red lory

Copyright © 2012 by Dave Newell

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer

who may quote brief passages in a review.

First eBook Edition: November 2012

Cover Art and Design by Jon EckertEdited by Lori Sabin

Newell / RED LORY / 1

For my brother Jonathanand our childhood friend Captain.

They gave me this story.

For my wife Lydiaand our recent journeys.

They gave me perspective.


Acknowledgments

It would be dishonest of me not to mention the following key people who, in some way, enabled me to begin and finish the writing of this story: My brother Jonathan, who introduced me to worlds that exist only on page. My wife Lydia whose patience is astounding. My teacher Lynda Sleigher Shafer, who empowered me as a young writer. Melissa Perea, for her creativity and honesty. Jon Eckert, for his art and ambition. Leslie Fear, for her persistence and encouragement. Lisa Cole, for her insight and eagerness. Jim Blanchard, for his thoughtfulness and logic. Lori Sabin, for challenging everything. Tarryn Fisher, for her time and insight. Caleb Pyle, for his humor and an act of kindness that began this process. I thank you all.


Chapter One

Most everyone in town smelled the same. They wore the cheap stuff that smelled only just better than gasoline. You could find it in Traver’s Drug Store behind the expensive bottles, the stuff Douglas Howard smelled like. He stood with a group of men under the revolving barber’s pole but wasn’t listening, instead checking his watch and eventually bidding them a good day.

Douglas walked off Main to Elm, pinching his brown leather doctor’s bag closed in his right hand. His shoe taps clacked on the sidewalk in high tempo as he rolled a cigarette with his left hand. He turned right on Elm and then left at Mackerel, crossing over the empty street with six long steps. Making an O with his lips, he whistled smoke while he waited at the corner lamppost.

From the south of town, a tan-colored Packard sedan on whitewall tires inched along Mackerel and squeaked to a stop as Douglas walked toward it. The driver slid over, opened the door and stepped out. He only stood to Douglas’s shoulder but weighed nearly the same. After a glance down at the street name painted on the curb face, the short man spoke: “You Doctor Howard?”

“That’s right,” Douglas replied. “I talked to you over the telephone. Do you have her?”

He leaned forward and looked in the back window of the car. Reflections of overhead branches blocked the view of the backseat but not enough to cover the sight of a shrouded white object.

“Yeah, she’s in the back,” the man said and shut the passenger door. “Me and the missus just want shed of her.”

“How much do you want?” Douglas fit two fingers into the pocket of his cream tattersall waistcoat.

“Nickel for the troubles is all,” the man said with a wave. Douglas picked out a dime and handed it to the man who took it with his

thick fingers.“She’s pretty, just curious is all. Real curious like.” The man opened the

car’s back door and pulled out a white wire cage covered halfway by a thin blanket. He handed it to Douglas and immediately walked around to the driver-side door and waved goodbye.

Douglas nodded. “Good day then.”The man made a u-turn and drove away with a swirling cattail of blue

exhaust trailing behind. Douglas set the cage down, lit another cigarette, and then lifted the cage’s blanket.


“Pretty bird,” he said and tapped the wires with his fingernail. The parrot blinked and scratched its neck.

***

One block over from Mackerel, Douglas approached his office on Willow and opened the door. A fair-haired woman on the opposite side of the waiting room greeted him from near her desk. She wore a tan knee-length skirt and white crepe blouse ruffled from the collar to her breasts. Her feet were bare except for the stockings she wore. She was full-figured and thin at the waist. Eight wooden chairs painted white lined the near wall.

He nodded at her and removed his hat, placing it on a hook. “Morning, Dare. Any calls?” He set his satchel down and pulled the blanket from the cage.

“No. No calls. Looks to be a day at the office, although you’ve got the Prescotts at two.” She stared at the cage and sat down at her desk. “Who’s my competition?”

Douglas lifted the cage. “A bird.”“Will I have to clean up after it?”Douglas held the bird up again. “No, sweetheart, you just listen. I think

she’ll whistle.” They waited for a moment. The bird only cocked its head and stared.

With a shrug he said, “Must be broken.” After removing a fern from a corner table, he folded the blanket on the surface and set the cage on it. The bird’s feathers were a deep rose with strokes of blue along the wings and a teardrop stripe of blue around each eye. A hooked, orange beak yawned open and shut. The bird smartly peered around the room and bobbed its head as if to say she approved.

Dare flipped open a book and pulled papers closer while fishing out a pencil from a drawer. She puckered her small, red lips in thought while Douglas tended to the cage.

He opened the door and placed his hand inside. After a moment of study, the bird stepped off her perch and sat on the index finger offered her. Douglas stepped back and held his hand up. The bird hopped to his elbow and climbed to his shoulder. He put his cheek to her beak, and she nibbled at him.

“She likes me,” he said.Dare looked up from her paper. “So, she is competition.”“What should I name her?”“Hannah.”


He reflected a moment, stuck out his lower lip and nodded. “Hannah. We’ll be good friends.”

Hannah opened her beak as though laughing but then closed it. The three stared at one another, Hannah staring at both people on opposite sides of the room. Dare scratched at her ear and returned her attention to the desk. She said, “Douglas, you’ve got some work in your office.”

“Good thing I have someone to help,” Douglas said and stroked the bird’s wing. Hannah ran to his other shoulder as Douglas shut his office door behind him. The office was small. He turned sideways to slide behind his desk. His journal sat open near his daily ledger. Hannah hopped down to the desk and watched him.

“Hannah,” he said.She bobbed her head up and down and spoke for the first time:

“Hannah.”He blinked at her in surprise and let out a short laugh. “By golly,” he said.

“I think we’ve got ourselves a real talker.” Pulling the journal closer, he opened the ledger and flipped through it until he found the name for Madison Prescott a week earlier. Using that date for reference, he found her most recent case in his journal and reviewed it. Hannah sauntered over and studied with him.

***

A knock sounded, and the door to his office opened. Dare walked in with a sandwich in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“It’s one o’clock,” she said. “I ran down to the diner and got your lunch. I was already out and figured you’d forgotten.”

“Thanks, sweetheart, I had. Hannah and I have been reading all morning.”Small balls of paper littered the desk and the edges of the journal had

been clipped. Hannah stood bent over the journal and held her posture while staring at the intruder. Dare set down the sandwich and water and sat in the corner of Douglas’s office.

Douglas pulled the toasted chicken salad sandwich from its wax paper sleeve and took a bite.

“Traver’s does all right with sandwiches.” He picked off a piece of the bread and handed it to the bird. Hannah nibbled at it and flicked the rest away. “I’ll get you some proper food after we visit the Prescotts,” he promised.

“You’re taking the bird with you?” Dare raised an eyebrow.


“No, that just kind of hopped out. I’ll come by after I’m done checking on Mrs. Prescott and get Hannah.”

Dare reached out with a leg and closed the door with her foot. “Prescotts at two,” she reminded. “About an hour until then.”


Chapter Two

Douglas wiped the last of the crumbs from his shirt and left his office. Dare stood behind his desk, swiping the little balls of paper into her cupped hand. She looked up as he left. “That bird is staying in the cage when you’re working.”

“Move her cage in there next to my desk.” Leaving through the front door, he pinched a cigarette between his lips. He set it alight and stopped on the sidewalk to look down the road. A car rolled by, sun glinting from its glass but dull on the body coated with pollen. Trees grew tall along the road and met over the dividing line. Douglas let out a stream of smoke and flicked his wrist to lightly swing his bag. Another puff of the cigarette, and he was off down Willow, a left at Elm, a right at Lee, and a quarter mile to Seedwood Lane.

Mr. Prescott opened the door. He wore slacks and a nicely pressed, white, collared shirt with suspenders. “Come on in, Doctor. She’s really ailin’ today. She can’t hardly see nothin’, and she’s just plumb tired.”

“I’ll take a look, but Otis, I’ve told you what her problem is and neither of you have heard me.” Douglas stepped into the house and set his hat and suit coat across the back of the couch.

“Well, I reckon you’ve told us, but we think it’s something else.” Mr. Prescott stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged at the doctor. The elderly man dipped his head to the side, almost in embarrassment, and said, “We just want you to give us a second opinion on it is all.”

“My second opinion is as good as my first. Where is she?”“In our bedroom.” The man motioned down the hallway and led Douglas

to the room. The old lady lay in the bed with a wet towel stretched across her forehead. One of her thick, spotted hands kept a firm grasp on the towel. She opened her eyes and looked at Douglas.

“Mrs. Prescott, talk to me about what’s happening.”“Oh, I just can’t see a blamed thing and feel like I’m on a ship with Jesus

before he calmed the waters.”“Yes, ma’am. And you’re thirsty?”“Yes.”“And are you still making water often?”She hesitated and nodded slowly. “Yes.”“Everything is the same as when I saw you weeks ago, Mrs. Prescott. You

have diabetes, and you can easily manage it. They’ve put together some wonderful medicines.”


Her other hand floated up into the air as though lifted by angels and it fell back down to her breast. “Oh, Doctor. It can’t be. I think I just need some reading glasses. Some new ones.”

Douglas shook his head and held his breath in exasperation before speaking again. “You don’t need new reading glasses. Well, you might, but that has nothing to do with the problem you’re having. Do you think the glasses will help keep you from being thirsty?”

“It’s just the time of year,” she touched her throat. “The pollen and all. Scratches at me.”

Douglas looked out the bedroom window and sniffed. He looked over at Mr. Prescott before glancing back at the man’s wife. “Ma’am, I’m really sorry, but if you don’t want to hear what I have to say, I’ll have to stop coming out here. And I’ll still write a bill for five dollars and leave you with nothing. Otherwise, you can listen to what I have to say and accept the prescription I wrote up for you even before I came out here. It’s for something called Tolinase. It’s been around for a while and will fix you right up. You need to eat better, and you need to get out and do some yardwork once you get your strength back.”

“But she’s really weak,” Mr. Prescott said. “She couldn’t handle shears or nothin’ like that.”

“If she starts to take this, what I’m prescribing, and changes what she eats, she’ll regain her strength. After that, Mrs. Prescott, just get out and pull a weed. If you don’t have weeds, throw a pine cone behind a bush, then go and fetch it out. Otherwise, you can keep putting cold towels on your head until your heart or kidneys get tired of playing this game.”

He stood in the room looking down at the couple. Neither man nor woman replied. They listened to a clock tick off the seconds of indecision.

“What is it again?” Mrs. Prescott’s voice was strong, although she faked a weak voice and acted as though it took a concerted effort to speak.

“Tolinase. It’ll help you manage what you have. Diabetes is what’s causing you to ail. If you’ll agree to begin taking it, I can help you with other means of management.”

“I’ll think on it. Hand me the paper, Doctor.”Douglas pulled a piece of thin, yellow paper from his pocket, unfolded it

and handed it to Mr. Prescott. “Take this to Traver’s. Won’t be too much to buy, but you’ll have to start a

budget for it.”Mr. Prescott nodded and hooked his pinky between his lips in thought.

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Thank you, Doctor.”


“You’re welcome. I didn’t mean to get ill with you. I just want her to get back on her feet.”

The phone in the hall rang, and Mr. Prescott dismissed himself from the room. His wife lay in the bed with her eyes closed and mouth open. Every few seconds, she would flail an arm up into the air dramatically and bring it back down. Mr. Prescott’s voice carried down the hallway as he talked on the phone.

“Yes, this is Mr. Prescott. Yes, he’s still here. I’ll get him.” He set the phone down and walked back to the room.

“Miss Derringer is on the telephone for you, Doctor.”Douglas turned to his patient. “Mrs. Prescott, I hope you’ll think about

what I said.” She didn’t respond, and he walked to the phone. “Yes, Dare?”“Douglas, Mrs. King called. She wants you over at their house as soon as

you can make it. I told her you were with someone right now, but it does sound urgent.”

“What’s wrong?”“Something with Mr. King. Fever is all I could get out of her.”“Ok. Call her back and let her know I’m on my way. I’m about a half mile

away, but I’ll leave right now.”He set the phone back on the receiver and left the hallway to retrieve his

hat and coat. Mr. Prescott followed him out quickly and pushed a five-dollar bill into the doctor’s hand.

“Give me a call early next week to let me know if you go get that prescription,” Douglas said. “I need to know if she’s interested in treating this. I’m sorry I have to cut this visit short.”

Mr. Prescott nodded and sighed. “I thank you, Doctor Howard. I really do. I think we’re just scared of being old, you know?”

“I understand.”

***

Douglas walked back from Seedwood to Lee, but went across town by way of White Avenue. Few people were on the walk to delay him, but he didn’t walk any faster than usual. He patted at his pocket, but didn’t take out a cigarette. He pushed his hat back on his head and closed his eyes for a moment to feel the cool breeze coming toward him. Chalk marked the sidewalk from time to time in strange shapes and jagged lines, picture forms of a child’s imagination running wild. Douglas stepped on each crack of the sidewalk.


The avenue ended. He took a right at Peachtree and a left onto Simmons until he reached the King’s house. Their house stood taller than the others, wider too. Two blue cars sat shining in their clean, slate-colored driveway. Douglas stopped to admire the cars and then knocked at the front door. A woman in her mid-thirties opened the door, and Douglas entered.

“How is he?” he asked.“Not especially better,” Mrs. King replied. “He’s been sleeping through the

afternoons as of late. That’s why I called.”“Is he upstairs? I’ll go in and check on him.”She moved her head from side to side and made a frown that wrinkled her

nose. “You don’t have to.”


Chapter Three

Mr. King lay still in the middle of the bed with his head resting on the lone pillow. Douglas sat on the edge and placed his satchel at the foot of it. He leaned forward to listen to the man’s breathing. With his right hand, he fished his journal out from his bag and put his left near the man’s mouth, holding it there for several seconds. Douglas glanced at his watch and then jotted down a few notes. Satisfied, he slid the journal back into his bag.

The sounds of a piano began from a distant section of the house. Douglas picked up his bag, closed the door behind him, and descended the stairs. After crossing through the dining room, he entered a library just off the main hallway. Mrs. King sat at the far corner of the library behind a baby grand piano. A long, violet gown hung from her thin shoulders. Douglas shut the door.

“Your drink is on the table,” she motioned toward a large leather chair.He sat and picked up the drink, slowly swished the liquid and watched

the large cubes of ice clink against each other and the glass. He took a sip and set it down.

“Johnnie Walker and I. Good friends for a long time.” He smiled and looked at Mrs. King while she continued playing. “Moonlight Sonata?” he asked.

She allowed her arms, hands, and fingers to continue and didn’t look up. She only nodded. Her hair was black and her eyes a soft green. Her high cheeks and angled jaw were set firm in concentration. They sat in the room without speaking for a time, only listening to the music. Douglas picked up the glass and held it to his cheek, rattled the ice and watched her play.

Then she spoke while still watching her hands: “How is he?”“The same.”She nodded. “He’s still taking the medicines you prescribe.”He took another sip and placed the glass against his cheek again. “He’s

strong. He can last for another month.”The music ended and she paused, staring at the keys before she began

another song.Douglas listened and closed his eyes, still holding the glass close.

“Chopin?” She nodded. “You’re learning.”He smiled and looked out the window, staring into the large backyard and

the trees behind it. After another sip, he set the glass down. “How have you been?” he asked.


“Well. It’s been quiet.” She paused for a long time while she played. “And you?”

“Nothing much. I bought a bird this morning. Gave the man a dime for it.”“What kind?”“It’s a parrot. Red and blue. Already says its name.”She nodded.He picked the glass up and looked out the window again. “Hannah. That’s

her name. She can already say it too.”“Why’d you get a bird? You’ve never told me you like them.”Douglas shrugged, grinned wide and waved his hand with the glass still in

his grasp. “Someone to talk to, I suppose.”“You have Dare at the office.”Mrs. King took her hands from the keyboard and placed her palms flat

against the bench. She leaned forward, raising her shoulders close to her jaw and put a hand to her neck. “It gets hot in here with the door closed and sun coming in.” She stood and walked to the window and pulled a set of maroon drapes closed. The thick material blocked out the sun, save a vertical line of light slipping in. She pulled at them again, but they didn’t meet quite enough to block out the light. Bored with the chore, she turned back to the room. Atop the piano stood a lamp, and she switched it on. Her pearl necklace and bracelet shimmered as she sat at a settee in the middle of the room. Douglas placed his glass on the table.

The sunlight illumined a world of dust confined to hovering about the stream of light like fine, floating carpets. They watched each other through the glow with nothing more between them.

“How long has he been asleep?” the doctor said.“Since I called. We have the day.”“I have to get back by four-thirty for office hours. Anyone could show

then.”“You said no one ever does.”He nodded. “You’re right, but you never know.”She crossed her legs and pulled at the hem of her gown until it gathered at

her knees. With her right hand, she patted next to her on the settee. He tipped the glass to his lips and let an ice cube slip onto his tongue. He crunched the cube slowly. The line of light, and the world it contained, dimmed and disappeared altogether.


“The rain is coming,” he said. “Like clockwork now. Afternoon rains will be coming for weeks.” Douglas watched her for a moment, moving his attention from her eyes to her legs and back again. “Will you have your drink?”

“No. Not today. Let’s just enjoy this.” She swirled her hand on the cushion next to her and teased a smile across the room.

“I think I’d like that. You know, we won’t be able to for a few weeks after he passes.”

“I know,” she frowned and looked at her feet. He stood and crossed the rug, taking the seat next to her. Without asking, he reached down, took her ankle, and pulled her leg up across his knees. He unbuckled her high-heeled shoe and slid it off her foot, tossing it to the floor. With his thumbs, he massaged the top of her foot, taking care to be gentle.

Mrs. King smiled, closed her eyes, and set her head back against the top of the settee’s wing.

“Closer to my toes,” she said. He moved his hands, and she nodded. “Yes.”


Chapter Four

Dr. Howard left the King’s house after the rain stopped and walked uptown to Main Street. He stopped at Pep’s Hardware and bought seed, although he wasn’t sure it was the right type for a parrot. He’d order the special kind later.

Main was quiet after the rain. The sun had returned and the wet steamed off the street.

“Dr. Howard!” a man shouted. “Dr. Howard, wait up for me!”A wide man trotted toward Douglas from Hill Savings Bank. He was

wearing grey trousers, a white shirt, suspenders and a red bow tie with no suit coat. The shirt button above his belt gaped open.

“Dr. Howard, I saw you passing by and thought I’d catch you. Mind if I walk with you?”

“No, I don’t mind. I’m heading back to my office.”The man acted delighted and smiled really wide. “That’s what I need to

talk to you about.”“Is this about payments?” Douglas looked annoyed and glanced ahead.“You’re well behind on them. I’ve got to answer to people above me and

explain why I’ve given out money.”Douglas sighed and continued his walk, and Mr. Hill followed. They

rounded a corner and walked down Elm. “I’m paying what I can, when I can,” Douglas said. “You know that. It’s difficult to make good money here as a doctor. Everyone has been healthy. I catch a lot of babies, but that’s mostly it. A few visits here and there.”

“Charge more.”“I can’t do that.”“I won’t have a choice before long.” The men stopped and faced each other.“You won’t have a doctor if you do that.”“Look, I’m not responsible for your income. I loaned money that I’m not

getting back. I can get it back and save my neck by acquiring your office.” “And you won’t have a doctor.”“We’re within an hour’s drive of a hospital and a half hour within two

towns with their own doctors. Everyone can adjust. Fact is, we just can’t fund you like I thought we could.”

“Dare needs her job. The people need a doctor. This won’t look good for you.”


Mr. Hill laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure some businessman along Main will hire Miss Derringer. I was thinking of coming up to your office today just to get a peek myself.”

“She doesn’t want to work on Main.”“There won’t be much of a choice, I’m afraid. I can always use another

assistant, and I might even be able to find a chair for her in my office.”“That won’t happen.”Mr. Hill shrugged. “Make more money. Pay me.” He held out his hand

and rubbed his thumb against his fingers. “Currency. That’s what will make this work.” He drew his hand back and fit his thumbs inside of his suspenders. “I don’t mean to lean heavy on you like this, but I’ve got to start getting more payments. I’ll draw up some papers to show you the figures.”

“Send them to the office, you know the address.” Douglas walked away.“I’ll do that. Or maybe I’ll just walk them over so I can visit for a while

with Miss Derringer.” Mr. Hill laughed and watched the doctor cross the street and pull a cigarette to his lips.


Chapter Five

Douglas entered his office at a quarter to five. “Anyone show, Dare?”“No, and no other calls. Because of the rain we had, I doubt anyone will

come by today.” She looked at Douglas’s face and then his suit and trousers. She bit the end of her pencil. “How’d you avoid the rain? Only your shoes are wet.”

“I was inside.” He stopped in the doorway of his office. “You moved the bird.” Douglas glanced back out into the waiting area and looked at the stand. Dare had replaced the cage with a fern.

“You told me to. The chair was the only place other than your desk.”“I suppose.” He sat behind his desk and pulled his chair forward. “Hi,

Hannah. What ya doin’?”“Whatchadoin,” Hannah mimicked.He laughed and clapped his hands together. “This is by far the best

decision I’ve ever made.”“The rain started around two and didn’t let up,” Dare said plainly. “Did

you make it to the King's?”Douglas didn’t respond for a few seconds and only leafed through his

ledger. “Yes, I saw Mr. King. He had an intense fever, but he’s resting now.” He found a page and began to fill in information for the Prescotts and Kings. A light rattle came from across the desk. Hannah had jumped from her perch and clung to the side of the cage, gripping the wires with her long feet. She ran her beak from side to side across the wires, and they sang vibrations. Douglas smiled and reached across the desk to open the cage. Hannah scaled her way over to the door and hopped out onto his hand.

“That’s a pretty bird,” Douglas said. He slid out of his coat, transferring Hannah from one hand to the other while he managed to put the coat on a hook. Hannah skipped up his arm to his shoulder and nibbled at his ear.

“Whatchadoin,” she said.“I’m writing in my ledger and journal about what I did this afternoon.” He

pulled a pen from his desk and flattened his journal and began to write. Mrs. Prescott’s entry took five lines and Mr. King’s took three. Hannah skipped down and hopped to the desk.

Douglas tapped the bird with his pencil, and she turned around in one hop to face him. He brought his face close to hers and said, “Hannah.”

“Hannah,” she squawked.“Hannah, Doctor.”She looked at him sideways and spoke: “Hannah, Doctor.”


Dare exhaled loudly from her desk. “Are you working in there? I’m going to leave if we’re done for the day.”

“We are!” Douglas sat up straight and leaned so he could see just around the doorway. He only saw her legs as she sat sideways at her desk and collected her things. “And thank you for the lunch. I’ll add it to your pay.”

“I’d appreciate that, but I’m happy to do it.” She stood and walked to his doorway to lean against the doorjamb, dangling her shoes by their heels. She pointed down at the desk, wiggling her index finger playfully. “You know I’m not going to clean up after that bird. What she does on your watch is your responsibility.” She smiled.

“I’ll clean up after her,” he said and put his face close to Hannah’s again. She nibbled his nose. He straightened. “She won’t be messy, except maybe for these seeds I got her. I’ll keep it clean. In fact, you won’t have to come in this office anymore.”

She leaned her head back and laughed. “Let’s see how long that lasts. You’re one of the messiest men I’ve ever met.”

Hannah scuttled to the wall and nipped the edge of the desk. Dare dropped her shoes, leaned across the desk and held her finger out for the bird. Hannah hopped onto the finger, flapped her wings and let out a short, quiet squawk.

“She likes me,” Dare said and straightened, bringing the bird close to her. She smoothed the neck of her blouse with the other hand and then brought it up to stroke Hannah’s back. Hannah clamped quickly on Dare’s finger and drew back. Dare looked at her finger, but gave the bird an exaggerated pout. “I thought she liked me.” She set the bird down on the desk.

“I guess she just likes me then,” Douglas said. “Nothing wrong with that. I still like you fine. I’ll even let you come back tomorrow.”

Dare bent and picked up her shoes. “Thanks.” She sat on the desk and pulled her leg up to put on the first shoe. “All right, well, is there anything else I can do for you?”

With a thoughtful expression, Douglas stared at her for a moment. “No, I don’t believe so. I’m about to leave after I finish up here. I think I’ll take Hannah home just for tonight since I got her some seed.”

Dare nodded and fit her other shoe onto her foot. “Do you want any help?”

“I’ll be able to manage. Just a few more scribbles. I’ll be leaving my bag here tonight. It’s been a quiet week.”


“Just thought I’d offer,” Dare said with a smile. She lingered on the desk but then slid off, grabbed her bag and walked to the front door.

“Dare?” Douglas said. “Yes?”“Good night.”She smiled, showing a perfect, white smile. “Goodnight, Douglas. Take

care this evening.”“I will. Likely an evening of light reading and getting Hannah to talk some

more.”Hannah looked at Dare from her perch on Douglas’ shoulder. “Hannah,

Doctor,” said the bird.Dare brought her hand to her neck and rubbed lightly. “Goodnight,

Hannah. Reading sounds like fun. I’ll probably slip into something else and read on the couch. I got a Charles Dickens book the other day. Found it at King’s.”

“Sounds nice,” Douglas responded.“Yes, it will be.” Her blouse fell open at the neck, and she straightened it.

“Have a good night then,” Douglas said and waved. “Thanks for

lunch.” She smiled again. “Bye. You’re welcome.”


Chapter Six

Dare left the office and walked to Main. The sun was still high, but the shadows were lengthening. As she walked along the busy street, the young men worked more diligently ahead of her, and forgot their jobs as her heels clicked by, her hips rolling from side to side. She held her chin high, looked beyond the young boys staring open-mouthed, and crossed the street to a wide storefront. King’s was boldly written in script on the immaculate window. A bronze-colored crown sat slanted atop the K.

She pushed the door open, jangling a small bell. A young woman in her early twenties looked up from behind the counter and smiled. Dare walked past mannequins dressed in polka-dotted summer dresses, their blank heads covered by wide, floppy-brimmed straw hats. The aisle divided, and Dare walked to the right toward the men’s clothing. She stepped off the aisle and took the sleeve of a suit jacket in her thin hand. The jacket was black with thin grey stripes. With just one glance at the price tag, she smoothed her hand over the coat’s lapel and left it. She walked to a row of books at the store’s back wall and admired the volumes bound in both leather and board. Her hand passed along the spines as she scanned the rows, carefully reading each title. She pulled Great Expectations from the shelf and walked to the front of the store.

The girl was dusting a display case and saw Dare walking to the register.“Hi, Susan,” Dare said. “How are you?”The girl hurried away from the display, leaving behind a crumpled, dirty

cloth. She patted at the back of her hair and nervously looked away from Dare. “I’m well, thank you.”

“I’d like to get this book.” Dare opened her black handbag and pulled out a coin.

“Ten cents.”“Here you go.” She laughed. ”I expect I know the book prices about as

well as anyone here, don’t I?” Susan smiled and took the coin. “Yes, ma’am. I think you’re right.”“It looks busy tonight.” “Yes, ma’am, it is. Been like this for a couple weeks now, since Mrs. King

started running the place.”“Doing well, is she?”Susan shrugged. “Seems to be. She comes in more since Mr. King took a

turn last month.”


Dare nodded pensively. “Aren’t we all glad for a good job?” She offered a wide smile. “Goodnight then, Susan.”

“Goodnight, Miss Derringer.”Dare adjusted the neck of her blouse, fit the book into her handbag and

left the store as Susan watched.

***

Two blocks down from King’s, Dare passed Traver’s Drug Store. A man tapped on the front window from inside and beckoned at Dare to come in with a wave of his hand. She did so.

He was a short, bald man with a pleasant smile and a limp. He met Dare at the door and took her arm.

“Dare, I am so happy to see you today. How have you been?”“I’ve been well, Mr. Traver. Very well.”“And your mother?”“The same. I saw her last weekend. She’s strong and determined, but I

worry about her.”Mr. Traver nodded with concern and listened intently. “I want you to know

that Elizabeth and I are praying for her. We think of her often. Bless her heart. Do you need any help?”

“No. I make enough money with my job to help my brother out.”“If you need some extra, you know you can always ask.”Dare hugged the man. “Thank you, Mr. Traver. It’s nice to have people like

you and Betsy.”He smiled against her chest and backed out of the hug. “Shucks, we’re just

people is all, and love helping young’uns like you.”They looked at each other for a moment and Mr. Traver held his hand up.

“Before I forget! The reason I wanted you to come in is because I got a new copy of Hudson’s Formulary, so I’d be happy to pass my old one along to the doctor. Would he like that?”

“He’d love it, I’m sure!” Dare said and laughed.“Wonderful,” Mr. Traver said. He hustled to his counter and pulled a thick

book from a cabinet. He ducked into a back room and returned with brown paper and twine. Placing the book neatly on the paper, he wrapped the book and tied it together with string. “Here you go, darling. He’s free to do with it as he pleases.”


She nodded, pulled the book close and fit it under her arm. “He’ll be thrilled. Thank you.” She put her hand on the door and pushed.

“One more thing!” Mr. Traver said with his hand in the air. He rushed across the store, behind a display full of brightly colored candies. With well-practiced movement, he whisked out a licorice vine from a small glass canister and rushed back to Dare. “Almost forgot!”

She took the licorice in her hand, leaned toward the man and kissed the side of his face. “Thank you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Dare.” He watched her walk down the street, leaving the red mark on his face.

***

She turned on the lights and set the book on her kitchen table. Dare sat and unbuckled her shoes, placing them on the book. With a sigh, she stood and looked inside the refrigerator, pulling out a plate of cold chicken and a stalk of celery. For several minutes, she sat at the table, quietly picking off small bites of chicken with her fingertips and slowly sliding the pieces into her mouth. A clock in the next room sounded off six chimes. The last chime lingered.

After the house quieted, she returned the plate of chicken to the refrigerator and walked to her bedroom. A wide bed stood in the middle of the room, with a side table and a long dresser with a mirror. Small family photographs hung from the walls. She sat on her bed and unbuttoned her blouse, letting it fall behind her. Then she stood, removed her skirt and slip, and peeled off her hose. Dressed only in her white foundations, she sat and stared at the mirror. She made a disappointed face and pushed at her hair.

From a small closet, she pulled out a long, pink quilted robe and slipped it on, leaving it untied. Her handbag sat in front of the mirror. She opened it, pulling out her book, and walked back to the kitchen.

On a high shelf sat two wine glasses, and she pulled one down, also selecting a bottle of white wine from a cabinet. She poured it and left the kitchen.

The living room smelled fresh, like cucumbers and a harvest. A candle sat unlit on the table with a small bowl of wax fruit. She set the wine glass next to an apple, stretched out on her couch and began to read.


Chapter Seven

Douglas sat at his desk and looked at the book wrapped in thick brown paper. Hannah nibbled at the corners but couldn’t tear it. He looked out at the empty waiting room and began to untie the twine. He pulled the paper and twine aside and smiled at the formulary. He picked it up and admired it, rubbing the leather spine and faded lettering. The pages smelled wonderful with age and made a thick sound when he flipped them.

Atop each page in bold letters, a heading described the page’s content—whether a formula or prescription drug. “This is wonderful,” he whispered. Hannah waddled toward it and bent toward the pages with her beak open to begin clipping at the pages. Douglas stuck out his hand and prevented her from reaching the book. “Please don’t start clipping at this book, Hannah. This is really nice.” He returned his attention to the pages but kept his hand out and steered the bird away.

He picked up the book and slid it onto his small bookshelf on the wall and walked to Dare’s desk. He sat down and pulled her ledger from a drawer. The day’s page was blank. Douglas leaned back and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. He picked up the phone and flipped back into the ledger.

“Could you give me 91-J please? Thank you.” He waited.“Mr. Branson? This is Doctor Howard, how are you today? I’m fine, thank

you. I wanted to check up on you to see how you’re doing with that infection.” Douglas nodded and listened for a moment and began to flip through the ledger, only giving Mr. Branson a cursory “Uh-uh” and “Yes, sir” at the appropriate times.

“I’m glad to hear it’s cleared up. Give me a call, should you need anything else. Thank you.” He pushed down the receiver with his hand and said, “1530 please.”

“Good morning, Mr. James. This is Doctor Howard, how are you today? Doing fine, just fine, thank you. Just following up with you today. Is your hand healing up? Fantastic. Great to hear. Stop by anytime. Uh-huh. Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

He placed the phone onto the receiver and leaned back, letting out a long breath. The door opened.

“Good morning, Douglas.” Dare breezed in, shutting the door behind her. She wore a brown pencil skirt with a powdery-blue blouse and brown high-heeled shoes. “Did you see the book I left on your desk this morning?”

“How could I miss it?”


“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”“It is. Where’d you get it?”“Mr. Traver stopped me yesterday and gave it to me. Said he had gotten a

new one.” She looked at the ledger on her desk. “Are we reversing roles today?”“No, sweetheart, I was just going through your things to make sure you do

work around here.” “I do work around here, as you can see from my book.”Douglas stood and looked down at the book, tapping it with his fingertips.

“I was looking at today’s schedule, but it appears I don’t have one.” He frowned, as though beaten down, and looked at Dare.

They watched each other. “I’m sorry, Douglas.” “Mr. Hill says I need to start making more money. I’m behind on

payments. Could you make some calls today to several patients to see if they need to come in?”

“I’d be happy to. Whatever you ask.” She smoothed her blouse at her waist and set her handbag on the desk. “I’ll get right on it.” She tucked her skirt at the back of her legs and sat at her chair.

“But do write in your book that I’ve got to see the Kings at two o’clock today.”

“Where’s Hannah?”Douglas stepped into his office. “She’s in here. She’s working on an

envelope right now.” Hannah made a clicking sound as she clipped away at the edges of the envelope, turning the pieces of paper over and over on her grey tongue until she dropped them.

He rubbed his finger along Hannah’s red breast. “Do you like paper, Hannah? Can you sing for Miss Dare?” Douglas sat back for a moment and leaned forward again to sing to his bird. “My bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea.” He stared at the bird. “Can you sing that?”

The bird bobbed her head and sang. “My bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea.” Douglas stared in disbelief. “Dare? Did you hear that?”

“Am I calling patients today or should I come in there to supervise?”“Amazing bird,” Douglas whispered. “You should go on Broadway. Maybe

take Miss Dare with you. Teach her some manners on how to be nice to people.” He lightly tapped the bird’s breast with a knuckle and opened his journal. He looked out at the empty waiting room and heard Dare ask for “32-J, please.”

***


Two hours passed, and Dare hung up the phone.She stood and stretched out her arms. “Doctor, can you take a look at my

arm?” she teased. “It’s become part of the phone.”“How’d we do?”Dare yawned and leaned over her desk to pick up the ledger. She stood in

his doorway. “Six appointments. Two for tomorrow and four next week. Looks like you could collect about one-hundred dollars.”

“Dare, you are an amazing woman. How’d I get you?”“As I recall, you didn’t do anything. I just showed up and asked for a job.

You didn’t do a thing.” The cage occupied Dare’s usual seat, so she perched on the corner of Douglas’s desk. “This afternoon I’ll call some more. I went through last month’s list and part of March.”

“I don’t like that we have to start focusing on money, but I guess we do if we want to keep the doors open.”

“They won’t close the doctor’s office.”“They will if I can’t pay the bank.”“I’ll do my best to help, Douglas. I can’t thank you enough for my job.”“I’m the one to thank you,” he said. “Now, are you sure you don’t want to

hear this bird sing?” Hannah was at the edge of the desk opposite Dare, trying to chew the trim with little success.

“Sure, let’s hear it,” Dare said.Douglas sang softly, “My bonnie lies over the ocean. My bonnie lies over

the sea.” Hannah straightened and looked at Douglas. He prompted her with a hand movement. “Come on, sing for Miss Dare.”

Hannah cocked her head to the side. “Hannah, Doctor,” she said.“No, Hannah,” corrected Douglas. “My bonnie lies over the ocean…”Hannah returned to the trim.Dare laughed. “Smart bird, huh?” She crossed her arms under her breasts

and looked at Douglas smugly. “Give her time. Give her time is all.” He laughed and stroked Hannah’s

back.


Chapter Eight

Dare stood from her desk and grabbed her handbag. “I’m going out. Do you want anything?”

“No, you go on,” Douglas said with a wave of his hand. “Take the afternoon, if you like. I need to go by the Kings’ and I’ll let the operators know where I’ll be.”

“And leave you two alone?” Dare glanced toward the bird. Hannah twirled around on the desk and caught her tail feather. She began to clean it.

“We’ll be fine. Hannah will get the phone if anyone calls. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course. I don’t mind coming in on Fridays because then I feel like I’ve earned a Saturday.”

Douglas shook his head and laughed. “If only we had more people in this town with your drive.”

She held her bag in both hands and leaned her head to the side. “Thanks. Giving me the afternoon is nice of you. Do you have lunch plans? I’ll probably go to Traver’s to eat.”

He pulled out his watch and studied it. “No. I can’t. I’m planning to check on the Prescotts soon.”

“Will you eat something?”“I probably will. We might pass each other at Traver’s.” They both laughed. She pointed a finger at him, “But remember you’ve got the Kings at two.”“I’ll remember,” he said.She waved. “Goodbye.”“See you tomorrow.”

***

Douglas left his office and stood on the front step to light a cigarette.He squinted toward Elm where he’d gone yesterday to visit the Prescotts.

After blowing a long puff of smoke, he stepped down and walked toward the intersection of Peachtree and Willow, which led to the Kings’ place.

***

Before he could press the doorbell, the door opened, and he stepped in. Mrs. King took his coat and hat and set them on a chair in the foyer.


“How is he?”“The same.”“I’ve missed you.” He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. She sniffed. “How much longer?”“Not long. Not long at all.” He rubbed her back along the zipper of her

white and red dress. She was barefoot on the wooden floor.“He’s asleep.” She led Douglas by the hand, down the hallway and into

the library. His drink sat on the table near the chair. The curtains were drawn. Mrs. King let go and turned the lamp on, sat at the piano and began to play. Douglas didn’t pick up the glass, but sat and watched as her foot worked the piano pedal.

“I heard about Mr. Hill,” she said.He bowed his head. “I don’t know if I can make it. Being a doctor and

being in business doesn’t make sense. It’s not natural.”She watched the keys as she played. “How much time will he give you?”“Probably two years. I haven’t seen the papers yet.”“I can help.”Douglas looked up and stared at her, but she didn’t return the gaze. “I

couldn’t accept it now,” he said. “Perhaps after a year has passed. He won’t last much longer.”

She pulled her hands from the keys and sighed. “Yes,” she said with a nod. “In a year, I can help.”

“That’s not my reason for our plans.”“I know.”“I can wait a year. I have enough to make some payments and keep the

place running.”“Dare?” she asked“Yes, I have enough to pay her.”“How is she?”He shrugged. “Fine, I guess. We don’t talk much at the office.”She walked to the window at the far end of the room and peeked through

the ribbon of window uncovered by the curtains. “Pleasant day today.”“Yes, it is. I had a nice walk here.”Her hand ran down the thick fabric. “That’s nice.” She looked back at him.

“Will you help me?”He rose from his chair and walked to her, hugging his arms around her

waist, placing his nose and mouth behind her ear. Douglas kissed her ear and looked out the window. “It is a pleasant day. How long has he been asleep?”


Mrs. King pulled away and looked at a clock on the side table. “An hour. Since twelve, his usual time. He’ll sleep until four. We have the day. So help me.”

Douglas worked the top clasp at the back of her dress and ran his fingers along her pearl necklace. He breathed in. She didn’t have a scent other than that of a woman. He hugged her close again.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Not much longer.”


Chapter Nine

Dare walked along Main, passed King’s and entered Traver’s. A young man waved from the soda fountain. “Hi, Miss Dare!”

She waved. “Hi, Donnie. Is your father in?”“No, it’s just me today. He and mom are gone for the week.”Dare opened her eyes wide, “Whoa. Moving up in the town, are we?”He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”“Pretty soon you’ll be running the place, and all the girls in town will be

coming in here begging for free milkshakes. You’ll have every guy in town jealous.”

Donnie turned red and looked away, although smiling. “No, ma’am. They’ll be out at the movies.”

She picked out a licorice vine and sat at the bar, pushing up against it. “I don’t know.” She took a bite of the vine. “I guess I’ll just have to do for now then.”

They laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”“Could I get a sandwich?”“Sure! I’ll make you one. What would you like?”She puckered her lips in thought. “Do you have rye?”He nodded.“Ham and rye sounds good today.”“Sure, and is a pickle with it all right?”She puckered again and looked up. With a shy smile, she said, “Do you

think I can have potato salad instead? Would you do that?”Donnie looked around, and seeing no one, seemed to gain confidence.

“Why not? If the customer wants potato salad with their sandwich, they’ll have potato salad.”

“I won’t tell your father.”

***

Dare set her ham and rye down and wiped a crumb from her lips. “How has business been today?”

“Slow today, but it’s been busy of late. Seems all of Main has picked up.”She looked at a fork of potato salad thoughtfully. “Why do you think that

is?”“I don’t know,” Donnie shrugged. “King’s has been busy.”


Dare studied Donnie for a second. “Susan comes in here, doesn’t she?”He smiled, although he tried to resist and said, “Yes.”“Does she get free milkshakes?”“No, ma’am,” Donnie said earnestly.“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell,” she laughed. “Did Susan say it’s been

busier?”He nodded back. “She says it’s been busy for a month now with Mrs. King

running the place. I got a fishing pole for two dollars cheaper than it was a few months ago. I’ll give it to Father for a birthday gift.”

“Sounds like a pretty good deal.”“Yeah, it is, but I’m saving up.”“What for?”He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d like to start a business and then buy a car.”She raised her eyebrows and smiled coyly. “You got a girl? You sound like

you’re going places.” They laughed and Donnie shook his head, turning red again.

“Now tell me, Donnie, do you see Mrs. King much?”“Susan says Mr. King can’t get out of bed on account of being sick. So the

missus visits the store when he’s asleep in the morning and evening.” He paused. “Can Dr. Howard help Mr. King?”

Dare was looking out of the window, staring. “I don’t know, Donnie.” She looked at her plate of food and slid it away with a finger. The fork fell off the plate and rattled on the counter.

“Are you done?”“Yes. Thank you.” Donnie took the plate and silverware and began to

wash them in the sink. “Donnie?”“Yes, ma’am?” He turned off the water and looked over his shoulder.“Do you mind if I go in the back room and read? I’d like to stay for the

afternoon.”He looked around at the empty store and stood tall.

***

From her place on a long, cushioned window seat, Dare set her book down and looked out. The window overlooked a long hill that led to a small neighborhood and a ball field. Children of all ages congregated around the pitcher’s mound, a tight group in the middle likely selecting teams. The clock said it was nearly four in the afternoon.


Donnie entered through the back room’s curtained doorway. “Miss Dare? It’s nearly four.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me. I hope I haven’t been a bother back here.” She stretched her legs on the cushions, and Donnie took notice.

“No, it’s no bother. We don’t come back here, except to sleep on breaks or when we restock at night.”

“Well, thank you just the same.”He stood awkwardly in the doorway and leaned his back against the

frame to watch her. Dare stood and adjusted her skirt, slowly noticing she was still being watched. “Donnie, you’ve got a store to tend.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry. I was just thinking.”She grabbed her handbag, glanced at the clock and left the room with the

book still on the ledge. She waved goodbye to Donnie and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Two teenaged girls stepped out from King’s and walked toward Dare as she approached. They smiled and looked down, turning to watch her hips after she’d passed.

The bell jangled above the door, and Dare walked to the counter. Susan smiled.

“Susan, can you do special orders?”“I can take your order and give it to Mrs. King when she gets here.”“And when is that?”“Not long. She usually comes in around this time.” The clock above Susan

said ten after four. “Would you like me to take down the order?”“On second thought, no. I’ll just look around. Any new books?”Susan shook her head. “No, ma’am. None today.”Dare nodded thanks and walked to the women’s clothing. Five middle-

aged ladies were whispering together near a row of dresses, so Dare passed by and admired the shoes. She glanced at her watch and looked up each time the bell above the door rang. Bored with the shoes, she walked into the aisle toward the displays of fishing rods and baseballs. Dare passed them by as well and glanced at her watch again. The bell at the door rang. Just above the rows of merchandise, she saw the top of Mrs. King’s head at the front door. Dare quickly walked to where she’d have a better view.

Mrs. King was short, even with her black hair done up. Everything about her was small, except for the pearls around her neck and wrist. She stopped and talked with Susan. They exchanged smiles, and Susan began nodding while Mrs. King asked questions. Susan pointed to Dare. Mrs. King looked up at Dare and thanked Susan.


Dare stood in the aisle and waited as Mrs. King walked toward her. The woman’s heels clicked loudly on the clean, shiny floor.

“Dare, how are you?” Mrs. King said with exaggeration and held her arms out. They hugged and Dare drew in a breath. Mrs. King smelled like the expensive stuff, like Douglas Howard.

“I’m fine, and you?” Dare asked.“I’m well, thank you for asking.” They separated.Dare asked, “And what is that you’re wearing? It smells wonderful.”“Oh, nothing. I’m afraid I don’t wear perfume. I still can’t bring myself to

wear any of what Mr. Traver has for ladies, but I can’t bear to sell it here and take his business away.”

They laughed knowingly together. Dare became serious. “And how is Mr. King?”

Mrs. King frowned and pulled her handbag in front of her with both hands. “Not well, I’m afraid. Dr. Howard has been so kind to us.” Her eyes became moist along her lower eyelids.

“I know he can help,” Dare said. “I just know it.”“Yes, I believe so too,” Mrs. King said. “He hasn’t been able to get out of

bed for a while now. I hope the doctor can do something.” She drew in a long breath and blinked. “Well, what can we do for you today?”

Dare waved her hand. “I was just looking, and I should probably go now.”“Give my love to your mother, Dare.”“I will.”

***

Dare walked up the front steps to her home and opened the screen door. It creaked loudly as she entered. The wine glass sat on the table from the night before. She walked into the kitchen, picked up the bottle of white wine from the counter and pulled the cork. As she took a sip, she moved toward the phone hanging in the kitchen and took a deep breath before picking it up. She asked for Granderson 3-4519, and waited.

“Mama? Yes, how are you?” She frowned and closed her eyes. “Mama. You can’t. Daddy’s gone. He’s gone, ok?” A tear dropped from the corner of Dare’s eye and fell to her shoulder. “Is Thomas there? Can you put him on?”

“Thomas? Yes. How is she? Ok. Thank you. I’ll send money at the end of the week for her. I may be able to visit next month. I need to go now. Tell everyone I love them. Bye.” She sighed and carefully hung up the phone.


She unbuttoned her blouse and tossed it on the back of a kitchen chair. The faucet dripped water, and Dare turned the knob to stop the drip. It stopped. She turned the water back on slowly and placed a hand in the flow. She touched her wet fingers to her head, to her chest, to her arms and turned the water off.

***

The phone rang and Dare answered.“Hi, Donnie. I’m fine. No, I didn’t know I’d forgotten it. You don’t need to

bring it over tonight. Can you bring it by my office tomorrow? Or I can come by and get it. You don’t have to bring it tonight. Ok. Thank you. I’ll see you then.”


Chapter Ten

Mr. Tony was the first patient to arrive in the morning. Douglas walked with him from the exam room to the front door after they’d finished.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Mr. Tony said. The man was elderly, his bony nose and pointed chin prominent under sagging eyes.

“You’re quite welcome,” Douglas said as he opened the door. “Remember. Come in next week, and we’ll take one last look to see how you’re healing.”

Mr. Tony nodded and said, “I’ll do that. It’s been a downright uncomfortable experience.”

“As I can imagine. Good day.”The old man waved goodbye to the doctor and gave Dare a beaming

smile and a wink.Douglas held the door open for a long time and looked down the street.

Dare watched to see what he was doing.“Good morning,” Douglas said to someone outside.Donnie stepped in the office with the book. “Good morning, Dr. Howard.

Miss Dare. How are you today?”Douglas nodded and Dare said, “I’m fine, Donnie. Thank you for bringing

the book.”“You’re welcome. I need to get back to the store now.”Dare sat up. “Who’s there while you’re away?”“I put up the sign that said I’d be back. It’s usually slow now anyway.”“Ok. I won’t tell your father,” she winked.Hannah squawked from the back room, and Donnie looked confused for

a moment.Douglas patted him on the back. “Do you want to see the new help I’ve

hired? A parrot! Her name is Hannah.” The two of them went to see Hannah. “She bites at strangers, so don’t try to touch her just yet.”

“She’s beautiful, Dr. Howard,” Donnie said. He crouched for a better look, and Hannah sat on her perch cautiously watching. She’d drawn in her feathers close to her body, making her look thinner than normal. Her unblinking black eyes stared out of the cage at the young man. She made another squawk and flapped.

“Where’d you get her?” Donnie asked.“A man sold her to me.”“Does he have any more?” “I don’t think so.”


“I need to go. Thanks for showing her to me. Have a good day,” Donnie said. “Bye, Miss Dare.” He left with a wave.

Douglas lowered his eyebrows in confusion at Dare. “What was that all about?”

“What? I forgot my book over there after lunch.”“No, the wink,” he said with a grin. “You’re leading that boy on. He’s

hardly twenty, if that.”She shrugged. “You’ve got Mrs. Sands any minute now. Finish your journal

on Mr. Tony before you forget.”Douglas walked to his desk and pulled out the journal and ledger. He

reached over the desk and lowered the door to Hannah’s cage. She hopped out and flew to the desk. He put an index finger out, and she perched on it and walked to his shoulder.

“Hannah, Doctor,” she said in his ear. He moved his head away from her and began to write.

***

Two hours passed quietly. Dare hung up the phone. “I scheduled three more for next week.”

“Good. That’s great!”“I don’t know what happened with Mrs. Sands, but I’ll call her at the day’s

end.” She tapped her pencil on the desk. “How was Mr. King yesterday?”“A little worse than the day before. He’s fading. He was asleep when I got

there.”“Is he eating?”“Soup mostly. I’d only give him a few more weeks. He’s still strong but

that won’t last. He’s not strong enough to ambulate or do most things on his own, but his vitals are better than to be expected.”

“How’s his wife holding up under all of this?”Douglas paused for a moment and turned a page in his journal. “She’s

doing fine, I suppose. As well as can be expected.”“I saw her yesterday at her store.”“That right?” They sat silent for a moment, each at their own desk, under

the guise of concentration. Douglas stood and walked to Dare’s desk. “What would you like for lunch? It’s on me.”

“You don’t have to,” she said and fought off a smile. “Really, I was going to go anyway.”


He put his palm up to motion her to stop. “I won’t hear any different. You’ve gotten lunch for me so many times. What would you like? If you were the governor, what would you ask for?”

“The governor? Well, if I was him I’d probably ask for a ham on rye.”“That’s disappointing, but I’ll get it and bring it back. We’ll lock the door

and have ourselves a lunch.”“Why don’t we just take a walk and have lunch at Traver’s?”He shrugged. “I don’t see why not! It will do well for me to be escorting a

lady such as yourself out in public.”She laughed and put her hand to her neck. “I’ll just get my handbag.”“Fine, I’ll tuck Hannah away. Give me a moment.” He nudged Hannah

from the desk toward her cage with his hand, and she flew the rest of the way, hopping onto her perch. He shut the door. “Ready, Dare?”

“Ready.”As they walked out the door, he placed his hand on her back and shut the

door behind them.

***

The walk was slow. Douglas stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled, while Dare held her handbag and looked up at the trees in contentment.

“This is my favorite time of year,” she said. “By far.”“Mine too. I like the afternoon rains. We should be careful to not stay out

too late and get stuck in one.”“But it would be fun, Douglas! Don’t you like to be out in the rain?”“Sure, but it wouldn’t do for me to get pneumonia. Then you would have

to treat everyone, including me.”“I wouldn’t mind it.” She immediately looked down at her feet in

embarrassment. He chuckled. “I know what you meant.”They walked silently to Main, and Dare spoke: “What did I mean?” Her

cheeks flushed red.“I check hearts, not intentions, Dare,” he said. “What do you think you

meant?”With a hand to her chest she drew in a nervous breath and patted a cheek.

They had crossed the street and were walking up to Main when she placed her back against the wall of a store and let it hold her weight. “I don’t know what I meant,” she said. “I don’t know. I’m tired is all. Mama isn’t well, and I’m just


scared.” Tears fell and Douglas gave her a handkerchief. She wiped the tears away.

“Was there anything else?” he asked in a prodding tone.She looked away from him and pursed her lips. “No, it’s not for me to

bring up.” “Let’s have lunch,” he said. “Once you sit down, we can talk. Does that

sound all right to you?” She nodded and sniffled. Douglas put a finger under her chin. “That’s better. Let’s not have anyone see us in disrepair,” he added with a smile. She laughed in a burst and dabbed at her eyes again. She blinked several times and looked at him.

“Am I fine?” she said. “Yes, you are. No one will be able to tell you’d ever shed a tear.”“Thank you, Douglas.”He backed away and led her across the street with his hand on her back.

When they stepped inside Traver’s, Donnie waved them to the counter where two men sat at the far end nursing cups of coffee.

“What can I get you, Dr. Howard?” he said.“Miss Dare here will have a ham on rye. I’ll have a chicken salad on

toast.”“Coming right up.” Douglas turned to Dare. “So how is your mother?”“Not good. Not good at all. She can barely remember me.” Donnie set

two glasses of water in front of them. Dare stuck a straw into the glass and swirled the cubes. “She’s always asking for Daddy. He died over ten years ago, but she doesn’t remember that on most days. Thomas is working all hours, and I can’t go back to live there. The money I send helps, though. He’s able to hire a woman to come help. We’re probably better off this way, with me sending money instead of staying with her all day. But we can’t keep it up with Thomas’s wife raising three kids.”

“I’d offer my help, but I’m afraid what she has is beyond what I can do.”She nodded. “I know. It’s just so— so sad. This shouldn’t happen to a

mother. She used to know every little thing I was doing, whether I wanted her to know or not. Now? I have to remind her my name twice a week. I have to remind her that Daddy isn’t coming back.”

Donnie set two plates down in front of Douglas and Dare. His chicken salad on toast with a pickle. Her ham and rye with a small bowl of potato salad. Douglas looked at her potato salad, then the pickle, and up at Donnie.

“How’d she get potato salad?”


“It’s what she likes.”“What if I like potato salad?”Donnie put his hand to his head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t ask, did I? Would

you like some?”Douglas waved him away and laughed. “No, Donnie. I wouldn’t.”

***

Douglas and Dare finished their lunch, and he left the money at the counter. Just as Douglas opened the door to leave, Donnie called out: “Miss Dare! Can I see you for a moment?”

Dare nodded to Douglas and walked back to the bar. Douglas stepped outside and pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket. He lit it and watched the town. A line of cars rolled by, each of the drivers waving at him. He blew smoke slowly and crossed his arms, holding the cigarette between his fingers. Dare stepped out onto the sidewalk next to him.

“Ready?” he said.“Ready.” They began to walk back to the office. Grey clouds were

beginning to form in the distance.“What was all that about?” he asked.“Donnie? He asked me on a date.” She couldn’t hold back an

embarrassed smile.Douglas gave her a sideways glance and chuckled. “What’d you tell him?”“I told him I didn’t think it was right, especially with his parents being

gone and me being old enough to be his big sister.”“But you didn’t say no now, did you?”“I didn’t say yes. That’s the word he wanted to hear.”Douglas blew another stream of smoke. “Sure, but that’s not what he’ll

remember.”


Chapter Eleven

Following lunch, Douglas and Dare settled back into their day at the office. Hannah sat quietly in her cage: one leg pulled up close while she rested on the other, her head turned so her beak was in her back, and her eyes were closed. Douglas watched the bird for a moment, how she breathed evenly, twitching slightly to keep balance. He pulled his new formulary from the bookshelf and set it down slowly to not wake Hannah.

Dare sighed at her desk and loudly turned a page.Douglas glanced out at the waiting room and opened the book. He paged

past the tables and began with the first entry, giving it only a glance before turning the page again. The next page didn’t interest him, so he turned it again. The page flipped from his hands, making a loud wobbling noise, but Hannah didn’t look up. They went on like this for several minutes, Hannah dreaming parrot dreams while Douglas admired his new medical book.

He yawned and stood, tiptoeing out into the waiting room. “How are things?”

Dare closed her book, keeping her place with her index finger. “Quiet.”“Great Expectations?” he said“Are you asking me or are you asking about the book?”He laughed. “The book.”She showed him the cover. “Yes, Great Expectations. You know that used

bookshelf at the back of King’s? Best thing we’ve got around here.”“I’ll have to look at it sometime, but I’m not much of a fiction reader.”Dare frowned. “Unfortunately for you, that’s all they have.”“Oh well,” he replied and turned back to his office.She looked back at him. “Speaking of King’s—are you going over there

this afternoon? It’s about time.”“To where? The store?”Turning back to her desk, she said, “No…to check on Mr. King. You

usually go at two.”“Oh.” Douglas scratched at his neck. “No. Not unless she calls today.”Both became silent and Douglas paused in the doorway. He pulled a

cigarette from his pocket and walked to the front door. “Going out for a smoke,” he said, motioning with the cigarette.

***


He sat on the front step and watched children skating on a newly-laid driveway down the block. Tree leaves rustled overhead but only for a second in a transient breeze. Douglas tapped the cigarette against his palm and placed it between his lips. He fished out a lighter from his pants’ pocket and flicked out a flame, but didn’t light the cigarette. His attention was drawn down the street; Mr. Hill was hurrying down the sidewalk with a folder in hand.

“Afternoon, Doc,” the man said.Douglas nodded and put away his lighter, leaving the virgin cigarette in

the corner of his mouth. He didn’t reply.Mr. Hill sat down with a groan and an exaggerated sigh. With a flip of his

wrist, he whisked papers out of his folder for Douglas to take. “Here are the sums and figures I drew up for you,” he said. “It’s all in plain English on the first page, with the numbers on the second.”

Douglas flipped to the second page and then read the first.“We’re giving you a year and a half, Doctor. That’s plenty time.” Mr. Hill

patted his chest pockets and pants. “You got a cigarette?”Still studying the pages, Douglas reached into his pocket and pulled out a

cigarette case and handed it to the man.Mr. Hill took a cigarette out and handed it back. He leaned toward

Douglas. “You got a light?”Douglas set the cigarette alight and folded the pages.“A year and a half, Douglas.” Mr. Hill inhaled and let the smoke slip from

his mouth. He pinched the cigarette in his fingers and pointed it at Douglas. “Not a year more. I ain’t about to lose my job for giving away money with no return. You gotta make something happen.”

Mr. Hill stood and walked into the office. His voice rang out from the thin walls. He was flirting loudly. Douglas stared at the pages for a minute until Mr. Hill had left the office and walked away. With a sigh, Douglas rolled up the pages and entered the office.

Dare didn’t look up as he passed. Hannah was still sleeping.

***

Douglas stared at the formulary still open on the desk, only a few pages having been explored. Hannah made a whining sound in her throat and shivered, but she was still asleep. Douglas managed a smile at the bird and set Mr. Hill’s papers to the side while flipping another page in the book.


He whispered to himself as he read each headline, each sidebar, each entry.

Dare shuffled her feet, but wasn’t visible to Douglas. Through the next few minutes, he turned each page sooner than the last,

his interest waning as the afternoon grew on. He glanced at the wall; the clock showed a quarter past two. The office was silent, except for the second hand making a lap around the clock face and Dare occasionally turning a page. No patients visited. Mrs. King hadn’t called. Hannah still sat with her head turned at an angle, nestled on her back. Her eyes were closed.

Douglas stared at the papers Mr. Hill had given him. They lay rolled in a cone shape, the bottom crinkled from his earlier grip. Numbers peeked out from under the first page. Douglas looked away in thought, starting in the direction of his books. He glanced at the clock and then the formulary. He paged through it backwards.

Very quietly, he found the page he was looking for. Halfway down, he placed his finger at a bold heading.

He whispered: “Atropine.”Hannah opened an eye.


Chapter Twelve

Douglas stared at the page and began to shake his head. “No, no, no,” he whispered. He took the loan papers, stuck them in the book and shut it. The clock said twenty after two. Douglas reached across the desk and opened Hannah’s cage. She hopped to the opening and sat watching him intently.

“Dare, how are you doing?”Her chair creaked, and she leaned to look around the door. She smiled.

“Fine. Why?”“Wanted to make sure you weren’t still upset at me.”“I wasn’t upset at you. Why would I be?” She put her hand to her neck

and fixed the back of her hair.“You were crying.”“That doesn’t mean I was upset with you. I thought you only checked

hearts.” She gave him a flirtatious look of disapproval and pointed. “Or are you checking intentions now, too?”

“I just thought you were upset with me for something.”“No.” She pulled her chair forward into the doorway. “I’m afraid about

Mama and I just needed a cry. It wasn’t a very good one, though. I may have another tonight.”

“Is she not well?”“She’s well for her age, I suppose.” Dare looked at Hannah and held out

her hand. Hannah perched on it and side-stepped to Dare’s shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. The money I make, I send to her—someone who doesn’t remember me.”

She craned her neck to look sidewise at Hannah who was now standing at her ear. “It’s like this person isn’t my mother. That’s what I’m upset about.”

“And that you’re not with her?”Dare exhaled and stared at the floor. “I can’t go back. She can’t come

here.” She looked up with moist, shining eyes.“Why can’t you go back?”“They wouldn’t have me. The town, my family.” She stood and smoothed

her skirt. Grabbing the back of the chair, she pulled it back to her desk. A moment more and she was standing in the doorway again, Hannah still on her shoulder. She held up her hand, the bird perched on her finger and Dare set her in the cage door’s opening.

“I thought I could talk about it, but I don’t think I can.” She was about to turn but stopped and looked at Douglas. “Do you ever get lonely?”


He put his hand to his face and rubbed his jaw. After a sigh, he leaned forward and looked at the formulary, the loan papers holding his place. “Not until I loved someone.”


Chapter Thirteen

Douglas opened his screen door, and it creaked loudly. He entered his house and returned with an oil can. He applied oil to the offending hinges and moved the door back and forth, listening for any stray noises. Satisfied, he entered the house again, set his satchel on the kitchen table along with the oil can and took down a bottle of whiskey from an overhead cabinet.

He poured the drink and took a sip before opening his refrigerator. He took out two eggs and a piece of ham, setting them on a countertop, and found a skillet.

***

He ate his dinner slowly, washing each bite with a swallow of whiskey. The house was silent. He’d turned on the lights in the kitchen but not in the adjoining dining room where he sat. A table lamp across the hallway in the living room illuminated his couch and a coffee table of books. He set his fork down on his empty plate, put on his hat and coat and left the house.

***

The walk to his office was short but pleasant. Crickets were in full song, and the birds were settling for the night. Teenaged couples walked closely together on the sidewalks, enjoying the few hours they had together before curfew. Douglas pulled out his cigarette case, thumped it on his hand, and began to whistle, tapping out the rhythm with the case before putting it back in his pocket.

He came up to his office, hopped to the second step and unlocked the door. Dare had turned off the lights and pulled the curtains so he left the front door open for some light. Douglas walked across the room to the light switch and flipped it.

“Hannah, I should’ve brought you home with me. I wasn’t thinking.”Hannah’s feathers were ruffled from sleep, and she lifted her head from

her back.“Didn’t mean to startle you any, but you’re coming home with me for the

weekend.”He picked up the cage and left the office.


***

When he returned to his house, he took Hannah to the living room, and opened the door to her cage. She flew out and fluttered around the room indecisively until finding a perch at the top of a curio cabinet. With awkward little sidesteps on the cabinet’s edge, she went from one end to the other, bobbing her head up and down, scraping her beak against the wood. She sang and squawked cheerfully, turned circles and walked to the back of the cabinet out of sight.

Douglas stood and put his hand on top of the cabinet. She stepped onto his hand, and he brought her down.

“Hello, my love,” he said.She cocked her head to the side and watched his mouth.“Hello, my love,” he repeated.She bobbed her head.“Hello, my love,” he said again.She bobbed her head and said in a sing-songy voice, “Hello, my love.

Hello, my love.”He brought her close to his face, and she nibbled at his nose. She pranced

along his hand and arm, her head bouncing all the way. “Hannah, Doctor,” she said. “Hello, my love. Hello, my love.”

“I guess you had a quiet day today, huh? You’re ready to get some energy out.”

She turned on his hand and flew back to the cabinet. He sat in a rocking chair and put his feet up on the coffee table to push back and forth slowly.

Hannah was busy with mirrored coasters when Douglas left the living room. He walked into his bedroom at the back of the house and turned on the light. His room was plain, with no photographs on the walls, only his bed, nightstand, and dresser. A black telephone rested on the stand.

He walked to his dresser and took out a stack of handkerchiefs. He picked up a photo lying at the bottom of the drawer. With his other hand, he felt around and pulled out two golden rings tied together with a loop of twine.

He placed the rings on the dresser and walked to his bathroom sink. Holding the photo up to the light, he studied it. A young woman smiled at him, her hair was short and dark. Douglas reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter. He set a corner of the photograph on fire and watched it consume her. When the flame reached his fingers, he dropped the picture into the sink and washed it away.


Chapter Fourteen

Douglas woke the next morning and saw the rings on the dresser. Hers, a thin golden band topped by a small, cloudy diamond, rested on his. He slipped his feet into a pair of corduroy slippers, wrapped a robe around himself and stood. With his little finger he lifted her ring, which was still tied to the other, and looked at the diamond, studying it from every angle. Douglas set them down and shuffled to Hannah’s blanketed cage set on a stand in the corner. He lifted the blanket and leaned forward.

“Morning,” he said.“Hello, my love,” she sang.He patted the top of the cage, and she tilted her head to the side so she

could watch his hand.“I’ll be back,” he said and found his way to the bathroom.

***

After a shower, he dressed himself in a grey three-piece suit and smoothed back his thinning, brown hair. From a drawer, he pulled out a clear bottle of golden cologne. He rattled the bottle and walked over to Hannah.

“What?” he said playfully. “What are you staring at?” He stuck his finger in the cage, and she tapped her beak on his fingernail. He held the cologne bottle to the cage and she clicked the glass with her beak and leaned away from it.

He laughed. “You don’t like it, huh? It’s the good stuff. ‘Spit of the Gods,’ I call it.” He took the cap off and sprayed it toward the dresser and walked into it, placing the bottle back into its drawer. Inspecting himself in the mirror, he seemed satisfied and picked up the rings.

“Goodbye, Hannah. I’ll be back.”Douglas walked past his satchel, still at the kitchen table, and left the

house. When he’d shut the front door, he admired the screen by moving it back and forth on its silent hinges.

An old, lean man walked briskly on the sidewalk. “Good morning, Dr. Howard,” the man shouted.

“Good morning, Mr. Tony!” Douglas smiled, descended the steps and walked to Main.

***


Traver’s was busy at the counter, but most of the men sat with empty plates in front of them. One stool remained open, and Douglas took his place at the counter. Donnie nodded at him as he took two plates from customers and placed them in the sink. “Just one minute, Dr. Howard,” Donnie said.

“Take your time. I’m in no rush.”“Do you know what you want?”“What do you have?”Donnie took two more plates. “I can fix you some ham and eggs.”Douglas put his elbow on the counter and leaned his hand on his palm.

He tapped his cheek thoughtfully and sighed. “Sure. That’s fine.”“You don’t want that?”“I don’t mind. I had it for supper last night, but if I can have some orange

juice with it then I won’t be having the same thing as I did last night.”“I can do that,” Donnie said with a smile. Douglas looked around the store. Three small boys sat cross-legged near

the front of the store at a rack of comic books. One boy wore a black mask like The Lone Ranger’s. They were reading Marvel Boy together, although one of the boys was peeking at the next page while his friends were enjoying the pictures on another.

A newspaper sat within arm’s reach on the counter, and Douglas pulled it closer. He leafed through the pages and pushed it away without reading it. Donnie set a napkin on the counter and placed a tall glass of orange juice on top. Water glistened on the rim and along the sides. Douglas drew a line through the droplets with his finger and took a drink.

“Did you open today?” Douglas asked.Donnie leaned back against the sink, drying a glass with a towel. “Yes, sir.

I’ll be working through the day. Came in around four-thirty, but I’ll probably close early. Maybe around seven so I can get some sleep.”

“You’d better tell your father you expect a good Christmas bonus.”“I’ve already told him,” Donnie said with a shy laugh.“Good man! Why don’t you just curl up in the back room and let us help

ourselves?”Donnie walked to the griddle and turned the eggs and ham over. They

sizzled and smoke rose into his face. He backed away. “That sounds like something that would just land me in trouble, Dr. Howard.”


“Nah, nothing to worry about. Just let me have the run of the store, and there’ll be none the wiser.” They both laughed, and Donnie scooped up the eggs and ham onto a plate.

“Tell me, Dr. Howard. How’s doctoring going today?”Douglas took the plate from Donnie and sprinkled pepper over the eggs.

“It’s good. It’s nice to help people who appreciate the help. It has its days, but there’s nothing like the thrill of identifying a problem, findings its root, and handing over the cure.” He waved a fork and stared beyond Donnie. “It’s magical really. Handing over the cure, and over time, watching the patient becoming a living soul again.”

Donnie wiped at the counter while absent-mindedly watching the doctor.After taking a bite, Douglas nodded his head, still looking away. “There’s

nothing like curing a man. I’d imagine it’s about the closest feeling there is to creating life.” He pointed his fork at the young man. “Nothing like it. You’re hooked after you see a patient’s eyes grow bright again.”

“Can I ask you something?” Donnie quieted his voice. “Something about doctoring?”

“Sure.” Douglas took a bite of ham.Donnie leaned forward. “What’s wrong with Mr. King?”Douglas grimaced and set down his fork. “I wouldn’t feel right telling you

without Mrs. King knowing. She hasn’t been talking about it much.”“I understand,” Donnie said and leaned back against the sink.“But you know what?” Douglas picked up his fork again and pointed it

across the counter. “How would you like to come with me when I visit them next? I can ask Mrs. King and see if she would consent to it. You could meet me over there, and I’d tell her you’re interested in medicine and are helping me.”

A nervous smile grew across Donnie’s face. “I don’t know that I’m really cut out for doctoring, but thanks for asking.”

“Sure! Why not? Every man has to get his break some time. You’ll get to see if this is something you’re interested in or not. It’ll be nice to have someone along with me.”

“I doubt if I’ll be a doctor,” the young man said with a wide smile as he began wiping down the counter. He looked up, waved at a customer and left the counter to greet them.

Douglas ate the rest of his breakfast quietly and finished with half a glass of orange juice still waiting on him. He drank it slowly and moved the glass back and forth, watching the foam in the juice whirl. He drank the last of it and left coins next to the plate.


“I’ll let you know what she says, Donnie,” he shouted across the store.Donnie waved thanks.

***

The sidewalk was full this day but not with shoppers. Men sat in old wooden chairs along the storefronts talking, playing checkers, cards, and watching the people. Women congregated at the street corners with bags in their hands, chatting feverishly with hand motions to guide the conversations forward. Douglas waved at everyone he passed. They waved back, each greeting him: “Good morning, Dr. Howard.”

He opened the door to King’s and waved to the girl at the counter. It wasn’t Susan. This girl was short, plump and pretty. “Good morning, Isabelle,” he said. “Did you let someone cut at your hair?”

The girl blushed. “Well, you oughtn’t to have let them do it, but really, if you don’t look

nice whichever way you do your hair.” He stopped at the counter and whispered, “Is Mrs. King in?”

Isabelle smiled and said, “Can I help you? I don’t think she’ll be in this weekend.”

“I have something I’d like to see if you’d buy from me.”She nodded, “Oh sure, I can do that. I’ve been doing that for years.”“I don’t want to pressure you or anything.”“Oh no, no, you won’t,” she said with her hands out to make him feel at

ease. Her round cheeks were still red, and her eyes gleamed at him.“Like pearls,” he said.“I’m sorry?” she replied in a confused tone.He smiled. “Your eyes.”“Oh, Dr. Howard.”

***

Isabelle and Dr. Howard studied the rings on the counter. “They’re certainly nice, Dr. Howard. They’re very nice, but I can’t give you

more than, say, one-hundred dollars for the pair.”“One-hundred?”She frowned and batted her eyes nervously. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry. They have

wear on them, and we do have better pieces on show for that amount.”


“For both?”“Yes, sir. I really am sorry we can’t do more than that. No one is spending

a lot of money on rings right now. Maybe if you held onto them we can give you more in a few years?”

“I can’t do that. That’ll be fine.” He slid the rings across the counter into Isabelle’s hand. She left and returned with a note. “Take that to the bank, and you’re all set.”

He smiled and took the note. “Good day, Isabelle.”“Good day, Dr. Howard.”He left the store and crossed the street to Hill Savings Bank.


Chapter Fifteen

Dare sat reading in the shade of her front porch. The chain holding the swing creaked in the ceiling hooks each time her toes pushed against the floor. Somewhere nearby, finches chirped noisily, but she paid them no mind and turned the page.

She yawned and closed the book. The phone rang inside. Dare hurried to the screen door; it groaned at its hinges and slapped back into the frame as she whisked by. She reached the phone at its fifth ring.

“Hello? Hi, Ruth.” Dare beamed and leaned against the counter. “Sure you can borrow it. Yes, I’ll be here. Come on over.” She hung up the phone and patted her hair and smoothed out her skirt. Moving quickly, she pulled from under her bed a wooden tray of books, all neatly lined together with their spines facing upward. Her method of arrangement by shade of color was easy to see, the darkest starting in the top left corner of the tray and slowly working down to the faded yellows, tans and whites. She pulled a brown book from the tray and smiled at it.

“Mrs. Dalloway,” she said and opened the book to admire the pages. Leaving the tray out from under the bed, she went to the living room and straightened the cushions. She stood and looked around and hurried into the kitchen. She pulled two lemons from a dish on the counter and cut them into halves, placing them into a bowl. From a nearby drawer she pulled out a wooden lemon juicer, and ground the lemons with the tool.

When she’d finished with the lemons, she mixed the juice with water and sugar into a tall, thin pitcher of ice. With a smile of satisfaction, she cleaned up the kitchen, placed the lemonade into the refrigerator and waited on the porch with her book.

Footsteps coming up the walk got Dare’s attention. She looked up and smiled, “Hi, Ruth! I’m so glad to see you!”

A redheaded woman, close to the age of thirty, smiled back and brushed a sweaty strand of hair from her face. She breathed heavily as she struggled to get her large frame up the steps. “Hey, Dare. You got that book for me?”

“Yes! Yes! Come inside,” she opened the door for Ruth and followed her in.

Ruth sat down. “Sorry it took me so long to get here. My knee has been actin’ up again, and Mike says we don’t have the money for anyone to look at it. It suffers me somethin’ awful. Gives me fits, it does. Can’t go to dances because he won’t get up and put some honest hours in to bring us money.”


“I’m very sorry to hear that, Ruth.”“Yeah. It’s been a tough time for us,” Ruth said shaking her head.“Would you like some lemonade?”Ruth stared at her. “How long you been in this place now?”“Here in Hill?”“No, this house.”“A couple years. Why?”Ruth looked away and let out a low groan. “I don’t know. Just askin’. You

got that book?”“Sure! It’s right here.” Dare grabbed the book from the coffee table and

handed it to Ruth. “This is one of my favorites. I hope you’ll like it.”“I probably will.”“Do you want some lemonade?” Dare asked again.“Sure, that’s fine.” Dare brought down a glass and poured Ruth the lemonade. “It hasn’t been

in the refrigerator too long, but there’s ice in it.” She set it down on the table nearest Ruth who was thumbing through the book.

Still looking at the pages, the woman stood without looking up at Dare and said, “I’ll get it back to you when I’m finished.” She laughed and looked at Dare. “I read so fast sometimes it’s amazing. Mike can’t hardly believe it. He calls me his Speedy Read-y.” She giggled so her stomach jumped up and down. “Goodbye, Dare.”

Dare didn’t smile back, her eyes had grown dull. “Bye, Ruth.”Ruth left and Dare closed the screen and front door, shutting out the

sunlight, although it still found its way through open windows. Dare picked up the untouched glass of lemonade and held it at her side as she walked back to the kitchen. She stood at the sink and stared out the window at the neighbor’s house. Slowly, she pulled the glass up and tilted it over the sink, letting each cube of ice clatter into the sink on its own time.

***

She sat at the kitchen table, crying softly into her crossed arms. A screen of late afternoon rain fell gently, a warm comforting mist that can wash clean a burdened heart. The rain made no noise against the house, not even against the thin window panes. Dare looked up and watched the droplets spot the windows and cling to it, as though they were the small eyes of nature watching her tearfully before they slid away.


She let out a cleansing breath and stood with puffy, red eyes. At the sink, she wet her fingers and rubbed her eyes clean and then patted her face dry. Her chest quivered, and she straightened and swallowed. Thunder sounded in the distance, and Dare walked to the window facing the street to watch. The clear sky had turned grey and would soon match the dark blue horizon. Lightning fell and was snatched back into the clouds. Thunder rumbled again and her wind chimes, made of thin pieces of red metal, clinked against one another.

***

The storm settled over Hill, surrounding Dare’s house in steady rains and shuddering bursts of thunder. Her book lay open beside her on the coffee table. She leaned back into the warm light of the lamp and put a hand to her neck. A final tear escaped from her eyes as she closed them, and it ran along her nose to her lips. The small mantle clock across the room marked a steady, annular rhythm as her fingertips touched her inner thigh, and she began to breathe.


Chapter Sixteen

Douglas waited on the steps of Traver’s while Donnie closed up the shop. The raindrops still fell, but only from the edges of eaves and sign posts. Douglas tapped the heel of his shoe on the sidewalk and held a burning cigarette at his side.

The door opened and Donnie locked it. “All set, Dr. Howard.”“How was business today?” They began to walk.“I’m dog tired, that’s for sure. Busy for most of the day, though.”“Fine, fine,” Douglas said. He fit the cigarette into the corner of his mouth

and opened his satchel as they crossed Main. Once he’d found his journal in the bag, he pulled it out and handed it to Donnie while closing the bag. He took back the journal. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “This is where I keep all the details of each visit. Some, like in Mr. King’s case, aren’t as detailed. I talked with Mrs. King, and she said it was fine for you to come with me just as long as it stays between the two of us. You understand?”

“Sure, sure,” Donnie said quickly. “No problem at all. I’ll just be trying to keep up is all.”

“Fine,” Douglas said with an assenting nod. He looked around and saw they were alone on the sidewalk. “You remember when it was, almost three weeks ago now. They called me over to the store. He was having problems with his speech. He’d lost use of most of his mouth and facial musculature. When a person has that and can’t ambulate, or walk very well, they’re having a cerebral vascular accident. Blood isn’t getting to the brain. It stops working.”

They turned around a street corner, and Douglas motioned for them to cross again.

“Not many people survive them. When I got him to the hospital they took him back, did an angiogram, and within the hour let Mrs. King and me know that they didn’t think he would make it. It had taken so long for us to get him out there from the time he’d started to experience the symptoms. They kept him for two days, and suggested he should go back home where he’d be more comfortable. They gave him two weeks, but lately I believe he has about a month left.”

“So he’s improving? He might get better?”“No, I wouldn’t say that. They observed him for only a short time. It’s a

technicality—two weeks opposed to four—but in effect, they’re right in their prognosis. He’s slowly dying.”


Donnie looked at the sidewalk and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated to think a moment. He spoke: “How can you tell how long someone has?”

“Vital signs, eating habits, sleeping patterns. No one thing in particular can tell me how long he has, but if you piece everything together over time, you can make a pretty accurate, scientific estimate.”

The young man was beginning to lose interest and nodded absentmindedly. “What can you do for him? Is there a cure?”

Douglas sighed, “We can prevent some of these accidents, but it’s mostly unpredictable. Very few people recover from it, and if they do, they won’t fully recover but maybe live for just a few more years.”

Donnie didn’t respond.“My father was a doctor, but he didn’t know as much as we do now. He’d

mend a bone and hand out whiskey. ‘Drink this and you won’t remember what kinda sick you had,’ he’d always say.” Douglas laughed. “I think the old man was right.”

***

Mrs. King opened the door wearing a red robe tied snugly at the waist. “Donnie,” she said with a nod. “Good evening, Dr. Howard.”

Douglas removed his hat and replied, “Good evening, Mrs. King. We’ve come to check on Mr. King.”

“Come in,” she said with a smile and opened the door further. “He’s been sleeping for about an hour now. I’ll be downstairs, if you need me.”

The two men entered Mr. King’s bedroom. The man’s head lay surrounded by sheets and pillows as if he hadn’t moved since the doctor’s last visit. The room festered of stale urine and waste. A bowl of boiling water and mint leaves sat on a dresser near the door, but the scent did little to improve the room. Douglas whispered: “I’ll check his vitals now. Just wait here for me. I won’t be long. I’ll tell you a little bit about it out in the hallway.”

Douglas sat beside Mr. King and held the man’s wrist while watching his own watch. He let the frail wrist down and put his hand near the man’s mouth and watched his chest swell and fall.

“Mr. King,” Douglas whispered, “I’m going to check your pressure now. Just give me a moment, and I’ll be done.” He took out a cuff and slid it up Mr. King’s arm. He secured the cuff, filled it and studied the reading as the air left it.


With journal in hand, Douglas wrote notes and left the room with Donnie close behind.

As Douglas continued to write he said, “His signs are down, but not significantly so at this moment. He’s still strong for the circumstances, but his body won’t be able to keep it up for long.”

Donnie’s expression was blank and his face pale.“Are you all right, Donnie?”“Yes, sir.”“Is something the matter?”“I don’t think so, no.” He shook his head. “The room, the smell. My back

got chills.”Douglas closed his journal. “Atmospheres like that, it’s something you

don’t always get used to but grow to understand and work around. Mrs. King has done a great job tending to him, making him comfortable.”

Donnie didn’t respond. “Now, Donnie, if this is something you want to pursue, you’re more than

welcome to follow along again.”“I’m not really interested. You seemed like you wanted some company,”

he said. “I should go. I have another early day tomorrow.”“That’s fine, Donnie. Thank you for coming. It’s good to just get to know

you a little better. Stop by the office any time, you hear?”“Yes sir, thank you.” Donnie walked down steps to the foyer and let

himself out the door.Douglas sat in a chair at the top of the stairs and finished his entry for Mr.

King. He shut the book and replaced it in his satchel. The house was silent, and Douglas slowly descended the stairway.

Mrs. King sat alone in the dark dining room, sipping from a teacup at the head of the dining table. An unlit silver chandelier hung over her like a lifted crown. She watched him above the rim of the cup and set it down as she swallowed. The cup clinked lightly in the saucer.

“Just finished,” whispered Douglas.She motioned with a nod for him to join her. He pulled out a chair at the

side of the table and sat. “What did Isabelle buy from you?” she asked. Her eyes were sharp and

steady. “I sold her Rebecca’s and my rings.”She sipped and held the cup at her chin. “You held onto them long

enough.”


“I guess I’d always kept hope.”“Did hope die?”Douglas didn’t acknowledge the question. “I need the money. I put it

down on the loan.”“All of it?”“The one-hundred Isabelle gave me, yes.”“You didn’t have to sell them.”“I know, but I need to do what I can right now. The people need a doctor.

Dare needs her job.”“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, putting the cup down and

tracing the rim with her fingers.Douglas frowned at her in confusion.“Did hope die?”He sighed. “I don’t remember it dying. It’s one of those things that just

goes—like a storm—when does it stop raining?” Douglas flicked his hands and sniffed, staring back at Mrs. King. “I just realized I didn’t need an umbrella anymore.”


Chapter Seventeen

They sat alone in the dark, with elbows on the table and Mrs. King’s teacup on its saucer.

Douglas looked up. “How has he been during the day?”“Quieter.”He nodded and watched his hands. “I noticed it too. I hardly felt his

breath.”Mrs. King took a sip. Their bodies were relaxed as they sat together

listening to the house, a strange silence so quiet and calm that life leaving would be heard coming down the stairs.

“And how is Dare?” Mrs. King asked while setting down her cup. Her manner hardened slightly.

“She’s doing well. Her mother isn’t, though. It’s affecting her; I think she misses her home.”

Mrs. King shrugged. “Then she should go back if her mother needs her.”“No,” Douglas said. “Her mother would have to come here. Dare was run

out of town years back.”“What happened?”He watched her and frowned. “Not my story to tell, I suppose. They didn’t

do right by her.”She stood and ran her hands down along the sides of her robe. “Would

you like to sit in the library?”He rose and left his satchel at the table and followed Mrs. King through

the dark house. The library almost seemed to hold an emotion of its own this night, an emotion of indifference. Should Mr. King pass, its books would just as easily work with the hands of another, its chairs would hold whoever willed, and its piano would sing as beautifully to others. Douglas sat in the chair nearest the piano. Mrs. King took her place on the settee.

“Did Mr. Hill give you the papers?”“Yes, he brought them by.”She made a face, expecting more information.“He gave me seventeen months. I have over six-thousand dollars left to

pay in that time.”“Sounds to me like he stretched out the timing for you.”Douglas shrugged. “Perhaps.”“So what do you think?”“I know I can pay it.”


She opened her mouth in surprise and laughed. “With what? How many more wedding bands do you have? How many wives have you had, Douglas?”

“I’ll find a way.”“Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t sell anything else. He’s giving you seventeen

months. Selling your bird, your suits, and your so-called expensive colognes won’t be but a drop toward that total.”

“I have to try,” he said and put his arms out in exasperation.“I’m just saying there’s no point in trying because I’ll take care of it.”“No point in trying? I have to. Even if you say you’ll take care of it, I have

to keep trying. What if you up and decide to marry some other guy again?”She smirked. “Well, you can always find another girl that looks like me.

You do realize you have a type.”He stared at her for a moment and laughed, shaking his head. “I guess

you’re right at that.”“Settled?” she said turning her head slightly.“I’m still going to try, but all right.”“Now come here and rub my feet,” she said lifting a leg to the couch and

wiggling her toes.

***

It was a solitary walk home. Wet grains of dirt crunched under Douglas’s feet with each step along the sidewalk, and he watched his shoes to avoid the worms brought out by the cool rain.

He neared his house and slowed his pace to a stop. Setting his satchel on the sidewalk, he produced and lit a cigarette. For the better part of a minute, he stood in that spot and enjoyed the smoke, looking at the trees and their wet, moonlit leaves. Picking up his satchel again, he approached his house and walked by.

After crossing several streets and cutting through a vacant lot tall with knee-high grass and weeds, he emerged with his pants wet and his shoes covered in damp seeds and soil. Crossing over one last street, he followed the sidewalk and stood at a house. It was narrow, with two front windows on either side of the porch. A swing undulated gently, as though the wind were sitting in it, pushing against the porch’s floorboards. The chains on the swing creaked.

Douglas walked forward to the walkway leading to the stairs and stopped at the first step. A light was on deep in the house, enough to illuminate the left window pane. He set his foot on the first step as a breeze drifted by. Metal


touched together. A red metal wind chime broke the night’s still, and Douglas froze in his steps. He looked around and held his breath. No one was seen in the streets. Douglas took his foot away from the steps and turned back home.

***

Hannah sat on her perch patiently waiting when Douglas walked into the bedroom.

“Hannah, I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long today. You’d think when I came back before I would’ve let you out for a while.” He opened the cage and walked to his dresser. Hannah flew from the cage and settled on his shoulder just as he began to pull his jacket off.

“Hannah, get off, please.” He shrugged his shoulder, but she clung tightly and leaned forward and then backward with each pitch and toss of his shrugs. Douglas fit the jacket back on his shoulder and looked sideways at the bird as she reached for his nose with her beak.

“Hannah, please get off.” He offered his hand, but the parrot ran to his other shoulder. When he put out his other hand, she scuttled back to her original place. He laughed and sat at the bed, still looking at her closely. She turned her head to the side and yawned before bobbing her head up and down. When she had worked herself up, she began to trill and flap her unextended wings, keeping them close to her sides.

She danced in place, trading her weight from one foot to the other. Her feathers were pulled closely to her body in excitement. While still singing, she moved her head from side to side, and if a beak could smile, Hannah’s did. She scrambled to his other shoulder and then flew to the dresser. Unsure of where to go first, to the left or right, she decided to potter forward to the mirror. She nibbled at the wooden frame and tapped at her reflection. Douglas sat watching her converse with herself, bobbing her head up and down, dragging her beak along the smooth glass.

He stood and took off his jacket and waistcoat. Leaning on his arms against the dresser, he put his head down and closed his eyes tightly. Straightening again, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled it back out in a fist. Hannah stopped her play and watched Douglas in the mirror, her small black eyes unblinking.

Douglas opened his fist and counted out the bills. One-hundred dollars.


Chapter Eighteen

Douglas dressed quickly the next morning in brown trousers, a white dress shirt, and a brown jacket with a striped grey and light blue tie.

He pulled open a narrow drawer on the dresser and stared into it, eventually pulling out the folded stack of bills from the night before. He flipped through them, counting out the total.

Hannah jumped from her perch to the side of her cage and clung to the wires, staring at Douglas. She slowly rubbed her beak against the cage, but otherwise didn’t make a sound.

Looking up, his lips moved as he tallied a sum. He placed one of the bills back in the drawer while pocketing the rest.

“Hannah, I’ll be back this afternoon. I’ll be gone most Sunday mornings.” He tapped a fingernail against the cage, and Hannah immediately jumped back to her perch. “Not a morning bird, are you?”

Without grabbing his bag, Douglas left the house.Just like the night before, he walked away from Main Street, but instead of

walking through the vacant lot, he took the sidewalk around the block and crossed the street. Two women, shaded by wide, white hats, smiled and waved at him with gloved hands. “Good morning, Dr. Howard,” they said.

“Ladies,” he said with a nod and smile, tipping his hat.His step was light, and he walked quickly toward the narrow house he’d

visited the night before. Dare sat on the swing in the morning sun, a smile across her face beneath a pair of red, horn-rimmed sunglasses. Her peach-colored skirt, pleated and full, came to her knees, while her blouse of the same color was snug. Its striped pattern darted diagonally to the thick waistband tied at her hip.

“Good morning, Dare,” Douglas said. “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”“Yes, it is,” she said and picked up a white hat sitting next to her, placing it

lightly on her head. “How do you like it?” Standing to show him the back of it, she turned around. A rhinestone pin clasped two pieces of the brim together in the back.

“You look great today. It fits you,” he said and offered his arm, which she took while looping her handbag on her forearm.

“Ready?” he asked.“Ready,” she replied.They walked closely toward Main, following what grew to be a steady

stream of families and friends all dressed in their best and brightest. “How was your Saturday?” Douglas asked. “You earned it, remember.”


She smirked at him and looked at the people ahead of them. “It was fine.”“What did you do?”After a pause, she cleared her throat. “I had a friend over. We talked about

books and girl things.”“Did you have a good time?”“Yes, we did. It was good to talk.”“Do I know her?”Dare let out an indecisive hum. “I don’t know. Ruth Martin?”“Redhead?”“Yeah, that’s her.”“I know her. When I pass by their house, she always lets me know about

her knee, and I tell her she seemed to be running just fine on it to catch up with me.”

They laughed together, and Dare put her free hand on Douglas’s arm. “And you? How was your day yesterday?”

“Slow day. I took Donnie with me to see Mr. King last night.”“Donnie?”“Yeah, he wanted to see what I do.”“How was he?”“Who?”“Donnie. How’d he do?”Douglas chuckled. “I don’t think he knew what to expect and was a little

frightened.”“He’s a nice kid.”“Yes, he is.”They rounded a corner and joined a slow line of people that led to the

door of a small white church. An old man dressed in a black suit stood greeting each and every soul.

***

“Smoke?” Douglas asked, holding his case out to Dare.She held up a hand. “No, thank you.” They left the churchyard along with

the rest of the town and strolled in the direction of Dare’s house. She began to turn right to follow the street home, but he grabbed her arm and crossed over the street.

“Where are we going?”


He shrugged and looked at her with the slightest trace of a smile. “I thought we’d just take a walk.”

“Lead the way, Dr. Howard,” she motioned with one hand while she took his arm with the other.

After they’d walked a block in silence, Dare spoke: “How’s Hannah?”His eyes lit up. “She’s a clown. That’s what she is. She’s dancing, singing,

all sorts of things. I think she’s really happy with me, but a little grumpy this morning, I’m afraid.”

“Will you bring her back to the office tomorrow?”“Yes, I’ll bring her to the office but take her home Friday evenings.” “I think I like her.”“You think?”Dare smirked. “I like her.”“Have I done a good job cleaning up after her?” Douglas asked.“For the most part. Except when you let her chew at your papers.”“I was good yesterday,” he laughed.They crossed a street and walked back toward her house. “Dare?”“Yes?”“Why did you come here?”“You know why.”“No, I mean why did you choose Hill?”“Oh,” Dare replied. “The people. Everyone was nice. Mr. Traver’s most of

all and Mr. Tony too. Why did you choose Hill?“I liked the name. They needed a doctor.”Dare nodded. “I just needed a new start, and this was it.”“Me too, but there’s a difference between a fresh start and starting over.”As though they were in their own world, their own town, just the two of

them, they smiled at each other and looked at the sidewalk. A small child, dressed in faded brown knickers and a mismatched jacket, ran between them, bumping them away from one another.


Chapter Nineteen

Douglas threw his coat onto the couch and took a seat at the kitchen table while Dare opened her refrigerator.

“I confess I forgot it was my week,” she said. “I have eggs. I can make egg sandwiches.”

He laughed. “That’ll be fine.”“Why are you laughing? I have ham. We can have that instead.”“I’m not laughing at you. I’ve just had eggs a lot more than usual. I was

thinking of a conversation I had with Donnie about it. It’s nothing.”The refrigerator door still open, she stood behind it staring at Douglas.

“So. You don’t want eggs.”“No, egg sandwiches sound great.”“Ok, I’ll do that. In fact, I’ll change it up for you. I’ll do ham and eggs.”As though he’d just found an obvious solution, he threw out his arms wide

and with a smile said, “Even better.”“And what would you like to drink? I have lemonade,” she offered.“Perfect.”“Pickles?”“Love them.”

***

They sat at the kitchen table and ate their lunch of egg and ham sandwiches, bread and butter pickles, and lemonade. The lights in the house were off, but the sun came through the open windows.

Dare spoke: “How was Mr. King?”“No other way to put it. He’s dying. His signs aren’t improving.” The slats

of the chair creaked as he leaned forward and spoke in a quieter tone. “I’d say he’ll be gone in a month, on the high side.”

“What did Mrs. King say?”Douglas pushed his plate away and placed his fingertip on a crumb so

that it stuck to his finger before flicking it down. “She’s upset, of course.” He rubbed at his knee and thigh and placed his hand on his pocket, his thumb slowly outlining the folded bills.

“That was all?”


“What else would there be?” He looked at the plate and turned it clockwise with a finger so it rattled on the table. “I’d just told her that her husband would die in a month.”

“Don’t do that,” Dare said and pointed at the plate. “It bothers my ears.”“Sorry,” he said and crossed his arms in front of him on the table. “That

was a good egg.”They took turns clearing their throats, and Dare looked around the room

in feigned interest.“I want to give you something,” Douglas said.Both of them became still and held each other’s look. Douglas rubbed his

hand on his leg. He spoke again, “It’s not work-related. It’s just a gift. From one person to

another.”“Ok,” she replied and put her arms on the table, hands crossed.With a slight hesitation, he reached into his pocket and brought out the

bills. “For your mother. For you,” he said as he slid the small stack away from him. Unsure of a response, Dare looked at the bills, counting as they unfolded on their own.

They sat at the table staring at the money, their plates full of crumbs wet with vinegar, and their moods visibly falling. The ticks of the mantle clock were meaningless in the silence, only promising the presence of the moment but not a guarantee of a future.

“I can’t take it anymore,” she said.

***

Douglas sat at the edge of his bed and stared at Hannah in the mirror. From his coat pocket, he removed a handkerchief and comb and stood to empty his pants’ pocket, containing nothing more than three keys.

The bird shuffled along her perch to get a better look and hooked her beak on a wire, rubbing it back and forth. Frustrated at the wire, she flicked her tongue out and began to work at the door’s latch, a piece of wire attached to the door that snapped in place along the frame.

“Are you trying to get out?” Douglas said. “Sit back. I’ll let you out in a moment.” In obedience, she pulled her head back and watched him intently as he opened a dresser drawer and reached in. In his hand, he looked at the bill he’d kept for himself. Hannah rubbed her beak along the cage, thrumming each wire as if she were plucking a violin.


Frozen where he stood, Douglas moved his head to the side, listening to his bird thump each thin wire in her reach, one by one.


Chapter Twenty

Dare pulled a chair from the kitchen table to the wall phone and sat looking at the receiver. Placing her hands on her knees, she hung her head for a moment and then reached for the phone.

“Granderson 3-4519,” she whispered into the set.She sniffed and ran her hand along her skirt as she waited. “Hi, Thomas,”

she said. “I’m well. How’s Mama?” With her hand, she rubbed at her eyes and breathed deeply. “Sure. Put her on.”

“Hi, Mama.” She listened and then laughed. “Yes, yes, I am. You sound well.”

The mood of the kitchen brightened when Dare sat back in the chair, crossing her arm over her lap and laughing again. “Yes, Mama, I do remember that. You and Father took Thomas, Madeline, and me to some falls where she could slide down them. I do remember, and I’m sure you think of those times often.”

She listened for a time, rubbing a finger lightly behind her ear and then she lowered her head. “I didn’t leave you,” she said, her voice firm. It cracked as she pinched her eyes closed, “You didn’t want me. You told me you didn’t want me!” She brought her voice down, but it was muddled with emotion and rising tears. “He attacked me. I told you. He attacked me, and you didn’t listen. You just told me you didn’t want me.” With anger and frustration visibly taking hold, she clenched her jaws and lowered her brow, staring at the wall.

“No!” She jumped to her feet. “No! You were too busy rooting around with Mayor Parks to pay attention to your husband or your kids. That’s why I’m not there right now. I’m not there, because you let the town run me out so Mayor Parks and his son could save face, so you wouldn’t be found out.”

Her mouth stuttered and she nodded as she listened, but then interrupted, “No. You did it so Father wouldn’t find out. I never told him, but not to protect you.”

She sat down and put her hand over her mouth as her body began to heave. “You didn’t care, and you don’t even remember. I don’t think you even know which daughter you’re talking to.” With weak fingertips, she pressed down on the receiver and let the phone fall to the floor while her body slid down against the wall.

Crying on the kitchen floor, she looked up and gasped for breath, raking tears from her pale cheeks. “I need you,” she whispered. “Someone.”


***

A bird sat on the railing of Dare’s porch, singing the opening song of the morning. Another bird joined the first. Dare closed the curtain and turned toward the bedroom, stopping inside the doorway at the dresser. The stack of money Douglas had given her sat fanned out in a V.

She tipped over the bills with a finger and unfolded them, counting out eighty dollars. Taking a seat on the bed, she slid her feet into a pair of shoes and stood, looking down at the cash. She left the house without it.

***

The water was running in Douglas’s bathroom. Hannah sat in her cage.A bright set of painted metal rings hung down near Hannah’s perch. She

nibbled and pushed the rings, watching them swing slowly and tap against the perch. Soon, she began to slowly bob her head up and down, making a low, long croaking noise. She craned her neck to get a better angle of Douglas, but he was not in sight. Perhaps confused at his absence, she turned her head over sideways, one eye looking straight up, the other at the floor.

“Hannah, Doctor,” she said and straightened. With surprising speed, she ran across her perch and jumped to the side of the cage, clinging to it with her long, grey feet. Like a child hinting at its need for attention, she tapped a wire with her beak and watched the bathroom. She tapped it again. A shadow came across the open door, but Douglas didn’t appear; the water continued to run, interrupted by an occasional splash. Douglas cleared his throat; Hannah cocked her head, waited and tapped a wire again.

Her grey eyelids blinked but opened wide, making her dark eyes look large and worried that she might be left in her cage forever.

“Hannah, Doctor,” she croaked. “Hannah, Doctor.”She flicked the wire again but with no answer from the bathroom.

Wobbling her head from side to side, she began to trill and stopped after a few seconds before scuttling around to the door and working at it with her beak.

***

Douglas patted his face dry and rubbed his hands in the towel. He let out a satisfied sigh as he adjusted his belt and studied the mirror.


“Ready for work, Hannah?” he shouted into the next room and peeked around the corner.

The door of the cage was open so that it was sticking straight out like a drawbridge, its hinges stuck. Hannah sat proudly on it.

“Hannah, Doctor,” she replied.


Chapter Twenty-One

Douglas entered the office and held Hannah’s cage up for Dare to see. “Look who showed up at work today!”

Although visibly tired and pale, Dare looked up and smiled. “I’m glad you brought her.”

“She got out this morning. Somehow she opened the door on her own. Do we have twine?”

Tapping her finger on her chin, Dare looked around the room. “Mr. Traver wrapped up that book with twine. Do you still have it?”

“Good thought!” he said and walked to his desk, setting Hannah’s cage on the chair across from it. The desk drawer held pencils, newspaper clippings and the twine. He pulled it out and cut a piece with his penknife. Looping the twine around the wires twice, he tied it together in a tight bow. Hannah cocked her head to the side and hopped to the wires. After a moment of study, she hooked her beak into the backside of the loop and gnawed at it.

“Can’t get out now, can you?” Douglas said with a smile and looked around the corner. “How are you, Dare?”

Like a statue she sat with her hands on the desk, the ledger and Great Expectations closed in front of her.

“Dare?”“I’m fine, thank you,” she said. After a silent moment between the two,

she opened her ledger and pulled a thick notebook from the desk. “I have to make orders today. Did you put everything on the list?”

“Yes, I did,” The concern in his voice was as equally apparent on his face. “Let me know how I can help, will you?”

“Yes.”Douglas stepped back to his desk and sat, looking across at Hannah.

She’d opened the door and was sitting on the edge of it.“Hello, my love,” she said.“Hello, love,” Douglas whispered and offered her a hand. With a tentative

step, Hannah placed her weight on him and let go of the cage. She looked at him curiously and twirled once, jumping from his hand to his shoulder to rest.

“How did you get out anyway?”Dare looked around the corner. “What did you say?”“Nothing, I was just—“ The phone rang and Dare disappeared around the

corner.


“Yes, just a minute,” she said. Dare looked around the doorway again. Hannah shuffled from Douglas’s right shoulder to his left for a better look. Dare pointed at her desk. “Douglas, Mrs. King is on the phone for you.”

“I’ll be right there.” He slid his chair back and rubbed his finger along Hannah’s wing. Looking sleepy on his shoulder, she rolled her head to the side and placed her beak on her back.

Douglas picked up the phone. “Mrs. King, how are you?”He nodded and frowned, listening intently. “But his vitals were low

yesterday. They hadn’t changed, but they were low.” He nodded again. “I’ll be right over.” The red from his lips faded and turned pale while he fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out his cigarette case. Dare took the phone from his hand.

“What’s wrong?”“It’s Mr. King.” Douglas slid Hannah onto his hand and took her to the

cage.

***

Douglas jogged along the sidewalk, only giving slight nods to everyone who greeted him. When able to, he cut through backyards and hopped through hedges, waving off confused property owners cutting the grass or enjoying the dewy morning. The street signs stood far from where he crossed each road, and boys on bikes stopped to turn and follow him at a distance, only to speed up when he turned a corner.

The boys stopped at the end of Simmons, just as Douglas reached the walkway to the Kings’ home. The taps of his shoes scraped and snapped along the brick walk, and he knocked loudly on the door.

Dressed in a red house robe, Mrs. King opened the door and Douglas stepped in.

“I came over as quickly as I could,” Douglas said. “I don’t believe it. Can I see him?”

She waved her hand to the stairs, and they both hurried up to Mr. King’s room.

Propped up by a mash of pillows, Mr. King managed a lopsided smile. His face was as pale as the day before, but his eyes were deeper in color and animation. The right side of his mouth drooped, but he opened his mouth and laughed. A loud, deep laugh.

“What happened?” Douglas said.


“I don’t know. I came in here, and he was wide-awake. I haven’t seen him laugh since before the brain accident.”

Douglas inched forward and rested his bag on the bed, peering down closely at the man who was following him with his eyes.

“Mr. King?” Douglas asked. “Can you hear me?”The man didn’t respond but stared.“Wiggle your fingers if you can hear me.”Mr. King lifted up his left arm without the slightest hitch and waved his

fingers as though he were passing by on a merry-go-round. A look of astonishment overcame Douglas’s face. He looked at Mrs. King, who stood at the door with her hand on her mouth.

“I can’t believe this,” Douglas exclaimed and then straightened, putting his hand to his brow. “I’ve never seen a thing like it. Or heard a thing like it.” He bent down again over his patient.

“Mr. King, you were able to laugh. Can you laugh again?”Their eyes locked into each other’s, Mr. King’s gleamed more with each

second. “Ha!” the man let out in a gasp. “Ha!”Pinching an eyebrow, Douglas said, “Can you say, ‘Ooooo’?”“Uhhhh,” the man held out a low, grumbling note.“Can you wiggle your fingers on your right arm?”They both looked down at his hand. The fingers waved but only lightly on

the white sheets.“And how about your leg?” Douglas peeled away the sheet and inspected

the fatty white legs. The flesh on the legs twitched, but only the left leg moved freely - the right, just barely.

With a foot, Douglas hooked a chair, pulled it close and sat. He leaned toward the patient with a new intensity. Rustling around in his satchel, he brought out his journal and took Mr. King’s wrist in his hand.

A minute passed and Douglas still held the wrist, while also watching Mr. King’s chest rise and fall with regularity. “Amazing,” he whispered and sat back.

Mrs. King came to the bed and sat on it, replacing the sheets over Mr. King’s legs and rubbing his knee. Her eyes met her husband’s and they watched each other.

“Ha!” Mr. King laughed. “Ha!”“Mr. King, if you’ll excuse us,” Douglas said and motioned for Mrs. King

to follow.


Douglas waited for her to close the door before he spoke. “Don’t let this get you thinking he’ll fully recover. We have to be rational about this. His signs for the last few weeks have not been favorable.”

“But they haven’t been terrible.”“No, you’re right, but sometimes this happens. A patient’s body

sometimes gives one last push. It’s often that push that takes too much out of them.”

She nodded, but a trace of a smile lingered on her face. “I need to go back in and finish the exam.” He reached for the door and

pushed. “If you’ll wait here.”

***

The phone rang and Dare answered.“Doctor Howard’s office.”She smiled and nodded. “Hi, Donnie. No, I haven’t heard back from him.

He’s been over there for two hours now. Tell the boys not to follow him next time. Just because he was running somewhere—I understand what they saw.” She laughed. “No. I haven’t heard anything from him. If something had happened, all of Main would know by now.”

After another nod she said, “Sure. And I’ll probably be up your way around 12:30. Do you have tomatoes today? Just a tomato sandwich then. Thank you.”

Flipping to another page in the notebook, she set the phone down and picked up her pencil. With the list as her guide, she wrote numbers and struck through boxes in the notebook’s page.

She paused and looked up at the windows. With great care, she looked around the office and walked to the window, looking out at the street. After checking every direction, she moved quickly to Douglas’s office and looked over his desk, pulling out each drawer but not finding what she wanted.

“Where is it?” she whispered and looked up at Hannah. The bird cocked her head to the side and jumped against the door, working at the wires. Giving up on the desk, Dare began to flip through a stack of papers in the corner of the room.

“Too old,” she said. “These are too old.”The door of the cage fell open, and Hannah sat proudly at the edge of it.

She bobbed her head from side to side, up and down, and began to trill a low song. Dare skirted around the desk and rushed for Hannah’s cage. The bird flew


past her and to the wall of books, landing on the outside of a full shelf, clinging to life against it like a climber parallel to a rock face. Hannah looked down from her perch and walked sidewise along the shelf’s edge until she stopped mid-way.

Dare stared at Hannah and appeared to look just over the bird’s head. With careful steps, Dare neared the shelf and glanced at the waiting room’s front door. No one was at the window or in the street. Hannah watched Dare’s hand as it passed over her and took the spine of Douglas’s formulary.

She opened the book, and it flattened with the papers Mr. Hill had handed Douglas. With her teeth biting against her lower lip, Dare took the papers and sat down to read them. Her eyes widened at the second page and then darted to the front door and back to the page again.

“This isn’t possible,” she said. Turning the pages over in her hand, she looked at the blank back and turned it to view the first page again. Stunned at the figures, her lips moved, but words weren’t spoken. Blood rushed to her neck, spotting it. With a shaking hand, she replaced the papers into the book and stood to replace it on the shelf.

Hannah sat in the vacant spot of the shelf and backed away deeper into the row of books.

“Hannah, come here,” Dare said sternly, like she was instructing a lap dog. “Come here.” Hannah blinked and looked sideways at Dare. Frustrated, Dare stuck her hand in and Hannah reluctantly stepped up. With Hannah on her hand, Dare withdrew it and placed the book on the shelf, tossing Hannah toward the cage. The bird flapped her wings and landed on the cage, hopping in just before Dare closed the door.

***

When Douglas left Mr. King’s room, he shut the door behind him, raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

“Never seen anything like it,” he said. “Never heard of this before.”“Well?” she responded. “What’s your opinion?”“I need to come out and check on him again, either this evening or

tomorrow morning. It’s too early to make a judgment. I need to see a pattern, and so far, the pattern has not been favorable. If it continues, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

She stared at him and ran her hand along her jaw. “What does that mean?”


“Nothing. Never mind that.” He gathered his things and started for the stairs, but she stepped in his way.

“What did you mean?”“I told you. I don’t know what we’ll do. I’ve never seen this before,” he

responded sharply, his voice rising with each word. “He’ll need therapy. He’ll need all-day support. He’ll need a lot of things.”

She lifted her chin. “Is this about us?”“This is about your husband.”“This—this—you and me,” she pointed back and forth between the two of

them. “This was all about him to begin with, Douglas.”“We’re not doing this right now. I have to get back.” Using his bag to

create room between them, he walked past her to the stairs.“What?” she said and placed a hand on the railing. “Do you have to go

back and have a go at your office whore?” As though revolted by her own words, she jerked back in surprise and

walked away from the head of the stairs but still watched him from the railing.“Don’t call her that,” Douglas said.“She is.”“I just asked that you not call her that.”“What else would you call a woman who slept with every elected official

in town?“It was the mayor’s son,” Douglas’s voice wavered. “And he attacked her.”Mrs. King smirked and looked down at Douglas with condescension.

“Attacked. It’s such a convenient word. You attacked me in the library, not too long ago. And it was good.”

“I’m warning you. If you—““Warning me about what?” She laughed and held her arms out with palms

up. “What could you warn me about, Douglas? You need me,” she pointed to her chest. “You need my money.”

“I don’t need your money.”“And just where are you going to get it? Maybe if you send Dare to the

streets at night, you’ll be able to pay off next month, but after that, nothing more.”

Blood turned Douglas’s face a bright red, and he stared at her while breathing heavily. “I don’t need your money,” he huffed.

Her voice calmed and she lowered her head, looking at him under her eyebrows, and her face softened. “I’m scared, Douglas. That’s all. I’m alone.”


He scoffed. “You’ve got your money. Apparently you don’t need anything else.”

“Don’t say that. I lost my temper. Can I make you dinner tonight? Bring the papers over, and I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m not going to bring the papers,” he said.She stroked a finger along the railing back and forth. “But you’ll come for

dinner?”


Chapter Twenty-Two

Dare opened the door to Traver’s and waved at Donnie, who was stocking canned vegetables along the wall.

“Hi, Miss Dare.”“Donnie,” she said and walked to the counter. Two girls sat at the stools

near the middle of the counter, and Dare sat one stool away from them. She looked at the girls scooping ice cream from tall frosted glasses and said, “Hi, Susan.”

Susan looked over and gulped, “Hi!” “Any good books come in over the weekend?”“I haven’t looked yet. I wasn’t working, but I am this afternoon. I’ll look

and call you, if you like.”“No,” Dare smiled. “I’ll go over there later. Don’t trouble yourself. Sorry to

interrupt.”“I’ll find the newer books and get them out for you,” Susan smiled shyly at

Dare.“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Dare,” Donnie said as he walked along

the counter, wiping it off. “I’ll get you your sandwich.” He placed two slices of bread in a toaster and began to cut a tomato into thick rings.

He glanced down the counter at Susan and watched the girl sitting with her. “Can I get you something else, Susan? Irene?”

The girls shook their heads and returned to their quiet conversation, twirling their spoons in what remained of their treat. Donnie looked back at Dare, who offered a consoling smile. She nodded him over. The bread popped from the toaster, and Donnie applied a spread over the toast and laid three tomato rings on the bread, placing a piece of lettuce and a small cup of potato salad next to it on a platter.

“Here you are, Miss Dare.”Change clinked on the countertop, and the girls hurried off the stools and

toward the door.Dare turned in the stool. “I’ll see you this evening, Susan.”The girl smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get the books for you if we

have any.”They exchanged waves, and Dare picked up the sandwich and took a bite.

She nodded approval to Donnie and smiled. “This is good!”“Just got those tomatoes in this morning.” He smiled and took Susan’s and

her friend’s empty glasses to wash them.


“You like her, don’t you?” The back of his neck turned red.“No, she just comes in here.”She nodded and scooped potato salad onto a fork. “You’re sweet on her, I

can see it.”“No,” he said quietly. Dare watched him closely. Although he’d washed

each glass thoroughly on the first try, he washed them both three times.“Donnie, are you ok?”“Yes, ma’am.”“Are you angry with me for not saying yes to you?”“No.”“Turn around and look at me. The glasses are clean.”After he turned the water off, he set the glasses down and looked at her.

His cheeks were red, and he couldn’t hold her stare.“Are you mad?” she askedHe shook his head.“Are you mad about Susan?”“No, I’m not.”“Why aren’t you talking as you usually do?”He shrugged. “I’m just tired with it just being me at the store this past

week.”“Is that it?”“Yeah, I’m tired,” he said and crossed his arms.“Look, I only told you no because you’ve got all these pretty girls along

Main Street and you could take your pick. You graduated last year, right?”He nodded.“You’re the perfect age. You’ve just got to ask them. Now, surely, you must

have someone you’re sweet on, right?” With the sandwich in hand, she took a bite of potato salad and then picked off part of a tomato and ate it without the bread.

The young man didn’t answer for a while, but then he walked to the counter and placed his hands on it. “It’s you.”

“I’ve told you. I’m not as young as the other girls around here. And what would your father say?”

“You told me to ask who I wanted.”She pushed her plate far enough to cross her arms on the counter. “You

don’t want me.”“I asked.”


“Look, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I can’t do this. You don’t want me.”

“Why?”She rolled her eyes and looked at a corner of the store. “I’m too old,” she

said full of emotion in her throat. “I’m ten years older than you. I’ve done more in ten years—“ she paused. “I can’t do this. We can’t talk about this. Not here, not us. I can’t do it.”

“Why not? I don’t understand what you’re doing. I like talking to you, you tell me to ask who I want because I can have my pick, but I can’t have you.”

Exasperated, she straightened and pleaded with her hands. “Stop it!” she hissed. “Just stop it. Okay? This is foolish talk. We can’t talk about it because I have to go back to work.”

“You haven’t finished.”“Can you put it in paper for me?”“Sure,” he said and reached under the counter and pulled out a paper

sleeve and slid the sandwich into it. “Why can’t you tell me?”She opened her handbag and slapped coins on the counter, but kept her

fingers on the change. “When do you close tonight?”“I’ll stop serving at seven.”“I’ll be here at seven. We’ll talk after.”


Chapter Twenty-Three

Douglas left the Kings’ with only two boys following him on their bikes but at a closer distance than before. The boys looked like brothers, the oldest around ten years old and the youngest about seven.

“Doctor?” the oldest said. “Doctor? What happened?”“Nothing to worry about, boys.” Douglas ducked into a backyard and cut

through to Elm. When he emerged on the sidewalk, the boys rode past on another road without looking his way. His shoulders were slumped, but he walked with purpose and crossed at the corner walks, ignoring greetings from passersby.

Jumping over the first step, he bounded to the landing of his office and brushed through the door, slamming it behind him.

“Hi, Dare,” he groaned.“Hi.”He stopped at her desk and placed his bag on it. “Any calls?” “Just everybody wanting to know what happened. Do I need to call

anyone?”“No.”“Can I ask what happened?”The question hung in the air while Douglas stared at her. His face relaxed,

and before he spoke it was obvious he’d tell her. “Mr. King improved— tremendously, I should say, overnight.”

“But what’s wrong? You look upset about something.”Picking up the satchel from the desk, he sighed. “I think it’s the money

getting to me.”He left her desk and walked to his. “Hannah,” he said in greeting. He set

the bag down and then sat looking around his desk. “Where is it?” he said and ran his hands along the desk and opened each

of the drawers. “Dare? Have you seen the paper Mr. Hill gave me? It’s two papers.”

“Did you check behind your desk in the corner?”“No, all of that needs to be burned anyway.”“Did you stick it in a book?”Douglas paused and stared at Hannah. “That’s right. I stuck it in my

formulary.” He pulled the book down from the shelf and opened it, taking the papers and looking at the second page again.

“How’s my schedule for this week and next?”


“It’s open. Your patients for today are all supposed to come at four-thirty. Three of them scheduled; we’ll see how many of them show.”

He sighed, leaned back in his chair and put his hands over his eyes and didn’t move. Either he was thinking or removing himself as far away as possible, but he slowly removed his hand and sat up. After a quick glance toward Dare’s desk, Douglas leaned forward over the formulary and began to read.

Hannah sat at the bottom of her cage on top of newspaper, grit and seeds. She shuffled forward, crinkled the papers and watched Douglas through the wire.

With two fingers pointing the way, he scanned the page titled “Atropine” and stopped at the bottom. He stopped reading and stared at the pages, mumbling with his lips but not with audible words. Scuffling in the cage made him look up and see Hannah climbing the wall of her cage to the door, fitting her beak in the door and popping it open.

“Hannah,” Douglas said with impatience. Shoving his chair back, he rounded the desk and fended Hannah back into her cage with one hand while closing the door with the other. She stared up at him and rotated her head from side to side.

“This will fix you right up,” he said and bent the catch on the door around the wire frame. “Try that.” Set in his expressionless face, his eyes grew dark and gleamed. Like black pearls.


Chapter Twenty-Four

The office sat quietly while Dare held the phone to her ear and listened. Hannah squawked quietly from Douglas’s empty office. Dare nodded and took a deep breath.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help,” she said into the phone. “I can’t help until money improves at this job.” She nodded again but closed her eyes in frustration. “I hear you, but if I send more money I won’t have any to live on. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be able to pay me.” She paused again. “Have you asked Uncle Sal? Ask him. Maybe he can help. He was always well off.” With a nod of her head, she mumbled a goodbye and hung up the phone.

The clock read half past four. Closing the ledger, she pulled her handbag from her desk and left the office. After a pause on the front step, she began to walk toward home.

Children played along the streets under a cloudy sky. The streets were dry and the trees thirsty, but the clouds promised refreshment as they’d done nearly each day the past week. Dare left the sidewalk and walked along its edge on green grass so as not to disturb the children, but she did. Boys stopped their play and watched her with slack-jawed faces; the ideal of feminine fullness shaping their innate drive. As she neared the end of the block the boys didn’t pick up their play, but became men with their eyes.

A car, the color of a faded yellow rose, pulled up beside her and the driver leaned across the seats to roll down the window. “Hi, Miss Dare!”

She stopped and bent forward for a better look. “Hi, Mr. Tony. How are you and your wife?”

“You need a lift?”“I’m walking home,” she said and put a hand on the door.“Well, get in!” Mr. Tony said with a wave. She opened the door and got

into the car. “How have you been?” he asked as he pulled back onto the road.“I’ve been well, thank you.”He smiled wide and shook his head. “It’s just our luck I ran into you today.

The missus was saying just the other day how she wanted to visit with you. I told her not to bother though, since you’re young and all, and probably got callers at all hours of the night. You do now, don’t you?”

Her cheeks blushed and she looked forward. “Yes, sir, but I always make time for friends.”

“What about tonight, then? Dinner at our place?”


“You’re making me out to be a liar,” she said and laughed. “I can’t tonight, I’m already meeting someone. A friend is coming to visit.”

“Tomorrow, then?”“The end of the week would be better.”“All right, then. I’ll talk to the missus, and we’ll get an evening set.” His

eyes left the road, and he looked at her and winked. “Maybe if I’m lucky she’ll let me leave the house and pick you up.”

“If you want, I’ll tell her I promise to make sure you behave.”“I’d like that,” he said.


Chapter Twenty-Five

The lights were on when Douglas returned to the office from his house calls. He set his bag on Dare’s desk, along with his jacket, and walked into his office.

Hannah sat frozen on his desk, staring up at him with the edge of a page from the formulary wedged in her beak. The page was still bound to the book, but she’d lifted it to begin nibbling at it. Douglas jumped forward and slammed his hand on the desk, frightening Hannah. She fluttered up to the ceiling and flew in indecisive circles, chirping and squawking, until she landed on top of her cage. Without hesitation, she jumped down to the door and hopped to her perch to watch Douglas.

Taking the page in his hand, Douglas examined it, staring at where a corner used to be. Little balls of paper lay around the book where Hannah had flicked them.

“Hannah, why did you do this?” His tone sounded as though he expected an answer.

“Hello,” she croaked softly and bobbed her head. “Hello. Hello. Nickel for the troubles.”

He let the page fall from his fingertips and walked closer with his brow wrinkled in interest. Leaning toward the cage, he said, “Why did you do this?”

They stared at one another and Hannah bobbed her head, whistling and becoming slightly louder. “Hello, my love. Nickel for the troubles.”

“That’s what I thought you said.”Anger left his face and he straightened, closing the cage door. “Stay in

there.” She bobbed her head up and down as though she was very agreeable to the simple request.

Returning to the book, he picked up the loan papers and sat staring at them. With his left hand, he picked up the page and ran his finger along the rough edge Hannah had begun to chew. Flipping to the second page, his eyes ran along each line and column of figures, and when he’d finished, he put his head down in the spine of the book and closed his eyes.

***

The sun was up but vague on the horizon, peaking out over rooftops and down alleyways. Douglas gathered his bag and jacket and left the office. His walk was quieter this evening than it had been this morning. He stayed along


the sidewalks, waited for traffic to clear from the road and took his time getting to Simmons.

Mrs. King opened the door when he knocked, and she let him in with a smile.

“Can I take your coat, Douglas?”He handed it to her and looked around the house. “Hungry?” she asked, turning from him.“Yes.The dress she wore was red with thin straps hugging her shoulders, its

waist tight and neckline low. Her feet were bare, and her hands were without jewelry, except for the pearls around her wrist. Touching her necklace lightly, she looked at him and said, “Turkey and vegetables. How does that sound?”

“That sounds fine,” he said and followed her to the dining room.“Could I check on your husband while you get it ready?”“That would be fine. He may be asleep, though. I was able to get him to

eat nearly an hour ago.”Douglas took to the stairs and stood at Mr. King’s door when he’d reached

the top. Pressing his ear to the door, he lightly tapped his knuckles on it and entered. The lights were low, and Mr. King’s breathing was loud enough to be heard upon entering.

“Mr. King,” Douglas whispered. “I’m not here to disturb you. I’ll take some signs and leave. You can stay asleep.” He sat on the bed and slipped the cuff on the man’s arm. When satisfied, he removed the cuff and wrote in his journal. Next, he held the man’s wrist and waited.

Mr. King’s hair was mussed from the pillows, and his eyes were still hollow despite the day’s improvements. With the sheets and a blanket pulled over him, his left leg gently lifted in sleep, his feet pointing the covers upward. Douglas watched his patient’s chest and then studied his pale lips.

Still fast asleep, the man’s eyes flew open and stared at the ceiling. “Ha!” the man laughed. “Ha! Ha!” His lips curled hideously in a smile. “Ha!”

Douglas jumped off the bed. “Damn it! Damn,” he brought his voice down from a shout to a whisper and drew in a breath. “Damn,” he said again. “Damn.” The man’s eyes stared up at the ceiling and then closed just halfway.

“Mr. King, get some rest.” Douglas took his bag and held his hand to his forehead, resting against the outside of the bedroom door after he closed it.

“Damn.”

***


They ate quietly, Douglas and Mrs. King. His hand trembled with each bite, and she watched him closely.

“How is he?” she asked.“Stronger,” was his reply. “Much stronger.”“What do you think?”Focused on his plate, he shook his head for a time. “I don’t know. I’ve

never seen anything like it. He could live, but again, I’m warning you that he may suffer a setback if his body outspends itself. That often happens. A last gasp.”

She sipped from a glass of wine and cleaned a drop from the rim with the pad of her fourth finger. With a tone of authority she set the glass down and said, “Let’s talk about you.”

Douglas slid his chair back from the table and placed his hands in his lap. “What about?”

“Let’s not be coy. Did you bring the papers for me?”He swallowed hard and considered for a moment. “Yes.”“Let’s see them.”“Where’d you put my jacket?”Sliding her chair back, she stood and walked to a table along the dining

room wall and picked up two pieces of paper folded together. “I took them from your jacket.” She unfolded them and flipped to the second page.

“It’s all on that page,” he said quietly.“I see that. That’s quite the loan to pay back in a year and a half.” She

folded the papers and said, “Let’s go to the library.”

***

Mrs. King sat behind the piano and turned on the lamp, the only light on in the room.

“What would you like me to play?” she asked.He stood at the far end of the room pouring a drink. “It’s your dinner

party,” he said.“I know what you like.” She cleared her throat and set her fingers on the

keys and began to play. With his drink in hand, he took his place in the large brown chair. “Do

you know what I need?” he said.


Taking her eyes from the keys for a second, she gave him a look of temptation and smiled before closing her eyes and joining the notes in an abstract world. The song’s low and brooding mood crept along the floor and rose slowly. Douglas shuffled the ice with a gentle flick of his wrist and watched the liquid spin. Gazing at her over the rim of his glass, he took a sip and set it down on the table.

Silently he sat, as Mrs. King’s body moved with the notes and rose in rhapsody as the song swelled. Her hands guided the song downward and steadied it.

“What is it you need?” she asked.“You,” he said.She stopped and smiled. “And my money.” Lightly placing her hands on

the keyboard, she pressed them down slowly so the keys didn’t make a sound.“Come,” she said. “Lie with me.”He picked up his glass. “I can’t.” An eyebrow raised on Mrs. King’s face. “And why not? You haven’t had a

problem before. Should I ask how you and Dare got along?”“That’s not it.” He sipped his drink.“And what is? Just this morning you didn’t seem as though you had an

aversion to me. You’re here, aren’t you? You’re here in your dying patient’s house, eating dinner with his wife, drinking his whiskey and watching his wife play the piano in a dark room,” she shook her head and pouted her lips. “You’re already in bed with me.” Walking to him, she fit a finger under a strap of her dress but removed the finger and placed both hands on the arms of the chair, leaned forward and kissed him. His lips didn’t move, but he watched her.

“I can’t do this,” he said.“And why not?”“He’s still alive.”


Chapter Twenty-Six

Mrs. King backed away.“He wasn’t dead a few days ago. Weeks ago. Months ago.” She waved her

hands. “Why did you all of a sudden grow a conscience?”“I can’t do it. He’s getting better.”“He was healthy when we first started seeing each other. I still don’t see

your point.”Douglas looked away from her at the shelves of books. “He didn’t need

you like I do.”“I don’t think I know what you mean anymore when you say that you

need me. Is it me you want? Or is it my money? Which is it?”He stammered, “I—I—you’re not listening.”“Not listening? I’m not listening to you? You’re not saying anything,

Douglas. You’re not telling me what I need to hear. Is it me or is it my money? I sure as hell know it’s not about you wanting to sleep with me, so now it’s just two options.”

“It’s you I want.”“Would you be here if Mr. Hill hadn’t given you those papers? Would you

be sitting here, drinking my husband’s whiskey like you owned the place? Like you bought that chair you’re sitting in?”

He jumped to his feet and stepped up to her. “I wouldn’t be here in another man’s house if you hadn’t left me.”

“Left you?” She chuckled and adjusted her bracelet and said soothingly, “We weren’t together. We were never together. I found a man that could provide for me when you couldn’t. Come to think of it, you still can’t, but I’m not worried about that anymore. I have a house. I’m set. I just need someone to need me.”

“I needed you.”“That doesn’t count for a thing. All I want to know is how badly you really

do need me.”Douglas walked to the window and turned back to her, shrugging and

putting his hands out. “Why are we talking this way? It doesn’t matter. Your husband is back. He’s getting better. We should just end this.”

“And what will happen to you?”“I’ll move again.”“You don’t know what will happen. But I do know if you run off and get

married, she’ll look like me.”


After a halfhearted and resigned chuckle, Douglas looked at her. “Aren’t you tired of this?”

“Tired of what?”“Running around behind the town’s back. Behind your husband’s.”“I don’t care what the town thinks, Douglas. I can see why you would, but

people will always get sick.”“Apparently not enough around here, they don’t. I can go for days without

seeing anyone.”Mrs. King sat in Douglas’s chair and crossed her legs. “I’ll tell you

something. Let’s forget all of this conversation and start over. What do you say? We’re getting carried away. All I want to know is what you want from me. There’s no wrong answer,” she cooed to him and smirked.

He sat at the settee and drew in a deep breath. “I need money.”She took his whiskey and sipped at it, running her tongue along her lips as

she set the glass down. “Remember, I can’t give you a penny until the business is in my name. Six thousand dollars can’t just go missing. We have to wait.”

Resigned to the facts, he stared at the whiskey beside her. “I know.”“Now come on,” she beckoned. “Make me happy.” He walked to her and behind the chair as she leaned forward. With his

right hand, he held the zipper to her dress and saw the pearls around her neck. Thick, white pearls around her thin, delicate neck. Her skin was soft and rich on his left hand as he pulled the strap of her dress to the side. She laid her head back and smiled with her eyes closed and touched her hand to her pearls.

“In a year’s time, Douglas,” she whispered. “But for now, this is nice.”


Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dare stood in her closet doorway, scratching her right calf with the big toe of her left foot and peering at her clothes. She chose a white blouse and tan-colored skirt, changed into them and tied on a pair of brown leather Oxford shoes. Checking herself in the mirror, she adjusted her brassiere and flattened her blouse along her waist.

With her handbag tucked under her arm, she left the house, the screen door screeching slowly behind her.

***

She sat at the counter and asked Donnie for a soda. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll be happy to. One straw or two?”“Two.”He emptied a bottle of Coca-Cola into a glass and slid it in front of her,

dropping two straws into it.“Thanks. How’s your day been, Donnie?”“Busy. I’ll close up in a few minutes.” He nodded to a pair of customers

eating quietly at the end of the counter and walked to them.“Sure. Take your time,” she said. Through two straws pinched together, she

took a sip and smiled to herself. Thought overtook her. She stared down at the drink and her head listed to the side ever so slightly. The expression on her face was soft and she bit at her lower lip to hide her smile.

“Everything all right, Miss Dare?” Donnie had returned and was watching her.

She laughed. “Yes, everything’s fine. I was just thinking about some old friends from my old town. The fun I used to have.”

Donnie grinned and said, “You know what I always do?” Dare’s smiled widened and her eyes locked in on his. “What’s that?”His grin became mischievous, and he opened a bottle of Coca-Cola,

leaving it on the counter to go to a display of snacks. He pulled out a small package of peanuts, opened them and poured them into the bottle where they floated and bumped into each other like ice.

“Have you done this before?” he asked.“No, but I’ve seen people drink it. Is it good?”Without a word, he pushed the bottle to her. She looked at him hesitantly.

With a grin he nodded and said, “Go on. Try it.”


Taking the bottle in her hand, she gave him a nervous smiled and sipped. He laughed. “No, you have to drink it. Don’t just sip it.”Tipping the bottle to her mouth, she swallowed and set it down laughing.“Did you like it?”“I don’t know! It wasn’t bad. I don’t know what it was.” They laughed

together, and Donnie took the bottle for himself.The two men stood from their stools and left money next to their plates.

“Thanks for supper,” they said and walked out. Donnie followed them out and wished them a good night and locked the door, bringing the shades down. He walked to the cash register at another counter and opened the drawer to count.

“When does your father get back?” Dare asked.“He called today and said he’d call me in two days to check up on things.

I’d say he’s back on Thursday. I’ve gotten used to the hours.”Dare got up from the stool and walked to the other side of the store,

running her hands on top of the display cases, looking at the perfumes and makeup. “Do you want to own this store?” she asked.

“No. I don’t think so. I wouldn’t mind, but I want a department store. Something like King’s.”

Uninterested now, she looked back at him and ran her hand along her stomach, pulling her shoulders back. She walked to him at the register.

“What are you doing?”“Counting up the money for the day, and then I’ll reconcile it there in the

back room where we keep the book. You can wait in there for me, if you like.”“No, that’s fine. I’ll stay out here until you finish.”He froze and blinked at the money in his hands for a moment and walked

to the back room. A small door to a safe was open, and he placed the money in it, wrote an entry into a book and closed the safe. “That’s the hardest part for me. Keeping those numbers straight.” He watched her sit down in the window seat. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No,” she said.“I’m going to turn off the lights out there, and I’ll be back.”He left her in the room so she pulled out her book and began to read.

***

After a few minutes, Donnie returned to the back room with a small bowl of potato salad and sat at a small side table. “Want any?” he asked. “I didn’t eat any supper. I hope you don’t mind.”


“No, I don’t mind.” She watched him begin to eat. “So, do you want to talk at all?”

“We don’t have to.”“I didn’t get dressed up for you so I could come watch you eat.”With the fork in his mouth he hesitated and looked at her blouse and skirt.

He pulled the fork out slowly and swallowed. “You look nice tonight,” he said.“Thank you.”“Well, ok. Can you tell me why you won’t say yes to me?”Her breasts lifted as she sucked in air to prepare herself. “Yes, I can tell

you. I’ve thought about it all afternoon.” She stretched out her fingers and looked at them. “Do you remember when I moved to town? It’s been several years now.”

“Sure, I remember. All the guys were talking about it.” His face blushed, but Dare didn’t seem to hear his reply.

She continued: “I’d moved from Tennyson. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I suppose you should hear it from me too.”

Donnie sat forward with his elbows on a small side table.“My friend grew up a few houses down, so we played together a lot. We’d

find dusty roads out in the country and play for hours. I don’t remember much of the games we played, but when we’d get home, our mothers would strip us naked and put us in a tub of water. When we’d step in, the dirt would cloud up around us, and we’d have to step back out for them to get us clean water. Otherwise, we’d be washing in mud.” A far off look came over her face, and she said, “I was thinking about her earlier when I was sitting at the counter. Amelia Connors.”

Dare sat up on the window seat and smiled at Donnie. “We grew up, she started getting involved with boys, and I headed to the books. We were still friends, good friends, but we started to be more competitive. She met a guy named Sam Parks, and they started seeing each other. To make a long story short, I fell for him. For years I couldn’t get him out of my mind. We all graduated school, got jobs, and it seemed everyone got married. When we would get together for dinner, there was always something between Sam and me when Amelia left the room. Even when she was in the room, I could see he wanted me.”

Pausing to regain her breath, Dare’s eyes were wet, but she wasn’t crying. “And one night, Amelia was gone to a party across town. Sam asked me to come over, but didn’t tell me why. I thought Amelia was at the house.” She dabbed at


her eyes and talked slower. “She wasn’t there and Sam attacked me. He was drunk, and he raped me. He was raping me when she came home.”

Donnie had long set his fork to the side and had stopped eating. His eyes glistened too, but he held his tears. “I’m so sorry, Miss Dare,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

She waved a hand at him and tried to speak. Drawing in a breath, she said, “Just call me Dare. You’re old enough, you don’t have to do that anymore.”

“Did you tell the police about it?”“No,” she said and shook her head. “I didn’t. I told someone I thought was

better. Amelia wouldn’t speak to me, so I told my mother. But what I didn’t know at the time was that she was cheating on my father with the mayor. Sam’s father.” She smiled and huffed to herself. “I’ve had years to think about it. I still blame myself for what happened with Sam. I think back to every look I gave him. I didn’t think it would end up the way it did.”

He frowned and said, “I’m really sorry that I brought this up. I didn’t mean to—“ Dare held her hand up.

“Donnie, you’ll find out there’s more to people than what you see by looking at them. Everyone’s in bed with something. When you understand that, you won’t be disappointed in people anymore, just yourself.” She shrugged with palms up. “I guess that’s all I had to say.”

“You didn’t answer my question, though,” he responded.She thought for a moment. “About the police?”“No. Why can’t I have you?”


Chapter Twenty-Eight

“You can’t have me,” Dare said. “You just can’t.”“Give me a chance.”“What would your father say about us? I’m ten years older than you. I’ve

done things you shouldn’t have to live with—my mistakes would become yours. No, I won’t do it.”

He breathed from his mouth, and his eyes didn’t move from hers. “I want you,” he said.

The features of her face softened as she looked at the pleading young man. “I know you do.” She hung her head and picked at her fingers. “It’s nice to hear that.”

Donnie stood from the table clumsily and sat next to her, obviously unsure of how to respond to the story and feelings being poured out in the lonely store. The empty dishes in the back room, dusty books, and spare cloths all sat with Donnie and waited for Dare to move the evening along.

“I just can’t,” she said. “I want someone else very much.”“I’ll work really hard, and we can open up our own place,” he pleaded.

“You won’t regret it.”“That’s not what I’m saying. I know you’ll make someone very happy one

day. I know you will. It just can’t be me. There’s a girl out there who deserves you, but that’s not me. I have too many scars on me. If I were with you, I’d feel like I was giving you all that I have. You don’t want everything I have. I don’t. Nobody does.”

Donnie’s eyes wandered over her hair, her neck, her chin, her eyes and nose. She looked at everything but him.

“Sorry about your supper,” she said, nodding toward his half-eaten supper. He paid no attention but leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek and jerked back. In astonishment, she turned in her seat and stared at him in disbelief.

“What? You can’t just do that,” she said, her mouth hanging open but then showing the beginning of a smile. “You can’t just kiss a woman like that.”

His face was crimson, and he wasn’t smiling. His face was shaped by eagerness, his eyes unblinking, and his demeanor more confident than before.

“You can’t do that!” She wiped at her cheek and couldn’t find any other words.

“I had to,” he said. “I just had to. You’re beautiful.”


Her hands dropped, and she studied his eyes and began to lean forward. His lips didn’t move, but he watched as her mouth touched his.

***

They kissed on the bench seat, small hesitant kisses that became longer. Donnie put his hand on her waist, and she breathed in sharply and sat straight. “No, no, we aren’t doing this.”

“What’s wrong?”“I can’t do this to your parents. You’re all they have. I can’t do this to the

town. If they find out what we’ve been doing, we wouldn’t be able to show our faces again. I’m doing this for you. I’m leaving. I have to go.” She gathered her handbag and stood. “Can you get the door for me?”

They stood together without a word and Donnie stepped from the back room to the front door. Dare stayed back and smoothed her clothes out and looked behind her. The book she’d been reading was on the seat. Looking out at the front door and then at the book, she gripped her handbag tighter and left the room.

When she reached the door, Donnie was holding it open.“Goodnight,” she said and stepped out, looking both ways.“Goodnight, Dare,” he said. “Thank you.”


Chapter Twenty-Nine

She had her way with him that night. Mrs. King took from Douglas again, left the bed and then locked herself away in the bathroom. The bedroom was small, the bed low and with only one pillow. A faux fireplace stood across the room, its mantle decorated by dishes and a clock under a glass dome, the clock’s rotary pendulum working tirelessly.

Douglas lay under the sheets he and Mrs. King had used to cover themselves and what they had done. The cloth was wrinkled and twisted from the struggle. His forehead was damp, and he laid his forearm across it and stared across the room at the clock. Its pendulum rotated and gathered momentum, only to slow and reverse its course. He watched it for a time and slid out of the bed to dress.

While tucking his shirt into his pants, he walked to the clock and watched the pendulum smoothly whirl back and forth, the sounds of the gears trapped inside the heavy glass dome. Mrs. King’s reflection appeared on the dome when she opened the bathroom door. She wore a grey robe and small slippers.

“You should go,” she said.“I need something.”“And what’s that?” she replied as she pulled her belt tight.“I can’t do this anymore without a promise.”“Fools make promises,” she said. “And fools believe them.”“I can’t be risking everything for nothing in return.”She pulled the sheets tight across the bed and tucked in one side of them.

“It’s flattering to hear you call this a risk.”“It is. We both know it.”“No, I’m not making a promise. If he lives, the business stays in his name.

His auditors will continue to check the books. Six thousand dollars will be noticed. Sixty dollars would be noticed. I can’t do anything right now.”

He sat at the foot of the bed. “I can’t do it.”“You’ve told me that.”“No, I can’t pay this debt. The rings were all I had of value that I could

sell.”“Value to you or value to others?” She pulled a quilt over the bed and sat

on the edge.“The only thing of value to others.”“You gave Rebecca too much credit, you know.”“Maybe so.”


She reached over and put her hand on his back. “She was a tramp to leave you like she did. Just look at what she did to you. She nearly ruined you, but look, you now have a chance to make it in life. Everything in this town is giving you a fresh, new start. Now come on, you need to go. It’s late.”

“You’re right,” he said. “I’ll wait. We’ll see what happens.”They left the room together, her arm around his waist. She retrieved his

hat and coat; he kissed her goodnight and left.

***

Dare’s hands were shaking when she opened her door and entered.“What am I doing?” she whispered. “What am I doing?” Tossing her handbag to the couch, she walked to her bathroom and closed

the door. After relieving herself, she came back to the couch and tossed her shoes under the coffee table. Her breaths quivered and she found the zipper along her skirt to loosen it. The phone rang, but she didn’t get up to answer.

It rang again.On the third ring, she jumped from the couch and hurried to the kitchen.

She answered when it rang a fourth time.“Hello?”She stiffened and held her hand to her chest. “Hello, Donnie,” she

managed. Nerves shook her voice, but she continued. “No, I didn’t realize I’d left it there.”

After a laugh she said, “Of course I’m home, I answered the phone. You don’t have to unless you’re coming this way. No, really, you don’t have to. Ok. I’ll wait up. I was about to get ready for bed. Sure, come on over. I’ll wait up.”

Grabbing a towel she dabbed at her face and neck, opening her blouse to pat her chest dry. She stood hunched over the sink and watched her fingers tremble.

“What am I doing?”She dabbed water on her neck and rushed to her bedroom and looked

herself over in the mirror. At first she studied herself, but soon she began to stare, looking through the mirror and into another world. Perhaps it was a world of dusty feet, trees, laughter, and clouds of dirt blossoming into glassy water. Her daydream ended, and she ran her hands along her figure and admired herself but ended with a frown.

Opening a drawer, she pulled out a small bottle of perfume and sprayed it on her wrist. While rubbing her wrists together and running them along her


neck, she hurried into the kitchen and looked out the window and then out of the front window. She sat at the couch in her living room and straightened the wax fruit and candle, although it did little to change the appearance.

Checking the clock, she exhaled and walked to her bedroom again, only to return moments later and sit.

***

Dare sprang to her feet when a knock came at the door. Looking herself over again, she walked to the door and acted surprised when she opened it.

“Donnie! Come in.” She opened the door wide, and he stepped in.“Here’s your book,” he said. She put her hands to her face. “I’m so sorry I forgot this again. Can you

believe it?”“That’s all right, I’m just glad I saw it.”“I am too. I wouldn’t have had a thing to read at work tomorrow. Have

you read this?” She walked away from him to her bedroom and held the book over her shoulder.

“No, I haven’t.”“Do you read much?”“Some.”She kneeled and pulled the tray of books from under her bed. “Would you

like to look at what I have? You’d be welcome to borrow any of them.”Although hesitant, he followed her and stood in the doorway of her

bedroom.“You can’t see them from there! Your eyes aren’t that good, are they?” she

joked.He kneeled next to her and looked over the titles. “You’re quite organized,

aren’t you?” he said.She laughed. “Yes. I know, it’s a strange system, but I like it this way.”“So what happens if you get two books that go together, but they’re

different colors?”“Then you don’t buy them,” she laughed.“What do you think I should read?”Running her hand along the books, she picked one out and handed it to

him. “Here, have you read this one? The Man in the Iron Mask.”“No, I haven’t.”She handed him another. “Read this one too. The Count of Monte Cristo.”


“Thanks,” he said and set them down beside him. He looked at her and watched her reading the titles. “You smell good,” he said. “You weren’t wearing that before.”

“It’s just—It’s just something I put on.”They fell silent and shy smiles grew. “I had a good time tonight,” she said.

“Thanks for listening.”“I enjoyed it too.”Dare stood and said, “Well, those books should get you started.”“Yes, yes, they will,” he replied, picking them up. She tried to step toward the living room, but he hadn’t turned to walk out.

Awkwardly, he stepped to the side, and she walked sideways out of the door. “Thank you again for coming.” Her chest and neck turned red, splotching with color.


Chapter Thirty

Rain hadn’t fallen, despite the promising clouds. As Mrs. King had said, “Promises are for fools.”

He walked quickly to his office and tipped his hat to any women he passed along the way, and bid a good evening to each man. When he reached his office, he entered and crossed the waiting room and flicked on the light. His desk was covered in paper balls.

“Hannah!” he shouted. She wasn’t on the desk. Perched in her cage, behind a closed door, Hannah sat with her head to one side, looking at him with her right eye. “Damn you, Hannah! Damn you! Look at this!” Douglas swiped his hand along the desk and paper scattered around the room. In the middle of it all sat the formulary, opened to the page with the heading “Atropine.” The top-half of the page had been chewed away down to where the Atropine entry began. Its edges were clipped in crescent shapes, but the entry hadn’t been obscured by the bird’s bites.

She croaked quietly to herself and tapped her beak against the rings in her cage.

“It’s ruined,” Douglas said and turned the page, but none of the others had been clipped, just this one. He looked at the clock and sat down, exhaustion weighing on his brow and lips. Trying a few drawers first, he found a flask, opened it and shook it, but it made no sound. He tipped it upside down, but it was empty.

***

“Yes, thank you again for bringing me the book,” Dare said.With his hand on the door, Donnie nodded and managed a response.

“You’re welcome.”Looking around the house frantically as he turned for the door, Dare said,

“Would you like anything before you go? A glass of water? I could make some coffee, if you like.”

“Coffee wouldn’t be a good thing. I have to work early tomorrow, but I’d like some water.”

“I’ll get you some,” she said and walked into the dark kitchen, and he followed her.

“How much would you like?”“It doesn’t matter.”


She pulled a glass from a cabinet and set it on the counter but stood there with her hands still wrapped around it.

“Are you all right, Dare?” he asked and stepped forward. “What’s the matter?”

“What am I doing?” she asked. He didn’t answer. As though composing herself, she straightened but stepped forward and kissed him. He put his hands on her hips as she backed him to the sink.

“I can’t take it anymore,” she breathed. “What?”“I can’t be alone anymore.”He hugged her close to himself and kissed along her jaw.“Please keep going, please don’t stop.”The house was quiet except for their heavy breaths and the sound of the

drinking glass sliding back on the counter as Dare’s hand nudged it. She paid no attention and backed away.

She untucked her blouse and said, “I can’t take it anymore.”

***

Douglas left his office and walked toward Main Street. He crossed the street and stopped where he and Dare had stopped days earlier. Taking his silver case from his coat, he opened it and pinched a cigarette between his lips. After lighting it, he pulled the cigarette away and exhaled, watching the smoke disappear into the cloudy heaven. Only a handful of stars were out this night; rainclouds still threatened the town, but it didn’t smell or feel imminent. No breeze came along the alleyway, the smoke Douglas blew floated up in a singular stream, disturbed only by his breath breaking it apart.

He finished his walk to Main and crossed to King’s. Putting his hands to the glass, he looked in the window at the dresses and jewelry on display. After another pull on his cigarette, he looked at the other shops and stopped in front of Traver’s and looked inside at the counter and bar stools. The night watchman was down the street, checking the doors and rattling the handles on each of the shops. The man neared Douglas and waved with a thick ring of keys in his hand.

“Evening, Dr. Howard.”“Evening, Frank. How’s the wife?”“She’s doing great. Kids too. They’re in bed now, I expect.” He laughed.

“Or they should be. They might be sneaking in a radio show. They’ve been known to do that a time or two. And how are you?”


“I’m well, thank you,” Douglas responded and exhaled another breath of smoke.

“And how’s the lovely Miss Dare these days? Haven’t seen her for a while.”

As though suddenly pulled along, Douglas walked away, mumbling over his shoulder, “She’s fine too.”

***

Douglas crossed several streets and walked by rows of houses, turning a corner to stand across the street from a vacant lot. With a sigh, he walked to the lot and flicked his cigarette down, rubbing it into the dirt. He crossed through the lot and came out from the weeds onto the sidewalk where he stamped his shoes free of the dirt and seeds.

He took a step, paused, and looked at the bottom of his shoe.“Damn it,” he hissed. A lamppost was at the street corner, and he walked

to it, leaning against it for support as he scuffed his shoe on the edge of the sidewalk.

A creaking door arrested his attention. Looking up, he saw a man leaving Dare’s house, hunched over at the shoulders, as though trying to remain undetected. The man kept his head down and walked toward Douglas. It was clear to see that it was Donnie.

The young man hadn’t noticed the doctor and was turning over some books in his hands. As he neared Douglas, Donnie looked up and jumped but kept moving past the doctor.

“Good evening, Dr. Howard,” he said.“Donnie?” Douglas replied.“Yes?”“How is your father?”“He’s well, thank you,” Donnie turned to go.“Donnie?”“Yes?”“How has your evening been?”Donnie looked down and began to breathe quickly. “It’s been fine. I was

just borrowing some books.”“At this time of night?” He pointed over his shoulder. “With her?”“Yes, sir.”


Douglas looked the young man down, studied Donnie’s shoes, and looked back up with a smirk. “You smell nice.”


Chapter Thirty-One

When Donnie came to open up the shop the next morning, Douglas was seated on the front step, still dressed in his suit from the day before.

“Good morning, Donnie,” he said.“Hi, Dr. Howard.” Donnie reached into a pocket for his keys and

unlocked the door. “What can I do for you? I don’t open for another hour.”“I was hoping we could talk.”“Sure,” Donnie replied. “I don’t mind. I have to open up, though, while

you talk.”Douglas smiled wide and said, “Fine, you do that.” Pulling a comb from

his pocket, he walked into the shop and closed the door. With the window as a mirror, he began to comb his hair and inspect his suit.

“It seems, Donnie, that we only saw each other a few hours ago.”“That’s right.” Now behind the pharmacy counter, Donnie began to

unlock display cabinets of elixirs, bandages and glass bottles of alcohol. “Does your father know where you were last night?”“No, he’s gone.”“I see. Now, I’m only asking because she’s my employee, but what were

you doing with Miss Dare last night?”Donnie reached under the countertop and brought out a small display of

lipstick and set it on the counter. “I borrowed some books from her is all.”“Borrowed some books,” Douglas repeated and sat at the counter, a good

ten yards away from Donnie, who was still at the other side of the store.“Yes, sir.”“Now tell me, do you have a girlfriend?”“No, sir.”Douglas adjusted to sit sideways on the stool and stared straight ahead at

Donnie. “What’s your favorite drink here?”“I don’t know,” Donnie’s eyes couldn’t focus on anything in the store; they

jumped from here to here, never settling. “Coca-Cola, I’d say.”“Coca-Cola,” Douglas replied, nodding his head. “That’s a favorite of

mine, too. You ever put peanuts in it? You ever put peanuts in a cold Coca-Cola, Donnie?”

“I—yes, sir. I have.”“How’d you like it?”“I like it fine.”“When do you open up here?”


“In an hour. Around five.” Donnie took a closer look at the doctor. “Did you sleep out there?”

“An hour is perfect,” Douglas said. “Why don’t you pour yourself a Coca-Cola? Why don’t you pour yourself a Coca-Cola, pour some peanuts in your Coca-Cola and join me here?”

“Do you want some coffee?”Douglas laughed and held the counter so he wouldn’t fall. “I don’t want

your damn coffee. Sit down.”“I have to open the store,” Donnie said and motioned to the door.“Pour yourself a damn Coca-Cola.”Donnie returned to his work at the displays, and Douglas put his head

down on the countertop, mumbling to himself. He straightened and looked at the young man. “I’m tired, Donnie. I don’t want to play anymore. What did you do with Dare last night?”

“I’m not comfortable talking about this.”“I’m not an idiot, Donnie! I’m not an idiot!” His voice calmed and he

stepped toward the glass displays. The expression on his face turned to one of curiosity, as though he were examining a condition the likes he’d never seen before. “You had a go at her, didn’t you? You’re just out of grammar school,” he sneered. “Just a pup. You don’t know what you’ve stepped in. You’re in it deep now. You’re floating right now, but you’re in hell and don’t even know it. I’m here to make it plain to you.”

“You need to leave, Dr. Howard.” Donnie stepped further away.“I haven’t said my piece, boy. You’re in it. Deep. She’s been spoiled by

other men. She’s got a mother who doesn’t want her, only needs her. She’s too much for you. You’re what? Twenty? Not even? You’ve got better options out there. Some pretty thing that doesn’t have all that baggage. Wouldn’t you like that, Donnie? Some girl with Betty Grable legs and looks that would frighten Lana Turner. No past, just a future. Wouldn’t you like that? That’s someone worth your time, boy.”

“No,” Donnie said. “She’s worth everyone’s time. I don’t have to hear this. I need to open up. Would you leave?”

“No, I won’t, because I have a proposition for you. You need this job. You don’t have enough money to leave your daddy. I need you to make one order for me from the city. That’s all I ask. One order.”

“What’s that?”Douglas placed a slip of paper on the counter. “Atropine,” he said. “Eight

units.” As he told Donnie the order, he held out twenty dollars. “You can keep


the change. Buy her something nice. King’s might be having a sale on bed sheets.”


Chapter Thirty-Two

Hannah watched Douglas sitting at his desk and staring at the corner of his small office. He was breathing shallow breaths; his elbows rested on the arm of the chair, one arm bent so his fist nearly touched his nose.

“Hannah, Doctor,” she squawked almost in a whisper, as though she wanted to talk, but didn’t want to bring attention to herself. Bent forward, she held her head low and inspected the doctor from her cage, moving her head from side to side. She sang quietly and whispered, “Hello, my love.”

Douglas slammed his fist down on the desk. “Would you shut up? Would you shut up just once?” He stood and walked to her cage, pulled the blanket from underneath it and tossed it over the cage. For several minutes, nothing made a sound in the office, but then Hannah hopped from her perch to the cage’s floor and peeked out from under the blanket. Grabbing a wire in her beak, she slid her head back and forth along it and snapped her head back to make the thin bar ting.

He looked at the clock and leapt from his chair, taking a seat in Dare’s. On the desk was a vase of tulips. Douglas picked at the stems with his fingers, arranging them neatly. He folded his arms on the desk and watched the door with a smile on his face.

***

Dare arrived to the office that morning and stopped when she looked up at her desk.

“Tulips,” she said.He smiled.“Are these for me?”“Yes, dear, of course they are,” he said beaming. “I borrowed them from

the Prescotts.”She dabbed at her eyes, which were glossy and red. Douglas looked at

her closely.“Have you been crying?”She sniffed and pinched her lips tightly together, touching a handkerchief

to her eyes again. “So that’s where my handkerchief went!” he exclaimed playfully. Dare

laughed and covered her mouth embarrassed.“Thank you, Douglas,” she said. “This is very nice of you.”


“Today is your day, Dare. I’ve realized something. I’ve realized that I don’t treat you right. I only give you an hour for lunch. Today you shall have two hours. I will man the office today. Go out on the town. Buy yourself a pretty dress. It’ll be on me.”

She shook her head, “No, Douglas. That’s silly. We don’t have the money to be doing that sort of thing.”

“At least go out for a long walk today, won’t you?” With a shrug of her shoulders she managed to say, “Yes, I’ll see.”“That’s a girl,” he stood and hugged her close. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

Whatever this is will pass.”She pushed her face into his chest and let out her tears. They stood for a

time in the room, her body shivering against his, clinging closely in his arms.“Douglas?”“Yes?”“Why do you stay so long at the King’s?”He held her away from him and looked down into her wet eyes. “He’s a

very sick man.”

***

Dare tapped on the doorframe of Douglas’s office and said, “Lunch.” With nothing else said between them, she left. Her steps were deliberate as she crossed over and walked to Main. Without looking to either side for traffic, she walked to King’s and pushed open the door.

Before the bell above the door stopped ringing, she said, “Susan, where is Mrs. King?”

“Home, probably. Would you like me to call her?”Without hesitation, Dare said, “No, and please don’t tell her I asked.” “Yes, ma’am.” Susan said, although quite confused.Dare left the store, glanced at Traver’s and then her watch. “Quarter after,”

she said. “I’ll give you a head start. Ass.”A sneer came across her face and she dug her nails into the palms of her

hands. As determined as before, she walked back toward the office, looking past everyone on the two blocks back to Willow. Instead of following the walkway to the office, she walked onto the grass and sat beneath a large tree. There, she waited.

Only five minutes passed before Douglas emerged from the office, lit a cigarette and strolled away. She stood and brushed off her skirt as she began to


follow him at a distance. This day, he kept to the sidewalks, crossed only at the crosswalks and waved or tipped his hat to each passerby. As he neared Simmons, she slowed her pace and stayed near the trees or hedges lining the roads in case he were to turn back. Before he stepped onto Simmons, he looked every which way around him and walked to the King’s.

Although nearly fifty yards away from Dare’s vantage point, Mrs. King was easy to spot when she opened the door. She was dressed brightly and wore pearls.


Chapter Thirty-Three

“How is he today?” she asked.Douglas was in his chair, Mrs. King on the settee. He shrugged. “What do

you think?”“I’m no doctor.”“You’re his wife. How has he been eating?”“Much better. Even better than yesterday,” she leaned her head to one

side. “So what do you think?”“About what?”She turned her palms up. “Your medical opinion. What is your medical

opinion?”“My opinion is that it’s much too early to begin planning the next steps.

He hasn’t turned a corner yet, and like I keep saying, this could just be his body’s last effort.”

“We’ll see,” she said. “We all have opinions.”Conversation halted, and they watched each other as disinterested

strangers. “Will you play something?” Douglas asked.“I don’t believe so. Will you?”He laughed. “You know I can’t.”“You? A man as good with your hands as you are?” She gave him a

disbelieving look. “Aren’t all physicians good with their hands? I should say ‘skilled’ shouldn’t I?”

“I’ve never played the piano. You know that.”“It’s easy to forget these things. Douglas?”“Yes?”“I’m glad you came by this morning. I wanted to talk with you.”“Concerning?”“Us. My husband.” She pointed to Douglas, to her chest and back to him.

“This—what we have here.”“It seems fairly uncomplicated to me,” Douglas said. “I give you

companionship, you help me, I help the town, Dare keeps her job.”She had opened her mouth to speak but stopped. “What is it about Dare?

Why do you have to say that name in this house each time you’re here? I almost think I’m not welcome in my own home and that she’s the one who lives here. It always comes back to Dare.”

“I just can’t do that to her. She needs money.”


“Her needs are no concern of mine. My husband is dying. I’m lonely. Isn’t that ‘need’ enough for you? If you can’t fix one of those problems, you’d better fix the other.”

He frowned at her. “And what do you mean by that?”“Don’t think about it too much. The truth of it is, Douglas, I can’t take this

—” she pointed at the both of them again, “—this distraction much longer. My husband’s health is returning. His auditors are watching. You wouldn’t want me to lose everything, would you?”

“No, I don’t want that, but I could lose everything, too.”She smiled perfectly. “Maybe you should have married a businessman.”“I don’t see how that’s funny,” he replied.“Douglas, it’s not that I don’t want you here. I do. I just can’t risk losing all

of this. If I do, then what chance will I have of helping you?”Folding his hands across his chest, he laughed. “We haven’t talked about

us since before you left me for him. And to think, we’re doing it now, but it really just sounds like we’re discussing a business proposition.”

“Isn’t that what it should be? Seems less complicated, doesn’t it?” She gestured with her hand. “You give me this, I give you that. Wouldn’t that be so much easier? Easier than what you’re trying to agree on with Dare.”

“You don’t know the first about that relationship. Strictly business.”“Strictly business? You’re too naive. This is a small town, Douglas. The

walls have ears. Nothing goes unnoticed unless you’re careful about what you do, which you apparently are not. I know what’s going on. It’s her that you want. You want her, but you also want my money. She has the figure, I have the debt-free promise.”

He sat staring at her and looked like he was thinking of a response.“You do want her, don’t you?” she asked. “Tell me. It’s not going to change

a thing between us. I’m calling us off temporarily anyway. If you want to go run with her, you may. Perhaps in a year or so, you won’t even think of the money anymore. By that time, you’ll be living happily with her in a gardener’s shack just outside of town. You’ll be catching rain from your leaky roof with your empty doctor’s bag.”

“Be quiet,” he said. “Just be quiet.”“Tell me,” she folded her legs under her on the settee. “You want her,

don’t you? Look at me.”Douglas looked up and stared at her.


Nodding, she said, “That’s as good as a yes, lover." She pulled her ankles closer and grinned like a teenaged girl with excitement. “Tell me more about this. She’s a beautiful woman, Douglas. Beautiful. When’s the date?”

He looked at her with disgust. “Would you shut up? I have enough stress right now. All it is with her is that I want her to be taken care of. I want to be able to pay her enough so that she can help her mother.”

“No, Douglas. I know you better than you do. I know men. I know people. You want her. It’s plain for me to see. Go ahead and take her then.”

Douglas stood, “I think I’d better go.”“It’s always nice to have you,” she said.He put his hand on the door and she added, “Douglas. One last thing. Just

a small thing to consider, really. If you do go with her, you’ll lose your job. Dare will lose her job. Dare will lose her mother. You’ll lose Dare. Even if you do start to make more money, it won’t be enough. I can always go down to the bank and think of some way to convince Mr. Hill to make some—adjustments.”


Chapter Thirty-Four

Through a gap between the curtains, Dare looked into the library window and saw Douglas talking with Mrs. King. They looked comfortable together, quietly talking. Dare stepped back and stood in the King’s backyard, clenching her fists and staring at the house.

She clenched her teeth and rushed away, down Simmons and toward her house, although hours were left in the work day. Placing her hand over her mouth, she walked along quiet sidewalks and kept her head down so no one could see her cry.

Once inside her home, she pulled a chair to the kitchen wall, took the phone in her hand and asked for Ruth Martin.

“Ruth? Dare. Yes, hi. I was wondering if you’d like to come over this evening?” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Sure, seven is fine, I understand. Ok. See you then.”

She cleared the phone line and then said, “Granderson 3-4519, please.”“Thomas? Hi.” She breathed in deeply. “How’s Mother? It wasn’t my fault

—she upset me. I was just trying to talk to her. Maybe if she hadn’t thrown me out of town I wouldn’t be so ugly to her, and why do you always have to stick up for her? Every time I call, Thomas. Every time. It’s been, what, thirty seconds and I’m already being yelled at by my family?”

She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but listened to Thomas a second longer.

“No. I’m not sending any more money. I can’t! Did you ask—?” She listened. “I don’t see how it’s my problem. I’ve been more than generous, giving money to a woman who never wanted to see me again.”

“Well, all right,” she said. “I’ll call later.”Dare hung up the phone and sat staring at the wall for a time before

looking up at the clock. She stood, took off her blouse and skirt, set them on the chair and walked to her bedroom and slept.

***

Rain and thunder woke her. She was lying on top of the sheets, and the quilt was damp under her eyes. The house was dark from the clouds and her quiet mood. She turned on her back and rested with her arms above her head while her swollen eyes focused above.


Thunder broke again, and Dare sat up, swinging her feet to the floor. Slowly she rose and walked into the kitchen, opening a drawer and placing a knife on the counter. She placed lemons on the counter, along with a pitcher and the wooden juicing tool. Holding one of the lemons in her left hand, she placed the knife’s heel on the rind and pressed firmly, splitting the fruit. After the lemons were split, she placed the knife aside and juiced the lemons in a bowl, pouring the juice into the pitcher.

She dried her hands on a towel, picked up her skirt and blouse from the chair and walked to her bedroom. The phone rang, and she tossed her clothes onto the bed and returned to answer it on the third ring.

“Hi, Ruth!” Her smile was broad but faded while listening. “Sure, I understand.”

“No,” she shook her head. “You can keep the book. All right. Some other time then.” She hung up the phone and rested her arms and head against the wall. Her body shook and the thunder rolled above her small house.

She pushed the chair back to the table and stood at the pitcher of lemon juice. Taking the knife in hand, she sat at the table again and placed it in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Donnie,” she said.


Chapter Thirty-Five

The night wore on, but Dare stayed at the kitchen table, her elbows on either side of the knife, her head bowed in her hands. Light vaguely entered into the house through the storm clouds and rain; she had not turned on the lights to the kitchen. The knife sat alone on the table—its blade, pointing away from her, still spotted with pulp and lemon rind. The lemon juice that collected on the knife had fallen into a small pool under the blade, as small as the tears falling on the table. As small as the raindrops collecting into one another and streaming down the windows.

She dropped her right arm to the table and touched the tip of the blade with a finger as if she were examining a flower petal, delicate and beautiful. Her finger ran along the blade’s spine and back to the point along its wet face. There, she paused. With her left hand, she gripped the blade’s handle and ran the knife’s edge along the top of her right forearm. She stood and tossed the knife into the sink and walked to her living room.

***

Douglas was at Traver’s the next morning when Donnie opened.“Good morning, Donnie.”“Doctor Howard,” the young man replied with a nod. “Come on in.”They stepped into the dark store, and Donnie flipped on the lights. “It’s

over here,” he said. “They sent ten units. They either sell five or ten.” He handed over a white envelope, and Douglas opened it over the counter. Inside the envelope were small white packets, each sealed shut with red wax.

Douglas fished out each packet onto the counter, counted ten, and put them back into the envelope. “Did you put these into your books?”

“No, sir.”“You remember what I told you. You tell anyone about this and Dare won’t

be around long, and it will be your own doing.”“Yes, sir.”“It’s for my eyes. I can’t prescribe for myself, but I have to have this. You

got it?”Donnie studied him for a moment and said, “I told you I wouldn’t say a

word.”“Keep it that way,” Douglas replied. He stuffed the envelope inside his

jacket and left the store.


***

When Dare arrived at the office, she looked around the corner at Douglas, who was sleeping reclined back in his chair, feet up on the desk. Hannah was on the cage floor peeking out from under the blanket.

“Hi, Hannah,” Dare whispered. The bird bobbed her head and then shuffled across the floor to watch Douglas.

He awoke when Dare settled in at her desk, opening and closing drawers and making more noise than usual.

“Dare?”“Good morning, Douglas,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “How was

your day yesterday?”“It went well. Where were you when I got back?”“When did you get back?”He looked at the clock and frowned. “I don’t know. Four, four-thirty.”“I guess I just assumed you wouldn’t be back for a while so I decided to

close up.”Rubbing his eyes, he took his feet from the desk and drummed his fingers

on the desk. “Any calls?”“I just got here.”“Later on, I’ll need you to do some deliveries for me. Maybe another

tomorrow. Is that all right with you?”“Who are they for?”“Mrs. Prescott and Mr. King.”She fit her handbag into a drawer and closed it, pulling out a pencil from

another. “Are you sure you don’t want to go by the King’s instead?”“I’m sure.”“That’s interesting,” she added.Douglas walked to the doorway and looked down at Dare. “What do you

mean?”“I saw you.”“Where?”“At the King’s. You were supposed to be visiting with Mr. King, but it

looked like you were too busy getting cozy in the library with Mrs. King.”“We were talking about him,” he said. “He’s improving, but I was telling

her that it may actually be a bad sign.”Dare didn’t look convinced.


“Look,” he said, “There’s nothing I can do or say that will make you believe me. It’s up to you.”

“But you spend so much time there! There’s something going on, and it makes me very mad, Douglas. It makes me furious to see it.”

“Why? I’m only there to see a patient.”“You don’t spend hours with a patient like him. There’s nothing for you to

do. You’re spending your time with her.”“That’s not true, and I don’t see why you have to be so upset about this.”“Upset? I’m not upset. I’m mad because I feel you’ve been leading me on

for as long as I’ve known you. How could you not know what I think of you? You act like I don’t have feelings, and you just do your own thing.”

He walked back to his office, and she followed him. “Douglas, I want to be with you. This is driving me mad.” Putting a hand to her eyes, she held back for a moment. “I can’t work here much longer. I need to find a new job.”

“Don’t get carried away, Dare. You need this job. I need you here.”“No. I’m leaving town. I’ve decided it’s best. I’ll finish out the week.”Douglas couldn’t form a response, and Dare held out her hand. “Where

are those deliveries?”Reaching inside his coat, he pulled out the envelope and placed three of

the packets in his hand. “Here, tell Mrs. King to give her husband one of these today and two tomorrow. Mix it with water.”

“What is it?”“Minerals,” he said and handed her a small glass bottle. “Drop this by the

Prescotts’ too. They’re expecting it.”

***

After she left the Prescott’s house, she walked along White Avenue at a slow pace. She was alone on the sidewalk, although people watched her from their yards and front porches. She arrived at Simmons and admired the cars in the King’s driveway before knocking. Mrs. King opened the door.

“Good morning, Dare,” Mrs. King said excitedly. “It’s so good to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Dr. Howard wanted me to stop by and give you this.” Dare handed the packets to Mrs. King. She didn’t accept them.

“How rude of me, Dare. Come on in the house. Let’s not carry on business out here on the doorstep.” She backed away from the door and Dare


entered, with Mrs. King closing it behind them. “Can I get you anything? I have wine, lemonade or coffee. What’s your fancy?”

“Nothing, thank you,” Dare held out the packets. “Dr. Howard said to give one of these to Mr. King today and two tomorrow. Mix them with water. He didn’t say they should be taken with food, but I’d imagine that wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Mrs. King took the packets and gave Dare a concerned look. “And how’s your mother?”

“She’s well.”“Will you get to see her soon? I just know you must be missing her to

death.”


Chapter Thirty-Six

Rustling noises broke Douglas’s trance. Hannah was picking at the newspaper lining her cage floor.

“Hannah!” he shouted. She looked up with the paper lining curled up from the floor, the edge of it still in her beak. They stared at each other, and Hannah slowly clenched her beak and took one last nibble before letting the paper fall. She let out a small, sad chirp and hopped up to her perch away from view beneath the blanket. Small pinging noises came from inside the cage as Hannah tapped the wires with her beak, each tap nearly two seconds apart. The noises vibrated quietly across the wires and through the room. Douglas put his elbows on his desk and covered his ears as he read a book already open on his desk. The bird continued tapping the wires.

One ping. Two pings. Three pings.“Damn it! Would you stop?” He stood and picked up Hannah’s cage,

carrying it into the waiting room and placing it on a table. Shutting the door to his office, he returned to his seat and stared at the pages.

Outside of the door Hannah began to sing. The song was high and cheerful, the kind of song you’d hear someone sing in the bath, relaxed and unafraid. Every few seconds her whistling would stop, and she’d begin talking nonsense to herself, only to convince herself to sing again.

For the better part of an hour this continued, Hannah content underneath her blanket and Douglas annoyed at the cheerful nuisance. She let out four short, high-pitched staccato notes. With surprising movement, he jerked open a drawer, pulled out a metal ruler and slung the door to his office open.

“I told you to shut up!” He slung the blanket off the cage and slapped the wires with the ruler. Hannah jumped back from her perch to the opposite side of the cage. Dropping the ruler to the ground, he slapped the cage with both hands and shook it. “I will pluck you if you make another noise out here, Hannah! Not another noise.” Frightened, she pulled her feathers in tight so her frame looked thin and fragile. She was breathing quickly, and her body trembled.

“Let that be a lesson,” he said and walked back to his office, picking up the ruler on his way back. After the door closed, Hannah hopped back to her perch and began to sing small whimpering sounds. Her feathers slowly loosened from against her body, and she sang louder.

***


Douglas rose from his desk and pulled the formulary from the shelf. His thumb quickly found the page Hannah had clipped, and he opened it. The top half of the page was missing from Hannah’s nibbling, but the Atropine entry was still unobstructed. He studied the page as though it were new to him.

Dare flung open the door to his office. Surprised at the intrusion, Douglas tried to flip pages in the formulary, but ended up slamming the book closed.

“What are you doing?” she said.“Reading.”“What were you reading?”“This book.”She rolled her eyes, “I took your deliveries. You might want to call Mrs.

Prescott when you get the chance. She didn’t like me giving her the orders. They have to come from you.”

“All right, I’ll do that,” he hesitated. “And Dare?”“What?”“I really wish you’d reconsider and stay.”“There’s really little chance of that,” she said and shut his door behind her.He reopened the formulary and read the page once more. Just as he

settled in, Dare began to shout.“Douglas! Get your bird back in the cage! I do not want her on me!”He grabbed the metal ruler and stormed out into the waiting room.

Hannah was circling the room, reaching her feet out to grab onto any edge she could find.

“Hannah! Get in your cage!” He slapped the ruler against the wall, and she began to struggle in the air.

“Douglas! Stop it! You’ll hurt her!” “Both of you shut up!” With the ruler overhead, he tracked after the

circling bird, who found her cage and hopped inside. He snapped the door closed behind her, found the twine in his office and coiled it around the one side of the door and frame.

With a finger pointed at Dare, he said, “I’ve about had it with this bird. I need you to watch her. I’m leaving for the morning. I’ll be on Main if you need me.”

***

Dare watched Douglas leave and walk to Main, swinging his satchel as he hurried along. When he disappeared, she ran into his office and picked up each


of the books on his desk, but gave a look of disappointment. After a quick look at the bookshelf, she pulled the formulary down and opened it directly to the bitten page.

She lowered her eyebrows and read the entry to herself. “Atropine,” she whispered. Using her fingers as a guide, she read the sections about its origin, its use and its application. With a shrug, she shelved the book and left the room.

Hannah sat with one leg tucked under her body, the other gripping her perch while her body shivered.

“Hannah?” Dare began to untie the string. “Hannah?”The bird opened her eyes and turned her head to the side to look up at

Dare with one eye. “Hello, my love,” she said in her pitiful parrot voice. “Hello. Nickel.”

As Dare continued to unwind the string, Hannah began to trill and chatter to herself, although she kept her noises small and quiet.

“I’m so sorry, Hannah,” Dare said and put her finger into the cage. Hannah looked at it cautiously and let down her leg from her body and wrapped it around Dare’s finger. She stepped up with her other leg and moved her head from side to side, like a door on a loose hinge. Using the index finger of her other hand, Dare rubbed a knuckle against Hannah’s red breast and hummed a song.


Chapter Thirty-Seven

Mr. King died that night.Douglas set the phone down and turned to get up from his bed. He

pinched his hands in his armpits and hugged his chest tight. Instead of getting up from the bed, he slipped his feet back under the covers and turned off the lamp light. The whites of his eyes reflected a small wink of light. He shifted his focus along the ceiling and walls, pulling the blanket higher and higher to his chin.

The blanket began to tremble and his teeth chattered, although sweat was beading along his upper lip.

“What have I done?” he hissed. “What did I do?”Douglas whipped the blanket off and stood beside his bed, staring into the

mirror. He placed his hands on the dresser and leaned closer to his image.“You did the right thing. You did the right thing.” He nodded again to

assure himself. “You did the right thing. No one will know.”

***

“When did they come get him?”“About an hour ago,” Mrs. King said as Douglas stepped inside.“I’m sorry,” he said.“Nothing was to be done,” she replied and walked with him to the library.

The room was lit by noon light that settled into a skewed and glowing rectangle on the library floor. Mrs. King sat at the window and said, “Fortunately, he left me everything I need. He was good to me.”

“That’s nice,” Douglas said as he walked to the liquor cabinet. “I know you never liked him. You don’t have to pretend,” she said in a

cool voice.He shrugged a shoulder. “Should I? You ran off with him.” He poured a

glass of water and sat in his chair.“Let’s get something straight first. I didn’t run off with him,” She chuckled.

“You know what your problem is, Douglas? You’re too self-centered. You really are. I was with him before and during the time I was with you. I was cheating with you. I stayed with him.”

Douglas dipped his finger into the ice water and pushed an ice cube into the others. “But it was me you loved.”

“You believe that?”


***

Douglas crunched an ice cube and set the empty glass down. “Do you think we can give this another try?”

“I thought you were all about Dare when we talked.”“I’ll never have her. Everything she would want is no longer a part of me.”“She doesn’t see in you what I do.”He tipped the glass toward him and drank the last drop. Smacking his lips,

he walked to the cabinet, dropped five cubes of ice into the glass and poured water from a pitcher. “So, what is it?” He set the pitcher back down. “What is it you see in me?”

“A companion.”With the glass still in hand, he pointed with his index finger. “You know

what you need?”“What’s that?”“A parrot. You can tell them anything you want, and they’ll agree with you

every time.”“Is that why you bought one?”Douglas sat down in his chair again. “No.”“Do you know why Rebecca left you?”He shrugged. “I stopped giving her attention. She never gave me any. It’s

simple really.”She sat sideways and looked out of the window. “Give me a cigarette,”

she said.“I thought you didn’t smoke in the house.”“It’s mine now,” she said and held out her hand.He patted his pockets, found his case, and opened it. “I don’t have any,”

he said. “I need to buy some. Used the last one on the way here.”“I didn’t need one anyway.” She sat straight at the window and ran her

hands along her dress, straightening out the wrinkles. “He went sooner than I thought.”

“I was afraid of it,” Douglas said and took another sip. “He was doing too well, too quickly.”

She stared at him from across the room. Her brows hung over her eyes like the afternoon storm on the horizon behind her. She clicked her teeth together and took a breath. “Why did you get Hannah?

He shrugged. “I like birds.”“You never told me that.”


“You never seemed interested.”She laughed and crossed her legs, exposing the underside of her thighs.

“And why’s that? Why do you like birds?”“It’s childish, really,” he paused and took another sip from his glass.

“When I was a boy, my brother and I used to climb about ten feet up into this chinaberry tree. We’d take all manner of things with us up in that tree. Bed sheets, quilts, anything that could catch the wind. I’d jump from the tree, and for the briefest of moments, I thought I was flying. I was no different from a mockingbird or robin. In my hands I would be holding a quilt over my head, and I fully believed that the quilt in my hands was the one. The one that would let me fly.”

Mrs. King didn’t respond but stroked the side of her leg with a finger and watched him, almost as if she wanted more from the story.

He continued, “Never did fly, though. My brother grew up four years ahead of me. He was necking with girls while I was left alone on the limb of the chinaberry. I was left wondering what I could have done differently to fly and what I could have done to keep my brother from growing up. I still remember the last time I got up in that tree. The weather was turning cold so the leaves were falling from the tree. I found my way up to our branch that we used to sit on, and I just watched the field below, its grass bending in the breeze. Although my mother had warned I was getting too big for the tree, I climbed out to the end of a sturdy branch and watched the leaves. They were being pulled in the wind and on their own time, they would let go and fall below. I’d left a sheet at the base of the tree. I must’ve known before I found my way up in the tree that I wouldn’t need it. So I leaned forward on my belly, grabbed the branch in my hands, swung my body down and hung on. I watched the leaves above me. At the next breeze I held tight for a moment, but when my fingers grew tired, I let myself go. Just like the leaves, I fell to the ground.

“I can remember the next few seconds as clear as day. I was on my back under the tree, looking up at the sky. A chickadee flew overhead and landed on the branch I’d left; the branch was still shaking from me letting go of it.”

Douglas paused for a moment and watched beyond Mrs. King out of the window. The sky was darker now. He smiled at the corner of his mouth. “I wonder what it is birds dream of doing. I never could do anything but fall.”


Chapter Thirty-Eight

“Have you ever fallen?” Douglas’s question was sincere.“Once,” she said. “Just once.”“When was it?”“Remember when we met?” Wiping his fingers along the side of the dewy glass, Douglas kept his

expression blank and waited for her. She didn’t speak, and she looked at her hand as she touched her outer thigh.

Douglas cleared his throat quietly. “Sure, I remember. Do you mean you fell in love?”

“Don’t be silly,” she shot back. “You choose love. I fell from my husband when I chose you for a time. If I were in your story, I would be looking up at the tree branch knowing I’d never be able to be there with him again. I didn’t get up and try again. I knew I’d fall.”

“Where does that leave us?”“Watching everyone else.”

***

“This changes things,” she said. “We need each other now.”“You didn’t think so yesterday.”Douglas’s words had little effect on Mrs. King. She looked at him and

disregarded his comment with her blank stare. “Douglas, you and I both know we have nothing for anyone else.” With a

sigh, she stood and walked to the cabinet, turning over a glass and looking at the bottles. “Can I get you your drink?” she asked.

He lifted his glass of water. “No, I don’t drink on days like these.”“You need me now, Douglas,” she said. “I know what you’ve done.” She

walked behind him on her way to the settee. Her hand traced the back of his chair and along his neck when she passed by. “I knew what it was,” she said. “You poisoned my husband.”

He took a sip of his water and allowed a sliver of ice onto his tongue. “I didn’t give him anything.”

“Yes, you did.”“What was it?”“The powder yesterday,” she said.“Where’s the prescription?”


She sat back for a moment. “Dare brought it over.”“Dare brought you poison so you decided to give it to your husband?”Her back stiffened, and she tightly gripped the glass in her hand. “You

know what you’ve done,” she said.“All I know is that you just told me you poisoned your husband.”“Douglas, I need someone. It doesn’t have to be you, but I’d like for it to

be. If you walk away from me, I will uncover what you did.”“I didn’t do a thing.”“Your girl came to the house with it, Douglas. She told me to give it to

him, so I did. Within hours, he’s dead.”He gave her a disbelieving look and huffed. “That won’t stand up in any

court. You expect them to believe that I was involved with a murder? I didn’t administer anything. I wasn’t at the house. You don’t have a prescription for this drug I mysteriously ordered for you to give him.”

“Dare would confirm.”“With what?”“Douglas, you’re being foolish. Wherever you purchased it will have a

record. Stay with me, and you’ll never be found out.”“So to you, if I stay, I’m admitting guilt.”“You are guilty, Douglas. I know what you did.”He set his glass on the table and stood. “I did nothing. I have a debt to

pay. I can’t jeopardize my career.”“I’ll pay your debt.”“No,” he said. “I’ve had enough. I can’t trust you anymore. Sometime

years ago, I thought we could make it together. I was wrong. Now I wonder if I can even make it on my own. I’ve never tried that, but I think I will.”

“You’ll be back,” she said. “Just like when you moved to town and saw me with my husband. You’ll never get over me.”

Douglas walked to the door and opened it. “Perhaps I will be back—but not today.” He stepped out into the hallway and began to close the door behind him but stepped back inside. With a smirk on his face, he said, “I’ve never enjoyed touching your feet anyway.”

He left the hallway, the foyer and Mrs. King’s front porch. Once he reached the blue cars in the driveway, he pulled his case out, fit the cigarette between his lips and lit it with a match. After two quick puffs, he shook the match out and looked into the window of the nearest car. Its interior was cream-colored and spotless. He mashed the spent match against the window and walked away.


***

When he rounded the corner and left Simmons, he removed his hat and dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. His hands were wet, and he wiped them off before stuffing the cloth into his coat pocket.

The church bell chimed a tune and then rang once. After the bell became quiet, Douglas began to sing the song to himself as he stepped onto Willow.

In a low voice he sang, “Just a closer walk with Thee. Grant it, Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee.” He tipped his hat to two ladies who passed him.

“Good morning, Dr. Howard,” they said.“Ladies,” he replied and finished the first verse of the song: “Let it be, dear

Lord, let it be.”The door to his office was ajar, and he stepped in. Dare was standing

behind her desk, flipping through the papers quickly. “Hello, Dare,” he said. “If you’re stepping out for a moment, could you do

me a favor and go by the Prescotts’ again?”“Sure,” she said and followed him into his office.He pulled open a drawer and took his prescription pad out. “You see that

envelope on the corner there?” He pointed at the corner of the desk. “Take that and this note to the Prescotts’ She needs reminding that she needs to take all of her medicines. I also need to collect ten dollars from them.”

“I’ll ask them for it.”“Fine,” he said. “We can use the money. Here.” He handed the note to

Dare. In large red letters, it read: Take all meds. Bidaily po. Doctor’s order. Douglas Howard, MD

***

Douglas left the office before Dare could. She found the paper she was looking for but soon lost interest in it. Hannah rattled around in her cage and sang quietly to herself. Dare sat back and watched after giving the clock a glance.

Hannah started playing on the far side of her cage but slowly made her way to the door. After a peck at the door, she stared at Dare. When Dare didn’t move, Hannah seemed to decide it was safe. She worked her beak around the door’s latch and popped it open. She flew immediately to Douglas’s office, but


Dare remained at her desk and listened. Papers began to rustle and shuffle. Dare leaned over and looked around the doorway. At first, Hannah didn’t notice someone watching her, but then she stopped. Her beak held onto a page, and she turned to look at Dare from the corner of her eye. They remained motionless, and Hannah flicked the page away from her, turning it to the other side. She reached down and began to nibble.

Dare inched into the room, and Hannah continued her work trimming the page. Once she’d rounded the desk, Dare looked at the book and nudged Hannah back. The page was once again open to Atropine.

“Poison,” she whispered.After giving the front door a glance, she opened the desk drawers, sliding

her hand around the sides of each drawer and under the papers. At the middle drawer, she found an envelope with seven smaller packets inside, just the kind she’d taken to the King’s yesterday.

Throwing the packets onto the desk, she opened the first drawer she’d opened. She brought out Hannah’s small bag of seed and opened it. She picked up Douglas’s letter opener and cut open the bottom of a sealed packet. The atropine powder fell from the packet into an envelope she held to catch it. She did the same with the remaining packets, left her work and returned with tape. She filled each empty packet halfway with seed and fit them into the original envelope, closed the drawers and took the atropine envelope with her.

She picked up her handbag, placed the envelope of powder inside and grabbed the Prescotts’ envelope and note. When she left the office, she stopped on the steps and pulled the doctor’s note from out of Mrs. Prescott’s envelope and fit it into her handbag.

She made the delivery to the Prescotts and walked home with the note still in her bag.


Chapter Thirty-Nine

“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Dare said into the phone. “Thank you for helping me.” She placed the receiver on its hook and walked to the kitchen counter.

Dare stood at her sink and stared at the neighboring houses. Reflected clouds passed by in her eyes, as did playing children and gleaming cars. They all danced across the surface of her wet, almond-shaped eyes like crude drawings animated by a child’s spinning zoetrope. Her pupils widened, but her gaze remained fixed on nothing.

Her hand found its way into her handbag, and she pulled out the white folded envelope, heavy with powder. She sighed and looked down at it, slipping her index finger inside, unfolding it and setting it on the counter.

The phone rang. Dare’s gaze didn’t leave the envelope. The house became silent, and the phone rested quietly on the wall, not ringing a second time. She straightened, opened the refrigerator and pulled out a mostly empty pitcher of lemonade. With her free hand, she pulled down a glass and filled it. After she took a sip, she set it next to the envelope and left for her bedroom.

She came back to the kitchen with two blue envelopes and a piece of paper. Pulling a pen from her handbag, which was still on the counter, she wrote a short note on the paper and placed it into one of the blue envelopes. She removed Douglas’s note to the Prescotts from her bag and placed it in the other blue envelope, lining all three together in a neat row next to the glass.

Dare stepped away from the counter and walked into her bedroom. She swept her stray jewelry from the dresser top into a side drawer and turned her attention to her bed. The sheets were wrinkled and the comforter thrown to the side. Her face said she was thinking of more than straightening her bed, but her hands were working meticulously, tucking the sheets neatly and patting the pillows, as though she was preparing for sleep. She kneeled down and pulled out her tray of books. With her left hand, she touched each spine and pulled out a grey volume before pushing the tray under her bed.

Book in hand, she walked to the living room, straightened the candle and fruit on the table and walked around to the kitchen. She set the book down on the table and placed her handbag next to it.

***


Douglas sat at his desk and listened to Hannah tap her beak against the cage as methodically as droplets from a faucet. Before him lay the formulary. The only remaining portion of the left-hand page was the heading Atropine. Its description was torn and strewn about the room in small little paper balls.

His elbows rested on the desk and his hands covered his head. With a hand, he lifted up the torn page and ripped it from the book. Hannah stopped her tapping. He crumpled the paper and tossed it into the waiting room. With his other hand, he jerked open the middle drawer and pulled out the envelope of atropine packets. He held it at one end and waved it back and forth before tossing it into the trash can beneath his desk. It thumped loudly when it hit the bottom, and Douglas looked down to investigate. He pulled the envelope from the can and opened it.

The phone rang, and he ripped open the top of a packet. Turning it over, birdseed scattered over his desk. With his other hand, he picked up the receiver.

***

“Douglas? Dare,” she said. “I’m leaving now. I’m leaving Hill. I’m leaving you. I know I said I’d stay the week, but I can’t.” She held her hand to her mouth and shook her head. “I’m going now.”

Shouting came from the other end of the line, and Dare pulled the receiver away from her ear as though the words coming through the line would fall to the floor like spilled water. When the voice quieted, she spoke again: “Douglas, you were right. There’s a difference between starting over and getting a fresh start. With you, I started over. You’re no different from the others.”

She shook her head.“No, Douglas. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone and turned to the sink.

Her fingers lightly picked up the folded envelope, and she took a drink.

***

He slammed his palm onto the desk, and the seeds jumped. Hannah flew in circles in her cage, bumping into the wires and perch, letting out screeches and frightened squawks. Balls of paper she’d chewed from the paper lining flew into the air as she landed on the floor of the cage. With a burst, she flew at the cage door, and the cage fell, breaking the door open. She flew out and circled the waiting room, going from corner to corner.

Douglas picked up the formulary and charged into the room.


“Hannah! Come here, you damn bird. Come here,” he shouted and swung the book at her. It clipped her feet, and she squeaked but continued to fly. She landed on the edge of the front doorway, and Douglas swung the book once more. The formulary slapped the wall with the sound of a broad mallet. It pinned Hannah to the wall. The rustle of her wings and her chatter ceased. Douglas’s face became pale and blank. He removed the book, and her body fell to the floor.

“Damn,” he whispered. “Damn it.” He scooped up the broken body into his hands and scoffed.

***

She sat at her kitchen table, arms stretched out in front of her, the glass of lemonade near her right arm and the white envelope of atropine near her left. Nothing moved, except for the clock. The house’s walls creaked slightly, pushed by a fresh breeze. Dare bent her head forward and ignored a strand of hair that fell and touched the tip of her nose. Her feet were neatly placed next to each other under the chair, the balls of her feet touching the floor and her ankles pressed together. Along her neck a small vein trembled, but her knees and hands remained free of nervous movements. She sat perfectly still with eyes that appeared unseeing and ears unhearing. Her shoulders rose and fell at each small breath she took and let out through pursed lips.

With her left hand, she propped up the envelope and opened it with a finger. Keeping the bottom-right corner of the envelope on the table, she tipped it to the side and the powder inside collected together. She closed the envelope and set it back on the table and returned to staring.

A car stopped in the street, and a door slammed shut. Dare jolted in her chair and grabbed the envelope in one hand and glass in the other. She looked out the front window. Out on the walk, Mr. Tony had stepped up from the street and was making his way to the front door. She stopped at the sink, looked out the window again and poured the drink into the drain.

She placed the white envelope of atropine into the blue envelope containing the note from Dr. Howard and sealed it. In the other blue envelope, she placed the letter and addressed it.

Mr. Tony knocked on the door, and Dare let him in. “Are you ready, Miss Dare?” he asked.She held up a finger and said, “Give me just one minute.”


He pulled his hat off his head and held the brim tightly. “I didn’t get here too soon, did I?”

“No, you got here right on time. Have a seat. I’m the one who is late.”He sat on the couch and leaned forward to look at the wax fruit. “I’d say

these would be worse for my teeth than the real thing.”

***

Mr. Tony rolled to a stop in front of Traver’s and looked at Dare. “You want me to go in with you?” His smile bunched his wrinkled skin close to his watery eyes. “Saying goodbye should never be easy, but I can give you some strength.”

She didn’t look at him. The door to Traver’s was shut, and it was dark inside to cool the store during the afternoon sun. “I think I’d like that,” she replied.

With considerable sighing and groaning, Mr. Tony opened the door and pulled himself up out of the car. When he reached her door, he opened it and offered his hand. She took his hand but didn’t put weight on it, instead getting out on her own strength.

“Thank you,” she said.They stood together looking at Traver’s on the quiet sidewalk. Dare

stepped forward, and Mr. Tony held his hand against the inside of her elbow, and they entered the store together. Donnie sat at a stool, sipping a milkshake and reading a book. His apron lay across the counter.

“Donnie?” She stepped forward from Mr. Tony, who stayed at the door.The young man turned with the milkshake in hand, straw in his mouth,

and waved. He immediately shut the book and stood quickly. “Hi, Dare.” When she took a seat next to him, his expression changed from excitement to concern, and he looked over his shoulder at Mr. Tony.

“Are you all right?” he asked and offered her the glass.“Donnie, I’m leaving town.”He sat. “For how long?”“I’m not coming back.”His expression fell and his grip loosened. In a careless movement, he slid

the glass onto the counter without paying attention to its balance or direction. Its base clanked along the countertop, but the glass didn’t tip. “Why? Is it because of us?”


“No, it’s not because of us,” she whispered. “That’s why I want to stay, but I can’t. I loved someone who wouldn’t have me. I’m about to love someone I can’t have. I’m leaving town very soon.”

“But why?”“It’s what I do. I have to run. Something has happened.”“Stay here for a while, and we’ll leave together.”Dare pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I can’t. I’m afraid of

losing something again and afraid of what I might do to myself.”“What do you mean?”“Donnie, I told you before. About giving you my scars.” She turned her

wrist and showed him. “Some time last year I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. What do you have if your mother never loved you? I’m sorry, Donnie. We shouldn’t have.”

The bell above the doorway jingled, and they both looked back. Mr. Tony had stepped outside and stood on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets.

“Will you stay?” Donnie pleaded.“No,” she said. She bit at her lip and looked urgently at the car and the

old man waiting on her. “Come with me. Now. He’ll take both of us.”“I can’t. I have to work here,” he replied motioning to the shelves. “I’ll

have enough money in a year or two.” Their eyes met, and Dare began to cry. Her lips and chin quivered. She

tried to speak but couldn’t. Donnie reached for a napkin and held it out to her, but she didn’t move for it.

He leaned in close and whispered, “Stay the night. I’ll meet you at your place again. I need to say goodbye.”

“No,” she said. “I can’t.”He grabbed her wrist and sat straight. “Stay the night,” he said firmly. “I

love you.”Dare winced at his grip on her arm. “Let my arm go. I don’t have a

choice. I can’t stay in this town anymore.” She jerked her arm away and grabbed her handbag. Before she could leave her stool, Donnie had jumped from his and blocked her path to the door. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, pulling his body close to hers.

“Stay with me,” he whispered in her ear.Fear swept across her eyes, and she put her forearm against his chest and

pushed him away. “I have to go,” she shouted. “I have to! He’s waiting on me.” Using her forearm to distance herself, she managed to get away from the counter


and headed for the door. He grabbed her wrist again and pulled. She tripped and fell to the floor with him, knocking over a display of books.

“Donnie!” She screamed. “Get off of me!”“I need you,” he said desperately. “I need you to stay with me.”She kicked him and jumped to her feet, but he was still faster. Back on his

feet, he stayed between her and the door.“Will you listen to me?” he asked. “I’m not asking for much.” He walked

toward her, and she backed to the counter again. Red desperation grew in his neck and face. “You can’t go. You can’t do this to me. You can’t go!”

She shouted back at him, “If you’d listen, you would hear that I’m trying to tell you I want to be with you!”

“I can’t leave right now! Just wait. Give me a week!”“No,” she said and clenched her jaw tightly. “I’m going now.” He grabbed

her shoulders, and she stopped. Without indecision, she kissed him, and he kissed back, wrapping his arms around her. They kissed for several seconds in the middle of the dark store, and she pushed him away.

“Don’t go!” he shouted. “Don’t do this to me!”“I’ll write you,” she said and pulled the door open. A group of people

stood in the doorway, perhaps drawn by the shouting. Donnie picked up a wooden stool from beside the counter, ran toward Dare and threw it. The stool crashed through the display window of Traver’s in a burst of glass, like a cloud releasing its afternoon rain.

“Don’t do this to me!” he screamed. She stopped at the car, and Mr. Tony hurriedly opened the door for her.

When in her seat, she looked at Donnie standing in the center of the cluttered shop floor and tears came again.


Chapter Forty

Hannah’s body lay on the desk, her chest throbbing with breath.Douglas watched the dying bird with shallow, unblinking eyes. He stood

to the side of his desk with his palms on either side of the bird. As he waited for her to die, he hummed a tune, and closed his eyes. Hannah’s eyes were open but losing their clarity and conviction.

When Douglas finished his tune he opened his eyes, and Hannah’s body was still. He picked her up in his left hand and her head lolled back.

“Goodbye,” he whispered and tossed her into the wastebasket atop a pile of scraps and little balls of shredded paper. Without a look back, he picked up his satchel near his office door and set his hat on his head. When he left the door, he stopped when he heard the papers crinkle.

Quietly, but clearly, a voice came from under the desk: “Hello, my love.”

***

Mr. Tony leaned on the car with a hand as he made his way around to the driver’s door and then sat behind the wheel. The car started as soon as he turned the ignition, but he sat and waited for close to fifteen seconds before putting it in gear. The people in front of Traver’s began to go their separate ways, and Donnie remained in the store. Mr. Tony circled the block before finding his bearings. “My mind is leaving me, I think. The day I can’t find my way around a square is the day I need to give this car up.”

“You’re doing fine,” she said.“Do you want to talk about anything?”“No, I don’t think so.”He turned the car on to Lee. “This here’s it.” His eyes were sad, and his

thick eyebrows were raised. “No turning back now.”“Let’s go,” Dare said. “I’m fine with that.”He drove the car slowly as he turned it and then accelerated when he

straightened on the road. The tree leaves were rich in color like green window panes, letting filtered sun into the speckled shade. Shadows and dots of light passed over the car’s body like brook water.

“Why’d you say you were leavin’?” Mr. Tony asked. His hands held the steering wheel tightly, but his ring finger twitched nervously. The hair on his aged fingers and hands was dark and long. He flexed his right hand to work out a cramp.


She looked at her lap. “I didn’t say.”“What happened back there with Donnie? Do you want me to do

anything?”“No. It was a misunderstanding.”“You want me to mail them letters for you?”Dare pinched the envelopes tightly against her book. “I’ll mail them when

we get there.”An approaching car slid under the shadow of trees, only to have sunlight

wipe away the shade, as the vehicle clipped down the road through bands of light.

“Poor lady,” Mr. Tony said, nodding toward the car. “Mrs. King, she sure has been through it, ain’t she?”

They neared Mrs. King’s car, but she didn’t seem to notice them. Her white-gloved hands were set next to each other at the top of the steering wheel and her shoulders were hunched forward. Large round sunglasses hid her eyes and a white pillbox hat sat perched on her head like a brooding dove. When they passed, her focus was still ahead, but she was laughing. Beside her sat a man. His eyes were narrow and set close. He wore a blue suit and his hair was slicked back. His teeth were white.

“Ain’t seen him around here before,” Mr. Tony said.Dare twisted back in her seat and watched as Mrs. King turned her car

toward her house.Very soon they neared the limits of Hill and passed the last of the small

houses surrounded by square plots of thick, green grass. The neighborhoods eased into fields clothed in tobacco. The sun looked down at Mr. Tony and Dare, whose only shade was the roof of the car.

Mr. Tony looked over at Dare. “You see that handle down there? Turn it and it’ll pull the window down, see?” Mr. Tony lowered his window with a proud smile.

She turned the handle and the sounds and smells of the countryside rushed into the car, and she placed her arm in the open window. High grass clipped by, and the sounds of insects buzzed in pulsating rhythm. She caught the wind in her hand and let it slip through her fingers.

“You got family where you’re going?” he asked.Dare smiled at the fertile earth as they eased along the road, and she

placed her hand inside her thighs. “No, sir. Not right now. Soon I hope, but I won’t know for a while.”


She brought her arm in from the window and pinched the thick envelopes, crinkling the papers with her thumb. The top envelope was addressed in blue cursive to Donnie Traver.

“Thank you for taking me,” she said, staring at the address.“Anything for you, darling. I wouldn’t do it if I had a choice.”“Yes, sir. Me too.”

***

The sky was purple now, and lights glimmered ahead like a fire-lit island in the dying day.

“This here’s it, Miss Dare,” he said. “Flatstone. Nice little town.”Both were smiling now, tears long gone and silences sweeter.As the buildings grew closer, their details became richer. The ornate street

lamps turned on just as they reached Main Street. “Two more blocks and then a left,” Dare said.“Someone picking you up?”“My brother put me in touch with someone here in town. I can stay with

them.”The people along the sidewalks watched as Mr. Tony and Dare stared back

at them.“This is it,” she said. “Turn here, and it’s the next block. He’ll be waiting

for me at the corner of Branch and Yearling.”He turned the car left and slowed when he neared the next intersection. A

car was pulled to the side of the road with a man standing on the other side of it, and Mr. Tony parked behind the man’s car.

Dare handed Mr. Tony the blank envelope. “Could you do me a favor?” she asked. “Could you write an address on this note? I don’t believe my hand can do it.”

“I can do that,” he said and pulled a pen from his pocket. “Who is it going to?”

“My mother,” she said.

***

“I can go from here,” she said. “You’ve done enough.” She put her hand on his knee, leaned toward him and gave him a long kiss on the cheek.


“Goodbye, Dare,” he said. “I’ll miss seeing you.” He held her arm and gave her a kiss.

“Goodbye, Mr. Tony. I’ll call you.”She opened the door and stepped onto the sidewalk, fitting the envelopes

in her handbag. The man stepped from the side of the car, and they approached each other. The top of his head came up to her chin.

“Good evening, ma’am,” he said. “Are you Miss Derringer?”“Yes. Friends call me Dare.” “Your brother called me. Did he tell you?”“Yes, he did.”“Are you ready?” He motioned to a tan-colored Packard on white-walled

tires.He opened the door and said, “I hope you don’t mind company during

the ride. I’m about to go meet a man.”“I don’t mind,” she said and slid into the backseat and set her handbag

next to a cage covered halfway by a thin blanket.She lifted a corner of the blanket and looked under. The parrot blinked

and scratched its neck.When the man sat in the driver’s seat, Dare said, “I know a bird just like

this. How much are you selling this one for?”The man waved his hand to dismiss the question. “Just a nickel for the

troubles is all.”


About the Author

Dave Newell was born and raised in the Midlands of South Carolina. After graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, he moved to Greenville, South Carolina where he currently lives with his family. Red Lory is his first novel.

More information can be found at:www.RedLoryBook.com


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