Dorothy Garlock - [Dolan Brothers] (25 page)
Read Dorothy Garlock - [Dolan Brothers] Online
Authors: With Hope
“Folks think I’m . . . loose.”
“Chris doesn’t think so, and that’s all that matters.”
“I couldn’t help . . . what was done to me. But I got Rosemary out of it and . . . I’m not sorry.”
“God wanted to make up for what you had to endure.”
“I never thought a that—”
Chris returned and stood at the end of the porch.
“I’m glad I got to see you again, Opal.” Henry Ann rose and stepped off the porch. “Chris, I’ll make ice cream next Sunday afternoon. Why don’t you come and bring Opal and Rosemary?”
“Oh, no, ma’am. I couldn’t.”
“You’d like Johnny, my brother, and Karen Wesson, my friend, would come out. Aunt Dozie would spoil Rosemary. Do come, Opal.”
Henry Ann went to the car to give Chris and Opal a minute or two alone. The car seat was hot against her legs. As she waited for Chris, she thought about how lonely it must be for a young girl to live out here with just her grandpa. And how unfair it was that Chris had to sneak around to see the girl he loved.
Chris was quiet on the way back. When he spoke it was with passion.
“If I knew who raped Opal, I’d kill him.”
“That wouldn’t solve anything. You’d spend the rest of your life in the pen, if they didn’t hang you, and Opal would be alone.”
“I wish I could take her and Rosemary and go to California.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Because someday the farm will be mine,” he said with his face set in grim lines. “Since I was old enough to walk behind a plow, I’ve worked my butt off on that farm. Daddy knows that, but Mama—”
“Would your daddy stand with you against your mother?”
“I don’t know. She rules the roost.”
“Then fight for your right to marry Opal. Start by bringing her to my house on Sunday.”
“I don’t know. It would cause a hell of a squabble at home. I might even have to leave.”
“I don’t think it would come to that, Chris. You’re needed there. Your daddy couldn’t handle that big herd of cattle by himself. Has it ever occurred to you that your mother might back down if you and Mr. Austin stuck together?”
“I can’t imagine Daddy bucking her.”
“Talk to him. Tell him that you love Opal and ask him to go with you to visit her and her grandpa. He’s a good man. You’re his only son. He won’t want to lose you.”
“I’ll think about it. You’re a good friend, Henry Ann. I wish that I’d fallen in love with you.”
“I don’t know why your mother is so set on me.”
“You’re nice and pretty and have land that could be added to ours. She also thinks that in time she could manage you like she does me and Daddy.”
“She must think that I’m pretty weak to knuckle under and let her boss me around. That doesn’t say much for me.”
“That’s just what she’d do to Opal, and Opal would be too scared to stand up to her.”
“Then it would be up to you to show some backbone and see to it that your mother didn’t boss her. Folks will lose respect for you, Chris, if you continue to follow in your daddy’s footsteps and let her dominate you.”
Chris was silent during the ride to the Henry farm. Henry Ann did not care if he was offended by what she had said. It was time for him to take control of his life.
When the hot Oklahoma sun was directly overhead, Johnny stopped the team at the end of Dolan’s field. Tom dropped his hoe and hurried to help unhitch them. He led the team to the creek to drink. Grant and Johnny followed to splash water on their sweaty faces. They sank down in the shade with the bucket of lunch prepared by Aunt Dozie between them.
“Come eat, Tom,” Johnny called, after Tom had allowed the team to drink, then staked them out to eat the grass growing along the creek bank. “Aunt Dozie packed plenty.”
“Thanks, but I’d better go up to the house and see about a few things.”
Johnny and Grant watched Tom as he cut across the field and disappeared among the trees that grew along the edge of it.
“His wife is loony,” Johnny said, after taking a long gulp of buttermilk from the fruit jar.
Grant nodded in agreement. “That man’s got a bear riding on his back. He hasn’t time to eat. He has to go see what she’s up to.”
“I’ve seen her a time or two in the woods. One time she saw me and waved for me to come to her, but I acted like I hadn’t seen her and rode on.”
“A woman who acts like she does is mentally disturbed.”
“There’s got to be something wrong or she wouldn’t’ve tied a string about little Jay’s pecker to keep him from wetting.”
“I think that there’s more here than meets the eye. Dolan’s no fool. He must know that he can put her in an institution.”
“He don’t appear to have that kind of money.” Johnny bit into a biscuit filled with butter and jam.
“Her folks are the Conroys down in Texas. They’re loaded.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’d be surprised, Johnny-boy, what you can learn by keeping your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut.”
* * *
Tom never knew what he would find after being away from the house for a few hours. After the time he found the lamp turned over and kerosene spilled on the floor, he had hidden it in the barn. He feared that she would burn down the house with her in it or set herself on fire. He thanked God every day that he didn’t have to worry about Jay’s safety.
Emmajean’s moods had become darker. She seldom talked to him in a normal tone of voice. She yelled, screeched, or hissed. He was in a quandary about what to do about her. He doubted that her folks would stand for his putting her in an asylum; and even if they did, they would try to take Jay away from him.
The house was quiet when he reached it. He entered the kitchen to find it exactly as he had left it The dishes were still in the dishpan where he had put them to soak. He had not expected them to be washed. Tom opened a can of pork and beans, went out to sit on the back step and eat out of the can.
He heard the door to her room open and knew that she had come into the kitchen. Then the screen door opened behind him. He turned to look at her. She was in her nightdress, her gaunt face streaked with eyelash blackener, and she had painted her lips bright red.
“Where’s the lamp? I want to curl my hair.”
“We’re out of lamp oil.”
“You’re lying. You don’t want me to curl my hair and be pretty.”
“Your hair would be pretty if you just combed it.”
“Men came here this morning, but you got them away before they could see me.”
“They came to help me in the field. Have you eaten anything today?”
“I’m going to town to eat. Daddy’s coming to get me.”
Tom had no answer to that. She flounced back in the house, and Tom finished the beans and went to the well for a drink of water. Just as he was raising the dipper to his mouth, a black sedan pulled into the yard. He squinted his eyes to see who it was, and recognition brought a happy smile to his lips. He hung the dipper on the nail and hurried to the car as one of the men got out. He was tall but not as heavily built as Tom. He had the same inky black shaggy hair.
“Hod! My God! Is that you?”
“It sure as hell is. How’er you, Tom?”
The two men shook hands then pounded each other on the shoulders.
“You’re looking great, Hod. Hell, you’re looking more and more like our big brother.”
“Better not tell Mike that.” Hod turned to the other man who had gotten out of the car and stood smiling while the two brothers met. “Frank, this is my brother, Tom. Tom, shake hands with Frank Hamer.”
“Howdy, Mr. Hamer.” Tom shook his hand. “You’ve got to be a patient man to put up with Hod Dolan. He was the orneriest little critter you ever did see when we were growing up. Ma was sure he’d be the death of her.”
“We,” Hod corrected. “You were just a year older than me. You did your part to make her life miserable.”
“Come on over, and I’ll draw up a bucket of fresh water. This is the best water in the county.”
Hod looked around while Tom lowered the bucket into the well.
“I never suspected you’d turn out to be a farmer. I thought you’d be designing engines for race cars.”
“Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn. I’m still interested in engines, but I don’t dislike farm work. I sold a couple of cars and paid for this place. It’s not much now, but it could be. What are you doing in this part of the country?”
“Heading up north to do a little investigating. Frank was willing to go a little out of the way so I could see you. How long’s it been? Five years?”
“Near that, I reckon. How did you find me?”
“I hear from Sis. She told me you were married, lived here near Red Rock, and that you had a son.”
“Yeah, well, that’s right. How about you?”
“I stay in one place only long enough to get my washing done.”
Tom turned to look at the man who was a legend in Texas, a former Ranger who was relentless in hunting down outlaws. He looked to be in his late forties, had thick iron gray hair and deep lines around his eyes and mouth. Tom was embarrassed that he couldn’t invite his brother and Hamer in for a meal.
“How old is your boy, Tom?”
“He’s three. He’s staying with a neighbor . . . ah . . . my wife has been sick.”
“Sorry to hear it.”
Hod was looking past Tom. Tom turned and almost groaned aloud. Emmajean had come out of the house and was walking toward them. She had hurriedly changed into the dress she had worn to the air show. Her cheeks were two red splotches, her mouth shaped into a cupid’s bow with bright red lipstick, her hair was a mass of tangles. She had stuck a silk flower from one of her hats behind her ear. She stumbled toward them in high-heeled shoes.
Tom didn’t look at his brother or Mr. Hamer. He didn’t want to see the expressions on their faces. As Tom approached her, he could see that she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on under the thin dress. Her nipples and dark pubic hair were clearly visible. When he reached her, he took her arm and spoke calmly.
“Go back in the house, Emmajean. Your lipstick is smeared and you forgot to put your underwear on under your dress.”
“I don’t care.” She jerked her arm from his grasp, lurched toward Hod, and grabbed his arm. “I’m Emmajean. Who’re you?”
“I’m Hod Dolan.”
“Are you going to town? Can I go with you?”
Hod glanced at Tom and saw the misery in his brother’s eyes before he answered.
“I’m not going to town, Emmajean.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“When will you know?”
Hod ignored the question. “That’s a pretty flower you have in your hair.”
“I put it there for you.” Emmajean beamed. “I don’t like him.” She stuck her tongue out at Tom. “He’s mean and ugly and . . . I hate him.”
“Let’s walk up to the porch and talk about it.” Hod spoke as if he were talking to a child.
“All right.” She clung to his arm. “I like you. You’re cute.”
“Thank you. I like you, too.”
“You do? Will you let me go with you?”
Hod walked Emmajean to the porch and very courteously assisted her into a chair before he sat down.
“She isn’t drunk, is she?” Hamer asked.
“No. I wish to God that was all that was wrong with her.”
“Hod’s good in a situation like this. Once I saw him calm down a crazy who had killed two people. I was sure we’d have to kill him to get his gun.”
“He caught on right away that . . . she wasn’t right.”
“He senses things. That’s why he’s so good at his job.”
“She’s getting worse. I had to leave my son with a neighbor. She hurt him. I was afraid that she might kill him.”
“Has she tried to harm you, or herself?”
“Not yet. She roams in the woods. So far she’s come home.” Tom’s eyes were on his brother.
Lord, but it was good to see Hod.
Hod got out of his chair and reached for Emmajean’s hand. She stood, but he gently pressed her back down in the chair. He squatted before her and spoke to her for a while, then left the porch and came to where Tom and Frank stood beside the well. Emmajean waved to him and he waved back.
“We’re going to have to go, Tom.”
“I’d just as soon you didn’t let the folks back home know about . . . her.”
“I’ll keep it to myself. How long has she been like this?”
“She was strange from the start and she’s getting worse, much worse, and fast. I suppose you wonder why I married her. Rotgut whiskey and a powerful urge to get my ashes hauled. She was pretty and willing, and I was too drunk to realize that she was . . . like she is. It was a shotgun wedding, pure and simple. Her folks are well off. You might know of them, the Conroys of Conroy, Texas.”
“Martin Conroy,” Frank said, and it wasn’t a question.
“You know him.”
“Tried to be a big-time politician but couldn’t cut the mustard. He’s got more pride than brains.”
“Fits him to a tee. Emmajean was an embarrassment to them. They thought that I’d take her back to Nebraska, and they’d be rid of her.”
“Too bad. I’m sorry, Tom. I told her that I’d be back. Will she remember?”
“I’m not sure. I’d like for you to see my boy, Hod. He’s a pistol.” Tom’s pride in his son wiped the worry from his face. “If you have time, stop at the next farm on your way back to town. He’s there with Miss Henry and a colored woman named Dozie Jones. They’re fine folk. They’ll make you welcome.”
Hod and Tom shook hands and Tom got into the car. Hamer got behind the wheel.
“Good luck, brother. If you ever need me, send me a wire in care of Federal Law Enforcement Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. I work out of that office. They’ll know where to find me. Keep your eye on that woman. I’ve heard of people like her dropping off the deep edge in the middle of the night and killing someone.”
“I’m glad you stopped by, Hod. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hamer.”
“Same here. Good luck to you.” Hamer started the car.
“We’ll stop and see your boy, Tom. Take care.”
“You, too, Hod.”
Tom had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he turned back toward the house. Seeing Hod brought back the memories of home and family, of boyhood dreams. Hod had always wanted to be a policeman. He had fulfilled his dream. Tom, however, had been certain that he would build motors, race cars, and be another Barney Oldfield, his childhood hero. But who could hope to fulfill his dreams when his life had become a nightmare?
* * *
It was noon when Chris let Henry Ann out of the car in front of her house.
“Come in and eat, Chris.”
“Thanks, but I’ll get on home.”
“You’ll come over Sunday?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, thanks for the ride.”
As Henry Ann approached the house, Jay threw wide the screen door and came out onto the porch.
“Hen-Ann!” he shouted.
“Hi, punkin, come give me a lovin’.” She held her arms wide and he ran to her. She picked him up and gave him a kiss before setting him on his feet. “I didn’t find a frog, but I brought you a candy. You can’t eat it until after dinner.” Holding his hand, she led him into the house, where the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air.
“Bread smells good, Aunt Dozie,” she called from her room, where she had slipped off her shoes and stockings.
She was in the middle of taking off her dress and putting on an everyday one when Jay called that someone was coming. Henry Ann let the dress settle back down over her hips and went barefoot to the door. A black car had stopped in the yard and a man was coming to the house. As Henry Ann stepped out onto the porch, she recognized the black touring car as the one they had seen at the gas station in town.
What were they doing here? Had they found Tom? Please, God, don’t let more trouble pile on him.
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