Authors: A Place Called Rainwater
“I'm sorry I woke you.”
“I'm not a bit sorry, honey. Do you want me to turn on the light? ”
“No. I'm glad you're here.”
“I'm glad I moved that cot down, blocking the hall. Anyone trying to get to you would have to climb over me.”
“I'm…homesick, Thad.” The words came out on a sob. Her voice was a ragged whisper and so sad that it tore at his heart.
“Ah … honey. This is the first time you've been away from home. It's natural to be homesick.”
“I miss Papa and Julie and …the kids.”
“I'm sure they miss you, too.”
“I…don't like it here.”
“I'm not crazy about it, either, ”he whispered with his cheek against her hair.
“I can't leave.”
“No, we can't leave. We've got to think of your aunt. She may not be with you much longer. She's alone except for Radna, and she needs you. You can hold out awhile longer, can't you? ”
“I have to. And I'll not let her know that… l wish I was home.”
“That's my girl. Joe will be here in a few days.” She lay against him, docile and unmoving, lifeless as a rag doll. “He'll be bringing Blue with him. He's the Kick-apoo Indian I told you about. With three of us here, there isn't a chance anyone could get to you.”
“I'm not worried about that, ”she murmured. “I don't like being with so many people. It's like someone is watching me all the time.”
“That's because you're so pretty. Everyone wants to look at you.”
“I don't believe … that.”
“I believe it. Now, whose opinion is more important? ”he teased.
“Do you think Laura is pretty? ”
“Yeah. She's pretty.”
Jill tried to pull back, but his arms held her tight. “I'm all right now. You can go back to bed.”
“Don't you like it here in my arms? ”he whispered.
“I don't want to be a … bother.”
A low masculine growl purred in his throat and he pressed his lips to her forehead.
“You're anything but that.”
Thad didn't want to leave her. He wanted to lie down on the bed and hold her for the rest of the night. The feeling he had for her now was tenderness. She was no longer the sassy Jill he had known most of her life, nor the one who had ripped into a gang of rough men on the street corner. The woman he held so lovingly against him was his Jill, the girl who was beginning to mean the world to him.
“I want to hold you. Go to sleep, little love.” He cuddled her in his arms, holding her firmly against him, kissing the top of her head.
Minutes passed, or it could have been half an hour, before he was sure that she was asleep. He reluctantly eased her back down on the pillow. The light from the moon came through the window and shone on her face. Thad stood for a long moment looking down at her. She murmured something and wedged her palm beneath her cheek.
Thad didn't want to stop looking at her. This was the first time since he had come to Rainwater that he had been able to look his fill without her knowing it. He liked her large eyes, closed now, with thick lashes lying on her cheeks. He liked the tangle of blond curls that stuck to her cheeks. He liked her sassiness, her spunk. He especially liked her full expressive mouth, the way the corners tilted up when she smiled. He wanted desperately to kiss her.
Little sweetheart, you could break my heart.
He left her with a kiss placed lightly on her soft lips. Then, feeling guilty for taking advantage of her vulnerability, he went back to his cot in the hallway, leaving the door to her room slightly ajar.
Morning came, and with it the news that during the night Lloyd Madison's house had burned to the ground and at two o'clock in the morning he had moved into a room at the hotel.
When Justine learned that Elmer Evans had checked him in and given him the big upstairs corner room, Jill feared that her aunt would swoon. Her face turned white and then red with anger.
“I don't want him here! ”
“He paid for a whole month, Aunty.”
“I don't care. Get him out! ”
“I don't…understand — ”
“Thad! Thad! ”Justine yelled.
Thad came running in from the kitchen to see Jill standing helplessly beside her aunt's bed with a bewildered look on her face.
“Thad, they rented a room to that… to that — ”Justine's breath caught in her throat and she couldn't finish, so Jill helped her.
“Elmer rented the upstairs room to Lloyd Madison, the man whose house burned last night. Aunt Justine doesn't want him here.”
“Well, in that case, we'll tell him to go.”
At that moment a knock sounded and Lloyd Madison appeared in the open doorway.
“Morning, ”he said cheerfully. “May I come in? ”
“No! Get out! ”Justine shouted.
Lloyd ignored the outburst and held his hand out to Thad. “I'm Lloyd Madison. I don't believe I've met you.”
“Thad Taylor.” Thad accepted his hand with a puzzled look on his face.
“How are you this morning, Miss Jones? ”Lloyd smiled down at Jill.
“All right. It was a mistake to rent you the room, Mr. Madison, ”Jill said firmly. “We would appreciate it if you'd vacate it immediately.”
“I can't do that, ma'am. I rented it for a month, paid in advance, and have a receipt.”
“We'll return your money.”
“It isn't quite that simple. My house burned last night and I have nowhere to go.”
“It's my understanding that there are several rooming houses in town.”
Thad watched Justine while this exchange was going on. Her eyes were on Jill. She had not looked at Madison after seeing him in the doorway. The mild-mannered man with the birthmark on his face had not really acknowledged her.
“The hotel is the logical place for me. It's near my office and my favorite restaurant is across the street. You're in the business of renting rooms, are you not? ”
“We can do without your business, Mr. Madison, ”Jill insisted.
“I'm sorry you feel that way, because I'm here for the month. According to the law, there isn't any way you can make me leave unless you file a complaint with the sheriff. Then you'd have to give him a damn good reason for not wanting me here.”
Jill looked at her aunt. Justine's eyes were on the wall opposite her bed.
“Aunt Justine? ”
“He knows the law. Damn him.” Her lips barely moved when she spoke.
“All right, then, that's settled, ”Lloyd said cheerfully. Then, to Justine, “You're looking good, Mrs. Byers.”
Justine spoke without looking at him. “Go to hell.”
Jill gaped at her aunt.
Lloyd laughed. “In a bad mood this morning? I'm the one who lost almost everything last night. It's a good thing I keep an extra set of clothes in my office.” He grinned at Thad, then looked down at Justine. “Ah …women. Their moods change like the wind. Now that I'm living here, I'll be in often for a visit, Justine. We can talk about old times.”
“Get out! ”
Lloyd lifted his shoulders in a noncommittal shrug and left the room. Thad followed him out into the hall.
“What's that about? ”Thad asked as soon as they reached the lobby.
“The lady doesn't like me.”
“That's as plain as the nose on your face. Why? ”
“Well, it's kind of a long story — ”
“I've the time.”
“To make it short, her husband, Ralph Byers, was a crook that my father, a judge, dealt with rather harshly. Her dislike of him has filtered down to me.”
“Mrs. Byers is ill and shouldn't have to suffer your presence. Why don't you just move out? Your money will be refunded.”
Lloyd removed his glasses, wiped the lenses carefully with a handkerchief and put them back on.
“By the way, I forgot to ask last night if the hotel has laundry service.”
“Are you so thick-skinned that you'd stay where you're not wanted? ”Thad asked harshly. To his amazement, Lloyd laughed.
“It isn't a matter of having a thick skin. This thing on my face has conditioned me to endure curiosity, suspicion, revulsion and even hatred. My own father couldn't stand to look at me. Justine doesn't dislike me as much as she lets on. Give her a day or two and she'll get over her mad about me being here.”
“Don't bet on it.”
“What's your position here? ”
“Let's just say that Mrs. Byers wants me here. I'm her bodyguard, so to speak.”
“That so? And to keep an eye on Jill, I presume. Can't say that I blame you for that. She's a lovely girl. Word of warning: Watch her around Hunter Westfall. He can get under a woman's skirts quicker than a duck on a june bug. How long are you staying? ”
“Until I'm ready to leave, ”Thad answered tersely.
“By the way, I told the night clerk that I insisted on having the only key to my room. Tell the cleaning lady to leave clean towels on the table in the hall. I'll let her in on Saturday to sweep.” He went to the door and turned. “And …tell Justine that I'm still waiting for her decision on that legal matter we talked about.”
Thad followed him to the door. “Stay away from Mrs. Byers's room.”
“And if I don't? ”
“I'll beat the shit out of you.”
Lloyd let out a whoop of laughter. “You'd hit a man wearing glasses? ”
“Hell, yes. I don't give a damn if you've got one eye, no arms and two wooden legs. If you bother her, I'll cram your head up your ass. She's a sick woman. Stay away from her.”
“Jesus! You do have a mean streak. I'll have to be careful, won't I? ”The grin on his face was more like a smirk. He went out onto the porch.
Thad heard him speak to the man sitting on the bench.
“Are you glued to that bench, Skeeter? Christ-almighty! You'd better get in there and calm down your lady friend. She's in a snit.”
Lloyd whistled happily as he went down the steps to the walk. He had not had so much fun since he'd watched his papa trying to screw the cleaning girl and failing to get the job done. He'd laughed himself silly that night.
The days ahead were going to top that. Right now he had to put the sad look back on his face and go sift through the ashes that had once been his house.
D
OES THE SHERIFF THINK MR. WESTFALL DID IT?
“I've not heard that, but people are saying that he could have been the one. She was staying at his house.”
Jill and Thad were sitting at the supper table, the food eaten, the forks and knives together on the sides of the plates, the iced tea glasses empty. Thad answered Jill's question while eyeing the small helping of potatoes still on her plate. He had decided not to say anything more about her lack of an appetite and the fact that she was already so thin a good stiff wind could blow her away.
“I can't believe that Mr. Westfall would go to the meeting, then come here and go walking with me before going home and killing a woman.”
“Stranger things have happened.”
“He's the one who identified her. How could he do that without seeing her …head? ”
“The sheriff wouldn't say how he identified her. Just that he had.”
“The
Rainwater Reporter
has put out two extras in two days. Yesterday's edition was about the body being found by you and the dog. Today's paper speculated about who she was and the reported arrival of Officer Hurt from Oklahoma City. I'm glad he's staying here at the hotel. I'm also glad they didn't mention me.”
“The sheriff promised he'd try to keep you out of it.”
“Aunt Justine said that in all the time that she's been here they've only put out one other extra. That was when the bank was robbed. They didn't do it when the gusher came in. There was no need to tell about it. The wind blew oil all over town.”
“The
Tulsa World
has a reporter here. A murdered woman, especially one who was cut up, is big news, right along with the trial of that fellow for teaching we came from monkeys and Lindbergh flying an airplane across the ocean. The folks down at the
Mirror
didn't want to be scooped by a big city paper.”
Jill got up and carried the plates to the dishpan. She'd offered to clean the kitchen so that Radna could sit for a while with Justine before she went to sleep.
“Aunt Justine seems frightened since Mr. Madison moved in. She doesn't like being alone.” Jill poured water from the teakettle over the dishes. “She asked me to lock her door when I left the room.”
“Did you? ”Thad bent over to put the butter into the icebox.
“Yes, but I didn't want to. What if we had a fire and had to get her out of there in a hurry and I'd lost the key? ”
“I could get skeleton keys for me and Radna. But if Madison wanted to get in, it would be easy enough for him to get a key. I'll keep a close eye on him and your aunt's door.”
“I wish Joe would come.”
“Ah, honey. Don't worry.” Thad came up behind her, gripped her shoulders and pulled her back against him.
“I have an uneasy feeling, Thad.”
“Don't be afraid.” His arms crossed beneath her breasts; his nose got lost in the loose curls above her ear. When his lips pressed against her temple, her heart jumped out of rhythm. “Don't you trust me to take care of you as well as Joe or Jack? ”he whispered in a soft, raspy voice.
“Of course I do. It isn't that I'm afraid for myself.” For an instant Jill allowed her head to fall back on his shoulder, closing her eyes and leaning against his strength. Then she forced herself to move away and rushed into speech to mask her confusion. “There's something about Mr. Madison that bothers me. He's friendly to everyone, but it's obvious to me that there are two sides to him. Mr. Boise thinks he's God's gift to the workingman. He said that he was always going against the big oil companies, trying to get more money for the workers.”
“The only
big
oil company in town is Westfall's. The rest of the wells are being drilled by wildcatters. The fellow down at the hardware store, where I got the latch to put on your window, seems to think Madison doesn't give a fig for the workers but is out to do everything he can to cause trouble for Westfall. He said that at the council meetings he's against everything Westfall is for.”
“You asked him about Mr. Madison? ”
“Not exactly. I just drew him out a bit.” Thad flashed his endearing, lopsided grin.
“At the merchants 'meeting Mr. Madison was the only one to speak up against the amusement park. The mayor kind of shut him down. I wish I knew why Aunt Justine doesn't like him.”