The Charity (62 page)

Ever gracious, he extended his hand reluctantly to welcome the waiting man. “So nice to see you again. And so soon! What may I help you with today?”

“I wanted to say thank you for all of your help.”

“Thank you?” The statement crimped the jeweler’s composure. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. “Why, no thanks are due, of course.”

“Certainly.” There was a brief pause. “I was concerned that all of this could somehow hurt your business.”

Sebastian gave a small smile and chuckled. “Not at all. The small amount of notoriety this has given me has only helped. After all, we pride ourselves on our ability to remember our customers.”

“Of course.”

The jeweler cleared his throat a little self-consciously at the tiny misstatement. “I am the one who hopes this won’t hurt
you
. Your help in having me remember how all of the pieces fit together was very kind. You must believe me when I say that I had no idea what the outcome of my testimony was going to be. I honestly thought Mr. Connaught was going to be exonerated.”

“Don’t concern yourself with that. One last question, though. Did you mention my visit with you to anyone?”

“Excuse me? No.” The jeweler assumed an air of hidden hurt.

“Not even Owen Shea?”

“We agreed that would have been inappropriate. I mentioned nothing when he first approached me and made sure to keep my silence even after giving my testimony to the grand jury. You are right. I see no reason for telling him that. Ever.”

“Very well then. Thank you, Sebastian.”

“It was my pleasure. Will you be returning to Boston again soon?”

“I have no plans, yet, for that. Anyway, I have other matters to attend to.”

“Yes. I’m quite sure you must be extremely busy now. Oh! I almost forgot.” The jeweler handed the man a small, velvet-lined box. “I was pleased to get this on special order for you. We used the original artwork.”

The box was opened and a silver lighter, new and highly polished, gleamed. The engraving was perfect. “As usual, excellent work.”

“Is this a gift?”

“No. Good-bye and thanks again, Sebastian.”

“Good-bye, Michael.”

PART FOUR

Hamilton, Massachusetts
Perc, Kentucky
Boston, Massachusetts
Perc, Kentucky

December 1995

IT WAS NEARLY
sunset as she drove the car up the mountain road. The shoulders were two walls of snow, the sheer volume of which impressed her. The last blizzard hit the entire eastern seaboard with an impressive blast. Nearly three feet fell. Jessica never thought that she would see snow like that fall in Kentucky, but she had heard it was an unusually severe winter for these parts. Regardless, she had no complaints. The snow was a companion to her and what most people saw as an inconvenience, she viewed as an adventure.

The higher elevations of the Pine Mountains got much more snow than the valley and she experienced a flash of a homeowner’s concern as she worried about the condition of the barn and her house. It took her a moment to remember that the barn was gone. The fire and her life as Tess White seemed so far away now. For a moment, she fooled herself into thinking that the worst was over. Shea’s words and the gray feeling that the Charity was somehow still out there scared her. Her brows creased together in concern for both her new life and the condition of her home.

She did not have to worry long about her house, however. As soon as she turned into her driveway, she could see that her property had been well cared for. The driveway had been plowed and the walk shoveled to her house. The debris from the barn fire had been trucked away and the scar of where it stood was obscured by the padding of deep snow. The porch light of her house was on and a blue curl of smoke drifted out of one of the chimneys.

The door to the rental car remained open as she stood in the center of her driveway and looked around. The sky was beginning to perform its evening molting of layers of purple and pink peeling away from the horizon. The far ridges rippled in deeper hues. Turning in a slow circle, she inhaled the clean, crisp air and sighed at the beauty of her own small corner of the world. The sky cast its blue glow upon the snow and the scene took on a surreal quality.

“Hello. I’m back. I am Jessica Wyeth and I am home.”

The words were spoken to no one and everyone at the same time. She forced all unpleasant thoughts out of her head and focused on the present. Snow crunched invitingly under her feet and the soft sounds of the woods filled her ears. It was a wonderful moment.

The car chimed its reminder that the door should be closed, eventually registering in Jessica’s mind and rousing her out of her reverie. Grabbing her satchel, she closed the insistent door and strode up to her house. Looking over at where her barn had stood, she imagined how it would look when it was rebuilt. Now she had the money to do it right. It would feel good to get working on a big project right away. It would keep her thoughts on something constructive while the final chaos of her life was being worked out in Boston.

The far light of the kitchen was on and she could tell that someone had been in to clean it up a bit since her hasty departure just a few weeks and a lifetime ago. A small rectangle of paper caught her eye as she threw her luggage down. Electra’s handwriting was immediately recognizable.

Jessica,

I had to think twice as I addressed this note under your new name. Well, then again, I guess it’s only new to us.

Welcome back to Perc. I had my maid come in and just straighten up for you a bit and to start up your wood stove. You should find some food in the ‘fridge.

Hoyt has been a doll and saw to it that your drive was plowed. I am sure you will want to thank him when you see him.

I know you will want to settle in alone, so please give a call in a few days and we can set up a visit. Certainly, if you need anything, give a call before then.

Regards,

Electra

Jessica read the note briefly and sighed. It was going to be harder than she thought to come home. Electra was never one to show restraint and Jessica felt a twinge of anxiety as she thought about facing the townspeople that had been so generous and giving to Tess White. Would it be easy to work back into the town as Jessica Wyeth? Shea was right. Many people were not so forgiving about being lied to and deceived, regardless of the reasons why. Jessica had a strong intuition that another uphill battle was in front of her. As much as she wanted Perc to be her home, she knew she had to work hard to earn back its love and respect.

A large casserole sat in the middle of her refrigerator and Jessica followed the handwritten instructions on how to heat it up. The instructions must have been written by one of Electra’s staff. Jessica could not imagine Electra even knowing where the kitchen was in her house let alone actually functioning enough in one to make a meal.

The thought caused a smile to creep up on her face and she rummaged around her empty cupboards. She was pleased to find one last bottle of Chardonnay and quickly poured herself a glass. After tending to the wood stove and making one round of inspection of her house, she made herself another fire in the living room hearth and sunk into the horrible overstuffed gold easy chair. Having a casserole welcome her was nice, but knowing that it meant that a stranger had access to her home was not. She resolved that a burglar alarm would be one of her first purchases. New furniture could be on her list now, too.

As the flames flickered in the hearth and the wine slowly began to take effect, Jessica let herself relax. In the privacy of her own home, she could feel the layers of defensive shields she had built up begin to dissolve. She did not know how long it would take, but the reward of living her life as herself was going to be worth the trouble.

The plate of food she had set out for herself was only half eaten when the phone rang. The unfamiliar sound of it made Jessica jump.

“That was quite a disappearing act you did. What’s the big idea?”

Jessica smiled at the sound of Shea’s voice. “Well, you just seemed a little preoccupied. I left you a message, you know.”

“Right. You and five hundred other people. I heard that you left town a few minutes ago from one of my staff. They saw you on the evening news.”

“Oh, God, Shea. Are you still at the office?”

“Yes. There’s an incredible amount of work I still have to do on the trial against Magnus. But when I heard you had left, I realized time just got away from me. You okay?”

“Pretty much. I couldn’t wait to get Boston and the mob scene there behind me. I took your advice and kept myself under wraps while I traveled. The thought of being at the center of another swarm of photographers was just too much for me. I lucked out in Lexington. No reporters were waiting for my plane.”

“You’re right. That was luck.”

Jessica heard the concern in his voice. “What I need more than anything is solitude.”

“Are you sure that’s the best idea? There is still a lot of curiosity about you right now and people will be seeking you out. It won’t be long before they find your little mountain retreat. I just think—”

“Shea, please,” the exhaustion that flirted with the edges of her psyche all day closed in on her. “Look. I can’t run or hide anymore. I want to believe that I’m through with that life. I don’t have anything to run from anymore except some wayward journalists and a few curiosity seekers. I am home now.”

“It’s a little too early yet for you to be out in the open. Jessica, remember what we talked about before you left, about, um, Magnus’ son.” He paused. He let out a long sigh as he searched for the right words. “You know how I hate talking at the office.”

She understood his meaning. His comment indicated that he didn’t want to take the risk that his conversations were still being monitored and he wanted to watch what was said.

“Wait a second. That shouldn’t be a problem anymore, right?”

“Jessica. John Doe is still out there.” He knew that she would press him until he talked about more than he wanted to. He decided to keep the information passed to her as innocuous as possible. “The latest report is that someone fitting his description was heading over the border into Canada. Most bets are that he is heading toward Ireland. This case still has a long life ahead of it. Don’t be too naive.”

She was too tired to take offense at his attitude. “Okay. I understand. I am no longer dead nor am I a murder suspect. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s over and I’ll live my life as I please.”

“You’re a
key witness
! Please, Jessica, it’s not that simple.”

“Shea. What the hell are you trying to say? I
know
it’s not that simple, damn it!” She could feel herself losing her temper and felt terrible for doing so. “I am exhausted. If there is something you need to tell me, then find a way to do it.”

She could feel Shea flinch over the phone. He tried to shift the conversation onto a more pleasant vein. “Right. Okay. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to come down for a visit,” he paused, remembering their encounter in the hotel. “A working visit. I’ve got a lot I still need to do to prepare, but I could make it down in a few weeks.”

“No reporters to document your hard work?”

“No reporters. Lots of work. How about it?”

She smiled at the thought. “Sounds fine. Just give a call with your flight information and I’ll get you from the airport.”

“Great. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“Shea?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

The next day dawned bright and clear. The air was warm and the snow was slowly being melted away from its grip on the mountaintop. The sun was just lifting its head over the eastern peaks when Jessica awoke. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was. Even then, she remained still, not wanting to disturb anything for fear it would break the dream. She was in no hurry to do anything and sighed contentedly that she could have the whole day to herself and not have to speak to a soul.

Eventually, she got up and made a pot of coffee. The pungent smell of the brew drifted its way past the doors of the kitchen and through the house. She loved the normalcy of it and spent her first full day at home in her pajamas catching up on mail and reading. She was amazed at how exhausted she was and let herself sleep most of the day.

The better part of her second day at home was spent hiking up the ridge. The snow in spots was thigh deep and she cursed herself for not having either a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis to take advantage of the opportunity for some fun. The thought that Kentucky would have enough snow for that sort of thing did not cross her mind when she decided to move there. She loved it.

She struggled her way up to the peak. The last time she was up there was before the break-in when she was still riding hard. Now, with her injuries healing, she could not wait to get back onto a horse. The snow was hardly a barrier. It merely added to the adventure. A list ran through her head of the horses that were in her care before the fire and she tried to think of which one would be best suited for a hard ride up the mountain in deep snow. None that were in her care fit the bill and Empress and Banshee were not up for hard terrain as it was still too early to put them through anything taxing. Only Gapman drew her interest. She resolved that she would call Hoyt and ask if she could take a ride on his horse.

A rock outcropping, covered in ice and snow, made the perfect vantage point for the view. Although this peak was not the highest in the area, it afforded breathtaking views of the valley and surrounding area. She turned in a slow circle and let the sight soak into her. In that moment, her trauma of the past years began to feel very far away. Last night’s sleep had not been without its nightmares, vaulting her awake with terror and sweat. Maybe if she spent enough time alone, outdoors, and with her animals, the nightmares would slowly go away.

For her, being outside and with horses was the best therapy in the world. Even after her family’s accident, she ran to the only solace she knew. More than anyone, Gus understood it for what it was and encouraged her to ride as much as possible. Understanding what was going on in Gus’ mind, Jessica had a better idea as to why Gus became a solitary and consummate horseman. He channeled all of his frustration and anger into the things that gave him the most pleasure. Jessica understood his passion for horses now more than ever, comforted by how alike they were. Her love for a hard ride on a nearly wild horse on impossible terrain made her feel connected to life in a way no person could. She could only guess that it made Gus feel the same way.

Or at least used to. Jessica had poured over the track and vet records her father had risked his life to save. The documents showed clear abuse of fine animals by racing them too hard and too often with injuries that could not possibly heal under the stress of use. It was obvious that Jim tried to bring the abuse to the attention of track officials, but no one took any action. Jessica assumed that either the Charity had members who worked at the tracks or just general industry complacency played a role. Also, it was clear that trainers faced little punishment if horses assigned to them were doped or broke down. Even the vets that were hired independently often could not detect an injury if it was masked with painkillers. Jim’s documents set forth a complex system that used a thin disguise of legality to hide vast corruption.

Gus’ last moments were spent pleading for Jessica’s life and pleading for her to be left alone. Jessica could only imagine the fear and intimidation Gus experienced that drove him to take the actions he did. He sacrificed the horses to keep the family safe.

Jessica acknowledged there was a lot of information she had to make peace with as she started her trek back to her farm. The sun had started its downward slide to its night home behind the western ridges. The angle of the sun made it easier to see distant houses. The air was totally clear and still and the smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces connected to form a soft veil which hung just above the rooftops. Jessica felt she could see all of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. On a day like that, even the scars of distant coal mining and logging operations looked good.

The dirt road back down the mountainside was easy to find and she decided to use it to speed her trip back to her house. The fastest path brought her to the road about a mile up from her driveway. She lengthened her stride and realized how good it felt to stretch her muscles.