Canyon Secret (36 page)

The restless night of sleep already informed him of what the day had in store for him. His stomach burned. He made a mental note to have his high school assistant run and get him some Rolaids. Sutter sponsored a writing contest at Columbia Falls High School, and a with a flip of the coin, Will Talbott became his assistant for one day.

He munched down some corn flakes and dry toast. His wife helped him load his cameras, cases, and other photography equipment into the trunk of his car. “I’m picking up young Will at 7:00, so I better hit the road.” Sutter received a kiss from his wife and drove across Columbia Falls to pick up the young man that would never forget today. One by one, Al mentally checked off each of his planned activities for the Hungry Horse dedication ceremonies.

Will Talbott sat on the top step of his front porch. He leaped off the porch when he saw Sutter’s car pull up the street. The car barely stopped when Will opened the door and crashed down into the front seat opposite the famed newspaperman. “Holy smokes, Will! Take it easy. Thank God I didn’t have my camera on the seat.”

Al Sutter wore a white tee shirt underneath his long sleeve white shirt. The light-colored tan sport coat covered the shoulders that supported the camera bag, light meter, and camera. His white hat with the colorful band tipped to the side of his head. The black-rimmed glasses hung out of his coat pocket.

They arrived at the train depot in Columbia Falls. The Pennsylvania Railroad provided the presidential train for Harry Truman. Al coasted to a stop across from the train. “Let’s go snap some photos. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to get a shot of the President.” Will lugged the pack supplied with film, flash bulbs, and assorted camera equipment. Al led them across the tracks and up to the single secret service guard at the caboose end of the train. He started to introduce himself when the back door of the caboose opened. President Harry Truman and his daughter Margaret stepped out and climbed down the temporary medal steps.

Truman smiled and stepped over to Sutter and the stunned high school boy, Will Talbott. “Good morning. How about joining me on my morning constitutional?” He shook Al Sutter’s hand and then Talbott’s. The secret service man, Margaret, and the President strode down the gravel road toward the North Fork. The camera buzzed with action, and equipment bounced as the two jogged to stay up with the President. Al’s hat drooped well below his right eye. His stomach blazed from the stomach acid fire as he looked at Will, “First chance you get, buy me some antacid, lots of it. Here’s a silver dollar.”

At ten o’clock that morning, a crowd of one-thousand cheering people stood around the back of the train and listened to the high school band bang out patriotic songs. President Truman stepped out and held a microphone. Montana Senator Mike Mansfield stood beside him on the porch of the caboose. Three large black speakers attached to the caboose belted out the President’s words, “The Republicans have nominated a great general to run for President. I am very fond of that great general, but his whole life has been spent as a military man. He has a military mind, which is a very peculiar one. He did a wonderful job as commanding general of allied forces in Europe. But that in no way fits him to be President of the United States.” Sutter snapped photos while Will wrote every word the President said.

The President and his five secret service men climbed into loaned cars. They joined the police and highway patrol caravan toward Hungry Horse. As they approached the bridge over the South Fork of the Flathead River, the President viewed the crowd that lined the haul road leading to the base of the Dam.

The Care Less Group ladies walked the sides of the dusty road and distributed miniature flags to the school kids and locals that waited for a chance to see the President up close. Hannah paused as she came by Mikhail and his family. Anna sat high on Tomas’ shoulders. She smiled at Hannah as she accepted the flag. Mikhail handed her his flag, and Anna waved both of the flags on the wooden sticks. Hannah raised her eyebrows and smiled at Mikhail as she continued along the parade route.

President Truman waved as the motorcade passed by the impressive tunnel of canyon residents. His eyes temporarily stopped ahead on Anna with her two flags and the oxygen tank in her uncle’s hand. “Stop a second, driver. Pull up by that little girl with the walker in front of her.” The car paused in front of Anna. Truman smiled at her and winked. Anna wrinkled her face in a vain attempt to form her best wink. After no success, she blew him a kiss. Truman waved and instructed the driver to continue. The press bus marked the end of the parade. Inside, Al Sutter and his assistant sat with pressmen from national magazines and newspapers. Al nervously fumbled with his film cartridges as he spoke, “You’ll never forget today, Will. Nether will I. Just think, we shook the President’s hand. The spotlight of the nation’s press, radio, newsreel and television is on the Flathead today. One million dollars worth of publicity is spent for the thirty-thousand people of Flathead County.” Will shook his head and nodded his agreement with what Sutter said.

At the base of the Dam, Superintendent W.R. Scalf introduced President Truman. He stepped back and stood next to his friend Al Sutter and his secretary Mary Metcalf. As the President made his way to the set of microphones, Scalf gazed up at the completed structure. He vividly recalled the day the first concrete poured from the massive bucket onto the pad where they now stood. Quick visions of men working in all kinds of conditions roared by. Mammoth challenges faced and met marched quickly through his mind’s eye. Stomach-turning accidents that claimed lives and destroyed families sent faces racing across in front of him. The crowd’s loud applause welcomed the President of the United States. W.R. Scalf refocused his attention. Harry Truman stood only five feet away from him.

A white hard hat covered the President’s head as he spoke to the crowd of dignitaries and politicians. “One brand new heavy industry plant, a chemical plant at Silver Bow, has already been built to operate on Hungry Horse electrical power. A major aluminum plant is to be built near here, and it too will use Hungry Horse electricity. New industry is coming in, in other words, before the dam is even finished. There isn’t the slightest doubt that this electricity will be used, that you people will get new production and new jobs and new prosperity out of it, and that your government will be repaid every cent the dam has cost, with interest.”

At 11:15 later that morning, the President pulled a switch that acknowledged the start of the first of four 71,250 kilowatt generators at Hungry Horse Dam. Five-thousand people listened to his fiery speech at Flathead High School in Kalispell. The twenty-minute speech blasted the Republicans and the Montana Power for dragging their feet about building Hungry Horse Dam. “The Republicans are tools of the special interests. Public power is as much a part of the country today as the public school and the forest service. If the Republicans win this election, it will be a long time before you will see another dam like Hungry Horse.”

Al Sutter chewed the antacid pills and shot rolls of film while his assistant continued taking notes. The press passes allowed him to stand on the floor of the gym right below the stage. Twenty minutes later, the president drove back to Columbia Falls and boarded his train for the final stop at the Whitefish train depot. And then Truman departed west.

A
month later, Tomas sat on a bench in the Whitefish Train Depot and held Anna in his lap. The first snow of the season appeared two days earlier and the temperature read 18 degrees on the thermometer outside of the train station. Anna toyed with the zipper on Tomas’ winter coat. She stared at his zipper as she quietly spoke, “Where’s Seattle, Uncle?”

He rubbed her knee, “It’s near the ocean. Remember I showed you on the map. Not too far away.”

“I wanna go too.”

The last few weeks sped by as Tomas helped Katya around the house and babysat Anna whenever his sister needed to do something away from the house. The time with Anna was bittersweet. Their relationship took a turn upward. He turned all of his attention to the family and fought the reoccurring thoughts of what happened with David and with Nolan. He questioned himself over and over about whether or not he should turn himself in. But as John Nolan slowly recovered, Tomas renewed his promise to not expose the truth. His stomach flipped as the clerk at the counter announced that the westbound train entered the yard and would leave in about ten minutes.

Mikhail and Hannah stood arm in arm a few feet away. She flashbacked to their wonderful train trip weeks ago. John Nolan nervously entertained Katya near the front door. Small band-aids replaced the mummy wrap bandages on his right arm. The stitches on his forehead and cheek sealed the worst cuts. He kept the serious wound on his thigh covered with a heavy bandage. “Now listen to me, Kat. It ain’t no lie, if you honest to God believe it’s true. That woman flirted with me first. I never started it. Her husband had no right.”

Katya faked a laugh. Her nervous attention focused on her daughter and her brother. “John Nolan. You’re a Butte cur. A loveable one for sure. But still a cur.” She kissed his unscarred cheek and walked over and sat down on the bench next to Tomas.

“Mommy. Uncle’s going to Seattle.”

She snuggled closer. “Yes, honey. He is. And we get to see him at Christmas right here at this train depot.”

“Will I get a present?”

Tomas grinned, “Butterfly. I’ll bring you the biggest present they have in Seattle.” He spread his arms to show how big the present would be.”

“No. Bigger Uncle. Bigger.”

He sat her down on the bench next to him and stood up. His arms spread across in front of him and made a six-foot span. “How about this here big?”

Anna jumped into his arms. “Yes! That big.”

Other train passengers picked up their bags and walked toward the door to the train. The clerk bellered out, “We’re now loadin’ for Spokane, Pasco, and Seattle.”

Katya took Anna from Tomas. He’d cried enough the past few months, and he wouldn’t cry today. Not today. He promised himself to be strong. The promise didn’t expect the words from his father as they sauntered together to board the train. Once outside, Mikhail motioned Tomas to the side. In a very clear voice Mikhail said, “Proud of you son. Real proud.” They embraced after Tomas dropped his green suitcase. Through his tears Mikhail spoke as he kissed Tomas on the cheek, “I love you, Tom.”

His promise not to cry broke. Tomas never heard those words from his father until now. Nor did he ever speak those words himself. “I love you too, Dad.” The sight of the two men embracing caused an avalanche of emotions from the rest of the family.

John Nolan picked up Tomas’ suitcase and smirked as he spoke, “Holy Shit! Two big ugly bears hugging the shit out of each other. Wait ‘til I tell the boys at the Aluminum Plant about this. A perfectly good woman there to hug and the big Bohunk hugs his boy. Christ, haven’t learned him nothin’. Not one goddamn thing.”

The group laughed and his timely humor broke the stomach-churning scene. Nolan handed Tomas his bag and limped toward the last train car. As they neared the steps, Nolan stopped, focusing his eyes on Tomas’ red eyes. “Remember Kid. It’s our secret. Never tell nobody. And one more thing. While you’re in the Navy, nail one of them China girls for me. I heard their snappers go sideways. I gotta know for myself. Follow?”

Tomas shook his head, laughed, and rolled his eyes. “Give me a hug, Uncle John. Our secret, I promise. Thank you. I love you very much, and that’s one more secret.”

Katya interrupted their moment, “My turn Little Brother. Get over here.” After one more emotional embrace with his sister, he walked over to his dad one more time. He reached up and kissed Anna who draped her arm around her grandfather’s neck. The conductor yelled, “All aboard.” Tomas stretched his arms to show Anna how big her present would be and boarded the train to Seattle to begin his great adventure in Shorty Davis’ Navy.

September 10, 2007

Montana Veterans Home

Columbia Falls, Montana

C
olumbia Falls police detectives Danford and Raiman walked with the personal care attendant Steve toward the picnic area of the Montana Veterans Home. As they walked, Detective Danford spoke to the young man, “You say this man wants to confess to a crime from way back in the 50’s?”

Steve clipped the pencil to the snap on his clipboard, “Yes, Sir. That’s all he told me. That’s him over there sleeping in his wheelchair by the birch tree.” He led the detectives and stood in front of the man slouched over in his wheelchair. “Mr. A. I got the police for you like you asked.” Steve gently shook the man’s arm, “Mr. A., Mr. A. It’s me, Steve.”

Detective Raiman placed his fingers on the man’s neck and searched for a pulse. He checked his wrist. No pulse. His eyes turned and faced Steve. “Sorry son, this man’s dead.”

Steve knelt in front of the chair, “No. Not Mr. A. It can’t be.” He covered his mouth, and the tears streamed down his face. “What was his name, son?”

After he gained some composure, Steve mumbled, “Thomas John Anzich.”

“Does he have living relatives nearby?”

“Yes. His niece and her kids and husband come by often. She was just here earlier this morning to visit him.”

Detective Danford wrote the name on his notepad. “Are you sure you don’t know what he wanted to confess? Not that it makes any difference now.”

“No. He only talked to me about his wonderful travels in the Navy. Mr. A. traveled all over the world. He retired from the Navy after twenty-five years before he started to work at the Aluminum Plant. He’s lived in Columbia Falls for the past thirty years or so before he got cancer last year.

Detective Raiman moved closer to Tomas and touched the faded tattoo of an orange butterfly on Tomas’ forearm. “Neat tat. Don’t expect to see a butterfly on a Navy man’s arm. Usually a snake or woman or something.”