“You’ve lost me, Bartlett,” Charles finally responded. “The guy I’m talking about is very much alive. Travis Hawkins, thirty-five year old grandson of Earl Hawkins?”
“We’re talking about the same guy. I’m sorry to have to tell you, Charlie, but Travis Hawkins, son of Earl Hawkins is laying six feet under right here in Buckner, and he’s been there since the accident last summer. Everybody here knows that. I just assumed you were looking into his death…”
Charles sat down and continued to hold the phone but was speechless. When he finally spoke, he simply said, “I don’t know what’s going on here, Bartlett, but I’m going to need to keep you on the payroll until we get this straightened out.”
The two men talked for another half hour with Charles explaining about the Travis Hawkins imposter he’d been dealing with.
* * *
The cabin was empty when Charles arrived and the car was gone. Charles knocked again just to make sure and then tried the door. It was locked. He walked around to the side and saw there were two windows partially ajar. He thought about slipping through the window, but he was on the department payroll right now and had to follow the rules. He continued on around the cabin and saw that the window into the kitchen stood wide open. Must be really cold in there, he told himself.
Charles walked up the three steps to the small porch and tried the door. It was locked. None of the windows were covered, and he could see all the way through to the front. He was still standing there fighting the urge to slip in through the window when he heard a car pull up out front.
As he cleared the corner of the house, he stood face to face with the person he knew as Travis Hawkins. “Afternoon, Travis,” Charles said with as friendly a tone as he could manage. “Glad you’re home.”
“And why is that?” the man pretending to be Travis responded.
“I wanted to talk to you about this Kirkland guy. I understand you’ve met him…?”
“I’ve met him. He wants this land really bad.”
“Are you considering selling it to him?”
“Might. Just might.” The man who wasn’t Travis looked nervous as he fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket. “How about a drink?” he finally asked and Charles accepted.
After pouring straight whiskey into two mason jars the man led Charles into the living room and pointed him to the couch as he pushed newspapers aside to make space to set the drinks down. He then went around the house closing the windows and cussing under his breath. “Damn fool woman,” Charles heard him say.
“Woman?” Charles said as the man returned to the living room.
“Cleaning lady came by today, said grandpa paid her to clean up. I let her do it and paid her and told her not to come back.”
Once the windows were closed, the man tossed a couple of logs on the fire and picked up his drink. He pulled a straight chair up close to the fireplace and took a large gulp of his drink. He closed his eyes and let the liquid warm him up from the inside.
The two men sat quietly as men often do before engaging in conversation. Sophie called it “sizing up the competition.” Finally Charles spoke asking the man about his negotiations with Kirkland. He kept his questions casual, not wanting to tip the man off. He realized he must have gone too far when the man suddenly straightened up and said, “Why all the questions? What’s your interest in this?”
“I’ll have to be honest with you, Travis,” Charles began slowly, trying to hide the fact that he was thinking by the seat of his pants. “I might be interested in getting in on this deal of Kirkland’s. He’s offering some shares and my wife thinks I should take him up on it. You know, this thing of his could really take off…”
The man relaxed. “I don’t know. He talks it down with me, but he’s trying to get this property as cheap as he can. He’s probably trying to con me, but you can’t con…” The man didn’t finish the sentence and Charles didn’t encourage him. He just nodded his head expressing silent understanding. “Another drink?” the man asked.
“Sure.”
The man that wasn’t Travis sat his glass down and went into the bathroom closing the door behind him. Charles could hear him talking but couldn’t make out what he was saying. He must be on his cell, Charles thought, wondering who he was calling.
A few minutes later the man, still on the phone, moved into the kitchen. “Okay. I’ll bring it in tomorrow,” he was saying.
The imposter then ambled back into the living room carrying the bottle and began filling Charles’ glass. Charles put his hand up to indicate when to stop. “Just a couple fingers,” he said. “The wife’s waiting dinner.”
The man nodded, walked over to his chair, and looked around on the floor. “Now where the hell did I put that damn jar?” He went back into the bathroom and from there went into the kitchen. “Hell. There’s plenty more where that one came from,” he muttered as he reached for another mason jar.
The windows were bare and night had fallen. The men sipped their drinks and watched the snow begin to fall. They talked about the weather and about ice fishing on the lake, something Charles was reluctant to try. He’d seen too many men dragged out when they misjudged the thickness of the ice. Finally, Charles stood and thanked the man for the drinks.
“Don’t you get lonesome out here alone, Travis?” he asked, again just making friendly conversation.
“Nah. I’m used to it,” the man responded walking Charles to the door. “But stop by when you get thirsty,” he added lifting his glass to emphasize the offer.
Charles nodded and stepped cautiously across the icy porch and on out to his car, which was now covered with snow. “You need help with that?” the man called out to him.
“I got it, thanks,” Charles responded running his coat sleeve over the windshield. He suddenly felt a need to get away from the cabin as quickly as possible. I’ll clean the rest off down the road, he told himself.
Once he reached the main road he pulled over and pulled on his gloves. He then carefully grasped the mason jar and pulled it out of his pocket. He slipped it into an evidence bag that was waiting on the front seat.
“Mission accomplished,” he said to himself aloud with a satisfied smile.
Chapter 17
“Timmy and I are on our way to look at the house and see what they’ll need. Do you want to go with us?”
“I’d love to, Sophie,” Sarah responded “Can you give me a few minutes to finish up here?”
“About 10:30 then?”
“Perfect,” Sarah replied. “I’ll meet you outside,” she added and hung up.
Timothy and Penny had looked at the rental house by the park and loved it. It turned out to be bigger than Andy had described with a third bedroom that they decided to turn into a study for the two of them. The owner preferred to rent the house furnished, and Tim said this worked well for him since he wasn’t sure about his long-range plans. Sarah and Sophie had looked at one another when he said that, wondering what that meant as far as Timothy and Martha were concerned.
Once they arrived at the house, Timothy led Sarah around and explained what he had in mind. As there was already a desk in the third bedroom, Timothy said this would be their study. He was going to buy Penny a computer of her own, and he would continue to use his laptop and iPad. Sophie offered to give them her futon for that room in case they ever needed extra sleeping space.
The rooms were relatively small, with a master bedroom that contained a full-sized bed and a dresser. There was a slightly larger room that Timothy said would be Penny’s room, “since girls need space for primping.” There were two twin beds in Penny’s room that Sophie thought would be good if she wanted to have sleepovers once she made some friends.
The living room was adequately furnished, but the sofa and chairs were rather worn. “There’s storage space in the garage,” Timothy said, “and the owner told me I could store any of his furniture we don’t need. I might buy a new couch and a couple of chairs for the living room. We’ll need it
eventually anyway.”
“How did Penny like the house,” Sarah asked as she followed Timothy toward the kitchen.
“She loved it. This house is more than twice as big as the cabin she and her mother had in Alaska. And,” he added, “they were still using the outhouse until a couple of years ago.”
“This must look like a mansion to her,” Sophie speculated.
“She was really happy about having her own room. I’m taking her to the mall after school so she can pick out her bedding and a curtain for the window.”
“She also needs new clothes,” Sophie added, but Tim responded with a puzzled look. “I guess we could look…”
“We’ll take her this weekend,” Sophie offered looking at Sarah with a questioning look.”
Sarah nodded her agreement and smiled. “It’ll be fun having a girl to shop for again.”
Sophie led the group into the kitchen. The appliances were old but certainly adequate for a bachelor and his daughter. Sophie will probably be sending food over for them, Sarah thought. She then opened the refrigerator and found it stocked with fresh food. She laughed when she opened the freezer door and found it already filled with casserole dishes.
“So I couldn’t let them starve, could I?” Sophie responded defensively.
“Do you want to see the basement?” Timothy offered. “Actually, there’s nothing to see down there. It’s partially finished and the washer and dryer are down there. It looks like the guy was planning to finish it himself but he didn’t get very far.”
“I’ll pass,” Sarah said knowing that it would be difficult for Sophie to negotiate the narrow stairway.
“Me too,” Sophie chimed in.
“How about the garage?”
“I’ll leave that for Charles. I think he’ll enjoy seeing it. Sophie said it’s full of old tools and a couple of unfinished projects. Where did this guy go anyway?”
“He went down to Florida to take care of his parents. His father needs to be in a nursing home but refuses to go, and his mother isn’t able to take care of him. John said he’ll probably sell the house and stay down there, but he wants to try it out first.”
As they were getting back into the Pup Mobile, Tim laid his hand on Sarah’s arm. “I’m glad you gals are taking Penny out shopping. Maybe you can get her to talk.”
“What do you mean?”
“For several nights now I’ve heard her crying after she went to bed. One night I tapped on the door, but when I opened it she pretended to be asleep. I tried to talk to her about it, but she just looks embarrassed and says it’s nothing.”
“She’s missing her mother, Tim,” Sarah replied.
“But I’m trying to give her the best life I can,” he responded with a worried frown. “I don’t know…”
“Tim, you can’t make her pain go away. She has to mourn and if she wants to do that alone, just let her be.”
“I hate to think of her in there alone and hurting…”
“I know, and you want to fix it. But some things can’t be fixed and actually, some things shouldn’t be fixed. She needs to feel her feelings and work through them. What you need to watch for is any signs that she’s not working them through.”
“What do you mean?”
“Some people, especially young people, end up acting out. You need to be on the alert for any of those signs – excessive anger, defiance, depression, even possible drug use.”
Timothy suddenly looked panicked. “What have I gotten myself into? I don’t know how to raise a daughter and what if…”
“Timothy, you are perfectly capable of this and you’re the best person for the job. You’re her father. But remember, you have lots of folks to help you. We’re all here for you and for Penny.” She reached over and pulled him into a comforting hug. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess what it all boils down to is that Penny is exactly where she should be right now. She’s in a loving home and she’s dealing with her grief. Just be there for her, listen if she wants to talk, and remember that we’re all behind you.” She saw a tear forming in his eyes, yet he was smiling.
“Thank you, Aunt Sarah,” he responded lovingly.
“Aunt Sarah it is now, huh?” she responded with a chuckle. “I guess we’re a lot like family, aren’t we?” …and we just might really be family one of these days, she thought but didn’t say.
As they pulled away from the curb, Sophie blew her new barking horn.
* * *
“What are you doing here?” Kirkland demanded angrily as Charles stepped into the office.
Kirkland’s receptionist burst in right behind him apologetically saying, “I’m sorry, sir. I couldn’t stop him…”
Ignoring his receptionist, Kirkland again demanded, “I asked you a question officer. What are you doing in my office?”
“I want to share some information with you, something I think you need to know about the man you’re negotiating with.”
“There’s nothing I need to know. Young Hawkins settled for a tidy amount and is gone.” Kirkland picked up a stack of papers that were on his desk and waved them in the air. “And the Hawkins property is mine now, free and clear.”
“Possibly not so free and definitely not so clear, Mr. Kirkland. I think you should listen to what I have to say.”
“I’ll give you thirty seconds and no more,” the man said dramatically looking at his watch.
Charles reached into this pocket and pulled out a folded newspaper clipping and laid it on Kirkland’s desk. He then sat down, knowing he’d be there much longer than thirty seconds. He watched as Kirkland glanced at the article Charles had copied from the Buckner Daily newspaper that described Travis Hawkins’ death.
“What’s this trash?” Kirkland asked. Without waiting for an answer, he began to read. Charles watched as the arrogance drained from the man’s face and was replaced first by a look of dismay and then fear. “What?” he muttered then looked up with an anger that could kill. “What’s the meaning of this? He can’t be dead. He was in this office just yesterday. He signed these papers,” again picking up the papers and shaking them in the air, “and I gave him…oh god, I gave the man half a million dollars in cash…” He put his elbows on the desk and buried his face in his hands. “How could I have been so stupid…?”
Looking up abruptly at Charles, he demanded, “So who signed this? And who did I give the money to?”
“You gave him cash?” Charles responded incredulously. “Why cash?”
The man again buried his face in his hands and shook his head back and forth. “He said he’d sign the papers and go away…” he muttered. “I let my impatience get the better of me...what with the contactors waiting…and the county hounding me…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He just sat and muttered, “How could I have been so stupid,” not expecting an answer and seeming to be no longer aware of Charles’ presence.
“I might be able to help you find him,” Charles spoke up saying. “I’ve asked the medical examiner’s office to check a glass for finger prints and possibly even DNA. If she can identify the man…”
“I’ll have him strung up!” Kirkland yelled, angrily finishing Charles’ sentence.
“I’ll let you know what I find out,” Charles said as he stood. The man was clearly too overwrought to discuss the matter now. He slipped a card out of his breast pocket and laid it on Kirkland’s desk. “Call me when you’re ready to talk,” he said and walked quickly out the door and past the receptionist.
Chapter 18
“We need to close the shades, turn off all these electronic gadgets we have around here, light a few candles, and sit down in the living room with a glass of wine so we can talk about everything that’s going on in our lives. I feel out of touch with the woman I love.”
“That sounds like a perfect idea,” Sarah responded. “Are you hungry?”
“A little, but I’m not in the mood for dinner yet. I’ll open the wine and maybe you could grab us some cheese and crackers.”
“This is more like it,” he said as he put his arm around her. “Now, tell me what you’ve been up to the past few days. It feels like we’ve just passed one another like two ships in the night.”
Sarah laughed and replied, “It hasn’t been quite that bad, dear, but let’s see now…” She took a sip of her wine and continued, “…Sophie and I went with Tim to see the new house.” Sarah told him all about the house and what she knew about the man who rented it to them. She also told him what Tim had told her about his concerns with Penny. “She’s very sad,” Sarah added, “and spends a great deal of time closed off in her bedroom.”
“She may be sad some of the time,” Charles replied, “but she’s also enjoying being with Sophie and Tim. You can tell that right away when you spend a little time with them.”
“I wonder if she might be feeling a little guilty about enjoying her new life without her mother,” Sarah speculated softly. “I think I might feel that way under similar circumstances. I know when I first started falling in love with you, I sometimes felt like I was being disloyal to Jonathan.”
“Moving on was hard for both of us. Are you ever sorry?” he asked, already knowing the answer, but he loved hearing it.
She gently punched his arm saying, “You know better than to ask that, you silly man. I’ve not been sorry for one moment.” She reached for the snack platter and made two sandwiches with the cheese and crackers, placing a strawberry on the top of the one she passed to Charles. He removed the strawberry and popped it into her mouth and they both smiled.
“And how about Sophie? Is she adjusting to life as a grandmother?”
“She loves it. When we took Penny shopping for school clothes, Sophie wanted to buy everything in the store. I had to slow her down by telling her if she doesn’t buy it all at once, she and Penny can enjoy many more shopping trips. She was even looking at prom dresses!”
The Rescue Quilt Page 10