Chapter 50
Chapter Fifty
T he next morning, Rose walked into Cracked Egg Cafe and headed straight for The Elders’ table. Her heart should have warmed at the sight of the two empty chairs between the Conroy’s and Dr. Cook, but the raccoon incident was too fresh in her mind. Even a cheerful greeting escaped her.
Jeremy saw her first. Something in her expression must have alarmed him. He stood.
“What’s wrong?”
She took the seat closest to Brigette. “Give me a minute. Willow’s on her way.”
Brigette put her hand over hers and squeezed.
Her mood must have carried. The table was silent. Florence stopped by her chair.
Rose said, “I could use a bear claw this morning, Florence.”
Notepad in hand, she looked her up and down. “And maybe a small bowl of cinnamon crumb topping on the side?”
Rose managed a small smile. This town was full of people who knew her, recognized when things weren’t right. “Thanks, I’ll save it for another day.”
“Eleven-year-old Rose would have jumped at the offer.”
“Eleven-year-old Rose isn’t herself today.”
Florence pressed a hand to her shoulder. “Very well, sweetie. Next time.”
Willow appeared and took the seat beside her. “Morning, all.” She placed her order. “Can I get the oatmeal with pecans and blueberries?”
“Of course. Both of you want coffee?”
Rose nodded. Willow too.
Brigette nudged her. “Don’t keep us waiting. Something’s happened.”
Rose shared the recent events. Willow knew all of it, but it was new to the rest. They reacted with a mixture of anger, shock, and concern.
She appreciated their compassion, but she needed something else.
She made eye contact with each of them, took a breath and said, “I believe George Hindley’s behind all of this.
I need you to tell me everything you know about him. ”
They exchanged looks among themselves, as if they were having a private conversation. The mayor cleared his throat and looked away.
Brigette poked her husband’s side. “It’s time, love.”
Jeremy sighed and gave a single nod. “Hal, you start.”
Hal waited until Florence came by for refills, then began.
“Most of us went to school together. We were a close bunch: your grandparents, me and Martha, the mayor, and Sam. Brigette’s a mite younger, but when she and Jeremy married, they joined us too.
Hiking, canoeing on the river, dinners—we did all of it together. It was the same in high school.”
“Back then, Nola’s father, Malcolm Everson, offered summer jobs to teens as part of a rehabilitation vocational program after serving time.
George Hindley was in that program. Your grandfather gave him a job working on the grounds.
Nola was supposed to be overseas the whole summer with her mother, Angelika, and her other siblings.
Her mother changed her mind last minute and rescinded the invitation.
Malcolm had already agreed to help with the program. ”
“I worked in the Everson stables then. Malcolm felt he couldn’t back out of the agreement. He’d found jobs for half-a-dozen young men in this community. Most were respectful, thankful for the opportunity to turn their lives around. Only Hindley caused him concern.”
He paused while Florence set their orders on the table.
Hal continued. “Malcolm asked me to watch over Nola. He didn’t like the way Hindley looked at his daughter.
I saw it too, the way he watched her. Disturbing.
Weeks in, Hindley approached Malcolm and asked his permission to court her.
Malcolm lost it, fired Hindley, and sent him back to that ranch he’d come from. ”
“I figured he was gone for good. Sam, Jeremy, and I—we enlisted in the military after graduation. When we returned after a couple of tours, Nola was up at college in New York, studying?—”
Brigette interrupted. “They don’t need a local history lesson, Hal. They need the tale out and over. As do I. I hate what happened.”
Her words didn’t offer comfort.
Hal sent Brigette an irritated look. He reached out, patted Rose’s hand twice before pulling it back as if preparing his next words.
“Fine. Weddings happened. Kids happened. Years went by.”
Rose asked, “How many?”
“Over twenty. After Devin passed.”
Beside her, Willow pressed her lips together.
“It was a chilly night in February. I was at home watching a movie. My phone rang. It was Nola. Someone was inside her house. She’d called the cops, but also called me. I called Jeremy and Brigette, then raced out my door.”
Jeremy spoke next. “I arrived first. Poor Tess was knocked out on the kitchen floor. She told us later, she’d been on her way out the door for the night. Neither woman knew Hindley was waiting outside. He’d come back to town and started bothering Nola. She didn’t tell us.”
“I wish I’d been there for her, but someone needed to watch Aidan and Ethan,” said Brigette. “Nola refused to talk about it. She felt horrible that Tess ended up with a concussion.”
“Nola knew her house, though,” Jeremy chimed in, “all its hiding places. By the time he found her, Hal and I were inside. The others were just seconds behind.”
“She was in the ballroom, behind the heavy drapes,” said Hal. “Not sure what gave her hiding place away.”
Rose blanched at the thought of Magnolia trapped, unable to get away. “You told us you stopped him from hurting her. Was that a lie?”
Brigette swallowed, looked at Jeremy, the others.
Jeremy heaved a sigh. “It wasn’t a lie. He got a hold of her, had ill intentions.”
A whimper came from Willow. She covered her mouth with her hands.
The mayor spoke, his voice too loud. “See here. There’s no easy way to say it. This man was in love with Nola, wanted her to marry him.”
Brigette turned so quickly her seat squeaked. “Clyde Winston, are you trying to give this story a happy ending?”
He blustered. “I don’t want these girls?—”
“What happened can’t be undone, Clyde. These girls are adults. They can handle the truth. Jeremy, love, tell them the rest.”
“Yes, dear.” He looked at Hal and Sam as if for guidance. They both nodded as if agreeing. “That night wasn’t what we’d call our best moment.”
Hal said, “I wanted to kill him. Tear him into pieces.”
Dr. Cook said, “I felt the same. He intended to force her, that was clear.”
“They stopped him before he could,” said Brigette.
She and Willow must have looked traumatized. With calm, Brigette leaned over, took both their hands and said, “Look at me, girls.”
Rose met her eyes, saw Willow raise her head.
Her voice was so calm. “George didn’t rape Nola, but he sure as hell tried. The men sitting at this table—they got to her in time, stopped him before he could.”
Jeremy nodded. “Sam here tackled him. Then Hal tried to tear him apart with his bare hands.”
“I stayed with Tess, called the paramedics,” said Clyde.
Anger bracketed Jeremy’s eyes, along with sorrow. “He never should have put a finger on her. Why the hell he thought she’d marry him is beyond me. The man was crazed.”
With disgust in his voice, Dr. Cook said, “He looked at her like she was something to own, a possession.”
Rose asked, “What happened next?”
“The cops showed up after we dragged George outside,” said Jeremy. “They arrested him.”
Willow asked, “They showed up after?”
Disgust lined Jeremy’s voice. “You could say that. They made excuses. I’m guessing there’s something in the records that justifies the delay. The truth is—they didn’t believe her. Nola told us after that she’d made multiple complaints about Hindley days before for harassment, trespassing…”
Brigette interrupted. “The last time she complained, the new sheriff made lewd comments about the way Nola dressed, implied it was her own damn fault.”
Rose pressed her palms to her coffee mug. “Hutchins?”
Hal nodded. “He’d been elected the year before. Your grandfather was still alive at the beginning of his campaign, but refused to back him.”
Willow’s voice was stricken. “That’s total petty crap! How is he still the sheriff?”
Brigette turned to the mayor. Her voice oozed saccharine. “Yes, Clyde, you want to tell these girls why you continue to support Hutchins’ re-election campaigns?”
The mayor’s face turned an angry red. “He’s a good police officer. I was there too that night. George was arrested and served time for what he tried with Nola. The police department did its job.”
Brigette taunted. “They should have done it faster. Did you ever think about Nola’s trauma? The station is on Center Street, closer than our house.”
Jeremy wrapped an arm around his wife. “Calm yourself, love. We were there for her when others weren’t.”
The mayor’s face turned a darker shade. He stood. “I don’t have to listen to this.” He reached out to catch the arm of another server. “Get me a to-go box.”