy's lips pursed. She grinned though she wasn't happy. She knew this man. Grant Hagan, the clerk treasurer. Now she needed to figure out why he wanted to run her out of town.

  She waited several minutes before coming around the corner and opening the door to let herself in. She picked up the note. The meeting place was down at the Pigeon Cove Marina in two days' time. That was where Jonathan worked out of. She wondered if now was the time to call in the help of her friends.

  ***

  The next evening, Aryl and Peter sat across from William in the sheriff's office. Aryl looked like any man conducting business. Peter looked afraid.

  "Let me get this straight," William said, sitting back in his chair. "You want me to arrest Peter here for bootlegging, but not charge him with anything. Hold him in the cell for a week and then let him go, while an article in the paper gets the word out that he's not a snitch and you don't want me to bust this house wide open for their illegal activities for at least a month?"

  "Exactly," Aryl said.

  William shook his head, amused. "I've seen a few men try to get out of that life, but never like this."

  "It would really help me out," Peter said. He tried to mimic Aryl's calm demeanor, as if this was nothing more than a social visit.

  "How do you boys propose this happen?"

  "Well..." Peter started, rubbing his sweating palms on his pants. "I'm supposed to make a run in two days with the other fella. We should be back from Boston about four in the afternoon. He'll be in front, I'll ride second. I thought you could be waiting and nab me then. The other fella will go back and tell them I got caught."

  William nodded slowly. "But in the end, you'll tell me everything you know, right?"

  Peter agreed uncomfortably. "So long as my name stays out of it. And so long as you keep an eye on Muzzy while I'm locked up. There will be two people who think she knows something she shouldn't."

  "We'll all look out for Muzzy," Aryl said. William looked curious, but Aryl waved his hand, dismissing it. If and when they were to call on William's help with that, he'd deal with it when the time came.

  "Alright then." Peter stood before he lost his nerve and backed out of the plan. "See you in a couple days, Sheriff."

  ***

  Emily came downstairs and was happy to see both Caleb and Arianna at the table. You wouldn't know it to look at her though, she looked terrified. Caleb and Arianna looked equally distressed.

  "Can I speak to you both for a moment?" she asked as she sat down.

  "We were hoping you would," Caleb said. "We're worried about you."

  She frowned. "Worried? About me?"

  "Yes," Arianna said, extending her hand across the table. She didn't take Emily's, but left it open for Emily to take hers. "We don't think you should give Arthur up for adoption," she said gently, but pointedly.

  Emily took a moment to answer. "Adoption? Give him up?"

  "We saw you got a letter from the orphanage in Boston and a telegram right after that. We figured it out," Caleb said.

  Emily stared for a few seconds and then laughed. "I'm not giving my son up for adoption," she said incredulously.

  "You're not?" Arianna asked. "Then why the contact with the orphanage?"

  "I've not been asking them to take Arthur off my hands. I've been asking them to take us both. I wrote to them and asked for a position. They were thrilled to accept me. I leave on Thursday."

  Her words left Caleb and Arianna speechless. They stared at her, mouths slightly agape.

  "I appreciate all you've done for me. I do, from the bottom of my heart. You took me in when Arthur and I had no one and nowhere to go. I hope one day I can somehow pay you back. But I need to make my own way. Or at least try," she said with a weak smile, hands limp in her lap.

  "You're leaving us?" Arianna whispered.

  "At the orphanage Arthur and I will have room and board and a small allotment each week. He'll have other children to play with and I'll have something to put on a resume."

  "What about Arthur Sr.?" Arianna asked. "Surely you haven't given up on him."

  "I've given up on him being able to come for us any time soon. His divorce is getting nastier by the day and so is his father. I need to make a life for Arthur and I, just in case."

  Caleb sat back with a huff. He was concerned for Emily leaving for a town where there wasn't a soul to call on if she needed help. Then he remembered with much relief that Patrick and Shannon were in Boston. Even though Jonathan said the director of the orphanage was nice enough, he worried about how she'd be treated. At least she could go to Pat if she needed to.

  "Your mind is made up?" Arianna asked, hoping for a bit of hesitation.

  "It is." She smiled and Arianna could tell she wanted them to be happy for her. "I'll write often."

  "Please do," Caleb said. "Let us know how you're getting along."

  "They are paying my fare, but would you be able to take me to the train station on Thursday?" she asked, though she looked like she hated to ask anything more of these generous people.

  "Of course," Caleb said. He stood, went to the stove and poured another cup of coffee. Arianna sat chewing on her thumb, staring off to the side, worried for how she'd handle the children, Ethel and the chores with no help.

>   After Emily excused herself to bed, Arianna turned to Caleb. "What am I going to do?" she asked, fairly panicked.

  He sighed heavily as he slumped in his chair. "She doesn't know how valuable she is here, does she?"

  "No. I thought about telling her, but I wouldn't want to guilt her into staying if she really wants to leave."

  The thought to compliment her on such an unselfish thing intermingled with a half dozen other thoughts. Finally it came to him and he leaned forward.

  "I simply have to come back home," he said.

  Arianna stared, wide eyed. "What about Jon?"

  "What about him? He's had a couple weeks to find someone. I haven't even seen him looking. Haven't seen an ad in the paper, have you?"

  Honestly, Arianna never read the paper past the Hettie Helps section these days, but she shook her head anyway.

  "Manning the boats is Jon and Aryl's problem. You, the kids and this farm are my problem."

  She cocked an eyebrow.

  "I didn't mean it like that," he said. "This..." He looked around. "This is what I have to worry about. I can't expect you to do this alone. Not with my mother the way she is."

  "Thank you, Caleb."

  "You're welcome. Besides, planting is closer than it seems. Jonathan is being stubborn. He has us three go out together and Ian goes out alone. It makes no sense no matter how you look at it. If he was smart, he'd run two boats with two men each. Besides, he and Aryl have only made good on their promise to come over one Sunday to help me around here. That alone should be a deal breaker." He sat back and crossed his arms, his mind made up.

  ***

  "I need your help," Muzzy said when Aryl opened the door.

  "That appears to be the theme this week," he said with a grin and let her in. "What can I do for you?"

  Muzzy handed him all of the notes she'd received. When he got to the last one, he sat back, his brows raised.

  "What do you intend on doing?" he asked, already knowing the answer from the fire in her eyes.