Rustic Roads: A suspense thriller, page 12
“No. I didn't. It's your fault. You just don't stand up in a canoe like that.”
Susan made her way into the shallows and then hung onto the front of the canoe. As Calvin stood up, she pulled down on the side of the canoe, causing it to tip suddenly. Within an instant Calvin tried to recover his balance by reversing the motion. He overcompensated and was over the other side.
“Serves you right,” Susan said, and then walked up onto shore.
Susan quickly turned to Calvin, making sure he was okay. She stood there in her wet clothes, shook her hands, and wrung out the bottom of her shirt. The cool dampness felt good in the hot, humid air.
Calvin slowly walked up to Susan then picked her up as if he was about to toss her into the water. Susan struggled. But instead of tossing her into the water, Calvin just set her down. His arms still wrapped around her. He held her firm. They stood there for a moment looking into each other’s eyes.
“I better get the sandwiches out of the canoe,” Susan said, finally breaking away from Calvin, yet not wanting him to release her.
“Did I see a bottle of wine?” Calvin asked, smiling.
“You're not getting me drunk this time.”
“Darn.” Calvin snapped his fingers then walked over to the canoe. He quickly picked up the end and dragged it up onto the shore while Susan reached in for the basket.
“This is a beautiful spot,” Susan said, glancing across the lake. The three houses were barely seen amongst the trees on the other side. It was the A-frame that stood out from the other two. There were not many trees along the shore to hide its shape. Peter’s and Calvin's places were set far enough off the lake so as not to take away from one’s view of the shoreline.
“I only hope Peter didn't see us leave,” Calvin said. He was standing next to Susan looking across the water.
“Does it matter?” Susan replied
“You don't really believe me about him, do you?” Calvin asked, and then took the basket from her.
“The whole thing about Peter killing your sister and that girl in college seems a little preposterous. Even for you, Calvin.”
“It's true. If I could prove it, you'd believe me.”
“I'd have to, if you could prove it.”
“Why do you think my mother tried to commit suicide?” Calvin stared at Susan for the longest time without saying more.
“Did your mother tell you that?”
“My mother's been a basket case.”
“Then how do you know he's the one who drove her to it.”
“I blame him for Jenny's disappearance.”
“Calvin, honestly, why would he kill her?”
“My mother told me they were having problems.”
“All married couples have problems. It doesn't always lead to murder.”
“They were seeing a counselor. I know that.”
“Well, then maybe they were working out their problems.”
“I doubt that.”
“If Peter loved her, like I think he did, maybe he was working on changing. That could be why Jenny didn't leave.”
“You believe him, don't you?”
“He seemed sincere when we talked about your sister.”
“He's just a good liar.”
“No, Calvin. What you're saying is too far-fetched to be believable,” Susan said. She turned and walked away from Calvin, but then quickly added, “Besides, why would you think he had anything to do with your mother's suicide attempt?”
“He drove her to it, to get even for her interference.”
“How can you be sure it had anything to do with Jenny?”
“Three months ago, my mother started getting these calls. She swears it was Jenny crying for help.”
“Did she call the police?” Susan asked. Chills went down her spine when she thought about the cruel joke played on Calvin's mother.
“Yeah. That's why there's the restraining order on me. After months of my mother's mental state worsening and the police doing nothing, I cornered Peter. We had it out. Now I can't go near him.”
“Why torture your mother?”
“I don't know. It was she who convinced Jenny to stick it out and go for counseling.” Calvin leaned up against a tree, broke a twig off a limb, and then continued, “As if the marriage was worth saving. It was doomed from the start.”
“But Calvin, this doesn't make sense. It sounds like your mother was on Peter's side.”
“My mother is the type of person who takes the marriage vows seriously. Till death do us part, not until someone better comes along.” Calvin's eyes widened when he said those words.
Susan forced a smile. “My kind of woman. Maybe if more people thought like that, the divorce rate would be lower.”
“Sometimes a marriage isn't worth saving,” Calvin snapped.
“After five years, there must have been some good.”
“He beat her.”
“But it sounded like he changed, from what you said.”
“I just figured Jenny kept it to herself more.”
“There's no arguing with you about this.”
Susan set the picnic basket down on the ground. She did not want to spend the whole day talking about the problems he had with Peter, or his sister's marriage. What Susan really wanted was to take Calvin's mind off his family, if for nothing more than a few hours.
Calvin walked up to Susan, took hold of her hand and finally after a long pause he whispered softly. “I really want to enjoy the day with you.”
Susan looked into his eyes and realized he was serious. “Good, I don't think I could take anymore of this talk about Peter.”
“I can see by the expression on your face, you don't believe me anyway.”
“It's not that. I just don't need this.”
“You haven't lived the last few years like I have or had first-hand knowledge of what he does.”
“You've been spying on him?” Susan asked. She was about to remind him about the promise he just made.
“No, he writes and tells me what he's been doing.”
“Take the letters to the police.”
“I tried. It's not in his handwriting. Just a sheet of paper that had words cut from a magazine and then glued to form a message. He tells me in detail how he picks these women up and what he does. It's really sick.”
“Can't they dust them for prints?” Susan asked.
A cold chill went through Susan. She had forgotten about Loni and had not even called her mother to report in. It bothered her now that she just assumed Loni was on her way back to the university.
“The only fingerprints they've found so far were mine. I think they suspect me, and I'm the one who reported it.”
“Gives me the creeps,” Susan said.
“How do you think I feel? Having the honor of a front row seat bestowed on me.”
Susan stepped back as Calvin reached in the canoe for the blanket and spread it on the ground. She took the basket and set it on the corner while sitting down and then reached in and took out the bottle of wine. She held it up to Calvin.
“I've got something to take your mind off your troubles,” she said, handing Calvin the paper cup.
“Real class.”
“I wasn't going to pack crystal just to impress you.”
“It was the least you could have done on our first date.”
“Is that what this is?” Susan mocked as she pulled the cork.
“Well, we're together.” Calvin stopped and then glanced around. “We're alone. Yeah, I'd call this our first date.”
Susan smiled at Calvin. Somehow he made it official with his announcement. This was indeed a date. Granted, it was not the opera or the ballet, but those outings were promises Jeffrey made but never kept. This outing was not to impress anyone. It was a full-fledged date with someone she found herself strongly attracted to. Although a little paranoid at times, Calvin was everything a woman wanted in a man. He was strong, helping his father on the farm contested to that. He was worldly, Calvin's career had taken him all over the world and he brought home the Presidential Award in Journalism to boot. It was when he talked about family that she saw that side of him. Calvin was definitely someone worthy of a second look.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Calvin said, and then reached in his pocket and handed her a quarter.
“You expecting change?”
“No. I don't plan on just your first thought. I want to know all there is to know about Susan Jessup, the wandering gypsy.”
“You know what they say about rolling stones collecting no moss.”
“How do you explain Jeffrey then?”
“A fluke. I think he was one of my weaker moments. My mother wrote to me about the joys of settling down and motherhood. And I guess for once I listened, when actually I should have ignored her.”
“Is that what it takes for a girl to turn her head, a letter from her mother?”
“I guess so, because in walked Jeffrey and for a short while I felt my life was complete.” Susan poured the wine, then handed Calvin the cup. She quickly poured herself some wine.
“Poor Jeffrey, could he ever forgive his father for making the wrong choice for him?” Calvin held up the cup of wine.
“I'm sure he doesn't even give it a thought any more.”
“Like I said earlier, his loss is my gain.”
They tapped the cups in salute to the toast. It was the second time Calvin said those words to her and Susan was curious for a moment about what Calvin had on his little devious mind. Susan glanced back at the A-frame. It would be a long walk around the lake in the thick undergrowth that covered the shoreline. She was not a strong swimmer, so swimming across the lake was out of the question.
“Don't worry, I won't seduce you,” Calvin said as he set the cup down.
Susan glanced back at him. “How is it, you always seem to know what I'm thinking?”
“Your face is transparent. Every emotion you feel is clearly defined.” He reached over and traced his fingertips along the contour of her cheekbone.
“So you read me like a book.”
“I'm a student of nature. I have to be keenly aware of my surroundings. In sync with everything,” he said, and then smiled.
“Is that your artistic nature coming out?”
“No, but if I'm to write about emotions and put them down in print, I have to be aware of them first.”
Susan glanced into the soft hazel eyes that were smiling at her just then. “You do have a way with putting those words down in print.”
“Do you like the book?” Calvin asked.
“I normally don't pick up that type of story, but I must admit you sure did a good job capturing the reader’s imagination. The seduction scene in chapter six is real convincing.”
“It was in this cove, on a moonless night that I wrote about.”
Susan glanced around, he was right. She stared at the rock that jetted out into the water. It was familiar, even the beautiful clusters of birch that lined the sandy beach, and the water splashing up on shore. Susan shut her eyes and tried to have a sense of what it would be like at night, then she turned to him.
“Calvin, you planning to seduce me?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I forgot my mace.”
Calvin reached over and cupped Susan's chin. He leaned closer, and then gently kissed her on the lips. His back was to the water’s edge, Susan happened to look over his shoulder. It was then she saw the flicker of light from the opposite shoreline. Calvin's lips were warm and inviting. Given another time and place Susan could have easily been caught up in what he was trying to accomplish. But not now. Not this afternoon and especially not with someone watching.
Calvin was right about one thing. Someone definitely took an interest in his life.
CHAPTER 10
Susan had spent the afternoon lying on the beach sunning herself, drinking wine, and getting to know Calvin, and with every facet of Calvin that Susan uncovered, she discovered a new side of him she liked even more. He was a person with great insight into her inner feelings. Every time the conversation turned to Jeffrey, Calvin analyzed what it was she was looking for in the ill-fated relationship. Susan found herself keenly aware that Calvin knew her better than she actually knew herself. That scared her.
Up until then, Susan never really thought about what she wanted in her relationship with Jeffrey. It was not what she eventually got. Susan was attracted to Jeffrey's strong ties to his father but did not realize that in the end, it would be her undoing.
Susan finally looked up into the sky while gazing off into the distance. It was Calvin running a blade of grass across her forehead that brought her back to what he was doing.
“Earth to Susan, earth to Susan,” Calvin said.
“Be quiet. I just want to listen.”
“To what?” he asked.
“To everything around me. It's so peaceful, I never took the time to listen before.”
Susan watched the birds flying about in the branches above. She listened to a couple of chipmunks scurried around in the underbrush and was engrossed in the explosion of activity. Suddenly, an eerie sound echoed across the lake. She turned quickly and tried to see where the noise was coming from.
“What was that?” she asked scanning the lake, then turned to Calvin.
“A loon,” Calvin replied, then pointed offshore to the black and white silhouette on the open water.
Susan stared at Calvin. “Did you hear the strange noise last night?”
“Things that go bump in the night?” Calvin said jokingly, but when the expression on Susan's face did not change he got serious and sat up. “Why didn't you say something earlier?”
“It just occurred to me now, when I heard the loon.”
“What did it sound like?”
“A whimper at first, then it turned to a screech,” Susan turned away from Calvin. “Almost like someone in pain.”
“Could have been a deer?”
Susan turned and stared at Calvin for a moment, not knowing if he was joking. She grabbed a handful of grass, tossed it at him while shaking her head.
“Yeah, right, I may be a city girl but I don't buy that explanation for a minute.”
Calvin cupped his hands to his mouth and took a deep breath. Within seconds the eerie sound Susan heard the night before was duplicated. She sat back, mouth open, and just listened.
“That's it,” Susan gasped. “That's what I heard. How did you know?”
“It's a sound a deer makes, it's an inquiring call.”
“Oh yeah, now I get it. Inquiring minds.”
“You don't believe me?”
“It's getting so I don't know what to believe.”
“Trust me. That's what you heard. I've heard it many times through the years,” Calvin said seriously. He was no longer patronizing her. “I think it's because they smell something strange in the woods and they don't know what it is.”
“Are you serious?”
Calvin shook his head. “There are a lot of mineshafts up here and maybe an animal fell down one. The decay of animal flesh can get raunchy and deer depend on their sense of smell to survive.”
“There can't be that many mineshafts.” She just looked at Calvin. “Are there?” she asked.
“Enough to make it dangerous to walk at night.”
“Those poor animals. It must be hard, having to live with that fear.”
“Most of the shafts were boarded up, but that doesn't mean something couldn't still fall down and get trapped.”
A chill went through Susan. She wrapped her arms around her body as she sat there and watched Calvin. It bothered her what Calvin had just said. If the animal survived the fall, a more torturous death would follow with no food or water to survive on.
“Gives me the creeps,” Susan said, turning away from Calvin and just staring out across the water.
Calvin sat up quickly, catching Susan off-balance. “Then do not think about it,” Calvin whispered, gently kissing her on the lips.
Susan's thoughts were not on the animals in the forest. His lips were warm and inviting. She wanted to be lost in the moment, but could not.
“Calvin, no.” Susan said, struggling to free herself. She quickly glanced over his shoulder at the shoreline across the lake. “Not like this.”
Calvin released his hold on her and then rolled over. He glanced up at Susan while shaking his head.
“I should have taken advantage of you the other evening when I had the chance.”
Susan straightened her top while glaring at the smirk on Calvin's face. “Oh sure, but would you have respected yourself in the morning?”
“I could have lived with the guilt.”
“Well then, whose fault is that?”
Calvin glanced at his watch. “It's getting late, we better start back before it gets dark.”
Calvin got up and reached for Susan. As he pulled her up, he wrapped his arms around her. Susan felt the electricity go through her body as their lips met and her knees weakened. All she wanted was to lose herself in the moment. Susan liked everything about Calvin. She especially liked the sensuous way he kissed.
“Calvin, are you trying to seduce me?” Susan whispered softly.
His mouth worked its way down her neck, and then he glanced up. “If you have to ask, Susan, I guess I'm not succeeding.”
“Oh you're succeeding, Calvin.” Susan whispered softly. She shut her eyes savoring the warmth of his body next to her.
Calvin released her suddenly and then bent down for the blanket. “Well, we better get going,” he said, turning to Susan and smiling.
Susan stood there for a moment. She missed the feel of him next to her. But the magic of the moment was gone. Susan bent down and picked up the basket, then followed Calvin to the canoe. Once she was settled in the canoe, Calvin picked up his end and heaved it into the water then quickly stepped in.
They paddled across the lake in silence. The whole while Susan kept glancing at the A-frame, then at Peter's house. It bothered her that Peter spied on her little outing with Calvin. And when they finally reached the middle dock, Calvin reached for the post. He held on tightly while Susan turned to him.
“You coming in?” Susan asked.
“Maybe I'd better not.”
