Catherine's Cross, page 24
One afternoon, when Jenks and her mother went to see Seth, Mose Lafitte was in the room. “Miss Jenkins, ma’am, how are you folks today?” he inquired.
“I’m feeling much better. Mose, this is my mother, Linda Ellington.”
“Ma’am,” he nodded with a slight bow of his head before saying, “I’s glad to hear it. We been praying for you and Seth in our prayer group. We been real worried about you two.”
Seth was awake, and Mose took his hand in his. “Now, you get well now. I miss seeing you for my fish.”
“I’ll be meeting you for a fresh catch in no time,” Seth responded.
“No worries, I’ll just look forward to seein’ you soon.”
As Mose turned to face Jenks and her mother, he grinned at them, revealing a full set of white, clean teeth.
“Mose, your teeth are beautiful,” Jenks told him admiringly.
“Miss Jenks, I decided to take some of dat reward money for helping bring dose two men to justice from de boating incident. My wife’s been after me for years to do something about my teeth. She says dat dese new teeth are better for my health than de ones I had left. To tell you de truth, dese fits better.” He squeezed Seth’s hand again. “I asked Mr. Jones—it was his daughter Elizabeth who was killed in de accident—to donate de reward money to my church. Dere’s hungry folks in our community and de church need a new roof. I’s real sorry though about dat young lady and gentleman dat was killed dat night.”
Mose shook both Jenks’s and her mother’s hands before taking his leave. He told Seth that he would continue to pray for him and expected to see him up soon, even if it was on a pair of crutches.
Over the next few days, several well-dressed ladies from Beaufort women’s organizations came to see Seth and wish him well. Jenks remembered that Seth was the recipient of several scholarships funded by local benefactors.
She thought back to the evening that she and Seth had dined with Rory and he told her that Seth was the “darling of several women’s groups” that wanted to help him with his educational goals. As she thought of Rory, tears came to her eyes.
When Jenks and her mother entered Seth’s room one afternoon, Maggie Reynolds was sitting with him. She introduced herself, and Jenks remembered that she was the lady who Seth had saved from her burning automobile weeks before. “I heard about what happened to you and Detective Mason. I’m real sorry, and I hope you two get well real soon.”
Tears welled up in Maggie’s eyes and she wiped them with the back of her hand as they fell down her cheeks. She looked at Seth, who was asleep, and quietly said, “When I think of what he did for me I can’t control my emotions. I’m sorry for carrying on like this,” she said as her voice cracked.
“You don’t need to apologize,” Jenks responded. “Seth is one of those people who will make sacrifices for others. I know.”
“He’s my hero.”
“Mine too,” Jenks agreed.
Before she left, Maggie gave Jenks a card for Seth and asked her to let him know she was praying for him. Maggie looked back at Seth one final time before she left the hospital room.
Later that afternoon, Detective Campbell paid a visit to Seth with news of Frank Hiller. The Savannah, Georgia, Police Department discovered that Sterling Shipping Company had taken on a passenger on one of their cargo ships, The Temple of the Winds, that had disembarked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. One of the dispatchers for the company was a former Navy diver named Richard Martin. He had served with Frank Hiller in the US Navy and had arranged travel for his friend from the Port of Savannah. The police reported Martin’s dismay at discovering that his friend Frank Hiller was wanted for assault and murder, and that unbeknownst to him, he had helped Frank escape justice. By the time the Savannah police had researched the shipping departures, Frank Hiller had quietly disappeared in Puerto Rico.
On the morning of Seth’s seventh day in the hospital, Dr. Walker joined Jenks and her mother in Seth’s hospital room. Seth had just finished breakfast, and he was watching the morning news out of Charleston.
“Do you mind if I turn down the volume on the television?” Dr. Walker inquired.
“No, sir,” Seth responded.
Once the volume was minimized, Dr. Walker said, “I’ve spoken with Dr. Lawrence. He’s the dean of the Charleston Law School. We both started our careers together at Limestone College years ago. He has agreed to allow me to attend classes in your stead until you are able to go by yourself.”
“Dr. Walker, I don’t want to inconvenience you and put you to a lot of trouble.”
“Not to worry. Please believe me, it is my pleasure and that of my wife’s to see that you stay on track for your goals. Dr. Lawrence has agreed to allow me to record the classes, and of course, I’ll keep detailed notes for you.”
“Dr. Walker, I can’t thank you enough.”
“Son, you already have, many times over,” he said as he held Seth’s hand.
Jenks watched the two of them together and noticed tears roll down Seth’s cheeks. She smiled at him, and then wiped away his tears.
The day that Seth was to be released from the hospital, Jenks’s mother and her friend Gregg Mikell left for Raleigh. Before they left, Linda asked Jenks to sit with her at the kitchen table. “Jenks, do you love Seth?”
“Yes, Mama, I do.”
“Are you coming back to your teaching job?”
Jenks fidgeted with a napkin on the table. “Seth needs me, and I want to be with him.”
“Does he love you?”
“Yes, he has said so.”
Linda was quiet for a moment, and then she said, “Gregg and I will continue to look after your apartment and you can discuss your job with Dr. Bishop. I’ll leave that up to you when you’re ready.” Tears started to well in her eyes. “You’ve given me a terrible fright—I lost my darling Gigi, and then you—almost.” Tears rolled down her face, and then she took her daughter in her arms. “Please be careful.”
“I will, Mama.”
CHAPTER 14
Revelation
That afternoon Seth was released from the Beaufort Hospital and Detective Campbell came to assist him. Two of the nurses who had looked after him during his stay helped him into a wheelchair for the elevator ride down to the hospital lobby. Jenks carried his crutches. When they left the lobby, Dr. Walker and his wife were waiting beside their silver Cadillac. Detective Campbell helped Seth into the rear of the car. Before they departed, the detective nodded to Seth and said, “I think you should talk to your cell phone provider about dropped calls.”
Seth shook his hand while they said their good-byes, but as they pulled out of the parking lot, Seth whispered to Jenks, “What did Thomas mean about dropped phone calls?”
She squeezed his hand and responded, “I’ll explain when we get you home.”
That evening after dinner, Mrs. Walker showed Jenks to a guest bedroom and invited her to spend the night. “We would like for you to stay with us.” She ran her hand down the side of the doorway frame, and then said, “Seth has been like a son to me. I only wish that we had gotten to know him earlier. He’s a dear.”
“Yes, ma’am, I agree.”
“I hope you’ll join us in the living room. Leslie is going to play the piano for Seth.”
When they entered the living room, Seth was lying on the couch with a pillow under his leg. Jenks sat down in a chair beside him and touched his brow. His lips turned up in a slight smile before he closed his eyes.
Dr. Walker played his piano and Jenks was captivated by the loveliness of the music. She thought she recognized the song: it was the theme music to the movie Laura that she and Seth had watched together on their first date. She thought of her embarrassing behavior over dinner in Wren’s, when she had accused Seth of obsessing over her sister. She shook her head, and glancing at Seth, she noticed he was watching her.
“That was one of my favorite compositions—the theme from Laura,” Dr. Walker said at the end of the song.
He continued to play, introducing each song; first, “Waltz for Debbie,” and then, “Some Other Time.” She could have listened to him play for hours, but he concluded his performance after a hauntingly beautiful rendition of a composition entitled “Peace Piece.”
When he finished, Jenks clapped softly for him. “You play the piano magnificently, Dr. Walker, and I enjoyed each of the songs.”
“Thank you, Jenkins. The last three songs were made famous by my favorite artist, the late Bill Evans. He was a fine pianist. The last composition, ‘Peace Piece’ reminds me of the works of Erik Satie or perhaps Debussy.”
Dr. Walker rose from the piano bench and walked to where Seth was lying on the couch. He knelt toward him and softly said, “Son, I’d like to help you get to bed now. Dr. Petty said that rest was crucial to your full recovery.” He helped Seth into an upright position and then assisted him down the hallway to his bedroom. Once he was in bed, Jenks went by his bedroom to say good night.
Seth was under the covers except for his fractured leg, which rested on a pillow. Jenks bent over and kissed him on the forehead. His eyes gently opened and he said, “I’m glad you’re here. What was it that Thomas said to me today about the dropped phone call?”
Jenks sat down on the bed beside him. “After we found Gigi’s treasures in the hidden locker at the Fleming’s Seafood building, you tried to phone Detective Campbell to alert him. The phone call failed, and you started to go outside the refrigeration locker to place another one.” She squeezed his hand. “As you stepped through the threshold of the doorway, Frank Hiller hit you with a metal pipe.”
In the darkened bedroom, Jenks could see a frown cross his face.
“I’m so sorry that happened,” Jenks continued. “If I hadn’t been so obsessed to discover Gigi’s findings, we would not have been ambushed by her killer. You would be about to start law school.”
He looked sympathetically into her eyes, and responded, “I want you to understand something, Jenks. What happened to me is not your fault. Frank Hiller is to blame for your sister’s death and this.” He gestured to the cast on his leg.
Seth then closed his eyes for a moment, opened them again, and gazed at Jenks. “There will be a reckoning. I promise you.”
During the night, Jenks was awakened by frightening cries; she quickly rose from her bed and went to Seth’s bedroom.
Dr. Walker and his wife were already in the room and Seth was in tears.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” Dr. Walker said as he took Seth’s hand.
Jenks noticed how stunned Seth looked as he slowly responded, “I dreamed about Steel. I was trying to save him—get to him before he—” Seth stopped talking and Mrs. Walker stroked his head and then handed him the glass of water that was on the nightstand. He came up on his elbow and took several sips before putting his head back down on the pillow.
“I’m sorry to have scared everyone.”
Jenks came forward and took Seth’s hand in hers. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“No, I’ll be all right.”
Dr. Walker looked at his wife and Jenks and said, “Why don’t you two get some rest. I’d like to talk to Seth.”
Jenks went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and on her way back to her bedroom she heard Dr. Walker tell Seth, “Son, I think you need to talk about what’s bothering you and get it off your chest. It’s unhealthy to keep these thoughts locked inside.”
She continued to her bedroom and lay back down in her bed. She had trouble going back to sleep. What did Dr. Walker mean, “You need to talk about what’s bothering you”?
The next morning, Detective Campbell called while Dr. Walker was serving breakfast to everyone in the kitchen. Jenks noticed how tired Seth looked as Dr. Walker gave him the telephone. When the conversation was complete, Seth handed the receiver to Jenks and she returned it to its resting place on the wall.
“Thomas said that he had received a phone call from Detective Sanchez with the San Juan Police Department. The police have been on the lookout for Frank Hiller, but there are no clues to his whereabouts. He’s just disappeared.”
Dr. Walker placed a plate of cooked bacon on the kitchen table and said, “Mr. Hiller’s appearance does cause him to stand out. However, there are dozens of islands in the Caribbean that can be reached by boat from Puerto Rico. The police may not have the manpower to seek out every person who owns a seaworthy craft.”
Dr. Walker returned to the stove and lifted a large skillet with scrambled eggs and brought it to the kitchen table. “Now, everyone, help yourselves. There is plenty to eat, so no one is to leave the table hungry.” He helped himself and then looked at his wife. “Sophie, dear, would you please pass the tomatoes?”
She gazed back at him and handed him the plate.
Jenks could not help but notice how kind and polite Dr. Walker and his wife were to one another. He often called his wife by a pet name, “Soosy,” rather than Sofia. Seth had told her they had been married for over forty years, but they still seemed to be deeply in love.
That morning after breakfast, Dr. Walker helped Seth to the living room couch and then left for Charleston and the first day of law school classes. Jenks made sure Seth was sitting comfortably and had one of his law school books, and then she assisted Mrs. Walker with the breakfast dishes.
“Mrs. Walker, I can’t help but notice how kind you and Dr. Walker are to one another.”
Mrs. Walker raised her eyebrows. “Jenks, that characteristic in Leslie is what attracted me to him. We met as students at Duke University. While I had other suitors who I thought were attractive, there was no one that I had ever met who showed me the kindness and respect that I have received from him. All I can tell you is that when you are deciding on the person with whom you’d like to spend your life, think about how you want to be treated. That will help you with your choice for a husband.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She patted Jenks on the shoulder and said, “Seth would make a fine husband.”
By midafternoon, Dr. Walker had returned from Charleston, and he joined Seth in the living room. Together, they went over the notes that Dr. Walker had taken, and then Seth listened to the recorded lectures.
While the Walkers prepared supper, Jenks went over the class notes again with Seth, asking him questions. She noticed that he was having difficulty retaining the information, and he was yawning. “Why don’t we start back up after supper?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t seem to be able to focus on the material.” He rubbed his temples and sighed.
“Dr. Petty said that you could have trouble retaining new information for a while. Please don’t get discouraged.” She closed his notebook and asked, “Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”
Seth was quiet for a moment and Jenks thought he was about to tell her something, but instead he reached for her hand and kissed it.
She looked into his chestnut eyes and said, “I love you.”
He pulled her close to him and kissed her on the lips. “I love you too, Miss Ellington.”
After dinner, Seth fell asleep in his bed while reading over the notes that Dr. Walker had taken for him that day. Jenks removed the study materials and then joined the Walkers in the living room. Dr. Walker was softly playing his piano, and Mrs. Walker was reading Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. She motioned for Jenks to sit beside her on the couch.
Mrs. Walker placed a bookmark in her novel and then watched her husband perform on the piano. Jenks thought that each of his songs was rich and beautiful, and she rested her head on the back of the couch. When he finished playing, he closed the piano fallboard. “All we need are bass and drum musicians, and we’ll be all set.”
“What were the names of the songs you were playing?” Jenks inquired.
“The first was ‘Emily,’ followed by ‘I Loves You Porgy.’”
“George Gershwin from Porgy and Bess?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Both of those songs were recorded magnificently by Bill Evans.”
“I had never heard of him until I listened to a CD that Seth played for me one night,” Jenks added.
“You’re too young to be acquainted with his work unless you’re a jazz fan. He passed away over twenty years ago, a victim of his own excesses. I suppose he committed slow suicide due to his addictions.”
Jenks thought back to the day that Crawford Forrest described her brother as brilliant, but ruined by his excesses. “That’s terrible,” she said slowly.
“Yes, I agree. Sadly, artistic genius is often accompanied by weakness for unhealthy indulgences.” He sat down in a chair opposite her and added, “Jenkins, I want you to know that you are welcome here for as long as you’d like to stay. Seth is like a son to me, and I want only the best for him. What he’s going through is very difficult, but with all our help he’ll succeed. While he was one of my brightest students at the university, he singularly stood out due to his work ethic. I know he’ll overcome this.”
“Thank you, Dr. Walker,” Jenks said as she rose from the couch. She felt tired, and she said good night, checking on Seth before going to her bedroom.
Dr. Walker upheld his commitment and for the next few weeks traveled to Charleston, taking notes and making recordings of the law school lectures. Jenks studied with Seth each day. When they weren’t working on his assignments, she took long walks around the Walker property. Jenks often ended up at the Rabbit Hash Hunt Club where she studied grave markers from the nineteenth century. Summer was fading into fall, but the days were still warm and the leaves were yet to change color.
On the last Saturday of September, Dr. Walker received a phone call during breakfast. The tone of his voice was oddly morose, and when he hung up the receiver, he looked at his wife. “Sophia, that was Herbert Bradley over on Bray’s Island. He said that his granddaughter, Elizabeth, took an overdose of sleeping pills and has passed away.”
