Sugar and Spice, page 14
“Aw, we just found these cats in a sack in the river. Must have just been throwed in ’cause they were all alive. They sure were scared though.”
Jimmy winced. “Yeah, I’ll bet. They were lucky you found them. But don’t make a practice of going into the river.”
“Aw, whatcha think we are, nuts?” Tony, an older boy scowled. “Who’d wanta swim in that dirty old sewer?”
Jimmy laughed. “I guess you’re right. I won’t worry then.”
They waved and walked away.
What could he do about getting them to church? He’d like to take them with him, but it was too far for them to walk. Well, if he did get the church here, as Paul thought was very possible, he’d do everything he could to persuade them to come on Sunday mornings.
The Eastland was just pulling into harbor when Jimmy’s shift ended. He shaded his eyes and tried to catch a glimpse of Cobb. True to his word, he had shown up at church the last two Sundays. He’d also bought a Bible, and when the Eastland was in, the two of them had studied together during their midday break. Now that Cobb had a taste of God’s Word, he seemed hungry for more.
Jimmy was thankful to God for that and for his love for Cici and the ministry. If only Sutton hadn’t shown up again, life would be a beautiful thing.
“Waaahooo!” Jimmy grinned at the sound of Cobb’s familiar yell. He ran down the Eastland ’s gangplank and took a wide jump onto the dock.
Jimmy grinned and waved. “Hey. How long are you in for?”
“Just tonight. We’re one of the boats the Western Electric bunch chartered for their picnic in Indiana.” He whistled. “Company must be loaded. Five charters for a picnic.”
“Five? Must be quite a crowd.” Jimmy leaned against a post.
“Must be. The Eastland alone holds around twenty-six hundred.” Cobb shook his head. “Sure glad I won’t be cooking lunch for all those folks.”
Jimmy wrinkled his brow. “Why do you need to go, then?”
“Some of them will be wanting breakfast. And probably sandwiches and stuff on the way back.” He nodded. “Don’t worry. They’ll keep me busy.”
Jimmy laughed and clapped him on the back. “I gotta get home. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
“Not if I see you first.” Cobb laughed and waved. “Hey, Jimbo, wait a minute.”
Jimmy turned.
“Just wanted you to know. . .had a serious talk with Jesus the other day.” A grin split Cobb’s glowing face. “He’s my Savior now.”
❧
“Are you serious?” Danni’s squeal of joy shot through Jimmy’s head and he flinched back against the parlor sofa, even while he grinned and nodded.
“I never expected that. I didn’t.” She shook her head and her face shone. “God, forgive me, I didn’t expect that.”
“Yeah, but you haven’t been around Cobb lately. He’s a changed man.”
“I am awed at God’s might and goodness.” She leaned back in her chair, pressing her hand to her back, then propped her feet back up on the little footstool. She poked her needle into the pillowcase she was embroidering. “Hmm. Maybe he’ll be a good influence on Sutton.”
“Don’t count on it.” Jimmy narrowed his eyes. He had forgiven Sutton—at least he was almost sure he had—and maybe he could even forget if not for the new threat against Danni.
“Jimmy”—Danni’s voice was low and soft—“no one is beyond God’s grace and mercy. All he would need to do is surrender, and God could change him in a second.” She sat there quietly, so sweet and sincere.
Jimmy’s heart stirred. Would things change between him and Danni when he got married? He took a deep breath. Of course they would. There was a lot of change when she married Blake. But it wasn’t a bad thing at all. Simply different. Now she was going to be a mother. They were grown up. They didn’t need each other the same way they had when they were children. “Danni.” He paused.
“Yes, little brother?” She grinned.
He grinned back. “Nothing. Just thinking.” Let’s stay close, Danni. Let’s always stay close.
“I’m praying for Cici.” Her tone grew serious. “I don’t know what’s wrong. But I know she loves you. And she’s a sweet girl. You should see her at the soup kitchen. Everyone loves her, especially the children.”
He nodded. “She promised to explain Saturday. I hope I’m busy tomorrow so I can keep my mind off it.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re a strong man.” She started. “Oh.”
“What?” Jimmy jumped up. “Are you all right, sis?”
She waved her hand and flinched. “I’m fine. Junior is making his presence known. Sit down, for heaven’s sake, Jimmy. You should be used to it by now.”
He flopped down on his chair. “Don’t scare me like that.”
She threw him a tender smile. “Thanks for caring about me.”
“Junior is going to be a lucky little boy to have a mother like you.”
“Oh really?” She tilted her head to one side. “And what if Junior should turn out to be a little girl, Uncle Jimmy?”
He grinned. “Then she’ll be the luckiest young lady who ever lived.”
“Let’s stay close, Jimmy. Promise me. No matter what, we’ll always love each other just like we always have.”
“Always.”
❧
Cici paced her bedroom floor. Was she making a mistake? Confronting Sutton had seemed like a good idea, but now she wasn’t so sure. After the things Jimmy had told her, it was obvious the man was dangerous. But he was older now. How dangerous could he be?
A laugh turned into a hiccup. She cleared her throat. She had made up her mind. She wouldn’t back out now. And the deck would be teeming with people. What could he do?She tossed her curls and sat on the chair by her lace-curtained window.
Should she tell someone? But that person would only try to stop her from going through with it. She straightened her neck and lifted her chin. She wouldn’t be a coward and back out now. She would do this for Jimmy and Danni. When Sutton realized he was exposed, he’d give up his evil plan, whatever it might be. The night was half gone before Cici finally dropped off to sleep.
She woke with a start. Jumping out of bed, she switched on the light and peered at the clock by her bed. Six o’clock. She’d need to hurry. When she got to the kitchen, she was met by the aroma of apples and cinnamon wafting up from a bubbling pot of oatmeal.
“I know you’re in a hurry, Cecilia, but you need to eat a bite before you go to the docks.”
She complied, happy that her mother assumed she was headed for the soup kitchen. And she did plan to go there as soon as she’d talked to Sutton.
“Good morning, daughter.” Papa laid his paper down and turned up his cheek for her kiss.
“Good morning, Papa.” She grabbed his coffee mug. “Here, let me fill this for you.”
Everything seemed surreal as she hurried through breakfast, washed her dishes in the kitchen sink, and kissed her folks good-bye.
The Clark Street Bridge was crowded with carriages and automobiles, probably filled with the picnic-going employees and their families headed to the boats. The streetcar clacked past them on the center rails.
Cici got off and adjusted her hat to protect against the light mist that had begun. Five chartered boats were lined up and there must have been thousands of people boarding. She frowned. Was the Eastland leaning? It appeared lopsided. She shook her head. Her imagination, of course.
She glanced around trying to catch a glimpse of Gail in the crowd but didn’t see her. She slipped between two quarreling children and was shoved aside by a large woman carrying a birdcage. Her glance slid up the side of the Eastland to the crowded deck. It would be just like Gail to be on board already even though she’d promised to meet her on the dock.
Her gaze brushed across the mob and she inhaled a sharp breath. Sutton stood by the rail looking down. His eyes met hers and he smiled and motioned upward. A dark-haired girl stood just behind him. Was that Gail? She couldn’t see her clearly, but it must be.
She glanced toward the gangplank. The crowd had thinned and a short line was all that remained to board. Should she? It wasn’t too late to change her mind.
She reached into her jacket pocket for the handwritten ticket Gail had given her. Lifting her chin, she took a deep breath and stepped toward the Eastland ’s crowded gangplank.
Nineteen
“Cici!” Jimmy let the door of the employee shack bang shut behind him and rushed across the dock toward the Eastland. Cici was halfway up the gangplank. He’d know those curls and that walk anywhere.
“Cici!” His shout went unheard.
An orchestra played on the promenade deck and some of the passengers were dancing. Voices clamored and deckhands tried to shout to each other above the music. The noise drowned out Jimmy’s call. He stopped and exhaled a huff of air. The gangplank was being pulled into the Eastland. The Theodore Roosevelt and one other boat were still loading passengers, and they called out to one another, adding to the clamor.
Jimmy scanned the Eastland ’s deck, hoping to catch Cici’s eye. Why would she have boarded? Did someone invite her on the excursion? She hadn’t mentioned it. Jimmy frowned as the Eastland listed to portside. Soon it righted and he breathed a sigh of relief.
A man stood at the edge of the wharf, frowning toward the listing boat. Several people stood at the rail, laughing and shouting for him to come on aboard. Suddenly he jumped across the water and his friends helped him over the rail. Crazy people.
Jimmy’s gaze swept the crowd on deck again. There she was, and there. . . Jimmy’s heart froze. Sutton. What was she doing with Sutton? They faced each other, seeming not to notice the people who crowded around them at the rail. Why hadn’t she told him she knew Sutton? Was she involved with him in some way? Surely not. They hadn’t acknowledged each other at the theater that night. But maybe. No. He wouldn’t believe for a moment that Cici would be involved in a plot against Danni.
A couple of women crowded in front of them, and when they moved, there was no sign of Cici or Sutton. Jimmy shaded his eyes to see if he could spot Cobb aboard, but he was probably in the galley.
Fear clutched his chest. If Cici wasn’t involved with Sutton, and he was certain she wasn’t, then she must be in some sort of trouble. Should he inform the harbor authorities? But what would he say to them? His fiancée was on the ship with another man? They’d laugh, more than likely. He turned and headed for the Theodore Roosevelt to help set the gangplank in place. There was nothing he could do.
But he could pray and trust God.
❧
Cici shoved her way across the crowded deck. There he was, and Gail stood beside him. She’d give her an earful as soon as—
Fear stabbed her at the glint of satisfaction in Sutton’s eyes. Why had she thought this was a good idea? She darted a hopeful glance at Gail, but the girl gave her an apologetic shrug and rushed toward the gangplank.
Cici started to turn and felt herself jerked backward. Before she could scream, Sutton yanked her to his side so tightly she gasped. She struggled to no avail against his deathlike grip. Pain stabbed her as something hard was pressed against her ribs.
“Be a nice girl and you might get off this boat alive, my dear.” Sutton’s hot breath blew against her neck as he whispered into her ear, “I would be devastated if I had to shoot you.”
She opened her mouth to scream, but a jab from the gun caused her breath to catch in her throat. Who would hear her over the orchestra anyway?
He maneuvered her to a short flight of steps and guided her down to the deserted deck below.
She struggled as he half carried, half shoved her down a narrow hall. Suddenly she lost her balance as the boat rocked from side to side.
Sutton grabbed her and pushed her into a tiny alcove. He was quiet for a moment then shrugged.
“Nothing to be afraid of. The boat is merely listing. Now, Cici, dear, listen closely, for I’ll only say it once. If you wish to get off this ship alive and see dear Jimmy again, you had best go quietly the rest of the way.”
“But where are you taking me?” Her voice trembled. This was not the way she’d planned things. “And why are you doing this?”
He gave a short laugh and drew her closer to his side. “Because, my dear, I want young Jimmy and the abominable Blake Nelson to know what it’s like to lose something they hold dear.”
“But. . .”
“Enough.” He gave her a slight shove and they started down the hall once more. He stopped at a door, unlocked it, and threw it open, revealing a medium-sized stateroom.
Cici gasped. Fear pierced through her. The room was dark except for a small lamp. She had hoped there might be someone there who would help her, but there was not a soul in the cabin. “No. I’m not going in there.”
Laughing, Sutton gave her a shove.
Cici stumbled through the door and watched in horror as he closed it behind him.
“Don’t look so frightened, my dear. I’m not a monster.” He laid the gun on a small table and removed his coat. His dark eyes devoured her for a moment. Then he went to a small sideboard and poured wine into two glasses. He held one out to her.
“No.” She shoved it away. “You know I don’t drink.”
He shrugged and tipped the glass up, downing the liquid, then placed it on the counter. “Sit down, my dear. You may as well relax. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I don’t understand why you would do this.” A shuddering motion told her the boat was pulling away from the dock. Hot tears rushed to her eyes and she blinked them back. “The ship is leaving. Please let me go, Sutton.”
Sutton shook his head. “No. You’re not going anywhere. For then my plan would be spoiled, you see. But you still don’t understand. They must not have told you the story of how I was robbed of the lovely Danielle. Sit down.” He motioned to a small sofa.
“I’d rather stand.” Cici pressed her lips together and threw him what she hoped was a determined glare.
He sighed. “I said sit.” He shoved her onto the sofa and sat beside her. “So you wish to know why I must have my revenge.” He leaned back and narrowed his eyes. “Danielle Grayson was the most beautiful woman I ever knew. She was ten years old the first time I laid eyes on her. Even then I knew she was special, with red curls wild around her tiny head and green eyes that flashed and sparkled. As she grew up, her beauty overwhelmed me. And not only her physical beauty. She was graceful and gentle, always caring about those around her. Especially her little lame brother. I kept her close, not sending her out on the streets with the other children. She did chores around the house and I even brought a tutor in for her and Jimmy.”
He took a long drink then sighed. “I knew if I was ever to have a chance with her, I must be kind to Jimmy. She adored him and was always very protective.” Sutton’s words slurred and his eyes were wild.
Cici squirmed and moved farther away from him.
He reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Don’t try it.” Pain filled his voice as he continued. “Then she spurned me.” The man was either drunk or mad, and he hadn’t had that much to drink. “To teach her a lesson, I sent her out with some of the boys to do a job.”
His breath came in rapid gasps and he leaned back and ran his hand over his eyes. “Something went wrong. The boys got away, but she was caught. Somehow she managed to talk her way out of it. She always was a good little actress.” Bitterness filled his voice. “As she showed me well. Lying to me. Making me think she was still part of our little family while all the time she plotted to betray me. She was in love with someone else. She came home to try to talk me into letting Jimmy go. The police raided, and thanks to Danielle Grayson, the one love of my life, the one intended for me, I was sent to prison and my little family was scattered.”
“You were a criminal, Sutton.” Cici almost shouted the words. “What did you expect? You taught innocent children to steal and made them think it was all right. Family? You only used them.”
His eyes darkened in anger and he raised his hand then lowered it. “No, I took care of them. They were my children.”
She jumped up. “Let me go, Sutton. You’re insane. You’re never going to have Danielle. She loves her husband and they’re going to have a child.”
He jumped up, eyes filled with rage. “No. . .Jimmy Grayson will know what it feels like for the woman he loves to be claimed by another. And his pain will be hers. She will see what she has driven me to. And through her, that seducing husband of hers will suffer.”
Fear gripped Cici as he lunged for her. Then the floor fell away and she began to slide. She screamed.
The ship had turned onto its side. It must be sinking.
A table flew through the air and hit Sutton’s head. Blood gushed. His lifeless body tumbled head over heels toward the door, where water had begun to seep in.
Cici screamed again, continuing to slide toward the wall. Suddenly the boat listed more and she fell, grasping for something to stop her plunge. She hit the wall hard and something exploded in her elbow.
God, help me.
❧
She was innocent. She must be. There was no way Jimmy would believe Cici was mixed up with Sutton and his plots. But then, why was she with him? Was this what she had to tell him? Something about Sutton?
Shouts broke into his thoughts as he swabbed down the dock. Probably some of the dockhands roughhousing. He straightened his back and glanced around. He drew his breath in sharply. No. No. He stood still, too stunned to move, not believing what he saw. Not more than forty feet from the wharf, the Eastland lay halfway on her side and continued to roll as she sank into the river.
Dear God, Cici.
He dropped the heavy mop and ran. At the edge of the wharf, he stood transfixed. The Eastland groaned and then came to rest on its side. The water was thick with passengers and crew swimming toward land. Jimmy looked over the mob frantically, trying to locate Cici.
Yanking off his boots, he jumped in, barely missing a man and a woman who clung together as they made their way to the dock. He swam toward the ship, shoving people aside as he went. The one thought that went through his mind was Cici, trapped in the boat.
