He snorted a laugh. “Misty? You think I owe Misty anything? If I owe anyone anything, it’s Penelope.”
“Penelope?” Luke said.
“Why do you think Penelope and Rex split up so many times? Misty.”
Sadie gasped. “No way!”
Luke looked at her and rolled his eyes. “You find that more upsetting than the homicidal maniac who’s going to drive us to the country and kill us?”
She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for neighborhood gossip. So you and Penelope…” she urged, turning her attention to Johnny again.
“Are friends,” he said. But it was clear by his tone that he revered the woman, if only from a distance.
“Do you think Penelope would be proud of this behavior?” Sadie tried.
“Penelope is a lost cause. She’s determined to stick by Rex no matter what, so I might as well use my newfound money to do what I want.”
“And what do you want to do?” Luke asked.
“Dirt bikes,” Johnny replied.
“Dirt bikes?” Sadie and Luke said together.
“I want to open a dirt bike shop, and in my spare time I want to race them.”
“You killed a man so you could sell and race dirt bikes,” Sadie reiterated.
“What can I say, Sadie? I’m a simple man with simple dreams. Racing dirt bikes makes me happy.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to die so you can get all muddy and jump over stuff with a bike. Ever heard of Peter Pan, Johnny?” Sadie said.
“Ever heard of shutting up, Sadie?” he asked. “Now let’s go.” He backed up a step toward the door and that’s when chaos erupted.
“What’s going on in here?” Gideon boomed as he threw open the front door. “I know you and Luke are in here with the lights off, and you’d better not be doing what I think you’re doing.”
In the split second that Johnny took to look toward the front of the house, Sadie wriggled out of her bindings and leapt, knocking the gun free of his hand as they toppled to the ground.
“Stop trying to hide and turn the lights on,” Gideon commanded.
Luke stood helplessly by. He wanted to help, but he was still bound, and he couldn’t see anything. “Gideon, flip the breaker,” he yelled. “Johnny Robbins is here, and he has a gun.”
“What on…” Gideon started.
“Gideon, now,” Luke commanded.
Gideon fled the house. The lights came back in time for Luke to watch Sadie’s palm crash into Johnny’s nose. He winced at the sound of crushing cartilage and flowing blood. Johnny screamed and threw her off as he grabbed for his nose. Sadie would have gone back for more except that Gideon appeared and took over where she left off. He hauled Johnny to his feet and wrenched his arm painfully behind his back.
“What is going on here?” he demanded.
Sadie ignored him as she untied Luke’s hands.
“This was all a big misunderstanding,” Johnny tried as he turned his attention to Gideon. “You know how Sadie is. She got a little hysterical, and things got out of hand. It’s only natural for someone in her condition to be emotional.”
“My daughter is not pregnant, and she’s not hysterical,” Gideon said. “And if she gave you a broken nose, then I know there’s good reason for it. We’ll sort this out down at the station. Sadie, secure his gun. Luke call it in. And then somebody better explain what’s going on.”
“How did you get free?” Johnny demanded of Sadie, though the sound was muffled by his blood.
“Because you’re a sexist,” Luke answered for her. “Sadie’s the one who ties better knots. I’ve never tied one that stuck in my life.” The knot-tier in question remained placid as she studied and rubbed his wrists and then they did as Gideon had commanded. Sadie picked up the gun while Luke called the police and explained the situation. Johnny protested his innocence even as he was being cuffed and hauled away. An hour later, his protests became a moot point anyway when Sadie’s friend Maddox called with mixed news.
“The good news is that I was able to document the trail he used to steal your friend’s money. The bad news is that the money is gone. I’m sorry, Sadie, but there’s no way to retrieve it unless he gives it up. Maybe he’ll be willing to do that to avoid jail time.”
“It’s okay, Maddox. I’m no worse off than I was before, and now I finally have the closure and answers I was looking for. Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he said.
Luke picked up the gist of the conversation from his one-sided eavesdropping. “I’m sorry there was no money for you, Sadie.”
“For us,” Sadie said. “You know I would have split it with you, Luke. Aunt Abby would have wanted both of us to have it.” They went out to the front porch and sat on the step. “You could have paid for your doctorate and then some.”
He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close until she was resting her head on him. “You wouldn’t have had to wear the chicken suit anymore.”
“I’m not going to anyway. I earned enough to pay a few bills and be on my way.”
They were quiet a few minutes as they allowed the peaceful sound of chirping crickets to wash over them. “Would you believe me if I said I’m going to miss you?” Luke asked.
“Only if you believe me when I say I’ve missed you all along.”
It was the reminder he needed to draw him out of his happy thoughts. Sadie had said nearly the same thing once before, and then she went away and broke his heart. She was going away again and though it wasn’t quite the same as before, Luke felt a renewed twinge of pain and resentment. What right did she have to come and go from his life, leaving pieces of herself behind and taking pieces of him away again? The muscles in his jaw strained as he tried to figure out how to reply. In the end he didn’t have to. Sadie put her arms around him and squeezed tight.
“Luke, I know,” she whispered, and he supposed she did. They had once been two halves of a whole, he and Sadie. Maybe they still were. Whatever the case, she would know what he was thinking and feeling, and she would understand. Instead of trying to force him to talk through his complex mix of emotions, however, she simply kissed him on the cheek and went inside. He wondered if he would ever see her again; he stood and walked away to get as far from possible from the sadness and temptation of Sadie Cooper.
The next day, Sadie was ready to go. She had packed her meager belongings in her old car. Her insurance was paid. Her tank was full. She had thirty dollars for food and incidentals. And yet she remained sitting in her father’s driveway, staring at the garage door.
Something didn’t feel right. She hadn’t said goodbye to Gideon, but that wasn’t what was bothering her. Last night the two had reached some sort of tacit peace and understanding. If she tried to talk to him, she would no doubt mess it up. Better to leave things as they were and slip away quietly. Just like with Luke. He knew she was leaving; she knew he was struggling. Better to let things lie and try to forget each other again. So if it wasn’t her dad or Luke, what was it? What was holding her back?
She didn’t know where she was going or what she was going to do until she found herself driving toward the local farming supply store. And then suddenly she was standing at the counter, her arms loaded with bird food, as much as she could buy for thirty dollars. So what if she didn’t eat for a few days? A girl couldn’t be too careful about her weight.
When she got back in the car and headed toward Shady Acres, she finally felt at peace. Filling Abby’s feeders was the right thing to do. If she had inherited any of Abby’s money, she would have carried the torch and finished the upgrades and beautification process. She didn’t need a piece of paper to tell her Abby’s vision; anything would help.
The secretary on duty tensed when she saw Sadie. She tried to convince her to leave the food, but Sadie wouldn’t be deterred. She wanted to fill the feeders herself. At last when the woman realized it was a losing battle, she waved Sadie through and pretended the whole encounter hadn’t happened.
Sadie made two trips to carry all the food. And then she ripped open a bag and began to pour. She had almost finished filling the feeders when she saw the woman. She sat alone on a bench, staring at nothing. Sadie finished filling the feeders and continued to watch the woman, unable to shake the overwhelming feeling of sadness. There was something about her that reminded Sadie of Aunt Abby. How sad for anyone to end up in a place like Shady Acres alone, forgotten, and neglected. Sadie crumpled the bags and decided to go across the courtyard to say hello. The woman wasn’t paying attention to Sadie or the feeders. Maybe she didn’t realize they were filled with food and the birds would be coming soon. The least Sadie could do was suggest she move down to watch the action.
As she approached, she couldn’t get over the uncanny resemblance to Abby. The hair was shorter, the posture less proud, but otherwise…
“Abby?” Sadie said it uncertainly. She knew it was her, but she couldn’t quite believe it.
Abby looked just as surprised to see her. “Sadie?” They stared at each other in shock a few seconds before Sadie burst into tears and crumpled into Abby’s outstretched arms.
“What are you doing here?” Abby asked.
“What are you doing alive?” Sadie countered.
They both began talking at once until they realized neither of them could understand each other. Sadie stopped talking so Abby could take her turn.
“I thought Johnny was going to kill me,” she said.
“He was,” Sadie said.
“I tried to talk to Jonesy and Gideon about it, but neither would listen to me. If they didn’t, who would? So I prepared myself to go out gracefully. But then I lost my nerve. Instead I convinced Jonesy to help me fake my death. I wanted to retire somewhere nice, but the money was gone. This was all I could afford, and it was still near…” she faltered, her lower lip quivering. She cleared her throat and powered on. “It was still near Jonesy. I can’t believe he’s gone.” She pressed her hand to her eyes. Sadie put her arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze.
“I’m sorry, Abby,” she said.
“It’s my fault, Sadie,” Abby said. “Everything is my fault.”
“It’s not,” Sadie said. “It’s Johnny’s fault, and he’s going to get what’s coming to him.”
“Did they find the money?” Abby asked.
“No,” Sadie said. She felt horrible. Abby had lost her oldest friend and she was stuck in the terrible Shady Acres. “Abby, come out of here.”
“I can’t,” Abby said. “I can’t face everyone after being such a fool with my money. And with Jonesy gone, who is there for me? I already bequeathed the house to Luke, and I don’t even have the money to keep it going.”
“Luke would never take your home and leave you in here. Come out, and we’ll take care of you.” Sadie meant it, but she didn’t know how it would be possible. She could barely take care of herself. Still, there was no way she could leave Abby in the horrible home.
“You’re sweet, Sadie, but I’ve lived my life. Your best years are yet to come. Go see the world and be happy. I’ll be fine.”
“How can I be happy if you’re here? Your death showed me how much you mean to me, Abby. I have no one if I don’t have you, no one who understands, no one who really cares. You’ve been there to see me through every crisis in my life, and I’m not ready to lose you.” She clutched Abby’s hand. “Come with me.”
“Where?” Abby asked.
“I don’t know, but somewhere. I’ll get a job and we’ll get an apartment.”
“This is my family’s town, Sadie. I can’t move. I could never leave my home, my community. Everyone thinks I’m gone. Maybe it’s better this way.”
Sadie threw her arms wide. “Look around, Abby. This place is like prison. How could that ever be for the best?”
Abby had no answer for that. They sat in silence for a while. At last Sadie knew what she needed to do. She took a breath and plunged in before she could change her mind. “You have to come out of this place, Abby. I need a job and a place to stay. I think there’s a way we can both get what we need.” She was careful to say they wouldn’t both be happy. Abby would never stop mourning the loss of her inheritance and friend, and Sadie would never be happy as long as she was living in her small hometown. Would she?
“What is it?” Abby asked, drawing her back to the present.
“You’re going to leave this place. You’re going to move back into your house, and I’m going to come with you. And we’re going to open a business. Together.”
Abby blinked furiously as she tried to process Sadie’s suggestion. “What sort of business?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve sort of developed a taste for investigation. I was thinking maybe we could do it on a more permanent basis.”
“Sadie, are you saying what I think you’re saying? Are you seriously suggesting that we could be private investigators?”
Sadie nodded. In truth, she had said the first thing that popped into her head, but it was the first time Abby showed any signs of life since she sat down. If it made Abby leave Shady Acres and start to live again, then Sadie would do whatever or become whatever was needed. “Who would hire a young blond and an old woman?”
“Who wouldn’t?” Sadie said. Now that the idea was hatched, she refused to be daunted. There would undoubtedly be many troubles, but she would face them as they arose.
“I could probably drum up some business with other old folks I know. Some of them have been swindled and too embarrassed to report it. We could track down the criminals. We could help other people like me.” Abby increased the pressure of her clasp and sat up, her posture straightening. Sadie smiled and nodded.
“We can do anything,” she said and tried to believe it. If worse came to worse, she would wear the chicken suit once in a while to earn a little extra money. She had already proved that her pride was dead. Why not try something as risky and crazy as opening a business, especially a business she knew nothing about?
Abby’s smile fell and she looked crestfallen again. “What about Luke? He won’t be able to get his doctorate if he has to move out and pay rent. We can’t kick him out.”
“Let him stay,” Sadie said. “We’ll all be roommates together.”
Abby studied her through narrowed eyes. “How would that work between the two of you?”
Sadie shrugged one shoulder and aimed for nonchalance. “It’s a big house. I’m sure it will be fine. He’ll love the idea; you’ll see. C’mon, Abby, what do you say?” She watched as Abby slowly regained her smile and some sparkle in her eyes.
“Okay. Sounds like a deal, partner.”
“Good,” Sadie said. They hugged. Sadie rested her head on Abby’s shoulder. “There’s just one more thing.”
“What’s that?” Abby asked.
“One of us has to tell Gideon I’m staying.”
“You give it a go, and if he doesn’t like it, then he can deal with me,” Abby said. The old fierce protectiveness was back in her tone, and Sadie smiled.
“I thought Gideon killed the doctor,” Sadie confessed.
“Why would you think that?” Abby asked.
“Because when I found him, he said Gideon’s name. I thought he was trying to tell me that was who killed him.”
Abby shook her head. “From the beginning, Jonesy wanted to let Gideon in on the plan and tell him I was at Shady Acres. But I was so furious with Gideon that I wouldn’t allow it. I think he was simply trying to make sure someone knew I was here. He was always thinking of me, always putting me first.”
“He loved you,” Sadie said.
“Don’t repeat my mistakes, Sadie. Don’t allow your regrets to pile up,” Abby warned.
“It’s good to have you back, Abby.”
“It’s nice to be wanted, Sadie,” Abby said. She clasped Sadie’s hand. Together they sat and watched the birds return to Shady Acres.
Epilogue
Gideon Cooper reacted to Sadie’s big idea exactly t
he way she had expected with a two hour lecture. He followed her around as she packed her room, listing all the ways her new idea was doomed to fail. Sadie blocked him out. She hadn’t gotten where she was today by listening to her father.
It was while she was re-packing her car that the next wrinkle in her plan showed up.
“Trying to sneak out without saying goodbye?” Luke asked. He looked a little too happy and relieved over the prospect.
“Not at all. Here.” Sadie shoved a heavy box at him.
“What am I doing with this?”
“You’re helping me move,” she said.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually staying here,” he said.
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