by The Hero
Cooper laughed. “Good visit?”
“You bet. And I think I’ve aged ten years. His grandmother is in a coma.”
Cooper laughed again. “One of these days I’d like you and Mrs. Cunningham to fly out to Oregon to visit. It’s not fancy, but we have a good time and some of the best sunsets on the coast. I’m building—the place should be ready by late spring next year. Sarah and I will be in a bigger place on the beach. More room for company, but don’t wait that long. We can always manage something with a door that closes.”
“Thanks, Cooper. You and Spencer working everything out all right? Getting along?”
“Who wouldn’t get along with Spencer? He’s a pussycat—as long as you’re not playing ball for him.”
Dale chuckled. “I hope you have a good trip back.” He ruffled Austin’s hair.
“We’re going to stop on the way home from Eugene and get some school things.”
“Grandma might’ve put some new school clothes in the suitcase.”
“Aw, she didn’t have to do that!”
He laughed. “Well, she did have to. His legs and feet grew while he was visiting. The kid’s a weed.”
“Thanks, Dale. It’s appreciated.”
Dale Cunningham bent down. “Gimme a hug, kid. Your old grandpa has to get on a plane home.”
Austin obliged.
“Say thank you, Austin,” Cooper advised.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Call when you’re home safe.”
Once Austin’s grandfather was on his way to his plane, Cooper dropped an arm around Austin’s shoulders. “We’ve got about twenty minutes before boarding, bud. Let’s hit the bathroom and grab some fast food for the plane. It’s a long flight and there won’t be any food on board.”
“Will it still be light when we get home?”
“Barely. Why?”
“I wanna get out on the bay. Just for a little while.”
“You’ll have plenty of time tomorrow. We should call your dad, let him know we connected and are on the way.”
“I called him once already,” Austin said. “Can I have pizza?”
“Sure,” Cooper said. And while they waited in the food line, Cooper texted, The package has been delivered. They had about three minutes to spare when they got back to the gate and were immediately boarding. Cooper’s phone chimed and he looked at the response, Tell the package I’m ready for him to be home.
“I think your dad missed you,” Cooper said with a laugh. “He said he’s ready for you to be home.”
“I think maybe three weeks is too long,” Austin said. “They need naps.”
“Everyone who hangs out with you seems to need a nap. What do you suppose the common denominator is there?”
“I’m gonna have a new school,” he said. “It could suck.”
“It’s a good school—it probably won’t suck. You’ll make friends easy.”
“Why?”
Cooper shrugged. “One of your dads is the football coach and the other one owns the beach bar. We’re cool.”
“Yeah, I have two dads,” he said. “I don’t care, you know, but it’s kind of weird...”
“Not nearly as weird as you think. People get divorced and remarry all the time. There’s the original dad and the next dad. Happens all the time. At least both your dads are very cool.” Then he grinned stupidly, very uncomfortable with this ten-year-old’s dilemma. “Same thing with moms. I think Sarah is now your stepmom. And a lot of people have seen your dad around town with Devon, who I think he likes.”
That got Austin’s attention. “Does she like football?”
“Yeah. She does. I think she knows more about football than I do.”
“I know more about football than you do,” he said, grinning his crooked-toothed grin. And Cooper thought, We’re going to have to set him up with braces soon. Do we split the cost on that?
“Watch it, now. I know a lot about football. The town’s gonna look so different, you’ll think I took a wrong turn. The hillside on the beach is a wreck, there are two new roads getting finished, in another week or two, they’re going to start the foundation for the new house. They’d like to get as much done as possible before they get weathered out. And, of course, football officially starts. Your dad says he’s got a good team...and everyone in town has an opinion or some advice for him.” He cleared his throat. “I’m looking forward to watching Landon play.”
“Who’m I gonna sit with?” Austin asked.
Cooper had a flashback. He’d been the new kid a lot growing up and there was a pang of memory about being at the end of a lunch table...alone. Walking to classes...alone. Wondering who would be his friend and half the time making a bad choice.
“Well, you’re not obligated, but I always sit with the McCains—Gina, Mac, Aunt Lou. Sometimes other friends and their kids join us. Once school gets started you’ll probably find your own gang of kids you want to sit with, but Gina and Mac always go early to get a good spot and it’s not torture, sitting with us. We bring a cooler and snacks. And you seem to be a bottomless pit. So until you get acquainted, you can count on sitting with us.”
“I like to meet up with my dad after...sometimes the team goes out.”
“I can make sure you meet up with your dad...” And with a pathetic swirl in his chest he thought, Maybe I’ll even get invited along. Then he realized, he was merely mirroring Austin’s feelings. Empathizing. Poor kid—he must feel very vulnerable. “Most of the kids you’ve seen around the beach will be in your school.”
“I didn’t get to know ’em or anything.”
At least for Austin, it was doubtful he’d face this issue again. He’d probably graduate from Thunder Point high school. Cooper sought a happier subject. “Landon’s been at practice every morning, but afternoons he spends at the beach. I bet he can be talked into taking you out on the bay. You’re about ready to try out your own board, aren’t you?”
That got a grin. “I already have. When no one’s looking. No one except Landon.”
“You think no one’s looking,” Cooper said. “Was your visit with your grandma and grandpa great?”
He shrugged. “Pretty good. Being at their house... It made me miss my mom....”
“I guess it would,” Cooper said. “We’ll get your grandparents out to Oregon for a visit, get Grandpa out on the dock, fishing. Get Grandma on the back of that Jet Ski.”
Austin laughed at what must have been an amusing mental picture.
“Think you can show ’em how to get up on a board?”
“Bet I could,” he said. “I’m gonna need something, Cooper. Pretty soon I’m gonna need a wet suit, like Landon has.”
“Put it on your wish list. We got birthdays and Christmas and grades...”
“Grades?” Austin asked.
Cooper shrugged. “Sometimes when you get impressive grades, little rewards show up here and there.”
“Really? That doesn’t usually happen.”
“What happens? When you get something like straight A’s?” Cooper asked.
“You get to live,” Austin said.
Funny, that’s what had happened at his house, too. But it was different when your mother was dead and you had to go to a new school. “There you go,” Cooper said. “One more reason it’s cool to have a spare dad.”
* * *
Devon bought some princess decals and paint and Mercy helped her decorate the second bedroom in the duplex.
Mercy needed her princess chamber—her own bedroom. Helping to decorate the walls interested her in having her own space, which gave Devon her own space. Devon’s routine had changed, especially now that Austin had returned from Texas. The perimeters of her life had grown and now included important time with Spencer. They saw each other for at least a little while every day, but at night when their kids were settled, they talked on the phone. Devon was pleased to know Mercy had made a positive transition to sleeping in her own bedroom. They now had separate beds and separate
bedrooms and Devon could not be happier about it.
Devon and Spencer came out as a couple in Thunder Point. At first she was reluctant to go public, but she soon realized no one was surprised. They now held hands in public. Spencer would drop an arm over her shoulders and give her a brief squeeze. There was the occasional chaste and socially acceptable kiss.
As they shared more and more of their lives together one evening Spencer reported that Austin had seemed a little unsettled after his trip to Texas and that he had asked Spencer if he “missed mom.” Spencer had answered that he would always miss her and always wish she hadn’t gotten sick, but that it was all right to make new friends, that it took nothing from Bridget’s memory to have more people in their lives.
He later confided that Austin had told him they looked at a lot of pictures while he was in San Antonio, old pictures from when Austin was a lot younger. There were many pictures of his mom, back when Bridget was vital and healthy and rosy-cheeked. Austin told his grandparents that he didn’t even remember his mom like that. And that had made Grandma cry and Grandpa got all moody and coughed a lot.
“I had to have a talk with them,” Spencer told Devon. “It was not what I wanted to do, but I had to. I understand their grief. I can’t imagine losing a child, no matter how old that child is. But we have to let Austin move on. A ten-year-old has a hard enough life without being filled with sadness all the time.”
“Oh, Spencer, how did they take it?” Devon asked.
“Very emotionally. They’re sorry I was unhappy with them. They only wanted to be sure Austin remembered his mother. But I explained that we have all those pictures and they’re available to Austin if he asks for them. He knows where they are. They’ll belong to him someday and hopefully he will show them to his own children. But I can’t send him to Texas for a fun visit only to have it fill him with dread because it won’t be fun, it will be sad. Of course they promised not to do that again. But Cooper has a solution—we need to send the Cunninghams plane tickets and get them out here.”
“Will it upset them to meet me?”
“Because we’re together? A couple? In love?” he asked her, smiling. “I hope not, but their feelings won’t change anything. We all need to move forward.”
That was all Devon wanted, to move forward and with each day she put Jacob and the commune farther and farther behind her. She wanted a new life, this life. She loved the doctor’s office, loved Gabriella, the town, the beach, and most of all, Spencer. She had visions of one day being a real part of this Thunder Point family, being a family with Spencer and Austin.
School started and Austin was the new kid and friendless for about two hours after which Spencer’s house and the beach hosted new friends on bikes. The Tuesday after Labor Day school resumed in earnest. There would be no more holidays until Thanksgiving, but there would be football games. Two a week during most weeks. Devon had not been this excited about how she’d spend her time since she’d been in high school herself.
But before she could attend her first football game the first week in September, a dark-colored sedan pulled up in front of the clinic one morning. Two men wearing sports coats over knit shirts emerged and came inside.
“Devon McAllister?” one of them asked.
She felt her face lose color. She nodded fearfully. She was alone in the clinic.
The man who had asked her name pulled a thin wallet from his breast pocket. “Douglas Freeman, FBI. You’re going to have to come with us.”
Fourteen
“Why?” Devon asked weakly.
“We’d like to ask you some questions. There must be someone here who can cover for you.”
“Not today, I’m here alone, with the doctor’s cell number for emergencies.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and give him a call, Miss McAllister. Let him know that there’s been an emergency in your schedule and you’re going to be away from the office.”
“What is this about?”
“I think you know. We’d like to ask you about your last residence.”
“Will I be long?” she wanted to know, and helpless, she began to tremble. “Will I be back?”
“Possibly. Possibly not,” Douglas Freeman said.
Having seen the car parked in the street, Mac walked into the clinic, hoisting his gun belt as he entered. “Gentlemen,” he said. “Can I help?”
There was a lot of badge flashing, but Devon went to him instantly. “They’re taking me somewhere. They won’t say if I’ll be back. Mac, what about Mercy? What does this mean?”
“You can bring your daughter, Miss McAllister. She’ll be taken care of.”
“I don’t want her to be taken care of by strangers in a strange place!” She turned to Mac and whispered, “Are they putting me in jail?”
Mac took a deep, irritated breath. “Come on, you guys. Lighten up. If you just want to ask her questions, tell her where you’re taking her and when you’ll bring her back.” Then he looked at Devon and said, “They’re probably just taking you to an FBI Field Office or maybe a police department. You don’t have to go with them unless they arrest you, but if you want to cooperate with them, you should at least listen to their questions.” He gave the agents a brief glare. “They’re just trying to intimidate you.”
One of the agents glared back. “We don’t need your assistance, Deputy.”
“This woman is my friend and neighbor!” he snapped. “She came to me with information that I passed on to the sheriff, who I presume involved you, so stop acting like the goddamn Men in Black. Devon is kind and cooperative and responsible. Tell her how long you’ll need her today. And you’re welcome to use my office if that will help.”
“We have a location. And Miss McAllister will be brought back if she wants to come back.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to come back? My daughter is here!”
“All right, look—there’s no reason for all this anxiety. Tell me where to take her,” Mac said to the agents.
“This is our investigation, Deputy.”
“Understood. And I’m the law enforcement officer who brought you Devon’s information. If you want more information, she should be comfortable and feel safe in helping you. Where are we going?”
They exchanged looks. “Coquille sheriff’s department,” Douglas Freeman said.
“Well, that’s easy. I could have saved you some time. Excuse me.” He plucked his phone out of his pocket and called one of the deputies who worked for him. “Steve? I have business out of town. Can you cover the town? Thanks, I owe you one.” Then he called the dispatcher and signed out for Coquille, leaving Deputy Pritkus in charge.
Devon used her cell phone to call Scott. “Dr. Grant, I’m going to have to leave the office. Mac is taking me somewhere to be questioned about you-know-what. Can you make sure Mercy is with you or Gabriella? I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll keep in touch. I’m planning to be back here as soon as possible. What should I do with the clinic?” And then she said “okay” a few times, a thank-you and disconnected.
“That wasn’t quite as cryptic as I would have liked,” one of the agents said.
“I’m getting that,” Devon replied. “I’m also getting that you get jollies out of frightening people, for which you should be docked pay.” She texted something quickly.
“And what’s that about?” he asked.
She finished, hit Send and turned her phone around. She had sent a text to Spencer. Going with the police to answer questions about the commune. Back later.
“Are you done notifying the public now?”
“I’m going to turn off the coffeepot and some of the lights and lock the door. I’m going to ride with Mac. I’m happy to help, but you guys just give me the creeps. I guess you never heard that story about honey versus vinegar.” And with that she walked to the back of the clinic to close it up.
* * *
“FBI is taking priority on this case,” Mac explained as he and Devon made the drive to Coquille. �
�And, just so you know, they can be very proprietary. It’s their case.”
“That’s been made perfectly clear,” Devon replied. “They better be a lot nicer to me or this isn’t going to go as well as they think. I don’t trust mean people, even if they have badges. After four years with Jacob, I could say especially if they have badges. He spent four years trying to convince us that anyone associated with the police or any government agency only existed to hurt honest, hardworking people. I knew that wasn’t true, but these guys kind of make me wonder...”
Devon continued, “I knew Jacob was a fraud...but he seemed a harmless fraud with plenty of good food on the table and a nice place for me to live in.”
“How did you know?”
“Aunt Mary, the woman who raised me, was devout. We went to church and bible study a lot. I’m not as religious as Mary was, but I know my scriptures. And Jacob didn’t.”
“Maybe his interpretation was intended just to meet his own needs,” Mac said. “Using religion and the bible to his advantage?”
“That is definitely true, but he was so far off the map, anyone who knows their bible would know he was just making stuff up. As time passed, I began to see he wasn’t so harmless. The women in that house—some of them became dependent on him and believed every word he uttered.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No, but I still didn’t have anywhere to go or any money or any driver’s license or anything. A couple of people just walked off while we were at the Farmers’ Market, but they didn’t leave children behind. I could’ve done that, but I would never leave my baby.” She shrugged. “I was stupid. I got myself into it.”
“You were hungry,” Mac said. “And scared.”
“The nights were cold back in Seattle,” she said softly.
She glanced at Mac out of the corner of her eye and saw his jaw pulse. It was quiet in the car for a while. Then Mac said, “Devon, that’s not going to happen again. You’re a part of the town. You have friends. You’ve been a friend. Tell the FBI what they want to know. That bastard has preyed on frightened young girls long enough.”
* * *
Devon was taken to a small interview room with a table and a few chairs...and a recording device. Her two agents, McGrump and McGlower, were there, of course. But she was relieved to be joined by a pleasant young woman, also a special agent, who asked most of the questions. Emma Haynes was her name.