“I’m thankful they accepted the jewels back and didn’t harm you and Steve, Amanda.” Debbie mashed some banana and stuck it in Bobby’s mouth.
“That’s right,” Joanna smiled. “I don’t know what we’d do without you two. You’re the only ones who can communicate with them.”
“By the way, Joanna, when we were in the cave today, I looked and your baby’s stone hadn’t been disturbed.” Amanda smiled at her.
“Thank you for telling me that. It makes me feel better.”
“What are we going to do about Mr. X now?” Curtis looked at them. “When he comes around he’ll be hell to handle.”
“We can’t let him bother the natives again,” Steve said. “We were lucky today, but I have a feeling they won’t be as generous next time.”
Gene stood. “The sun’s about gone. I think I better check him one more time then we’ll get the little one to bed.” He looked down at Debbie.
“I’ll be right there.”
Steve stood. “I think we’ll turn in too.” He looked at Amanda. “Are you about ready?”
She stood and followed him to their hut.
It wasn’t long until the beach was deserted.
Though Amanda felt somewhat comforted by having Steve’s arms around her, she still had bad dreams. She kept seeing body parts fly to the ground and some of them belonged to her. She’d jerk awake and Steve would mutter comforting words to her. She’d go back to sleep and the same dreams would haunt her again. She was glad when it finally began to get light.
Steve was already awake. “Couldn’t you sleep, honey?”
“I kept having bad dreams.”
“I understand.” He kissed her gently.
She returned the kiss and sat up. “I think I’ll go to the latrine.”
“Want me to walk with you?”
She started to say no, but changed her mind. She wasn’t ready to face the world alone. “If you don’t mind.”
* * * *
Close to lunchtime she went fishing with him. They caught four big flounder and Steve cleaned them without kidding her.
Tony had a fire going when they came to the area where they cooked and ate. Everyone seemed to be ready for something hot, but there was very little talking. They had almost finished the meal when Mr. X appeared from the door of his hut.
He strode toward them and the closer he got, the more determined he looked. When nobody spoke to him he looked from first one then the other. “Why?” He stared at them and waited for an answer.
“Why, what?” Ray asked.
“This.” He held up his arm with the missing hand. There was hate in his eyes. “Why did you yellow-bellied cowards let them do this to me?”
“Mr. X, there are a hundred or more natives on this island. There are five of us men, not counting you. That’d mean each of us would have to fight at least twenty.” Curtis looked at the men. “I don’t know about the others, but I’m sure I couldn’t stop twenty native if my life depended on it.”
“You could have tried.”
Amanda couldn’t help butting in. “You could’ve left the stones alone.”
“Why? So you and your married lover could take them for yourselves?”
Amanda dropped her head and shook it. “You just won’t try to understand, will you?”
“Why should I? None of you understand me.”
“We would if you’d be part of the group,” Debbie said.
“I don’t need a group. I’ve gone through life without anyone helping me and I’ll continue to do so.”
“Why would you do that, if you don’t have to?” Wilma looked at him.
“Because I like it that way.” He reached for a piece of fish. Nobody stopped him. “I’ve done all right living like I want to.” He laughed a vicious laugh. “Oh, don’t think I didn’t try it your way. I did. I had a big job. Corporate executive, no less. I had a pretty wife. She was younger than me. About your age I guess.” He grinned at Joanna. “She had a ten-year-old daughter, but I didn’t care. She was still a looker and every man wanted her when we walked into a room.”
He took a bite of fish and nobody spoke. He went on. “I thought I had it made until the time I came home from a business trip a day early. Had a nice diamond necklace in my pocket for my wife. I couldn’t wait to surprise her, but low and behold, she surprised me first. I slipped upstairs and was going to put it on her neck and what do you think I found?” He didn’t wait for them to answer. “She was humping one of my junior executives right there in my own bed.”
“I’m sorry,” Phyllis muttered.
“Don’t be. I got even,” he snarled then laughed his sinister laugh. “I fired the executive and put a hit out on him. He ended up in the East River. I then tied my wife up and brought her kid into the bedroom. She kept begging me to stop, but I didn’t. I raped the kid right there in front of her. That was when I learned I liked young stuff.”
Amanda gasped.
“No. You couldn’t be that twisted.” Wilma stared at him.
“We’ve heard enough. Get away from here.” Steve stood and faced the man.
“I agree with Steve,” Ray stood. “You stay away from these decent people.”
“Decent, my eye!” He almost shouted. “There’s only one married couple among you. The rest of you are fornicating right and left. Now me, I’m a married man again. The other wife went loony and I had to have her put away. Everybody thought it was because somebody broke into our house and raped and murdered the kid.” He laughed again. “Nobody suspected me. I got all the sympathy in the world. That’s how I met this new wife. She felt sorry for me. She wasn’t the best looking woman after me so at first I ignored her, then I learned she was divorced and had three daughters under twelve.” His face spread with an evil grin. “I had to go on this trip before I could do anything, but boy am I going to have me a ball with them when I get back home. They don’t suspect a thing.”
“You horrible, horrible man!” Debbie cried.
“How could you do that to a child?” Joanna was crying.
Amanda stood and in a quite voice asked, “Are you the one raping and killing the native girls?”
“So what if I am?” He looked at Steve. “If you ever had a young one, you’d never want this old woman again.”
If Tony hadn’t stopped him, Steve would have lunged at Mr. X. “He’s not worth it, Steve.”
Mr. X looked at all of them. “So what? Those girls are uncivilized. Why they’re no more than animals. So I give them a little thrill before I kill them. What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to see that you never harm another little girl.” Gene stood. “Steve can I borrow your pocketknife?”
Horror crossed Mr. X’s face. “What do you think you’re going to do?”
“I’m a doctor. There’s a lot I can do if the other men will hold you down.”
The men all stood.
“Bring him to his hut,” Gene instructed. “You women stay here.”
“No!” Mr. X dropped his piece of fish and jerked free of Gene’s grip. Before anyone could stop him, he bolted into the jungle.
* * * *
September 2—11:45 AM
Wendover, GA
The eleven o’clock funeral service in the church lasted thirty minutes. Now the guests were standing around the funeral tent and the family members were seated under it on fold-up chairs. Janet and Warner Clifton were being interned side by side in the church cemetery.
It was still hard for Steve to believe what had happened. Though the wreck had been classified as an accident and the authorities had surmised Warner had either fallen asleep or had suffered a heart attack, Steve felt he knew better. Warner had heard Janet say she’d killed his mother and that fact would have sent Warner over the edge. He’d always been close to his mother and according to Dave he’d grown closer to her after Marilyn died. Steve knew when the two of them had left the house Warner had no intention of taking Janet home to stay. He’d hoped
he was taking her back to Green Haven, but the accident hadn’t occurred on the way there.
As he and Amanda stood off to the side of the tent, he thought of how different things would have been if Janet hadn’t had the terrible disease. If not for that, she would’ve been happy with Warner, a man who had no children and would be a welcomed plus to Dave’s life. Dave had also said his mother seemed at peace in the beginning of her second marriage. Maybe in time the four of them could’ve been friends. There was no doubt in his mind he would have divorced Janet when he came home from the island. His love for Amanda was so deep he could’ve never given her up, but at least he wouldn’t have learned all the horrible things he now knew about his first wife. His one regret was that he hadn’t been able to shield Dave from Janet’s wrath.
His son would always know his mother hadn’t wanted him. He’d also know she never loved the grandchildren, especially Johnny. He only hoped was that in some way Amanda’s love and caring would help heal the wounds Janet had brought to her son.
Steve looked at Dave sitting under the tent holding Claudia’s hand. There was very little expression on the young man’s face. Steve couldn’t help being proud of the way Dave told everyone how happy his mother was with Warner and how she’d been so willing to accept Amanda into all their lives. He was glad the boy had chosen not to desecrate his mother’s name. In the end it would be better for him and for the grandchildren, too.
The minister was calling for heads to be bowed as he said prayers. Steve complied, though he couldn’t hear all the man was saying. He did hear the amen. He looked up and the clergyman was shaking hands with the family.
Johnny was squirming in a chair and finally he jumped down. He said loud enough for those around to hear, “I want to go see Grandpa and Pamanda.”
Several people smiled as the little boy ran to his grandfather.
“Hi, Grandpa.”
“Hello, big boy.” Steve reached down and picked up his grandson.
“Hi, Pamanda,” Johnny said leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, my love.” She kissed him back.
“That’s so sweet,” a voice said behind them.
Steve turned. “Hello, Mrs. Evens.”
“Hello, Steve. You certainly have been keeping to yourself since your return.”
“I guess it’s taken me a while to adjust.” He smiled at the woman, who was well into her eighties. “May I introduce my wife, Amanda. Honey this is Mrs. Evens. She’s one of the best tenth grade math teachers in this county.”
“Hello, Mrs. Evens.”
“Hello dear.” She turned back to Steve. “I’m so pleased Warner and Janet supported your new marriage. They were such a lovely couple.”
“Yes. I’m glad Janet found happiness again.”
“Pamanda and Grandpa are married.”
Mrs. Evens smiled. “Yes, I know they are, Johnny. What do you think of that?”
“I like it. Pamanda likes me too.”
“She sure does,” Amanda said.
“Well, I can see Dave is going to have some good support during the grieving period. I know it’s hard for him to lose his mother this way.”
“Hello, Mrs. Evens,” Dave said from behind her.
“Hello, Dave. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“It was a tragedy.”
“If you’d like, I have a meal ready at home. I’d be happy for you to bring your family over and eat with me.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Evens, but Amanda’s daughter and her husband are here. They came to the funeral, but didn’t stay for the internment. They went to the house to make sure lunch would be ready when we all got there.”
“Oh, how nice. I take it the two families get along well, then?”
“Yes, we do,” Dave said. “Amanda has a wonderful family and we’ve all blended well.”
“Kenny plays with me,” Johnny said. “Kristy don’t though. She’d rather be with Robin and Candy.”
“We’ll go on home, son,” Steve said. “Feel free to stay and talk as long as you like. You can come whenever you’re ready.”
“We’ll be there in a little while, Dad.” He hugged his Dad and turned to Amanda. Without hesitation he hugged her too.
“I want to go with Grandpa and Pamanda.”
“Okay, you can go with them. I’ll go tell your mama where you’ve gone. Excuse me Mrs. Evens.” Dave walked away.
“I’m glad I met you, Mrs. Evens,” Amanda said.
“And I was glad to meet you, too, my dear. May I call you Amanda?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to your book, Amanda. I read in the paper it’ll be out in a couple of weeks.”
“I hope you enjoy it.”
“I’m sure I will. I’m so anxious to find out what happened to all of you. I’ve seen your interviews on television and I feel I’ve already learned a lot.”
Amanda nodded and Mrs. Evens went on, “You all take care now.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Evens, we will.” Steve smiled and began to walk away before anyone else could come up to talk to them. To Amanda he said, “I hope when we’re eighty-eight, we’re still as agile and alert as she is.”
“Is she really that old?”
“Yes. She advertises her birthday every year and brags to everyone about her age.”
He put Johnny in his car seat. Amanda leaned in and buckled him up. Steve then walked around the car with Amanda and opened the passenger side door for her. “I know you’re capable of opening your own door, but thanks for letting me do it.” He winked at her and headed back to the driver’s side.
“What did you mean by that remark?” She smiled at him and asked as he backed out of the parking space.
“Half the church is watching us and I wanted them to know I treat my wife like a lady.”
“Oh.” She shook her head. “If it pleases you, then I’m glad I didn’t grab my door.”
A sudden question came from the back seat interrupting their discussion of opening doors. “Has Grandma Janet gone to heaven, Grandpa?”
“I guess so, Johnny.”
“Don’t you know, Grandpa?”
Amanda looked around at the small child. “Of course he knows, Johnny. He’s just so busy driving he didn’t want to say much about it. Your grandma is probably in heaven right this minute. She may even be singing a song. Didn’t she like to sing?”
“Yes. She sung in church, but she didn’t sing to me much.”
“Maybe she just liked to sing to grown ups.”
He nodded. “I think she did like to sing to grown ups. Most people in church are grown-ups.”
“Now when we get to our house what is the first thing you want to do?” Amanda changed the subject. She didn’t want Johnny to get death on his mind.
“I want to show Kenny my new truck. The one Grandpa bought me at the store.”
“I bet he’ll like your new truck.”
“I bet he will too. It’s red, like Grandpa’s truck.” He frowned. “Where’s your truck Grandpa?”
“I left it in the garage, Johnny. I decided to drive Amanda’s car today.”
“Is this your car, Pamanda?”
“Yes, it is. Do you like it?”
“Yes. I like it. What is the kind it is?”
“It’s called a Mercedes.”
“Merkideese?”
They all laughed and Amanda said, “That’s close enough.”
Chapter 31
Fourteen Months and Three Weeks Earlier
Nobody saw Mr. X for the next two days. If he returned to camp he came after they’d all gone to bed and he left before they got up in the morning. They knew he’d either been captured by the natives or he was surviving on the fruits and nuts in the jungle. He never showed up at mealtime and they knew he wasn’t coming to catch fish. There was no way he could fish at night even if he’d discovered a way to cook them.
Amanda and Steve had a long discussion about what had happened. Nei
ther could comprehend the mind of a man so evil and brutal. Steve confided to her he couldn’t feel sorry for the man if the natives killed him.
“I have two granddaughters. One was ten and the other eight when I left home. If someone like him harmed them, I could kill them without thinking twice,” he said.
“I know. Rape’s an unforgivable sin. I have a ten-year-old granddaughter too and I’d want to kill anyone wanting to harm her.” She didn’t dare say anything more. She was afraid she’d say too much. Though she loved Steve with all her heart, she felt it better to keep some things from him.
* * * *
It was the third day after Mr. X disappeared. The group was sitting around the campfire having dinner. Steve had caught a big basket of crab and Tony had trapped a bird. They roasted the fowl on a wooden spit and had boiled the crabs. With their usual fruit and nuts they were having a nice supper.
Nonchalantly, Mr. X strolled out of the jungle toward them. Nobody said anything, but everyone stared as he ambled up to the group.
“Smelled the cooking,” he said. “I hope you’re all over your mad because I could sure use something cooked to eat.”
“Maybe we don’t want you eating our food.” Curtis looked at him. “You’ve done nothing to help around here to earn it.”
“I’ll do my share. I knew I had to stay away from you for a while because you all were so riled up.” The gaze from his shifty eyes went from one to the other.
They knew he was ready to run if anyone attempted to corner him again.
“Here.” Tony tossed him the backbone of the bird. “There’s a little meat on this. Enough for you anyway.”
Mr. X caught the back. He bit his lip and Amanda knew he was trying not to spout out one of his caustic remarks.
Without a word, Steve cleaned the pocket knife he’d been using to cut his and Amanda’s food. He made it obvious when he handed it to Gene.
Gene smiled and nodded.
Panic filled Mr. X’s eyes as the other men began to nod. “You wouldn’t dare do that to me... Would you?”
Gene raised his eyebrow, but said nothing.
Tony stood.
Mr. X began to back away. “Okay, be that way. I’m going.” He turned and again ran into the jungle.
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