City Limits
6
Sweet Home
Unforgiven
“THIS IS THE BODY of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for our sins. And this is his blood, shed for their remission,” Pastor Beck intoned. The elements sat on his desk as he blessed them. He stirred the cup, adding a measured amount of Lustre Plus to the grape juice. His use of drug variations over the past ten years had greatly enhanced his ministry and his success rate in taming the wild and undisciplined children who were sent to him. The weekly communion service with a trace dose left his congregants more open to the Word as well.
He spared a glance at the recalcitrant child kneeling naked at the rail in his private office. This one would learn. The rebellious mind would be wiped clean in the blood of Christ and the child would know only obedience. He dipped a piece of bread in the cup and stepped in front of the child, careful to avoid dripping the juice.
“Open and receive the cleansing power of God.” The child obeyed and Beck shoved the soggy wad into the child’s open mouth. The first dose was always the riskiest and Beck relaxed now that it had been administered. “Now let your mind be emptied of all and be prepared for the Holy Spirit’s baptism.”
Throughout the afternoon Beck continued to give small doses to the child as he systematically destroyed all sense of self-identity. It was exhausting work, but God was his strength and would see him through. Deacon and Dr. Jones were in the kitchen where he could call to them if he needed assistance, but it was best if no one witnessed his method. The doctor was a chemist, not a medical doctor, but could take care of things should the child prove unable to handle the drug.
Beck knew he sinned, but it was to make the child holy. To take the child’s sinful nature upon himself was a heavy burden, but God would not take this cup from him and Beck would not pass the responsibility to anyone else.
As the child’s mind melted under the influence of the drug and the preacher’s words, Beck alternated punishment and comfort. He built fantasies in the child’s mind—a new reality. He issued a new name. He redefined good and evil. He used the child as a vessel for his lust and God’s blessing. And in the end, a child awoke broken to His divine will.
The doctor led the child away to lodge with the others who were being renewed. In the camp, training would continue, and additional monitored doses of the drug would be administered to be sure the training set.
Pastor Beck continued to kneel naked at the altar as Deacon Stewart sat in an armchair, patiently waiting until the minister had overcome his guilt. Deacon could tell immediately that the reprogramming of the child had been successful. The sale would more than compensate for Beck’s guilt.
“Must I do more today?” Beck asked wearily. He rose and put on a robe before sitting behind his desk.
“No, Lance. You’ve done well,” the Deacon said. “God will surely be pleased with your faithfulness.”
“I hate them, you know,” Beck answered vaguely. “They come to me fouled from life on the streets, with unfaithful parents, abandoned in orphanages. They come to me with murk covering their minds and I must take it all upon myself. I hate them, for I am convicted of their guilt. I will never forgive them. They have made me into what I am.”
The Deacon nodded in sympathy. However Beck had to justify his actions made no difference to him. The result was obedient little slaves and there was always a market for the ‘purified’ souls he sold. As far as Beck knew, they were treated and returned to their homes. Whatever. The preacher left that up to the camp board.
“We have another problem,” Deacon said. “The aborted rescue of the child at the fair may have resulted in identifying our messenger. We needn’t worry about the little girl—she was a target of opportunity—but the man who stepped in could create problems. He is the only wildcard we have to deal with at the moment.”
“And Judas went out and hanged himself,” Beck muttered.
“Yes. I believe we can arrange for him to remove himself from the field.”
Homecoming
“GEE! How did your extra training for the Forest go?” Wayne asked when he saw Gee in the stands for the football game. Karen squeezed Gee’s hand as the new teacher joined them.
“It was great. Wayne, this is my… friend, Karen. Karen, Wayne is a new first grade teacher here.”
“Nice to meet you, Wayne. You were in orientation with Gee?”
“Yes. I was with twenty-five children who don’t know quite what to do with a big scary man as their teacher. At the moment, I’m riding on a wave of awe like Poseidon of the Seas.”
“A classicist! The poor children of Rosebud Falls. They could become educated,” Karen quipped.
“They’ll survive. I’m not so sure about me. So, spill it, Gee. What task are you being assigned for Harvest?”
“I’m going to be a shaker,” Gee said. “Jonathon started me out climbing poles at the forester’s headquarters. It took most of the day. Full orientation on safety equipment and then practice on a tree. I had a blast. I haven’t climbed a tree since… in… I know I’ve done it, but it was a long time ago.” Gee stopped and tried to puzzle out his knowledge of having climbed a tree. Karen squeezed his hand and reached into her bag for a pad of paper and a pen.
“Did you climb for fun or for work?” she asked just loudly enough for Gee to hear her over the noise of the stands. The game was about to start.
“It was definitely fun, but I don’t know if I climbed trees for a job. What kind of job would that be? Forester? Lumberman? Arborist? I enjoyed climbing trees, but none of those names seem to fit,” Gee said. Karen wrote down the notes. Wayne watched them with interest and she put away the notebook.
“I’ve never heard of a school having its homecoming football game so early,” Wayne said. “It really surprised me that it was the first game of the season.”
“It’s been that way for years. It’s because of the uncertainty of Harvest,” Karen answered. “Both schools use the first game of the season as homecoming. Crosstown rivals. The same game is homecoming for both of them since they both play on this field. The rest of the season they rotate home and away games so there’s a game here nearly every Friday until Thanksgiving.”
“Flor del Día?” Gee asked, looking at the scoreboard. “Is it a Spanish school? Or Catholic?”
“Quite a history. It started as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home after the Civil War, but swiftly changed to a reform school. No one was happy about that, so by World War I it was just considered an orphanage with its own school. There was a big boom in private boarding schools after World War II and even though it maintains a high percentage of orphans, it is the children of wealthy New Englanders who pay the bills now. There was a big schism over the teaching of religion in the school that resulted in the little church school in South Rosebud breaking off from it. But that has never been big enough to merit consideration for sports. It’s more like homeschool combined with extended Sunday School. But Flor del Día is selective. No orphan has ever been turned away, but those who board as outsiders must meet rigid academic and social qualifications. They have to fit into Rosebud Falls.”
“Who pays for the orphans?” Wayne asked.
“The Families all take a share, but particularly the Cavanaughs,” Karen said. “Oh, sorry. You’re new here. When someone says ‘the Families’ they mean the seven founding Families of Rosebud Falls. Cavanaugh, Roth, Poltanys, Nussbaum, Meagher, Savage, and Lazorack. If you go back far enough, probably everyone born in this town is related to one of the Families within a few degrees of separation.”
“Hey, your last name is Savage, isn’t it, Wayne?” Gee asked. Karen’s head snapped toward Gee’s friend.
“Yes. Not related though, I’m sure. Look! He’s going to intercept that!”
The Rosebud Fireflies overcame the Flor del Día Bitternuts in the last few minutes of a lively game.
“Wayne, I’m always interested in capturing a little bit about new arrivals in town, especially when they are in a place of importance like our school. Would you consent to an interview sometime soon? Just a human interest piece.” Wayne took Karen’s offered card.
“Be careful what you agree to,” Gee laughed. “This is our seventh interview.”
“Gee,” Karen said softly, “I think we decided this was our third date.”
“That really puts it in a different perspective, doesn’t it?” he responded.
“I’ll give the interview idea some thought,” Wayne said. “I really need to focus on lesson-planning and getting the kids ready for their first Harvest right now.”
“Of course,” Karen said brightly. “Just give me a call when you can.”
The Victim
GEE PLANNED to spend as much time over Labor Day weekend with Karen as he could. He was in love. He’d known it since the first night he spent in Rosebud Falls, but now he was certain. After the game Friday night, they had returned to Karen’s house ‘for ice cream’ but had spent the better part of two hours simply making out on the sofa. It was difficult for both of them to stop and for Gee to go home. They planned another date for Saturday night and a walk in the Forest for Sunday.
He went to the market Saturday morning to help prep for Harvest week. No one knew exactly when Harvest would begin, so the town spent the first week of September getting ready. At the store, he began the cold job of thoroughly cleaning and restocking the dairy cases.
Gee moved on to roll the fresh goods from the bakery to their cases. Commercial breads were all stocked by the vendors, but Grimm’s small bakery produced artisan bread, cookies, cakes, and doughnuts. The bakers were always happy for Gee’s assistance in stocking and it was especially welcome on Saturday morning. Though Rosebud Falls was slow in waking up most weekends, by ten o’clock, the store would be full of people doing their weekly shopping and wanting morning snacks.
“Gee! I need bacon and a side of beef,” Rupert said, coming up to him. Gee turned around. It was unlike Rupert to be sharp with him. He saw the butcher slightly stooped over with a hand on his hip. “I twisted my back and I can’t lift it,” the older man said.
That explained a lot and Gee hurried to get the cuts from the meat locker for Rupert. The locker was cold, but not freezing. Gee decided to get the beef for Rupert first, as the butcher would want to work on that while Gee sliced bacon.
“Sorry I was snappy,” Rupert said. “It just kills me to not be able to lift my own carcass.”
“It’s not a problem, Rupert. Is there anything else I can do to help?”
“Get the bacon sliced while I start working on this. When you’re done, I’ll show you how to cut filets. The Cavanaughs are having a family gathering on Labor Day and ordered six twelve-ounce cuts. Loren’s been around a long time and knows his beef almost as well as I do. He wants the strips to serve the younger generation and rib steaks for a couple of the cousins who play sports. We’ll do mostly steaks this morning.” Even though he was obviously in pain, Rupert was regaining some of his easy-going nature as he moved about the butcher shop. Gee wondered if it was the result of pain medicine or simply that Rupert was in the environment that he loved.
When the steaks were all prepared and a few more cuts were ready for the display case, Rupert asked Gee to return the remainder of the carcass to the locker. “I’m just not up to dealing with shoulder and rump today,” he said. Gee loaded the remaining sections of beef on a cart and wheeled them to the locker, hanging what he could and making sure anything shelved was on protective butcher’s paper. As he left the walk-in refrigerator, he was startled by Rena’s voice.
“You came for me!” Rena stumbled as she walked toward Gee.
Rena recognized the man sent to her with the drug. She’d seen him before and even suggested to Pastor Beck that he seemed like a nice man and might be a good mate for her. The pastor had shaken his head sadly and told her that Brother Reef had taken a vow of celibacy, kind of like a monk. Then he’d given her communion and she’d forgotten about him until he met her as she walked to work Saturday morning.
“We thought you might need a refresher and this is something new from the doctor,” Brother Reef said. For some reason, she was never quite able to focus on the man’s face. “It’s a step above what you’ve had before. You should try it now.” She didn’t hesitate to pop it in her mouth and listen to the monk’s instructions.
Rena began a sultry walk toward Gee, only stumbling slightly over the crack in the concrete floor that seemed deeper than the last time she walked here. She should have waited to take the drug until she got to the restroom like she usually did, but he’d said to take it now. The high and the fantasy it induced overwhelmed her almost immediately. And then Gee was there and she needed to talk to him about standing her up at the fair. She walked toward him, releasing the top button of her shirt.
The button felt too large for the buttonhole, so she tore at her blouse, determined to attract Gee to her. Others crowded around in her mind. Former fantasies she could not disconnect from.
“No! Not you! Wait your turn!” she screamed at them. Lustre was never like this before. She could always control the fantasy. But now, all her imaginary lovers pressed in on her, threatening to overwhelm her. She felt Gee reaching for her as she stumbled forward and lashed out again—biting, scratching. All the fantasies of her life rebelled and attacked her as one. She desperately fought them.
Something didn’t look right to Gee. He was used to seeing Rena at least a little high, her glassy-eyed grin as she looked at everything around her. But this time her pupils were fully dilated and her breathing seemed stressed.
“Rena, are you all right?” Gee asked. Her response was mumbled, and she reached for the decorative buttons on her pullover blouse. “Rena? You need to sit down and wait it out. Do you need help?” He reached out to steady her and she suddenly ripped the top of her blouse. It wasn’t far, but it was all the indication that Gee needed that this was not one of Rena’s normal highs. He reached for the wall phone by the meat locker door.
“This is 911. State the nature of your emergency, please.”
“This is Gee Evars at Grimm’s Market and Meats. One of my co-workers is having some kind of fit. She’s unsteady on her feet and her pupils are fully dilated. She’s hitting at empty air and is mumbling. The words I can catch don’t make sense.” Rena shouted at him to get away but swung wildly while she was still several feet from him.
“EMTs have been dispatched. Has she taken any drugs that she might be reacting to that you know of.”
“She’s often high on something. This is worse than I’ve ever seen her. Ow! She’s hitting me! And the wall and…”
“Try to comfort her with words and see if she can settle herself down.”
“Rena, it’s me. Gee. You’re okay. You’re safe here. No one will try to harm you. You’re okay,” Gee said as he backed away from her flailing arms. She was singly focused, though, and kept tracking Gee. She swung and scratched him across the face. “Ow! Rena, stop it. This isn’t working.”
“Help is on the way. Can she be safely restrained?”
“I can try, but…” Rena jumped on Gee, knocking the phone from his grip.
“I’ll kill you!” she screamed. “I’ll kill all of you!” Rena hit the wall with her head as if she had been thrown there and flailed against the air with her nails scratching at nothing. Without further guidance from the emergency line, Gee took a deep breath and moved in to try to restrain Rena so she wouldn’t hurt herself or him further. She struck at him again and raked him with her nails.
Gee managed to get one arm around her and pin her right arm against her side. Rena was completely out of control now and threw herself from side to side, elbowing Gee behind her. When he managed to get both arms pinned to her side, she threw her head back and smashed into his nose, screaming.
“Gee! What is the meaning of this?” Rupert yelled.
“Help! Rape! Help!” Rena screamed. That was all the signal Rupert needed and he smashed a cola bottle against the side of Gee’s head.
Emergency Room
“JUST LIE THERE and don’t try anything.” The voice sounded familiar. Gee raised his hand to feel his head and found that handcuffs held him to the bed rail and straps crossed his chest and arms. He opened his eyes to find Detective Oliver staring down at him. The left side of the detective’s mouth was drawn back in a snarl that caused his left eye to squint.
“What…? Is Rena okay?”
“Do you mean did you rape her? Rupert Grimm put an end to that. That girl is in bad shape.”
“I wasn’t raping her. She was having a fit. I tried to help.”
“Rupert said when he got to the room you were grabbing her and she was fighting you while yelling for help. Fortunately, EMTs arrived just as she passed out. They settled her onto a backboard. Doctors will know how much you hurt her soon.”
“Mead, I was trying to help. I was on the line with 911 and they said to try and restrain her.”
“You were what?” Mead bellowed. He stood up abruptly and stepped outside the room with his phone to his ear. Ellie gave the detective a shove out of her way to enter through the emergency room curtains.
“How are you feeling, Gee?” she asked grabbing his wrist to take his pulse. She felt the handcuffs. “Mead! What do you think you’re doing?” Before Gee could answer, Mead stepped back into the cubicle with his phone still to his ear and a look of disgust on his face.
“What a cluster…” he stopped and shoved his phone in his pocket as he reached for his keys. “Why hasn’t the doctor been in before now?” Mead demanded.
“Doc did triage as they were brought in and determined that Gee was just knocked out and would recover. That girl, on the other hand. Gee saved her life.”
“What happened? Is she okay?” Gee asked.
“She overdosed,” Ellie said.
“We got two emergency calls within a minute or two of each other. Different operators. One dispatched emergency aid from the fire department with an ambulance. The other dispatched two patrol cars to stop an assault and rape. The woman who called police said you were raping the girl.”
“Is she okay?” Gee insisted, not really caring about why he was in the hospital or had been handcuffed to the bed.
“She’s going to recover. Dr. Poltanys is still with her. They hit her with Naxalone and then started treatment for hallucinogens. They’re still trying to get a positive ID on the drug,” Ellie said.
“Drugs. Here in Rosebud Falls,” Mead said disgustedly. “I guess our days of being a sleepy little burg with no big city problems are over.”
“You mean being a desert full of sand for the community to keep its heads buried in,” Ellie snapped. Mead grimaced.
“Gee! I can’t believe this. Please tell me you didn’t!” Karen exclaimed as she barged into the cubicle. She spotted Mead. “Has he been charged with something?” Mead shook his head.
“A screw-up between 911 operators,” Mead said. “Two calls at once with different emergencies and police and paramedics who got caught in the middle. Ellie says Gee saved another life.”
“And paid for it,” Ellie said. “He’s pretty banged up.”
“Oh, thank God. I knew it couldn’t be true,” Karen said as she rushed to Gee and put kisses on his forehead. He tensed when she brushed his nose. “You’re hurt!”
“He was trying to restrain a girl who was having seizures and she got a few good licks in. The officers got in a few more,” Ellie scowled.
“His lawyers are going to have a great time with this one,” Mead groaned. “Our whole emergency response system is going to get reviewed.”
“They’ll be here shortly. I called them from the car as I was on my way,” Karen said.
“How did you know?” Gee asked.
“I called your house to tell you I needed to run out of town and couldn’t get together tonight as we planned. Nathan was in a mad panic. Rupert told him you were a rapist and to get your things out of the house and away from his daughter. Marian was wailing in the background. I got the police blotter and found out you’d been brought here.”
“I guess I’m homeless again,” Gee sighed.
“You’ll never be homeless again, Gee,” Karen said vehemently. “I want… I want you to live with me. I’ve got all that room in the house. I told you I thought I should open a boarding house.” Gee looked at Karen’s tear-filled eyes and lifted his head to softly kiss her lips.
“Mead, have you arrested our client?” Gretchen LaCoe demanded as she entered the curtained cubicle. It was getting crowded. Jack, trailing a step behind his wife, came directly to Gee.
“Gee, I advise you not to say anything until we know exactly what is going on, do you understand?” he said softly. Gee nodded.
“Just another misunderstanding,” he said.
“Why do they all revolve around you?”
“Excuse me, but can I get close enough to examine the patient?” Dr. Poltanys asked sarcastically. “Or should we have a cake delivered to celebrate our resident hero.”
“I just tried to help,” Gee said. He was embarrassed that tears were leaking from his eyes. This had been more horrifying than diving into the river. Poltanys didn’t try to chase anyone out of the room, but the curtains bulged outward as they moved back to give him space to examine Gee. He checked Gee’s eyes, the knot on his head, and the bruises and scratches on his cheeks, hands, and neck. He pressed lightly on Gee’s ribs causing another wince. “So, what do you remember?” Poltanys asked.
“Everything, I guess,” Gee said. “Up until I was knocked out and then woke up here with Detective Oliver growling at me.”
“What’s your name?”
“George Edward Evars. Most folks call me Gee.”
“Where do you live?”
“683 Joshua Street. At least I did until they kicked me out.”
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from…” It was like walking into a fog. The answer seemed to be just ahead, but he couldn’t grasp it. He shook his head and then grimaced. “I remember everything back to the day I jumped in the river.”
Poltanys nodded. “I was hoping Rupert Grimm had arrived at a solution to your memory problem. Why is he restrained?” Poltanys started removing the belts across Gee’s chest and arms. He was still wearing the rubber apron he’d used while helping Rupert.
“Initially, it was to keep him from waking up and going for his head or cuts,” Ellie said. “Then Mead…”
“I did not order restraints,” the detective said. “I removed the cuffs our arresting officer placed on him. The restraints are your idea.”
“I suppose that was because our other patient identified him as her assailant and rapist,” Poltanys said as he began loosening the straps. Mead reached for the handcuffs. The doctor looked up at him. “As well as a list of thirty-two other men and seventeen women.” He looked around the cubicle. “Including everyone in this room.”
“She’s mental,” Mead sighed.
“Drugged,” Poltanys answered. “We’ve seen it before and have submitted blood samples to the CDC. We’ve never had a case like this one. I think it’s a new variant of the drug Lustre. I’ve been tracking it for several weeks, but most cases seem to just be disoriented or sometimes a little nauseous. Those we’ve interviewed profess they think it’s harmless and just enhances their fantasy lives. The most common place we’ve seen it is among online gamers who think it makes their gaming more lifelike.”
“We have that here?” Oliver spluttered.
“Most that I’ve been consulted on have been in the city, but we’ve seen one or two here in Rosebud Falls. Lustre’s chemical makeup is a cross between opioids and mescaline called RDH. This dose was different—stronger—than we’ve seen before.”
“Would you be willing to serve on a task force, Dr. Poltanys?” Gretchen asked. “I’ll talk to Judge Warren and get a select committee together. We need to know how deeply this has wormed its way into our community. Detective, you’ll represent our police force, of course,” she said looking at him pointedly.
“Of course,” Mead sighed. He looked resigned rather than enthusiastic.
Going Home
GEE AND KAREN stood on the front porch of the Panzas’ house and rang the bell. His backpack and sleeping bag lay next to the door on the porch. Nathan opened the inside door but did not release the chain.
“Everything is on the porch. You don’t need to come in or ever come back,” Nathan said angrily. “I can’t believe you’re out of jail! How could you attack that vulnerable girl?”
“I didn’t.”
“Rupert saw you!”
“Rupert saw Gee attempting to keep an overdosed girl from harming herself,” Karen broke in. “He wasn’t attacking her.”
“But…”
“He was on the line with 911 and following instructions when Rupert clocked him. The LaCoes might advise bringing charges against him.”
“No,” Gee interrupted. “Rupert acted on what he saw. I’d be thankful if my friends came to my aid like he came to Rena’s.”
“I know, Gee, but this treatment is stupid. You’d think friends would have more trust.”
“Maybe we acted… hastily,” Nathan admitted. He unfastened the chain and opened the inside door but did not move to open the storm door. “But the shock of hearing Rupert. He’s in bad shape.”
“He shouldn’t be upset about what he did,” Gee soothed.
“It’s not about what he did. Be thankful he didn’t have one of his knives on him. But when he swung at you, his back went into spasms so badly he can’t stand up.”
“His back was hurting all morning,” Gee said. “I’m sorry it got worse.”
“Onyx got him home. She’ll take care of him.”
“So…”
“We need some time,” Nathan said. “Marian and Devon cried themselves to sleep. The stress of having you always arrested or in a hospital or riding to save someone’s life is just too much for our little home. Can you… Is there any way you can give us a few days?”
“You have a place to stay, Gee,” Karen said softly. “Truly.”
“Uh… Do I still have a job?”
“I’ll talk to Frieda and make sure your job is secure. Maybe though, take Monday off. It’s a holiday.”
Gee nodded, picked up his pack and turned to leave with Karen. Then he turned back to Nathan.
“Please. Tell Marian… And Devon… I’ll miss them… you all.”
“Karen, are you sure you want to invite me into your home?” Gee asked as they pulled into her drive. “It’s not like when I first got to Rosebud Falls. I have cash now. I could rent a room… Maybe at the Fairview.”
“Grab your bag and let me show you your room,” she answered. He followed her into the house and up the stairs to a fully furnished room. His attic bedroom at the Panzas’ would have fit a couple of times in this room. It had a private bath off one side.
“This is far more than I need,” Gee stammered as he looked down at his backpack. He had added a few things in the two months he’d lived in Rosebud Falls, but his pack still felt light.
“In my grandmother’s mansion are many houses,” Karen misquoted the Bible. Gee looked at her curiously. “My mother was Jewish, but my father was Lutheran. I learned to hate them both.”
“Ouch.”
“I know. That’s a little harsh. I didn’t… don’t hate them. It’s just that religion seems like such a waste. Still, I know one or two who actually live what they preach, and they are good people. What would you like to do for dinner tonight?” she asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“I thought you needed to cancel our date tonight. And here you’ve spent half the day coming to my rescue,” Gee laughed. “Again. You can go ahead with your plans.”
“Canceled them. A little disappointment, but I can make it up next weekend. I’ll be out of town next Saturday night, so we’ll have to make the most of our Friday night date.”
“Are we going to have a Friday night date?”
“I hope so. So… Dinner?”
“Let’s try that Italian place on the south side of town.”
“Pizza?”
“No, the one across the street. What is it? Picolino?”
“I’m glad you chose that one and not the chain restaurant next to Walmart.”
Gee thought for a few moments, lost in an existential crisis. He didn’t respond at first when Karen called his name. He developed a knot in his stomach and felt vaguely disoriented. He sat on the edge of the bed.
“Gee! Are you all right?” Karen was getting frantic. He raised his hand to her.
“I’m… I think I’m fine. I just suddenly got dizzy and felt lost,” he explained.
“Maybe we should go back to the doctor.”
“I’m fine now. Really. I don’t think it had anything to do with getting hit in the head. I do have a little headache from that, but like Doc Poltanys said, I’ll take an aspirin.”
“If you’re sure,” Karen said hesitantly. “I’m going to be watching you, though.” Gee looked up at her and smiled.
“Karen… Really… You can’t imagine how good that makes me feel.”
They kissed until Gee pushed her away slightly and touched his nose gingerly.
“I think I need that aspirin.”
“Oh! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
“I think if I had to suffer like that every time we kissed, I’d want to cut the frequency to maybe fifty or a hundred times a day.”
“We don’t kiss fifty or a… Oh, you sweetheart! Let’s get you an aspirin and go to dinner.”
He was living with Karen. Perhaps that was overstating the situation, but they were sharing a house. He tried not to dwell on the few awkward moments before they parted for bed the previous evening. They hadn’t really wanted to separate and go to their own rooms, but Gee knew they weren’t ready to tumble into bed, no matter how attracted they were to each other. He tried not to infringe on her normal daily routine, but they ran into each other frequently. Starting with breakfast.
Karen made coffee and sat across the breakfast nook table. Gee sampled the coffee hesitantly and broke into a broad grin.
“A privilege of the Families—having Birdie’s coffee.”
“You give too much credit to an accident of birth. It’s all about money and the Families aren’t the only ones who are rich. Most people can treat themselves to an occasional cup of Birdie’s best Blue Mountain coffee, but it costs $25 a pound to buy it in beans. That’s not in most people’s grocery budget. With wealth comes addiction.”
“Addiction? I know that caffeine is technically an addictive drug. Birdie’s coffee is no more than that, is it?”
“I don’t think so. But people with a caffeine addiction can get their fix from Folgers. This is special. You stop at Birdie’s almost every morning for a cup of this, don’t you?”
“Yes. Funny, it never takes more than one cup. I suppose if it were a real addiction, I’d want more each day. I wonder…”
“Are you wondering if that is what happened to Rena? Addicted to her drug and stepped up the use too much? I wish we knew. Dr. Poltanys seemed to think it was a new, stronger variant rather than a higher dose. We need to know more about Lustre. Where does it come from and how is it escaping government notice? Is it always available at the same price or do the dealers keep soaking their marks for more and more as time goes by? What is it doing in our town?”
“That’s exactly what I’m wondering. Maybe I can talk to Rena about it when we get back to work,” Gee mused.
“Maybe you should let me talk to her. We don’t know how she’ll respond to you. Or me either for that matter. I was on her list of assailants.”
“Well, what do you think is happening?”
“Legends and lore. Let’s pack a picnic lunch and go for a walk in the Forest,” Karen said, abruptly changing the subject. “I want to tell you all about it, but some of it is pretty unbelievable.”
“Like a strange guy with no memory showing up in town and moving in with you?”
“Yeah. A lot like that.”
Picnic in the Forest
“I LOVE COMING OUT HERE,” Gee said. “It’s always so peaceful. Kind of settling, like if I’m in the Forest, everything is right with the world.”
“As long as you consider the world to be Rosebud Falls, you are probably right,” Karen laughed softly. “If everyone who lives in town were here in the Forest—which most will be when Harvest starts—there would only be a density of about three people per acre. The Forest covers a third of the city and the wild woods extend south of town another mile.”
“It’s really a small town, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Not much of a ripple in the fabric of civilization. To those who live here, it is a world of its own,” Karen said. They set out their picnic after walking along a path next to Silver Lake, farther north in the Forest than Gee had been before. Across the lake, they could see scattered houses on an otherwise barren plot of ground.
“It’s so quiet out here.”
“Most people only go to the conveniently-reached parts of the Forest. Even though the lake is attractive, this part of town is as remote as Rosebud Falls gets.” Gee poured glasses of wine and toasted his companion as she talked.
“Tell me about the legends.”
“Look at all the nuts.” She picked up one that had fallen nearby. “A veritable smorgasbord for animals preparing for winter, don’t you think? But listen. Not a squirrel, not a chipmunk in the Forest. Very few birds. No insects. Why do you think?”
“The pamphlet and orientation warned that the nuts were toxic. Are they poison even to wildlife?” he asked. Karen nodded.
“The only thing out here is the trees. In the wild woods there is a lot of underbrush and accompanying wild life, but the foresters have cleared everything except the hickory from the part that is inside the city limits. Technically, the nuts are a thin-shelled hickory, most closely related to the bitternut. But something in the soil has leached into the trees and turned them into lethal weapons of nature.”
“It seems strange that they are protected and preserved. Harvested.”
“I found interesting things among my great-grandmother’s papers when I inherited. She was the family bad girl. Rebellious. A real hellion in the 30s and 40s and even worse when her brother was killed on D-Day. Her father doted on her, though, and gave her the mansion where we live now. Her younger brother, Benjamin, is ninety years old now and still ashamed of his big sister. Aaron, their father, moved in with his daughter in ’72 and left Ben the big estate on the river. Aaron gave him the house, but Ben discovered it was devoid of the Family papers. Aaron brought all the records with him to his daughter’s house. The will was very specific. I inherited the house and everything in it. So, I started sticking my nose in everything.”
“You’re good at it. And it’s a cute nose,” Gee said, kissing it.
“You are distracting me from the legends.” She leaned in and they kissed passionately, forgetting all else for the moment. “You know the room I gave you is only temporarily yours, don’t you, dear?” she gasped as they parted. Gee nodded. He was just a guest in her house until he got settled. “When we become lovers, we’ll only need one room,” she continued. “And we will become lovers.” The conviction in her voice was matched only by the intensity of her next kiss. For a long time, the two lay on their blanket, softly petting and cooing to each other as the depth of their relationship dawned fully upon them. Perhaps not today or this week, but Gee was certain that they would be lovers… mates.
Eventually, they lay in a tight embrace, at peace with the future. Karen whispered the legends to Gee.
“Why don’t we leave Rosebud Falls and move out west where no one knows us and we don’t have to deal with Family politics?” Karen said abruptly. Gee felt his gut clench as if he’d been struck.
“I… We… Karen… That’s just… I can’t…”
“It hurts to even think about, doesn’t it? I don’t know how or where or when, but you are one of us,” Karen said. “According to my great-great-grandfather Aaron, the forefathers believed the land—the Forest—somehow changed them. The Families are inextricably bound to the Forest. It’s not unheard of for a Family member to leave and seek his fortune elsewhere, but in all Aaron’s papers, I’ve only found one instance of the head of a Family leaving town. I know the Lazoracks and Cavanaughs and Savages have all been into the wild woods south of town, but it is really still part of the Forest, even if it is outside the City.”
“And you think that because I feel uncomfortable when you talk about leaving that I’m one of the Family?”
“I believe that whatever binds the Families to the Forest has caught you as well. I left town to go to college and stayed away for seven years. Since I returned two years ago, it’s become harder and harder for me to leave town when I go to conferences or to investigate something in the bigger cities. I can hardly wait to return. I think you are either related to one of the Families, or the Forest has claimed another.”
“Is it scary to you? I mean, contemplating that you might never leave town again?” he asked.
“No. Now that I’ve found you… Now that I believe you are part of me… Somehow, the idea of never leaving town again is strangely comforting.”
Family Holiday
“WE’VE BEEN HAD,” Clark Cavanaugh declared. He’d been pacing around the Family barbecue all day, but Loren held his son off until the others were out of earshot. “The whole annexation is going to blow up on us.”
“Calm down, Clark,” Troy soothed his older brother. “I doubt it’s as bad as you think.”
“You should talk, with your window on Main. This is what’s causing all the bad ‘feelings’ you’ve been having,” Clark seethed. “You already failed your task. You were supposed to corral Weisman and get the Families hooked together. Now she’s with the City Champion and nobody seems to be able to control him.”
“That’s all beside the point, Clark,” Loren Cavanaugh sighed. His oldest son was competent at the Forest bookkeeping, but he wasn’t much of a strategist. He glanced across the yard at his cousin Coretta and her brood. If her granddaughter, Jessie, married Jonathon Lazorack, the unification of the Families would move forward without his sons’ participation. “What is the evidence that we’ve ‘been had’?”
“I’ve been researching this because something didn’t seem right to me,” Clark said, calming down. “Troy isn’t the only one in the Family who gets feelings. I couldn’t put my finger on it because it’s been so gradual, but now I know. The annex includes 105 households. It will add nearly three hundred souls to our population. But over the past five years, the land ownership has changed. When we started, there were sixty-seven landowners. Over the past five years, that number has dropped to forty-one landowners. Half the parcels in the annex have changed hands in the past five years and the number of owners has gone down by twenty-six. Someone has been buying up land in the annex. That means one of the Families is buying influence. More shares of the Forest once the annexation goes through.”
“I don’t see how that even compares with the problem of Savage Sand and Gravel. How many employees do they have in the City and the annex? And the church members?” Loren said, perusing Clark’s spreadsheet.
“Don’t think that doesn’t worry me,” Clark replied. “I’ve been watching SSG stock. I even bought a few shares. It used to be traded regularly. Publicly held. Not NYSE but traded in the OTC market. Trades have been declining for two years. It’s almost impossible to buy SSG stock today. For a microcap, the price is through the roof.”
“So, they’ve been preparing for the annexation, too,” Loren sighed.
“The only thing that doesn’t worry me about them is that they won’t have a vote in the Forest. SSG doesn’t own the land. They only lease the mineral rights. I think they’ve been bought up. Maybe a hostile takeover underway by someone who doesn’t know the circumstances.”
“So, what’s our stance now, brother?” Troy asked. “Are you saying we should oppose the annexation?”
“No!” both brother and father exploded at the same time.
“We watch for opportunities and exploit them,” Loren said. “There might be a developing situation that benefits us. And we keep working toward Family unification. Maybe you should pay attention to Laura Lazorack, Troy.”
“The gravesitter? I don’t think so,” Troy moaned. “I don’t like trying to poach another man’s woman. And she is plain weird. They’ve been engaged for five years.”
“Look at it this way, brother,” Clark sneered. “Jude Roth-Augello doesn’t have any more common sense than you do. It should be an even match.”
Headlines
“ANNEXATION OF SOUTH ROSEBUD MOVES FORWARD,” read the headline on the front of Tuesday’s Mirror.
Under the State’s Home Rule provision for small municipalities, Rosebud Falls and the unincorporated section of Elmont County known as South Rosebud will vote on November sixth to unify under a single banner. The annexation of South Rosebud will provide the community with City services, including police and fire protection, water, sewer, and electric. The City of Rosebud Falls will also gain the benefits of a wider tax base and access to the area’s natural resources. A planned community along Aldo Lake is also proposed. The annexation requires a double majority, that being a majority of votes in the current City and a majority of votes cast in the annexed district.
“How did this get so far without coming to our attention before now?” Deacon demanded of his board members. He had spent twenty years manipulating the company and the board of SSG so that they could claim ownership of the property in addition to mineral rights. He was certain he could prove adverse possession but bringing City government into the mix would complicate matters. And additional oversight would threaten his other operations. He’d lose control of the wild woods.
“It looks like the whole thing was planned by the Families,” Matt Hogue replied. “We have no influence when it comes to dealing with them and their meetings aren’t part of public record.”
“It still had to get through the State Legislature.”
“It was part of the Home Rule agreement that allowed various small municipalities limited right of eminent domain to extend utilities and infrastructure.” Matt was the legal voice for the company and the only one Deacon addressed.
“Which means?”
“Which means that once South Rosebud is annexed and becomes part of the City of Rosebud Falls, we can expect all the wild woods to be expropriated and transferred to City ownership.”
“We need to stop this. Dead.”
Living Together
“I’M DREADING going to Palmyra Saturday,” Karen said as they cuddled on the sofa Thursday evening. Gee had returned to work on Tuesday amid apologies from the Grimms and Panzas. He had, however, turned down the invitation to return to his room at Nathan and Marian’s. Karen was pleased and hadn’t let on how worried she’d been that he would leave. She felt comfortable with Gee living in her home. Their schedules were very different but getting together in the evening for a glass of wine or cup of tea and talking had become the highpoint of her day.
And Gee was… doing things… in the house. It was subtle. He rose earlier than Karen to go to work, and Karen worked late in the evening to meet press deadlines. Both in the morning and the evening, Karen noticed the kitchen was spotless. No matter what she cooked for herself or how many dishes she left in the sink, it was always clean when she woke up in the morning and when she got home at night.
Gee started gradually expanding their living space, as well. When he moved in—less than a week ago!—she was living in the kitchen, sitting room, and her bedroom. Even in the sitting room, most of the furniture was still covered with sheets. Now, all the furniture in the sitting room was uncovered, vacuumed, rearranged, and clean. Even the lightbulbs had been replaced so they all worked.
Best of all, though, he was waiting for her when she got home at night. They sat on the sofa and talked about their days. And made out. Me, necking! She’d had many boyfriends and lovers, but never one she wanted to live with. Gee was… different.
“So, you’ll be gone Saturday night?” Gee asked.
“Yes, I’ll be back late on Sunday. Think you can stay out of trouble that long?” she laughed.
“Hmm. Maybe I should just lock myself in the house while you are gone. There are lots of little projects I could do.”
“You’re doing too much. Don’t feel like you have to fix our whole home.”
“Our?”
“You live here now. I hope… I hope you aren’t in a hurry to move out.”
“I’m not sure how these things progress. I don’t know if I’ve ever done this before. I know that being here with you is… more than comfortable. It’s… like I found where I belong again. I don’t mean the house. I mean here. With you. I think…” She put a restraining finger against his lips.
“We’re getting there. Soon. Kiss me.”
They kissed. This was where they belonged. Together.
“Shall we go to the football game tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yes. The Rosebud Fireflies are home this weekend. Maybe we’ll see your friend Wayne there and you can arrange a guys’ night out on Saturday.”
“That sounds like an invitation to investigation. You want me to find out if he’s related to the Savages and why he is really in town,” he laughed. “It’s a good idea. I’m sure he’ll be at the game.”
They kissed again and went upstairs. He turned left. Karen turned right and went along the hall to the bedroom her great-grandmother had set aside for her long ago. She glanced back at Gee as he entered his room.
Soon.
Plotting
“HOW MANY SHARES have we accumulated?”
“Forty-seven thousand.”
“That’s like nothing.”
“It’s given us an inside track to what’s going on.”
“I don’t know. They’ve managed to keep shareholders locked out of real information over the years. I’ve requested all financial records in advance of any shareholder meeting. By law, they have to comply.”
“In advance just means an hour before the meeting. Who did you choose to represent us?”
“I chose, Levi Dunkel, the lawyer from Palmyra. I expect they will give the shortest possible notice for the meeting and he’ll have to get here quickly. How about property purchases?”
“We’ve managed to acquire thirteen over the past five years and all our tenants are favorable. I’ve asked them, however, not to put up political yard signs. I’m afraid it would make them targets. We’re not the only ones who have been buying, though. Fifty-five properties have changed hands in the past five years. We only got thirteen.”
“Who got the rest?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?”
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