“Michael. What’s wrong? What happened?”
Her son was too hysterical to even speak. Regina examined his arms and found two large gashes on his right shoulder. “How’d this happen?” When the teen did not answer, Regina grabbed the boy by the arms and made him look her in the face. “Michael! Where did you get these cuts?”
“Oh, Mom! We were at the saw-mill, and Evan turned on the switches and... and...”
Regina could not process it all. “What were you doing out at the mill, Michael?”
Suddenly, the boy looked cautious, and he sniffled a bit before answering. “Just fooling around.”
“Fooling around? Michael!”
Regina was startled by Quinton’s voice. “You weren’t playing, were you?”
Michael would not meet the man’s stare nor answer his question.
“Quinton, what do you know about this?” Regina was so thoroughly confused and disoriented that she didn’t care who told her what happened as long as some one did.
The man circled around and stared down her son. “It’s been you, hasn’t it? The sabotage?
Regina’s eyes flickered from Quinton to her son. Could he be right? Could it be her own flesh and blood who had done these things to his own father’s company?
“Michael. Answer him.”
The boy just sobbed and shook his head violently.
Quinton’s voice sounded more angry and hurt. “You framed me, didn’t you?”
“Framed you? What are you talking about?” Regina paused, but Quinton would not answer so Regina turned to her son. “Michael? What is going on?”
The boy collapsed into her arms again, and his story spilled out with his tears. “It’s been us doing the stuff around the lumberyard. Me and Evan.”
Regina just held her son. She was too shocked and too numb to do anything more. How could Michael do something like this? Why did he frame Quinton?
Quinton’s voice was tight with barely controlled anger. “Tell her how you stole my shirt from my truck and planted it last night.”
Michael did not have to respond. His wracking sobs were enough of an answer. Regina stroked her son’s fine hair and tried to quiet his cries.
Quinton would not let up though. “You thought you could pin all this crap onto me. Didn’t you?”
“Enough!” Regina shouted. Quinton had every right to be livid at the boy, but Michael was still her son, and it pained her to see the child so distraught. “He’ll clear you, Quinton.” She pulled her son’s chin up. “Won’t you.”
“But, Mom, I can’t!”
Before Quinton could interrupt, Regina rushed on. “You will, Michael.”
“But Evan’s run away, and then the explosion and the fire and...”
Regina’s eyelids fluttered, and she tried to keep her voice level and even. “What explosion? What fire?” Michael tried to bury his face away, but Regina would not let him. “Answer me.”
“Evan turned on the blades, and they sparked. I tried to put it out! See!” Michael showed off the nasty gashes. “I nearly got caught too!”
“What happened then?” Regina urged as her son paused.
“Evan ran off so I called nine-one-one from the phone and came looking for you.”
Regina’s guilt could not have been more profound. The realization that her son was going to jail hit her in the chest. Wayne might have been able to sweep the vandalism under the carpet, but not even Mr. Togglehorn could hide the fact that a fire was raging in his own mill. And what if someone died? She knew Michael was old enough to be tried as an adult. With his previous record and a crime like this, they wouldn’t just lock him up in the local cells. They would send him to one of the prisons upstate.
The one night her son needed her home, and she was off gallivanting around. The evening did not seem so perfect anymore.
CHAPTER 12
Quinton’s body shook with rage causing his heart to split down the center. He was still livid with Michael, but the wounded look on Regina’s face was too painful to bear. Why had the kid gone and done this? Michael wasn’t just ruining his own life; the boy was destroying Regina in the process. What little self-esteem and self-confidence that the woman had developed over the last few days was rapidly fading. It was obvious that shock and guilt were overrunning any chance that she could bolster enough courage to leave Wayne. Which meant that Michael had succeeded in demolishing Quinton’s chance at happiness as well.
He should have still been angry with the boy, but Quinton could already feel his rage melting. Quinton could not watch Regina’s loving ministrations to Michael and not be moved. The boy was obviously shaken and had no idea the magnitude of his actions. But what teenager did? Quinton certainly had not, which added another reason to feel sorry for Michael.
Despite his growing empathy for the boy, Quinton’s stomach was still sore. Why had this all had to happen now? Couldn’t life give him just one break? Was twenty-four hours of undiluted happiness too much to ask for? At this point, Quinton would have been ecstatic with even an hour of bliss. Regina and he had been given no more than a minute or two.
“We should go and end this...” Regina said sadly.
Quinton held her eyes, but it was not the same as before. The gulf was already widening. The intimacy was shattered. She was a battered wife, and he was just a stranger to her family. Bending over, Quinton rolled their assorted undergarments into the blanket while Regina and Michael walked into the forest.
Slowly, Quinton followed mother and son. It would be a relief to have the police off his back, but the price seemed far too high. He knew in his heart that Regina would never feel the same about him again. Any thought of him would forever reminded her of the tragic loss of her son. Quinton knew this deep in his bones. When he had lost Caitlyn, anything to do with the environmental movement was simply too painful to bear. He had fled and it had taken him fifteen years to recover. Quinton was not a young man any more. Even if he wanted to, he did not think he could wait fifteen years for Regina to come around.
Silently they walked through the thick forest. All sounds were dampened by the close hush of the huge evergreens. The mist was thick now and clung to their bodies. Small droplet of water splashed down from the branches. Aunt Flower had always said the forest was a living creature. Tonight it seemed to sense the despair of its visitors and cried at their passing. How badly Quinton wanted to reach out to Regina, but her hands were occupied keeping Michael comforted and walking. Even Hurricane and Fury were subdued. Instead of their usual carefree running, they morosely walked alongside.
Too soon, they exited the forest. Crossing the field to their cars, they cleared the tree-line. The sight caused them all the stumble to a stop. A fire, no, it was too large to be called a fire -- it was more like an inferno raged across town. Flames sprang high into the air, creating almost daylight brightness over the town. Smoke billowed up from the fire and obscured the rest of the town’s streetlights. The sight drew your eye and would not let it go. Fire trucks, so small compared to the roaring inferno, flashed their bright red lights, but the fire was the all. From around the valley, you could make out dozens of other fire trucks streaking towards the scene. They must have called in help from six other counties.
Quinton had thought the boy was exaggerating about the conflagration, but Michael had underestimated the damage. Before, Quinton had thought the boy might get off with some time in juvenile hall for the incident, but now he realized that Michael was going to do some hard-time for this.
Quinton sought out Regina’s face and saw a horror beyond his own at the devastation. Not only was the mill and national reserve up in smoke, but the flames were threatening the eastern housing development. If the fire spread, half the town could be homeless. This was no little act of vandalism that Wayne could cover up. This was beyond the power of even Mr. Togglehorn.
Squeezing Regina’s shoulder, Quinton watched the flames lap higher and higher into the air. Even way out here, you could read a book by th
e light the fire. Quinton had not noticed before, but at the base of the hill were several police cars. Obviously, they were waiting to arrest Quinton if he should try to leave the reservation. How little they knew. It was one of their own who had done this. Worse, it was the boss’s son. The whole town, let alone Regina, would never be the same again.
Regina’s sobbing brought Quinton back to the moment. Mother and son were embraced as tears flowed. The woman looked broken as she slumped into her son. They swayed slightly as if neither of them had the strength to keep them upright. At any moment, it looked like they were both going to fall to their knees.
Seeing Regina this devastated left Quinton feeling powerless. If there was anything that he could do to take away this burden from her, he would do it know. How he wished this was in the olden days when a man could truly ride in on a white horse and save the day. He wanted to prove himself to her, and more importantly, lift this crippling pain from her shoulders.
“Quinton --” Regina could not finish her sentence, her throat was too constricted with tears. “I’ve got to go. Michael’s got to turn himself in.”
With those words, the boy wailed again but did not protest. He looked beyond even self-protection. Quinton knew the disturbed boy would not last long in prison. Michael was fragile enough as it was.
This was it, Quinton realized. A mother was about to lose her son, and Quinton was about to lose the love of his life. All in one fell swoop, fate dove in and robbed each of them of their future. The boy could barely stand, let alone walk. Regina tried to urge Michael on, but it was clear that forward movement was beyond the boy.
“Quinton Longspear. You are under arrest,” a long-speaker blared.
Turning, Quinton realized the sheriff must have spotted them leaving the forest. It was equally obvious that they had no clue who the real culprit was. Perhaps, if the police were so clueless, Michael could avoid arrest.
“Regina, maybe now is not the time.”
The woman shook her head and got her son back up onto his feet. “It is either this or let them arrest you. The Sheriff won’t rest until somebody is behind bars. If that means Michael has to --” Regina could not talk anymore as she began crying again.
“Surrender yourself, and end this peacefully for your family.” The sheriff’s voice carried out over the rolling fields.
Quinton hated to tell them, but there was no peaceful way to end this. If he let Michael turn himself in, all of his love for Regina would go wasted. He could not let that happen. The only way to even hope for any speck of happiness was to let the police go on thinking it was Quinton who had done the sabotage. But even this ruse had its steep price. The law would hound his family until they finally got what they wanted -- Quinton arrested.
Just as he did not want Regina to go through pain, he could not see allowing his own family to bear the burden of trying to protect Quinton when he knew full well who was the real culprit. No, there was only one way out that protected both Regina and his family.
“Stay here. I’m going down to talk with them.”
The woman grabbed his arm. “No! They’ll arrest you, Quinton. Michael and I will go down and explain everything.”
Quinton rubbed his hands up and down her arms to warm her against the night’s chill. Carefully he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. “Trust me, Regina. I need to be the one to go down.”
“Michael’s going to have to own up some time --”
“No, he won’t. They think it was me, and we are going to let them continue to think that.”
Regina’s pupil’s dilated as she realized his plan. “No. Quinton, you can’t! You can’t take responsibility. It was Michael!”
Quinton was glad to see that the boy had wandered off a step or two to give Regina and he a moment alone. Pulling Regina into his embrace, he kissed the top of her head. “This is the only way. You know that.”
“But I can’t lose you!” The woman sobbed into his chest.
Stroking her hair, Quinton spoke the truth that they both knew. “No, you can’t lose your son. Let me do this for you. Let me show you that there really is honor left in the world -- in me.”
Regina could not answer she was crying too hard. He knew her silence was also Regina’s acceptance of the path they now walked. She could not argue against his logic or his motives. Quinton would have to take his chances with the law.
“Surrender now, or the feds will be here soon, and we’ll come onto the reservation.”
Quinton held Regina tightly for another moment then released his grip. “I’ve got to go.”
***
Regina felt her heart rupture -- she was sure of it. The organ simply could not stand another ounce of pain. While Quinton was doing the most noble thing she had ever heard of, he was also leaving her. And who knew how long that would be for. But in deep in her soul, Regina knew that this was the only way. Quinton was strong and could weather this legal peril whereas her son would wither and die under this type of duress. But how could she let him know the depth of her gratitude and love? How could she send him off and let him know that she was right beside him with every step he took?
Words failed her, but her lips did not. She slid her hand up his neck and pulled Quinton into her. The kiss was at first soft and tender, but within a few moments, their tongues were intertwined. Saying good-bye in their own way. Quinton’s hand cupped her breast gently and gave it a parting squeeze as he backed away. Regina so badly wanted to give him much more to remember while he sat in the town’s jail, but Michael was standing nearby, and the sheriff was watching. Words would have to do for now.
“I’ll wait for you. I’ll --”
“Shh... I don’t want you to make promises that --”
Regina gripped his hand tightly. She could feel energy surge through her veins again and would not let him leave until he knew her heart. “Too bad. I’m making a promise that I will wait for you until we are reunited.” Her voice cracked to the point she did not think that she could not continue. Clinging to the blanket that Quinton had placed over her shoulder, Regina spoke through her tears. “I’m yours. No one will touch me. No one but you.”
Quinton could not speak. The tears flowed too freely. He struggled to say something, but Regina held her finger to his lips to stop him.
“You’ve already said it all. Now go, before I lose my nerve.”
Quinton hugged her one last time, then turned and strode away. Regina had to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground, or she would have followed Quinton’s retreating back. Soon, he was just a moving shadow across the field. It wasn’t until that moment when she could no longer make out his features that the man she loved was giving himself over to the police to protect her son. Regina felt like Quinton had given everything, and she had given nothing.
Turning, she found Michael still looking towards the car. Regina forcefully made her son watch Quinton descend the small hill. Michael whined, but Regina was insistent.
“You are going to watch, young man, and learn.”
At first the boy squirmed ,but finally he calmed into her embrace and began crying again. “Why is he doing this?”
Because he loves me, Regina wanted to say, but did not. Michael was overwhelmed enough. He did not need to know that his own life was about to change. Regina tried to shield her son from the raw emotion but also impress upon Michael the immense sacrifice Quinton was making on his behalf. “Because Quinton knows you need help not jail right now. He’s willing to sacrifice himself to provide you a better life.”
Her son was silent as Quinton made his way down to the waiting Sheriff’s cars. The fire bloomed suddenly, illuminating the valley. Regina could barely stand to watch Dooley place handcuffs on Quinton. She nearly ran down the hill to stop them. Quinton did not deserve this kind of treatment. But she stayed put. All of his reasons were still sound. Her focus had to be on Michael right now. Things were going to change, and now was the best time.
“Come on. We’ve got to get hom
e.”
Michael’s voice was quiet and scared. “Will Dad be there?”
Regina’s shoulders stiffened, and she felt a rush of adrenaline. “I can only hope so.”
***
Quinton knew that turning himself over to the police was the single most noble thing he had ever done, but he had to admit it did not feel all that great at the moment. Riding in the back of the sheriff’s car, withstanding all of the deputies insults was becoming trying. Plus the handcuffs were on tight side and were beginning to chafe his wrists. The earlier urgency and elation he felt back at the reservation had faded, and now he was faced with the cold reality that he was under arrest. His freedom was stripped from him, and there was a very real likelihood that Quinton could in fact go to jail for a crime he did not commit.
Was Regina really worth this? Was there love really true and meaningful, or was he just blinded by the best sex he had ever had? Right now, he did not honestly know. He was still damp from the forest, weary to the bone, and scared. The shining knight manual did not say anything about these feelings. The only thing that kept his mouth shut from backing out of the arrangement was the smell of Regina that still clung to him. Quinton missed her already.
Quinton coughed as the smoke became so thick that the deputy slowed the car. Ash was falling from the sky, and his throat burned from the bitter smoke. No part of town was untouched by the raging fire at the mill. Quinton prayed that no one was injured in the blaze. He had enough cards stacked against him. He did not need reckless endangerment added to them.
Soon, they drove up to the police station, and Dooley roughly pulled Quinton from the car. Quinton gave no resistance nor complained. The quieter he was the easier this would be on him. What he was not prepared for was Ralph to be sharing his jail cell.
“Quinton! What in the hell is going on? One minute I’m watching an infomercial, and the next I’m hauled in here.”
Indian Moon Page 19