Bishop's Road (40 page)

Joanie's parents are going home. They can't find out where their daughter is and when they reported her disappearance to the authorities, were told there's nothing can be done. As far as the police are concerned the woman left town with her husband willingly and until they have evidence to the contrary it's none of their business. They won't question the moving company regarding Joanie's whereabouts. They won't ask cops in the rest of the country to keep an eye out for her. They won't find out where John relocated his company. Until Joanie shows up dead one of these days - which she surely will since nothing good can come of the situation and eventually keeping her under lock and key won't be enough for John and he'll lose it altogether - no one cares, except for her mom and dad and they are on their own with their grief.

Patrick is no help either, for all the pleading Ruth has done on Joanie's behalf, and she is having second thoughts about marrying him. She knows that Joanie is in trouble but has no proof. So what that he kept her in rags? So what that he kept a tight rein on her movements? So what that Ruth knows - truly knows - that one of these days Joanie will breathe her last in agony and terror? No proof. No proof. Until a woman's knowing becomes something to bank on and applaud, proof will have to be measured
tangibly in ransom notes and blood on the walls, Joanies of the world be damned.

If Ruth were a younger woman she could give in to Patrick's reasoning but she's old enough now to trust herself and put stock in her magic and she gives back her pretty engagement ring which he figures is just a symptom of menopause and tells her so. Big mistake. He'll be lucky if she ever speaks to him again.

Ginny Mustard tells Annie Paul that she can smell salt water. “Of course you can. We're just a spit away from it. Get in the car and I'll take you there.” Now Ginny Mustard has lived with the ocean all her life but the part of it she knows is rather dirty and rock-bound and she has never once touched it. The ocean Annie Paul brings her to is wide and wavy with sand running along it for miles. “It's damned cold until August but sometimes I go in now anyway. Take your shoes off and check it out.”

And Ginny Mustard does that. Stands for the first time in real water. Until her feet turn blue. She tastes it. “Like tears but not so warm.” She sits on the sand and lets it run through her fingers a hundred times before she's ready to leave and doesn't say another word until the next morning.

“When is that baby due, anyway? You're starting to look like you could pop any minute.”

“I was pregnant in November. After the wedding.”

“So. Let's figure another month or so. We should find you a doctor, I guess. Old Cecil's wife used to deliver babies. Probably still would if we asked her nicely. I daresay it's not the sort of thing you forget how to do. Most women around here go off to the hospital these days but I don't think that's the best place to be yanking a kid into the world. Full of sick people and all. Would
you rather have it here or in the hospital? Up to you.” Ginny Mustard wants to have her baby in the teepee. “Smart move,” says Annie Paul.

Joe Snake has confided in Ruth. Has told her what he knows about his wife's whereabouts, which is nothing really. Ruth says, “I can't believe that you haven't figured out how to track down one of your own. There can't be too many places for a native woman to hide around here. Aren't there reserves or some-thing? I know there was a crowd out around Central and some on the French Shore. Have you even checked to see if she's there? God, you men are such friggin' bricks sometimes! Did you find out what she looks like? Whoever took her? Did you ask your parents if they know anyone fits the description? No. I bet you didn't. Just holed up with your misery. Go talk to that nurse again will you, for God's sake. Exhaust the possiblities before you start sitting around feeling sorry for yourself.”

Anyone looking for sympathy these days would do better than to ask it of Ruth. She's pissed with the world again and has little time for its whimpering and moaning. “So. I was going to frig around in your garden today but I'm not in the mood any more. Where do I sign up for university courses? Walk over with me, will you? I have a vicious need to learn something interesting. I'll go with you to the hospital and you come with me to the university. It's a gorgeous day. You won't need that sweater. “

“I think he moved,” says Judy. “I'm sure I saw one of his
eyelids twitch a few minutes ago. Come with me.” Judy tugs Nurse Edna's sleeve and guides her to the little room at the end of the hall. But Frankie, if he did move at all, isn't going to do it on command and they both stare at him for a few minutes before Nurse Edna is called away.

At the front desk she is met by Joe Snake and Ruth who want to know more about the mystery woman who stole Ginny Mustard away. “I can't tell you much. Other than she was dressed kind of odd, she seemed like an all right person. I figured she could be trusted, you know, and so did Virginia. She went with her fast enough.”

“Well, how old was she? How tall? Did she have long hair or short? And what do you mean dressed kind of odd. What did she have on for God's sake?” Ruth is not very patient at the moment. Humankind is really beginning to annoy her.

“She dressed like those Indians you see in the movies. Natives I think you're supposed to call them now. She's tall, though not so tall as Virginia, and she looks strong, like she might chop wood for a pastime. She had her hair done in a couple of long braids and she had slipper things on her feet. Moccasins I guess they were. Her dress was real pretty. Looked like leather with some little beads sewed on up around the neck. I remember thinking she must be hot wearing it this time of year. She had a nice necklace too and an earring with a long red feather hanging off it. That's all I know so it's no good to be asking me anything else. I'm after going over it and over it in my head ever since it happened. I think your wife is okay. I'm sure she's in good hands.”

“Well there you have it,” says Ruth as she and Joe Snake walk along the river to the university in search of Ruth's enrichment. “She's probably right, you know. She doesn't seem the type to go along with something like this if it didn't feel right. And if the prison thinks Ginny Mustard is in the hospital, and the hospital thinks she's in jail, sounds to me like she's a free woman. Shit!
Do you know what will screw this up? Her parole hearing. When is it?”

“Not until December. Long after the baby is born.”

“Good enough,” says Ruth. “All we have to do is find her and stick her in somewhere before that. No. That's not true. We have to get her back now, before the baby comes. Someone is going to be looking for her the minute her time is up. You're just going to have to convince her to fucking hang on for a couple more months. For God's sake take that look off your face. Moping around is not going to get us anywhere. Us! Who the hell is ‘us'? This is your problem, buddy. Not mine. I just told Patrick to go to hell and now I'm getting on with my life. I don't need this kind of crap.”

It's a good thing Joe Snake has nothing to say because Ruth's battle with herself continues all the way to the university and for the full length of time she waits in line at the Registrar's office to pay eight dollars for a course calendar. “Eight friggin' bucks! I can see where this is heading.”

Back at Ginny Mustard's house they tell Sadie Benoit their story. She's upset that she wasn't told earlier but only for a few minutes. Her first questions were what did she look like, how old was she, what was she wearing and Ruth says, “See? See? Women know how to get to the heart of the matter. What is it with you men?” And she's off on another rant. Sadie asks if she's going through the change, dear, and offers to send her all the medicine she needs from her pantry when she gets home. “I grow most of it myself.”

When Sadie hears Annie Paul's description she knows exactly where her daughter-in-law is. “There's no one else crazy enough to pull something like that.”

“Well? Call her and find out,” says Ruth. To which Sadie replies that Annie Paul doesn't have a telephone but she will try to get in touch with a neighbour who can tell them if a stranger is
staying in the teepee.

The only fellows who venture into Dorrie's shop are gay. The only fellows who want to talk to Dorrie about Barbie are gay. And since she lives upstairs and is usually buried to her ears in work anyway, the only fellows Dorrie knows are gay. When Phil came in to buy her wares she naturally assumed that he is gay as well. But it turns out he was running an errand for his sister who was sick as a dog with the flu and trying to put together a nice birthday for her twin daughters who each wanted Barbie cars and Phil was dispatched to find them. It didn't take long for Dorrie to realize that she had an honest to God heterosexual on her hands and she was quick enough asking him if he wanted to go to a movie to which he replied not tonight because of the birthday and all, but if she could wait until tomorrow he'd love to.

Before their fifth date they were talking about marriage. After she got him into bed he wanted to set the date, the sooner the better, he being just as hungry as Dorrie is for love and regular skin contact.

Invitations come in the mail to Maggie and Judy's apartment and when Judy's remains unopened for a week, Maggie realizes the girl hasn't been home all that time and is hunting her down. She has no idea where to look and even thinks of asking Patrick's help but doesn't, since he seems to be of the impression that Judy is keeping well away from trouble these days and Maggie doesn't want to put a stick in her spokes if she can avoid it. She asks Joe Snake if he knows anything. And Ruth who tells her to set it to music and leave her alone when Maggie cries that she is frightened for her friend. “She hasn't been home for a week and you're only now out looking for her? What the hell kind of friend
does that?”

“I thought she was just going out early in the mornings or something. Her bed wasn't made so I really thought she was sleeping there. She stays out late sometimes, you know. It was only when she didn't open Dorrie's mail that I thought she might be missing.”