Chapter 9
Entering the room at the nursing home, Clara felt a mix of anticipation and empathy. James” grandfather, Dale, lay in the bed, his eyes brightening at the sight of his grandson. It was clear the two of them loved each other. She almost felt like an intruder. She was about to tell him she would wait outside when he gently took her hand and pulled her along with him.
“Hey, Grandpa,” James said, taking a seat beside the bed. “This is Clara.”
Dale sat up a little. “The new girlfriend?”
“Grandpa, she”s helping me with something important,” James said with a smile.
Dale scanned Clara”s face. “Nice to meet you, Clara. James told me about you.”
Clara shot James a look. She caught a glimpse of his embarrassment and found it to be very endearing.
“It”s a pleasure to meet you, Dale,” Clara said and stepped closer to the bed.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillow. “I thought you were going to be away for a few days?”
“I was, but I wanted to come back and check on you,” James answered.
“Am I dying?” Dale asked.
“Nope,” James answered. “I just thought we could spend some time together.”
Dale eyed his grandson. “What are you up to?”
“We”re here to learn more about Eleanor and Samuel,” James told him gently. “Clara knows the story. She”s been researching it as well.”
Dale”s eyes softened and a soft smile spread across his lips. “Ah, Eleanor. She was a sweetheart, she was. Took care of me like her own son. When I was born, my mama died almost right away. Eleanor had to step up and be my mama. She was my sister, but I always thought of her as a mother.”
“Tell us more about Eleanor, Dale. We want to learn as much as we can.”
Dale closed his eyes. She could see him practically traveling back in time. “Eleanor was fifteen when I was born. Back then that was practically marrying age. Her mother died a couple of years before my daddy married my mom.”
“Your father was a millworker,” James prodded.
“Yes,” Dale nodded. “We didn”t have much. My daddy didn”t know anything about taking care of kids. He liked to drink. Sometimes we wouldn”t see him for days at a time. Eleanor used to try and make some money and do a little mending. She always told me not to be mad at my father for not coming home. She was so generous and kind. Even though he wasn”t a kind man, she kept trying to make excuses for him. He didn”t make much money and what he did make, he would spend on booze. Eleanor used to put together the best soup out of nothing. She washed clothes to help make money for the family.” Dale continued with a fond smile on his face. “Always humming a tune while she worked. She was a beautiful soul, inside and out.”
Clara listened to him talk about his sister with such love. She understood why he didn”t believe she abandoned him. Hearing him talk, she didn”t believe it either.
“Can you tell us about her disappearance?” James prodded.
Dale let out a long sigh. “Eleanor, was twenty-two when she disappeared. I was just seven. She didn”t come home. Daddy didn”t come home. I was all alone for two days.”
As Dale spoke, Clara could visualize the scenes he painted. A young Eleanor, with kindness etched in her every gesture, takes on the responsibility of caring for a young Dale.
“Eleanor was always responsible, and she”d never have left me alone unless something happened,” Dale whispered, his voice barely audible. Clara and James leaned in closer, holding their breath as he talked.
“Was there ever anything that made you think she might be in trouble?” James asked.
Dale looked thoughtful. “One night I woke up to some noise. Eleanor was arguing with a man. I didn”t know him. Couldn’t see his face. When he left, I saw her crying. The next day, she didn”t come home.” Dale looked at James, “I waited for three days. When my dad came home, I told him what happened. He finally went to the sheriff. He asked around but no one had seen Eleanor or the man.”
Dale”s eyes misted over, “I lived with the hope that she”d walk through that door any day, for years. But she never did.”
“Did anyone try to find her?” Clara asked.
Dale nodded. “They did. The townsfolk, the sheriff, and even some folks from the neighboring town joined in. They searched the woods, the river, and every house in town. No trace of her was ever found.”
James interjected, “What about the man she argued with? Do you remember anything else about him?”
Dale shook his head sadly. “I was too young and scared to remember clearly.”
“And Samuel?” Clara asked softly.
“I don”t know,” Dale said. “I remember him coming around a couple of times, but she always shooed him away. Looking back, I can see she was in love.”
“Was Samuel the man she argued with?” Clara asked.
“I don”t know,” Dale answered. “All I do know is Eleanor wouldn”t have abandoned me. If she was going to run away with Samuel, she would have taken me. I know it. She wouldn”t have left me with my father.”
James and Clara listened to Dale a bit longer, asking him questions when they could. It became clear the man was exhausted and they had pushed him far enough.
After spending time with Dale and hearing his stories, Clara left the nursing home with a renewed sense of purpose. She had to give the man closure. She understood why James was so committed.
Clara couldn”t shake the image of Eleanor, the young woman who had selflessly cared for her brother and left a lasting impression on those who knew her.
“Are you okay?” James asked once they were back in the car.
“I am. I just find it to be such a sad story. I feel terrible for your grandfather. How sad for him.”
“This is why I need to give him answers,” James said.
“I agree. What happened to his father, your great-grandfather?”
“My grandfather said he sobered up after Eleanor disappeared. The townspeople helped initially, but something shifted. He told me they turned on them. That”s when my great-grandfather moved them here. They cut ties with everyone, but they still had a hard time. My great-grandfather died when my grandfather was sixteen. He was homeless for a bit. Back then, they didn”t have CPS or anything like that.”
“That is so sad,” Clara said. “I hate that three lives were ruined.”
“Four if you count my great-grandfather. I don”t think anyone recovers from losing two wives and a daughter.”
“True. And Samuel”s family. What happened? Did they search for him?”
“I don”t know,” he sighed. “My grandfather was so young. That”s what I”ve been looking for in the archives. I thought maybe I could find a missing poster or something like that. So far, I haven”t found a single article about his disappearance. Doesn”t that seem odd to you?”
“You mean they weren”t looking for him because they knew where he was?”
“Or knew he was dead,” James answered with a grim expression.
“I guess I didn”t think of it like that.”
“Hopefully, we”ll find out soon enough,” he said as he started the engine. “I”m beat. Let”s go home and get something to eat.”
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said. “I appreciate you trusting me.”
“I think the old man liked you,” he teased. “He”s still got pretty good vision.”
“I bet he was pretty handsome in his day,” she teased. “You inherited his good looks.”
“I”ll have to show you a picture of him. I have his old wedding photos. My parents used to say I looked like him.”
“I can see it,” she nodded.
He drove to his house. I was anxious to see where he lived. As they pulled into the driveway, Clara caught sight of an old sprawling ivy-covered house. It was two stories high with green shutters that matched the ivy crawling up its brick exterior. It was not what she was expecting from a consummate bachelor.