Mary Clark - A Cry In The Night

Clyde did not come near the house. The third day she went into the office. It was the tenth of February. Clyde was on the phone talking to a dealer. She sat watching him. When Erich was around, Clyde tended to fade into the background. With Erich gone, his voice took on a new note of authority. She listened as he arranged the sale of a two-year-old bull for over one hundred thousand dollars.

When he hung up, he looked at her warily. Obviously he was remembering their last conversation.

“Clyde, don’t you have to consult with Erich when you sell a bull for that kind of money?”

“Miz Krueger, when Erich is here, he gets into the business as much as he wants. But the fact is he’s never been much interested in running this farm or the limeworks.”

“I see. Clyde, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Tell me. Where was Rooney Wednesday night when you thought you saw Caroline?”

“What do you mean, where was Rooney?”

“Just that. I called the hospital and spoke to Dr. Philstrom. He’s the psychiatrist who came in to see me.”

“I know who he is. He’s Rooney’s doctor.”

“That’s right. You didn’t tell me Rooney had an overnight pass on Wednesday night.”

“Wednesday night Rooney was in the hospital.”

“No, she wasn’t. She was staying with Maude Ekers. It was Maude’s birthday. You were supposed to go to a cattle auction and you’d given permission for Maude to pick up Rooney. Rooney thought you were in St. Cloud.”

“I was. I got back home round midnight. I’d forgotten Rooney was going to Maude’s.”

“Clyde, isn’t it possible Rooney slipped out of Maude’s house and was walking around on the farm?”

“No, it ain’t.”

“Clyde, she often walks around at night. You know that. Isn’t it possible you saw her with a blanket wrapped around her, a blanket that might seem like a cape from a distance? Think of Rooney with her hair down.”

“Rooney ain’t worn her hair out of a bun for twenty years, ’cept of course…” He hesitated.

“Except when?”

“’cept at night.”

“Clyde, don’t you see what I’m trying to tell you? Just one more question. Did Erich put a gold locket in the safe or give it to you to put there?”

“He put it in himself. He said you kept mislaying it and didn’t want it lost.”

“Did you tell Rooney that?”

“I might a mentioned it, just to talk, just to pass the time of day.”

“Clyde, Rooney knows the combination of this safe, doesn’t she?”

He frowned, a worried frown. “She might.”

“And she’s home on passes more than you’ve admitted?”

“She’s been home some.”

“And it’s possible she was wandering around here Wednesday night. Clyde, open the safe. Show me my locket.”

Silently he obeyed. His fingers fumbled as he worked the combination. The door swung open. He reached in, pulled out a small strongbox and opened it expectantly. Then he held it up as though hoping that a stronger light would reveal what he was seeking. Finally he said, his voice unnaturally soft, “The locket ain’t here.”

Two nights later, Erich phoned. “Jenny!” There was a sing-song, teasing quality in his voice.

“Erich! Erich!”

“Where are you, Jen?”

“I’m downstairs, on the couch.” She looked at the clock. It was after eleven. She had dozed off.

“Why?”

“It’s lonesome upstairs, Erich.” She wanted to tell him what she suspected about Rooney.

“Jenny.” The anger in his voice bolted her awake. “I want you where you belong in our room, in our bed. I want you to wear the special nightgown. Do you hear me?”

“Erich, please. Tina. Beth. How are they?”

“They’re fine. Read the letter to me.”

“Erich, I found out something. Maybe you’ve been wrong.” Too late she tried to call back the words. “I mean, Erich, maybe we’ve both just not understood…”

“You haven’t written the letter…”

“I started to. But Erich what you think isn’t true. I’m sure of that now.”

The connection broke.

Jenny rang the bell at Maude Ekers’ kitchen door. How many months had it been since she’d been here? Since Maude told her to leave Joe alone?

Maude had been right to worry about Joe.

She was about to ring the bell again when the door opened. Joe was there, a much thinner Joe, the boyish face matured by tired lines around his eyes.

“Joe!”

He held his hands out. Impulsively she grasped them; with a rush of affection she kissed his cheek. “Joe.”

“Jenny, I mean, Mrs. Krueger…” Awkwardly he stood aside to let her pass.

“Is your mother here?”

“She’s working. I’m by myself.”

“I’m just as glad. I have to talk to you. I’ve wanted to talk to you so much but you know…”

“I know, Jenny. I’ve caused you so much trouble. I’d like to go down on my knees for what I said the morning of the accident. I guess everyone thought I was saying that you… well, you’d hurt me. Like I told the sheriff I didn’t mean that at all. I just meant, I thought I was dying and I was worried about telling you I’d seen you that night.”

She took the seat across the kitchen table from him.

“Joe, do you mean you don’t think you saw me that night?”

“Just like I tried to explain to the sheriff and like I told Mr. Krueger last week… there was something always bothering me about that night.”

“Bothering you?”

“It’s the way you move. You’re so graceful, Jenny. You have such a quick, light step, like a deer. Whoever came down the porch that night walked different. It’s hard to explain. And she was sort of leaning forward, so her hair was almost covering her face. You always stand so straight…”

“Joe, do you think you might have seen Rooney wearing my coat that night?”

Joe looked puzzled. “How could that be? The reason I was standing there is because I saw Rooney on the path leading to the house and I didn’t want to bump into her. Rooney was there all right but somebody else got in that car.”

Jenny rubbed her hand over her forehead. These last few days she’d come to believe that Rooney was the key to everything that had happened. Rooney could let herself in and out of the house so silently. Rooney could even have overheard Erich and her talking about Kevin. Rooney could have made the phone call. Rooney knew about the panel between the bedrooms. Everything fit into place if Rooney, wearing her coat, had met Kevin that night.

Then who was wearing that coat? Who had arranged the meeting?

She didn’t know.

But at least Joe had verified that he believed she, Jenny, was not that person.

She got up to go. There was no point in being here when Maude came home. Maude would be horrified. She tried to make herself smile. “Joe, I’m so glad to have seen you. We’ve missed you. It’s good news that you’ll be working for us again.”

“I sure was glad when Mr. Krueger offered me the job. And like I say, I told him what I just told you.”

“What did Erich say?”

“He told me I should keep my mouth shut, that I’d only start trouble raking up that story. And I swore I wouldn’t mention it again to a soul. But of course he never meant I couldn’t tell you.”

She made a business of pulling on her gloves. She mustn’t let him see how shattered she was. Erich had demanded that she sign that statement, saying she got in the car with Kevin, even after Joe told him he was sure someone else was wearing her coat.

She had to think it through.

“Jenny, I guess I had an awful crush on you. I think I made it hard for you with Mr. Krueger.”

“Joe, it’s all right.”