Secrets in the Lowcountry--The River (35 page)

“Give yourself an extra half-hour here so you don’t reek of the stables.”

“Would I do that?” She laughed.

“If you get involved, yes!” He snickered.

*~*

After finishing her morning chores
at the barn
and
scrubbing
up
at home
, she
ran down the back steps and
stopped in
the kitchen to grab a glass of juice.
As she
w
alked in, the smell of something freshly baked teased her nose.

While preparing the coffee,
Mary asked, “
W
hat can I get for you?”

“I’m
getting a glass of juice.
Don’t stop
what you’re doing
.”
Taylor glanced at the
counter
top where
thr
ee rows of muffins cooled on a
metal rack. “
Been baking.”

She
blushed.
“
W
hen your dad said Jeff
w
ould also be here, I had to
w
hip up his favorite corn muffins.”

“Setting a trap for him?” Taylor teased.

“Taylor!
He
’s
like a son to me.
You kno
w
that.
”
Her
face turn
ed
a thousand shades of pink.

“Yeah, I do.
But I love to see you blush and I love to make it happen.”
W
hile she had been talking she’d gotten her glass and filled it
w
ith orange juice.
“Do you have any idea
w
hat Sheriff
Trotz
w
ants or
w
hy Jeff’s included?” she asked Mary turning serious.

“Haven’t a clue.
Did you ask Martin?”
She pushed the knob to start the coffee.

“Why don’t you buy one of those single cup machines?”

Mary gasped. “Never! Grinding the beans assures the freshest cup.
Plus the smell fills the room with such a wonderful
aroma
. Your father and Jeff, too, love freshly ground coffee.
” She shook her head.
“
Those single cups are fine for a quick
ie
, but in my kitchen nothing replaces the real thing.”

“Sorry, I asked.” She
held up her arms and
pretended to retreat from the tirade. “As for Dad, he hasn’t a clue why the Sheriff is coming
either
.”
Taylor glanced at her
w
atch.
“
We should all know in a
bout ten minutes.”

“I’ve set up a table in the library.
There are mugs, cream, sugar, Splenda
…”

“Linen n
apkins, flo
w
er arrangement, ne
w
ly shined
silver
w
are
, s
w
eet tea, glasses.
Do I have the
w
hole list?”

“Yes, until I put the coffee and the muffins out,” Mary teased back.

“Hi, Dad,” Taylor called out as he
w
alked into the
kitchen
.
“Mary
’s
done it again.
She’s loaded the little table in the library
w
ith goodies.
Not sure that old piece of furniture will hold everything,” she teased.

“Taylor, I only made
muffins,
and small ones at that.
”

Martin reached for a muffin on the plate and Mary raised her hand to strike him.
“Don’t you dare; t
here are still a fe
w
on the cooling rack.
Have one of them.”

“
Ooo
o
,” Taylor said, “Naughty, naughty, Dad.
” She wagged her finger at him.

The door knocker interrupted their laughter.

“You t
w
o go.
I’ll bring in the coffee and the muffins.”

“Dad
w
ill
get the door.
I’ll c
arry in the corn muffins and Mary,
you handle the coffee,” Taylor amended.

W
hen Taylor
w
alk
ed into the library, Jeff stood next to the sheriff.
When she placed the muffins on the table, he licked his lips.
“Muffins?
Corn muffins?
Did you make them, Taylor?”
his voice filled with doubt and wondering.

She laughed.
“If I make them, y
ou could use them for fish bait
or perhaps not.
The fish might not even
w
ant them.”

They all chuckled. T
hree of the
group
recognized the truth of her statement.

Everyone helped themselves to the food and coffee
or tea
, found a seat, and prepared to listen.

Sheriff
Trotz sipped his
coffee,
which he’d
laced
w
ith lots of cream and
stirred in
several sugars as if reluctant to begin.
He placed his cup on a side
table and glanced from one to another.
“The courts will
declare Rod officially dead.”

Taylor, in the process of drinking her s
w
eet tea, managed to s
w
allo
w
the mouthful
. She
p
ut the glass on the end table beside
the love seat.
Her father reached over and placed his hand over hers.
“
W
hy?” she demanded.
“
W
hy so soon?
I thought it took
years?
It’s impossible
to cut that time down to a month
.”
She looked around
w
aiting for someone to agree
w
ith her.

“Taylor.
” Jeff focused his words and attention on her.
“
Remember I mentioned in South Carolina there is precedent for this.”

She nodded. “
But,
I don’t want the State to do this!”

“C
an’t change the law, Taylor,” the sheriff said kindly. “B
ecause of his business, the investors and the bank insisted that
w
e move the date ahead.
”

“Ahead?
Y
ears
ahead?
”

The sheriff’s eyes filled with emotion
although his face retained its stoic look
.
“Taylor, please listen.
W
hat I’m saying is
difficult
…
”

“Difficult
?
That’s hardly the
w
ord.”
Again, she
looked around expecting someone,
Jeff
or her father, t
o refute the Sheriff.
“Can’t we delay for at least a year?”

Jeff knelt by her seat. He grasped her hands softly. “Remember, you mentioned Jean and her family?”

Taylor nodded, recalling her questions to Jeff. A small ache began building
in her stomach
.

“
They’re not the only individuals involved. P
eople’s money will be tied up in court unless
the State moves forward. Most
,
i
f not all of the investors
,
are
persons
known to us
. Many
are friends of ours
. Their fun
ds remain locked up. These people
have bills to pay
:
for education, repairs, doctor’s fees
, who knows what
. If their investment remains stag
n
ant
how will they handle the expenses? Rod promised a quick return, in some cases less than six months.
They
gave him t
heir hard earned money
because of the short time period.
A year from now is too long for most of them.
Please put yourself in their shoes.
”
His hand covered hers and his expression touched her soul.

She lowered her head. Her emotions warred. Did she have a choice? Even if the State responded to her plea,
which it won’t because she had no legal right,
could she pu
t her friends in this position? She hated what she had to say, but could find no way to avoid the decision.
“When you explain the situation, I realize even if I had the power to stop the State, I can’t. Our friends and their savings must be protected.
”
She
must ask one more question. She
glanced at the sheriff. “Will everyone stop looking for him now?” The words caught in her throat.

“
A
s you already know,
three days
after he went missing
we
cut back on the patrols.
That’s standard procedure,
”
he added.

She nodded and bit her lower lip
.
Jeff tightened his hold on her hands.

“
W
hile doing their normal jobs on the rivers
since then
, they’ve kept their eyes open for possible clues. But, o
fficially, y
es
Taylor.”

She started to cry. Her father passed her his handkerchief, while Jeff
released her hands and
held her in his arms. For a long while, only the grandfather clock in the hall broke the silence.

Blotting her eyes,
Taylor eased away from Jeff
and stared at the sheriff
.
“
You kne
w
about the pending case.
W
hy didn’t you tell me
the bank and the investors had filed to have Rod declared dead?
W
hy did you keep me in the dark?
Rod
w
as my fiancé.
Didn’t I have a right to kno
w
w
hat
w
as happening?
You, Sheriff, promised to keep me informed.
Is this ho
w
?
By springing an existing
…
”
She searched for the
w
ord and failed.

Sheriff Trotz leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thin knees. “
Taylor, honey,
the
b
ank kne
w
about the previous situation
or
their la
w
yers did.
Lenders
challenged the lengthy time period.
O
ther investors joined in the suit
. T
he judge acquiesced to their demands.”

“He’s o
nly
been missing
a month!” she cried.

Her father touched her shoulder.
“Taylor, remember the investors. They
deserve closure, too.” His words
strong, but caring
sank in.

“
Let me explain,” Sheriff Trotz said, his southern accent extremely pronounced
, as if often was when he was uncomfortable with his words
. “
The money
Rod borro
w
ed from his investors must be accounted for.
In lieu of a partner or
accountant
who
could give the necessary information, the only
w
ay the bank and the investors can have access to
the company’s documents and
the
assets
,
is
by
declaring Rod dead.
”