Chapter 5

Sadie and Pa arrived before dinner. Angie was an excellent cook. She served crusty fried chicken and a potato salad. She had always kept home-made yeast rolls in the freezer and these were almost as good as fresh baked. When it was almost dark, Pa suggested we all take blankets and go lay in the grotto. It was a glorious night. “Wait until full dark here, I have some things I want to say.”

It took awhile, but finally we saw a star directly overhead. “Jack, this may seem strange bringing what I’m going to reveal up at this point. It is something you should know about Angie. I’m not sure, but she may know it already. She was terribly injured the night Brian died and it would be a wonder if she remembered shooting him.”

Angie spoke up, “I was terribly confused, but I think I do. I do remember coming to and finding the gun by my hand. There was so much blood around him I knew he must be dead. I remember earlier in the evening trying to get to the downstairs bedroom where the gun was. I woke up and could see I had. The phone was at hand too, so I picked it up and called 911. I didn’t hear Rescue arrive but when I came to again, men were putting me on a gurney.”

“Angie, did you remember me coming in to see you?”

“I was pretty groggy, but I think it was while I was in ACU. It was late, I think.”

“I did see you in ACU at that time. I couldn’t tell that you were my daughter you were so enveloped in so many bandages.”

I knew Pa wanted to say something more, but seemed afraid to. My flashlight passed over Sadie and she was tense and, or scared ... so scared she was trembling. It was full dark now and we couldn’t see the expressions on the others faces without the flashlight. I spoke up, “Pa, do you mind if I say a few words?”

“Go ahead.”

“Is everyone comfortable, this may take a bit?”

“What’s this got to do with what I was saying?”

“You’ll see if you give me a chance. I have to go back before Brian’s death. And at first this is how I came to purchase my house.” I paused to let anyone break into the conversation and stop me. No one did. I picked up where I left off, “I had been here looking at the property two times and I was ready to make an offer. Two weeks later the realtor said that the price had been lowered. I think this was the week that Brian died, maybe four days after his death.

“I did a walk though and signed that day. I paid cash and was given the keys. I set about getting my furniture and the following week I had help to move in. In the afternoon there were people here and I deduced that it was because there was a funeral. It was three weeks later when George Johnson hired me to take care of Angie’s property. I was informed then that she was still in the hospital and would be for some time.”

“Yes, and you came to visit me and I fell in love with you.”

“And I fell in love with you. Pa, why are you bringing something up now just before Angie and I are married.”

“Son, Angie is tagged as a woman who killed her husband. That is a terrible thing for you to live with and even more terrible for her.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Our love will survive. We have discussed this at length and the crime, if that was what it was, was determined to be justified.”

“I know and there is no way to change that.” It was he who paused now. “But I would like to add something to the facts neither of you are aware of.”

“Pa, maybe Angie isn’t aware, but I think I am aware of some of those facts you are referring to.”

“You can’t be, but if you are, maybe I shouldn’t have this conversation.”

“Dad, you started this and you had better finish it.”

“If Jack hasn’t said anything before this and knew some things and hasn’t said anything, then there is no need to go on.”

Angie wanted to know what we were talking about. “What about me. I need to know”

“Pa, I was going to tell Angie after we were married.”

“Well, Jack, tell me then.”

“Okay, but Pa, won’t this make you nervous about your future if everything is out into the open?”

“I consider you family. That’s enough for me. Angie does need to know, although you can tell I’m a little concerned, and some about you too.”

I was speaking, “Pa, you don’t need to be. To continue; about the first time I met Angie she told me she had called her mother that afternoon before she was injured. I believe you jumped into your car and headed here to protect her. You got the hidden key from the stone at end of the house and came in through the back door. You arrived too late to help prevent her injuries. I suspect Brian was drunk and passed out when you came in. I’m guessing you found Angie was passed out on the floor.

“I suspect she roused up and tried to get the gun out of the side table drawer, but she couldn’t make it and probably passed out again just as you arrived. She had, though, tipped over the table and it woke up Brian. The gun was on the floor and it was you who picked it up and shot him.”

“You’ve got it about right. She was so still and I thought she was dead at first because she was not moving. Yes, I did shoot the bastard and not sorry a bit. I guess when the gun went off she roused up for she started to struggle reaching for the gun that I had in my hand, but she thought it was still on the floor. She soon passed out again and I had to decide quickly what to do.

“When did you get her robe off her?”

“What about the robe? Nobody said anything about that.”

“Well, why did you come back weeks later and get it from where you hid it among the dresses upstairs? George said the police were looking for it. It was a detail that was needed to wrap up the case.”

“I had to do something. Any powder residue was on me and not on Angie’s robe. I’ve read enough detective novels to know things like that and I watch NCIS on cable. I had to hide it. I didn’t want it with me in case I was stopped or investigated so I hid it upstairs on the rack sandwiched between two other robes. There was a lot of blood where her knee bled and there was a lot of blood on the front when her face bled all over it. As of now, they think she and Brian were the only two in the house. How did you get onto me, anyway, or that I was even in the area? How did you even know to look for it?”

“To be honest, I was curious about a woman who supposedly killed her husband and I looked at everything. No woman puts more than one robe on one hanger. I just went through looking at her apparel and when I came to a hanger that had three robes on it, I looked at it. I found it when I went through the house the first time. I didn’t touch the robe either, but I was damned curious how the bloody robe got hung in the closet.

“I looked at expensive clothes, all of Angie’s pictures, her cook books, what she used for wall decorations, and all kind of things. Her house is filled with top of the line furniture and dishes. I knew more about her than she knows about herself before I even met her. I even found out how well off she was.”

“Well, how in hell did you know it was me that was here?”

“I wasn’t positive at first and knew someone had to have been in the house. That is until I came to your farm to visit. I knew someone had driven a car into my garage and closed the door between the time when I did a walk though and when I took possession. There were tire tracks in the dust on the garage floor that weren’t there when I did a walk through after I bought my property just days before. There were footprints in the dust going from the car to the window several times as if he was someone was watching something going on across the street. You know, like cops, and ambulances, and things like that.

“You came up to my office the first time I met you. I looked at your tire treads when I went by your car, but that wasn’t all. There were a man’s footprints going to the corner of the garage where someone had pissed. Also, there was a plastic cup that had something black in it sitting on the foundation. The liquid in it was almost dry and I had no idea what it was until I saw you use a cup just like it to spit tobacco juice in. You’re just lucky the cops figured the garage across the street was empty.

“All my questions were answered at that time and I knew it was you who had been there during the time of the death of Angie’s husband. The part about the robe was a lot of supposition, and at first it took me time to put together until you brought it back to Angie washed. By the way, how come you parked in the garage, anyway?”

“I had to hide after Angie called 911. It wouldn’t do to be met coming down the street and be met by a couple of cop cars. I couldn’t leave for the same reason. I was there about eight hours. I waited until the police left, but then I figured I had better stay until everyone on the street had gone to work the next morning and would notice a strange car. I tell you I was some worried I would get caught.”

“You were lucky.”

“I know, but not just that way either: First Angie thought she had shot Brian and she did just as I wanted her to when she used the phone to make the call. I figured she wouldn’t turn me in if she knew the truth, but I couldn’t be sure. I was very close to my sister, Maggie, and just as close to Angie.”

“And why are you telling her, us now?”

“It just wouldn’t be fair to her or you to think she was a killer when it was me all along.”

“Sadie, I suppose you were home on the farm all along taking care of the cattle. Did you have any problem with all this?”

“A lot of problems. I had no word from Pa from the time he left the farm at about nine that night until nearly eleven the next morning. I got one phone call from the police about six in the morning telling me that my daughter was injured and my son-in-law was dead apparently by her hand. Pa didn’t call me and I didn’t dare call him. The cops asked for him first, but I was worried by that time and I said he was at the barn milking and for the cops to tell me why they called. No word from Pa and not knowing anything, I thought the worst had happened.”

“And what would that be?”

“You know, Pa in jail for murder or being searched for. I sure hated to pick up the phone when he did call me at last.”

“I should think so.”

“Pa went into the hospital to see how badly Angie was injured before coming home. He stayed in a motel room three days before he came home. She had some work done on her, but they told him she wouldn’t be able to speak until the next day. One of us was in to see her as often as possible. George Johnson kept us apprised. And then one day we began to hear about a man who lived across the street who had come to visit Angie. Some facts coming from Angie and some from George.

“We began to feel there was an improvement to the terrible times coming that had plagued our daughter’s life. We knew after a bit you two had fallen in love and we wanted to be no secrets in your life together. We just hope it hasn’t been too upsetting learning about everything at this late date.”

“Dad, I believe you did what you had to do when I was unable too. Also, I believe you had an unbelievable amount of luck.”

“I guess I did, didn’t I sweetheart? You know, I think we have been out here long enough. Angie, do you have something in your house to drink?”

“No Pa, but Jack does in his house across the street. Jack, I’m going to see somehow that you have a wife and a child just like you promised your mother by the time you are thirty.”

We went back to the houses. Pa and I split off to get the beer that I had in my house while Sadie and Angie went into Angie’s. “Jack, you ought to be a detective. I can’t imagine how you figured out what I did the night I killed Brian.”

“I don’t know either. It just seemed that the facts coming at me as I observed them added up. Behind it all, I just didn’t believe that Angie killed her husband. Not that it would have made any difference if she had, because it needed doing.”

“Jack, is this going to change how you feel about me and Sadie?”

“No, not at all, I’m proud of what you did to protect Angie. She would be dead by now if you hadn’t. We’re good in all ways.”

When we returned to Angie and Sadie, the two were discussing our wedding. “I’d like to have your wedding at the farm, but most of Jack’s relatives are here, so I can see that won’t work.”

“So, Angie, what have you come up with?”

“I’m going to ask Rita to me my maid of honor. Do you think Sammy will mind?”

“Of course not. She has three kids to watch. Are they being invited?”

“Yes, definitely! I would like your oldest niece to be flower girl or maybe the two nieces can go down the aisle hand in hand. That would be so cute. Who are you going to ask to be your best man?”

“George. I’m going to ask my brother-in-law, Norm to be an usher. Do you have anyone in your family who would?”

“I don’t have anyone. You must have a cousin that would be glad to.”

“There’s Josh. He’s younger than I am. He’d fit right in with you, Pa. He went to Ag School and is saving his money. He wants to start farming someday. It takes a lot of money to get one going.”

“Jack, tell me about it. It takes a lot to keep one going, too. I’ll talk to him and tell him all about farming from my prospective.”

“He’d like that. Angie, where is our wedding going to take place?”

“Sweetheart, I have a suggestion, but if you want a church wedding, I’ll defer to you.”

“Tell me.”

“Jack, there won’t be more than a dozen people. How about removing a couple of the shrubs on the side of the grotto and have our wedding in there? We can put up an arbor, decorate it with flowers, and it will make a nice picture for us in our wedding journal.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. What about the reception afterward?”

“I’ll leave that up to you.”

“Angie, my uncles are going to put on a spring fair the day of the wedding for the workers. This date was decided after we set our wedding date. I would very much like to have you meet more of my family and some of the people I work with. Rita will want to be at the fair to introduce George around too. I can have the wedding table set up, have our reception and maybe some of the people will join us. It is up to you, though.”

“I don’t know, Jack. What do you think, Mom?”

Pa didn’t give Sadie a chance to answer. “Angie, you’ve been almost a recluse for a year. It’s time you showed some support for the man you are marrying. He has done a lot for you. His family and the people he works with are going to want to know his wife. Especially since his uncles own the factory. It couldn’t be a better chance for you to get to know them”

“Do you think it will be okay with your uncles?”

“I’ll speak to my aunts. They have been after me to bring you to meet them. I don’t know as there is time before the wedding just to meet. They will all be at the fair, just like Mom and Dad. It will give Angie a chance to hold court. We are a little weird in one way in that we don’t visit around that much. I’m a good example of being weird, as you well know. We do respect each other and get along great when we have the chance.”

“Jack, are you going to be satisfied with a small wedding like this?”

“Yes. I would be happy to just go to a Justice of the Peace somewhere, but my mother and Sammy would never let me live it down.”

“We do need to make your family happy. I have had my big wedding and I don’t want another. This seems about right for me.”

‘****’

Our wedding came off extremely well. Angie was either with me or with Rita and we met a good portion of the two hundred employees that worked at the factory. I did introduce my cousin, Josh, to Pa Driscoll. An hour later the two still had their heads together. I didn’t get a chance to see what they were talking about before Angie and I left for Myrtle Beach on our honeymoon. We had two weeks. We planned on visiting Pa and Sadie on the farm the last three days before returning home.

When we pulled in front of the farmhouse at six I could see a huge tractor still at work in one of the fields baling hay. “That must be Pa. he’ll be working as long as there is daylight.” We went inside and Sadie said the supper was almost ready. Pa was sitting at the table already.

I offered, “I see your help is still in the field.”

“That’s not my help, that’s my partner. I’ve agreed to sell part of the farm to your cousin, Josh. I’m paying him wages for the next few months and then we’ll sit down and see where we are. From what I see so far, I’m going to make him manager and step back from a lot of the day-to-day work.

“When did this happen?”

“Jack, he threw some of his things together and rode home from your wedding with us. He and his girlfriend are living up stairs. She is out there in the field with him working at stacking those 500 pound bales with a fork lift. She’ll be going back to Vet School. There is a good one about fifty miles from here and she has already transferred her records. She is studying to be a large animal veterinarian.”

“What’s her name?”

“Janice Bingham. She’s not very pretty. She’s big though and that’s a plus for what she is going into for her life’s work. I’d trust her to handle cows or horses.”

“Are they living together?”

“Yes, and are getting married when she gets her papers next year. Angie, I want to ask you if you mind me start selling off some of the farm. I should have asked you before, but you were all tied up with Jack. Jack’s family is all in the area where he works and you kind of made your 500 acres of woodland your life’s work.”

“I think it’s great. Would you promise us that you will come live near us when you retire?”

“I’ve already talked it over with your mother. The sooner you have grandkids the sooner we will move. We wouldn’t have done this so early except I’ve lost my two farm hands. One has moved to Alaska and the other went to work for another farm. That one knew how hard it was to replace the first one and he was afraid I would be working him too hard shortly thereafter. I could have told you all of this at your wedding, but you left before I could speak.”

“Dad, it sounds like you have your future well planned. Jack and I have been working on providing the kids Mom so wants. Jack’s parents are of the same mind, so maybe we will end up with both sets of parents living close to us.”

“You don’t have to hurry too much, unless you want to. It will be five years before Josh owns this place totally.”

“We’ll work it out.”

We heard the tractor arrive from the field. It was a few minutes before Josh appeared. “Hey cousin, I recognized your car in the yard. How’s married life?”

“Great, you should try it.”

“I’m planning on it. You’ll meet Janice in a little bit. She wasn’t at the fair when you were married so that is why you haven’t met her yet.”

Sadie spoke to Josh, “Janice coming in soon?”

“She is here already. She is putting fuel in the tractor. Give her ten more minutes.” Josh went to wash up. Janice came in and did the same and Sadie had supper on the table. I liked my cousin, but didn’t know him that well. I saw him a few times a year at family gatherings. If we were playing games, we always tried to be on the same side. We were unbeatable together.

Janice Bingham was a couple of inches taller than him and weighed at least thirty more pounds. She was a big girl. She told us about always wanting to be a vet and it looked like it was going to be possible with Josh on the farm. Pa had agreed to build an office and maybe a small stable and corrals for any sick animals.

After supper, Pa asked me to walk through the barn like we did the first time Angie and I were here. “Jack, I have an envelope to give you. It’s out in the barn. I don’t want Angie to know about it.”

“What’s in it?”

It is kind of like a will, but more like some explanation of how I want my property and assets divided if something happens to me.”

“Is something going to happen to you that we don’t know about?”

“Yeah, some, I have a heart condition. I’m on medicine, but you never know. I don’t want Sadie or Angie to worry.”

“Pa, I won’t do it. Those two women should know about your condition now. They’ll watch out for your health a little more than you would by yourself and it would hurt them terribly if you dropped dead suddenly and they didn’t have a chance to tell you how much they loved you. Is this the reason you decided suddenly to get a partner?”