Shadow of Doubt (7 page)

Dolly carried her tray of food to the table the next morning and quietly ate her breakfast as the other women at the table gabbed on as if she didn't even exist.

“Not a very friendly bunch,” she thought.

Then Dolly again saw Lydia's plump body nearing her.  She placed her hand on Dolly's shoulder coldly.  “Could you come to the front office with me please?” she nearly ordered in a very discomforting and demanding tone.

Dolly however seemed enlightened by this as she followed Lydia as commanded.  “Maybe there's some news,” she hoped silently.  “Maybe they know who I am and where I'm from.  Maybe I'll finally get to go home...wherever that may be.”

Then she entered the office and wasn't sure if she should be happy at all.  There stood handsome Jordan Scott in his tight jeans and blue t-shirt.  Lydia sat behind her desk and Dolly warily took a chair in front of her.  Her only hope now was that he had wanted her back...that he had come to take her home with him again.

But by the look on his and Lydia's faces she knew better.  He was glaring at her sideways trying not to look at her at all.  She could tell he was definitely outraged about something, but Dolly didn't yet know what was going on.  Why all the tension?

“Maybe he's just upset at the way I snuck out,” she hoped to herself.

“Mr. Scott seems to think you took some valuables that do not belong to you little lady,” Lydia then threw at her bluntly.  “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Dolly only stared totally stunned after Lydia's accusation, her mouth open not fully understanding what she had just been accused of.  Then her eyes slowly turned to Jordan as she began trembling.  “What is she talking about?” she finally asked him.  The urge to run to him and hug his neck quickly deteriorated.  She then turned back to Lydia.  “I only took the clothes he bought for me.  If he want's them back...”

“What's the matter?  Didn't you think I'd come after you?  Did you really think I'd let you get away with something like this?” Jordan then asked smartly as he paced the room nervously, trying hard not to look at her so innocent looking face.  The face he only wished was as innocent as it looked.

Then Lydia spoke again.  “We'd like to go through your personal belongings if you don't mind.”

“For what?” Dolly squealed in horror.  “I haven't done anything wrong.  I swear.”

Jordan looked sharply at her.  He came to stand directly in front of her now and pointed a stern finger.  “Nobody's been in my house but
you
.  I should have known better than to leave you alone...even for a second.”  He was furious and Dolly just couldn't understand why.

“What are you accusing me of?” she then asked again as her eyes began to swell and redden.

“Mr. Scott claims $600.00 and a diamond horse shoe ring are missing from his home young lady.  He has every reason in the world to believe you took them both.  No one else has been in his home but
YOU
!”

Jordan returned to pacing behind her, his broad hands on his hips, his face stricken with grief and fatigue.

“Wh...what?” Dolly nearly whispered out.  “You can check my bag.  I haven't taken anything.  Especially from Jordan.  I like him too much...I wouldn't do that to him!  I wouldn't do that to anyone!”

Jordan turned his back wanting so much to believe her.  Again she looked so innocent...so scared, but it had to have been her...he just knew it.  No one else had access to his bedroom but her.

“Jordan please believe me,” she pleaded to his turned back.  Then she rose and came to his side, her soft hands on the side of his arms.  “I'll get my bag for you myself,” she then added as she so badly needed to prove her innocence to this man.

“That won't be necessary,” Lydia cut in.  “My secretary is gathering your things now.  We don't want to give you the chance to “hide” your stash.”

Dolly felt so humiliated by these remarks.  But she only sat back down in the chair and crossed her arms trembling as they waited.  Jordan tried not to look at her at all.  Every time he did, he just wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her...to apologize, but couldn't see how he could possibly be wrong about this.  Just like Victoria...she had made him feel betrayed and didn't see how he could ever forgive her for that.

Dolly and Jordan watched as her few belongings were being dumped on top of Lydia’s desk, her few clothes and make-up, all given to her by Jordan.  Lydia spread everything out.  She searched the empty bag and began checking all the pockets of her clothing when she hadn't found what she was looking for.  Nothing.

“Dolly would you please stand up and empty your pockets,” Lydia then ordered as her search came up empty handed.  This woman loved stirring trouble and wasn't going to be content until she proved that Dolly was guilty.

Jordan stared at Lydia with an evil glare now, still not liking this woman's demeanor either, but knew she was only trying to be helpful toward him now.  He watched palely as Dolly stood humiliated in front of them, turning her pants pockets inside out.

Wearily Dolly began to speak.  “I didn't do it,” she repeated frailly, very hurt by the accusations brought against her.  She felt so violated as her belongings lay spread on the desk before her, and Lydia, her secretary and Jordan staring at her empty pockets, non-believing that their search was of no avail.

“Did you go anywhere before you came here?” Lydia then asked, not giving up the fact that she believes her to be guilty.

“Like where?” she asked beginning to sniffle.

“Like a pawn shop,” Jordan added sarcastically.  He too still believed her to be guilty.  “Great...now they are ganging up on me,” she thought as tears began to stream down her cheeks uncontrollably.  She had only wanted to make this man like her, and now he detested her even more and for something she knew nothing about.

“No…I swear,” she cried as she sat back down in the chair.  “I would have money if I had been to a pawn shop!”

“Maybe you put the money in the bank!” he then yelled back to her.

Dolly faced him with courage now.  “And to what name do you think I deposited it under?  Huh???  Dolly what-ever-your-name-is? Get realistic!!!”

Jordan turned his back again not wanting to see her cry.  He looked over his shoulder as Lydia spoke to him, beginning to feel he may have made a very big mistake, but how could he possibly be wrong?

“Mr. Scott...I suggest you report your theft to the proper authorities.  Maybe they can help you.”

Jordan looked uncertainly from Lydia to Dolly now.  Then without uttering another word, he stormed out of the room.

Dolly gathered up her things and returned to her small cot and cried uncontrollably.  “What next?” she wondered.  “Will I go to jail now for some stupid ring I don't know anything about?”

The next morning Dolly ate quietly as the two other women at her table seemed to be staring directly at her.  She felt more and more like she was in prison than a women's shelter that was supposed to be taking care of her.  Dolly glanced up nervously then continued to eat.  She could feel some kind of unwanted tension building in the room, a tension that scared her.

“Hey cutie,” the older looking bleached blonde called out roughly.  “We hear you ripped off some man.  Outta be locked up if ya ask me.”

Dolly gazed back unaware of how this woman knew about this.  She must have seen Lydia's secretary gathering up her belongings.  She chose to remain silent to avoid any possible trouble.  The two women were smiling impishly as if they wanted to cause a ruckus and had no intentions of leaving her alone.

“Hey...she's talking to you,” the other nudged on.

“I'm not interested,” Dolly finally retorted.

The two looked at each other briefly.  “You too good for us cutie?”

Dolly didn't answer again.  She grew even more afraid of these two oversized women now and wanted to run and hide.  She slowly stood and turned, wanting to walk away.  One of them grabbed her hair from behind.

“Little thief, where ya think you're going?” she asked smartly as Dolly scrounged her face in pain and struggled to get her hair free from this wicked woman's grasp.

“Leave me alone!” She protested and automatically kicked the woman in the shin.

“Why you little...” the bleached blonde rebelled as she struck the side of Dolly's face with her fist and knocked her to the floor.

“Hey!  Break it up!” she then heard someone yell.  A woman from one of the other tables pulled Dolly to her feet and defended her.  “C'mon Lanelle, she's just a kid.  Leave her alone will ya?”

Dolly watched fearfully as the two bullies smiled devilishly and walked on.  How grateful she was for this other woman to help her out.  She thanked her and quickly returned to her cot sobbing with grief.  She was now even more afraid of this place and felt more abandoned than ever before.

Not only could she not remember anything, but now everyone she was in contact with thought she was a thief...including Jordan Scott.

“How could this have possibly happened to me?” she wondered as she buried her face in her pillow.

Then she rose to go to the bathroom.  She looked in the mirror after she washed her face and stared at the bruise that had now appeared on her left cheek.  “Not too bad, but quite noticeable,” she whispered.

“Great...” she then thought.  “Now I can go around looking like I belong to a street gang...not that it matters to anyone.  Nobody in the world seems to care what happens to me anyway.

Jordan hammered away his frustrations.  He had done as Lydia suggested and called in the authorities, but wasn't sure it would do any good.  He tried to convince himself he was right...it had to have been Dolly.

“But what if it wasn't?” kept ringing through his head.  Deep in his gut he wanted to believe she didn't do it.  She just didn't seem to be the type to pull a stunt like that.  “But who else could it have been?” he wondered as he dazedly tried to continue with his work.

Finally he showered then sat on the sofa to watch a little television for a while.  He had already packed a few clothes and loaded them and a few groceries in his travel trailer.  Tomorrow he was leaving for North Carolina.  The Fourth of July trip he had originally planned with Dolly along, but now he would be going alone.

Then he heard footsteps coming up the stairs outside and only assumed it was Martin.

“C'mon in dude,” he called out as he heard the knock on the door, only to look over his shoulder and see two police officers now standing in his living room.

“Oh...sorry,” he replied as he rose and greeted them with a hand shake.  “What can I do for you?”

“Mr. Scott...we have a ring downtown matching the description of the one you reported stolen.  We were wondering if you could come down and identify it.”

“Sure, no problem,” he then said as he walked them outside.  He was eager to get this over with.  To face the fact that the cute little guest he did so much for had indeed ripped him off.  But for some reason he wasn't feeling too good about it at all now.  He was about to face reality and know for sure if the sweet little lady he was so attracted to was the real thief.

“This is it all right.  My initials are engraved right here inside the band,” Jordan pointed out to the detective as he showed it to him.  “Where did you find it?  Pawn shop?”  he finally got the nerve to ask, but wasn't too sure he wanted to hear the response.

Jordan stared palely, almost feeling faint when he heard the answer.  He couldn't believe he had been so quick to judge, but was now relieved and found himself smiling immensely and thanking them for the news.

“A couple of punk teens had it on them,” the detective began.  “Finally got them to confess to a whole string of burglaries, including yours.  Your money is in the envelope.”

Jordan stared blankly at the brown envelope he was handed.  “They must have come around after she left,” he thought as he slowly took his belongings.  It suddenly hit him, Dolly didn't have a key to the house.  She would leave the door unlocked whenever she would go down to the beach so she could get back in.  She probably didn't even think to lock the door when she left for the shelter.

Jordan mumbled his thank yous and walked numbly back to his truck.  Now all he could think about was how glad he was that Dolly wasn't in the house when they had come in.  They might possibly have harmed her as well.

“Now where too?” he sat thinking to himself as he started the engine and stared at the road ahead.

“Home?  Or to apologize to Dolly?  Could wait till I get back...no...you're being chicken Jordan.  She didn't do it...she's been through enough already.”

Jordan parked out front of the women's shelter and hurriedly ran inside to find Dolly.  “Is she still here?” he asked Lydia anxiously as the possibility suddenly ran through his head that she may have regained her memory and left for some far away place where he would never be able to apologize to her.  Maybe never even see her again.

“Of course...but...”

“I need to see her now!” he demanded.  He wasn't in the mood for any of Lydia's rude attitude today and was now ashamed that he had allowed this sweet innocent little lady be put through the kind of torture she had been.  The memory of her expression as she turned her pockets inside out made him cringe with shame as he impatiently waited for her to appear, going over and over in his head how he was going to apologize.  How he would explain that he now knows it wasn't her.

Lydia quickly disappeared to get Dolly, seeing that Jordan was in no mood to be reckoned with and wasn't going to take no for an answer.  When Dolly finally entered the office, Jordan felt even more ashamed when he looked into her swollen red eyes, then gazed curiously at her light blue cheek.  Her face looked so sullen as she gazed back at his shining green eyes.  She looked tired and scared.  More so now than ever before.

Jordan couldn't help himself.  He snatched her up and hugged her tightly against his firm body just as he had wanted to the last time they were together, but let his accusations of the theft stop him.

“Dolly I'm so sorry,” he whispered in her ear.  “I know it wasn't you.  I'm sorry.”

She didn't answer.  She was confused now, hurt and exhausted.  All she knew is that she felt warm and safe again in this man's arms, but wasn't exactly sure why he was here now.

“Do you forgive me?”  he went on as he pulled her away so he could see her face.  “They found the real thieves.  I know it wasn't you Dolly.  I knew all along...I just didn't know who else it could have been.”

Now she began to understand his sudden turn around.  “I’d never do anything like that.  Not to you...I like you Jordan...you helped me and I'm grateful to you for that.  You are the only friend I have.”

Jordan grinned at last.  “I...uh...kind of like you too,” he admitted at last.  “Maybe...uh...we should have another go at it?”

Dolly smiled at his near shyness.  Her body tingled and she wanted to scream with joy.   But she refrained.

“Such a macho man scared of me?” she thought to herself.

“You mean...you want me to come back to the beach with you?  Are you sure?”

“Yes I'm sure.  It's been lonesome without you.  Besides, you don't belong here.  This is no place for a little lady like you.”

After another brief encounter with Lydia, Jordan took Dolly back to his beach house.  She looked tired and he didn't like that place she was in or that woman who ran it.

Dolly was still hurt that he had thought she could have possibly stolen anything from anybody, especially him, but was relieved to be back with him now.  She could understand that they didn't know each other very well and why he had reason to doubt her honesty.

They shared a pizza together and she gladly crawled into the comfortable bed she had so dearly missed.

Jordan came in and sat next to her.  Dolly rolled to her back and smiled up at him.

“Was it rough in there?” he asked as if she were in jail or something.

“Kind of...but I managed.”  She could see him briefly scan her bruised cheek.  It was nearly gone now but still evident.

“What happened?” he asked as he gently rubbed the back of his hand across her silky blue bruise.

“Well, these two women thought I was a thief after our first meeting.  They kind of...picked on me for it,” she stated with a little shame in her voice.

Jordan felt awful.  “I am soooo sorry.  I would give anything to change what I did to you.  Will you ever forgive me?”

Her eyes widened as he bent over her and gently brushed his lips across her cheek.  “I'm sorry,” he whispered again.  “I never intended to cause you so much pain.”

“I'm fine...really,” she answered softly.

Jordan smiled again at the sound of her sweetness.  He playfully ran his hand over the top of her head.  “Good night Dolly.”

Dolly could only smiled as she watched this handsome creature turn off the lamp then leisurely stroll through the darkness and leave her room.  She began to think of this place as her home too.  It was so cozy and cute.  And with a man like Jordan Scott here with her...she had no desire to ever leave it.  As long as they were together, Dolly didn't care if she ever regained her memory.