*****
Troubled Waters
Web of Deceit
Autumn fell as I stood by the gravesite of my dad, Wilson Ward. Autumn was beautiful that year in Clover Hill Ridge in East Tennessee. The hills were blazed with radiant colors, and the mountain air was so crisp and clean. Giant timbers dressed the slopes as leaves covered the ground.
I watched as they shoveled in the dirt on my daddy’s grave. My daddy was no saint to many, maybe to me. He had made his fortune by making and selling bootleg whiskey for years in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. He was protected by high-ranking officials who got a cut for their protection. He covered up his operation with a road crew company that built bridges and repaired roads for the government. He received top money on government contracts. Not only guilty of bootlegging whiskey, he was also guilty of bid rigging, prostitution, and tax evasion. But he made most of his money by running whiskey to East and Middle Tennessee, Virginia, and North and South Carolina. Regardless, he was still my daddy and I loved him. Like I always said, no one is perfect.
I’ll never forget the fall of 1934 when my dad died; I’ll never forget him. Mama had already gone. She had TB and died a few years ago. I also lost my seventeen-year-old brother, Shane, in a boating accident on the Stone’s River. His body was never found. We were the only two children. Daddy had a hard time with Shane’s death. He never got over it. He grieved himself to death.
Nothing ever changes around Clover Hill, except your age. I was twenty-two that day at the graveyard. It seemed like I had spent my whole life here in Bennett County. Then suddenly I heard someone.
“Hey, girl,” called someone.
Turning around, I saw it was Rachel, my best friend.
“Are you going to be alright?” she asked.
“Sure,” I replied. “I’ll be okay.”
“I hate to have to leave, but we have to drive to Knoxville and catch our flight back home. I wish we had some more time together, under different circumstances,” she apologized.
“Me, too,” I replied. “Don’t worry about it, Rachel, you need to get back home. I understand.”
Then Richard, Rachel’s husband, stepped in between us and offered his condolences. “I’m sorry about your dad,” he said.
“Thank you, Richard,” I replied. “Take care of my best friend.”
“I will,” he promised as they turned to walk away.
Then Rachel turned back, hugged me, and started to cry. “I love you, Kat.”
“I love you, too,” I replied as I started to cry.
I watched as they walked across the cemetery hand in hand. As they got into their rental car, Rachel waved and blew me a kiss. I returned her one as they drove away.
Rachel and I had been friends since grade school. We graduated together and dated some of the same guys. We were inseparable. We were like sisters. I was 22 and she was 23.
But as time passed, we went our separate ways. Rachel and Richard had only been married two years. She had met him in Atlanta on vacation. Richard was a contractor out of Florida. He was on a business trip to Atlanta when she met him. Rachel said they hit it off perfectly. She decided to move to Atlanta so he could fly up to see her in his private jet. They dated for a while. Everything seemed to be great, so they decided to get married. Of course, I was invited to the wedding—the maid of honor. They were married in his home in Key West, Florida. It was a beautiful wedding. A lot of high profile people were there. Richard had started a small construction company that blossomed into a distinguished business. He did a lot of government projects in and around Florida. The wedding was the talk of the town from Key West up the coast. Rachel was loving every minute of it. She always did like the limelight. That day, she was like a kid at Christmas. She was so happy, and I was glad for her.
As I turned back to the gravesite, they were placing the flowers on daddy’s grave. A lot of the friends had left already. I walked over to his stone, placed a kiss on the top of it, and softly whispered, “I love you, daddy.” As I walked toward the car, tears began to flood my eyes. I took a handkerchief from my purse, dabbed them dry, and then left. James, the chauffeur, asked if I wanted to go home. I nodded my head yes, fighting back the tears. When I arrived home, I retired to my room for a few days. I told the housemaid and James I didn’t want to receive any visitors.
Two weeks later, I met with the family lawyer to settle the will and estate. Everything was made to Shane and me. Since Shane was officially dead, Ward’s fortune went to me. Since the estate was so large, the lawyer told me to give him a couple of days, and he would have all the paperwork and documents transferred over in my name. I asked him to call me when he was ready. When I arrived back home, I heard the phone ring in the study. I answered it; there was no one on it; I figured it was the wrong number. When I hung up the phone, I sighed with relief. As I turned to leave the room, I looked up at daddy’s picture, blew him a kiss, and said, “Thank you, daddy,” then left.
A few days later, the lawyer called and said I could come to his office at my convenience and sign the papers.
On the same day I went back to the lawyer, I ran into a very handsome man. His name was Dennis Cole, a salesman from Tumbling Creek, Alabama. By chance, he was passing through Clover Hill Ridge on his way to North Carolina. He had stopped over in Clover Hill to get a bite to eat. I bumped into him coming out of the restaurant.
“Excuse me,” he said.
“Oh, excuse me,” I apologized.
Then we looked into each other’s eyes. It seemed like the world stopped turning. It was like autumn, my favorite time of the year, had come again. From there the romance blossomed to full bloom. We started dating. I rode with him to North Carolina where he took care of some business. We came back to Clover Hill and spent a few more weeks together. He showered me with gifts and seemed to love me for who I was and not what I had. I asked him to stay in Clover Hill, told him he didn’t have to go back to Tumbling Creek. He said he had some unfinished business there that he had to take care of, but he’d be back. I asked him if he was married. He said no. I asked if I could come with him, but he said it was something he had to do alone. I told him that I loved him, and I would be here when he got back. “Dennis,” I said, “please keep in touch and call me.”
He replied, “I love you, too and I’ll call.”
I remember the day he left. I cried my eyes out. Something inside told me that he wouldn’t be back. He said he would. I wanted to believe that so badly, but I didn’t feel that I would be that lucky. The next two weeks were the longest in my life. As time passed, there were no calls or letters. I was beginning to believe my instincts were right. Then a week later he called. I couldn’t talk for crying. It was so good to hear his voice again. He only talked for a few minutes; there was a bad connection. But he did say he’d see me soon. The next day, I had to talk to him. I missed him so badly I called the operator for a Dennis Cole in Tumbling Creek, Alabama. I wanted to surprise him. It took a few minutes, but when the operator replied back there was no listing for that name, my heart sank, my legs buckled, and I lay confused on the couch. All that I knew was that I loved him and had to trust him. Then the phone rang. It wasn’t Dennis as I hoped, but an unknown voice. I listened carefully. “Who is this?” I cried. “What about South Carolina. What are you talking about?” Frightened, I hung the phone up.
It wasn’t long until things settled back down. I had finally started to get my head back on straight when a knock came at my door. I was close by so I told the maid I would get it. When I opened it, there on the other side stood Dennis and a couple of suitcases. He then let the bags down, opened his arms and hugged me. I hugged him back and asked him to come in. I wanted to confront him about the phone call so badly, but I decided to hold off for a while. I was glad to see him, and in my heart, I was hoping the things I worried about were wrong. As h
e came in, we began to talk. We had so much to get caught up on. He opened one of the bags; inside it was a gift for me. Hurriedly, I opened it. I was so tickled, my heart fell into my stomach and I felt faint. It was the most beautiful engagement ring I had ever seen and a card that read ‘Will You Marry Me?’ I didn’t know what to say or think. I first said, “No, I can’t.” Then “Yes, I can.”
“But when?” I cried.
“Today,” he replied.
“It’s so soon! I don’t know,” I said. “We need to talk, I think.”
“Sure,” he replied. “Let’s sit down.”
I asked him how many more trips he was going to have to make back to Alabama.
“None,” he replied. “I have taken care of it all. For instance, my house is for sale. I have quit my job, hopefully to find one here. All my utilities have been paid and cut off.”
“Even the phone?” I asked.
“Yes, the phone too, everything has been taken care of. There are no loose ends,” he replied. “I even stopped off at Round Pond where my mother is in the rest home to see her and tell her about you.”
“What’d she say?” I asked.
“She was hoping I had found someone,” he said, “that I could be happy with.”
I was quiet for a few minutes, collecting my thoughts. In my mind I kept saying over and over to trust him, but my heartfelt faint and weak.
“Well, Katherine,” he asked. “Will you marry me?”
As I stared into his beautiful brown eyes, I took a deep breath. I felt like a teenager who had been asked out on her first date. It felt good to me for him to hold me in his arms again. I felt so secure, warmed, and loved. It had been a long time since I had felt that way. I was tired of being alone. I may be sorry about it, but I looked at him and said yes. He then reached over and kissed me.
“But first I need to make the arrangements,” I said, “and get together a guest list.”
Then he placed his finger over my lips and said, “Let’s just do it.”
“Now?”
He smiled and nodded his head. The doubt didn’t seem all that important anymore. I loved him so much that was all that mattered. We left then and drove into town to Judge Russell’s office and got married. I couldn’t believe it. After the short but sweet wedding, we came back home to pack to leave for our honeymoon. I chose to go to South Carolina to my island manor on Judd Island. Then the phone rang. I quickly answered it. It was the same mysterious voice. They called me by name and then hung up.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I replied, “Sure, it was a wrong number.”
In my inheritance were several resort homes daddy had bought through the years. The summer home on Judd Island was my favorite. It was about five miles off the coast of South Carolina. Then I remembered what I was going to do. I was going to call Rachel and tell her the news. As I picked the phone up, I listened. There was someone on it. I said hello and they said hello. I then asked, “Who is this?”
They replied, “Who is this?”
“Katherine,” I said.
Then they said, “Kat, is that you?”
“Rachel, is that you?” I then replied.
“Yes, it’s me,” she said. “I was trying to call you.”
“I was trying to call you too,” I replied. “I must have picked the phone up before it rang.” Then we both burst out laughing.
“Oh, yes, girl, I wanted to call you and tell you I met this wonderful man,” I stated, “the man of my dreams.”
“You did?” cried out Rachel.
“Yes, he is so handsome, intelligent, and wonderful in the bedroom. And Rachel guess what, we just got married,” I cried. “I wanted you to be the first to know.”
“That’s great,” she replied.
“Rachel, what’s wrong?” I asked her.
She started to cry and told me Richard had passed.
“What!” I cried out. “Girl, what happened?”
“He died of a massive heart attack.”
“When did it happen?” I questioned.
“Yesterday,” she said.
“Had he been sick before?” I asked.
“I really don’t know,” she said. “But I found out that he had had a light heart attack before I met him, according to his doctor. The damage to his heart then could lead to a major attack. It was a matter of time.”
“Why didn’t he tell you?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “We agreed not to keep secrets, but so much for that I guess.”
“You poor, girl,” I replied.
“I’m sure happy for you, Kat,” she said, “and I hope things will work out.”
“Me, too,” I replied. “When is the funeral?”
“Richard had told me earlier that he didn’t want a funeral that he wanted to be cremated and his ashes spread in Key West. He loved it down here.”
“What about the estate, his business and money?” I questioned.
“It was all left to me,” she replied. “He wanted me to have it all.”
“Dennis and I are going to move to Judd Island to live in the chateau. Why don’t you buy a place there and settle down?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “The Keys are so beautiful and so much Richard.”
“What you and Richard had was great and to be cherished,” I encouraged her, “but you need to move on. You’ll find someone else. You don’t want to be alone forever.”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“What I’m telling you is right,” I replied. “You will find another Mr. Right.”
“I know you’re right,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later,” I replied. “Call me if you need me.”
“Bye, I love you,” she said.
“I love you too, sister,” I replied.
While Dennis took a shower, I decided to tidy up the bedroom a bit. When I went to pick up his clothes to put into the clothes hamper, something fell from his pocket. I quickly bent over to pick it up so he wouldn’t think I was being nosy. But when I picked it up, I found it was a receipt from Coleman’s Best Jewelry for my engagement ring and a stub from a motel bill. It was for Hidden Rock Motel, the motel outside of town. The date had been torn off. Then I tried to remember if he had told me he ever stayed there and when. I couldn’t remember. About then he entered the bedroom. I wadded the paper up in my hand and put my hand behind my back.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked. “Who were you talking to?”
“I was talking to Rachel. I told her we had gotten married, and she told me Richard her husband had died.”
“That’s terrible,” he said.
“She was happy for us,” I replied, “and she gave us her best.”
“Is something else wrong?” he said. “You look bothered.”
“Well, there is a little something,” I replied.
“What is it?” he asked.
“When I was picking up your clothes,” I said, “these fell out of your pocket.”
“Here let me see,” he replied.
“This is your receipt for your ring,” he explained. “I picked it up from another salesman I know who sold jewelry. I ran across him a few weeks ago, and I bought it from him. The motel receipt is where I stayed when I first met you. I thought I told you.”
“I don’t remember,” I replied.
“Why the concern and suspicion,” he asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said. “Things are going so fast I can’t keep up with everything.”
“Well, don’t you worry about a thing,” he said. “I’m going to take good care of you.”
Then he took me in his arms and kissed me. Carefully, he laid me back on the bed as I thought, what does he really want?
It was early the next morning when we loaded up and headed for South Carolina. Things were awfully quiet as we drove up
there. Dennis didn’t have much to say, nor did I. I couldn’t help but wonder in the back of my mind what his motive was, or if there was any. I tried to recall if he told me he stayed at the motel or did I ask. I’m sure he was staying somewhere before I met him. He did say when we got to South Carolina he wanted to get a job. He said he wanted to work and make his own money. He didn’t want to live off me. I told him there was no need of that, and he interrupted me and asked if I trusted him. I told him I did, but there had been some suspicion created in my mind about our relationship.
“I’m sorry, I can’t let it go,” I said. “You are going to have to give me some time.”
“When everything is said and done,” he replied. “I think you’re going to find out that I have been honest with you all along.”
I never said another word, nor did he. It was a long drive there. I didn’t think we would ever arrive. We drove straight through. Finally, we arrived in Charleston. We stopped off and got a bite to eat then headed on to Judd Island. They had had some bad thunderstorms and it was pouring down rain when we reached the coast. From the looks of things and the ocean, it had been a bad one. When we reached Walker’s Ferry, we had to wait about an hour for the waves to settle down. The ferry was the only way to and from the island. After thinking about everything, I finally decided to chalk it up as a bad misunderstanding. I may have jumped to conclusions. I do that a lot. I made up my mind that I would give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves me wrong; after all it was our honeymoon.
While we waited, I told him that I was sorry that I doubted him, that is was my nature. Dennis admitted it did seem to be suspicious, and he should have told me instead of finding out that way. He said he was sorry, too. So we kissed and made up and made out in the car while we waited.
Shortly, the giant ferry began to move, setting its sail for Judd Island, our new home. We got out of the car to get some fresh salty air. As we held each other in our arms, the waves splashed against the ship getting us wet. But, we didn’t mind. We were as one like it should be. Then he kissed me again and looked into my eyes and told me he loved me. I looked at him and told him that I loved him too, more than he would ever know.
Judd Island was about five miles from Charleston, about an hour and forty-five minutes by the ferry. In a few minutes, I yelled out, pointing at the lighthouse, on the horizon of the island. I told him we were almost there and I was glad. As the lighthouse grew nearer it stood big and bold, overlooking Witcher’s Cove. The island looked so beautiful. It had been a long time since I had been there. When we docked in the cove, we drove off the ferry and headed for the estate.
About three months after Richard’s death Rachel had a flat tire on the road. Rachel was telling me about it one day when she called me. She had sat there for a while when a man pulled up behind her.
“Can you change my tire?”
“Sure, there’s nothing to it,” he replied and smiled, “if you have a spare tire.”
As he started changing the tire, I couldn’t help but notice how built he was and how handsome he was. I noticed a scar that ran down the left side of his face. He wore glasses and had a well-trimmed beard and mustache, and a light receding hairline. Then I asked him his name.
“Benjamin,” he replied.
“I’m Rachel,” I said, flipping my hair in the breeze.
He was younger than I first thought. When he finished he asked me if he could buy my lunch. I clumsily looked at my watch and quickly looked around as the wind blew my hair every which way.
“Sure, that would be nice,” I replied.
I then followed him to a cozy seafood restaurant, Hook Line & Sinker, not far from there. We sat and talked for hours, and after our meal we swapped phone numbers. He told me he would see me again.
“That will be good,” I replied.
“See Rachel I told you someone else would come along,” Katherine encouraged her. “He may be Mr. Right.”
I found out a few days later that Katherine said that Rachel didn’t hear from him, but at the end of the week he called. That weekend they spent hours talking and laughing on the phone. Then he asked Rachel out on a date and from there they started dating. She guessed it had been six months now, and he made her feel young again. Rachel and I kept in touch. We loved to share girl talk.
Then one night as they were hitting the clubs, Benjamin asked Rachel if she had ever heard of Judd Island.
“Sure,” she said. “I’ve been there a lot of times when I was a little girl with my best friend and her family.”
Then he took a sip of whiskey and suggested they go up there on a trip.
“It sounds great,” she replied.
“That’s great,” he replied. “I’d like to do some fishing.”
“Katherine, my best friend has moved up there,” she said. “I would love to spend some time with her, too.”
“Then it’s settled,” he agreed. “Let’s make plans to head up there by the end of the week.”
Rachel couldn’t help but wonder about him. She had known Benjamin for over six months, and he hadn’t made a pass at her. He always seems to squirm out of it. She wondered if he was gay. He would only kiss her on the cheek. She began to think it was her that was turning him off. By the end of the week they were flying from Key West to Judd Island. While on the plane, she finally got her nerve up and asked him about what had been bothering her. He sat and listened. She asked him why they hadn’t gone to bed together after all this time. He didn’t say anything. He just looked out the window.
“Are you gay?” she asked.
He sort of laughed a bit and replied, “No, I promise you I’m not gay. Call me old-fashioned,” he said. “Jumping into bed is not all that a relationship is about.”
He said he wanted to know about the woman first.
“In the past,” he said, “I’ve been hurt. Does that answer your question? That’s the reason.”
“Jumping in bed is not what it is all about,” she replied. “But it is a part of a relationship.”
“Right,” he agreed. “Is there anything else?”
Then he turned to Rachel and asked would she be patient with him.
“Okay,” she said, “but don’t take too long.”
When they arrived in Charleston they took the ferry to Witcher’s Cove. Meanwhile, Dennis had gotten a job working on the ferry. That’s where he first saw Rachel and Benjamin. Rachel noticed he kept his eye on her. She was prettier than the pictures he had seen of her. Rachel was a model of beauty and full of excitement. She caught his interest and he was very flattered. Although Dennis was older, his interest moved her imagination. Rachel had noticed that Benjamin seemed to pay little to no attention of the connection and sort of passed it off and went on.
“After we get settled in,” she said, “I want us to go see Katherine,” she told Benjamin.
“That’ll be fine,” he replied. “I look forward to it.”
A few days later, Benjamin went out on a fishing trip along the cove with a few of the islanders. They docked on its outer edge about one hour from the mainland. Rachel had taken the ferry back into Charleston to do some shopping. She hit some of the high dollar shops and stores, loading herself down with bags galore. Then she ran across a coffee shop where she stopped to rest her feet. Shortly, Dennis walked in, looking about. Rachel took a deep breath and quickly straightened her posture in her chair as he spoke.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hi,” she replied back.
“My name is Dennis,” he said
“My name is Rachel,” she answered back.
“What a beautiful name for such a lovely lady,” as he charmed her.
“Well, thank you,” she replied. “I am very flattered that you like what you see.”
“Oh, I do,” he said. “May I sit down?”
“Why, sure,” she wiggled about in her chair.
; Not losing any time, they began to get acquainted. They began to open up and it started to get steamy. From the excitement and the temptation of their desires, they soon left the coffee shop and rented a motel room. Engaged in their sinful desires, they both knew it would be only a one-night stand. They both willingly gave over to their desires and in that brief few moments those sins would cost them both the rest of their lives. The passion soon passed, and Dennis lay beside her. Slowly, he ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her repeatedly. Then he rose up and looked into her eyes.
“You don’t know who I am, do you?” he asked.
“All I know is Dennis,” she replied.
Then he smiled and lightly kissed her on the lips and said, “I’m Katherine’s husband.”
Quickly, she jumped up out of the bed, grabbed a sheet, and wrapped it around her naked body.
“What are you talking about?” she cried out. “How do you know Katherine? Tell me please you didn’t say that.”
Then he reached over and took a picture of Katherine and her and showed it to her. Quickly, she started grabbing her clothes. He lay back in the bed and laughed about it.
“Can you imagine,” he said, “what Katherine would say if she knew?”
She started to cry as she picked up a small lamp and threw it at him.
“What in heaven’s name did you do this for?” she cried. “Is it the money?”
He never replied, got up and got dressed.
“Oh, my God!” she screamed. “What have I done?”
Then she grabbed her bags and raced out of the room. There was no way that she could face Kat now. As days passed, she worried herself to death, crying, and wishing she had never done what she did. She hadn’t seen Dennis since that evening at the motel. She wondered what he was up to and what would Kat say.
“She’s going to hate me!” she cried out. “How could I let this happen? Oh, God,” she cried. “Please forgive and help me.”
Benjamin didn’t know. She tried not to let it show around him. She couldn’t tell him. She was ashamed, but he also had the right to know. But she felt it wasn’t the right time. Benjamin didn’t stay home much. He was always out fishing, she guessed. Then one day she took a walk to clear her nerves, she ran into Dennis down by the lighthouse.
“I haven’t seen you in a while,” he said.
Then she started cussing at him, giving him a piece of her mind.
“Now, hold on here a minute,” he said. “I believe you wanted to go to that motel room as bad as I did,” he boasted.
Then she turned and walked over to the edge of the cliff. As she cried in her shame, she listened as the waves crashed upon the beach rocks below. A flock of seagulls flew above as the giant lighthouse stood bold upon the hill. The salty sea drove its moist wind inland, causing the humidity to rise.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“Not much,” he said.
“So you’re going to blackmail me?” she yelled. “How much will it take to forget this whole thing?”
“Oh, I don’t want your money,” he replied. “I want Katherine’s money.”
“What!” she cried. “What does that have to do with me?”
“One thing at a time,” he replied. “There is one thing I want you to do first.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Tomorrow I’m going out in my boat,” he said. “I want you to see that Benjamin is on it with me.”
“How can I do that?” she said. “He doesn’t even know you.”
“You tell him that I need someone to show me some good fishing spots outside the cove,” he explained.
“Why, why are you doing this?” she questioned.
“Time will tell,” he replied.
“And if I don’t?,” she spoke up.
“Well, Katherine,” he replied as he reached into his shirt pocket, “will have to see this locket with yours and her picture. She gave you this when you graduated from high school.”
“Where did you get that?” she shouted. “Give it to me!”
“You left it in our bed in the motel room,” he replied. “You left so fast I didn’t have time to give it to you.”
Quickly she turned and walked off.
“Have him at the cove at eight o’clock sharp,” he warned.
She never looked back.
“What in God’s name am I to do?” she said. “What does he want with Benjamin anyway?”
Scared of his threats and afraid of losing Kat, she tossed it about in her head and heart. That evening when Benjamin came in, she told him about a man who wanted him to help him find some fishing holes outside the cove.
“Sure,” he replied. “How was your day?”
“Not too good,” she replied. “If you don’t mind I think I’ll lie down and rest.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “I am going to go out for a while.”
“Where are you going?” she questioned.
“I might go into Charleston for a while,” he said. “I’ll be back early. See you later. Bye.”
“Bye,” she replied as he disappeared out the door.
It so happened since Rachel and Benjamin had been on the island, things were so mixed up and up in the air they hadn’t run into Kat. She thanked the Lord because she was dreading it more than anything. Kat could always see through her and could always tell when she was lying.
Meanwhile over at Kat’s, the phone rang. She answered it. It was the strange voice again, asking to meet at the Salty Dog Restaurant on Third and Fourth Street at seven o’clock.
“Come alone,” the voice warned.
“How will I know you?” she asked.
“You won’t,” he replied. “But I’ll know you. I have a secret to share.”
I arrived a little early and took a booth. The waitress came by and asked me what I would like. I asked her if she had some Southern Bourbon with a lime twist. She said she would have it right out. As I waited, I looked about the room to see if I recognized anyone but I didn’t. The waitress brought my drink. I sipped on it, wondering who the stranger was and what he wanted. The time passed quickly as I waited. It was forty-five minutes past seven. I had begun to give up when the waitress came by with an envelope in her hand. I quickly took it and opened it. Inside was a stick of peppermint candy and nothing else. I quickly threw it down on the table. I am allergic to peppermint. It messes up my allergies, makes my nose run, gives me a headache, and sometimes my eyes swell. But what on earth does it mean? I quickly looked across the room and asked the waitress who gave her the envelope. As she looked about the room she didn’t see him anywhere. She quickly started to apologize. I asked her what he looked like.
“He was short, young, and nice looking,” she said. “He had a scar that ran down the side of his face.”
Evidently he had left and she couldn’t tell me much more. But, what does it mean I thought. Who would know I was allergic to peppermint? Puzzled, confused, and a little scared, I left and headed home. Then that night on the ferry I saw him. He stood on the deck of the ship. As I walked up behind him it was dark. He turned around a slight bit. That’s when I saw the scar. He kept his back to me the rest of the time.
“What do you want?’ she asked. “Who are you?”
The same voice she had heard on the phone returned to speak.
“Katherine, I need your help,” he said. “Think back on the peppermint and you’ll know who I am.”
Shortly the boat docked at the cove and he turned to leave. I grabbed his arm to turn him around. When I did the light from the lighthouse passed over us. I quickly placed my hand upon his face and took a deep breath and said, “Oh, my God.” Then as he rushed away, he looked back.
“I’ll call,” he said.
That night after I got home, I was so upset and nervous that I took a shot of whiskey straight. I didn’t know what to think or say. Had I
seen a ghost? I didn’t sleep much that night. I didn’t know what to think or feel. The next morning I stepped outside and started to walk to try to clear my head.
When Rachel awoke that morning, she noticed Benjamin was gone. She quickly got dressed and ran down toward the lighthouse. When she arrived, she took her binoculars and looked along the shore till she saw them. The waters about the cove looked troubled and uneasy. The sky was a grayish color with a few dark clouds. Then she began to yell for them. She was afraid something bad was going to happen. But, the noise of the waves made it impossible to hear her. She watched as they got into the boat and headed out to sea. About then Rachel heard someone call her name.
“Rachel, is that you?” Kat asked as Rachel quickly turned around. “Why, it is you!” I replied as I ran over to her and hugged her. “Girl, what are you doing here and why didn’t you tell me you were on the island?”
She told me that she had been on the island about two weeks.
“Why haven’t you come by to see me?” I asked. “Let me tell you, baby girl, you have got to come by. I have got someone I want you to meet and I have something I want to tell you. You won’t believe it.”
About that time, they heard an explosion out in the cove. Rachel scanned the edge of the cove with the binoculars. She saw Dennis’s ship in flames and sinking.
“Oh, my God!” she cried. “Oh, no, Benjamin!” she cried out.
Her eyes filled with tears as her hands and legs trembled.
“Please, God, don’t let it be,” she prayed.
Then she looked about and saw some of the other boats racing to the burning ship. She looked again but didn’t see a soul. Quickly, I took the binoculars and looked out. I recognized the boat. I started screaming and took off down the hillside for the shore. Rachel ran behind me as I raced down the hill, screaming Dennis’s name. Then all of a sudden I tripped and fell. As I tumbled down the hillside, Rachel was crying out.
“Kat, Kat, I’m coming,” she shouted.
Then Rachel fell. As we both rolled down the hill in the tall thick grass, you could hear the island sirens sounding. Its sound was so haunting it sent chills up my spine. When we reached the shore, we ran as fast as we could toward the edge of the water. All that we could see was heavy black smoke coming from across the bend. There were other boats approaching from the neck of the cove. Then we turned and saw a patrol boat headed for the black smoke. We both cried out, “Lord, please don’t let it be.” As the other islanders began to gather around, the police and rescue squads took their positions. Luckily the patrol boat was also a small tanker and it was able to put the fire out. We all waited patiently and prayed. From where we watched, we couldn’t tell if they were all right. All we could do was hope and pray.
Suddenly the black smoke began to break up and settle around the bend. We could still hear the siren of the patrol boat across the cove. From the looks of things, the patrol boat was able to put the fire out and salvage the boat. As they towed the boat into the dock, it appeared to be empty at first. But then they brought out a body. It was burned so badly you couldn’t identify who it was. Which one was it and where was the other body? The officers at the scene stated that not far from where the boat exploded there had been sharks swimming near the bend. He also said that they were going back out with divers to continue the search for the other body. I was numb and Rachel was in shock. We all wondered who the body was. Then out behind the crowd down from the beach, a voice called out my name. Quickly, I looked. My heart stopped as I took off tearing through the crowd screaming and hollering. It was Dennis. He was all right. When I saw him coming down the beach I couldn’t believe it. I asked him if he wanted me to come to the hospital with him, but he wanted me to stay with Rachel because she needed me more right now. That was the way he was.
Everyone was cheering as he came near, all except Rachel. She knew then the body was Benjamin. She passed out. As the rescue squad tended to Rachel, the police asked me a few questions. Dennis stated that everything was fine until they entered the bend. That is when he smelled a real strong odor of gas. It exploded and he was blown off the side of the ship into the water.
“I must have gotten hit in the head by some debris when I went over. Last thing I remember, Benjamin was on fire and rolling around in the boat trying to put himself out. Next thing I knew I had floated down the beach and washed up on shore.”
As Dennis talked, the police did notice a bad cut on his forehead. In a few minutes, Rachel came to. She was hysterical. They put Dennis in an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Katherine took Rachel back to her house. The officer roped off the boat area for a routine investigation. It was off limits to everyone. Benjamin’s body was sent in another ambulance to the county coroner’s office for an autopsy. Slowly the crowd broke up, and Katherine and Rachel went to Kat’s house. Rachel lay down on the couch as Katherine wiped her face with a wet bath cloth.
“I’m so sorry about Benjamin,” I cried.
Then Rachel broke down again crying hysterically. I held her in my arms and rocked her. Tears filled my eyes as we cried until we couldn’t cry any more. All that we could do was sit silently and stare. About two hours later, Dennis called. He was fine and needed me to come and get him.
“Rachel, do you think you’ll be all right for a few minutes?” I asked. “I’ve got to go pick up Dennis at the hospital.”
“Sure, Kat, I’ll be fine. I think I’m going on home,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”
“Are you sure?” I replied. “You can go with me.”
“No, that’s alright,” she explained. “I’ll meet him later.”
“Okay, then,” I said. “I’ll check on you later. Bye.”
A few days later, Rachel, Katherine, and Dennis stood on the banks of the lighthouse. Below the beach, the crashing waters of the ocean drove hard against the cliff. Rachel held an urn in her arms. She opened the lid and poured out Benjamin’s ashes in the gusty winds. That was Benjamin’s wish. Rachel stood bold and brave as she held back the tears. I took her in my arms and held her close to me, like a big sister.
About two weeks later, Dennis approached Rachel once again and told her he had a plan to kill Katherine and he needed her help. He wanted all of her money and Rachel was a big partner in his plan. He was holding the one night-stand over her head, because he believed that if Kat found out it would destroy them both. He wanted Katherine dead.
Then one afternoon, Rachel and I took a walk down by the lighthouse. I asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing. But, I knew better. It was something else besides losing Benjamin.
“There is something you want to tell me,” I said.
She began to cry. She was afraid and didn’t know what to do. Then I looked in her eyes and said, “It’s something about Dennis isn’t it.”
She nodded her head yes.
“I could tell by the way he looked at you,” I said. “I think I know what it is.”
Then Rachel told her the whole story.
“Forgive me, Kat,” she cried. “I didn’t know. I swear I had no idea.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “Rachel, you can tell me.”
We both sat down in the tall grass on the hillside overlooking the bay. Rachel confided in me. She told me the whole story and about the one night stand and the blackmail. Tears filled my eyes as I saw the hurt and pain she had been carrying. I turned to her and told her that I loved her and always have loved her and that there was nothing that would change that. I slowly looked around me to see that autumn had fallen in my life once more. Like so many times my saying had triggered onto a hard time. Autumn was not always sad, but happy at times. I told Rachel to keep things like they were and not to let him know I knew and I wouldn’t either. As we stood, we hugged once more, and Rachel told me that she loved me. I told her that I forgave her. When we got back to the house, the de
tectives were there. When we approached them, I asked what was going on. I hadn’t expected to see them so soon.
He said, “I hadn’t planned on coming back, but something has come up that you should know about.”
“What’s that?” I questioned.
“The body we took off the boat that was burned so badly is Shane Ward, your brother. Shane and Benjamin is the same person. Shane was using Benjamin, his middle name, to hide his identity. Word has it that the accident may be mafia connected.”
My legs fell weak as they started to buckle under me. Quickly, we sat down on the porch steps.
“How can you be so sure?” Rachel asked. “The body was burned so badly.”
“When they did the autopsy in Charleston, they checked his dental records and the fingerprints they took off his good hand. His prints proved a match and his dental work was a perfect match.”
“But why?” I asked. “What is going on? How did Shane get involved with the mafia?”
“Gambling debt we suspect,” replied the detective.
“That’s what we found out from street informants. Shane was in with the mob too deeply. They wanted their money, and he didn’t have it so they had put a contract on him. He wound up with a truckload of gambling debt he couldn’t pay. He faked his death to keep from having to pay. He is also wanted in the suspicious murder in Long Bottom, North Carolina. The boy who helped Shane fake his death was found about six weeks ago, also dead. By the way, is your husband around?” asked the detective. “I have some questions to ask him about the explosion.”
“He’s gone over to Charleston,” I replied. He said he wouldn’t be back until later tonight.”
“What about the explosion?” Rachel inquired.
“After they examined the boat, your husband said he smelled gas. We found a small hole in the gas line. It looked like it was made by the point of a pocketknife. The fumes and gas leak dripped enough gas on the engine that when it got hot it ignited and blew up. My question is, with it being a new boat, how did the hole get in a new line?”
“Are you suggesting that he killed Shane?” I asked.
“About how long have you known him?” asked the detective.
“Not as long as I should have,” I answered back.
“Okay, ladies, that’s it for now,” he said. “I’ll check back tomorrow with your husband.”
As he was leaving, Rachel and I looked at one another in disbelief.
Why didn’t Shane come to daddy or me to get the money? We would have paid it off to save him. Then it dawned on me. He didn’t want daddy to know because he was afraid he’d be cut out of his inheritance. Then after daddy died, he would resurface and claim his part. That was what he was trying to tell me all along. That he needed help and money, but the mob must have been right on him and he had to move around a lot. Then that’s what he was trying to say with the peppermint stick. I am allergic to peppermint and when we were growing up, Shane nicknamed me Peppermint. He was the only one who called me that. I wish I would have caught on to it. Maybe he would still be alive.
Rachel didn’t say anything, but while Katherine was figuring out Shane, she was, too. That’s why he never made a pass at her. They were only good friends. We were like brother and sister growing up.
“What are we going to do?” Rachel asked. “He’s evidently working for the mob. He already killed Shane. Killing again won’t matter to him.”
Kat quickly hushed Rachel as she thought for a minute.
“He won’t be home until late tonight,” I said. “I’ve got an idea. Come on in the house, and I’ll tell you about it.”
As they entered the house, Kat explained the plan.
“Do you think it will work?” asked Rachel.
“We’ll make it work,” bragged Kat.
Time passed slowly as the two girls went over the plan. It was finally a quarter to one in the morning. The two girls waited for him in the dark house. Katherine was right; he come home dog drunk. They had cut off the main breaker inside the house. The only light that you could see was that of the full moon and the sudden flash of the lighthouse every few seconds. When he stepped into the room, I met him at the door in a negligee. I was hot and ready. When he saw me, he asked for another drink. I poured him one.
“I want to make a toast,” he said, “to my darling rich wife. Here’s to you, baby, cheers.”
Then he fell down on the couch. About then in came Rachel in a beautiful negligee.
“Rachel,” he said, “is that you? Are there two of you?” he laughed. “That calls for another drink. Katherine let me have a double.”
I quickly poured the drink and handed it to him.
“I want to make a toast to Rachel,” he cheered, “the best one-night stand ever.”
Then we eased over to him, one on each side. He smelled of alcohol and smoke. Slowly, we started loving on him. He was eating it up. In a matter of minutes he passed out. Quickly, we changed clothes. I got one arm and Rachel the other. Then we hurried to get him to the cliff. We struggled to get him there; he was a big guy. We fell down a couple of times, but we picked him up and moved on. When we got to the cliff we were going to let him fall off when he came to. As he staggered about, he turned to me and asked what was going on. I told him to look over his shoulder. He turned and his feet slipped and he fell over the cliff. When he did, he grabbed me. Rachel screamed as Dennis and I disappeared into the darkness. She fell to her knees, looking over the edge.
“Kat, Kat, Kat!” she cried.
“I’m here,” I cried. “Down here.”
As the lighthouse lit up the cliff, Rachel finally saw me. I was hanging from the cliff by some old roots and grass. There was no sign of Dennis. Quickly, Rachel reached down, trying to grab hold of my hand. She stretched and tried her best to reach me but we couldn’t get a hold.
“Hold on!” she cried. “Hold on, Kat.”
“Hurry up,” I cried. “My hand is slipping.”
About that time a big hand broke through the darkness. It was Dennis climbing up on Kat’s back. She fought to get him off, but she was limited from her situation. Rachel slapped and knocked him around with her other hand. But he was not backing off. Then Rachel picked up a rock and started hitting him in the head. Dennis tried to pull her over the edge, but he was too weak. Then he grabbed me by the hair of the head and jerked me back from the cliff into the darkness to the rocky beach below. Rachel stood crying at the top of the cliff. The lighthouse searched the night sky and the beach below. Quickly Rachel looked down and saw Katherine and Dennis lying there. They lay motionless and still. Then she took off and ran down the hill to the beach. When she got there she saw Kat; she was dead; her neck was broken.
“Kat, Kat!” she cried. “Please don’t die.”
Then all of a sudden something grabbed Rachel’s leg. She started to scream and started kicking with all her strength. It was Dennis’s hand. Then it let go and fell limp after a few minutes. Rachel called the police and the detective came out. She explained to him about Shane and that Dennis was a hit man for the mob.
“Kat confronted him when he came home drunk and they fought and argued. I tried to break it up, but they kept on and they wound up over by the cliff. Dennis was so drunk he couldn’t stand up. He tripped over the edge and when he fell, he grabbed Kat. She went over with him. I tried to help them but it was too late. They both ended up on the rocky beach below. That’s when I called you. I believe you’ll find out that Dennis also killed Shane’s friend in North Carolina.”
The detective took the report and looked at all the evidence. He wasn’t for sure if everything happened that way, but enough had already happened. Did it really matter?
About a week later, Rachel left Judd Island. But before she left, she received a call from her attorney in Key West. He told her that he had gotten a call from a Katherine Ward’s attorney in Clove
r Hill Ridge, Tennessee, and she needed to go by his office immediately. She agreed to go by on her way back to Key West. It wasn’t long until she was back in Clover Hill puzzled by the strange meeting. Rachel sat down with Kat’s attorney.
“I guess you are wondering,” he said, “why I have asked you to come by.”
“Kinda,” she replied.
“Actually, Rachel, Wilson Ward had three children, Katherine, Shane and you.”
“What!” she interrupted.
“Yes, you,” he said. “Katherine and Shane are your half brother and sister. Wilson had a brief affair with your mother several years ago. She got pregnant and had you. Wilson and your mother agreed never to tell anyone and let it remain a secret until after his death.”
“Did Kat and Shane know?” she asked.
“No, they didn’t. Not even their mother knew. Your mother loved him unconditionally. She took it to her grave. There was an attachment to the will. It was only to be opened at the death of Katherine and Shane Ward. It was a written addition and was attached to the original will. It is a safety clause set up through the Tennessee Supreme Court to protect inheritors such as an unknown child, children, or other parties to their rightful inheritance. It is called The Unclaimed Children’s Law. Docket #4A73B10-C of 1921 protects the rights of those children in question. If a party or parties have a child or children outside of their family, those children have the right to claim their share of the inheritance in question. But they must have documented proof, without a reasonable doubt, of their birth father and mother. In your case, Rachel, you are the last surviving heir to the Ward fortune. Besides, Katherine left everything to you. She made you the beneficiary if anything ever happened to her. So that’s it,” he said. “Rachel you are a very rich woman.”
She was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. She got up and quietly walked over to the window and looked out. In a few minutes, with tears in her eyes, she mumbled out the words, “When Autumn Falls.”