The Mill River Recluse (23 page)

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I see it in Rowen every day. She’s growing up so fast. Sometimes she’ll say or do something that’s so adult-like, it kind of catches me off guard.”

“She’s a special kid,” Claudia agreed. “I mean, all of them are, but Rowen is so quick to pick up on things, and really intuitive for a nine-year-old.”

“She likes you a lot,” Kyle said. “In fact, she asked me before I left whether we were going to talk about her. I told her we’d only say nice things.”

Claudia laughed. “Well, I don’t think there is anything to say about Rowen that isn’t nice.”

Kyle beamed at her, and Claudia couldn’t help but notice how proud he looked. She felt so glad for him, seeing how his decision to move his daughter to Mill River had resulted in Rowen being so well-adjusted and happy.

The waitress appeared at their table with the buffalo wings and salad. Claudia spread her napkin carefully across her lap, relieved that the initial conversation period had gone so well.

“I’m curious,” Kyle said, reaching for the plate of wings, “what made you decide to come to Mill River? Especially in the middle of a school year?”

Claudia had anticipated this question and was ready with her usual answer. “Oh. Well, it wasn’t an easy decision. I was teaching in Dryden, a little town in upstate New York. My two brothers and parents live there, and I’d been there for a number of years, but I guess the truth is, I wanted a change. I felt as if my life had come to a standstill, and I just needed to be in a new place.” For a split second, she looked at her salad, then down at her size-ten jeans, and wondered how she could ever tell him the real reason that she had uprooted herself--that she had reached her goal weight just before the holidays, and had felt an overwhelming urge to make a fresh start for the new year in a place where no one knew she had been fat.

Kyle nodded, his mouth full, and she continued. “I felt horrible, telling the principal of my old school that I’d be leaving at the end of the semester. I didn’t have any really good reason that would explain my resignation, just that I felt like my life was stagnating, like I needed to make a new start in a new place, but he was great about it. He told me to do what I needed to do, that he would always give me good employment references, and wished me well.”

“Sounds like a great guy,” Kyle said. “You never know what kind of people you’ll end up working with, but it sounds like you got lucky.”

“Yeah, he was really understanding, but I do like the principal and teachers here, too,” Claudia said. “Everyone has welcomed me, offered to show me around, that sort of thing. I think it’s a good start.”

“I like most of the guys in the police department here,” Kyle said. “Fitz, the chief, has been so good to me. He rented me the apartment above the bakery. His wife, Ruth, watches Rowen for me when I have to work late or...when I’m out for other reasons.” He looked up at her and Claudia grinned. “I offered to pay her, but she won’t take a dime. The woman’s a saint. Wykowski’s all right, too. The only one I don’t care much for is Leroy. As luck would have it, most of my shifts overlap with his, but I guess everything can’t go your way.”

“I don’t think I blame you. That day you two came to my classroom, Leroy made me feel a little uncomfortable. I’m not sure why, exactly. It was just something about him, maybe the way he looked at me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyle said. “It should have occurred to me that it might not have been a good idea to bring him. He has no tact or manners, and he thinks of himself as a ladies’ man. As far as I can tell, he doesn’t have much success with them, but he’ll still chase anything with a skirt, if you know what I mean.”

“Yes. But you shouldn’t apologize for him. Leroy’s behavior is his problem, after all. I can’t imagine what woman would want to be with him, anyway.”

Kyle’s face suddenly took on new radiance, and his brown eyes shone with a wicked sparkle. “You know,” he began, “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but Leroy’s gearing up to take you out for Valentine’s Day.”

“What?” Claudia said. Her mouth was full of salad, and she covered it quickly with her napkin.

“Oh yeah,” Kyle said, laughing. “He told me all about it yesterday. He’s going to send you flowers and stuff this week, then ask you to the King’s Lodge in Rutland for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. Granted, King’s Lodge is a nice place, but--”

“Oh, no!” Claudia said, once she had swallowed. “Please tell me you’re joking,” she said, but Kyle only shook his head and laughed harder.

“Geez,” Claudia groaned, putting her hand on her forehead.

“The worst of it is, Leroy can be pretty persistent sometimes if he sees something he really wants,” Kyle said. “But, if he calls you, you could tell him you’ve already got plans for Valentine’s Day.”

“That’d be a lie,” Claudia said, “but it might discourage him.”

“Ah. Well, I think I have a better idea. If you went out with
me
Saturday night, you wouldn’t have to lie, and we could both enjoy a nice evening.”

Claudia’s mouth nearly fell open. She was mortified to think that she might have baited him into offering to take her out for Valentine’s Day. “Oh my gosh, Kyle, I didn’t mean to imply, you know, for you to feel as if you should ask me to dinner on Saturday.” She felt her face begin to burn.

“Oh, no,” Kyle said, and there was no mistaking it this time--his ears were turning pink. “The truth is, I meant to ask you all along, and this just seemed like the perfect opportunity.” He grinned sheepishly.

The waitress arrived at their table with the pizza and served each of them a slice.

“Well, what do you say?” Kyle asked when she had left.

“Oh. I’d love to,” Claudia said, still struggling to keep her composure. She glanced up at him and managed a shy smile.

“Good.” He picked up his pizza and bit into it. “This is good, too,” he said, hurrying to wipe a long string of melted cheese that stuck to his chin.

Claudia just laughed at him. He was so fun and genuine, and she was actually enjoying herself. The pizza was phenomenal. She allowed herself two pieces, even though she could easily have eaten the entire thing.

They had finished and were waiting for the check, still talking, when they heard a sing-song voice at the carryout counter.

“Hello, there. I’ve come for my order, small pizza with a stuffed crust and an order of breadsticks. By the way, you wouldn’t be interested in trying some of my famous love potion, would you now?”

Almost at the same time, Kyle and Claudia peered over the edge of their booth. A short, stout figure in a hooded parka stood at the counter.

“No, thank you, ma’m. Your total comes to twelve seventy-five.” The kid behind the counter shifted uncomfortably at Daisy’s solicitation.

“Here you are,” Daisy said, offering the cashier a fistful of bills. She sniffed loudly, then pulled a tissue from a coat pocket and blew her nose. “Boy, you know it’s cold outside when your nose runs faster than you can.” She gave a final loud snort, oblivious to the attention she had drawn. “It’s a pity, my love potion’s especially effective on teenagers such as yourself. It would even help you with those pimples, too. But I guess it’s just as well--I’ve almost sold out the entire batch. Demand’s been pretty strong this year.”

The cashier looked at two pretty waitresses standing nearby and blushed before he placed Daisy’s bills in the cash register. “Twenty-five cents is your change,” he said, handing her a quarter and her receipt. He pushed two flat pizza boxes across the counter. “Have a good night.”

“Thank you, I will!” she said. “And a good night to you as well.” Daisy picked up her pizza and breadsticks and turned for the door, humming loudly. The cashier and waitresses watched her leave, snickering.

“Who is that woman?” Claudia asked Kyle as they lowered themselves back into their seats.

“Her name is Daisy Delaine,” Kyle said, “but almost everybody in town calls her ‘Crazy Daisy.’ It’s mean, I know.”

“She came to my house a few days ago wanting to sell me love potion, whatever that is. Said she made it herself. I can see why she got that nickname.”

“She’s not really crazy, at least, not like the people down in Waterbury, in the state hospital. Fitz told me she’s lived in Mill River for years and she’s always been a little…off. People have tried a few times to get her committed, though, and no court has ever found her to be incompetent. From what I’ve heard, she mixes up a different homemade concoction for each holiday and peddles it all over town. But she’s harmless. Mostly people just feel sorry for her.”

“That explains the love potion. So she takes care of herself?” Claudia asked. “Where does she live?”

“In a little trailer a few blocks down the road. She does all right. I guess she lives on disability payments from the government and whatever she can make selling her potions. Hey, would you like to take some of this home?” Kyle said, motioning to the few pieces of pizza left in front of them. “You could have it for your lunch tomorrow.”

“Oh, no thanks,” Claudia said, thinking how good it would be to have pizza again the next day. But she wouldn’t fall into that trap. “Why don’t you take it home for Rowen?”

“Okay,” Kyle said. He motioned for the waitress to bring the check and a carry-home container for the pizza. When they were ready to leave, he insisted on paying for everything and helped Claudia put on her coat. They had been out only an hour and a half, but it had seemed like so much longer.

They sat shivering in the front seat of the pickup as Kyle started the engine and adjusted the heater. It felt colder now than it had been when they arrived.

“Well, at least it’s a short drive home,” Kyle said.

“Yes,” Claudia said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Even though she was cold, she wished that the drive would be longer. Neither she nor Kyle said anything for a few minutes.

The light from the streetlamps made the snow pack glisten. As they turned onto the main road, the great white mansion on the hill came into view. Like the snow, it, too, glowed, reflecting the light so that it appeared to hover high up above the town.

“Kyle, who lives in that big white house?”

He smiled at her. “I wondered about that too when I first saw it. The house is vacant, now. The woman who lived there died two days ago. Her name was Mary McAllister. I don’t know much about her except that she’d lived there for most of her life and rarely came out. Fitz and I went up there Sunday morning to do a report for the medical examiner. Father O’Brien was there too, from St. John’s. He said she’d been sick for almost a year.”

“It’s a beautiful house. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it.”

“The outside’s made of white marble. Her husband’s family built it for her years ago. The inside’s something else, too. All kinds of expensive furniture and paintings, like a palace.”

“Wow. It’s hardly something you’d expect to find in a little town like this.”

“I know. But I’ve learned that sometimes what you find in a small town can surprise you.” He was looking at her again, still smiling. Claudia suddenly knew that he was talking about her, and she felt herself blushing.

They were going past St. John’s now, and then Kyle pulled the blue pickup into her driveway. She turned to thank him for the evening, but, before she could say anything, he had gotten out of the truck, leaving the engine running. He held up a finger to tell her to wait as he ran around the front of the truck to open the door for her.

“Kyle, you don’t have to keep doing this,” she said, laughing, as he helped her out of the front seat.

“I insist,” he said. “It’s our first date, and I have to make a good impression. Especially since I apparently have competition from a colleague of mine.”

He spoke with such seriousness that Claudia was worried. “You don’t really think I’d go for Leroy, do you?” she asked.

“Well, no, not after talking to you tonight,” he said, smiling. They had reached her front door.

“I had a great time tonight,” she said. She was beginning to feel awkward.
Why
did he continue to grin at her? With horror, it occurred to her that maybe she had a piece of salad wedged between her front teeth. She returned his smile, but without showing her teeth. “What is it? Why do you keep smiling at me?”

He took a step closer to her. “I’m not sure,” he said, putting his hands gently on either side of her head, “but I think it’s the earmuffs. You look like a cute little bear.”

Before she could reply, he slid his hands a little lower, so that they were cradling her face, and kissed her.

Instinctively, Claudia closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him against her. She smelled his cologne and the scent of his smooth leather coat, felt his warm mouth against hers, and thought her knees would give out.

“Oops,” he said after he had pulled away, “maybe I should have asked before I did that.” Claudia smiled again and shook her head, reassuring him. “Tomorrow, I’ll get us reservations for Saturday night, and then call you to let you know what time.”

“Okay,” she said, and took a reluctant step toward her front door. She was beaming now--any food in her teeth be damned. “I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

“Me too,” he said. He didn’t go back to the truck until she was safely inside, waving goodbye to him through the kitchen window.

Claudia waited until the headlights of Kyle’s truck had backed out of her driveway and turned onto the road. She stood rigidly in her kitchen with her heart hammering in her chest, still wearing her coat and gloves and earmuffs. When she was sure that he was gone, she jumped up and down, squealing with delight. She had just had her first date and her first kiss and he had said she looked like a cute
little
bear. She hadn’t made a pig of herself at Pizza Hut, and best of all, she had a date for Valentine’s Day!

~~~

He couldn’t believe it.

The ashes at the end of Leroy’s cigarette had built up to almost an inch and had started to crumble onto his lap before he noticed them. Reflexively, he tapped the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray in the police department’s Jeep, never once taking his eyes off Claudia’s house.