On Ice (32 page)

Rene slipped down the stairs to the truck with its frosted windows.

“
We were going to send in a search party,” Nadine said. “Okay, everyone, wipe!” The children set about wiping the frost off the windows with their gloves and mittens. Nadine peered both ways and backed out into the street. “Whatcha got?” She nodded toward the box.

“
A present from Mrs. Pindar. I’ll show you later.”

As they lurched along in the ruts, Rene clutched the rosewood box along with Maddy’s letter and the catalog. Thinking about the fragile old woman, she wondered how Mrs. Pindar’s instincts about human nature could be so accurate. Perhaps it was just her natural inquisitiveness.

Could she have read the few letters from Maddy? Had there been talk in town or inquiries about her at the post office?

Nadine and the children piled out at the cabin. Rene made hot cocoa while Nadine started a fire in the grate.

“
This little place is pretty snug.” She pulled off her hat and gloves.

“
Sure.” Rene rolled her eyes. “As long as you’re wearing long johns, a couple of pairs of socks and at least two sweaters.” She started her coffeemaker and put some of Cindy’s oatmeal cookies on a plate.

“
Honey, it’s not even cold yet. What are we going to do with you when the bad weather sets in?” Nadine put her hands on her multi-layered hips in a gesture of mock exasperation.

“
It’s cold enough for me right now. Want some cocoa, tea or coffee?”

“
Coffee for me. Show me what Mrs. Pindar gave you.” She plopped down on the sofa.

Rene handed the rosewood box over to her.

Nadine’s eyes grew wide as she lifted the lid. “Oh! A derringer!” she whispered in surprise. “Sam would give his eye teeth for this!”

“
I told her it was too valuable, but she insisted.”

“
When Mrs. P. decides to do something, you’d best just go along with it. Oh, this is gorgeous!” She took the small gun in her hand. “It’s loaded, too. The ammunition is probably a hundred years old.”

“
I’ll hide it from the children. There are all kinds of niches and nooks in this old cabin. Tell me about the gun.”

“
It was a sort of lady’s gun of the last century. Women could tuck them in a handbag or garter, but men used them too. It was a back-up gun. They fire two shots. You need to be pretty close range because the barrel is short. Less accurate at a distance. I’ll get you some fresh ammunition.” She replaced it in the velvet-lined box. “Now you can tell me why she thought you needed a gun.”

“
I don’t know,” Rene faltered. “She said something about observing human nature. That I sometimes have a feral look, whatever that means.”

“
I know what she’s saying. Sometimes a look crosses your face and it makes me look over my shoulder. You know what I said about Sam and me being on your side?”

“
I remember,” Rene said, smiling. “I’ll be sure to call on you the next time I’m in a gunfight. You can back me up.”

“
Seriously, honey. We’ll back you up.” Nadine held her gaze for a moment. “I think my coffee has brewed.”

~*~

T.J. McCann sat in her black Toyota, trying to appear inconspicuous. She saw everything coming and going on Moray Street. All three mirrors of her vehicle were positioned to give her the greatest view of the street and sidewalks to the rear. Behind her tinted windows, her dark eyes were alert for the slightest movement. A street person hoisted himself out of a doorway, scratched, and relieved himself against the side of the building.
I must be invisible,
because I know I’m not seeing that.

The door of another cheap apartment building swing inward. Tensing slightly, she prepared to start the car or duck if necessary. A man with dark glasses peered around the edge of the doorframe. Looking both ways, he darted down a short flight of stairs and across the street. He was about six feet tall with a lean, muscular build and dark hair. He wore a pair of gray slacks and a collared knit shirt. Even so, he looked over-dressed for this neighborhood. He unlocked the door of a faded blue Ford Taurus and slid behind the wheel. Not Mark Desmond’s usual style.

“
Aha!” The sound of her own voice startled her but she smiled. T.J.’s sharp eyes sighted a cordovan Armani loafer gleaming brightly before Mark Desmond pulled his leg into the Ford. “Gotcha!” she said, starting the Toyota.

~*~

Rene waited until the children were asleep to open Maddy’s letter. She felt both anticipation and dread as she opened it, but, the sight of familiar handwriting brought a smile to her lips.

Dear Rene,

We miss you so much. It’s hard to keep

this silence. We hired a private detective

She’s the most amazing little thing! We think

Mark has bribed a police detective so it’s

absolutely imperative that you don’t try to

contact us until we get this mess cleared up

When Mark is in jail, I’ll contact you. In

the meantime, stay safe and know you’re

always in my thoughts

Love to all,

Maddy

What a mysterious letter! Why would the legal eagle, Mr. Mark Desmond ever be in jail? He certainly didn’t consider spousal abuse a crime. Had he stepped over the line? If he was skulking around Houston, he couldn’t be stalking her in Sad Horse. Rene folded the page carefully and put it in the drawer of the nightstand with Maddy’s other letter. She pondered the contents long after she turned out the lights. Even the lonely howling of the wolf failed to pull her thoughts away from Mark and Maddy and what might be happening in Houston.

~*~

Maddy couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so happy. Her feet wanted to dance. All of this misery with Mark would soon be over. She peered down into the empty street through the lace curtains covering their bedroom windows. Ted was still uneasy, constantly cautioning her to keep the drapes drawn and stay away from the sparkling leaded glass. Their formerly joyful home, always flooded with light from the many windows, surrounded by artful scenes of beautifully landscaped gardens, was now darkened by heavy draperies. Locks and alarms festooned the doors and windows. The anxious faces of her daughters were the most haunting aspect of her incarceration, for she was the prisoner.

Ted slept like a cat, getting out of bed to check and recheck their defenses. That would soon be alleviated. The black cloud would be lifted.

The simple pleasures she had taken for granted would be restored to her. Once again the girls would take ballet lessons and Maddy would drive them. She would return to her volunteer work and activities in civic organizations. She could have her life back.

The best thing possible would be when Rene and the children came home. Rene, her younger sister---her confidante and best friend. A knot of anger rose in her throat as she thought of how Mark had deprived them of so much.

Now it was payback time. She let the heavy drape fall back into place.

~*~

It was so cold now. The natives of Sad Horse didn’t seem to think so, but Rene was miserable. Every foray out of the snug little cabin was an adventure. Nadine was her transportation to and from school and for the few errands she could accomplish along the way. She saw Brett occasionally in town. He’d nodded and gone on.
So much for his declarations of true love.

On this particular Saturday morning, Rene wiped condensation from the window and peered out into the grayness of the dawning day. Fingers of pink and salmon reached across the sky. She had nothing to look forward to except routine housework, cooking, preparing the next week’s lesson plans and the company of her small companions. The used books from Pinky’s had all been read. Today, more than ever, she wanted to talk to her sister. Would Mark really know if she placed a brief call? No, it was too dangerous. Maddy had warned her.

What would keep her busy for a whole day? She could bake something, but all her cookbooks were left behind in Houston. Perhaps she could find an appealing recipe on the back of a box or bag in her pantry. She found a biscuit recipe on a box of baking powder and tried it out. By the time the children were stirring, she had hot biscuits on the table. Now what could she do? She called Cindy at the bakery.

“
Don’t tell me you have cabin fever already?” Cindy’s laughter rang in her ear. “You better get a hobby for the winter.”

“
I was going to bake something for the kids but I don’t have any recipes here.”

“
Sure you do,” Cindy said. “You have a computer.”

“
Yes, but where are the recipes?”

“
On the Internet, silly. There are a zillion recipe websites.”

“
Websites? I don’t know how to do websites,” Rene wailed. “I can barely turn the darned thing on. It goes haywire just to spite me.”

“
I’ll come over and we can play on the Net. I’ll bring you my favorite recipes.”

“
I’m scared of the computer, but if it connects me to the outside world, I’m ready to learn.”

Rene hung up, her spirits lifted. She had a visit from Cindy as well as the prospect of exploring the Internet to look forward to. The rest of the morning went by quickly. She tidied her already neat cabin and looked out the window as if this would hasten Cindy’s appearance.

Soon, Cindy pulled into the clearing. Rene opened the door before she knocked. Cindy carried a well-bundled baby in a car seat. The baby’s bright blue eyes were as alert as her mother’s and both had exceptionally pink cheeks from the chilly weather. A diaper bag slid from Cindy’s shoulder.

Seth and Sara played with the baby. Fascinated by the doll-like being, they offered her toys and talked to her. For her part, the baby stared at them, wide-eyed, allowing herself to be entertained, issuing a syllable now and then to show approval.

“
Ooh, I can’t believe she’s gotten so big!” Rene said.

“
Tell my aching back.” Cindy rubbed the small of her back to demonstrate the fact. “I think she gains weight every time I pick her up. Are you ready to explore?”

“
Eager to tear out of my cocoon. I’ve been so isolated since the accident.”

“
Didn’t you spend some time at Brett’s after you got out of the hospital?”

“
Yes. I thought Mrs. Jolly was going to stuff me like a goose. I felt suffocated.”

“
What about Brett? Didn’t you enjoy his company just a little?” Cindy arched her eyebrows.

Rene took a deep breath before answering. “Yes, I really did.”

“
Why didn’t you stay? I know he didn’t throw you out.”

“
He wanted me to stay. I threw myself out.”

“
Rene, it’s obvious to everyone that he’s in love with you. What more could you want in a man?”

“
Not a thing.” Rene’s voice quavered.

“
Oh, I’m sorry,” Cindy gasped. “I hate myself when I get nosy.”

Cindy embraced her just as a tear trickled down the side of her nose. The loneliness she was suffering after being so close to Brett had left her with a hollow aching, even sharper now in the presence of Cindy’s kindness.

“
I-I’m okay,” she lied, pulling away from the embrace. “Let me get a tissue and we can get started. I’m really anxious to find those recipes.” She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with the water that ran so frigidly from the tap. The shocking cold made her face ache, but averted the threat of fresh tears.

When she returned, Cindy was seated in front of the keyboard. “I think you should write down what we’re doing so you can return to these sites, if you want.” For the next hour, Cindy unlocked mysteries for Rene. Her instructions were much easier to understand than the tutelage of the young geeks had been. Rene was amazed at the number of sites listing recipes and subjects related to food, history of food and information on the countries where the recipes originated.

“
What else do you want to know?” Cindy asked when they took a break.

“
How do people talk to each other?”

“
You can e-mail someone. That’s like writing a letter, but you send it to them immediately and they can write you back. Or you can chat on-line or IM.”

“
Sounds like a great way to communicate. I have a sister in Houston.”

“
Does she have e-mail?”

“
I don’t know. How would I find out?”

“
You could call her or write her.”

“
Not right now. Is there directory assistance for e-mail?”

“
I don’t think so. People don’t give out their address. It’s like having an unlisted phone number. You only give it to specific people.” Cindy laughed as Baby Rene gurgled to let her know she was awake. Cindy deftly changed her diaper and settled the baby to nurse at her breast. She looked up at Rene’s stricken face and asked, “What’s wrong? Am I offending you by breast-feeding?”