Exousia (Karass Chronicles Book 4) Page 23

  Common disasters could do that, Tina knew. But it was more than that. It was Valerie’s heart. Valerie had looked past the circumstances of their meeting and had seen what they had in common. They understood each other. Both widows. Both with children to raise on their own. Both married to men that they didn’t really know.

  Tina followed Valerie to the back of their house, each grabbing a bottle of water on their way through the kitchen to the garage. Valerie was driving. She knew how to get where they were going, and had the nicer car.

  The cemetery was south of town. Tina had never been there before. There had been a funeral for Harold, but Valerie had kept it private. Just her and her children. Neither she nor Harold had a family. All they had was each other. In the midst of all the allegations of who and what Harold was, Valerie didn’t want to bring more attention to his death. But her children had a right, and a need, to mourn for their father.

  Tina had Frank cremated. She and the children had released his ashes into the field where Jay had been shot. She thought it a fitting tribute to them both. A symbol of what she hoped for Frank. That he was now free.

  Valerie had chosen a plot for Harold near the edge of the cemetery. It was close to the forest that embraced the grave sites. There was a small bench that she had brought and placed in front of the grave, and that’s where the two friends sat.

  “Thank you for coming, Tina,” Valerie said touching the back of Tina’s hand.

  “Thank you for asking me to, Valerie. I haven’t been able to give back to anyone for a long time. I was too busy running and hiding. You could have shut me out, and you didn’t.”

  There was nothing either woman could say to make it better. They sat on the bench and let the sun wash over them.

  They sat so still a squirrel walked over Valerie’s foot causing them both to laugh out loud, which turned into a full-blown giggling fit. After it calmed down, Valerie said, “Wow. I needed that!” Wiping the tears from her face with her sleeve she asked, “Are you still selling the gas station, and moving?”

  Tina paused, looking up at the beautiful blue sky and watched a fluffy white cloud that looked like a sheep drift by.

  “This is a beautiful town. I know I will always love it, but it was Frank’s town. Even when I was little, it never felt like mine. I want to find a place that is mine. So yes, I’m still selling the gas station.

  “Grace helped me find someone who does that kind of thing. He didn’t think I could get much for the station itself, especially since that new station has been built. But the land right there in town might be worth something.

  “Plus, when Frank and I first married we bought small term policies on each other. I never stopped paying the premiums on Frank’s even when it was a struggle. Given who he was, there was always the chance that he wouldn’t live that long, and in life, he was never going to support us. So in death, he is. That money, and whatever I get for the station, will get us all started on a new life.

  “Do you know where you are going?” Valerie asked.

  “Not far. I think we’ll move closer to Pittsburgh. I would like to come back and visit from time to time, so I didn’t want to go too far away. Pittsburgh seemed like a good choice. A city, and yet close to Doveland.

  “I am checking out school districts and that will determine where we go. We don’t need a big place. After all, we have been living in one room rentals or tiny houses like the one behind the station. Anything will be better than that.”

  Turning to face Valerie, Tina added, “Then I am going to do something I always wanted to do. Take night classes. I can do that while working a day job.”

  Valerie reached over to Tina and hugged her. “I am so proud of you Tina! And I’m thrilled you will be so close. We can spend more time together. I’ll come there, and you can visit me here.

  “So you aren’t moving?”

  “I thought about it. But even though this was where Harold grew up, as soon as we moved here, I fell in love with it. I love my job. The school has been so forgiving of my not being present very often this past month. Now that things have settled a bit, it’s time for me to see what I can do to make sure every child around here has the best education possible.

  “And then there are my friends. Grace and her friends have become my friends, our friends,” Valerie said looking at Tina.

  “I don’t know if I can run the Bed and Breakfast by myself though. I don’t want Johnny to feel that he needs to help me so that he doesn’t go off to school. That’s something I have to decide. But it does mean that I have a big house to put friends in when they come to visit.”

  Tina smiled at her friend and wondered if she could learn to be more like her. “And Craig?”

  Valerie stared at Harold’s grave for a moment before answering. “You noticed?”

  “Well, it was kinda hard to miss. Craig has been so attentive and concerned. I don’t think it was just about taking care of a patient.”

  Valerie paused. “We didn’t talk about it at all. I loved having his support, and I felt my heart leaning towards his. But it’s too soon. And now. Well, he has pulled back. Not just from me, but from everyone. I don’t know if that rift will ever be closed.”

  “His loss,” Tina said grabbing her friend’s hand.

  Valerie nodded thinking that if the door had closed on that possibility, it was her loss too. But she wasn’t going to mourn something that never happened.

  She stood up and said, “Come on. Let’s go get something yummy to eat before the kids come home from school.”

  “Aren’t we eating at Ava’s tonight at the meeting?” Tina asked.

  “Oh, yes. But look at us. This may be the one time in our life we can overeat and not care what kind of food it is either. We can go with our taste buds instead of our logic. For once!”

  Laughing, they linked arms and strolled back to the car.

  Leif watched them go. He had chosen not to be seen this time so that they could have their time together. He could report back to Sarah that yes, they were doing fine. For them, life had gotten better than it was before. Whatever they still needed to go through, they had each other to lean on.

  Fifty - Eight

  “So we just let him go?” Sam asked.

  They were all outside Ava’s house sitting around a fire that Evan had made for them. It was a warm May evening, but the blazing logs gave them a focal point. It reminded Sarah of the fires they used to gather around in Sandpoint. It was a much smaller group then. And Leif was sitting beside her then. No, she shook her head, not going there. Besides, he was still right beside her. Perhaps not physically, but she could see and hear him. That was enough.

  The silence dragged on. No one spoke. Everyone knew how Sam felt.

  Finally, Sarah said, “No, we are letting go, Sam. It’s different.”

  “But he is going to fly away and go unpunished? We’ll never know for sure that it’s him. Well, I know it’s him, but I can’t prove it.”

  Craig grunted quietly, but everyone heard him. He sat with the group, yet slightly apart. His chair just a bit out of the circle of light the fire created. He had made it clear that he didn’t believe that it was Dr. Joe who had killed the women on the hill, let alone Harold, Lenny, and Frank. As they said, there was no proof. None at all.

  “Who do we need to prove it to? Will it make you, or us, heroes in someone’s eyes?” Mandy asked.

  Mira reached across and touched Sam’s hand. “You haven’t failed, Sam.”

  “Well, then why do I feel that I have? All those deaths with no one to blame for them. No one is going to be punished.”

  “That always brings up an interesting question,” Sarah said. “Who is responsible for punishing people? Our justice system is set up to punish. Even to the point of killing. On purpose. Yes, we all need to look at the wro
ng that we do and rectify it. But we often punish instead of helping.

  “Why does someone become a criminal? Look at Hank. He was a criminal. He did evil things. And yet today, his life is dedicated to helping. What if he would have ended up in prison, punished. Would he have gotten better, or worse?”

  Hank squirmed in his chair and added. “It’s true. Without your help at changing I probably would have seen myself as evil my whole life.”

  Emily, sitting beside Hank bumped his shoulder and smiled at him. They could all see him physically relax at her assurance that they understood.

  Everyone, including Valerie and Tina, was at the meeting. Everyone except Melvin. As Hank had thought, Melvin had worn himself out.

  After walking the bike trail for about a half a mile, they had gone back to the truck and followed the trail to Concourse. Sometimes the finished part of the path could be glimpsed through the trees. As they drove, Hank pointed out where the trail would continue, and finally where it ended in Concourse—on one of the side streets that led into the center of town. The dream was to connect Doveland and Concourse. Melvin told Hank it was the best idea he had ever heard.

  When Hank dropped off Melvin, he made sure he was settled for the night, before heading back to Ava’s. He worried about him, but at the same time, he knew that Melvin understood and accepted what was happening.

  “I’m not saying that we don’t need to keep people off the streets who intend to hurt others, in one way or another. But should we punish them, or help them?” Sarah said.

  “Not everyone is going to get better. Some people have no desire to be anything but evil,” Sam answered.

  “You’re right. And those people need to be stopped. Joe is probably one of those, I agree,” Sarah rushed in, as Sam started to speak again. “And if it were possible to catch him, he would have to be put somewhere that he could do no more harm. Not an easy task given his skills at manipulation and mental suggestions.”

  “But those criminals are not the majority of people that we end up punishing. And even some of those hardened criminals can be helped to find their way back to the infinite presence of Good.

  “However, Sam, in this case. We can’t even prove who committed these killings. Or how he did it. Plus, we know that our friend Craig doesn’t believe it is Dr. Joe.”

  Everyone turned to look at Craig who simply nodded and looked away.

  “Besides,” Leif added, “Joe has already left town. He flew to Morocco this morning. There is no way to get him back here unless he wants to come back.”

  “That doesn’t mean we are safe from him though, does it? Thought travels. What if he targets us, or the people of Doveland again?” Mandy asked.

  “Oh for god’s sake!” Craig yelled. “You keep convicting him and you know it’s not Joe. It can’t be Joe. Look at all the good he has done for this town! For everyone. I can’t believe that none of you are thinking clearly. Stop blaming him. Look elsewhere!”

  Everyone looked at each other. No one knew what to say. Craig just kept staring. “Sarah, tell them!” Craig yelled.

  “Craig’s right in that Joe has done much good in this town, and we can’t prove that it is him. Craig is also right in another way. We can’t divide ourselves this way. That separation would make us vulnerable. Whether it is or isn’t Joe isn’t the point right now. We need to learn how to protect ourselves, the town, and then spread out from there. We need to stick together.

  “We also need to remember that evil, or moral wrongness, is not real. It’s an illusion. One we can, and will, dissolve. First within ourselves. And it will be much easier if we do it together.

  “Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” was the answer, with a few scattered “Amens,” and “So Say We all,” mixed in.

  Mandy went back into the kitchen and brought out a cake she had baked that day, and fixings for s’mores. “Tonight,” she said. “We celebrate!”

  “What are we celebrating?” Pete asked.

  “May! We are celebrating May. It’s Sarah’s favorite month of the year. No other reason is necessary.”

  As everyone laughed and started helping themselves to the food, including all the kids who were asked to join the grown-ups, Sarah and Leif stood off to the side and watched.

  “Is this enough?” Sarah asked.

  “It’s enough for now,” Leif answered. “Eric and I will keep watch over Joe. If he turns his sights back to town, we’ll let you know.”

  Sarah stood alone for a while after Leif and Eric faded away wondering if she knew what she was doing. How much danger were they in, and what would they do if Joe did return?

  Grace joined Sarah and looked at her friend. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?” Sarah laughed.

  “I think you said to be vigilant and joyful. Not vigilant and worried. Besides, you aren’t alone.”

  Grace pointed to the woods surrounding the house. A light blinked. Sarah looked at Grace in wonderment. “You see that?”

  “I do. And I happen to know that means The Forest Circle is here too.”

  Sarah sighed. A weight she didn’t know she was carrying slipped off her shoulders. Grace was right. They weren’t alone.

  Fifty-Nine

  I miss all the other kids being here,” Hannah said to her mom as she sank back into her bed after saying her prayers. She looked around the room thinking how lucky she was to have such a pretty bedroom. She still loved it, but now that she was almost eleven Hannah thought that perhaps soon she could design a new bedroom that was more grown up. Besides, she always added an extra eight years on to her age since she still kinda, sorta, remembered her lifetime before with her past-dad, Jay and her mom, Maggie.

  Ava told her it was okay to let the past slip away, but if she wanted to remember she would help her. So they had established a secret time together to talk. Once Hannah was in bed they would sit for a while and tell each other private things about their lives. They couldn’t tell anyone else what they shared unless they had been given permission.

  Hannah loved their secret time together, which delighted Ava. Ava knew that she was the one who received the best gift in the world in that private time. It was a privilege to hear all her daughter’s little secrets and fears about growing up.

  One night Hannah shared that she had a small crush on Johnny. She was sure that Johnny didn’t know, and didn’t feel the same way about her because he saw her as a little girl.

  Ava just smiled to herself thinking that Hannah only had to bide her time. When she was older, Johnny, and any other boy she liked, would be flocking to her like bees to honey. Not that Evan would be happy about that. Ava was pretty sure that Evan would be keeping a tight rein on his daughter. Plus, Eric was continually checking on his adopted, granddaughter. Hannah would always have a chaperon, like it or not.

  On another night, Hannah told her mom that a girl in school had been mean to her. With this news, Ava had a private talk with Valerie about what was going on in school. Ava never gave away Hannah’s secret, but the bullying issue immediately became a focus of the school and was resolved. Not just for Hannah but for everyone else who had been at the mercy of a child who had only been reaching out for help and now was getting it.

  Hannah often shared about missing Jay. She would always add that she loved her dad Evan too, and Ava would assure her that it was okay to be sad and to love both of them. There was no limit to the number of people she could love.

  Ava knew it was a privilege to listen and hold those secrets that Hannah shared sacred and close to her heart. Ava hoped that as Hannah got older, they would continue to keep their private time together and share their secrets. Ava made sure that she also shared with Hannah little secrets from her own life. It was a simple way to teach Hannah lessons she had learned, usually the hard way, without being preachy. They were s
haring stories. Ava knew that Hannah was getting to know her mother in a way Ava never had a chance to know her mother, Abigail.

  As Ava kissed Hannah goodnight with a butterfly kiss, she said, “I miss having the kids here too, but I love this little secret time that we share. Sometimes it’s a little busy when all of them are staying here, and we don’t get a chance to share. But we can plan a sleepover soon if you like.”

  Hannah nodded, and as her eyes closed, she whispered, “You don’t have to worry about Dr. Joe, mommy. At least right now. He likes his new home, and doesn’t care about us anymore.”

  “That’s good to hear, sweetie,” Ava said, thinking that Hannah probably did know that to be true. How she knew didn’t matter.

  Out in the hall, Evan was waiting, holding a sleepy Ben. “He didn’t want to go to bed until you kissed him goodnight,” Evan said. Ava looked at her little boy in his fire engine pajamas and Evan who became more handsome every day and said a silent prayer of thanks for all their blessings.

  She knew the practice of gratitude would help keep them safe.

  Sixty

  Six weeks had gone by since Dr. Joe had left town, and once again it was the summer solstice in Doveland, Pennsylvania.

  This time, there were no threats of poisoning, nor fear of killing. The miasma of fear had lifted, and for those that were paying attention, it had happened when Dr. Joe left town.

  Valerie had used the preparing of the solstice as a time of healing. She was her best while running things. The school had welcomed her back saying that chaos had begun to take over when she was gone. Within a week, Valerie had everything running smoothly again.

  With Valerie at the helm, the solstice went off without a hitch. Face painting, musicians playing, dancing, fireworks, and food all happened. Perfectly.