by Jennie Marts
“Yes, she was. It was a Saturday so they had a small staff working. It was only Donna and one of the bank officers,” Johnny explained. “When the siren went off, they tried to run to the vault to lock themselves inside. But the tornado hit so fast that only Donna made it to the vault. The bank officer was killed when the funnel suddenly hit the building.”
“Oh no. Poor girl,” Sunny said. “Was she okay?”
“She was totally in shock.” Edna looked down, a little in shock herself to see that John’s hand was covering hers. “She escaped the vault, climbing over the rubble to get out. Evidently, she was in such a fog that she left the door open, and in the chaos of the storm and the aftermath, someone got in there and robbed the vault of all the cash. Got away with over fifty-thousand dollars. Which was a lot in the fifties.”
“It’s a lot now,” Sunny said. “Did they ever catch the guy?”
“Not as far as I know.” Edna looked up at John and pulled her hand free. “Some said he must have disappeared after the storm and others say that he died.”
“There’s usually more to a story than people realize at the time.” John peered at Edna.
“Seems to me there’s been plenty of time between now and then to tell that story,” she said.
An awkward silence settled around the table.
The silence was broken by a loud crash as a rock the size of a toaster came smashing through Edna’s front bay window. The window shattered and broken glass flew into the room followed by the large rock. It landed with a thud on the carpet, rolling to a stop against the coffee table.
Sunny screamed, and Jake went into federal agent mode, on his feet and throwing his arms out to protect the women. Within seconds, he had the kitchen table tipped on its side and the members of the book club herded behind it. He instructed John to stay with the women.
Edna was surprised to see him pull a handgun from the back waistband of his jeans as he moved to check things out. He threw the front door open and slipped outside.
Within a few minutes, he was back, reaching for Sunny and drawing her into his arms. “It’s all clear. Is everybody okay in here?”
“We’re okay,” Cassie said, one arm wrapped around Piper’s shoulder.
Edna nodded at the gun in Jake’s hand. “Do you always bring a gun to dinner? Or just when we’re having ziti?”
Jake’s gaze leveled at John. “I bring a gun when I think I might need one.”
“What the hell was that?” Maggie asked. She turned to Edna. “Who did you piss off now?”
Edna shrugged. “It could be anybody.”
Jake slowly approached the rock. “I don’t think it was meant for you, Edna. It’s got a piece of paper stuck to it with a message on it, written in red marker. It says, ‘I know you’re alive.’” He raised an eyebrow at John.
Edna took in the worried look on John’s face. “Hell, that could mean anything. Maybe they’re talking about Jesus. Those religious groups might have grown tired of handing out pamphlets, and they’re trying a new approach.”
As usual, Maggie ignored Edna’s sarcasm. “We need to call the police.”
“We can’t,” Edna said.
“Why not?”
Edna looked at John. “Because someone out there might know that John’s alive, but it isn’t the police. If the police knew, they’d arrest him.”
John took Edna’s hand. “It’s okay. I knew once I came back, that everything would come out. I wasn’t expecting this, though.” He gestured at the broken glass. “I don’t want to put you in danger. I think you should call the police.”
“No. You’re here. After sixty years of believing you were dead, you are standing in my living room. I’m not ready to let you go.” She squeezed his hand.
“We could call Mac,” Cassie suggested.
Officer McCarthy was a local policeman who had helped the Page Turners book club earlier this summer. He’d been the one on call and shown up to help Sunny when she’d been assaulted. And he was also the officer assigned to the murder case that Maggie’s boyfriend had been the prime suspect in. He was a good man and had a soft spot for the Page Turners. Especially Maggie.
“We don’t need to bother Mac,” Maggie said.
“Well, we need to call somebody,” Jake said. “This is a serious rock. If Edna had been sitting in this chair, it could have killed her.” He narrowed his eyes at John. “I’m not sure what kind of trouble you’re in, John. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I don’t think you’re a bad guy, but my first priority is these women. I can’t have them put in danger.”
“I agree.” John looked down at Edna. “You need to file a police report. Plus, you’ll need it to file an insurance claim.”
“Listen to you, all Mr. Responsible, worrying about insurance claims.”
John smiled. “I have grown up a little, Eddy. And I agree with Jake. This is obviously a threat aimed at me and I don’t want to put you or your friends in harm’s way.”
Edna sighed. “All right, let’s call Mac. I think we can trust him.” She nodded at Maggie.
“Don’t look at me. I’m not calling him.” Maggie pointed at her friend. “It was Cassie’s idea. Let her call him.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, I’ll call him.” Sunny dug her phone from her front pocket and found his number.
Fifteen minutes later, Jake greeted the handsome police officer and ushered him into the room. Well over six feet tall, with his serious eyes and clean-shaven head, Officer McCarthy commanded the attention of the room. His eyes cut first to Maggie, taking in that she was all right, then he swept the room with his gaze.
The living room remained untouched; the rock still lay amidst the broken glass scattered across the floor. They had righted the kitchen table, and the Page Turners and John sat around it.
Mac walked directly to Edna. His eyes were soft as he looked down at the tiny elderly woman. “Are you all right, Ms. Allen?”
Edna winked at the police officer and shook his hand. “Of course I am.” She hoped her offhand comment would disguise the trembling in her hand.
But Mac was smart. He folded his other hand on top of her smaller one, and gave her a reassuring nod. “If there’s trouble to be had, you always seem to find it.”
Edna smiled. “I always say a little trouble keeps you young.”
“Well, I assume you’re knee deep in this, otherwise your cohorts wouldn’t have asked me to come alone.” He nodded at the Page Turners before turning back to Edna. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
Edna gave Mac an abbreviated version of the story, leaving John out of it as much as she could. She told him they had been sweethearts, but hadn’t seen each other in years. “Listen, Mac, I still trust this man with my life, and I will do whatever I can to protect him.”
Mac pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and removed the paper from the rock. He held it by the corner and placed it into a Ziploc bag, then nodded at John. “Do you have any idea who sent you this message?”
John shook his head. “No, sir. I have literally been off the grid for the past sixty years. I arrived in town a few days ago and only the people in this room even know that I’m here. I don’t use a computer and have a prepaid cell phone. I haven’t told anyone my real name in years.”
“This might be my fault, then,” Jake said.
“Your fault?” Sunny said. She had grabbed a broom from the closet and was sweeping up the broken glass. “How could any of this be your fault?”
“I do know your real name, and I’ve used it on the computer. If you were into some kind of trouble or really dangerous, I couldn’t have you around these women,” Jake said to John. “I’ve been digging into your past to see what I could find and I’ve entered your name and social security number into several databases. If someone was monitoring your social, it may have come up as a hit and led them here.”
“What kind of trouble were you in that’s taken you off the grid for sixty years and has someone monitoring in
ternet activity for your whereabouts?” Mac asked.
Edna sighed. “Why don’t you all sit down? It seems like we need to tell you the rest of the story.”
Cassie headed for the kitchen and grabbed some dessert plates. “Oh good. I’ll serve the pie.”
Chapter Ten
1955
Coopersville, Kansas
It had been two weeks since the storm. The town pulled together and had been working to repair and restore. Those that weren’t hit offered shelter and aid to those who had been.
Johnny, Frank, and Weasel spent their evenings out at the farm, helping Janice to rebuild. It seemed that folks from the town showed up every day, helping to clean up debris and erect a new barn. New fence line had to be run, and the windmill needed to be repaired. Different townspeople arrived as different skills were needed. Edna was amazed at the feeling of community and the way they all pitched in to help each other.
She kept busy making food and doing an assortment of tasks. She would have done anything to help her aunt, and eagerly accepted any job, from putting together sandwiches to filling the truck with downed branches and broken lumber.
The guys came out to help, which made the chores easier. Frank’s relaxed manner and Johnny’s sense of play made most jobs seem more fun. Weasel was on the quiet side, but he worked hard and could always be counted on to pitch in.
“You guys have made such a difference out here,” Edna told Johnny one evening as they loaded debris into the back of the pickup.
“We want to help,” Johnny said. “Your aunt is a good lady, and she doesn’t deserve this. Not everybody would take a chance on the poor kid of the town drunk, but your aunt’s offered me odd jobs out here every summer since I was fourteen. Frank and I have come out and helped with harvest and calf branding, whatever she needed. Even Weasel has done some jobs for her.”
“Still, you’ve been out here every night. And we’re not paying you anything.”
“I wouldn’t take a dime. Even if she offered.” Johnny threw a broken tree limb into the bed of the truck. “Janice has always been there for me, helping me when I needed it. I’m glad to be able to repay some of her kindness by helping her get the farm back in order.”
Edna warmed at the sincerity of his words. He looked so tough, with his greased hair and muscled arms. It often took her by surprise when he made heartfelt comments, expressing his thoughts and feelings. She smiled up at him. “I know she really appreciates it. We both do. And if you won’t let her pay you anything, maybe you’ll let me think of a way to repay you.”
Johnny’s eyes widened at her bold comment. He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close and placing a quick kiss on her lips. “How about you pay me by agreeing to go to the Harvest Dance with me Friday night?”
A thrill raced up her spine as his lips touched hers. She couldn’t get enough of the feel of him. Being in his arms. Having him so close to her. Being able to touch him and kiss him whenever she wanted. She couldn’t believe this man was hers. Having him sweep her around a dance floor sounded like heaven. “Of course I will. Are you sure they’re still having it?”
“Yeah, I heard them talking about it in the drugstore. They have it every summer, and they think it’ll be good for the town to get together and have something fun to look forward to. I guess they talked about canceling it but decided it might help the morale of the town.”
“Count me in. I’m all for helping out morale,” Edna said, already planning which dress she would wear.
Of the two she brought, she chose the pale yellow one. It had a full skirt and a snug bodice with a row of embroidered daisies lining the thin spaghetti straps. She wore a string of white beads to offset the color of the petals, and yellow pumps completed the outfit. Johnny whistled in appreciation when he and Frank picked her up that Friday night.
The dance floor was hopping by the time they walked into the Elks Lodge. It seemed the whole town had shown up for the event. Punch was flowing, both spiked and unspiked, and the sound of laughter filled the room.
Edna spied Donna and Weasel at a table in the corner of the room and they made their way through the crowd to join them. Donna’s hair was curled and set, and she wore a green taffeta dress.
“You look lovely, Donna,” Edna said, sinking into the chair next to her friend. “Your dress is beautiful. It looks great with your skin.”
Her compliment earned a rare smile from Donna. “Thanks. Yours is nice too.”
“I missed you on the ride over. I thought we would have picked you up.”
“You don’t have to pick us up anymore.” Donna gave Weasel an adoring glance. “Warren has his own car now. He just got it. It’s a Buick.”
“Yeah, got my own wheels finally.” Weasel grinned and gestured at Frank. “No more bumming rides off this clown.”
“I saw it out front,” Frank said. “It’s nice. You must have been saving like crazy to afford that beauty. But I wish you would’ve checked with me or my dad. We could’ve got you a bargain.”
“Ahh, Donna knew a guy who was selling it. He gave me a good deal.” Warren reached into the side pocket of his blazer and pulled out a silver flask. He tipped back a swig then offered it around the table.
Frank shook his head. “Nah, I’m driving tonight.”
“I’m not.” Johnny grabbed the flask, took a quick pull, and passed it to Edna. “It’s some of his dad’s scotch. Want a swig?”
Edna took the flask. She’d watched her mother fight the debilitating effects of alcohol for years, and she’d always abstained. She recognized the slack jaw and glassy eyes on Weasel and knew he was already drunk. Not wanting to make a big deal, she took a small sip. The liquid burned and left a warm trail down her throat. She passed it to Donna, who waved it away.
Weasel grabbed for it and took another swallow before tucking it back into his pocket. He grabbed Donna by the arm. “Let’s dance.”
Johnny held out his hand to Edna. “May I have this dance?”
What a gentleman. She took his hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and swayed to the music. His breath was warm against her ear, and she could smell the faint scent of Weasel’s dad’s scotch. Tucked into his arms, moving with the rhythm of the band, Edna felt the magic of the evening. The magic of the summer.
Too bad there was no such thing as magic.
The group of friends danced and laughed. Keenly aware of the effects of alcohol, Edna noticed that both Johnny and Weasel passed the silver flask between them several more times as the night wore on.
Being such a cute catch, Frank had no shortage of dance partners. He took turns dancing with Donna and Edna when the other guys snuck out back for a cigarette or to refill the flask.
Frank was not as tall as Johnny, but Edna felt comfortable slow dancing in his arms. “It seems like you’re having fun tonight. I think you could have your pick of any woman in this room.”
Frank ducked his head in modesty. “Nah. They’re only interested in me because my family has money. It doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“That’s not true at all. Your family might have wealth, but you’re very handsome, Frank. You must know that.”
“Yeah, right. Handsome as my wallet and the nice car I drive.”
“Oh, stop it. You would make a great catch, and I think every single girl in the room has flirted with you tonight. Except maybe Ms. May, the librarian, and that’s only because she’s eighty.”
“Oh no, I danced with Ms. May a little bit ago.”
Edna laughed. “You didn’t.”
Frank grinned. “Yes, I did. But I think she just wanted to remind me that I still had library fines due from back in high school.”
Edna swatted him on the arm. “Seriously, Frank. You’re a great guy and super cute. Why don’t you have a girlfriend? Have you just not met the right girl yet?”
Frank looked down into Edna’s eyes. “Maybe I did meet her, and she fell for som
eone else?”
Oh.
Before Edna could respond, she was jostled into Frank as Donna ran by her and into the ladies’ room. Edna took a step back from Frank. “She didn’t look so good. Maybe I’d better go check on her. See if she’s okay.”
Frank smiled, but a hint of sadness crossed his face for just a moment. Then he waved her on. “Yeah, sure. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
The sound of retching could be heard as she entered the ladies’ room. Edna wet a paper towel as she waited for Donna to exit the stall. The girl emerged, her face pale and her hair damp with sweat.
Edna held out the moist towel. “Are you okay?”
“What do you care?” Donna asked, ignoring the paper towel and rinsing her mouth with water.
“Of course I care. You’re the only girlfriend I have in Coopersville.” She reached a tentative hand out to touch Donna’s shoulder. “I’d like to help if I can.”
Edna was surprised to see the girl’s face crumple and big tears fill her eyes. “You can’t help me. Nobody can.”
“Oh goodness,” Edna said, unused to any kind of emotion from the other girl. “What’s happened? Did you have too much to drink? Are you worried your dad will get upset?”
Donna laughed. A slight, wry sigh. “Yes, I am worried my dad will be upset. I’m worried that everyone will be upset. I’m not sick because I’m drunk. I haven’t had anything to drink tonight. I’ve been puking all month.”
“All month? But you haven’t seemed sick.”
Donna waited, as if watching Edna’s face for a reaction.
“Oh-h-h.” The realization slowly dawned on Edna. “Oh no. You’re pregnant?”
“Bingo. Give that girl a prize.”
“What are you going to do? Does Weasel know?”
“His name is Warren. And of course he knows. Why do you think he’s getting pissed drunk tonight? We’re going to the courthouse next week to get married.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“Like what? Make me un-pregnant? Explain to my parents that their pride and joy is not married and having a baby? Explain to my dad, the chief of police, how I snuck out and got drunk and let a boy touch me?”