A uniformed officer passed, and Trevor spoke. The air-conditioner blocked all sound, and Janie rolled down her window. The smoke gagged her, and she rolled it back up. Unable to read lips, she waited impatiently for Trevor’s return.
Walls of the burning structure collapsed, sending sparks and flames into the air. The fire hissed and groaned as if a living force. Janie closed her eyes, but the smells wafted through the vents and pervaded her senses. She opened her mouth to cry but stopped at the feel of Trevor’s touch.
“Janie, can you scoot over a bit so I can get in?”
In his absence, she had taken his seat behind the wheel. She moved to the middle but refused to move any farther.
He slid onto the seat and grunted at his lack of space. He stretched his arm behind her, and she turned into his side.
“What did you find out?” she asked, biting the inside of her lip.
“Not much. It seems like not long after we left the grocery store, the fire department received an anonymous tip about a fire. They haven’t determined if anyone is inside because the fire is too hot.”
Janie watched the blaze. The water from the fire trucks did little to stem the tide. “Will you take me home?”
He moved his arm and started the engine. They drove home in silence. The events of the day had left her feeling drained. Inside her house, Trevor helped prepare two sandwiches. They sat at the kitchen table, and Trevor offered grace.
The meager meal over and the paper plates in the trash, Janie said, “I think I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Trevor pushed his chair up to the table, walked to the back door, and stopped. “Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded. When the door clicked closed, she whispered, “I hope so.”
****
Trevor removed his prosthesis and used his crutches to reach the shower. Cleaned and dried, he pulled on a pair of shorts and stretched out on top of the bed covers. Heat pervaded the room. The fan whirled and rattled overhead. On his side, he studied the wall. In places, the plaster was thicker and swirled, reminding him of a Mexican-style restaurant.
Rehashing memories of the day, he couldn’t get past the fact that something didn’t sit right. Why had those perps attacked Janie? Were they new to town? Were they staying or just passing through? And what about two incidents occurring on the same day?
He picked up the clock. Midnight. Rolling onto his back, he studied the ceiling. Shadows danced. The fan rattled and groaned with each rotation. He counted each revolution, growing sleepy. The phone blared, and he picked it up on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Trevor? Did I wake you? You sound groggy. If I woke you, I can call back tomorrow. You’ve had a rough day, and I know the sandwich couldn’t have given you much energy. I should just hang up and let you sleep.”
Trevor pushed into an upright position and leaned his back against the headboard. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and noted the time — fifteen past twelve. The rapid-fire method Janie spoke in caused a throbbing sensation behind his temple, and he massaged the area.
“Trevor, are you there?”
“I’m here, darling.”
“Was you asleep?”
“Almost.”
“Should I call back tomorrow?”
Probably. “No. What do you need?”
Janie was silent so long he thought she’d hung up. Then he heard her sniffing. “Would you like me to come over?” he asked.
Between sobs she said, “Would you?”
“Yeah. Give me thirty minutes.”
“Okay,” she answered in a hoarse whisper.
He pulled on his pants before he realized he’d forgotten his trusty new companion. Sighing, he tugged them off and started over, this time placing the prosthesis in place first. He pulled a white t-shirt over his head before placing on his cowboy hat.
He stopped in her driveway. A single bare bulb lit the porch. The front door opened as his foot touched the top step.
“Come in. I have the popcorn ready and the movie set to run.”
“Oh, so we’re watching a movie?”
“Sure. I’m bored, aren’t you bored? I mean, there is so little to do at night.”
You could sleep, he thought, masking his true feelings by smiling and saying, “Yep, so little to do at night.”
He sat on the couch, and she went to pull off his boots. Quickly he stopped her. “Janie, I prefer to keep my boots on.”
She leaned back and he let her go. “Oh, yeah, sure you do.”
She started the movie and handed him a bowl of popcorn. The story was a black-and-white film from the forties that was based on a book. No sooner had the plot thickened than Janie said, “I guess you wondered why I didn’t call my dad. But the truth is he freaks out at any mention of fire, so he wouldn’t enjoy this movie.”
Sensing Janie wanted to say more Trevor paused the movie and faced her. “Spill it, darling.”
“What? I don’t know what you mean. I was talking about the movie. Although it wasn’t very polite of me to give up the plot.”
Over and over she apologized until he clamped his hand over her mouth. Startled, her eyes widened and he released his hold.
“Look, I know you didn’t call me over here to watch a movie. You’ve endured a traumatic experience, and you need to talk about it. That is one of the things Rory taught us well. Bottling up your feelings and emotions only makes things worse.”
She fiddled with the string in her pajama pants. She wore a matching, pale yellow silk top and bottom. The fabric felt smooth to the touch, and he worked hard to ignore her sex appeal.
Her shoulders heaved beneath the thin spaghetti straps. “I –I don’t know where to start.”
She bent over and he rubbed her back. “Anywhere you like.”
“My dad called.”
“Okay,” he drew out the word afraid to comment further.
“He had heard about the incident from the police chief, and he wanted to know if I was okay. Of course he apologized for not coming to check on me, and he said he loved me.” She swiped tears from her cheeks. “I kept thinking about how long it has been since I’ve seen him. You know he doesn’t come out very often.” She stared up at the ceiling. “I laid down, but all I could see were the flames. They were everywhere, climbing my walls, consuming my curtains. I tried showering, singing, writing a letter, anything to make the memories fade, but it was no use. So I called you.”
She sat straighter, wiped her face, and studied him. How had these months of searching for a person he could be dependent on turn into him being depended on? God works in mysterious ways, to get us where He wants us to be; Rory’s words echoed in his mind.
“Trevor, if you want to go, I’ll understand.”
“Go? I can’t go. I need to know what happens to this no-name chick.”
He hit play on the remote, and Janie snuggled against him. Protectively he wrapped his arm around her side and pulled her closer.
****
The fuzzy sound of the television woke Janie. Trevor snored softly beside her. Remote in hand, she clicked off the movie. Regular programming popped onto the screen.
“Channel Six News has just learned that the Pearl Valley fire that occurred late this afternoon has indeed claimed two lives. Police suspect that those involved in the fire are also the same two men who attacked the woman at the grocery store yesterday afternoon. No cause has yet been given for the fire.”
Janie perched on the couch’s edge, mesmerized by the fiery scenes flashing on the screen. So intent on what she saw, she didn’t notice Trevor waking and moving forward.
“Do they have any information?”
She jumped, and he placed a steadying hand on her arm.
“Sorry,” she said, working to calm her frantic breathing. “Yes, they seem to think the two young men who attacked me were burned in the house fire.”
Trevor drew his brows together.
&nb
sp; Janie wrung her hands. “This will mean investigators, reporters, and all kinds of curious people will come to town.” She pushed up from her perch and paced. “They will dredge up my fire and start asking all kinds of questions. I–I can’t deal with this. I just can’t.”
She fled to her room, threw a suitcase on the bed, and flung clothes inside. After she clamped the lid shut, she turned to see Trevor casually propped against the door.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going away. You know, just for a little while. I’ll come back when all this blows over.”
“And what of those people who depend on you? What about Mrs. Purvis and the library? Or Mrs. Hawkins and the Quilter’s Guild? What about the high school dance this Saturday?”
Thoughts of Sally sitting at home disappointed while all her friends attended the dance flashed through Janie’s mind.
“But what about the media circus this fire will cause? I can’t stand all those people staring at me,” she whispered the last few words and plopped onto the corner of the bed.
He stepped away from the wall and knelt before her. “We’ll do it together.”
Chapter Twelve
Janie should never have listened to Trevor. The following day, news vans appeared on every street in Pearl Valley. The media frenzy she’d feared had now become a reality.
True to his word, Trevor stayed by her side during the entire ordeal. When officers came to question her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. It was reassuring to have him by her side. When the reporters asked questions, he offered them no comment. When people flooded her yard and wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace, he found her a room in his hotel.
Janie leaned back in the hard chair and propped her feet against the ancient air conditioning unit. Trevor sat on the bed with the phone to his ear. Every now and then he would nod.
The phone landed in the cradled, and Janie said, “Who was that?”
“Police chief.”
“What did he say?”
“He said the fire was definitely arson.”
Janie straightened. “Do they have any clues as to who did it?”
“Not really.”
She slouched. “So what are we supposed to do?”
“Let the officers do their jobs.”
“And what about me? I can’t keep living in this hotel.”
“You’ve only been here one night.”
“And that is one night too many.”
“Why don’t you let me take you out? We could go over the mountain to that quaint little town I passed when I drove in. What’s the name?”
“Gopher Gulch.”
“Yeah, Gopher Gulch. I think I saw some restaurants there.”
“No, that wouldn’t help.”
Janie chewed through her gloves to her nails. What was she going to do? He wanted to get out of town. That would only make matters worse. Glancing at her watch, she said, “What is today?”
“Thursday.”
“Oh, no!” She stood and pulled him to his feet. “Grab your keys. We have to go.”
Trevor stumbled along behind her. The reporters were absent as they climbed into his truck, and he pulled onto the road.
“Um, not to be rude but where are we going?”
“To the high school. I have today and tomorrow to finish decorating for the dance. I can’t believe I forgot.”
Trevor pulled into the empty parking lot. Janie jumped out and approached the building. She opened the double metal doors, flipped on light switches, and gasped.
The entire gym glittered with sparkling sheer tulle and crepe paper. Tables sported white linen clothes and matching decorations.
“They did it without me,” she whispered as she twirled in a circle in the middle of the gym floor.
“I’m sure they were just trying to help.”
Janie sat on the bleachers. “What must they think of me?”
“They think you needed them for a change.”
Janie nodded. Trevor sat beside her. “This isn’t turning out how you thought it would, is it?” asked Janie.
“Not really.”
“Maybe when this blows over, I can help you seek that peace you’re looking for.”
He went to grab her hand, but someone spoke from the doorway. “Anyone in here?”
Trevor frowned as Doc Robinson entered. “Janie, there you are. I’ve been looking all over town for you. Where have you been hiding? Are you okay?”
Janie stood. He looked over her shoulder and squinted at Trevor. She said, “I’m fine. I haven’t been hiding.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. I thought you might like to know those boys won’t ever bother you again.”
“How do you know that?” asked Janie, her voice trembled, and Trevor placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
“Oh, I helped the medical examiner with the burn victims’ remains. They were most definitely the two jerks from the grocery store.”
Chills raced along her spine. She knotted her hands in front of her, sucked in a swift breath, and asked, “Is there any word on what started the fire?”
“Not yet.”
****
Trevor’s stomach threatened to revolt. Doc had led Janie over to the bleachers and set about examining her. He’d shone a light in her eyes, looked down her throat and in her ears, and checked her pulse. His prognosis was she was healthy physically but he knew, as a professional, she had to be on the verge of a mental shutdown.
“I highly recommend you come to my office so we can have a long chat. You know I’ve been trained in some of the finer points of physiology.”
Emotions ran the gamut over Janie’s face. She was swallowing the doctor’s bull, lock, stock, and barrel. Maybe he should have let her run to that cabin hideaway after all.
“I truly believed that after the pearl pond stopped producing you would be left in peace but—” He shook his head. Continuing, he said, “Just come by after hours and I’ll be glad to work you in.” Doc’s smile dwarfed his tanned face, and Janie stared at her clasped hands.
“I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Good,” said Doc slapping his thighs and rising to a standing position. “Now, what are you two doing here? The school is closed.”
Trevor bristled at the undertones of an accusation.
“We came to work on the decorations for the dance,” answered Janie.
“But they’re finished,” said Doc, looking straight at him with his brows drawn together.
Trevor disliked this guy. Doc’s dark, beady, shifty eyes sent Trevor’s worry-meter off the charts. Miracle doctor or no, Trevor would never seek his help.
“True,” said Janie, “But I didn’t know it until I opened the doors.”
“No one told you?”
“No. Why would they?”
“You see, this is why you need to remain visible and accessible, so you know things.”
Trevor inserted, “And what is the big deal with her coming and checking on the place?”
“The big deal, Tex…” Sarcasm oozed from the Doc as he continued, “…is the reporters will know where to find her.”
“And why would they know that?” Trevor clinched his fists to his sides. If he could punch the Doc’s face in, just this one time, it would feel so good.
“A teen let it slip that they hoped to see you at the dance, and the reporters have staked out this place ever since.”
As Doc Giles finished speaking, lights flashed in the doorway. Reporters shoved their way inside the double doors like cockroaches climbing through a slit in a wall.
Janie stood and covered her rounded mouth. She motioned to Trevor. “Come on, I know a shortcut.”
She led them through the empty school halls and into a classroom. At the back was an exit with a bar lock. Janie’s jaw dropped. Encroaching feet tapped along the tiled hallway. She rushed forward and banged her gloved fists against the door. The sound echoed in Trevor’s head, and he closed his eyes. The n
oise reminded him of gun shots and he prayed for guidance. When he opened his eyes, he knew what he needed to do.
He stopped Janie’s flailing arms and clasped her gloved hands in his. Her chest heaved; her long, thick lashes fluttered.
“Janie, look at me.”
While he worked to get her attention, Doc tore the room apart. Trevor assumed he searched for a key to the barred door, but it didn’t matter. Trevor had another plan – God’s plan.
“Trevor, let me go. They’re coming. I have to get out of here.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. If I let them question me, it will start all over again. The ridicule, the jokes, I–I can’t do it again.”
“Do you trust me?”
She eyed him warily.
“Okay, perhaps it’s too soon for that. Maybe I should say, will you trust me?”
The classroom door banged against the wall as the reporters shoved and thrust their way inside.
“All right. I trust you.”
Trevor stepped in front of Janie and held his hands forward. The reporters stopped. “Can I help you?” he asked.
They studied him, and one guy bravely said, “Miss Dossett, we’re sorry about what those men did to you. But could you tell me, do you think they got what they deserved? An eye for an eye, like the Bible says?”
Trevor felt Janie’s hand on his arm as she stepped around him. “Do you seriously believe I wanted those boys to burn because they made fun of me?”
“No, I didn’t think you—“
“Let me tell you something…”
Janie proceeded to shame the reporter. Cameras were lowered, and pens no longer moved. She finished speaking, clasped Trevor’s hand, and said, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Peace pervaded him at seeing God’s plan play out. They left the way they’d entered and drove back to the hotel.
Chapter Thirteen
Janie stretched her arms over her head. Light streamed through the windows and bounced off the white lacquered furniture. It was nice to be home.
Pearl Valley Page 6