Reider and Chad sat down. "Why?" asked Reider.
Mark drew a deep breath. "Because Alison Winnette called in to the talk show and accused me of molesting her daughter."
"How do you know this?" the corporal wondered.
"Dad called me. He was over at Sherry's. Sherry recognized her mother's voice." Chad was busy writing what Mark said. Mark thought the tape recorder on the table was sufficient, but it was possible Chad wanted his own notes. Mark looked at his best friend. "You were there then. You know what happened."
"I was at the shore with my family that week," Chad reminded him. "I only know what you told me later."
"Do you think I lied to you?" Mark asked defensively.
"No. It's just that we deal in facts not second-hand info. Tell us what happened."
Mark went through the whole story from the time he decided to take the girls swimming and why. He told them how Sherry had fallen and cut her knee. He stood up and demonstrated how he put his hands behind him and laced the fingers together to make a seat for her. "That's how I touched her 'inappropriately.' I didn't know I was doing anything wrong. I just wanted to get her home."
Chad looked over at his superior. "That is almost identical to what Mark told me at the time. I believed him then and I believe him now."
Mark continued on describing his father's wrath at the thought that his son had done something so terrible. He grilled Mark about it until Jan intervened. By then Mark had been in tears and he was a tough farm kid. He wasn't a bawl baby. "According to Mom, Lisa kept saying, 'Markie didn't do nothing wrong, did he, Mom?' She didn't understand what it was about. I didn't understand. I was only nine and Dad hadn't given me the 'birds and bees' talk yet. I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Alison went to the police. There was an investigation. Isn't there something on file?"
Reider stood up and motioned for the principal to follow him out the door leaving Mark and Chad alone. Reider came back a few minutes later. "When did this happen?"
"July. Fourteen years ago. It was really hot that year. We had temps in the triple digits."
Reider passed the info along to the barracks in McVeytown. "They'll e-mail the records as soon as they locate them. Mr. McCall has agreed to print them out for us." He sat down at his place across the table. "What you are telling us, Mr. Blakely, is that you never sexually molested..." He pulled Chad's notes over to look at the name. "Sherry Winnette."
Mark hesitated. "I never molested her when she was four years old."
Mark's hesitation got Reider's attention. He was accustomed to reading body language. "That isn't quite what I ask you. Did you or did you not have sexual contact with that girl?"
Mark took a pen from his pocket and pushed the button to pop the ball point in and out while his got his thoughts in order. "I told you what this is all about." He drew a deep breath. "Sherry will be nineteen tomorrow. Last night was between consenting adults. Don't write that down," he told Chad. "It has nothing to do with this case. Dad said Sherry's freaking out over this. She believes her mother."
Chad cast him a serious frown. "I told you yesterday that Sherry's emotional state is fragile. Handle with care."
Mark leaned toward his friend. "I am only a man. She took her clothes off. She wanted it that way. I almost wish I'd turned her down."
The principal came back into the room. "They're e-mailing the records now. As soon as we have them all I'll print them out." He turned to Mark. "Since you're a teacher here I'd like to read those records to determine what, if anything, should go into you personnel file. I talked to the president of the school board. You are suspended with pay until this investigation is complete."
Mark nodded. "She told me she was going to bring my world crashing down around me. I knew she meant it. My two most reliable witnesses are no longer alive--Sherry's grandparents. That's why those records are so important."
"Do you have a laptop or computer?" Reider asked.
Mark opened his briefcase and brought out his laptop. Chad reached across the table to take it. "Is there any sexually explicit material on here?"
Mark shot him a grin. "Yup. Only in the agricultural business we call it animal husbandry. I am an ag teacher."
"We still must check it out."
"Just don't delete anything. That information is important to my work."
Reider stood up. "That's all for now. If we need to talk to you again we'll let you know." He picked up the laptop and said to Chad. "Go interview Miss Winnette."
"Which one? Alison Winnette is a miss, too."
"Both. Who else?"
"Frank and Jan Blakely. I think I should talk to Sherry first." Chad stood up and said to Mark, "You're free to go. I know where to find you."
"It's raining today but if it clears tomorrow Dad and I will be filling silos." Mark picked up his briefcase minus his laptop.
Chad turned back from the door. "What about the computer at home?"
"That's Mom's. She's the CFO of Blakely Farm, Inc. I don't use it unless it is something to do with the farm. If you want to check it you must ask her permission. Or Dad's. He's CEO. I'm going home so I can have some lunch."
Chapter 13
"I told you to stay away." Sherry stood up from where she'd been sitting at the table when Mark walked in without knocking.
"I need to talk to you, Sherry. Your mother lied about what she said on that talk show this morning."
"Why should I believe you any more than I believe her?" she asked. "I want you out of my house and out of my life."
"Sherry, I love you. I can't just walk away. You can't turn off love like a light switch." He took a step closer. "I never molested you." He went on to explain what had happened fourteen years ago. "Don't you remember?"
His story matched Frank's explanation exactly. Like they'd talked about it. Planned it. She didn't know what to believe. It hurt too much to think about it. "Get out of here so I can think. I need to sort through all this. Mom told me she took me away from here to keep me from being molested. I never thought it was you. How could you do that and still claim to love me?"
"Your mother's a liar and you know it. She wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and hit her in the face." It angered him that she would not believe him.
She attacked him with her fists, all the time crying and babbling incoherently. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake. "Stop it! Pull yourself together."
She kicked him on the shin. "Get out!" she screamed. "Go!"
He gave her a harder shake. "Stop it! Get a hold of yourself!" He felt a hand grip his arm and looked around.
"Let her go," Chad ordered.
When Mark released his hold she stumbled backward until she came up against the oven. She held her arms around her rib cage and grimaced in pain.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Mark said, his anger cooling. "I was just trying to make you see..."
"I could arrest you for assault and harassment," Chad cut in. "Get out of here and leave Sherry to me. I have the proof as to the outcome of this case. Go on home. I'll be over later to talk to your father."
Chad guided Sherry to the chair at the end of the table and set her down. She immediately picked up the kitchen towel she'd been using as a handkerchief to wipe her face and blow her nose. "I don't know who to believe."
Chad picked up the file folder he'd tossed on the table and sat down to open it. "Would you believe your grandparents?"
"Yes, but they aren't around anymore."
"Not in the flesh but I have the next best thing." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Statements taken from them at the time of the original investigation."
Sherry was all ears. "I doubt I can see well enough right now to read them."
"I'll read them to you. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Gram's."
Chad had guessed she would say that and had Violet Winnette's statement on top. He began reading: I knew Alison was trying to find Sherry. I thought Sherry snuck off over to the B
lakelys' to play with Lisa. The last I'd seen her she was in the sandbox with Lisa. Mark Blakely, Lisa's older brother, was with them. He's pretty reliable about keeping an eye on the girls. I walked out on the deck to see if I could locate them. Alison was down in the yard calling for Sherry.
Up on the deck I could see farther. I spotted the kids coming up from the creek. They weren't supposed to go down there without an adult. I hollered down to Alison. I noticed Mark was carrying Sherry piggyback so I waited until they got here. Mark didn't have his arms around Sherry's legs but had his hands around back, fingers laced together, to make a seat for her. Then I saw his shirt wrapped around her leg for a bandage.
As soon as they got close enough Alison screamed at Mark to put Sherry down. That he was touching her improperly. The poor boy didn't have a clue about what she was saying. He eased Sherry down and tried to tell Alison about the cut on Sherry's knee. Alison tried hitting him but he ducked away from her. She told him to go home and never come over here again.
I went down to get Sherry to take her inside. That's when I noticed she was all wet. They'd been in swimming. I took her inside...
"That's enough," Sherry interrupted. "That's enough for me to know who's telling the truth." Her lips trembled as fresh tears began to flow. She choked out, "I could forgive Mark if he'd touched me wrongly. Maybe a boy's curiosity about the difference between boys and girls." A sob escaped. "I'm not sure I can ever forgive my mother for taking me away from Gram and Gramps for anything so trivial." She covered her face with her hands and her next words were difficult for Chad to understand.
"Fourteen years! Fourteen years of doing without. Of thinking no one cared for me. I thought she took me away because I'd done something bad. Oh, how can I ever forgive her?"
Chad closed the folder. "Will you be all right here alone or should I send Mark or Frank over to stay with you?"
Through tears of anguish she shook her head. "I don't want either of them right now. I just want to be alone so I can sort this out."
"You really should get into counseling, Sherry."
"I know. But I don't have any insurance."
"I think you should talk about this with a mature woman who will understand the emotional pain you're feeling. Do you want me to call someone?"
"No. Just go leave me alone for now."
"I'll check in on your later." Then a new question popped into his head. "Where is your mother now? I thought she was living here with you."
"I kicked her out yesterday. She's probably with Uncle Roy. I don't know."
"I'll try to find her. I'd like to talk to her about this."
"Will she be arrested?"
"Probably not. She didn't file a false report. Mark could probably sue for slander and defamation of character."
"Sue for what? She doesn't have anything."
"Talk to you later. If you need someone to talk to just give me a call." He gave her his cell phone number and left.
Once in his cruiser he pressed the button on the radio strapped to his shoulder. "This is Wertman. Call Huff's Body Shop and talk to Roy Winnette. Find out if he knows where his sister Alison is."
He stopped his car at the end of the slate walk leading from the Blakely's side door. Frank answered his knock. "Come in, Chad." He looked past the trooper's shoulder. "Raining harder. We've sure had a wet year."
"Do you know why I'm here?" Chad asked as he sat down at the big old fashioned trestle table.
Frank poured them each a mug of coffee and sat down at the end of the table. "I would guess it has something to do with Alison's call to the radio station this morning."
"You guess right." Chad opened the gray folder. "I just talked to Sherry."
"How is she doing? She told me to go away this morning."
"She's hurting both emotionally and physically. Mark's shaking her didn't help matters."
Franks eyebrows went up. "Oh?"
Chad told him what he'd found when he got to Sherry's. "I told him I could arrest him for assault and harassment. I realize Sherry attacked him, but he went beyond defending himself. He shouldn't have been there in the first place." Chad turned his attention to the folder. "Do you have anything to add to what you told investigators fourteen years ago?"
Frank pursed his lips as he thought about it. "Can't think of anything."
"Do you know who Sherry's father is?"
"Not to name names. There were a lot of rumors. Why?"
"The kid needs someone to lean on right now. I thought he might step up and do the right thing by her."
Frank picked up the piggy-shaped salt shaker and turned it in his fingers. "What I'm going to tell you is for your ears only. I don't even want you to tell my son. Before Violet died, I promised to look out for her little girl. I can go talk to Sherry."
"She told me she doesn't want to see any Blakelys right now. Where's Mark?"
"Up in his room sulking. I think he really loves Sherry. Her rejection is hitting him hard."
Chad stood up and held out his hand to Frank. "Thanks for the help. I have an idea of who to get to help Sherry. Maybe I can find out where Alison is. She told Mark she could bring his world crashing down around him. He's going to come out of this unscathed. Her daughter, on the other hand, is falling apart. How can a mother be so cruel?"
Mark came into the room. "I'd like to bust her one in the chops. Sherry's been through hell with this thing with Elena. She doesn't need her mother making things worse." He poured himself a cup of coffee and turned around to lean against the cabinet. "How's Sherry doing?"
"I read her grandmother's statement from fourteen years ago. It was enough to convince her you never molested her ."
Frank interrupted, "I told her this morning. She just didn't want to accept the reality that her mother's taking her away from her grandparents had nothing to do with protecting her but with saving her own backside.''
Chad shrugged. "That's immaterial now. The statute of limitations has expired. I'm trying to find Alison for another reason that has nothing to do with police business. I want to let her know she has nearly destroyed her daughter."
"You better find her before I do," Mark asserted.
"Watch what you say," Chad warned. "If anything happens to Alison, you could get your ass in a sling for making threats or worse. I have to get moving. After I talk to Jan I've got to go back to the barracks and write a report."
Back in his cruiser, Chad pushed the button on his radio. "Do you have a phone book handy?" he asked the cop that answered his call. "I need a number for Carl Dale." Chad wrote the number in his little notebook and took out his cell phone. He got an answering machine so he left a message. "Mrs. Dale. This is Trooper Wertman. I need to ask you to do a huge favor for me. Please call me." He gave her the number to his cell.
Chapter 14
"Who?" Sherry sat up so suddenly she sent searing pain through her rib cage. She gasped and wrapped her arms around herself to ease the pain, taking slow shallow breaths until the pain diminished. When she heard the buzzer to the breezeway door, she realized she hadn't been dreaming. Pushing herself to her feet, she went to the kitchen to look out the window. The sun had already set and the settling dusk gave little light inside the house.
Standing outside her door was a large woman in a black blazer and a long black skirt. Sherry frowned until it registered who the woman was. Then she hurried to answer the door. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Dale. I was sleeping off a pain pill."
"No shame in that," the older woman said. "I thought I'd come by to check on how you're doing?"
"Excuse me but I have to go to the bathroom now."
Rose went directly to the sink to wash her hands. I goofed, she thought. Sherry's smart enough to know they don't send nurses around to check on people unless it's doctor ordered. Then it wouldn't be a nurse who works in the ER. She decided to tell the girl the truth.
Rose could tell Sherry had done a lot of crying because her eyes were red and swollen. She noted the bottle of peroxide sitting on
the table along with a box of jumbo sized band-aids.
"If you want me to I'll change the dressing on your wound."
"Jan Blakely changed it this morning," Sherry informed her. "I don't have anyone to do it now. I told her not to come around anymore. I can't deal with the Blakelys right now." She felt miserable. "After what Mom did this morning. And Mark this afternoon. It's more than I can handle."
Rose set a chair out from the table. "Sit with your back to me. You can tell me about it while I change your bandage." She thought Sherry would be able to talk more freely if she wasn't looking her in the face. "Just wait until I get some gloves on."
Sherry straddled the chair and leaned forward with her hands on the back. "I don't know how Mom could do something like that."
"What did she do, sweetie?" Rose worked gently to loosen the band-aid that covered the wound.
"I thought everyone knew by now," Sherry returned. "It was on the radio."
"I work night and sleep days," Rose reminded her. "I haven't heard any newscasts yet today." With the bandage off, she began washing the wound with peroxide.
Sherry collected her thoughts. She had a difficult time holding back the tears. "She called that talk show this morning and accused Mark Blakely of 'inappropriately' touching a four-year-old girl. I recognized her voice. It wasn't hard to figure out that the girl he supposedly touched was me. When she took me away from here fourteen years ago, she told me that it was so I wouldn't be molested." Sherry could no longer hold back the tears. "I put two and two together and got five. I guessed that Mark had molested me. Frank was here and he told me what happened. I couldn't, wouldn't believe him." Sherry paused as a shudder ran through her body.
Rose pulled her sweatshirt back down. "That's a tough row to hoe."
"If I believed Frank," Sherry explained, "I would have to face the fact that Mom lied to me about the reason she took me away from the grandmother I loved so much. I told Frank to go away and leave me alone so I could sort it all out. He left. I couldn't deal with it. I just sat here and cried until Mark came. He's been suspended from his position as a teacher until the investigation's complete. I accused him of molesting me."
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