Chapter 7

I consulted with my GPS and input resort vacations near Couer d'Alene, and several pages down Candlewycke Inn caught my eye. It was a luxury bed and breakfast, on Flat Head Lake, just outside of Kalispell, Montana. It was far enough away to keep Brenda and Cindi from being drawn into the drama surrounding George's suicide-by-cop.

I called and booked two of their best suites for a week, then used my GPS again to find an all-day boat ride so we could see all the sights on the lake. Glacier National Park was there, and it looked like a great way to spend another day.

I needed a new wardrobe, so on the way, we could stop over in Missoula, spend a day shopping, then drive up to Flat Head Lake in the late afternoon.

Once I had a plan, I shared it with the ladies, and Brenda immediately spoke up. "David – By the way, David, it's very nice to meet you, but I have next to nothing with me. Cindi or I either one, have our clothes and all of the girl stuff we use from day to day. The stuff we threw in that bag was just enough for overnight.

"I just can't take off for a week with nothing..."

I knew she was wrought up, but I needed to make sure she understood the lay of the land.

"Brenda, it is my pleasure to meet you, too. I know that you need your things, but the police will not be letting you anywhere near your house for days. George took care of that by violating your protection order, stalking you with a loaded weapon, then using it to try and threaten the entire police force.

"Your home is now a crime scene, and I guarantee you there is a ring of crime scene tape to keep you out. If you do show up at the house or work during the next week or ten days, the police will drag you to their station and question you both for hours and hours. Then one or more of them will tell a reporter every one of your dirty secrets, even ones that aren't true.

"That's how reporters make their living. They make stuff up. I need you to trust me, and let me help take care of this until it blows over. But first, you need to call your sister and tell her that you and Cindi are out of town for a week to get away from all of George's drama. That way, when the police look her up to find you, all that matters is that she will assume and tell them you two weren't home when George went postal. When the police find out different later, neither she nor you will have lied to them.

"That's the story that will leak to the press, and everyone will stop thinking about you and Cindi, and saying idiotic stuff. Hopefully, it will be old news by the time you are back.

"As for your immediate needs, we are stopping at the Walmart just ahead, and I am buying you everything you need for tonight and tomorrow morning. We'll be in Missoula tomorrow and shop for an entire vacation wardrobe for you both."

I looked at Cindi and smiled like I meant it, and said, "I can't have the woman I love going around in yesterday's clothes, now can I?"

They both saw the sincerity in my eyes and heard it in my voice. "Brenda, my parents, and both sisters were killed week before last, when a truck hit a bridge abutment and collapsed the bridge onto our car. I inherited a lot of insurance money, and the trucking company is paying a lot for killing my entire family, so I can afford to buy you a new wardrobe and everything you two need for our sudden vacation.

"Call your sister now, then turn your own phone back off and leave it off. While we are at Walmart, I'll also buy some prepaid phones.

"Sometime tomorrow you can use one to call your boss and explain that you can't go home while it is a crime scene, and that you have to take two weeks off. They'll probably be happy to give you all the time you need, because they don't want reporters around anymore than you do. It would probably be a good idea to point that out ... You can check in periodically, but reporters and other pests won't be able to find you by tracking your regular cell phone...

"As for tonight, we'll hit Walmart and grab toiletries and whatever you need to sleep tonight, plus something to wear to the mall in Kalispell, tomorrow. There we'll buy you all kinds of wonderful new clothes.

"Deal?" I smiled again.

Brenda was staring at me like she was seeing me for the first time. "Ok. We'll do it like you said. I know Cindi loves you to pieces, and I'm starting to understand why."

Brenda looked about thirty-nine-ish. She had a lean figure, medium length brown hair, and brown eyes. The age lines on her face might be due more to stress, than age, and I wondered if they would start to recede without George in her life.

We were only a few minutes from Walmart, and our shopping trip took less than an hour, including bathroom stops for us all. I bought some snacks and drinks just in case the girls were hungry when we got to Missoula, and Cindi picked up some of her favorite magazines.

Brenda was rather reserved, but I kept after her to go ahead and pick up anything that looked good to her, and finally had to make a game out of it. "Hey, Cindi? Doesn't this look like it would nice on Brenda?" I said that holding up a hideous day glow green, blouse.

Cindi laughed at my choice, but turned to her mom and said, "If you are not going to shop for yourself, we'll buy the ugliest stuff in this store and MAKE you wear it. Do you understand that Young Lady?"

That got a smile and seemed to break the ice. Brenda shopped with some purpose, and ended up with a pretty nightgown and robe, two full sets of clothes, along with a jacket, sweater, and light coat. We talked her into new Nikes and a pair of cowgirl boots.

Why not have a little fun? She'd been through a very hard time. Cindi's purchased a little more than her mother, but not excessively, and I was enjoying buying things for them.