by Robin Cain
“Great. This is perfect. Thanks.” Tyler took the tea and began to heap sugar by the spoonful into his glass.
“Yikes, have some tea with your sugar.”
“I know. Isn’t it awful? I love too much sugar. It’s what makes me chunky,” Tyler told her, playfully beating on his exaggeratedly distended stomach. His lightheartedness contrasted greatly with her mood.
“So, you’re not from here,” he said as a matter of fact.
“How do you know that?”
“Gee —I don’t know. Good guess?” he teased.
“Yes, I grew up in Georgia,” she conceded. Since she’d moved to California, she’d worked hard on losing her Southern accent and few people ever picked up on it.
“Did you just move here?” he asked, still trying to dissolve the sugar in his tea.
“No, this is a second home. I—we—live in California.”
“We? As in a husband?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?” Tyler asked, bluntly.
It crossed her mind to lie. She shouldn’t admit to being a woman alone, but something about him made her feel it was okay to be honest.
“He’s back home in California, working. I came up to get some things done on the house. Like getting a gate repaired, I guess.”
“Any kids?”
“Nope.” She skipped the part about having just gotten married. “How about you?”
“Nope, never been married. Came close once, but she was killed in a car accident before we ever got a chance.” Though he said this just as a matter of fact, Sadie now felt bad for having asked.
“Oh my—I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it was a lifetime ago in some ways. Time eventually heals what the heart has been hard-pressed to forget. Life goes on, you know.”
Oh yes, she knew that very well.
Tyler sipped his tea and a comfortable silence grew around them. It should have been an awkward moment with a stranger yet Sadie felt a strange intimacy beginning to develop. She went to the fridge and pulled out a plate of cold cuts and cheese.
“Can I offer you something to eat?” she asked as she placed it in front of him. “A sandwich? Or maybe just cheese and crackers? You have to be hungry after a long hot day of hard work.” She wasn’t sure what made her offer. It wasn’t like she knew this guy, but she did know she wanted him to stay. A look of gratitude crossed Tyler’s face.
“Gosh, thanks. You sure?” Tyler didn’t hesitate as he reached for a napkin.
“Absolutely. I could use the company. Mind if I have a glass of wine?”
“You go right ahead. Eat with me?”
“I’d love to,” she said, grabbing the wine, the fresh bread she’d purchased in town and a knife. She pulled up a stool to sit across from him. Tyler smiled broadly as he took the knife from her hand and began to slice the bread. Sadie poured herself a glass of wine.
“This looks great. Thanks,” he said and began to hack-saw the bread, scattering crumbs all over the counter and floor. He didn’t seem concerned with the mess he was making, nor did he notice Sadie watching him. He reminded her of a little boy—free of hang-ups, ready and open to feel and be whatever he was. She decided she couldn’t care less about the mess and grabbed one of the hunks of bread. His free spirit was like a breath of fresh air. He took some of the meat and cheese and began to build a skyscraper of a sandwich.
“So tell me about you, Tyler,” she told him.
As Sadie sipped her wine, nibbling on the bread and cheeses, she listened to him talk. It seemed he delighted in the sharing and she was thrilled with both the company and the distraction.
Born and raised just a few streets away, he joined a family of two older sisters and became the spoiled little brother from the start. Doted on by his mother and adored by his father, he made it clear that he grew up never wanting for love. Both his parents came from large families, the majority of whom had also stayed in the area. Aunts, uncles and cousins could be counted on to show up for every family get-together. It was a close, supportive atmosphere in which he flourished.
His father taught him how to be a man, he told her, but it was his mom and sisters who taught him how to feel. It was obvious to Sadie that he had grown up sensitive and caring, learning how to express what he felt without the burdens of self-doubt. She was completely absorbed by both the telling and the honesty with which he shared. It was as if they were old friends who were just catching up again after a long absence.
“You are absolutely amazing,” Sadie interrupted him at one point. “You are just so down-to-earth and genuine.”
With his mouth full and crumbs on his top lip, he looked her directly in the eyes. “Well, thanks,” he said and stopped chewing. “But isn’t that how people are supposed to be?” With the innocence of a child, he seemed to believe it to be so.
Sadie absentmindedly leaned over and brushed the crumbs off his top lip. When her skin touched his, she realized she had made a mistake. Though it had not been her intent, the touch felt sensual and intimate. When she looked into his eyes she saw that he must have felt something as well. Experiencing a sudden flush of embarrassment, she quickly broke eye contact. She grabbed her wine glass, hoping the awkward moment would go unnoticed.
He laughed, sensing her unease. “Thanks, I’m kind of messy, aren’t I?” He took his napkin and wiped his mouth.
“No, not at all. I’m glad you’re enjoying the food. I’m glad you stayed.” His easygoing laugh had intuitively calmed her.
“Me, too. It’s nice to meet a new neighbor. And one that’s so different from the others.”
“Different?”
“Yes, this entire street and much of this area is full of rich, snobby people—people who seem to truly believe the bigger their house, the better they are. Most of them are second homeowners—out-of-towners like you and they act like this town and the world owes them. Those people on the other side of you, the local trust-baby family, they are the worst.” Tyler gestured in the direction of next door.
“You know them?” Sadie had seen those people earlier in the day for the first time but no one had stopped to talk.
“Sure. I live right down the street.”
“You do? Where?” Sadie couldn’t imagine he could afford real estate in the neighborhood.
“I rent from the guy in that big, two-story, tan house, west side before you get to the stop sign. I look after the place for him. He rarely comes here and it gives him peace of mind that I’m there. It works out great for me, too. That’s how I got your part so fast.”
“So we are neighbors? If I get locked in again I can call you?”
“Yep, any time.”
“And you don’t care if I’m a lake snob?” Sadie teased him, simply because she enjoyed that smile of his.
“You? No way. I can already tell. I’m talking about the people with attitudes, unhappy marriages and spoiled misbehaved kids; the ones with more toys than they need and who are constantly in search of the next one. The ‘always-wanting-more’ type.”
“Who? The adults or the kids?”
“Well, both, but good point. I’m guessing you know the type. They judge people by what they have as opposed to by who they are.”
“You certainly have some insight, Tyler. How’d you get to be such a philosopher at your age?” Sadie wondered how old he was.
“Yes, I’m a wise old man of twenty-eight,” he joked. Sadie made a mental note of the eleven-year age difference.
“Ah, well, I have a few years on you and I don’t think I had figured out what you have at twenty-eight.” Sadie glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was getting late and the hours had just flown by. “Hey, aren’t you going to get in trouble for not going back to work?”
“No, it’s one of the benefits of being related to the owner. He’s my uncle. I just take the truck home at night when a job runs late.”
Sadie began to gather up the empty dishes and pile them in the sink. Tyler stood to help, but she stopped
him. “You’re my guest. Sit down. This will only take a second.” She closed the stopper on the sink and began to run the water. “Would you like some more tea? Maybe a glass of wine now? There’s probably beer somewhere, too.”
“No, this has been great. I’m stuffed,” Tyler told her. “Oh, and just in case you care, I don’t drink.”
“You don’t?” Sadie was piling the dishes and didn’t even look up.
“Nope. I had a problem with that little devil a few years back. He and I are no longer friends,” Tyler said so matter-of-factly that Sadie wasn’t sure how to respond. “Trust me, it’s a good thing. You don’t want to know me when I’m all jacked up on booze.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“I used to be one mean, mean drunk, Sadie. Hurt a lot of people and I’m not real proud of it.”
“Hurt them?” Sadie looked up now, in need of clarification.
“Yes, I’m sorry to say. Put a couple people in the hospital, if you must know. They deserved it, even if I had been sober, but that stuff used to get a hold of my brain and make me do crazy things.” Tyler shook his head with the thought of it. “Something about my system turns it to poison, I think. But I never touch the stuff now. No worries. Been a lot of years.”
Sadie didn’t know what to do with that kind of raw honesty so she kept quiet. It never once crossed her mind to be afraid. Tyler figured he’d better change the subject.
“Now—what about you? Tell me about Sadie.”
“Let’s move to the balcony, want to? It’s a nice night out,” she suggested.
Sadie flipped a switch for the outdoor lights and slid open the patio door. Grabbing her glass and the wine bottle off the counter, she followed him onto the deck into the warm summer night air. Lights were just beginning to come on all over the city and, from the height of the balcony, they could look out over the lake and see the distant twinkling city lights.
Tyler stood against the railing, his face turned into the warm lake breeze. “Isn’t this just about the most beautiful spot on the planet?” he remarked. Sadie joined him at the railing, following his gaze out onto the lake and beyond.
“Yes. I have been a lot of places but this sure has the best of everything.”
For a time they let the night noises fill in for conversation. The wind, rustling through tall cedar trees, carried the sound of a lone motor boat’s steadily humming engine as it crossed over to the outlying shore. The crickets, sharing a boisterous dialogue in a nearby bush, nearly drowned out the lonely cry of a loon in the distance. It was an unmatched northwestern soundtrack.
Sadie glanced at Tyler and saw that his eyes had welled up with tears. Without thinking, she reached out and touched his arm. “Hey, you okay?”
Tyler quickly blinked and wiped his eyes. He didn’t pull away, letting her hand stay where it was.
“Yes, just been a long time since I thought about all that stuff I just shared with you. I feel bad for all the hurt I caused people. Sometimes I forget how incredibly fortunate I am to be alive.”
Sadie didn’t know what to say. It was such an emotional statement coming from such a big strong man. She squeezed Tyler’s arm, trying to let him know without words how much she appreciated his softness. Not used to his kind of candidness, she’d known men who couldn’t willingly share, couldn’t easily feel and certainly would never express these kinds of thoughts and emotions to a near stranger. Most men were taught not to cry at a young age. She appreciated the qualities of strong and reliable but, being the histrionic emotional woman she was, she often missed a little drama, a little zest, a little something weaker than full-bodied strong.
“So, now you know how nuts I am,” Tyler said and laughed out loud at his own weakness, disrupting Sadie’s quiet reverie. “Are you ever going to tell me about you?” He turned to face her. The earnestness of his request persuaded Sadie to talk.
“Well, just wait til you hear how nuts I am,” she began, deliberately overemphasizing the statement to make him feel better. Convinced it would sound as ridiculous to Tyler as it did to her, she told him about Billy’s death and how the police believed she had something to do with it. Tyler eyes widened, but he said nothing and waited for her to continue.
“I mean, I wouldn’t kill anyone. It’s so ridiculous. I was home the whole night. The problem was I was home alone. Frank was at the office.”
“Then why do the police even think you have anything to do with it?” Tyler finally asked.
“Well, if you must know—and I’m only telling you this because I want you to understand and believe how ridiculous this is—Billy beat me up. That’s when I broke up with him. He came back a few weeks later; we had words; he threatened me; and I called the police. His chauffeur told the police for some unknown reason that I threatened Billy!”
“Did you?”
“No, I only threatened to go to the police. That’s when Billy got mad and threatened me. I had the bruises and scrapes to prove it, too.”
“Wow, I’ve actually seen that guy in a movie, too. I hadn’t heard he was dead. Sounds like his karma caught up with him. What did your husband say about all this?”
“That’s what’s so strange. Frank just completely blew off my concerns about being a suspect; acted like nothing had happened. And I was so upset when the police asked me all those questions. I can’t believe Frank wasn’t as outraged as I was.”
“Did he know what Billy had done to you?”
“Yes, I told him about both times Billy had been abusive and Frank was absolutely livid when he heard about it. But when he found out Billy was dead, Frank acted as if it was no big—.” Sadie stopped mid-sentence. An eerie doubt crept into her consciousness.
Tyler noticed the change and spoke up, “What’s the matter?”
“Uh, no-nothing.”
She was being crazy. Frank couldn’t have had anything to do with Billy’s death. He was at the office and then he had come home. No, there was no way Frank did anything. Her imagination was just running wild again.
“Nothing Tyler, I’m fine. This whole subject just upsets me is all. Now, where were we before we started on this?” Sadie took a big swallow of her wine and set her glass down on the railing.
“You were going to tell me who Sadie is,” Tyler said, smiling at her.
“Ah yes. Well, let’s see,” she began, deciding to practically start over. “I work in commercial real estate. I very recently got married and this house is my husband’s. I’m up here seeing about getting some remodeling down.”
“I see. So how long you up here for?”
“Well, I’m hoping to get this work done as soon as possible, but I guess it depends on who I can find and how long it takes.”
“And where is this new husband of yours?”
“He’s back in California. He owns a company that keeps him very busy.”
“How long you been married?”
“Two weeks,” she answered.
Tyler’s face registered surprise.
“Have you ever fished on this lake?” he suddenly asked.
“No, haven’t had the chance yet,” she told him, happy for the change in topic but a little surprised at how quickly he’d done so.
“Do you like to fish?”
“Yes, believe it or not, I do love to fish.”
“Well there are some terrific spots I know about. I’ll take you sometime if you like. Maybe when your husband gets up here, we can all go?”
“That sounds great, but I don’t think Frank likes to fish.” It was one of those unrelated tidbits Sadie had learned on their wedding night.
“Not at all?” Tyler sounded incredulous.
“Nope. Believe he said something like he thinks it’s a waste of time.” Sadie sensed Tyler’s disappointment and added, “But I’d like to go sometime, if the offer is valid for one.”
“Of course—as long as your husband doesn’t mind.”
“No, he won’t mind,” she guessed.
“Alright, then, if
you’re sure.” The look on his face said he thought Frank was certainly crazy. “I’d love to take you fishing. Hey, I should head home and get out of your hair.”
“Oh, it’s been a real burden,” Sadie teased as she glanced, again, at the time. Now after ten o’clock, they had spent five hours talking. Two complete strangers had just become very good friends.
“Thanks for tonight. It’s been a pleasure,” Tyler said and headed toward the door.
“Promise to come back and fix my gate?” Sadie had nearly forgotten what he had originally come for.
“Of course!”
Tyler put on his boots, turned and smiled at her one last time before going out the door.
ten
SADIE SPENT the better part of July in Sullivan, realizing it was easier to stay there than to go back to L.A. She could forget about the paparazzi jumping on her from behind a bush, or the heartache caused from watching Frank blatantly disregard her concerns about Citra. She knew she was escaping from the realities of her life, but she didn’t care. She had managed to get the kitchen and master bath projects going and had even dabbled in a couple of do-it-yourself projects around the house. All in all, she was pleased with the progress.
Though there had been talk of Frank joining her in Sullivan last week, he had felt it necessary, at the last minute, to stay at the office before his scheduled trip to Paris. He had now been overseas for two days and Sadie hadn’t heard from him since he had landed. Every attempt to reach him resulted in getting his voice mail, so Sadie was forced to break down and call his assistant to find out what was going on with him.
“I spoke with him awhile ago. He and Ms. Banks are fine,” Janie tersely told her when asked. “Oh, and by the way, the police were here again this morning asking questions about you.”
Sadie wasn’t sure which bit of information stunned her more.
“W-what?”
“The police. They were checking on your whereabouts the night Billy was murdered,” Janie told her.
“But I already told them I was at Frank’s. Why would they come to MineWare?”