Under A Dark Summer Sky Part 5

"No, she used to be gorgeous, like a movie star. Then Mr. Kincaid came along and knocked her up. She started to eat and ain't really stopped. She pretty much stays in the house since Nathan was born, and in the meantime, Mr. Kincaid... Well, you seen it. She been good to me, though, and Nathan is a little cutie."

They sat on the end of an upturned boat, let their feet dangle in the water. The breeze brought the sound of laughter, children whining, the clink of beer bottles. The soft voice of Larry Adler's "St. Louis Blues" came from the gramophone. It all felt so normal and yet so strange, like waking from a dream to find it was real.

All the lines she had prepared to say just melted away like her footprints in the sand. Heat radiated from his skin and a musty smell he never used to have. Like something washed but not clean. His eyes, with those same curled-up lashes she always envied, were fixed on the horizon. His arms were corded with thick veins. He rubbed the scar on his neck. There was tension in his shoulders, and she realized he was nervous too. The scene suddenly struck her as too funny.

She laughed out loud. "Look at us, Henry Roberts, acting like we two strangers!" She squeezed his hand.

He exhaled. "You right! How you been, girl?" He squeezed back, friendly like.

She had held his hand so many times in the past, but this was different. "Oh, you know, nothin' ever changes in Heron Key. You could come back in another twenty years and the place still look the same."

There was an awkward silence, occupied by the ugly, lumpy truth of his long absence. All those summertimes he had missed. She felt the empty years collapse inside her. His hand was rough, crisscrossed with shiny scars.

"Yeah, but not the people," he said. "The people ain't the same, none of us." His expression darkened again.

"Oh, I don't know." She jostled his shoulder. "Maybe on the outside we different, but not on the inside. That don't change, not really. We still the same people."

"You is, Missy," he said. "You still the same sweet girl that I left, but I's different. Don't you see?" He turned to face her, his features twisted in shame. "I messed it all up. Got nothin' but the clothes on my back, nothin' to show for all those years. Nothin' to offer...anyone. I let everyone down: Selma, my mother...you." He turned his face to the sea again.

"Henry Roberts," she said, "look at me. I said, look at me." He turned back, and in his eyes she saw lost years and infinite loneliness. "I ain't the same," she said. "I ain't a girl no more. You think you the only one who messed up? I done nothin', been nowhere. I wasted my whole life so far, and ain't n.o.body's fault but mine. I still take a d.a.m.n encyclopedia to bed with me every night." Missy never cussed. The word felt good in her mouth. It unlocked other words, long held back. She sat up straighter, tried to make him see what she saw. "You been to war, you been to France. The way those boys looked at you tonight...they'd walk right into the mouth of h.e.l.l if you were leadin' them. You got them home, Henry. The rest, that don't matter. I proud to know you." She suddenly felt embarra.s.sed. It was more words than she had spoken together for quite a while-perhaps ever. "I talk too much. You didn't come all this way to hear me flappin' my gums."

There was a long pause. The waves whispered to the sand, tickled her toes. Only at this moment did the realization strike her, with the force of a hammer. All these years, she had thought of herself as powerless, no more than a leaf on the wind, but the truth was a lot worse than that. She was scared, pure and simple. Scared to take a chance, scared to leave behind the familiar contours of Mama's house and Heron Key. Just plain scared. The things she might have done, places she might have seen...they flickered before her now like an old-fashioned lantern show.

He stared at the surf where it nudged the boat. The tide was coming in fast. When he looked at her again, something was different. It was like he saw her, really saw her, as she was now, for the first time.

"You think...?" he began, then stopped himself and started over. "You think it might not be too late? For an old soldier to make a new start?"

"I know it ain't too late." She looked at the water, where the moon made silver ripples on the waves. "Only too late when you dead." Another thought came to her: Maybe it ain't too late for me neither.

Another silence while he thought about this. "Why there ain't no Mr. Missy?"

Don't you see? It only ever been you. Only you. "Oh, I just ain't found the right fella, I guess," she said breezily, "and I is really, really fussy."

"Well, I'll have a think about that for you. I might know someone."

"Much obliged." She had to look away.

"In the meantime"-he seemed to choose his words carefully-"what you say we get reacquainted, away from all...this?" He cast his eyes up the beach, where Selma had them under surveillance. "You can show me what hasn't changed around here? We could go for a walk one evening?"

She knew by rights it was a mistake to make it too easy but didn't care one bit. Her mouth opened to accept, but the sound of breaking gla.s.s and a woman's cry of fright startled them both. They ran back up the beach to find a scene of destruction in progress.

Dwayne stood at the edge of the mayhem, thumbs hooked in his belt, a.s.sessing the situation. A big, sunburned guy with malice in his pale eyes was engaged with six pals in a spree of demolition. They smashed a bunch of bottles, turned over picnic tables. They helped themselves to the booze with the clear intention of draining every last drop. One of them pushed Mabel's bowl of potato salad into the sand. Women pulled their children close, and men shuffled around impotently. It was exactly, down to the last detail, what he had expected to happen.

He had left the extra manpower back at the jail with a case of beer as a thank-you, figuring the night's main event was over after the fight. Although he was armed, he did not like the odds against him. The wild look in the veterans' eyes told him that he might have to shoot every one of them. He was perfectly prepared to do this, but it would mean endless paperwork.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the big one with the pale eyes announced, as he kicked over a table covered in gla.s.ses. "On behalf of all of us who fought for you in the filth of France, we have this to say." And he belched long and loud. Another doubled over with laughter. His pal drained a bottle of rum and smashed it against a palm tree. The others dispersed to find their own amus.e.m.e.nt amid more sounds of destruction.

Henry raced up to him. "Enough, Two-Step. You got no cause to act like this."

"You in charge of these men?" asked Dwayne. "You best get them under control or it's on you."

"Him? He ain't in charge of jack s.h.i.t," sneered Two-Step. "n.o.body owns us, not anymore. Right, fellas?"

One of Two-Step's crew tried to pull a struggling woman into an embrace while the others slurped down more liquor. Dwayne figured he had maybe sixty seconds before the whole situation got completely out of hand. He had no intention of letting that happen.

An odd a.s.sortment of men approached Henry: a big man with a lazy eye, another guy with only one eye, a shambling fellow with a Bible clutched in his hand, and a little guy who looked about twelve years old. "Trouble, sir?" asked the little one.

"Nothin' we cain't handle, Jeb," said Henry. "These," he said to Dwayne, "is my men. Sonny, Franklin, Lemuel, Jeb."

"We'll swap business cards later," Dwayne said. He stared hard at Henry, tried to focus on the job and only the job. He considered what the sheriff would want him to do, he in his fancy office two islands over. Dwayne had had one h.e.l.l of a day and really, really wanted to hit someone.

"Looks like you need one more, Henry." A well-muscled veteran with a blond crew cut approached.

"You sure, Max?" asked Henry with a glance at Two-Step. The outcome of the next few minutes was only half of it. What mattered was later, once they were all back at the camp. Things would go very badly for Hoffman.

Max shrugged it off. "I reckon so."

"You siding with the n.i.g.g.e.rs, Kraut?" growled Two-Step. "Why ain't I surprised? Well," he said and rolled up his sleeves. "I'm gonna enjoy this even more."

And with that, fists began to swing.

They were fairly evenly matched, and neither side seemed to make much headway. Although Two-Step's gang had the weight advantage, Jeb was surprisingly effective for a small person. And for a guy with only one eye, Franklin had a vicious right hook. Lemuel was yelling random Bible verses, timed with haymaker punches. Sonny sat calmly but firmly on top of someone, like the man was a park bench. Max and Henry each had their hands full.

Dwayne was just about to resort to his pistol to bring things to a close when a strange sound came toward them from the water. It was a loud hissing, like a dozen bad-tempered snakes.

The explosion was enormous, deafening, brilliant. All the rockets fired at once. The sky was filled with a cacophony of colored light. Huge blooms of red, orange, blue, green, and white covered the treetops and rained down little sparks everywhere. Along with the big bangs were pops that sounded exactly like rapid gunfire. Children broke out of their parents' grip to race with delight down to the water, squealing with excitement.

The explosions had a different effect on the ma.s.s of fighting veterans. A big pile of Two-Step's men were suddenly undone. Stan threw himself to the ground, hands over his head. Tec could be heard to whimper softly.

"Gentlemen," said Dwayne as he slipped the handcuffs onto Two-Step, "y'all are under arrest on account of ruining our party."

"That ain't illegal," gasped Two-Step.

"It is now."

"Thank you," panted Henry, wiping blood off his nose.

Dwayne hauled Two-Step to his feet and shot a hard glare at Henry. "Don't mistake me for your friend," he said and marched away.

Chapter 9.

Three hundred miles to the south, a tropical storm pa.s.ses over the Bahamas. On the verge of dissipating, it receives a sudden, mammoth infusion of energy from the superheated waters below. It gorges on this energy, gaining momentum from the very earth's rotation, spinning harder and harder, sucking air into its empty heart. It howls toward the still, summer-hot waters of the Straits of Florida, in search of more food.

Doc Williams was dreaming of Cora, as she was that day when Leann took her away. She wore her sundress with the frogs on it, her face shadowed by a white hat. She reached out her arms to him, crying, "Daddy, help me." He was running after her, on all fours like an animal, but faster than any animal, through the palmetto scrub. Branches flayed his face, his hands propelled him over the sandy soil, and still she flew ahead of him, just out of reach, her face a dark emptiness beneath the hat.

Something shook him awake. He was sweating, and his breath came in ragged gulps.

Dwayne's voice: "Doc, wake up." Another shake of his shoulder, harder this time. "Come on, wake up."

"Wha-time?" It was still dark. I must have dozed off for a few minutes. After he st.i.tched up Ronald's cheek, Doc had had no desire to return to the party. The evening was soured for him. He figured someone would fetch him if he was needed. Instead he had finished the night on his porch, with only a bourbon bottle for company. The last thing he remembered was the fireworks, which seemed to happen later and more colorfully than usual. Cyril normally only managed a few disappointing fizzles, whereas this was a full-blown spectacular. He had raised his bottle to the lights in the sky but could not think of a single thing to wish and pa.s.sed out in his chair. Probably Dwayne was there to tell him someone had cut themselves on a beer bottle. If Mabel had poisoned them all again with her potato salad, he was going to read her the riot act.

"A little after three thirty," Dwayne said. "Get up."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." He struggled to his feet with Dwayne's help. "Need some coffee. You want some?"

"No time for that. It's Hilda." The big man's face looked matte white in the porch light, his eyes sunk into shadows. "She's been attacked. Lionel found her on the road. She's in my truck. Doc, it's bad."

His tone cut through the alcoholic fog. Doc's brain cleared, eyes focused on Dwayne. He had never seen him look so worried, not even that time when the Klan announced a rally nearby. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet. Lionel was walking home, thought it was a deer in the road. She's been beaten, mostly on her head and face." A pause. "I haven't checked for other...injuries. Leave that to you. She's been unconscious since Lionel found her."

Doc felt around for his medical bag. "What was she doing walking alone at that time of night?" he asked, his sleepy brain two steps behind. "Why didn't she go home with Nelson?"

"I'll fill you in later. I called Nelson. He's on his way."

"Where was he?" Something was very wrong about this. It made no sense.

"Where do you think?" Dwayne asked on his way back to the truck. "Help me get her inside."

They laid Hilda on her back on the examination table under a bare bulb haloed with moths. A fan in the corner moved the air in feeble bursts. It took all of Doc's training to resist the impulse to gasp. She could have been anyone, a stranger, such was the damage to her face. Both eyes were swollen shut, nose obviously broken, one lip torn, and what looked like teeth marks coming through the other. There was a strange pattern across the bridge of her nose. Blood had turned her blond hair dirty brown.

She moaned softly, and her breath came in uneven gurgles. Doc leaned in close to catch the words but only got, "Make...stop..."

"It's over, Hilda," he said into her ear. "You're safe."

His professional eye cataloged other details. The soles of her feet were cut. A slim, expensive-looking gold watch was still on her wrist, diamond engagement ring still on her plump finger. Her nails were torn and b.l.o.o.d.y and there were bruises on her arms. She fought back.

"Excuse me, Dwayne, while I examine her. Hilda," he said gently, "I'm going to undress you now."

Her eyes were tiny slivers between swollen lids. "Doc," she said. Her damaged mouth formed the words clumsily, her teeth stained red. There was a gap in front where one had been knocked out. "I-"

"Quiet now, Hilda," said Doc. "You're okay. We're gonna get you fixed right up. Nothing but a few sc.r.a.pes and bruises. You're gonna be fine."

Headlights swept through the room. Outside, the sc.r.a.pe of tires on gravel, the slam of a car door. Nelson entered, dragging with great intensity on his cigarette. From his overprecise movements, Doc could tell he was still drunk.

He was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to punch Nelson right in his pretty mouth. To have been blessed with a treasure such as Hilda and leave her to walk home alone late at night... He forced himself to focus on the examination. Gently, he unb.u.t.toned her dress and noticed that her silk drawers were in place and undamaged. He carefully palpated her limbs, listened to her lungs, tested her abdomen for soreness. The damage seemed to be confined to her head and face. Who hates you enough to do this? Someone who wanted you never to be beautiful again.

Nelson cleared his throat. "Is she... Will she be okay?"

"I don't know," said Doc. Where were you when she needed you? He studied the body on the table. His skills with the needle were adequate for patching people up on the battlefield but not for fine plastic surgery. She might have brain damage. The nearest hospital with the right facilities was ninety miles away, over small, rough roads. His best would have to be good enough. "If she pulls through, she will be...different."

Dwayne entered with a curt nod in Nelson's direction. "How is she?"

"There's a nasty bruise on her temple. Need to keep an eye on that." Doc wiped his hands, pushed his gla.s.ses higher up his nose. "Broken cheekbone, broken nose, and a bunch of cuts that need st.i.tches." He glanced at Nelson, who seemed extremely calm for someone in his situation. "She wasn't...violated. I've sedated her. Got to keep her here for treatment and observation."

"For how long?" asked Nelson.

"I don't know," Doc said again. He could not fathom Nelson, not at all. Most husbands would be focused on what could be done to help. They might pray, or cry, or beg Doc to save her. They might be filled with murderous rage. He looks like he has somewhere else to be. "She should really go to the hospital, but I don't want to move her just yet. She's still in shock." And yes, he admitted to himself, there was another reason: she needed someone who cared about her. "Nelson, send Mama to me. I need her help." Everyone called Missy's Mama by that name, Doc included.

Nelson nodded. "Did she say...anything?" His eyes were bloodshot. Stubble darkened his normally smooth jaw.

"No, she said nothing."

"When can I talk to her?" asked Dwayne.

"In another twenty-four hours, I'll know more."

"So if you don't need me for nothin', I guess I'll go-" said Nelson.

"Where were you?" shouted Doc, hands clenched together. "Why was she walking alone? At night? What's wrong with you?" Anger suffused his muscles with electric tension. He had never been a fighter, always looked for a way to go over, under, around a conflict. Even as a boy, he would run away, much to the disgust of his father. But at that moment, he could have cheerfully dismembered Nelson without the need for any tools.

"Doc," said Dwayne, with a hand on his arm, "there was an argument, after you left, between the Kincaids. They-"

"My...wife," said Nelson quietly, picking tobacco out of his teeth, "was drunk, and when she's drunk, she'll go with anybody." He said to Dwayne, "You saw her, dancing with that...that-"

"Henry Roberts," said Dwayne evenly. "She tried to dance with him, Nelson, but he refused."

"Yeah, but you could see it in his face, he wanted to," said Nelson. "That's what they all want, all of them who've been away. They come back thinkin' they're better than they are. That's what they all really want."

"It's a fair question, Nelson. Where were you while your wife was being beaten?" asked Dwayne.

"At the club," he said. "We went there after you carted off those idiots from the camp."

Dwayne crossed his arms, said nothing. Doc had seen this before. The big man used silence as an interrogation tool. Few people could withstand the power of it or resist the urge to fill the vacuum with words. And so it proved this time.

"What?" Nelson asked as he lit another cigarette from the b.u.t.t of his last one. "Why you looking at me like that? You think I...?" He looked from Dwayne to Doc. "My own wife?"

"Plenty worse things been done by a man to his wife," said Doc, deliberately avoiding Dwayne's eyes.

"There's at least five people who'll tell you where I was," said Nelson, "'cause they were with me."

"I'll need those names," said Dwayne.

"Sure, sure," said Nelson with a bitter laugh and a shake of his head. "And then once you've wasted enough time talking to the good, upstanding people of this town, you'll maybe go and look for the n.i.g.g.e.r b.a.s.t.a.r.d who did this. Ain't got far to go, Deputy. Just follow the smell." And he went out into the night, leaving a cloud of smoke that hung in the air long after he had left.