On Ice (22 page)

“
No, but you hit the tree.”

“
That’s good?” Rene let the gun fall to her side.

“
That’s good, but that’s not.” Nadine pointed to the dangling gun in Rene’s hand.

“
Why and why not?” Rene challenged.

“
It’s good that you got that close to the target on your first try,” Nadine grinned broadly. “But it’s not good to be so careless with a loaded weapon. That’s exactly how so many people shoot themselves in the foot.”

“
Oh, I didn’t realize--” She held the gun out stiffly in front of her.

“
Don’t point it at yourself or anybody else you don’t want to shoot.” Nadine made a face. “If that tree was a man, you wouldn’t have hit him in the heart but you were still in the chest area. Your attacker would be out of commission.”

“
I didn’t know it would be so loud.” Rene tried to clear her ears.”

“
I have some ear plugs. I thought you should hear the sound of your gun being fired at least once. Maybe you won’t be afraid of it. Hit the target this time.”

Later, as Rene bounced along the road, she grinned to herself. Nadine was an excellent marksman! She had instructed Rene patiently and some of Rene’s shots had hit the target. Sam sold her a trigger lock for the gun as a safety measure and showed her how to remove the clip filled with bullets. Rene didn’t know if she could actually point the gun and fire at a person. . .at Mark, but she was closer to being able to protect herself and her children. She pulled into Mayor Wolfe’s driveway, pausing to admire the brilliant skies before knocking on the door.

“
Mom!” Seth called out. “Come and see Mayor Wolfe’s carvings.”

“
Oh, my!” she said, examining the simple, yet elegant shapes carved of colored stones. She recognized different shades of jade, ranging from a rich verdant green to a hue so light it was almost translucent white. “They’re beautiful!”

“
And these are ivory,” Mayor Wolfe said. “They were carved from walrus tusk. This one is soapstone. It’s pretty soft and easy to carve.”

Rene’s eye fell on a simple figure of a bear. It was almost three inches in diameter and formed a nearly complete circle. Carved from a piece of cream-colored ivory, the Mayor had polished it to a high gloss. She picked it up and held it in her palm. It felt cool and solid in her hand.

“
The spirit of the bear draws you to her,” the Mayor said.

“
You could be right.” Rene glanced up at him, surprised at the intensity of his gaze.

“
I am right,” he said. “The bear is calling to you. I want you to have this piece.”

“
I can’t accept this.” Rene tried to decline, but the Mayor refused to hear her objections. A leather thong was threaded through a small hole in the carving. He slipped it over her head.

“
It is right, Cheechako,” he said.

The figure of the bear seemed to hang right over her heart. She could feel it beating against the smooth ivory. “Thank you, Mayor,” Rene said, a catch in her voice. “I’ve never had a lovelier present.”

“
She belongs to you. It is right,” he repeated.

Driving home, she felt the ivory warm on her skin. It almost seemed to have a heart that beat in unison with her own.

~*~

“
That’s impossible, Maddy,” Ted laughed. “This detective, no matter how simple-minded, couldn’t possibly suspect you of a crime against Mark Desmond.”

“
You misjudge the capacity of one of Houston’s finest to be totally obtuse.” Maddy folded her arms over her chest and stopped pacing long enough to gaze up into Ted’s smiling face. “This is serious. He warned me not to leave town.”

“
We’ll see about that! The Chief of Police has been my patient for years.” He punched numbers into the telephone.

“
I don’t know, Honey.” She slowly shook her head. “From his perspective it almost sounds plausible.”

“
He thinks you would strike Terrence down with a huge wrench?” Ted turned and spoke rapidly into the receiver.

Maddy shivered though the room wasn’t cold. Two questions preyed on her mind. Where was Mark Desmond, and was Rene really safe?

~*~

“
Are you ready?” Brett asked.

“
I think so,” Rene looked around the cabin, before stepping out to join the children on the porch. The Summer Solstice had arrived on a beautiful day. The sun, shining since the very early morning hours, would stay light most of the night. She understood why the windows of the cabin had been covered with heavy layers. She had ordered a heavier thermal drape to block out the sunlight so they could get some rest at night. She couldn’t bear to put the animal skins back up. The cabin was taking on the appearance of a doll house and she felt for the first time, she was able to express herself in her home. . .Her home. She smiled at the thought.

Brett helped them into the Hummer and they set off to join their neighbors in town.

“
Why is the Summer Solstice celebrated in Sad Horse?” she asked.

“
Wait until you enjoy your first full winter here. After months of darkness, you’ll appreciate the longest sunny day of the year.”

“
Aren’t all days the same?” Seth asked.

“
True,” Brett said. “They all have twenty-four hours, but today we have almost twenty-four hours of daylight. In the winter we have twenty-four hours of darkness. Alaska is called the Land of the Midnight Sun.”

“
That’s so cool!” Seth said.

When they drove down Main Street, Rene noticed cheery banners strung across the light posts declaring today to be the Midnight Sun Festival. The storefronts were decorated and the merchants had set up booths on the raised wooden sidewalks. The churches and other groups sponsored tables.

The festival had attracted a crowd of celebrants from neighboring towns. Rene glanced nervously at the crowd of strangers, an unaccustomed sight in Sad Horse. Relaxing a little, she realized they were families and men who looked ruggedly Alaskan.
No city slickers in the bunch.

They parked and walked to the first booth located in front of the grocery store. It was manned by the local Boy Scout troop. Hank and Bernie sat behind the makeshift counter with Logan and Gunnar Schrader and some younger boys demonstrating the art of woodsmanship. A handcrafted canoe, brightly painted with Native American symbols, stood on one end. The boys had erected a tent and built a mock campfire in the street.

Rene and her entourage were greeted enthusiastically by both men and boys. They listened to the carefully memorized information each scout recited.

“
Logan and Gunnar are working on becoming Eagle Scouts. They help a lot with the younger boys,” Hank explained.

“
Why don’t you join Cub Scouts, Seth?” Sean McCorkill asked.

“
Mom, can I join Cub Scouts?” Seth fixed his ingenuous, round blue eyes on Rene’s face. “Can I, please?”

“
I don’t know anything about Scouts,” Rene said.

“
Aha!” Bernie smiled. “Fresh blood.”

“
We don’t have Little League. We do have a strong Scouting program,” Hank said. “Bernie and I started it when Logan was little. They learn different skills at different ages.”

“
We meet on Tuesdays when the weather is good. If the weather is bad, the boys work on projects on their own with their parents supervision. They earn merit badges. Good for self-esteem.” Bernie looked at her encouragingly. “I’m the Cub Scout Leader and Hank is the Boy Scout Leader, but we have a small number so we all work together.”

“
It’s all right with me,” Rene said, as Seth and the other boys jumped up and made whooping noises. They left with a Scout manual and some enrollment papers.

“
I think he’ll enjoy Scouting,” Brett said. “It’ll be good for him.”

“
I think so, too,” Rene agreed, thinking that Seth needed to build his self-esteem.

They admired a selection of homemade jams and jellies sponsored by the Protestant Ladies Guild. Rene bought jars of raspberry and blackberry preserves from Mrs. Jolly and Mrs. Westfall. They wrapped the glass jars carefully, admonishing Brett not to break them. Rene thought Mrs. Jolly seemed to be especially pleased to see Brett with her and the children.

A big man was sharpening knives in front of Pinky’s You-Name-It, We-Have-It Store. Quite a line formed in front of this booth and Rene asked why.

“
Sharp knives are fundamental to the North Country. We use them for a great many things.” They crossed the street to watch the sparks flying off the old-fashioned, pedal-driven sharpening stone. Pinky had arranged a display of many kinds of knives, from the smallest pen knife to long curve-blade buck knives. Many of the men examined and purchased the shiny weapons. Brett selected a knife with several blades and tools that folded neatly inside the handle. He paid for it and handed it to Seth.

“
This is for you,” he said. “You’ll use this a lot in Scouting.”

“
This is awesome!” Seth stared reverently at the Scout emblem affixed to the outside of the knife. “Thank you,” he said as an afterthought.

A lump formed in Rene’s throat, preventing her from any comment on the gift. She appreciated Brett’s acts of generosity and kindness toward her children, but was wary of them, as well. She wasn’t sure of his motives or her own.

Doctors King and Belker manned a health awareness booth and took blood pressures and did finger-sticks for diabetes screening. They had their heads close together, but jumped apart when Rene and Brett approached.

“
Shall I offer you my arm or forepaw?” Brett asked.

“
Just let me feel your nose,” Dr. Chad rejoined.

Dr. Lorelei blushed a particularly becoming shade of pink as Rene noticed they were holding hands. “Would you like to be screened for diabetes and high-blood pressure?” she asked.

“
The children and I had check-ups before school started. . . You know, down below. . .” She faltered, recalling how her doctor had lectured her when she found the bruises. She’d advised her to go to the Houston Women’s Shelter where Maddy often worked as a volunteer.

Rene had gone farther.

They had made a new life here in Sad Horse. Maybe Mark decided to let them go. Maybe he gave up. No, Rene thought, he wouldn’t ever give up. He would hunt them to the ends of the earth. Rene envisioned his angry face and shuddered involuntarily. She must be watchful. She must be ready. Mark would find them eventually.

“
Rene?” Brett put his hand on her shoulder. “Where were you just now?”

“
A million miles away.” She tried to smile but her lower lip trembled.

“
You looked so sad. Is everything all right?”

“
At the moment, everything’s great! Let’s visit Cindy and her mom.” She pointed down the street to a booth where Cindy and Celia were selling fresh pastries in front of her bakery. They said goodbye to the two doctors who were too engrossed in each other to register more than passing interest in their departure. Cindy, however, came out from behind the counter to embrace Rene and the children. She stretched up to Brett to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

“
How are my midwife and her jolly band?” She grinned at the assemblage. “Try these meat pies. We made beef and chicken. The proceeds are to pay for school playground equipment.”

“
What? How come I didn’t know anything about this?” Rene asked.

“
Nor I? “Brett fixed her with his questioning glare.

“
Don’t look at me that way!” she giggled. “Mom and I thought it would be a good idea. Buddy will help build it.”

“
In that case, let us have some little meat pies.” Brett offered some bills. The fragrant little pastries were wrapped in napkins and distributed. As Rene bit into the flaky crust the flavor of tender beef and vegetables melted on her tongue. Steam rose as they nibbled the savory treats.

They wandered on. Turning the corner by the hotel they spotted Ben sharing a booth with Angel Culver. They had pots of herbs and flowers alongside wrapped loaves of white and wheat bread. Rene purchased a fresh loaf, thinking of the lush marijuana crop flourishing on the roof.

Some of Ben’s pottery held plants while the larger pieces stood on the sidewalk around the booth. Ben waved and grinned his shy grin.

“
Ben!” Rene greeted him enthusiastically. “I bought one of your pots from Angel. I love your work.”

“
Aw, Miz Reeny.” He colored slightly, “You didn’t have to do that. I’d of give it to you if I’d of known you liked it.”

“
You’re very talented,” Rene said. “I wanted it before I found out you were the artist. Now, I love it all the more.”

“
I ain’t no artist, Miz Reeny,” he insisted. “I just like to work with the clay.”

“
Believe me, you’re an artist,” Rene said. “You could sell your work in any gallery.”

“
You think so, Miz Reeny?” He sounded pleased but skeptical.

“
I do,” she said.

“
Mommy! Mommy!” Sara ran to Rene’s side, tugging her hand. “Come look at the dollies.” Sara dragged Rene to the next booth where Mrs. Pindar and Bessie Hightower sold hand-made crafts, including dolls and stuffed toys. A banner declared them to be “Catholic Daughters”, though the two white-haired women bore a greater resemblance to Catholic grandmothers.