by Robin Cain
“They were looking for Frank, so they asked me what I knew.”
“Well, what did you tell them?”
“I told them that I knew Frank was here, but I had no idea where you were that night. I wasn’t going to lie to them.” There was defiance in her tone.
“Janie, I never asked you to lie. There is no lie. I was at Frank’s.”
“Well, I don’t know that. No one seems to know where you were that night.”
“Are you kidding me? What are you implying?” Sadie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I’m not implying anything, Mrs. Campelletti. I’m just telling you that the police were here. I think they might just be getting closer to catching Billy’s killer.”
Janie’s ominous tone and attitude caught Sadie off guard. Janie had never been very warm or friendly, but this display struck Sadie as a little too odd. Sadie ended the call as quickly as she could.
The next morning Sadie lay in the king-size bed in Sullivan contemplating her life. She’d spent the night tossing and turning, worrying about the police, about Frank and about what it all meant. The house was nearly done and she’d have to go back to L.A. soon. This meant she’d have to deal with her problems and she wasn’t ready for that yet.
Frank was in Paris with Citra and he hadn’t even told her, much less called since he’d been gone. The police were still checking out her story and there was nothing she could do about it. This insanity had to stop.
Her doubts had been festering for days. The hasty elopement with Frank followed by Billy’s murder; Frank’s subsequent rejection of a healthy partnership between them and now his going off to Paris with Citra—it was all just more than she could rationalize anymore.
“Uh, what the hell was I thinking?” Sadie bellowed in the silence of the empty bedroom. Disgusted, she tossed the covers aside, climbed out of bed and walked over to the picture window that looked out over the lake.
The grand expanse of water, reflecting the cloudless blue sky and surrounding majestic, tree-covered mountains, shimmered in a gentle breeze. The temperature, predicted to be in the mid-nineties, was not conducive to work. Sadie had spent the last couple of days painting the study and now, looking at the beautiful day that awaited her, she realized she desperately needed some fresh air and sunshine.
After rinsing off in a quick shower, Sadie put on her bathing suit and headed down to the lake. Settling herself into the chaise longue at the shore’s edge, she laid her head back on the cushion and closed her eyes. The heat of the sun slowly seeped into her pores as she concentrated on relaxing her muscles and trying to just forget about everything that cluttered her head. A boat, off in the distance and taking full advantage of the extraordinary weather, pulled a wake boarder across the lake and the festive squeals of excitement filled the otherwise still and quiet morning. Sadie envied their sense of adventure. Having never fully mastered swimming herself, she rarely ventured beyond the shore.
“Hey Sadie!”
The yell startled her, causing her to bolt upright. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she saw that it was Tyler, with a big silly grin on his face, in a small motorboat headed toward her dock.
“Hey, Mr. Gate Repairman,” Sadie yelled back, rising to greet him.
“My friends call me Tyler,” he corrected her. He cut the engine and glided up quietly beside the dock.
“How are you, Tyler? Out for a ride this beautiful morning?” Tyler’s boat, with its mismatched seat covers and dinged-up sides, looked like it had seen better days.
“I’m good. She’s a beauty today, for sure, and going to be a hot one. What are you up to?” Wearing only a pair of loose, faded basketball shorts, his semi-naked body and broad, well-developed chest caught her off guard. He was muscular and solid, like a big old tree built to stand strong for hundreds of years.
“Um—I just decided to come out for some sunshine,” she quickly said, after realizing she had been staring.
“Are you up here alone?” Tyler had lost track of time, but he guessed her husband still had not been around. Tyler had seen Sadie on and off for the last month, becoming an expert at finding excuses—albeit transparent—to spend time with her.
Can I use your phone? Mine’s out of order.
Hey, there’s a new restaurant in town and I hate to go alone.
Thought you might like to join me for a walk?
There were also the numerous times he had come over just to help her deal with all the workmen she had hired. Each time they had spent hours talking, sharing meals and watching sunsets.
“Yes, Frank was supposed to come last week, but he couldn’t make it.” She realized how tired she was of making that excuse.
“Want to go for a boat ride?”
“Well...” Her innate sense of caution always got the best of her.
“C’mon! It’ll be fun. Grab a towel and let’s go!” Childlike enthusiasm radiated from his smile.
“You have life jackets?”
“Of course! I even have extra if you like.”
Tyler’s zeal slowly pushed aside her apprehension, making her feel silly for resisting. She gave in to his pleading and went back to get her towel and cell phone. Grabbing the phone, she realized it was likely pointless.
He’s in Paris doing God-knows-what. Why let him ruin another day?
Sadie left the phone on the shore. She maneuvered unsteadily from dock to boat, plopping down rather clumsily in the seat next to him.
“Welcome, Miss Sadie!” As he grabbed a life jacket and set it beside her, he winked with a devilish look in his eye. “Hold on!”
Before Sadie was even settled, Tyler gunned the engine and headed into the morning sun, out onto the wide-open expanse of Lake Sullivan. With no plan as to where he was going to take her, he just headed straight for deeper water, simply happy to be with her again. Out to seek some quiet when he had gotten in his boat that morning, he had to stop when he spotted her all alone on the shoreline.
There was something special about this woman. Drawn to her like a bee to honey, Tyler couldn’t push thoughts of Sadie out of his mind. Their many hours spent together over the past weeks continually haunted him. With no logical explanation as to why being around her made him feel so good, here she was, doing it to him again.
The wind, made stronger by their speed, blew through Sadie’s shoulder-length, blonde hair. The sun revealed scattered copper and golden highlights. He noticed that her skin—absent of makeup— was flawless except for a few freckles scattered across her nose. The delicate lines beside her eyes, created by what Tyler figured were years of squinting in the California sun, gave the only indication of age.
My God, she is a beautiful woman.
He guessed she was somewhere in her mid-thirties. She’d never said; he’d never asked.
Still at a loss as to why her husband hadn’t ever shown up, Tyler thought maybe that answer would come in time. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy her company.
“Hey, isn’t that the bay you told me about? The one where the old sunken pier is? Where you nearly drowned as a child?” Sadie pointed off in the distance.
“Yes it is. You remembered all that?” They had talked so long and about so much the times they had been together, Tyler couldn’t believe she remembered that particular story.
“Yes, of course. Your descriptions of the rock formations, the park and the old ferry building—they were dead-on now that I see them,” she told him. “Can we go over to that beach over there?”
“Absolutely. That is where...”
“... you camped for the first time,” she finished his sentence. “Yes, I remember.” Her smile provided a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Damn, this woman is something.
He headed his boat toward the far shore.
They pulled up to an abandoned pier, anchored to a white sandy isolated part of the beach. The piled charred logs of a burned-out campfire, surrounded by a multitude of cigarette butts, attested to the popu
larity of the spot. He tied the rope of his homemade anchor to the cleat on the pier, leaving the other end—a cement-filled coffee can—at the bottom of his boat. Sadie was about to climb out onto the worn wooden slats of the pier when Tyler stopped her.
“I wouldn’t take that chance if I were you. This pier looks pretty tired and worn. I wouldn’t want you to fall through. I’d just jump in if I were you,” he told her. “Oh wait, get on my back. I’ll carry you.” Before she could tell him she was fully capable of getting into a lake, Tyler grabbed a blanket from under one of the seats, stuffed it under an arm, jumped in the water and offered his back.
“Come on, I’m as strong as an ox.”
She put her arms around his neck and climbed onto his back. He waded through the thigh-high water of the sequestered bay.
Tyler stopped on the dry sand and let her climb off. “Here, I brought a blanket if you want to sit here awhile,” he said.
“That’s great, Tyler. I’d love to.” She helped him spread it out on the sand.
They sat down on the blanket, unfolding the remainder from underneath them. A comfortable silence settled over them as they gazed out to the distant shore. Tyler had never really looked at Sadie’s property from this perspective. The yard seemed empty to him, like it needed more flowers. The thought reminded him of something else.
“Hey, I saw a story on the news about your movie-star friend,” he said. “I guess they still suspect it was murder. And the report I saw said police might have fingerprint evidence.”
“Great,” Sadie said, clearly not hiding her lack of enthusiasm. After Tyler asked her to explain, she continued. “I just got word last night that I’m still a suspect.”
“Well, you know you didn’t do it and now they have fingerprints, so time should put you in the clear, no? If he was the kind of guy you say, he likely had plenty of people who wanted to kill him.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right,” Sadie told him, leaning back on the blanket. “I just can’t believe they haven’t found who it was yet. I just want it all behind me.” Seeing the look on her face, Tyler decided to change the subject.
“So,” Tyler said, “tell me again why your husband’s not here. Being practically newlyweds and all?”
“My goodness, you are nosey.”
“Well, I figure you can tell me it’s none of my business, if you want to.” He leaned back on his elbows and continued to look Sadie right in the eyes.
“He’s in Paris, on business.” Tyler noted that she didn’t even sound convinced.
“Why didn’t he take you with him? I hear Paris is a really romantic spot.” The irony didn’t escape him.
“Business. He doesn’t like to mix business with pleasure.”
“Seems a shame to go to such a wonderful spot and not be with the one you love.” He was being nosey, but he couldn’t stand not knowing the real story.
“Yes, it does, doesn’t it? And I’ve never been to Paris...” Sadie’s voice crumbled at the edges.
Tyler at once sensed a woman who had lost her smile somewhere along life’s path. He looked at her and wondered what in her life had muted her vibrant colors, turning them to such subdued shades of gray. He wanted to see her smile. She had such a beautiful smile. He quickly opted for a lighter tone.
“Hey, me neither! Let’s go. C’mon, it’ll be a blast. We’ll go to that pointy tower and smoke a thousand long brown cigarettes in tiny, overcrowded restaurants while eating little pieces of hard bread. We can pretend to speak French and laugh our asses off.”
Tyler’s innocence and naïve enthusiasm made Sadie laugh. “Well, what a nice idea, but I don’t smoke—among other reasons for not going—and I don’t speak French.”
“Oh well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” He gave her one of his tender smiles.
“Thank you, though—rain check?”
“Only if you tell me what’s up with this missing husband of yours.” There, he’d said it. He held his breath hoping he hadn’t crossed the line.
“You aren’t going to give up, are you?”
“Not a chance. Unless, of course, you honestly and truly don’t think it’s any of my business.”
“Well, it truly isn’t any of your business, but there seems to be some connection here and I am having a particularly bad week.”
“We do have a connection, don’t we?” Tyler’s eyes begged Sadie to trust him.
“Well, you lucky, lucky man, you have now stepped right into it. Are you sure you want to hear this old lady’s sad story?”
“Sadie, please stop with the old lady stuff, would you? I’ve heard you say that a bunch of times since I’ve met you. You’re a good-looking woman with a hell of a lot to offer. You talk like you’re a hundred years old. It’s all about what’s on the inside. I don’t know who is responsible for creating all this insecurity, but can it stop here with me? Please?”
“That’s nice of you to say, but this is me. I’m nearly thirty-nine years old and feel like I’m going on a hundred. I impulsively married a man it now turns out I barely knew and he’s now also someone I rarely ever see. I still don’t know if the police are still considering me a suspect in Billy’s death and I don’t understand why my husband doesn’t even care. I guess I’m just feeling pretty lonely.”
“And whose fault is that?” Tyler paused for effect. “His?” He made no attempt to mask the frankness of his question and didn’t regret it as it bit into her. “I mean, c’mon. You’re responsible for your own happiness. If you don’t like it, change it. You’re a big girl, aren’t you?”
“It’s more complicated than that. You don’t understand.” She was getting defensive and insulating a man thousands of miles away whom she suspected was likely spending time with his girlfriend. Of course Tyler was going to question her choices.
“Sadie, all I’m saying is that if you don’t like your life, do something to change it. No change is easy, but being unhappy with the only life you’ve got makes no sense to me.” He hesitated, trying to gauge how much truth she could actually handle.
“I know,” she admitted.
“What are you doing up here anyway? Why aren’t you back in L.A. with him, getting to the bottom of all this?” “Frank is busy and wasn’t concerned. I hated the thought of my name being dragged through the details of Billy’s death. I just needed to get away and I thought this house project would be a good excuse,” she answered.
“Running away, are you?” Tyler asked, though it sounded more like a statement of fact.
“Kind of, but it’s not what you think.”
“Explain it then so I understand.” His tone, more coaxing than demanding, tried to caress her like a calming hand.
“It seems I have a history of bad relationships and I’m beginning to think I jumped from the pan into the fire on this one.”
Tyler said nothing and waited for her to continue.
“I don’t want to bore you with the details, but it seems I’ve gone from one bad relationship into another. Frank and I eloped on the very spur of the moment and I just don’t feel like I know him. He doesn’t share anything with me and I feel like an outsider. I just needed to get away and this was the perfect place. Problem is I thought Frank would join me. That he would miss me and come up here so we could figure it all out together.”
“And tell me again, why hasn’t he?”
“Well,” she hesitated, nervously pulling at a cuticle on her left hand until it began to bleed.
Tyler reached over, taking Sadie’s hand in an effort to get her to look at him, and pressed his thumb to her bleeding finger. “Is he cheating on you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he said, still not letting go of her hand.
Tears welled up in her eyes and fell before she could do anything to stop them. Tyler reached out with his other hand and tenderly touched her arm.
“Hey —I’m sorry, Sadie.”
Tyler listened as she forced a laugh she obviously didn’t
feel.
“No need to be sorry. You hit it right on the head. He does have a girlfriend. As a matter of fact, she’s been around since before me. He is in Paris with her right this very minute. To speak it now only actually serves to emphasize its sheer absurdity. Now, how’s that for a pitifully sad story? Aren’t you glad you asked?”
Tyler shouldn’t have done it. And he didn’t think about it until after it was done, but he also knew a speeding bullet couldn’t have stopped him. He leaned over, tenderly held Sadie’s face in his hands, and slowly kissed her lips. With more feeling than he had ever imagined he was capable, he let his mouth gently linger on hers.
With Sadie’s lips now on his at last, Tyler dreamt of what it would be like to kiss this woman forever. He imagined he would never—he could never—want for another. Sadie was all he’d ever need and he now knew this to be so.
After a moment, he tasted a salty tear that ran down her check. He pulled back but kept his hands on the side of her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Should I be sorry?” He gazed into her eyes, hoping to find the answers there.
“No, I’m as guilty as you. It’s just—well, it just makes no sense. Here I am complaining about my cheating husband and I’m sitting here, getting totally lost up in your kiss. What sense does that make?”
“Hey, if things were right with the two of you, you wouldn’t be here right now with me, would you? It’s kind of silly to blame yourself for everything, isn’t it?” Though he tried to speak convincingly to her, he was troubled as well. None of this made sense.
Pulling out of his grasp, Sadie said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here with you. I shouldn’t have let you kiss me. You don’t need to get all wrapped up in my problems.”
“Hey, hey. Did you see anyone twisting my arm to bring you here or, for that matter, to kiss you?”
Tyler saw the doubt in Sadie’s beautiful sad eyes and realized he must let her see inside his heart. Speaking in a language he hoped she would understand, he leaned over and gently kissed her again, more tenderly and more slowly. This time they met in the middle as their intent and desire quickly melded. Their tongues sought each other’s as their hands hungrily and blindly explored. Without parting lips, they lowered themselves back onto the blanket, arms and legs entwined in such a way that an onlooker wouldn’t have known where one of them began and the other ended. The heat between them nearly palpable, their hands and mouths sought fulfillment of their desires. It was Tyler who eventually found the resolve to pull away before things went too far.