Susannah's Garden (19 page)

V
ivian had her good days and her bad ones, and today was good. Many of the bad days were before Susannah and Chrissie had come. Vivian had done her best to hide how defeated she’d felt. In fact, she hadn’t realized how badly she was coping at home until she came to live at this prison place—or hospital or whatever it was.

Not that she was complaining. The food was all right when she had an appetite, and she noticed the meals had improved since her first week there. Granted, most days she
didn’t
have much of an appetite, but she made an effort to eat. She was growing used to the way they did things here. It worried her some when she discovered that they locked the doors at night, but her friend George—not her husband, the
other
George—had told her why. The doors were locked to keep the crooks out. She could believe that. She already knew the world was full of people eager to swindle an elderly widow.

Barring the doors to thieves was fine with Vivian, but it kept someone else out, too—her George. She hadn’t known locked doors were a hindrance to the dead, but apparently they were. He hadn’t come to visit—at least not until today. When she woke from her nap, he’d been there, in her darkened room. Oh, he looked wonderful to her. Vivian had been overcome with joy. It’d been so long since his last visit that she’d nearly given up hope.

She asked why he’d taken all those weeks to find her. He couldn’t answer, but that was all right. None of that mattered when he was with her. For a while they sat and looked at each other in silence. Tears had come to her eyes and although they didn’t speak, Vivian felt his love for her and their children.

Once she’d composed herself, she told him how upset Susannah was, although she still couldn’t recall exactly why. Poor George didn’t know what to think. He’d frowned and shaken his head, and Vivian wished she’d kept it to herself. All too soon he was gone.

Invigorated by the visit, Vivian joined Sally and a couple of other women for dinner. Earlier in the afternoon, they’d also met for tea, which was becoming a regular occurrence, and one she had to admit she enjoyed. Then she’d had her nap, followed of course by dinner. Afterward as she started back to her suite, she felt disappointed that she hadn’t seen her friend George, even though she knew he ate in his room. Vivian was proud of herself. She’d finished her entire salmon cake and small salad, but she didn’t much care for the rice dish. No flavor whatsoever.

Leaning on her cane for balance, Vivian walked past the pool room. Sure enough, her friend was there, using his crutch as a pool cue just as he had the first night she’d met him. George glanced up when he saw her.

“I wondered if you’d swing by,” he said in that gruff way of his.

“Well—here I am.”

George made a dismissive grunt. “What’s put you in such a good mood?”

“My husband visited this afternoon.”

George lowered his crutch to the floor. “Did he now?”

Vivian nodded. “He stayed for a while, too.”

The other man’s gaze narrowed. “I didn’t see him.”

That made perfect sense to Vivian. “Of course you didn’t. He only appears to me. He’s dead, you know.”

“Oh, right, I forgot. I don’t suppose he talks much, either.”

“Can’t. He’s dead.”

George rubbed the side of his face, as if testing to see whether he needed a shave or not. “Did he let you know what he wanted?”

The question gave Vivian pause. “I think he was just checking up on me. I was mighty glad to see him, I’ll tell you that.”

“Did you mention that business with your daughter?”

“I tried, but it really bothered him.”

“I thought I saw her here earlier.”

If this conversation was going to take much longer, Vivian would need to sit down. She made her way over to the sofa and slowly sank into the soft cushion. “She
was
here.”

“She didn’t stay long.”

Vivian frowned, clutching her cane with both hands. “Why not?”

“She didn’t say, but she was here barely five minutes. I saw her when she was walking out the front door.”

Ah, yes, Vivian remembered now. “My friends were visiting and then I lay down to rest.”

“Did you sleep?”

Suddenly Vivian wasn’t sure, but she must have. “Do you know who’s looking after my roses?” she asked.

“Can’t say I do.”

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll find out when the nurse comes with my pills.”

“That’s a good idea,” George agreed.

Vivian started to get up, then changed her mind. She frowned. “Susannah stopped by like you said, and I think she was upset again.”

“Does your daughter have a problem with anger management?”

Vivian took offense at that. “What a horrible thing to say about my Susannah,” she flared.

“Don’t get huffy. It seems to be a family trait.”

This conversation was declining fast. Vivian tried to get up but found she didn’t have the strength. “Somebody help me,” she called out, ignoring George.

“I’m coming,” George said, limping toward her with the aid of his crutches.

“Not you.” George had insulted Susannah and she wasn’t going to stand for it. Or sit, either.

“Who’s going to help you up if not me?” George asked.

He parked himself directly in front of Vivian, making it impossible for her to escape. “Guard,” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

George hooted with laughter.

“This is no laughing matter,” she insisted.

“Here.” He offered her his hand.

A better woman would have refused, but Vivian wanted to get back to her apartment. She decided she’d be willing to forgive him this one slight against her daughter. But
only
this one.

Using her cane for leverage and holding on to George’s hand, she struggled to an upright position, but it wasn’t easy. Damn fools shouldn’t put useless furniture in these rooms.

“I’m glad to hear your husband came by,” George said as she headed toward the door.

“He was an important man, you know. A judge.”

He nodded.

“George sent a lot of men to prison. They deserved it, too. He didn’t tolerate crime.”

“Good for him.”

He sounded sincere, and Vivian was warmed by his approval. “He has to come during the day now.”

“Why?”

Of all people, George should know the answer to that. “They keep the doors locked after eight.”

“Oh, right. I forgot.”

She snorted, not believing that for a second. Vivian was halfway into the hall when George stopped her. “I don’t suppose you told him about meeting me, did you?”

Vivian shook her head.

“Is he the jealous sort?”

“My husband? Never—well, maybe a little.”

Her friend followed her a short distance. “Do you play bridge?”

Vivian shook her head again. “I’m not much good at that sort of thing.”

“Too bad. I could use a bridge partner. What about gin rummy?”

“I used to play that with the grandkids when they were little, but they outgrew it.”

“Want to give it a try one afternoon?”

Vivian would’ve liked that, but she was afraid she’d lose track of the cards. “Maybe. You play Scrabble?”

George gestured with one of his crutches. “I’m not so good with words.”

Perhaps they had more in common than she’d realized. “Me, neither.”

George grinned and she smiled back at him. “The shuttle bus is taking a trip to the Indian casino in Spokane tomorrow afternoon,” he told her. “How would you feel about going along?”

It would make for a long day but Vivian supposed she could manage it. “I think I’d like to go.”

George seemed pleased.

“’Night,” she said.

“’Night,” George echoed. “Listen,” he added, “the next time your husband stops by, you tell him he’s got competition.”

Vivian blushed. “I’ll do that,” she said over her shoulder.

M
onday was the Fourth of July. After Susannah had attended the barbecue at Altamira, Carolyn accompanied her to the Roadside Inn five miles outside town. At first Susannah had dismissed her offer, but now as they approached the Inn, she was grateful not to be alone. One look at the seedy, run-down tavern was enough to convince her this was not an establishment she should walk into alone.

In fact, she had no desire to enter the Roadside Inn at all, under any circumstances. Had she been in any other mood, Susannah would have put this off, but she hoped to speak with Sharon, mother to mother, about Troy and Chrissie. And if Sharon had Jake’s phone number, she wanted it.

When she picked Carolyn up, her friend was in a cheerful frame of mind—and it didn’t take Susannah long to discover why. Dave! He’d come to see her on Saturday night.
Carolyn hadn’t described the visit in detail, but it seemed to have gone well.

“Would you stop,” Carolyn muttered when Susannah reached the end of the driveway.

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me like you’re ready to break into giggles at any moment.”

“I can’t help it,” Susannah confessed. “You just seem so happy.”

“You’re such a romantic.”

No question there. “So are you.”

“I know… I wish Dave wasn’t so concerned about appearances.” She made a wry face. “I mean, I worried about it at first but I couldn’t care less now.”

“He doesn’t want to embarrass you.”

Carolyn shrugged. “He never stays anyplace long,” she explained. “I told him I accept that. When he’s ready to leave he should just go. I certainly can’t stop him.”

“What about the possibility of him being an ex-con? That doesn’t bother you anymore?” Susannah felt she had to ask.

“I’ve been around men my entire life and I consider myself a decent judge of character,” Carolyn said. “Dave’s a good man. If he’s ever been in jail it would surprise me…. Besides, I did a search in all the states he’s mentioned and couldn’t find any record of him in the justice system.”

“You can do that?”

Carolyn smiled, nodding.

“You enjoy his company, don’t you?” Susannah asked.

“We had a wonderful time. Dave barbecued steaks, and we sat and talked for hours. I’ve never felt this comfortable with any man. He’s warm and funny and has this dry sense of humor that cracks me up. He’s a completely different person when he’s not on the job.”

Susannah wondered if Carolyn understood the risk she was taking. And she wondered if she herself fully recognized everything she was risking in her quest to find Jake.

They were absorbed in their own thoughts as she drove the rest of the way to the Roadside Inn.

“There’s a rough crowd here,” Carolyn said once Susannah had pulled into an empty parking space.

The lot was full of trucking rigs and broken-down vehicles. One pickup actually had the passenger door missing. Loud music blared from inside, and a few disreputable types clustered near the entrance. Paying them no heed, Susannah marched resolutely toward the tavern, Carolyn at her side.

They stepped into the room and onto the sawdust-covered floor. Cigarette smoke hung in the air like a dense fog. It seemed that every pair of eyes was staring at the two of them. The one good thing about the wailing jukebox was that they couldn’t really hear the catcalls and jeering remarks aimed in their direction. Ignoring her discomfort, Susannah strode over to the bar tended by Sharon Nance. Two men scooted down to make room and Susannah thanked them with a curt nod.

“Well, as I live and breathe, it’s the Bobbsey twins,” Sharon taunted as she strolled toward them from the other end of the bar.

“Hello, Sharon.”

The other woman’s heavily bleached hair was pulled tightly away from her face, leaving little to soften her sharp features. She planted both hands on the edge of the bar. “What can I do for you?”

“How do you know I didn’t come in for a beer?” Susannah asked calmly. She chose to disregard the other woman’s hostility.

Sharon snorted as if to say she wasn’t that easily fooled. “You aren’t the type. Frankly, I doubt you’re here to have a good time, either, although any one of these guys would be more than happy to accommodate you.”

Susannah had hoped for something a little friendlier. She tasted disappointment in the stagnant and smoke-filled air.

“What’s the matter?” Sharon said, glowering at Carolyn. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Hello, Sharon,” Carolyn said in the same cordial tone Susannah had used.

“How’s Daddy’s little girl doing at the mill these days?”

Several heads turned in their direction. A couple of the truckers picked up their beer mugs and left their stools at the bar, moving into the shadows.

Susannah didn’t know what that was about. Were they protecting Sharon—or remaining uninvolved? She couldn’t tell, but hoped it was the latter. This was uncomfortable enough without any further complications.

“I don’t suppose you’ve met my daughter?” Susannah asked conversationally. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her. “As I told you, she’s spending a lot of time with your son.”

Sharon’s responding laugh was devoid of any real amusement. “What makes you think I’d
want
to meet your little girl? She ain’t here, that’s for damn sure, and if she was, it’d be of her own free will, now wouldn’t it?”

Susannah nodded warily.

Sharon’s black-rimmed eyes flared. “I bet that’s got you worried. But guess what? Troy’s never even mentioned her. What my son does is his own business. I will say this, though. He’s got a weakness for sweet young things. If I were you, I’d keep your girl away from him.”

“How old is Troy?” Susannah was furious that she’d allowed Sharon’s attitude to get to her.

“Why do you ask?”

“Chrissie’s only nineteen.” She didn’t add that Chrissie would turn twenty in another month.

“Are you trying to make trouble for my son?”

“No, but…”

“If Troy wants you to know how old he is, he’ll tell you.”

This wasn’t getting them anywhere.

“Anything else?” Sharon asked, raising heavily penciled eyebrows. “Oh, yeah. This doesn’t have anything to do with you, but you might find it interesting.” She folded her arms and smiled at Susannah.

“What are you talking about?”

For an instant, the other woman seemed genuinely surprised. “You really
don’t
know, do you?”

Confused, Susannah glanced at Carolyn. “Know what?”

Sharon’s mouth twisted in a sneer. “Don’t you think Troy looks a lot like his daddy?”

It took longer than it should have for the implication to sink in. “Are…are you saying Jake is Troy’s father?”

Sharon said nothing more and went back to tending bar. “You tell me.”

Now that she considered it, there
was
a resemblance between Jake and Troy. She felt sick to her stomach.

“Still want me to get his phone number for you?”

“Uh…” Reeling from shock, Susannah couldn’t answer.

Sharon laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

Carolyn’s hand clasped her arm. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“In a minute.” Susannah didn’t understand Sharon’s animosity. She’d never been friends with the other woman,
but they’d gone through eleven years of school together. While it was true that Jake had broken up with Sharon and started to date her, he’d apparently had a change of heart after Susannah left for France.

“Why are you so angry?” Susannah asked.

Sharon’s laugh was hoarse from years of smoking. “The only time you come around is when you want something. Your brother did the same thing. Any other day of the week I’m not good enough for either of you.”

That wasn’t true. Susannah had never gone out of her way to avoid Sharon.

Crossing her arms and looking bored, Sharon muttered, “So, what’ll it be? A beer or the door?”

“What can you tell us about Jake Presley?” Carolyn demanded before Susannah had a chance.

“Nothing,” she returned flippantly. “You’ll have to ask him yourself. If he wants to talk to Susannah, he’ll find her. I’ll let him know you were inquiring after his health,” she said sarcastically. “Actually, I’m surprised you’re not asking me about Doug Leary.”

“What’s he got to do with anything?” Susannah asked, incensed that Sharon would even bring up her brother’s name.

“I always found it amusing that your daddy was the law-and-order man and his own son was dealing. Some family you’ve got there.”

“My brother?” Susannah cried. “I don’t believe that!”

“Believe what you want. I know what’s true, and your brother was in big trouble.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Carolyn said again, tugging at Susannah’s arm.

She stumbled back a step. “Don’t you
dare
say anything against my brother.” Susannah was so upset she was trem
bling. Why Sharon would invent such fabrications, why she’d hurt her this way—it made no sense.

Sharon’s gaze shifted to Carolyn. “I’m not lying.”

Susannah shook her head furiously. The woman
had
to be lying.

“He was dealing,” Sharon insisted. “Did you know that the night he was killed, he was running from the law?”

Too shocked to respond, Susannah stopped breathing. Sharon’s story was more and more unbelievable. The only thing her father had told her about the accident was that Doug had taken the curve too fast and slammed into a tree.

“Sheriff Dalton was chasing my brother?” she asked, just so she’d be able to prove her wrong. She’d simply get in touch with the former sheriff and see what he had to say.

“Nope. Feds were the ones after him.”

Sharon certainly had plenty of details, but whether or not they were true remained to be seen. They
couldn’t
be! “The federal government?” This should be easy enough to disprove and once she did, she’d sue Sharon Nance for slander.

“Big mistake to mess with the feds.” Sharon spoke in a somber voice.

“I don’t want to hear any more of these lies,” Susannah said. “We’re leaving.”

“Good,” Sharon snarled.

Susannah glared at her. “I don’t know what I ever did to you that was so awful, but whatever it is, I suggest you get over it.”

“Let’s
go,
” Carolyn hissed.

“Doug wasn’t the only one, either,” Sharon said loudly as Susannah stepped away from the bar.

“What does that mean?” she yelled back.

Sharon gave another of her guttural smoker’s laughs. “You’ll find out.”