A Love for all Ages (Crockett County Trilogy Book 1) (12 page)

He sees her sneaking glances at him; Archibald smiles as he
continues, “I do not understand being a ghost or a spirit.”
Waving
his hand to dismissed this he tries to explain, “It boils down to I was
jealous I hated everyone that had a life.
to me; I wanted to be special to them.
someone heard me.”

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Archibald reveals, “I
was in the attic, I had been staying there more often than not.
When one day I hear someone come up the stairs; the attic door
opened and I see the most beautiful woman.
She is young and I
could sense energy about her.
She stayed just long enough to get
a box of decoration but she kept looking at the chair I was sitting in.
I knew she couldn’t see me; I had made myself fade but I know she
knew I was there.
That night I went to her room after she had
gone to bed.”
Smiling at his memories, “She wasn’t scared; we talk
for hours and I am sure I talked too much.
I loved being able to
speak to someone and them hear me.”

When he finished speaking he notices they are at the pond.
He hates this place; this pond is where he died, his fellow soldiers
they all died here.
Looking at Stephanie he tells her, “I don’t like
this place, all these years I try not to come here.
Della would make
me come with her here; she said I had to make peace.
I don't
understand how to make peace, I did not want to die; I was not
done living.”

Standing by the pond, Stephanie looks out over the water for
a few second, than turning to Archie she tells him they need to go
back to the house as they had been walking a long time.
She is
tired and her ribs are starting to ache.

On the way back Archie tells her, “Your Aunt Della, she was
the woman I was meant to fall in love with.
I loved everything
about her.
She was a caring, loving and beautiful person.
She
I wanted someone to talk

I wanted to scream until
was a person you could talk with for hours and never get bored
listening too.
My Della never admitted it to me, I am not sure she
even admitted it to herself but she was scared I was going to figure
out a way to leave this world.”
Smiling sadly he adds, “When I
realized how much Della was in my heart I did not try to find a way
to move on.
I would listen to her ideals then find fault with each.”

Stopping he turns to look out over of the field of grass as he
admits, “I am in love with Della, if I had been alive I would have
courted her.
I would have asked her father for her hand in
marriage.” Shifting to look at Stephanie, “When her parents were
killed in the accident, I was scared Della would leave me.
But
instead she came to the attic after their funeral and tells me she
loves me. She doesn’t want anyone but me.”

Stephanie is staring at Archibald waiting for him to continue.
“Her parents are dead, her brother has been away and didn’t make
it to the funeral, she tells me she wants us to be together forever, or
for however long God sees fit.
Miss Stephanie, I did the only
thing I knew to do, I asked My Della to be my wife.
She was thirty
years old, considered an old maid by her parents and the town folk.
But to me she was my Della.”
His eyes are sad as he remembers
aloud, “We stood in front of the fireplace to say our vows from the
Bible.
We were married sixty-one years when she died.”

Archie continues sharing his memories with Stephanie, “At
first I had tried talking her out of marriage, but she told me she
loved me and wanted to be with me for the rest of her life.
After a
few years she was older, almost 35 years old.
I see she is troubled
I ask her what is wrong, she tells me she is getting gray hair, she
explained she will get old but I would always be young, she
apologized for getting old.
I had laughed and she became furious,
said she would be old and I wouldn’t love her anymore.”
Smiling a
little, “I waited a few weeks, then I showed her I was aging, it had
just taken me longer.
I could give her the illusion of me aging.
I
did this for My Della.”
And to be truthful, he admits to Stephanie,
“I am a man who loves deeply, I am still in love with Della.
Your
Aunt made me as happy as I could possibly be.
I wish we could
have been husband and wife in every sense.
But I did everything I
could to make Della happy, to prove to her every day she was my
world.”
Softly he adds as he begins moving again, “She was happy
I believe that in my heart.
The day My Della died I was with her; as
I lay beside her, she took her last breath.
I prayed God would
allow me to go with her.”

Stephanie walks beside Archie with tears in her eyes, the
love they had was what most people only hope for.
Her heart fills
with tenderness for Archie, his voice had wobbled as he had told of
him and Della and their love.
With her head down, she allows
Archie to follow silently.
Both are lost in their own thoughts.

Almost to the house they hear the sound of a car coming
down the driveway, Archie tells Stephanie to remain behind the
house hidden by the trees until he tells her it is safe.
He floats to
the front of the house, just as Chase walks to the car. Archie sees
it is the young Deputy, Johnny and Chase are talking and Chase
keeps pointing to the tree line. Floating closer he hears Chase tell
the younger man “I want you to call the state police, tell them I
need them to send someone out here to tag some evidence.”
Seeing Archibald out of the corner of his eye, he turns to him and
asks, “Where is Stephanie?”

Deputy Johnny assumes Chase is speaking to him and
answers, “Sheriff I haven’t seen Miss Stephanie.” Johnny is
confused when Chase just laughs then calls for Stephanie to come
out, it’s safe.
Archibald had informed him Stephanie was behind
the house waiting.

Walking to the front of the house, Stephanie sees Chase
talking with the Deputy.
She figures they are talking business.
She walks faster stopping when she reaches Chase’s side.
“So
what did you find?”
Stephanie addresses her question to Chase,
puzzled by his laughter a few minutes before.

Needing physical contact he takes her hand in his as he
answers, “Just a few cigarette butts and a piece of cloth.
I want
the state boys to come tag and bag.”
He gives her hand a gentle
squeeze, “May not be anything but I would feel better knowing
either way.”

Taking a step closer to Chase, Stephanie looks over at the
tree line; a shiver goes down her back.
How long had someone
been watching the house?
She had slept last night on the
loveseat.
Had the person or persons watched her?
Feeling
exposed she decides it’s time to go back in the house.
Stepping
away, she removes her hand from Chase’s, “I think I’ll go back in the
house.
I had enough fresh air for today.”
Turning she walks
away.

Chase waits for the front door to close behind her before he
turns to Johnny, “If you don’t mind can you wait at the tree line for
the state boys?
I don’t want to be away from Stephanie and I will
go make some phone calls to get the ball rolling.” At Johnny’s nod,
he continues, “When they get here you can show them the
evidence.
I didn’t touch anything, I was careful to preserve the
scene. If they have to talk with me, call my cell. I don’t want
them bothering Stephanie right now.
She has been through
enough.
If I can’t answer their questions I will get back to them.”

Writing as fast as he can, Johnny glances up at Chase, “I will
handle everything I can Chase.
You just take care of Miss
Stephanie.”
Closing the leather bound book he slides it back in his
pocket. Johnny opens the car door, stopping to look at the house,
he says to Chase, “Not a great welcome to our little town; is it?”
Getting in the cruiser, Johnny turns the vehicle around then heads
down the driveway to wait for the State Police.

Chase watches Johnny drive away.
Pulling the phone out of
his pocket Chase asks Archibald to go check on Stephanie.
He
shakes his head as Archibald vanishes, thinking just for a second
how weird it was to ask a ghost for help.
Hitting the speed dial
button for dispatch he fills Karen in on his plans; letting her know
about the evidence and Johnny’s new role at the office.
Hanging
up with Karen he makes a couple more calls.
Chapter Four

Archibald appears beside Stephanie, she is sitting at the
kitchen table staring at her cup of coffee.
Sensing a presence she
glances at Archie.
A half smile is the best she can do right now.
With sadness in her voice she tells him, “I hate this, the feeling of
helplessness. It makes me angry.” A shaky laugh escapes, “I
know I don’t sound angry.
But I am.
I feel violated.”
Rising
from the chair she continues, “Why would someone want to hurt
me?
Why brake in here then take just one ledger?
What is the
point of all this?”

Stephanie starts to pace, “Maybe Chase is right, we need to
know everything about the year you were killed.”
Realizing how
hard this is for him she adds, “I am sorry we are asking you for
details you would rather forget.
The only excuse I have is; maybe
by solving this mystery we can help you find out why your still here.”

Blowing out a breath Stephanie stops pacing to look at
Archie; wishing she could comfort him.
She wants to help him find
peace.
Remembering how rough it was on him earlier, she walks
over to stand directly in front of him making eye contact, “I hate
having you do this. Reliving the worst time of your life, I wish
there was another way.”

Archie smiles sadly, “This is something I have to do.
If it
helps figure out why the man stole the ledger, why he hurt you and
why he broke in three years ago then I will do all in my power to
help.”
Raising his hand he brushes it gently down her check.

Stephanie feels a slight chill but nothing else.
She touches
her face where Archie had touched; smiling she crosses her arms
over her chest.

Chase walks in the kitchen finding them standing looking at
each other.
The tension is thick in here.
Clearing his throat he
asks, “Stephanie, how are you doing?” Walking to her he begins
rubbing her shoulders.
Her muscles are tight under his hands; he
massages the tight areas, feeling her start to relax.

Stephanie turns around to face Chase; his hands fall away
from her as she looks up at him, “Thank you.”
Stephanie walks
back to the table and sits down.
Chase observes her body
language as she continues talking, “I am alright.
We have been
talking and have decided you are right, all this is connected.”
She
looks from Chase to Archie, seeing the concern look on Chase’s face,
she tries to smile.

Chase knows Stephanie is trying to be strong.
Her weak
smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
Sitting down at the table he sees the
paper from earlier; he had not written anything on it since he had
drawn the lines.
Not really wanting to do this now, the walk
earlier hadn’t accomplished what he had wanted it too.
Both
Stephanie and Archibald are still tense.
Chase sits looking down at
the paper trying to come up with a reason to stall.
The decision is
taken out of his hands when he hears Archibald begin to speak.

“I think I was at the part where we were at the Ohio River
waiting.”
Floating just above the chair he gives the illusion again of
sitting.
Both Stephanie and Chase look up at the sound of his
voice.
“We waited a total of two nights, on the third day the boat
pulled to shore.
Three men came ashore carrying the box.
It was
heavy, as the men labored under the weight.
Seeing the size and
weight of the box we were to transport, I knew it was funds we
were delivering.
The men loaded the box on the wagon.
I
ordered two of my men to cover the box with our supplies, needing
to try to hide it as much as possible.
The box was locked and
several men tried guessing what was inside. I told them we were
not privy to that information.
We had orders to take the box to
Fort Crockett and that was all they needed to know.”

Looking up from the table Archie looks at Chase, “I should
have known the curiosity of the men would make them crazy.”
Chase nods his head in agreement but doesn’t say a word.
“From
the River to the Fort was a ten day ride, having to travel by roads
only with the wagon, I figured it would take an extra four days.
I
had tried to keep the men separated as much as I could, so not to
let them discuss and plan.
I myself figured the box contained gold
coins.
I kept my thoughts to myself; I did not share this
information with any of my men.”
Again Chase nods in agreement.
Archie glances at Stephanie she is sitting silently listening; however,
he sees sorrow in her eyes.

Clearing his throat Archie begins speaking, “Our journey for
the first twelve days was mostly uneventful.
A few falls, a few
bumps, a horse fell broke his leg and had to be shot.
But no more
talk of the box, at least none reached my ears.”

Floating to stand Archie begins to pace around the room,
both Chase and Stephanie exchange looks but neither say a word.
“On the thirteenth day, we made camp by the pond; the one here
on this land.
We gave the horses water and several of the men
had jumped in the pond for a quick dip.
To say we were caught
unprepared is an understatement.
When the first shot rang out I
saw my second in command fall.
I then called for all men to take
cover.”

Archie lost in his memories of the past relates the events
vividly.
“Many years ago the trees were many down there.
I told
one man to reattach the wagon to the horse; I told him to hurry, he
had to get the box away from here.
I told him to go as fast as he
could and to not look back.
I then ran to the trees, I joined my
men in the fight.”
He stops pacing, he just stands looking out the
back door window, towards the pond too far to see, but Chase
knows he is seeing the battle clearly in his mind.