Fire, The (37 page)

Kevin chuckled.

"That's what most people say."

Kevin proceeded to two photos that amounted to his smoking gun. He put them next to each other in the camera's directory and then flipped to the first.

"Tell me what you see," he said.

Sarah examined the image.

"I see the corner of Sixth and Bank."

"That picture was taken last week."

Kevin pushed a button.

"Now what do you see?"

Sarah's face turned white.

"I see the corner of Sixth and Bank."

Kevin turned the camera off and returned it to his pocket. He took a sip of water, grabbed Sarah's hands, and gazed at her with serious eyes.

"That picture was taken on June 20, 2013. Rena is standing next to my car. She's in Spokane now, along with my parents and two hundred thousand other people who haven't been born yet. We've been staying in Wallace in a house currently occupied by Asa Johnson and his family. Asa is the owner of the shed. He's also my great-great-grandfather."

"That's impossible."

"I assure you it's very possible."

Sarah looked defeated.

"Oh, Kevin, I don't know what to believe. It's all so convincing."

"I don't expect you to believe everything now. It's a lot to take in. That's why I want to bring you along slowly. I want to show you Asa's journal, his treasure, and a few other things. Then I want to take you on a little trip."

"Do you mean what I think you mean?"

Kevin tightened his hold on her hands.

"You can't marry me until you know what you're getting into, Sarah – and to know what you're getting into, you have to see it firsthand."

Sarah put a hand to her mouth.

"Sometime Friday night, a full moon will rise in the east and turn Asa's shed into something from science fiction. We'll eat supper with the Marshalls, go on a walk at nine, and proceed directly to the Johnsons' backyard," Kevin said. "We'll step into the portal and into a time you can't possibly imagine. Whether we return to
this
time will be entirely up to you."

CHAPTER 64: KEVIN

Friday, July 22, 1910

As train stations go, the new depot of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company wasn't much to look it. Located along the river in industrial east Wallace, it consisted of a modest brick building for passengers and a covered platform that sat in the shadow of a more aesthetically pleasing facility operated by the Northern Pacific. But it was convenient and practical and, for travelers heading to Spokane and all points west, it was the only choice in town.

Kevin stood on the platform at half past one and looked at four people, including two friends he'd probably never see again and another he'd likely see for only a few more hours. He couldn't help but make connections between their life situations, prevailing moods, and current attire.

Andy O'Connell stood at the end of the line of four. Dressed in a gray traveling suit, the former reporter and future city editor looked very much like a man on the move. He checked his watch every minute or so as he nervously awaited his ride to a better life.

Sadie Hawkins seemed less eager to leave but just as determined to look her best. Attired in a blue sailor dress with a red tie and a white straw hat, she stood solemnly between two suitcases filled with clothes, books, and cosmetics that she didn't need but would probably learn to use.

Maude Duvalier, the not-so-merry widow in the Merry Widow hat, appeared as tightly wound as her form-fitting suit. She sat alone on a nearby bench and stared into space, something she had done since arriving at the station.

Sarah Thompson, the only visibly happy and relaxed member of the group, was also the only one who had dressed for comfort. She wore a white shirtwaist blouse and darker walking skirt, which had allowed her to move freely and comfortably on the long, hot walk from Maude's.

"Cheer up, people. Spokane's not that far away," Kevin said with a smile.

Sarah glanced at Kevin and shook her head in a way that said, "Now's not the time."

Kevin couldn't really disagree. He had watched Andy, Maude, and Sadie go through a variety of changes in the past few days and none had been particularly pleasant.

Andy had been in full avoidance mode for nine days running. Seemingly uneager to talk to Maude frankly about a separation that was no doubt difficult for both, he had spent most of his evenings not in Maude's arms or even at Maude's but rather on a barstool at the Shooting Star.

Maude had handled the transition better. She had maintained a positive demeanor all week and went out of her way to spend more time not only with Sadie but also Kevin. She had dropped her facade only in the evening, when she retired early and occasionally cried herself to sleep. Maude's behavior, at least, had been predictable and understandable.

Sadie's had not been. She had gone from sunshine and smiles on Monday morning to something that approached a deep depression by Monday night.

Kevin at first suspected that she had learned of his pending engagement to Sarah but quickly dismissed the notion. He had not seen her in the house when he had proposed, nor had he told her about his plans. He and Sarah, in fact, had agreed to keep their new commitment to each other a secret from all others until the time they left for the future.

Even more surprising had been Sadie's announcement the next morning that she had decided to apply for the job in Spokane. She had said the time was finally right to test her mettle in the workforce and then seek the college education everyone agreed she deserved. She planned to enroll in the State Normal School in nearby Cheney at the first opportunity and pay her bills with a fund that Maude had established in May.

Sadie had been friendly but distant toward Kevin since Tuesday. Though she had joined him at meals and frequently offered to tend to his needs, she seemed to avoid him at other times. She had spent most of the last three days shopping with Maude and packing her bags. She had apparently done precisely what he had encouraged her to do. She had moved on.

Kevin was about to greet the happy camper of the group when he heard a whistle in the distance. The afternoon train to Spokane had arrived from Burke, seven miles up the canyon.

The time traveler watched in awe as the engineer stuck his head out a window, applied the locomotive's distinctive-sounding air brakes, and brought the massive vehicle and the four cars it pulled to a complete stop. He stepped back to avoid the steam that spilled from the side of the locomotive like a fast-moving fog.

"I guess this is it," he said as he walked up to Andy.

"I guess it is," Andy said.

Kevin looked at one of the most interesting people he had ever known and smiled. He would miss this guy. He would miss his sense of humor, his Irish brogue, and his attitude toward life, people, and the world at large. He would miss having a friend who had his back in a fight and could always be counted on for frank advice.

"Take care, buddy," Kevin said as he stepped forward and gave the newsman a hug. "Take care of yourself and take care of Sadie. I'll hunt you down if you don't."

Andy laughed.

"There won't be any need for that," he said. "I'll watch her like a big brother. If anyone gives her any trouble, he'll have to answer to me."

Kevin nodded.

"I'll see you soon," he lied.

Kevin stepped back and let the others say goodbye to Andy and Sadie. Sarah embraced both warmly and gave each a small paper bag filled with oatmeal cookies she had baked that morning. Maude gave Andy a light hug, as if to telegraph emotional detachment, and Sadie a firm hug, as if to telegraph just the opposite. Kevin could plainly see that Maude's relationship with Sadie would survive this difficult separation.

When Sarah and Maude finished their business, they walked halfway to the passenger depot in an apparent effort to give Kevin and Sadie privacy for the most difficult goodbye of all. They stopped, turned around, and looked one last time at Andy, who waited with Sadie's bags near the steps to the second passenger car.

Kevin looked at Sadie and took a breath. He had dreaded this moment for days, but he knew he had to go through with it and knew he had to make the most of it.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked.

Sadie didn't respond, at least with words. She instead looked at Kevin with sad, questioning eyes – eyes that had always been windows to her innocent soul. But she couldn't hold the gaze for long. Even eye contact, at this point, was apparently a painful and pointless exercise.

"I know this is not how you wanted to part. It's not how
I
wanted to part," Kevin said. "I wish things could have turned out differently for us, but I can't and won't dwell on things I can't and won't change. I have to move on, Sadie, and so do you."

Sadie once again looked at Kevin and this time maintained the gaze, which slowly evolved into something resembling a hard stare. It was clear she wasn't taking this well.

"Look," Kevin said. "I don't want to part in anger. We're both better than that."

Sadie nodded but then turned away. Her struggle continued.

Seeing that words alone were not going to mend the rift, Kevin went straight to Part B of the painful goodbye. He reached into a bag and retrieved a wrapped package the size of a large book.

"I have something for you," he said.

He offered Sadie the package the moment she turned toward him.

"I don't want it," she said softly.

"Oh, yes you do."

Sadie shook her head and again turned away.

"You have to take this, Sadie, and you have to listen to me. You have to listen carefully," Kevin said in a voice that only she could hear. "This is no ordinary gift. It's something you're going to want. It's something you're going to need."

Sadie looked at him with new interest.

"Inside this box are a hundred and six double eagles. I counted every one with you in mind. I want you to
remember
every one. I don't care whether you use them on something sensible or something frivolous. I just want you to use them. I want you to get out of this town, seek your dreams, and live the life you deserve. Will you do that?"

Sadie nodded but didn't speak. The tears cascading down her cheeks spoke for her.

"I also want you to know that even if I never see you again, I'll never forget you. You're not just the best friend I've had in Wallace. You're the best friend I've ever had. I love you."

Kevin stepped forward and gave the best friend he'd ever had a long, meaningful hug. When they finally separated, he wiped away his own tears and gazed at her one last time.

"Now go," he said with a sigh. "Run along before I decide to join you."

CHAPTER 65: KEVIN

Kevin and Sarah left George and Bertha's right on schedule. At nine o'clock they told the elderly couple that they wanted to stretch their legs and get an hour of fresh air, even though the air hanging over Wallace, Idaho, was as heavy and smoky as it had been in years.

The time traveler did not pack a suitcase for his third trip back. He figured he had all the clothes he needed in Roger Johnson's house and Sarah would have all the clothes she needed in Irene Johnson's closet. He had taken only his hard assets, Asa's diary, Chief Joseph's knife, the digital camera, and the hand of the woman he loved.

As he led Sarah out the Marshalls' front door to the street beyond, Kevin was struck by a feeling of déjà vu. He had once stood in the same spot at the same time several months earlier, when he had stepped through the chamber of stones, walked down Garnet Street, and met a young woman who had called to him from a balcony.

He felt sadness and regret as he thought of Asa Johnson, who had died or would die this day while visiting his in-laws Spokane. He hadn't returned for another dinner, as he had planned, and he hadn't introduced Sarah to the family. He had instead tended to his own interests as he looked ahead to the day he could return to his own time.

"What if the Johnsons see us go into the shed?" Sarah asked.

"They won't. They're in Spokane right now."

"How do you know that?"

Kevin smiled sadly.

"I know it because I read it in a family history book."

He looked back at Sarah and saw that she was still trying to make sense of it all. Rather than try to explain, he tightened his grip on her hand and led her to the Johnson house and finally to the shed. Though smoke from a growing number of small fires hung over the Silver Valley like big-city smog, it was not nearly enough to blot out a shimmering moon.

"How does this work?" she asked.

"I'll show you."

Kevin released Sarah's hand as they stood in front of the chamber door and dug out two-dozen gold coins that he had kept in a separate bag. He placed them in the usual order, waited a minute, and picked them up carefully. When he reached for the door and tried to pull it open, he encountered no resistance. He was becoming an old pro at time travel.

"After you," he said.

Kevin followed Sarah into the chamber and shut the door, which brought about near total darkness. He then pulled her close and kissed her on the top of her head.

"If you only want to kiss me in the dark, Mr. Johnson, then I can think of better places," she said with obvious amusement.

Kevin laughed, wrapped her in his arms, and gave her the tender kiss she clearly wanted. He was just beginning to realize how much he was going to enjoy life with this woman.

"How long does it take?" she asked.

"It doesn't take long, usually a minute or two," he said. "I'll know it's time to open the door when I feel the air and temperature change, like right now."

Kevin lifted his nose high and inhaled.

"Do you smell smoke?"

"No."

"Neither do I. Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"It means we're no longer in 1910. It means we can get out of here."

He grabbed the knob, turned it, and slowly pushed open the door. The air was still warm, as he had expected it to be, but it was also smoke-free and decidedly humid. He had little doubt that he had arrived at the time he had departed: 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 21, 2013.