Autumn Leaves (25 page)

“Please take my advice.” Laurie sounded sincere. “You think I hate you, but that’s not true. Do you even think about your family at all?”

“All the time.” Standing up to prejudice was one thing. Of course Rebecca didn’t believe that Laurie was right. She just couldn’t do away with the fact that she was at fault too. How could she have told earlier? How would she have known before?

“Come on; say it, Laurie. You think it’s sick.”

“Cheating on your husband after having two children with him? Maybe,” Laurie amended dryly, “but what you’re doing, it’s silly.”

Rebecca knew she should have ended the conversation right here, but she kept following it with some weird sense of fascination. The fascination of a train wreck.

“Silly?”

“That girl you’re running around with doesn’t even look thirty!”

“She’s thirty-one.”

“That’s not the point and you know it. Where is she going to be in five years, or ten? You’re not that young anymore, Rebecca. What makes you think she’s going to stay with you?”

“Laurie, don’t. You don’t understand a thing about this relationship. Don’t pretend you do.”

Laurie set down her cup with more vehemence than necessary, some of the contents sloshing over the rim. This house had certainly seen more aggression in the past week than it had in many years together.

“This is the life of my son and grandchildren we’re talking about. I won’t let you ruin it.” Then she said something that left Rebecca completely baffled. “I’ll keep an eye on the girls tonight if you can bring yourself to end this before terrible things happen to all of us.”

Walking away was the only thing Rebecca could do. She needed some fresh air desperately, to get rid of the pounding headache.

She wasn’t going far though.

* * * *

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m not doing enough.”

“What more could you possibly do?” It was ironic, Callie reflected, that she saw Rebecca less since the truth had come out. She was finally here though, lying beside her after Callie had opened all the locks to let her in. This was a big concession, one Callie was aware of and for which she was incredibly grateful. David would come back on Sunday. Then there was the next step. Maggie had come over briefly to bring back a book. She hadn’t seen Dina at all in the past days.

“More than my brother-in-law, the sheriff, does, that much is for sure.”

Callie closed her eyes, uncomfortable with the reminder of her ordeal. Not like she’d forgotten. It was there, in the back of her mind, all the time, but at least Rebecca’s arrival had briefly interrupted the vicious circle.

“You don’t think I’m old, do you?”

The complete non sequitur made her sit up and stare at Rebecca incredulously. “Of course not. Come on, you know what she’s trying to do. You’re not going to fall for it.” When there was no answer, she leaned over for a kiss, gentle reassurance quickly turning into a passionate embrace. Rebecca pulled her closer, only to pull away moments later, abruptly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, seemingly startled by her own hunger. Callie knew that wasn’t the reason for her sudden restraint. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I did,” Callie interrupted her breathlessly. “I want to feel safe again. I’m pretty sure this works.”

Rebecca looked doubtful.

“I am. I’m not going to let them take this away from me. From us.”

Callie wasn’t sure how far ignoring reality would take them. At the moment, it seemed like it was what they both needed, whatever nightmares lay ahead. It was only a few minutes later when she learned that her bravado was taking her only so far.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking once more. Caught in a nightmare of memory and imagination, she couldn’t go through with it.

“Don’t be.” Rebecca’s fingertips touched her face very lightly. “They can’t take anything away from us. Ever.”

* * * *

Callie was crying and Rebecca did her best to try and wake her. Her thoughts were torn into every which direction, with her distraught lover, with her daughters who couldn’t quite understand why she had to be here. Then there was Laurie who thought that Rebecca was making everyone in her vicinity unhappy. Was there some truth to it? She knew if she opened that door, if she really started to believe this, she’d trap herself. Church, facing the people in town, thinking what Weller and Beckett might be up to—it felt overwhelming. She needed to stay here a little bit longer, trying to make herself believe that everything was going to be all right.

The poison of innuendo was slowly spreading. Rebecca was aware of it as she went shopping with the girls and with Laurie unfortunately around. Craig, Betty, too many people had assumed, and now knew. They wouldn’t exactly keep quiet. At least Callie was safe at choir practice, and Maria would drive her home afterwards. Dina and Maggie made a silent, sullen match, not even the suggestion of pizza for dinner could change that. Laurie shot her a triumphant look
. Forget it. You’re not winning
.

“Okay, ladies, you two brought home good grades recently, how about a little reward? What about you, Dina? Movie, CD?”

Dina made a face, but it evolved into a smile eventually. “That’s a bribe, Mom, and you know it. Since I’m broke…Oh well, I guess I’ll have to take it.”

“Are there any more of Callie’s books?” Maggie asked.

Rebecca barely withstood the impulse to stick her tongue out at her mother-in-law. Her girls wouldn’t let her down. They just needed a little more time. Like everyone.

“Honey, I don’t think she has written any more. I’m afraid we’ll have to go for something else.”

“Okay,” Maggie said, somewhat disappointed, but her face lit up a moment later. “Can we get something for Callie?”

“Sure. How about you, Laurie?” Rebecca asked sweetly. “Can I get you anything too?”

When they got home, Laurie went to the guest room right away, for the moment done with challenging Rebecca’s position in the household. The girls went to their individual rooms too, while Rebecca unpacked the groceries. She just barely opened the first bag when she heard Maggie scream. Not in the way she sometimes threw a little temper tantrum with her sister, but utter, serious distress. Rebecca dropped the bag, not caring what was in it, and ran for the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

“Maggie! What happened?”

Dina had arrived before her, clutching her sobbing sister to her. She was ghostly pale, blocking Maggie’s view from…

“Oh no. My God.”

For a moment, Rebecca was fighting the nausea, nearly failing, but she couldn’t think of herself right now. She turned to crouch beside her daughters, gently touching the back of Maggie’s head.

“Hey,” she whispered. “It’s going to be all right. Let’s get out of here.” She barely dared to look at Dina whose expression was dark, accusing, when Rebecca scooped Maggie up into her arms.

Yes, she was telling a lie. For Maggie, nothing would ever be all right in some time after seeing what was done to her beloved pet. It chilled Rebecca to the bone, and she hated that her children had to see it.

“I’m going to call Uncle Craig,” she announced. “He’s going to find out who did this.”

“And do what, arrest them?” Dina asked bitterly.

“You’ll see,” Rebecca told her with more confidence than she felt. “Their bail is going to be revoked. Can you two please stay in your room for a little bit? I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

Maggie didn’t want to let go of her, so Rebecca went into Dina’s room with the two girls before she made the call.

“A dead guinea pig? Really, Rebecca, you expect me to waste manpower on that?” Craig’s reaction was predictable. “Maybe the girls forgot to feed it.”

“That poor animal was sliced open!” she corrected him in a harsh whisper. Rebecca would have preferred to yell at him, but with Maggie needing her in sight, she didn’t want to take the chance. She took a deep breath, making herself pause. She was well aware how close she was to crossing the line to hysterics, exactly what he expected of her. “Then how about this, somebody broke into our house, they scared my children half to death. Maggie is so disturbed she can’t stop crying. That’s your niece, damn it! What are you waiting for, Craig? For someone to put up a burning cross on our front lawn?”

“You don’t need to be overly dramatic, my dear sister-in-law. Wait, I guess you won’t be for much longer, right? I’ll send Bev over to investigate the case of the assassinated guinea pig. She’ll be thrilled.”

“You know where to look. I hope you playing golf with the mayor will not impact your priorities.”

Rebecca hung up, shaking, with anger and other emotions she didn’t care to identify now. There wasn’t much of a doubt who was responsible for this. She took another look at the bloody lump on Maggie’s bed, choking as she fought back the tears. She’d need to think of some ritual for the girls, both of them actually, to deal, but until Bev saw the room, she wouldn’t touch anything.

After that, she’d dismantle the bed too. She couldn’t have anything in there that Weller had touched, with the same hands that had hurt Callie.
God,
Rebecca thought, really meaning it this time.
I hope you can hear me, because I’m in need of some support. Now.

When she returned to Dina’s room, Laurie was there, holding Maggie’s hand. Her younger daughter was still crying.

“How much more, Rebecca?” Laurie asked with surprising anger. Surprising in the way that it was clearly directed at Rebecca. “How much more has to happen before you come to your senses?”

“Before I…” She couldn’t even find the words to defend herself. “I didn’t do this! Some crazy good-for-nothing rich kid—”

“It’s all because of you!” Dina’s accusation silenced her. “Do you really think people don’t know what’s going on? They are talking. In town. In school. I don’t care what kind of things Callie writes, but you’re lecturing me about sex, Mom, and you’re sleeping with her behind Dad’s back? That’s rich!”

“Couldn’t have said it better,” Laurie muttered.

“What are you doing? This is not about Callie and me. Dina! You said it yourself, Matt is terrorizing other kids too.”

“Whatever.”

“There are things that are more important now. Deputy Wilkins will be here soon. She’s going to ask some questions, if any of you noticed anything in your rooms.” There was silence except for Maggie’s now quiet crying. Rebecca moved to hug her, but the doorbell rang, startling all of them.

Only moments after she let Bev Wilkins in, the bell rang once more, preceding the arrival of Callie and Maria.

“Rebecca, oh my God, is she okay? Are you?” Of course Callie was shocked. She’d known firsthand what those teenaged criminals were capable of. Regardless of any audience, she just pulled Rebecca into an embrace. In the midst of chaos, it was a tiny fraction of “okay,” of a comfort they both needed, though Rebecca still felt like having a breakdown. She gently disengaged herself from the hold of the arms around her, only to have Laurie say, “Not in this house, young lady.”

Callie didn’t say anything, but she sent Laurie a stormy look.

“Leave it alone for now,” Rebecca warned her mother-in-law. “I mean it, Laurie. Right now we need to let Bev do her job. I suggest you and Dina stay in the living room. There doesn’t seem to be anything disturbed there.”
Where you can hate me a little bit more
. The thought made her sad, but still she stayed calm on the outside. Rebecca didn’t quite know how, but she knew somebody had to, and it seemed like it had to be her.

She took Maggie by the hand and led her into the kitchen, Callie and Maria following her. Bev and the young technician she had brought went up to Maggie’s room. At the thought of what they would find there, Rebecca nearly gagged. As it was, she planted a smile on her face as she turned to her impromptu guests.

“It seems like we need to prepare something for poor Pebbles, but does anyone want a coffee first? Wait. I should clean this up first.”

She didn’t know why her words made her want to laugh and not stop again. It was quite hilarious, like in the movies. Of course there had been eggs in the bag she dropped. Those stupid boys had a way of messing with their grocery shopping. Damn it. All she wanted was them off the streets—leave the people she loved alone, Callie, her girls.

“Here. Let me help you.” Callie kneeled beside her with a cleaning rag and some paper towels.

“I got it. It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine at all, but she just couldn’t break down with all these people in the house.

“Go,” Callie said firmly. “Sit with Maggie. I’ll finish this.”

Rebecca did exactly that, quickly losing the energy to protest. Maggie, at least, was slowly calming down. Rebecca wondered if there was an old shoe box in the basement and which spot in the garden would be appropriate to give Pebbles a decent funeral.

Bev and her colleague came downstairs after a while, gratefully accepting the coffee that Callie had made. Bev shook her head in disbelief. “If somebody did this to one of my kids, I’d want them to pay too. It’s about time they face some consequences.”

“Did you find anything, so you can throw their asses back into a jail cell?” Callie asked.