Embracing Darkness (75 page)

I was anxious to see Father Fin’s expression, which had morphed into a look of terror. I could even make out what the priest was saying under his breath: “Jack, what are you doing?”

Still standing on Ziggy’s grave, Zachary Black dropped his half-eaten apple on the mound of dirt, brought his foot over it, and began driving the pulp into the ground with the toe of his boot.

“Young man,” said Reverend Baines. “You are intruding on a private funeral.”

Having completely buried the apple, Zachary Black spit out a piece of its skin that had been stuck between his teeth. Within seconds, his smile widening, he replied, “Sorry I’m so late, Reverend. The truth is that I wasn’t invited to this little gathering. I knew Swell, knew her
real
well. Probably knew her better than any of y’all here.”

Captain Ransom took out a little pad and began writing. At first I thought he’d remove White from the scene, but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t do anything other than write briefly on his notepad, put it back in his breast pocket, and fold his arms across his chest.

“Isn’t anyone going to do anything?” cried Jessie. “He’s a disgusting, awful person. You wouldn’t want him here if you knew what he was like!”

The children watched as the grownups in the crowd put their heads down, turned away from the stranger, and focused all their attention on the rest of the burial, which now required a dozen or so of them to drop their handfuls of dirt into the grave. When they had done so, people began to leave, as did the last of the mourners. It seemed to us children that Jack White instilled the same fear in adults as he did in us.

Within half a minute only the Holly Hill contingent, Mr. Hartley, and Reverend Baines were still there staring at Zachary Black.

“I didn’t mean to steal your thunder, Reverend,” said the stranger. “I just can’t seem to make a quiet entrance.”

“Jack,” began Father Poole, almost running up to him. “What is this all about?”

“GO AWAY!” Theo screamed at White.

“Thorry, Theo!” mocked the man. “Theeing ath how I’m tho late, I thought I thould at leatht pay my latht rethpecth to Thwell.”

“Jack!” Father Poole scolded.

“Go away!” said Charlie Ryder bravely.

“Is that little Charlie Ryder again?” said Zachary Black. “There’s only one way to take care of the likes of you.”

Father Poole’s stern appearance did not diminish. In a low voice he told Jack White to go back up the hill and take the rest of the day off. Zachary Black seemed to not be listening to the priest as he was staring intently at one person. We followed his yellow eyes over to Jessie.

Flashing another of his baleful smiles, he walked off the mound of dirt and made his way out of the cemetery. As he did so, his tall black boots gleamed in the sunlight.

The day after the humiliation that was Sue Ellen’s funeral, Jessie decided to take matters into her own hands. She no longer trusted Father Poole, and with the exception of Theo, Jordan, and me she figured that the rest of the boys were too young to get involved. At dinner that night she told us that she’d be going into town the following morning and asked us to cover for her with Father Poole.

Jessie woke up at around 5:00 in the morning so as to avoid Jack White, who usually got up an hour later. She left the Benson house, where she was now again residing since Sue Ellen’s death, and started down the hill. She grew lightheaded as she walked but attributed the sensation to the rising sun’s glare and the anxiety of confronting Captain Ransom. As she thought about what she was going to say to him, she began to get a sick feeling in her stomach since she didn’t know what the repercussions would be of her pointing an accusatory finger at Jack White.

She made it down the hill and to the police station in fifteen minutes. As she walked into the building, she noticed three police officers on duty, none of whom was Ransom. She assumed that he would be in soon and would rather wait for him than go back up the hill and risk being seen by Jack White.

The officer at the front desk greeted her kindly and asked how he could help her. She saw by the name tag on his lapel that his last name was Rickman. She asked politely to speak to Captain Ransom.

“Sorry, miss,” said Officer Rickman, “but the Captain’s not seeing anyone right now.”

“But he’s in?” asked Jessie.

“Yes, he’s in his office. You can wait if you like, but he… .”

Jessie didn’t wait to hear the rest of what Rickman had to say. Without hesitation she started toward the frosted glass door that bore Ransom’s name in bold capital letters.

“WAIT! MISS!” Rickman called out, just as Jessie reached the Captain’s office door. She didn’t bother with knocking but swung open the door.

To her astonishment Ransom was sitting on his desk with a woman who from her age appeared more apt to be his secretary than his wife. The woman’s legs were straddling Ransom around his waist.

When Jessie entered, the woman screamed in surprise. At the same moment Rickman ran up behind Jessie, panting and shaking his head as if he’d just finished running a marathon and couldn’t believe he’d accomplished the feat.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” began Rickman as the secretary unwrapped her legs from Ransom’s waist. “She was too fast for me.”

“You don’t say,” Ransom replied sarcastically.

“Yes sir,” continued Rickman. “I told her you didn’t want to be disturbed, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“It’s alright, Rickman,” said Ransom as his secretary left the office. “I’ll handle it from here.”

Rickman nodded and shut the door behind him.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you so early in the morning, Captain Ransom,” said Jessie, “but we need to talk.”

Ransom sighed and walked around his desk to his chair. “What can I do for you, Jessie?” he said.

“You know who I am?”

“Let’s just say I’ve recently come to know who you are. There are several of you up there now, aren’t there?”

Jessie ignored the remark and came right to the point of her visit. “I want you to arrest Jack White,” she said bluntly.

Ransom slowly reached into his desk and pulled out a stick of gum. He offered Jessie some, but she refused with a shake of her head. He popped the gum into his mouth and put the rest back into his drawer. Jessie thought that Ransom was stalling for time.

“I know you don’t think he did anything wrong,” she added.

“And how do you know what I think, miss?” said Ransom, sounding irritated.

“Because you haven’t arrested him.”

Ransom sat back in his chair, locked his fingers together, and shook his head. “And what should I have arrested him
for
?” he asked.

“For murdering my friend Sue Ellen Hartley. And he probably killed… .” She remembered that Ransom knew nothing about Ziggy’s death on the hill and that she needed to keep it that way.

Ransom leaned forward, intrigued by Jessie’s failure to finish her last sentence. “Go on,” he said. “And probably killed
whom
?”

“A rabbit. There are rabbits all over the hill. A pretty white one with a black nose was my favorite, and I haven’t seen him since right after Jack White came.”

“I see,” replied Ransom. “And tell me, Jessie. How long have you been living on the hill? Where are your parents?”

She didn’t answer but lowered her eyes down to her shoes to avoid Captain Ransom’s searching gaze.

Ransom waited a second or two. “Think about it, Jessie. There isn’t one iota of evidence that this man’s committed a crime. I certainly plan to question him. I want to give Mr. Hartley time to properly mourn. But Jessica, people aren’t arrested without at least some proof of guilt to back it all up.”

“What about the funeral?”

“What about it?”

“Look at what he did at the funeral!”

Ransom walked around his desk and sat on its front edge. “Jessie,” he asked, “are you saying that I should have arrested Jack White for a lack of scruples?”

“What are those?”

Ransom smiled, opened his office door, and turned back to Jessie. “Scruples mean a sense of right and wrong. Now I’m not saying Jack White was right to do what he did. I do believe that the man is a bit on the ‘not-so-there’ side.” As Ransom said this, he put his index finger up to his temple and made a circling gesture.

“All the more reason for you to arrest him, Captain!”

He shook his head and pointed to the door. “Come on, Jessie, let me walk you out.”

The two left the police station without saying another word to one another.

When they reached the outside, Ransom asked whether Jessie would like him to accompany her back up the hill. She was still very untrusting of men and didn’t like being around them alone without knowing that someone else was nearby to help her in case the need arose.

“I’m fine,” she said, and began to walk away.

He watched her as she descended the steps of the police station and proceeded to the corner. Just as she was about to cross the street, Jessie turned back to the Captain. She was about to say something but quickly closed her mouth. Jessie motioned for Ransom to come to her.

“Please just tell me one thing,” she said.

“If I can,” Ransom replied.

“Just tell me whether you even suspect him.”

“Jack White?”

“Yes, Jack White. I mean, he’s been mean and nasty ever since he came on the hill.”

“Oh? How long ago was that?”

“July, I think.”

Ransom paused. “I didn’t realize…” then stopped and shook his head, telling Jessie to never mind.

“You must know that Billy Norwin could never have done that to Sue Ellen.” Jessie continued. “Not… .” She paused, not wanting to say the word “rape.” She continued, “Could never have done what happened to Swell. Could never have killed her. And Billy certainly would never have done anything to hurt me. I know that for a fact.”

“We don’t suspect Billy Norwin,” Ransom said flatly.

“You don’t?”

The Captain put his hands on her shoulders, which Jessie shook off immediately. Ransom apologized and bent over to get closer to Jessie’s face. “Were
you
hurt by someone too, Jessica?” asked Ransom.

Jessie knew that she had told the policeman more than she should have. Father Poole had made it a point not to involve the authorities, so Ransom was completely unaware of Jessica’s rape.

“I just meant that Billy would never
do
anything to hurt me.”

“No, you didn’t. Talk to me. I want to help.”

Jessie was now trembling, and Ransom took this as a sign that she was covering up something. Before he knew it, Jessie had thrust her body forward and vomited all over his shoes. She stood upright but began swaying. Suddenly Jessie collapsed into Ransom’s arms. He immediately kneeled down and laid her gently on the sidewalk. Within minutes Jessie awakened to find herself on a table in a doctor’s office with Dr. Honigmann and Captain Ransom gazing down at her.

Father Poole was awakened by a knock at his bedroom door. He got up slowly and put his spectacles on to see his way. He opened the door to find little Charlie Ryder standing on the other side. “Good morning, Charlie,” Father Poole mumbled.

“Morning, Father Fin,” said Charlie. “Sorry to wake you, but the phone in your office has been ringing off the hook for the last ten minutes. I’d answer it, but I know you wouldn’t want any of us kids in there without… .”

“Yes, yes,” Father Poole answered impatiently, checking his pocket watch. “I’ll go down. Please wake your brothers up and let them know breakfast should be ready soon. Then run over to the Benson house and tell your sister if she’s not here already. And please knock on Mr. White’s door to make sure he’s up. I want him to do some errands in town for me this morning.”

Charlie watched as Father Poole went downstairs. As the priest did so, the boy said to himself, “Knock on Mr. White’s door?” and gulped loudly.

Father Poole heard his phone ringing as he arrived at the first-floor landing. Within ten seconds he was in his office and on the phone.

“This is Captain Ransom, Father Poole.”

Father Poole’s heart jumped into his throat.

“I was wondering whether you’d stop by Dr. Honigmann’s office. We have someone here who I think belongs to you.”

“Belongs to me?” asked Father Poole.

“I have to tell you, Father, that I found out who this girl is thanks to Hartley. When I went up to interview his daughter after her attack, Jessie’s name was mentioned often. You’ve kept a big secret from me, Father. Have you adopted her
legally
? Perhaps the Catholic Church now allows altar
girls
. Shall we call the Bishop?”

Father Poole knew that another bribe would be in order and rummaged through his desk for the twenty-dollar bill he’d put there a few days earlier. It was gone.

Phineas arrived a half hour later at Dr. Honigmann’s office, believing the urgency to concern less Jessie than Ransom’s need for an additional bribe. Father Poole had checked his ledgers before leaving, and his financial situation was not good. Ever since the sale of the Keats home, he had spent nearly every penny of the proceeds, with a few hundred dollars unaccounted for. What’s more, to keep Jack White satisfied the priest had upped the stranger’s wages from ten to fifteen dollars a week. All of this, added to the cost of feeding and clothing eight children, was beginning to make his purse strings snap.

The worst part was that Phineas shouldn’t have been put in such a precarious financial bind. The archdiocese, under the right leadership, would have granted these children asylum and seen to it that St. Andrew’s was given enough each month to meet the basic needs of all who lived in the rectory. But with no support from Bishop Ramsey there was little if any hope of gaining legitimate status on behalf of the Benson Home for Abused and Abandoned Boys. And now, with no money to buy Ransom’s silence, Father Poole’s future at St. Andrew’s was in serious question.

Upon Phineas’s arrival Dr. Honigmann gave the priest a warm handshake. “We’ve got a problem,” said the physician. “The girl is with child.”

Father Poole’s reaction was slow and deliberate. He walked toward the door behind which Jessie was getting dressed after her examination. “She’s pregnant?” he asked.