Fire, The (25 page)

Kevin didn't bother to look for Sarah. He knew she wouldn't be home. She had gone to Coeur d'Alene for a women's retreat and had told him she wouldn't be back until later in the day.

He did, however, scan the rest of Garnet Street for anything interesting or unusual and found both when he rested his eyes on the property of Asa and Celia Johnson. Someone had just carried a box into the chamber of stones.

"Is something wrong?" Sadie asked.

"I'm not sure," Kevin said. He looked at her with a serious face. "Let's ride down to the end of the street. I want to check something out."

Kevin Johnson, horseman for a day, needed just ninety seconds to guide Spirit down a steep, curvy trail to the edge of his great-great-grandfather's backyard. He needed only another ten to pull in front of the rock shed and see Celia Johnson walk through its small door.

When Celia saw that she had company, she brushed the dust from her housedress, closed the door to the chamber, and walked toward her visitors. She was alone.

"Hello, Mr. Johnson. It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you as well, ma'am."

"I see you've found a faster way to get about town. Is this the Appaloosa from Mr. Bennett's stable?"

"Indeed, it is. She's on loan for the day."

"I thought she looked familiar," Celia said. "I don't believe I've met your friend."

"Celia, this is Sadie Hawkins. Sadie, this is Celia Johnson. Celia and her family were among the first people I met when I came to Wallace."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"The pleasure's mine, Sadie. You must be the lady friend I've heard so much about."

Kevin looked at Sadie like a man who had just seen a ghost. He realized immediately that she had an opportunity to cause him serious distress.

"I'm just a friend, Mrs. Johnson, though I am rather fond of our new science teacher."

"Aren't we all, dear? Aren't we all?"

Kevin sighed and smiled at Celia. Then he sighed again and smiled at Sadie, who gave him an I-own-you-now grin that probably wouldn't go away anytime soon. He returned to Celia and attempted to steer the conversation to a less stressful subject.

"Where is Asa today?"

"He's in Spokane on another of his 'currency' trips, as he calls them. I'm not quite sure what he does, but he says it's important. He left in a rush Tuesday night."

"Do you know when he plans to return?"

"I don't. He should be back anytime. He usually leaves for only two or three days."

Kevin took a moment to consider Celia's comments. If Asa had taken another trip to the future, then he had entered the time portal two days after the last full moon. That meant that the shadow of the moon extended at least forty-eight hours. Kevin filed away that tidbit for future reference. It might come in handy at some point.

"That's too bad. I was hoping to say hello. Please tell him that I stopped by."

"I will. I'm sure he'd like to visit with you again."

"I'd like that too."

Kevin looked at Celia for several seconds. He wanted to keep the conversation going and perhaps learn more potentially useful information, but he didn't know how to proceed. He had spoken to his great-great-grandmother only three or four times and never at length.

Celia finally broke the silence.

"Is there anything else I can tell him? You look like you have something on your mind."

"No. I have nothing more for Asa. I was just going to say that if you need any help around the house while he's away, then please let me know. When we approached the property, I noticed that you carried what looked like a heavy box into your shed."

"Oh, that," Celia said. "It was just a box of apples. I moved it into the shed because it's much cooler there than inside the house."

"I see."

"Now that you mention it, though, I might need some help on a few things."

"You just let me know what and when and I'll be right over," Kevin said.

"That's very kind of you. I may even summon you when Asa gets back. He can't do some of the things he used to do."

"Why is that?"

"I'm not certain. All I know is that he doesn't have much energy these days. He's frequently short of breath," Celia said. "I've urged him to see a doctor, but he always refuses. He keeps saying there's work to be done and money to be made. So I leave him alone."

"I'm sorry to hear that. My offer stands, though. If you need help on anything, then you just let me know. I'll make the time to be here."

"I appreciate that."

"Well, we'd better go. It was nice seeing you again."

"You take care now," Celia said. "You too, Miss Hawkins."

"Thank you," Sadie said. "Goodbye."

Kevin waved at Celia and rode Spirit away from the Johnson property. He rejoined the trail and guided the horse toward King Street and the Duvalier house.

The time traveler wasn't quite sure what to make of everything he had heard, but he did know one thing. Time was running out on Asa. The heart attack that would eventually claim the life of the Johnson family patriarch was less than three months away.

CHAPTER 45: SARAH

Sunday, May 1, 1910

Sarah watched Maude closely as the widow pulled a book with a red leather cover from a shelf in Marcus Duvalier's den. The book appeared to be part of a large set.

"Do you like Mark Twain?" Maude asked.

"I like everything he's written."

"I thought so. Then you'll probably like this."

Maude handed the English teacher a copy of
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
.

"It's beautiful," Sarah said, "but we have this book at the school."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"What do you mean?"

"Open the book, dear."

Sarah did as instructed. She lifted the cover and flipped through two blank pages. When she turned to the third page, she gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. She had discovered a handwritten message from a dead man.

"Where on earth did you get this?"

"I got it from Marcus, of course," Maude said. "He got it from a seller. He bought the entire Hillcrest edition four years ago on a business trip to Hartford. There are twenty-five volumes in all, including eight signed by the author."

"They must be priceless."

"They're not now, but they will be someday. I had the signed works appraised by a collector on Friday. He advised me to hold onto them."

"I'm sure he did. I'm surprised Sadie didn't mention them when I was here last Sunday."

"She didn't mention them because she hadn't seen them. I retrieved the books from a locked closet Monday night. I hadn't given them much thought until Mr. Twain passed. Now that I know their value, I'll probably put them back. For now, however, they are yours to peruse."

"I'm grateful. Would you mind if I showed one of the signed volumes to my students?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. Take what you wish."

"Thank you. I think
Tom Sawyer
will prove to be more than sufficient."

Maude glanced at a clock on the wall and turned to Sarah.

"I must go downstairs to make a telephone call. Is there anything I can get you?"

"No. I'm still full from that scrumptious dinner," Sarah said. "I would like to look around a little more up here, though, if that is all right."

"It's more than all right. Please let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

Sarah smiled at Maude as she walked out of the den. She didn't know much about the wealthy, learned, somewhat mysterious woman, but she knew enough to form an opinion. She liked Maude Duvalier. She liked her a lot. She liked her style, her priorities, and the way she shared her resources with others. She hoped to visit more often.

Sarah also liked Maude's boarders, albeit for markedly different reasons. She liked Andy O'Connell because he was polite, funny, driven, and open-minded. She liked Sadie Hawkins because she was bright, spirited, and gracious and possessed a girlish charm that turned even would-be rivals to butter.

As for Kevin Johnson, well, she just liked him. When Sarah thought about the man she had come to know as a colleague and a beau, she found it hard to breathe. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man and then some. He was intelligent, patient, kind, and unsparingly generous with his time and his money. He was also loving and affectionate, the kind of man who would surely make a wonderful husband and father.

Sarah examined a few more books in the amazing library and then rejoined the others. When she reached the main floor, she found Maude, Andy, Kevin and Sadie where she had expected to find them. She found Maude speaking into a candlestick telephone at the base of the stairs, Andy snoozing up a storm in a lounge chair, and Kevin and Sadie crowded around a small table, where they matched wits in a game of chess.

Sarah walked up to the table and leaned over Kevin's shoulder. She knew enough about the game to know that he was in serious trouble.

"There's probably not much I can do to help, is there?"

"No," Kevin said with a chuckle. "It's pretty hopeless."

Sarah looked at Sadie.

"Do you always beat him this badly?"

Sadie grinned and nodded.

"How long do your games usually last?"

"It depends," Sadie said. "Sometimes I allow him to take a ten-minute break. He likes to step outside and clear his head. Those games can last as long as thirty minutes."

Kevin smiled.

"Surely he's getting better."

"He is," Sadie said matter-of-factly as she claimed Kevin's queen. "He's getting much better. I'm teaching him moves as we go along. I imagine in a month or so he'll be able to last an hour, even with a timer."

Sarah laughed to herself and shook her head. She wondered if Sadie, in her quest to acquire the world's knowledge, had stumbled upon the French term
double entendre
. Kevin certainly had. He had turned red the second the words had come out.

Sarah didn't resent Kevin's friendship with Sadie. Indeed, she admired it. She regularly took issue with people who insisted that attractive single men could not be mere friends with attractive single women. Biology, they argued, always trumped the noblest of intentions.

That didn't mean she was comfortable with Kevin sharing a house, indeed a hallway, with a woman who clearly wanted him for herself. When she saw Sadie take another chess piece and gaze at Kevin with wistful eyes, she decided to throw down a marker.

Sarah placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. When she looked at Sadie, she saw a chess player who suddenly seemed more interested in a spectator's show of support than in her opponent's next move. She saw a woman who answered a confident smile with furrowed brows and something that resembled a scowl.

Sarah began to ask Kevin if he wanted anything from the kitchen but stopped when she heard someone approach from behind. She turned and saw Maude step forward with a large plate in her hands.

"Would anyone care for some shortbread?" Maude asked.

"No, thank you," Sadie said.

Kevin glanced at Maude and nodded.

"I'd love some."

He grabbed a square from the plate and returned to the game.

"Are you ever going to let him win?" Maude asked.

"I might," Sadie said. "Perhaps I'll let him win on his birthday, whenever that is."

"It's May 14," Sarah said triumphantly.

Sarah looked at Sadie and saw that she had landed a nasty blow. Sadie frowned and returned to the game.

The teacher then glanced at Maude and saw that she had overstepped. Maude stared at Sarah and subtly shook her head.

"Sarah, would you like to see the sunroom?" Maude asked as she placed the shortbread on a nearby table. "I'd love to show you my African violets while these two finish their game."

Sarah blushed and nodded. She didn't need a stronger hint.

"I'd like that, Maude. Lead the way."

Sarah glanced at the chess players as she left the room. Kevin gave her a finger wave and a knowing smile. Sadie gave her another frown and lowered her eyes.

Sarah followed Maude through the house to an extension that was walled with windows and filled with potted plants of every imaginable kind. She didn't know how well the ferns and flowers did outside the sunroom, but she did know how well they did inside. They flourished. She walked to the far side of the room and began to inspect the aforementioned African violets when Maude shifted her attention from plants to people.

"Do you know why I like this room?" Maude asked.

"I suppose it's because you like plants."

"That's one reason, of course," Maude said with a laugh. "The other is because I like people. The plants in this room remind me of the people in this house and in this town. They remind me of just about everyone I've ever known."

"How is that?"

"Well, let's take this one, for example."

Maude walked to a corner of the room, where the flowers ended and the greenery began. She lifted a small herb-like plant with compound leaves and stalked pink flower heads.

"This is a
Mimosa pudica
, also known as a touch-me-not. It is a hearty plant with a prickly stem. Even though it is native to the tropics, it looks like something that could survive an Idaho winter. Appearances, however, can be deceiving."

Maude lightly touched the end of one of the four leaves, triggering a response where dozens of leaflets folded inward and drooped in domino fashion. Within seconds, the compound leaf was a compact shell of its former self.

"As you can see, the touch-me-not withdraws into itself with the slightest offense. It is much like the young woman in my living room. Sadie is a
Mimosa pudica
."

Sarah looked away.

I thought she was a comet.

"Other plants remind me of certain men," Maude said as she walked to another shelf. "Take this Venus flytrap. It reminds me of my husband. The flytrap is a carnivorous plant that preys on living things. If you touch it the wrong way, it doesn't withdraw into itself. It gobbles you up."