Chapter Twelve

It was near midnight by the time Samuel stopped the wagon at the village. Iris had been asleep for a while, but moaned every time the wagon hit a bump or a hole in the road. Samuel looked over at Granny. The woman was a rock. She hadn’t complained once, and her back was still ramrod straight.

The windows lit up inside Roxanne’s kitchen, and as he climbed down from the wagon, a rifle barrel eased out through the front door.

“You can stop right there, mister. I got a rifle, and I know how to use it,” she shouted.

“Roxanne, it’s Samuel. I’ve got a couple of ladies who need help. You want to put that rifle down and come give me a hand?”

Roxanne had been Mae’s first boarder at the village. She was now Eleanor’s right hand at Taylor’s, and was like a sister to Samuel.

She propped the rifle in the corner and ran out to help him with Iris. After a brief introduction and explanation, Samuel carried a groggy Iris inside and placed her in a bed. He could feel the heat from her body and was sure he needed to get Edward out here soon.

“Roxanne, I’m leaving Iris and Granny to you. I’ve got to get Edward.”

Roxanne shooed him out. “Just go, you goose. I’ll have them settled by the time Edward gets here. And I’ll have Bobby unhitch that mule and water him. Now, go!”

For once, Samuel was glad that Roxanne was so independent. She would manage fine.

Samuel considered all he had to do, as he rode Zeus across the fields to the manor. He needed to notify Captain Lance. He needed to get some deputies and some boats rounded up…but all that would have to wait ’til morning. Right now, all he really needed was a good doctor.

Ah, good. The kitchen door was still unlocked. That meant Edward might still be awake.

Samuel surprised Cyrus with a forkful of chocolate cake halfway to his mouth. Samuel laughed out loud. Cyrus’s eyes were almost as wide as his mouth.

“Don’t have time to talk, brother. Has Edward gone up yet?”

Cyrus lowered the fork. “He’s in the library with Pa. Mae went up a couple of hours ago. What’s up?”

Samuel brushed right on by his younger brother, headed to the library at a trot.

Garth and Edward were resting comfortably in front of the fireplace when Samuel burst in.

“Edward, I’ve just dropped off a sick girl with Roxanne. She has a badly injured foot and is running a fever.” Both men jumped to their feet.

Edward said, “I’ll grab my bag and meet you at the truck.”

“Good. I’ve got to run and get a pair of bolt cutters,” Samuel replied as he turned and trotted back through the kitchen.

Garth stood in the library, holding an almost empty glass of brandy. He finally drained the glass and sat back down. He knew they would tell him what he needed to know when it was over.

As the two men sped down the road to the village, Edward said, “All right, I have to ask. What are the bolt cutters for?”

Samuel chuckled, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. You’ll just have to see.”

Five minutes later, Edward stood at the foot of the bed. He shook his head in disbelief as Samuel cut the bolt holding the cuff to Iris’s ankle. He wrapped the four feet of chain around his big hand, turned to Edward, and said, “She’s all yours.”

Edward again shook his head and said, “Check with Roxanne, and if there’s not a lot of ice in the icebox, you run into town and get some.”

A half hour later, Edward met Samuel in the kitchen. “Well the ice is too late for the swelling, but maybe it will excite enough blood flow to the foot to keep from losing it. Did you know the girl is pregnant?”

Samuel’s head jerked up. “No. She didn’t say a word. Lord a-mercy, is she going to be okay?”

“If I can get the fever to break, and she gets some rest, she should be okay. You want to tell me what’s going on?”

As Samuel told him Iris’s story, Edward’s face got redder and redder.

“What the hell kind of beast is this guy?”

“A pretty bad one, I’d say. But I’ll let you know when I get him. And I will get him,” Samuel replied, as he stared at the chain coiled on the floor.

****

Samuel was up at daylight. He had the chain and Mary Elizabeth’s dress wrapped in a sheet and tucked into the saddlebag attached to his motorcycle. He’d just grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen and be off.

Mae was sitting at the kitchen table when he entered.

“Now, what are you doing up so early?” he asked.

“You try sleeping with a little angel kicking your bladder.” She smiled. “And what is your excuse? Edward told me you delivered me another mother late last night.”

“I’ve got a lot of work to get through today, so that tomorrow I can go get the killer and put everyone’s mind at ease. And yes, I did furnish you with a new resident, and she’s gonna need a lot of your tender love and care, Sis. She’s been through her own hell on earth for the last two years. Oh, I almost forgot Granny Pearl. She’s the little woman that rescued Iris from a bear. She’s probably gonna fuss and say she wants to go home. You just remind her that I’ll take her home as soon as it’s safe.” Samuel drained his cup and then patted Mae on the head as he strode out of the kitchen.

Mae’s eyes filled with tears. Samuel was a pillar of strength for the community. The whole family had depended on his calm demeanor and clear head at one time or another.

He hadn’t always been calm. When he was young, before Mama passed on, he’d had a terrible temper, and would fly off at the least little thing. Between Mama’s prayers and Hansu’s guidance, Samuel had learned to control his inner beast. But he was still her little brother, and she wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. And safe.

****

“Well. I guess the sister can tell us if it is, in fact, the schoolteacher’s dress.” Captain Lance raised his eyes from the dress Samuel had unwrapped. “And you say she still had that chain attached to her leg?”

Samuel nodded his head. “The other end will be attached to a metal bed frame when we find the cabin.”

“All right, Detective, this is your show. How do you want to do this?”

“I think it would be best if we have a couple of men in each of two boats. The girl was very clear. If we entered the river where she left the canoe, that the only cleared spot we find, albeit a small one, on the west side of the bank, would lead us to the cabin. We can have another man on the road, in case he gets by us. He put a sack over her head the only time she was off the property, so she was unable to describe where he left the road with the wagon, so the river is our best bet. She seems to think she rowed a few miles, but it was upstream, and I figure it was closer to one mile. We can find the spot, wait until dark, and then sneak up on the cabin.”

“Well, get with Sergeant Wilkes. He asked specifically to be included in the capture. He regrets that one of his men was on duty when old McDuff was killed. He’ll help you line up the equipment and men that you need. Do I need to tell you to be careful?”

Samuel gave that half smile. “No, sir. I can think of three women who each tell me that at least once a day.”

****

Samuel was on his way to pick Kathleen up from school. The plans had been made. Sergeant Wilkes had chosen three of his best men. The men were getting the canoes and weapons lined up this afternoon. Samuel would drive Pa’s truck to headquarters tomorrow. They would load the supplies up and drive them to Granny Pearl’s, and then trek out to the river.

Samuel didn’t want to think about any of that now. He just wanted to spend some time with Kathleen and his family tonight.

The last of the children were coming down the steps when Samuel pulled up to the school. He climbed the steps and watched Kathleen, inside cleaning the chalkboard. He leaned against the doorframe and drank in the sight of her. While her tall frame was well proportioned, there was grace in her every gesture. Good golly, she took his breath away. He even loved the wild red hair…a shudder took over his whole body. My Lord, her red hair! She was a target for that monster.

Well, not after tomorrow. Samuel pushed off the doorframe and strode to the blackboard. Kathleen turned at the sound of his boots. Her entire face lit up when she recognized him, but before she could speak, he had wrapped his arms around her and crushed his mouth to hers.

The kiss was unlike any they had shared before, and was a little frightening. Kathleen finally turned her mouth away, and looked up at him questioningly.

When Samuel saw how red her lips were, he was ashamed. He buried his face in her neck and whispered, “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to be so rough. It’s just that I’m so glad to see you, and you looked so darn good, and I just wanted…well, I just wanted you.”

Samuel’s whispers worked their way straight to her core and lit a flame that weakened her. She clung to him until she could speak. “Samuel, don’t ever apologize for that.” After several moments of just holding each other, she spoke again.

“I didn’t expect you back until Saturday.” She laughed aloud. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m thrilled you’re home again. I’ve been so worried.”

“Well, tomorrow I’ll be leaving again, but only for one night. Then you won’t have to worry anymore.”

Kathleen arched her head back, and in a hushed voice said, “You’ve found him, haven’t you?”

He pulled her back into his arms before he answered. “Tomorrow I will bring him in, dead or alive.”

****

Samuel stared at Kathleen across the dinner table. She was deep in conversation with Mae on the merits of musical training for young children. She caught his gaze on her and turned to him. The look he gave her was enough to set her heart racing. When she turned back to speak to Mae, her face was flushed.

Mae burst out laughing.

Every head turned to the sound of Mae’s laughter, and Edward asked, “What’s so amusing, sweetheart?”

Mae hesitated a moment and then replied, “Oh, just your son, kicking like a mule.”

Kathleen gave her a grateful smile.

Charlotte swallowed the last of her milk, wiped her mouth, and stood. “Haven’t I been good, Mama? Haven’t I been a good girl and didn’t make a mess? Now can Kath’een play the piano for me? Huh? Can she now, Mama?”

Mae let out a long sigh. “That’s Miss Kathleen to you, little missy. And yes, you’ve been a good girl, but Miss Kathleen may not feel like playing the piano.”

Kathleen smiled. “I would be honored to play for you, Miss Charlotte.”

Charlotte squealed with delight and took off running to the back parlor.

Mae shook her head and lifted her pregnant bulk from her chair. “Thank you, dear. She carried on for a week after you played for us the last time. She wanted to know how you could make the piano sound so beautiful, when it only made noise for her.”

Kathleen laughed. “If she’d heard me trying to play when I was her age, she would not be quite so impressed. Mother had her hands full trying to keep me on the piano bench long enough to develop an interest in music.”

“Oh, I don’t have that problem with Charlotte. She loves singing, and twirling. Right now she believes if she twirls quickly her voice is louder. She nearly twirled herself through the French doors in the parlor last week. If I had her energy, I could get a lot more done each day.”

When they entered the parlor, Charlotte was perched on the piano bench with a sweet, expectant smile on her little face.

“Please, Miss Kath’een, can I sit and watch, please?”

“Well, if you can be very still, I think that would be okay.”

Kathleen sat gracefully and then waited until the men had taken seats.

“Charlotte, tonight I will play a very old song called ‘Greensleeves.’ It’s about a young man and a young lady. The man loves the woman very much, but she does not love him, and he is sad.”

Kathleen had played softly for several rounds of the chorus when there was a loud sniff. She glanced at Charlotte and found the child’s eyes shining with unshed tears. She turned and took Charlotte in her arms. “Oh, darling, what is wrong? Why are you crying?”

The little girl whimpered. “Him’s sad ’cause she don’t wuv him.” And she promptly burst into tears.

“Oh, Charlotte, please don’t cry. He found someone else to love him, and he lived happily ever after.” Kathleen turned to Edward and Mae with an apologetic smile.

Edward rose and took the crying child in his arms. “All right, missy, come with Papa, and we’ll go read a story while Mama gets you dressed for bed.”

Mae patted Kathleen’s shoulder. “Don’t fret, dear. She’s been known to cry when a flower fades. She’ll be right as rain once she’s settled in her papa’s lap. There’s nowhere she’d rather be, unless it’s Grandpa’s lap. She is their little heartbreaker. But thank you for the music. It was truly beautiful.”

Kathleen turned to a smiling Samuel. “Don’t you dare laugh. I made that poor child cry!”

He put his arm around her shoulder. “As Mae told you, Charlotte will be fine. We’ve always joked that she had enough tears to fill the oceans twice over. She gets her sensitive heart from her mama, but she will learn, as she gets older, what is important enough for tears.”

“If you say so.”

“I do, and besides, I need to get you home. I have a big day tomorrow.”

They were quiet in the motorcar, each thinking about tomorrow.

As Samuel brought the vehicle to a stop at Kathleen’s gate, she turned and said, “Thank you.”

“For…”

“For finding this beast. For finding peace for Mary Elizabeth, and for being the kind of man you are.”

Samuel had no answer to that; he was the man God had made him.

Once inside, Samuel laid a small fire and then joined Kathleen on the settee.

She leaned into his chest and sighed deeply.

“Now, I won’t have you worryin’ about this. I’ll have three good men with me, and this thing will be over before you know it.”

Kathleen smiled up at him. “At least I can stop trying to remember to carry that darn pistol.”

“Kathleen, it is always a good thing to be prepared. I know you’re not comfortable carrying the gun, but you do know how to use it, and you never know when you might need it. Heck, you could walk up on a rattler just going to the outhouse at night. Your safety is pretty high up on my list of important things, so do you think you could try getting used to it, for my peace of mind?”

She looked into those golden eyes, and her heart spoke to her; there was nothing she would not do for this man.

“Yes, love, for your peace of mind, I will carry the gun.”

****

Friday morning dawned with clouds and a chill breeze. Kathleen donned a coat and scarf for her walk to school. Once she crossed through a small piece of woods to the main road, she had the company of a few college students who did not live on the campus at Florida Agriculture and Mechanical College. She had learned to recognize them from the blue uniforms required by the school. These young men and women were headed east, into town to attend classes, while Kathleen was headed west, to spend her day helping her little charges prepare for their higher education.

****

Samuel looked around the table as he finished his breakfast. He was meeting with his team at headquarters in the early afternoon.

Charlotte was her usual charming self, trying to cajole her papa into staying home and playing with her today.

Edward smiled as he explained, “Now, sweetheart, if you were laid up in bed with an ankle that was swollen twice its normal size, and it hurt so much that you could not walk, wouldn’t you want the doctor to come and check on you?”

Samuel could see her processing this information. She was very selfish where her papa was concerned, but she was also a loving child who wanted everyone to be as happy as she was.

She finally raised a resigned face, with a smudge of jelly on the upper lip. “All right, Papa, you can go check on the hurt lady.”

“Why, thank you very much, Charlotte, for being so gracious.” Edward chuckled. “Now, Samuel, could you meet me by the barn? I’ll just grab my bag.”

Edward met Samuel, bag in hand, a few minutes later.

Samuel smiled. “You better hope this next one is a boy. I don’t think Charlotte would like sharing her papa with another little beauty.”

Edward shook his head. “You’re probably right.”

Samuel looked into Edward’s eyes and froze. He immediately looked at the ground for a few seconds, and then raised his face slowly to meet Edward’s stare.

“How is Mae? She feelin’ okay?”

Edward had experienced this kind of thing with Samuel once before. He was not happy to see that odd look in Samuel’s eyes; as if he already knew the answer to the question he asked. Edward stood a little straighter. “Samuel, is there something you’d like to share with me?”

Samuel just looked at him. This man loved his sister more than life itself, and there was nothing he would not do to insure her safety and happiness; he’d proven that five years ago. Edward had learned the hard way that we are not always in control of our lives, or our happiness; that the good Lord has a plan for each of us, and that sometimes we just have to leave things in His hands.

Samuel turned to stare out across the fields. “How far along is Mae now? When do you think the babies are due?”

Edward opened his mouth to answer, then froze. His mind had just processed what his ears had heard. “Did you say ‘babies’? Why did you say ‘babies’? Samuel, answer me!”

Samuel turned back to the man he had come to trust and love. “You tell me. Could there be more than one? Wouldn’t you be able to tell by now?”

Edward paled and slowly lowered himself to a bale of hay. Mae had gotten larger much sooner this time. She often seemed drained of energy, and they both attributed it to chasing after Charlotte. Good grief, what kind of doctor was he, that he could miss something like this? In his own wife?

Edward stood slowly. He looked at Samuel, and he wasn’t sure what to say. He had questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the things Samuel seemed privy to.

He finally spoke. “I think I’ll just go back inside now. Maybe give Mae a checkup.”

Samuel patted Edward’s shoulder. “You’re a good man and a great doctor, Edward. And you know whose guidance to seek if you need help. All will be well.”

Samuel observed a slight wobble in Edward’s stride, as he headed toward the kitchen door. Samuel grinned to himself. Two little boys to teach to fish. Boy-howdy, Garth Hinton is going to be one happy grandpa!

****

Sergeant Wilkes had checked the rifles himself. The canoes, paddles, and push poles were all in good shape. Of the three men he’d handpicked for this mission, two were strapping, farm-raised boys, so the rowing would be easy. The third man would take the truck back out to the main road and head west. He would take up a position about a mile west of the bridge over the Ochlockconee. His job was to watch the road.

When Samuel arrived with the truck, Sergeant Wilkes and his men were glad to get started. Once loaded, the three deputies jumped in the back, while Sgt. Wilkes slid into the front with Samuel.

“I’ll be glad when this day is over. A lot of women will sleep easier tomorrow night.”

Samuel turned to Wilkes. “You do know that Hamish caused his own death by trying to alert the killer, right? There was probably nothing you or your deputy could have done to help him once he made that choice. Except maybe have died with him.”

Wilkes nodded. “I know that. The old man was a fool not to realize the danger he put himself in, but that was no way for an old man to die.”

The truck left the main road around four in the afternoon. By five, the four men had unloaded the truck and started the trek to the river, while Deputy Harris headed west on the main road.

Samuel noted there was not much left of the bear carcass as they passed it. The others were impressed with the size of the skeletal remains. “You’d be even more impressed if you’d seen the size of the little old lady that took him down.” Samuel laughed. “I swear she’s not more than four and a half foot tall, and couldn’t weigh much more than eighty pounds, but when she held that rifle on me, I was sure she was all business.”

The men followed the bear tracks till they located the cut-off Iris had taken. The girl had made no attempt to cover her tracks after she left the river, so the men had no problem finding where she had dropped her canoe. It was now coming on to dusk, so they launched the canoes and started the ride south.

Samuel had reckoned Iris probably overestimated the distance she had rowed that night, rowing upstream, in the dark, and scared to death.

“You fellas know how sound travels on water, so let’s keep the chatter down and find the opening in the brush, as much before dark as possible. Then we’ll give it an hour or so before we close in.” And with that, Samuel picked up his oar and started paddling.

****

Nash took another look around the cabin. He wasn’t taking the wagon, since he’d be off-track most of the way. He’d rolled the blankets around the few items he’d be taking and tied them to the saddle on the spare horse. The sun had dropped below the tree line in the west. He figured to get to Mercers’ around eleven. He knew from previous experience the old man had his brood in bed by nine every night. They lived in a large cabin a couple hundred feet into the woods behind the business. His mind wandered to the night he’d taken the girl. It was the second time he had come in the night to get ammunition. She’d been in the outhouse out back. He’d seen the light from her lantern through the cracks. He would have waited until she’d returned to her bed, but when she stepped out of the toilet she’d raised the lantern to light her way. The light had reflected off the long curls falling nearly to her waist. The dark copper seemed alive, as her hair swayed above her hips. Two long, silent strides, a huge hand over her mouth from behind, and he caught the lantern with his free hand as she dropped it to struggle. He had used her for two days before she started bleeding. Then he’d taken her down to the river, carried her body a few miles past the bridge, and dumped her into the river for the gators.

****

Samuel held up a hand. The deputy in the back of the canoe immediately stopped rowing and slowed the boat, as did the two in the canoe trailing them. He had spotted a break in the brush at the water’s edge ahead. The deputy quietly laid down his oar and took up the pole. He nosed the canoe over to the opening and held it there just off shore.

All four of them could just make out the small cleared area and see how it narrowed to a trail about fifteen feet in. The last of the day’s light was fading fast, and that was okay with Samuel. They rowed back up the river about fifty feet and tied up to some low-hanging branches.

“We’ll just wait here for another hour, and then ease on in.” Samuel could barely see three heads nod in the gathering darkness.