Sherryl Woods - About That Man

“You should know better than anyone that a person who wants to drop out of sight can pull it off if they’re clever enough. Maybe she was making her way back to you when she ended up here. Maybe she just wanted to be back on her feet by the time she saw you. She and Tommy had been here a few years. They were doing well. She worked a variety of jobs, since much of the work around here is seasonal. She cleaned houses from time to time, waited tables, helped out in several of the shops.”

“Why not just one job?”

For an instant Mrs. Jackson looked uneasy. “I suppose it’s of no consequence now, but she seemed to have this fear of getting ’caught up in the system,’ as she put it. Several people offered her full-time work, but when it came time to fill out the paperwork she balked.”

Walker uttered a curse. “That was Flanagan’s paranoia at work. No Social Security number, no taxes, nobody tracking his every move. The man liked living on the fringes of society, picking up odd jobs whenever he could, always for cash. I thought Beth was smarter than that.”

“I’m sure she was. In fact, she’d been offered work right here at the Inn, and I think she’d almost convinced herself to take it. Anna-Louise–she’s a minister here in town–said Beth had been talking a lot about taking that final step so she could get back in touch with her family. She must have been talking about you. It was the only clue we had that she had anyone in her life other than Tommy.”

“She didn’t have to prove anything to me,” he said, though he was relieved if she’d done all of that for her own sake. And for her son’s.

“Maybe she thought she did. I’m sure she knew she let you down.”

“That didn’t matter,” Walker insisted. “I just wanted my baby sister to be okay.” He looked at her. “And now she’s dead,” he said bitterly. “What kind of brother does that make me?”

“One who did the best he could, I suspect.”

He frowned at being let off the hook so easily. “No lectures?”

“Not my job,” she assured him. “We can’t change the past, much as we might like to. I prefer to deal with the here and now.”

“Meaning Tommy?” he guessed.

She nodded. “Meaning Tommy.” She slid a snapshot across the table. “I thought you might like to see this.”

Walker hesitated before picking it up. His hand shook as he lifted it off the table. He sucked in his breath as Beth’s blue eyes stared back at him. The boy had her crooked, mischievous grin, too.

“I’ll bet he’s a handful,” he said finally.

“Oh, he is,” Mrs. Jackson said fervently. “Not that it’s much of a surprise. A boy all alone in the world has to find some way to deal with the fear. He’s been better since he’s been living with Daisy.”

“Daisy?”

“Daisy Spencer. The Spencers were founders of Trinity Harbor–not Daisy, of course, but her ancestors. Her daddy, King, is still the most respected man in town. The richest, too, by all accounts, though my own father disputed that with his dying breath.”

“Bad blood between the Spencers and your family?”

“More like an unending rivalry. King Spencer is the kind of man who doesn’t like anybody challenging his supremacy.”

“Is his daughter the same way?”

“Not at all. Daisy is a wonderful person.”

“And she’s a foster parent?”

“Not usually, no.”

“How does her husband feel about this?”

“Daisy isn’t married.”

Walker was beginning to get a clear picture of the woman. A society do-gooder looking to gain a few more points.

“How exactly did Tommy end up with her?”

“She found him in her garage the other morning after he’d run away from another foster home. He’s been acting out a lot since Beth died…mostly mischief, but clearly cries for help.”

“And despite that, this Daisy just decided to let him stay?”

“Daisy is a remarkable woman, as I’m sure you’ll see. She knew your sister and Tommy from church. She never hesitated about taking him in.”

“Maybe we should leave things the way they are,” Walker said, trying not to flinch under Mrs. Jackson’s immediate frown of disapproval. “If Tommy’s been behaving since he moved in with her, maybe she’s just the person to keep him on the straight and narrow, to give him whatever he needs.”

“You would turn around and leave here without even seeing the boy?” she asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“It could be for the best,” he insisted.

“Perhaps so,” she agreed stiffly. “But I thought you were made of tougher stuff than that, Detective.”

“I’m just saying that this woman sounds like a good role model for Tommy.”

“You’re his uncle, ” she reminded him. “The only family he has left. You would deny him that sense of identity, that sense of connection, because it’s inconvenient?”

He could feel the heat climbing into his cheeks. “I didn’t say–”

“You didn’t have to. You’re a coward, Detective Ames.”

The blunt assessment hit its mark. What had ever made him think that he could get around this woman? She was one tough customer. He met her gaze evenly. “Maybe I am, Mrs. Jackson. You don’t know much about me.”

“I know that you’re willing to turn your back on a little boy without even meeting him.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Walker muttered, thinking of the accusations his ex-wife liked to throw at him about his treatment of his own kids.

“What was that?”

He sighed. “I have two children of my own, Mrs. Jackson. Two boys.”

“Yes, you mentioned being married.”

“Divorced, actually. My ex-wife has moved to North Carolina. I see my kids for two weeks in the summer. My ex claims that’s still more than I saw them when we were living under the same roof.”

She surveyed him with that penetrating look that disconcerted him.

“Is she right about that?” she asked.

“Probably. I’m a dedicated cop. It’s never been a nine-to-five job for me.”

“Which is to your credit. I’m sure it’s not easy. Based on our phone conversation, I’m sure you’ve seen things that the rest of us would prefer to pretend don’t happen. That must take a terrible toll. The work must consume you at times. I know mine does, and it can’t be nearly as difficult as what you face.”

“That’s still no excuse for neglecting my family,” he said. “I was a lousy husband and not much of a father.”

“Your words or hers?”

He smiled at her indignant expression. “Hers, but she pretty much nailed it. I don’t deny it.”

“Owning up to your mistakes,” she said with a little nod of satisfaction. “I think maybe you have potential, after all, Detective.”

“I haven’t changed,” he insisted.

“But you can, with the right incentive.” She pushed the picture of Tommy back in his direction. “At least meet him. Tommy needs to know that he still has family out there. You owe him that. You surely owe your sister that.”

Walker couldn’t debate that point. He owed Beth for not being there for her, for not trying harder to keep her away from Flanagan, for not finding her years ago.

“Okay, you win. I’ll meet Tommy, but I’m not making any promises, Mrs. Jackson.”

“Fair enough.” She reached across and patted his hand. “I’m sure you’ll decide to do the right thing when the time comes.”

Walker wished he shared her faith. There was one more thing he had to do while he was here, though. He needed to go by the cemetery, see where his sister was buried.

“Before we go to see Tommy, there’s something I’d like to do,” he began.

“Stop by the cemetery,” she guessed. “It’s five now. I’ll call Daisy and let her know we’ll be there about six. And if you’d like to take flowers to your sister’s grave, I know where we can get some lovely ones.”