by Leena Clover
“What am I doing, Dad? Really? Do you see me lying drunk somewhere or beating people up?”
Dad’s face turned red. He wasn’t used to his kids talking back to him.
Motee Ba placed a gentle hand on my arm. Sally’s eyes had clouded, sensing trouble. Jeet’s eyes were bright, and he was sitting up, ready to snitch on me if needed.
“No need to be dramatic,” Dad said dryly. “You know very well what I’m talking about.”
“She’s on the phone all night long,” Jeet sang out.
He always lives up to my expectations.
Dad pursed his lips and pinched his forehead.
“I’m warning you, Meera. You are getting out of hand.”
This is the time when Pappa usually joins forces with Dad. He taps his cane and promises all kinds of consequences if I don’t fall in line. He was quiet this time.
Of course Dad noticed that. He turned to Pappa next.
“You have to stop encouraging her, Pappa.”
I was getting a splitting headache. I stood up, grabbed my bagel sandwich in one hand, picked up a pot of yogurt in the other, and walked away. There’s only so much I can take on an empty stomach.
I heard Motee Ba and Dad begin to murmur behind my back. My grandma would try to smooth things out. Sally hadn’t said a word all this time. If she was wise, she wouldn’t take sides.
I devoted myself to my breakfast, meager as it was. I went over everything Becky had told me. What was Audrey doing spending ten bucks on breakfast at the diner? Could she really have taken money from Charlie’s wallet?
The phone rang as I chewed over the last bite of my sandwich. I didn’t recognize the number but the area code was Swan Creek. Leo’s voice came over the line and I heaved a sigh of relief.
Chapter 14
“How are you, Leo?” I burst out. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
Leo thanked me for my concern.
“They just let me go. That policeman gave me your number. I hope it’s okay to call.”
I assured him it was fine.
“Do you know who got you out on bail?”
“Not yet. But I’m assuming whoever it is will get in touch.”
“Maybe it’s one of your friends?”
Leo laughed nervously.
“My friends don’t have this kind of money, Meera. And I don’t have any relatives. I’m all alone in this world.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“Sylvie’s waiting for you,” I began. “She and Jon will take care of you for a while. You don’t have to go back to that place.”
“That place is the only home I have known in a long time, Meera.”
I wondered if I had offended him in some way.
“Right. I just thought you might not want to go there. You know, since…”
Since it was the scene of a murder? What do you say at such times?
“You are very kind, Meera.”
I sensed he was getting emotional.
“Look, Leo. You don’t have to worry about a thing. March is almost over, right. Sylvie and Jon will put you up through the summer. And then you can come stay with us until you go off to college or get a job. Or whatever it is you want to do.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“No need to say anything. Just get your stuff and head to Sylvie’s.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Leo hesitated.
“We know you’re a good kid. That’s enough for us.”
“Thanks Meera!”
Leo was quiet for a moment. Then he asked the burning question.
“Do you have any leads?”
“I wish I was there in Swan Creek,” I admitted. “It’s kind of hard, trying to find out stuff from a distance. But I am trying to manage it.”
“How can I help you?”
“I have loads of questions for you,” I gushed. “Now that you’re free, free to talk, I mean, we can go over them.”
“Just fire away, Meera!”
I grabbed the bull by the horns.
“How did you get all that money? Stan said Charlie gave it to you?”
“That’s right. I found out my friends were in the area just before dinner time. I hadn’t met them in quite some time. Charlie told me to take the car and go. He gave me some money for the road.”
“How much?”
“Just over a 100 bucks,” Leo said.
He seemed to smile at the memory.
“I don’t have an official Spring Break since I am homeschooled. Charlie wanted me to go have some fun.”
I cleared my throat.
“Leo, don’t take this the wrong way. Pappa said Charlie went to the bank once a week on Wednesdays. And he withdrew $100 for weekly expenses. Did he go to the bank or ATM twice that week?”
Leo laughed.
“He handed over his piggy bank. Asked me to take whatever was in it. It was like a lottery, he said.”
“And you got over a hundred bucks out of it?”
“Yeah! Isn’t that cool? Charlie put whatever was left out of his weekly budget into that box. A few dollars at a time.”
“Did he give you any more money?”
“He gave me an extra twenty bucks to get some munchies for the road.”
“Why didn’t you explain all this to the cops?”
“They asked me if I took money from Charlie’s wallet. I didn’t. But they don’t believe me.”
“Was anyone around when Charlie gave you that money?”
“Audrey. She was setting the table for dinner.”
“What time did you leave?”
“A little after 7 PM. Dinner was light on Tuesdays because Charlie had meatloaf for lunch. Audrey made some sandwiches and heated up soup.”
“When did she leave?”
“She left at 6:30 just as we sat down for dinner.”
“Did Charlie seem excited? Different in any way?”
“He smiled a couple of times.”
“Was that odd?”
“Kind of. Charlie wasn’t very expressive, you know.”
“Did you ask him what he was smiling about?”
Leo sounded apologetic.
“I wasn’t paying attention. I just wanted to finish dinner and hit the road.”
“How long were you planning to be away?”
“I didn’t really have any concrete plans at the time. Charlie insisted I spend the night instead of driving back. He said I didn’t have to hurry back.”
“What did he usually do after dinner?”
“He watched TV. He let Bandit out once around 8 PM. Then he went to his room and read until 10.”
I had some more information about Charlie’s routine.
There was a rap on the door and Tony burst in. He grinned when he saw me on the phone.
“Time to go,” he mouthed.
I wracked my brain for any other quick questions for Leo.
“Does Charlie have any family?”
“He never mentioned anyone,” Leo said.
I thought about Charlie’s will.
“Wasn’t he thinking about leaving everything to you?”
Leo didn’t know anything about that. I reminded him to get in touch with Sylvie. He promised to go over as soon as he showered and got his stuff together.
“Take care, Leo,” I said, feeling a sudden pang of emotion.
“We need to leave,” Tony warned. “Uncle Andy’s not happy with you.”
“I sort of guessed that, Tony.”
In for a penny, in for a pound, I decided. I dialed Stan’s phone and hoped he would answer.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry,” I started.
I told him how Charlie had given Leo the money. Then I told him about Anna threatening Charlie Gibson in front of a crowd.
“How do you find out such stuff, Meera?” Stan said in wonder.
“So Anna Collins had some kind of grudge against Charlie. Maybe she’s lying to hide something?”
“You th
ink she killed Charlie?”
“I don’t know, Stan. I wish I had met that woman. But Becky says she’s meek as a mouse.”
“She appears to be,” Stan mused.
“Her son looks more likely. He’s been to jail many times and Charlie put him there.”
Stan promised to check up on Don Collins. I hung up and literally ran to the car. Everyone was in their seats, and Tony was behind the wheel. I climbed up in the passenger seat and stared ahead, refusing to make eye contact with Dad.
“We’re going to miss the show,” Jeet complained. “All because of you, Meera.”
“What show?”
“The IMAX movie!”
“We’re watching a movie?” I tried to sound really bored. I had never been to an IMAX theatre and the whole experience sounded exciting.
“They have one every hour, don’t they?” Tony asked, trying to diffuse the tension.
I blinked at him, mouthing a silent thank you.
“Waiting an extra hour upsets our schedule,” Dad said, sounding just like Jeet. “We have to do the entire Desert View Trail, allowing time for snacks and lunch and reach Hopi Point before sunset.”
I sneaked a look in the rearview mirror. Dad was really worked up. Sally put a hand on his knee and smiled at him. His anger seemed to evaporate. He put his hand over hers and cooed something softly. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and I didn’t want to.
Tony merged onto Highway 64, the road leading us to the Grand Canyon. A line of cars stretched ahead of us and I realized they were all going to the same place. Maybe we could beat the crowds if we were late everywhere. Then I saw the bunch of cars behind us and knew that wasn’t happening.
“The weather’s cooperating,” Tony noted. “It hasn’t snowed in a week and there’s a high of 60F today. We should be able to get to all the points on the drive.”
Spring Break is a bit early to visit the canyon. But you get to beat the really big crowds. We had talked about this. No one wanted to miss going to the Grand Canyon. I allowed myself to relax as I realized where I was. Motee Ba seemed to read my mind.
“We’re finally here. Can you believe it?”
I thought of Leo and how uncertain his future was. The Patels were doing very well compared to that. So our tempers ran high once in a while. So what?
The car sped through the miles on the long straight road, rising and dipping periodically. Tony pulled into the theater parking lot an hour later. Dad and Jeet rushed ahead to get the tickets. I helped Pappa down and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
“Leo’s out on bail.”
His face lit up in a smile.
“I talked to Sylvie. They are ready to welcome him. Leo’s going to get his stuff and head over there now.”
“That’s a relief,” Motee Ba said. “Have you made any progress?”
There wasn’t much time to give them a full report.
“Stan’s checking up on a few things for me. We’ll get there, Motee Ba.”
“Your Dad will be fine, Meera. Don’t worry.”
She couldn’t bear the thought of father and daughter arguing over anything. In her own way, she was telling me to take it easy.
Sally gave me one of her smiles. I ignored her.
Tony shook his head, letting me know I wasn’t being cool.
“You can sulk all day or you can have a good time.”
I wanted to have a good time. But I was hungry. And hunger is something I haven’t been able to ignore yet. Tony walked ahead and stood in a line. He came back with a steaming hot cinnamon roll loaded with icing. I tore off one buttery layer and breathed in the heady aroma. The sugar dissolved on my tongue and I felt my tension recede.
“You know me so well.”
I waited a second until Tony’s arm came around me and I snuggled into him. Sally gave me a smile, a different one. This time I smiled back.
We were just in time for the 9:30 show.
Chapter 15
The IMAX movie was mind blowing. It stayed with me long after we got into the car and lined up near the park entrance. Our car finally came up to the ranger’s cabin and we got our entry pass. Tony headed to the visitor center, and we collected some brochures and looked around.
I warmed my hands with a cup of coffee.
“We need to talk,” I said to Tony.
“Anything urgent?” he asked. “Why don’t you try to live in the moment, Meera? At least for today?”
I wanted to tell Tony about the little doodles I had noticed. Had he seen them too? Maybe he didn’t notice them but he would remember if I showed him the photos. Then I realized the photos were back in the hotel room.
“Okay. There’s a lot to tell you but it can wait. There’s just one thing I want to talk about right now.”
Dad walked up to us just then, sipping his coffee, and I clammed up. Tony was already widening his eyes, warning me to stay quiet.
“That was some movie, wasn’t it?” Dad asked.
It was his way of trying to mend fences with me. He turned toward Tony.
“You guys have plenty of room on the camera? And extra film and batteries?”
Tony nodded.
“Why don’t you handle this?” Dad handed over a camcorder to Tony.
I didn’t know where it came from.
“I want to capture this trip in every way possible,” Dad said shyly. “Your mother and I bought the video camera last night. It’s charged and ready to go.”
“You went out after dinner?”
“We were talking until late. That’s when we realized we should have one of these. Luckily, there was a 24 hour store nearby.”
“That’s cool, Uncle Andy!” Tony cried. “You know what, I was wishing we had one of these when we rode the cable car up that mountain. And when Meera ate a bunch of those chilies and couldn’t stop fanning her mouth for hours.”
Dad and Tony high fived each other.
“Let’s get going,” Pappa said, tapping his cane.
The first point was right near the Visitor Center. We couldn’t walk fast enough to get our first glimpse. Motee Ba clutched my arm and stared at the majestic rock formation ahead of us. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears. Dad stood a few feet away, his arm around Sally.
Photos were called for and we posed and pouted in different spots. Tony was busy recording a video of the area.
We decided to stop for a snack somewhere on the way. There was a deli at the end of the trail and we would eat there later. Tony parked near a picnic area and Sally and Motee Ba pulled some bags out. There was some fresh fruit left over from the farmer’s market. Sally poured water in paper cups, insisting we drink it.
Pappa chewed noisily on something my aunt had sent.
“Eat up, kids,” he ordered. “This is real Gujarati food. Not like that orange dust.”
“Hasn’t that gone bad yet?” I wrinkled my nose. “How long ago did Aunt Anita send it?”
“Dhebras stay good for over 10 days,” Pappa said defensively, holding up the fried bread he was eating. “Tell her, Hansa!”
He stared at my grandma, waiting for her to explain.
“Your Pappa’s right, Meera. These are made to last long.”
“Tell her!” Pappa boomed. “We snacked on these on our 10 day voyage, every time we traveled home to India.”
Motee Ba has often told us about these epic sea voyages. Traveling by train from inland Africa to the Mombasa port, then boarding a steam ship that would take nine days and nine nights to reach Bombay. She carried huge boxes of chevdo, laddus and dhebras as snacks to last them all this time. They got 3 meals a day on the ship too, so they must have had a really good appetite.
I bit into the fried bread-like thing to pacify Pappa. Made with millet flour, it’s a bit chewy. The garlic hit me first, followed by crunchy sesame seeds and sour tamarind. I piled two plates high with food and took one plate to Tony.
We walked over to the edge and sat down, enjoying the scene before us.
&nb
sp; Tony bit into a juicy peach and looked around. He leaned toward me and whispered.
“Okay, Meera, what were you saying? Tell me one thing, just one.”
I chose to talk about the symbols.
“Have you noticed any drawings or doodles anywhere?”
“You mean like graffiti?” he asked.
“Much smaller,” I explained. “And isolated.”
I told him how I had noticed one on a restroom mirror and then another one on pillars outside the rest area.
“Is it like some folk art? Something to do with Arizona?”
I banged my fist on the bench, excited.
“That’s what I thought too. But get this! I was looking at all our photos last night, and I noticed a couple in New Mexico too. And in Texas.”
“Maybe it’s a road trip thing?” Tony mused. “You know how kids get bored cooped up in the car? And they like to draw all the time. I guess they just act out when they stop somewhere.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
Tony laughed and punched me lightly in the arm.
“You tend to ignore the simple solutions, Meera. Everything is a big conspiracy.”
I thought for a moment. Maybe Tony was right. I didn’t appreciate his comment though. What he meant was I blew things out of proportion. That is so not true.
“Leo just…”
Tony balanced his plate on his knees and covered his ears with his hands.
“Just one thing, Meera. You had your chance.”
“Who’s being dramatic now?” I huffed.
We collected all the trash in a bag and stowed it in the car. I decided to drive. The next point on the trail was some five miles away. The road wound in serpentine fashion. All we saw were plenty of trees and shrubs on both sides of the road. The road was single lane with a lower speed limit so I got plenty of opportunity to chat with everyone.
They were talking about how Jeet was having a great Spring Break before heading off to college. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they say. Jeet has been accepted by a bunch of Ivy League schools and is heading to Harvard in the fall. He’s enjoying being pampered by everyone before he leaves home.
I spotted the sign for Grandview Point which was our next stop. This spot offered a panoramic view of the canyon from east to west. Jeet lived up to his snarky self.