The Edge of Town (34 page)

“Doc Curtis sent me to tell you that a girl was grabbed last night but managed to break away. He thinks it may be the same man who raped the girl down at Well’s Point a week or two ago.”

“Thank God she got away from him.”

“This girl left the house to go to the privy. It sits well back of the house among some bushes. When she came out someone grabbed her from behind, slapped his hand over her mouth and attempted to drag her back into the heavy brush. The girl had her mouth open when he covered it, a finger went inside and she chomped down on it hard. He muttered a curse. She broke away, screamed and ran. She was almost to the house when she fell, cutting her leg on a piece of glass.

“The girl’s father and brother searched the area but failed to find a sign of anyone. Her folks brought her in this morning to have Doc sew up the cut in her leg.”

“Does Doc think she’ll talk to me?”

“She’s a brave little girl. He thinks she will, and he thought you might want to look around.”

“Let’s go.”

* * *

Birdie settled Elsie on the bed in their room for a nap and escaped to the front porch as soon as she had made a show of helping with the cleanup. Jethro had heard her offer to help and had seen her trying to please Julie.

“It’s nice and peaceful here, Jethro,” she said and sat down in the porch swing beside him. “Thank you for letting us come here for a while.”

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want, Birdie. I couldn’t stand to think of you going somewhere and feeling like you were putting folks out.”

“Your boys didn’t have anything to say to me,” she said with a small pout to her lips.

“They’re bashful around a pretty woman. They’ll get used to you.”

“Do you think I’m pretty, Jethro?” She tilted her head inquiringly toward him.

“You’re the prettiest woman I’ve seen in a long, long time,” he replied thickly.

“You’re sweet, that’s what you are.” She reached over and placed her hand on the back of his. “I hope I can make Julie and Jill like me. I’m going to try real, real hard. You’ll see.”

“Give them a little time, Birdie.” He turned his hand over and clasped hers tightly. “It’s a shock to them to have another woman in the house.”

“Oh, I understand. Truly I do. It’s difficult for us, too … not having a home.” Her voice broke and she pulled her hand from his. “Don’t be mad at poor little Elsie for not playing with Joy. She had a terrible time over at Wilbur’s and she’s scared it’ll be the same here.”

“No one here will mistreat her, or they’ll answer to me. Jason is sulking because I told him to tie up his dog, but he’ll get over it.”

“Elsie and I don’t want to be a bother. Oh, my, you don’t know how wonderful it is to be here. It’s so nice and quiet and…safe. All that hubbub over at Wilbur’s just kept me on edge all the time.”

The screen door slammed behind Joy. She ran to the swing and climbed up into Jethro’s lap.

“Papa, guess what?” Her small hands framed his face so he had to look at her. “We’re goin’ to town to see Jack play ball. Mr. Johnson is comin’ in his car.”

“When was all of this decided?”

“I don’t know.” Joy wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek before she jumped off his lap and raced around the side of the house, scattering the white hens who were busy pecking and scratching among the grass and other greens that edged the lane.

“She’s a pistol.” Jethro laughed and wiped his cheek. “We’ve all spoiled her.”

“I’ve noticed,” Birdie said dryly. “Aren’t you a little worried about the younger children being …so familiar with the Johnsons?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know the reputation
they
have.”

“Walter has the reputation, not Evan.”

“There’s an old saying, an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“You seem to think it all right for Julie to go out with Evan.”

“Julie is a grown woman and can take care of herself. Jill is the one I’d worry about. She’s at an age where she’s susceptible to the flattery of a worldly man with a nice car and money to spend.”

“She’s only a kid. She’ll be fifteen in a week or two.”

“That’s what I mean, Jethro, dear. Some men like them young. Evan could be paying attention to Julie in order to be near Jill. You must admit, as lovely as
we
think Julie is, she’s not the type a man who has been all over the world would be attracted to. As sad as it is to have to say this, he could be just using her. I’d watch Jill around him if she were my daughter.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You’re such a good, dear, sweet man, Jethro Jones.” She patted his thigh. “A thought like that wouldn’t enter your mind. You haven’t had to face the sorry side of life as I’ve had to do.”

“I reckon not, but I thought Evan was a decent sort. Joe and Jack think so, too.”

“I’m not surprised that the
boys
would like him.
Boys
admire a man of the world … one who has a car and can tell tall tales.”

“Joe is pretty sensible, and he’d raise holy hell if anyone misused Jill or Julie.”

“Jethro, dear, all they know about Evan Johnson is what he’s told them. How do you know he was in the army? He could have been in prison, for all we know.”

“He was in the army. I’m sure of that.”

“I’ve learned to trust my own instincts, Jethro. Some people are just not what they seem to be. My husband’s own brother tried to get me in bed not a month after Bobby died. Can you imagine? He had been so nice, helping me with the funeral and all.”

“And you want to go back there?”

A small sob escaped her. “It isn’t that I want to. We don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Jethro patted the hands clasped in her lap and Birdie gloated to herself.
If I told him black was white, he’d believe me.

They were silent for a while and during that time Birdie’s mind was busy.

You’ll be sorry for slighting me, Evan Johnson, you low-down bastard. If it’s the last thing I do before I leave here, I’m going to make sure your name is mud in this town, and people will spit on you when you walk down the street.

When Birdie went to the bedroom to see about Elsie, Jethro went to find Julie. He found her in the kitchen. Joy stood on a kitchen chair stripped down to her underpants. Julie was washing her. Joy was chattering as usual.

“Will Mr. Johnson buy us an ice cream?”

“I don’t know, sugarfoot. It wouldn’t be nice to mention it.”

“I won’t. Can I ride in front? I’ll be still.”

“We’ll have to wait and see. You’ll be nice. I know you will.” Julie lifted Joy off the chair. “Run up and put on the clean dress I laid out for you.” Julie poured the water from the wash dish into the tin sink and watched as it drained down the pipe and into the yard while she waited for her father to speak.

“Joy said Evan was coming by to take you and the kids to the ball park. Do you think it’s the thing to do … leave when we have company in the house?” He eyed her keenly.

“I didn’t realize that Mrs. Stuart was company. I thought you were providing a place for her to stay for a while.”

“She’s company. I invited her here,” he said belligerently.

“If she’s a guest, Papa, she’s your guest. I don’t think we should deprive the kids of an outing because she’s here. Do you object to us going to the ball game?” She looked at him with a puzzled frown.

“No, but I want you to keep an eye on Jill. I don’t want Evan Johnson alone with her for one second. Is that understood?”

“What in the world are you hinting at?” Julie stood ramrod straight, chin tilted so that she could look up at him. Her eyes locked with his, her temper in danger of flaring out of control.
What has Mrs. Stuart been telling you?

“I’m not hinting at anythin’. I’m tellin’ ya to keep an eye on Jill and keep her away from Evan Johnson.”

Julie took a deep breath, refusing to look away from her father’s narrowed eyes.

“What’s brought this on? Has Evan given you a reason to think he’s interested in Jill?” she asked, but she was sure she knew who was behind his suspicion.

“Jill’s just a kid. She’s goin’ over fool’s hill and can be swayed by pretty words from a man like Johnson.”

“Good grief, Papa. Do you think Evan is going to force himself on Jill?”

“I’m saying we don’t know much about him. Girls Jill’s age are easily swayed, and some men get ideas about them. Heed what I say, and you can take the kids. That’s my final word on the matter.”

Jethro went out onto the back porch and stood with his back to the door looking off toward the orchard, where Jason sat in the shade of a gnarled old apple tree holding the end of a rope tied around Sidney’s neck.

Joe and Jack were playing catch. Jethro was proud of Jack for making the Fertile team. He would like to see him in action. When Elsie woke up from her nap, he might ask Birdie if she would like to go watch the practice.

Why in hell did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t the kids have been happy that he had found someone to be a companion to him? In another few years they would be gone and he would be alone. If Julie married, she would take Joy. Thoughts of the lonely years ahead were scary.

Birdie wasn’t suited to life on the farm, and he feared that she never would be. He was uncertain about how he would making a living for her if they left the farm after the children were gone. His hope had been that Birdie would get used to it and be content to stay here.

It occurred to him suddenly that he was thinking about marrying her. Reason kicked in, and he realized that it was too soon for that. He didn’t want to rush her into anything just because, at the present, she didn’t have anywhere to go; but Lord, how his heart pounded when he was near her.

Upstairs, Julie only had time to run the brush through Joy’s hair and she was out the door and down the stairs. She combed her own hair and put on a clean dress.

“Do you think Papa would have a fit if I cut my hair?” Jill preened before the mirror.

“I don’t know, honey. Mrs. Stuart has short hair. But you’re kind of young to have a flapper cut.”

“I hate her. I hate her kid. I hate her guts.”

“I’m not real fond of her myself.”

“Did you see how she tried to be helpful while Papa was around? And she threw out a half a bowl of peas. I had to shell those darn peas.”

“It’s easy to see why Ruth Humphrey wanted to get rid of her.”

“That kid of hers is a brat.
I don’t like this. I’d like it if it had raisins in it. The chicken is … tough.
” Jill mimicked Elsie’s whiny voice. “Papa made Jason finish his pudding, but he didn’t say anything about the
brat
leaving hers. I’d like to wash her ugly, pinched face with a fresh cow pie.”

“It’s best to stay away from her. Don’t give Birdie an excuse to complain to Papa. It’ll just make him feel sorry for her.”

“If you married Evan, would you take us with you?”

“Honey, I’m not going to marry Evan. I’ve just gone out with him one time.”
Oh, Lord. How can I tell her Mrs. Stuart has planted a seed in Papa’s mind that Evan is like Walter and that I’m not to let her be alone with him?

“I’m afraid that if you married him, you’d go to St. Joseph. Mrs. Jacobs said he has a fine big house there.”

“Evan isn’t wanting to marry me. He’s being kind to us. He doesn’t have any friends here and he gets lonesome. Don’t make more of it than there is.”

“I think he likes you …a lot. Jack thinks so, too. Why else would he buy you candy? Do you have any left?”

“A piece or two I’m saving for Jason and Joy.” Julie’s cheeks were flushed. “Come here and I’ll tie this blue ribbon in your hair.”

They went down the stairs and out through the kitchen to the back porch, hoping to avoid Birdie, but she was on the porch with Jethro.