The Daughters of Julian Dane Page 12

  The color had drained from Della’s face. Was she going to faint? “Della! Are you all right?” He reached out and took her by the arm.

  “I – I have to go,” she said shakily, brushing quickly past him and heading for the door. “Thank you,” she murmured, as she hurriedly opened the door.

  He was taken by surprise so that he just stood there listening to her footsteps on the tiled hall. She was practically running. By the time he reached the study door, she was going out the outside door. What on earth? He wondered. Who was this red headed man? Why did the very mention of him cause such shocking reaction?

  First, Miss Willy had dropped her priceless, antique, cup and saucer, blaming it on her recent accident, then proceeded to excuse herself from their visit altogether, and now Della. How could Wilhelmina Stone and Della Martin have any connection with the same man? Who was he?

  The more he thought about it, the more he was inclined to understand Della’s reaction. After all, Addie Martin didn’t resemble either of her parents. That bright red hair and those unusual green eyes were not a common sight. And now, this mental problem the girl has. Whose child is she? Is it possible that this man was Addie’s real father?

  Chapter Eleven

  Donnie sat down at the table with two plates of food and a bowl of fresh fruit balanced between them. “You meant it when you said you were hungry,” Addie said smiling.

  “You bet,” he said, and dived into the food with the zeal of someone who had not been getting enough food lately to satisfy his need.

  The waitress came with two tall glasses of milk, and Addie buttered a biscuit and ate half of it before she reached into her pocket and brought out the picture. She laid it on the table in front of Donnie as he ate.

  He looked at it for a few moments while he buttered a blueberry muffin. Then he picked it up and looked more closely. He looked at the fireplace. Then he looked at Addie in surprise. “This was taken here! A long time ago, I’d say.”

  “Yes,” Addie said. “Do you know where it came from? Did my daddy find it in that house yesterday?”

  “I don’t know, Addie. If he did, he didn’t show it to me. I’ve never seen it before. Where did you get it?”

  “I found it on the kitchen floor this morning – under the table.”

  “Who are these people?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to find out,” she answered as she broke her crisp bacon into pieces to mix with her scrambled eggs.

  Both were silent for a few minutes as they enjoyed their food, but Donnie kept looking at the yellowed picture and then at Addie. He hadn’t even asked why she had to find out who the people were, she thought. Finally, she said, “You haven’t asked me about yesterday – I mean about what happened to me – what frightened me so.”

  “I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me.”

  “Do you want to know?”

  “Yes, but only if you want me to,” he answered as he put down his fork, looked at her, and waited.

  “I don’t want you to think I’m some kind of a nut or something, and I’m afraid you will.”

  “I don’t, and I won’t,” he promised. “But I’ve never seen anyone so frightened in my life. Oh, and I’d better warn you. The blond and her girl friend were cruising by in her Camaro when Ben was trying to get you back into the truck. They came back later asking all sorts of questions. I was putting trash on the front porch, and I guess I wasn’t very polite. She keeps calling the house. Aunt Mel won’t let me talk to her, and I’m afraid she’s going to cause me trouble with my aunt. I was a bit short with her when she wanted to know what was wrong with you. I told her I didn’t know, and it wasn’t any of my business, implying of course, that it wasn’t any of hers either. Then I went back inside for more trash, and I heard her take off. She spent about fifty dollars in rubber doing it.”

  He was looking at the photograph again and then at her. She wondered why he kept doing that? “Thanks, for warning me. Evelyn Ann and I aren’t exactly friends.” She was hungrier than she realized, she thought as she spooned sausage gravy over her grits. They continued to eat in silence until Addie finished and pushed her plate aside.

  When Donnie looked up from finishing his bowl of fruit, she looked him straight in the eyes, and said, “I have a problem, Donnie. And the only way I can explain it is to say it’s like dreaming when I’m not asleep – or like having two memories inside my head. I see people and things that I know aren’t really there. I also know it’s not me remembering the things, and people, and places. It’s this little girl,” she added pointing her finger at the photograph.

  Donnie had been looking at Addie intently as she spoke, now he sort of gasped.

  “I know. You think I’m nuts, don’t you?”

  He sat back slowly and put his hand to the back of his neck thoughtfully, never taking his eyes from hers. Then he shook his head and said, “Addie, if I hadn’t been there yesterday, and then just now at Stonegate, - yeah, I’d think you were some kind of crazy. But since I was – no, I’d say you’re right. You have a problem. I’ve never heard of such a thing, and I’m sure I don’t understand it. But the important thing is that you understand it, and know it’s a problem. How long has it been going on?”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “For as long as I can remember. I suppose I was born with her mind, her memory, whatever, inside me. I don’t really know when I first realized that what I saw and remembered wasn’t part of my life. I guess it came gradually. And I’ve always accepted it, and didn’t have any feelings about it at all until a few months ago when we came here to this restaurant for the first time.”

  “You mean something happened here?” He asked. Then he listened with concern as Addie related to him all that she had told her mother, and the discovery she had made just shortly before he had picked her up – that the little girl in the picture was the person with whom she shared her mind, her memory.

  “I guess that’s why you didn’t hear me calling you,” he said as he shook his head in disbelief. “Good, Lord, Addie, this is the wildest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s like something straight out of some science fiction story or something.”

  “But you believe me?” she asked, knowing that she needed his assurance, that for him to believe her was very important to her.

  He was silent for a moment, toying with his knife on the table’s edge. Without looking up, he said, “Addie, my gramps said it was awfully hard for him to believe he was seeing men walking on the moon even though it was right there on his TV. And I would find this just as hard to believe if I hadn’t seen the evidence of it with my own eyes. Yeah,” he said looking into her waiting eyes, “I believe you. But what do your folks think about it? What are they going to do about it?” He pushed his dishes aside and was resting his arms on the table.

  “I don’t know. From last night’s argument between them, I’d say my daddy doesn’t believe me, but mama does. She thinks I need some kind of help. That’s what their argument was about.” And looking down at her empty plate, she said, “I feel so guilty – causing trouble between them like that ...” She stopped and gave a slight shudder, then looked up past Donnie to the far side of the room, her eyes were suddenly fixed on something.

  Donnie turned to see what she was staring at so intently. There was nothing to see but tables of people, and a waitress going about pouring coffee.

  “Ooh, Noo!” Addie whispered softly like a small child, her lips puckered up, her chin quivered, and her eyes filled with tears.

  Donnie reached over and took her by the arm, shaking her gently, calling quietly, “Addie! Addie!”

  The tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She bit hard on her bottom lip. With Donnie’s insistence, she finally looked back at him.

  “What is it?” he asked. “What did you see that I couldn’t?”

  “Huh?” she asked as though coming awake from a deep sleep.

  “What were you looking at?”

  Slowly wiping t
he tears from her eyes with her napkin, she said, “An open door. That part of this room must have been a bedroom at one time. The door was cracked open just a little and I was peeping in it – or she was. Something awful, something very sad was going on in that room.” Addie felt very upset – very close to tears. She put her hand over her mouth until she regained her composure.

  Donnie waited patiently.

  “That – that poor little girl,” she finally said. “I feel so sorry for her. Something every sad happened here.” Then looking at Donnie, “I’ve got to find out who she was – who they were. How can I?”

  “Lord, Addie, I don’t know. Don’t you know anybody who has lived here for a long time that might have known them?” Then, suddenly his face lit up. “Hey! Wait a minute! My gramps! Yes, he might know. He lived here in Riverbend until he was sixteen. He delivered groceries for his father who owned a small grocery store. He just might have known them. When I pick him up tonight, I could show him the picture and see ...”

  “No!” Addie exclaimed quickly. The thought of being separated from the photograph was somehow frightening to her. “I mean, couldn’t I meet your grandfather? If he remembered these people at all, I’d want to know everything he could tell me about them.”

  “Yeah. I guess you would. But he’s only going to be here until tomorrow.” He hesitated a moment as Addie looked at him pleadingly. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Oh, would you, please?”

  “Sure. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Addie. I’ll call ...” A look of surprise came over him. “Oh, no. Don’t look now, but trouble just walked in. Blondie.” He frowned, “I don’t want to leave you here to get home by yourself. It’s a long ride, and the roads are still wet out there. But I don’t dare take a chance, Addie.”

  “I know, Donnie, and I’ll be all right. I go everywhere on my bike. I’ll be real careful,” she added at his look of dismay.

  He stood up. “If I wasn’t afraid she’d say something to Aunt Mel...”

  “I understand, Donnie. Now, go. I wouldn’t cause you trouble for anything.”

  He placed two quarters on the table beside his plate. “Your bike’s on the porch,” he minded her. “Be careful.” And he walked toward the cash register.

  Addie placed the photograph in her jacket pocket and took out her billfold. While searching for change for a tip, she heard the sugary sweet voice of Evelyn Ann saying, “Well, hi, Donnie. Fancy meeting you here. I want you to meet my mother. Mama, this is Donnie Whitefield, the new boy I’ve told you about.”

  Donnie’s voice muttered a deep hello and a nice to meet you, Mrs. Mobley. Evelyn Ann rattled on until Addie heard Donnie say ‘thank you’ to the girl at the cash register. She was zipping up her jacket when she heard two sets of footsteps approaching on the bare wood floor. She looked up as she arose from her chair to meet Evelyn Ann’s smoldering gaze.

  “How cozy!” the girl exclaimed. “I can’t even talk to him on the phone, but he can sneak out and have breakfast with you. I wonder if that aunt of his knows – the old witch.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Mobley, Evelyn Ann,” Addie said.

  “You must be feeling lots better. Whatever happened ...”

  Addie walked around the girl and her mother as she mumbled, “I hope you enjoy your breakfast,” and went toward the cashier’s stand. She hoped Evelyn wouldn’t say anything to Donnie’s aunt, especially since his mother needed her hospitality so badly. She didn’t want to ever cause him any trouble.

  Outside, she found her bike parked on the end of the porch by the public telephone mounted on the wall, and she realized she must call her mother. She might be worried because of the storm, and she didn’t want to worry either of her parents anymore than she already had. She dialed the number and let it ring for a long time thinking that Della might be out in the small laundry room. Finally, she hung up. Perhaps she had gone to the store. She sure hoped she wasn’t out looking for her. If she was, then, she guessed she was in big trouble, but right now, there was another force in her life that had to be reckoned with.

  It seemed obvious to Addie that the little girl had wanted her to be at the Log House this morning, and she was glad she had come. She had to do whatever was necessary that might help her remember, or to learn whatever it was the little girl seemed to need her to do, or to know. That feeling that something was just on the edge of her memory was still there. Even so, it had been a most eventful morning. She wondered if she should tell her mother about the episode at Stonegate and the incident in the restaurant? Or should she try to resolve the whole matter on her own? And could she? Where should she start?

  She was glad that Donnie had been with her, she thought as she guided her bike off the porch. The realization that she had found a friend in him filled her with a kind of secure feeling that she didn’t recall having ever felt before, and he had offered to help her. And he had believed her. That meant everything to her.

  She did not notice the red-haired man standing only a few feet from the restaurant’s porch, watching her intently, as she mounted her bike and headed down the hill for home.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ben Martin saw the open garage door when he turned the truck into his driveway. Both the faded gold Plymouth and the blue ten-speed were missing. Now what? Had Della gone looking for Addie? Didn’t she have sense enough to get in out of a storm? No. That wasn’t fair. Addie was a very sensible girl. She could be counted on to always do the right thing. That was why he couldn’t understand this ‘other memory’ business. That wasn’t like his Addie at all, he thought as he got out of the truck and headed for the kitchen to fix himself some food.

  What was that all about anyhow? Surely Addie wouldn’t make up such nonsense. If Della could accept it, why couldn’t he? Was it ignorance on his part? Was it because he didn’t have enough education to understand such goings on?

  Neither of them had had enough schooling. Della had not gone as far as he had, but she was always reading – books about everything. She had enrolled in a night program at the high school, he recalled, to help adults finish their high school education. But it had been called off, for lack of participation, the newspaper had said. He had dropped out of school after the tenth grade to help with his sick mother. Then the year he should have finished high school, he had found his father dead in the corn field.

  There had been an accident with the tractor. His father had bled to death from a large gash in his side. His mother had lived another year. Then because he was still a minor, it had taken almost two years to get the farm sold, the debts paid and the legal matters settled.

  Then there was Della, he remembered as he searched the refrigerator for something to eat. Della, about to collapse on the side of the road from fear, running, and the beating Odell had given her. The tears and the blood from her nose, streaming down her face and messing up her dress.

  He had pulled the old truck off the road and into a clearing, hoping it would start again one more time. He carried her through the woods to a spring and stopped the bleeding from her nose, and cleaned her up. Then he had listened to her cry and talk as they lay in the warm May sunshine while her dress dried on a bush nearby.

  He had been on his way to trade for a better truck with what little money was left from the bills, and the sale of the farm, a truck he had already picked out. And then on to a factory job in Nashville – his suitcases were in the back of the old pick-up. But he couldn’t leave Jimmy Lee’s sister standing on the side of the road with no where to go and no one to go to – not with Jimmy Lee’s words so fresh in his mind.

  He had been taken with Jimmy Lee’s dark beauty the first time he had seen her when she was ten and he was thirteen, and he had told himself then that one day he would ask her to marry him. And so he had, only a few days before, but the story she told him, when he had asked her, turned his blood to ice and made him shudder.

  She had been only thirteen when she and her sisters had come in from school one day to find
three men beating up Odell in their kitchen. One held him while the other two worked him over, and Odell screamed and cried. He owed the men a gambling debt he couldn’t pay. But when the men saw her, one of them grabbed her, saying they would rather take the rest of their debt out with Jimmy Lee. But her mother had begged and pleaded, cried and threatened – if they would only take her instead. She had finally persuaded them, and had sent her four frightened girls to the old barn with instructions not to leave it until she sent for them. But the barn wasn’t far enough away from the house to drown out their mother’s screams.

  Huddled together with their hands over their ears and tears streaming down their faces, they watched through the cracks of the barn wall for the men to leave. They saw Odell sneak off in a run for the woods. Later, in what seemed like an eternity to the girls, the three men left the house laughing, and joking, and slapping each other on the back. Jimmy Lee had made her sisters stay in the barn while she went back to the house. She had found her mother naked, barely conscious, lying on the floor in her own blood. There were teeth marks, and burn marks over her breasts, her stomach, and her thighs. One ear lobe was almost bitten into.

  She had cared for her mother until she was well again, then watched her spend hours sharpening her big butcher knife until it was razor sharp. Then she had made a holder for it from one of Odell’s belts and strapped it to her waist.

  The day Odell came sneaking back into the house, almost a month later, her mother had drawn the knife and sliced her hand right in his face to show him how sharp it was. She told him if he or any other man ever came near her or one of her girls again, he would answer to the butcher knife. Jimmy Lee had sworn then never to leave her mother as long as Odell lived.

  So, to keep Odell from finding Della, he had taken the pregnant girl, on her sixteenth birthday, with him to Nashville. And he had married Della instead of Jimmy Lee. And he had never been sorry.