Chapter 34
“How’d it
go?” Branch asked as Southerlyn and McCoy came to a stop at the receptionist’s
desk.
“They
didn’t go for the manslaughter charge but they did convict him of reckless
endangerment,” McCoy reported, accepting his messages from the receptionist.
“That’s
better than nothing I suppose,” Branch observed as they began walking toward
their offices.
“Maybe we
shouldn’t have included the lesser charge,” Southerlyn suggested. “It seemed to
me the jury was trying to err on the side of caution. If man one had been their
only choice they may have gone for it.”
“And they
may have let the not-so-good doctor walk,” McCoy pointed out. “In any case, he
has to give up his license to practice medicine and that’s all that really
matters. Knowing that he isn’t going to harm another patient is satisfaction
enough for me.”
As they
filed into McCoy’s office, Branch asked, “Are you set for the Glover trial
coming up?”
“Serena
is going to tie up some loose ends for me while I’m gone,” McCoy answered as he
tossed his briefcase onto his desk. “After that we should be in good shape.”
“I’ve
already tracked down one piece of information we’ll need,” Southerlyn stated.
“Good.
This one is going to get a lot of attention. I want to make sure we look like
we know what we’re talking about.” Addressing McCoy Branch said, “I hear
you’re headed to
“We’re
leaving Friday at
“Where
are you flying?”
“
“Well,
don’t step on any rattlesnakes,” Branch advised. “Or cottonmouths, or copper
heads, or coral snakes, or any one of the other two hundred species of snakes
that call
McCoy
shook his head. “I’ve heard that if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you
alone. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
“That is
what the locals will tell you,” Branch agreed as he strolled to the door. With
a wink he added, “But, personally, I wouldn’t believe them for a second.”
***“I heard about your case today,” Morgan
informed him. “I’m sorry you didn’t get man one out of it.”
As he
settled into his chair with the phone he acknowledged, “As long as he’s no
longer a threat to other patients, I can live with the verdict the jury handed
down. And I look for him to receive the max at the sentencing hearing. He’s
still going to get plenty of time to think about what he did.”
“That’s
good to hear. I was afraid you were going to be upset.”
“How can
I be upset when I only have a day and a half of work left before boarding a
plane with you to head for the wilds of
“I’m glad
you’re looking forward to it.”
Shifting
to a more comfortable position he noted, “I’d be a lot happier if I knew you
were looking forward to it, too, at least a little bit.”
He heard
her sigh into the phone. “I’ll be okay with it.”
“When?”
he demanded in mock exasperation.
“I don’t
know. Maybe when we’re circling La Guardia Tuesday night preparing to land?”
she suggested.
He
chuckled into the phone. “Better late than never, I suppose. Did you find us a
place to stay?”
“I
checked availability at several hotels in the little town near where I grew up.
There wasn’t anything going on this weekend so they all had plenty of rooms
available. I thought we’d wait until we got there to check them out before
deciding, though. I don’t know what they’re going to look like. The town is
small.”
“That
sounds fine to me, although I was really hoping you were going to tell me that
there was only one hotel for miles and miles, with only one room available for
the both of us,” he teased.
“Yeah,
well, if that had been the case I’m sure I could’ve found a bunkhouse
somewhere with an extra bed you could sleep in. It may have required a little
manual labor on your part in order to earn your keep, but I know you could’ve
handled it.”
“Oh, sure,
put me out with the cows and chickens. That seems fair,” he declared.
Morgan
laughed quietly into his ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you don’t have to
sleep with any barnyard animals.”
He was
quiet a moment before saying, “You know, it’s good to hear you laugh. You
haven’t done enough of that this past week and a half.”
“I’m
sorry. I guess I have been a bit preoccupied lately.”
“Don’t
worry so much,” he advised gently. “Everything is going to be all right. You’ll
see.”
***Morgan motioned with the hand that wasn’t
clutching McCoy’s. “That’s the
“I always
thought of
She shook
her head and smiled. “You’ve watched too many old Westerns. Only a relatively
small portion of
“And the
area where we’ll be staying? What does it look like?”
“It’s
near the
“It
really is beautiful. Isn’t NASA near
“It’s on
the way there from Houston, close to Seabrook and Kemah. In all the years I lived in the area I
never did visit.”
“That
seems to be the way it works. There are plenty of tourist attractions in
Morgan
grew quiet as they began to prepare for landing, staring out of the window, as
she had quite a few times during the long flight. After a few minutes McCoy
squeezed her hand slightly.
“So
what’s the plan when we get on the ground?” he asked when he had her attention.
“Once we
pick up the rental car, we’re supposed to head to my grandparent’s house to
meet with Simon. After that we can drive into town and find rooms.”
He
brought her hand up and kissed the back. “I’m looking forward to seeing where
you grew up. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you let me come along.”
“I’m glad
you came, too, Jack,” she assured him. “I just hope you still feel that way by
the time we’re ready to leave.”
***They had driven the last few miles mostly in silence,
punctuated only by Morgan’s brief directions. McCoy had tried to engage her in
conversation as much as possible but she had seemed to grow more nervous and
less talkative the closer they got to their destination, occasionally chewing a
fingernail in distraction. When she finally indicated a gravel road that turned
off of the main one and ran through the middle of a tree-studded pasture, he
heard her let out a shaky sigh.
After he
had made the turn and they had thumped noisily over a cattle-guard marking the
entrance, he reached over to take her hand.
“Are you
okay?”
“I’m
fine,” she answered quickly. “Just tired of sitting. It seems like that’s the
only thing we’ve done all day.”
“It will
feel good to stretch a bit,” he agreed. Pointing ahead he asked, “Is that your
grandparent’s house?”
“That’s
it,” she answered softly. As they approached she added wistfully, “It looks
exactly the same. Nothing has really changed except the trees are all a lot bigger.”
McCoy
slowed and surveyed the surroundings. The one-story house was modest, painted
bright white with a slate gray shingled roof, and had a long row of windows on
either side of the front door. On the side, a screened-in porch ran the length
of the house. A massive oak tree stood at each end of the house with another
towering above it from behind. Various other trees dotted the large yard and a
round stone tank sat beside a windmill in one corner. Beyond the yard he could
see a garage and two huge red barns surrounded by weathered plank fencing. In
the distance the rolling green pasture ended in a thick grove of trees near where
cattle were grazing contentedly.
As he
pulled their rented SUV to a stop where Morgan indicated in front of the
hurricane-wire yard fence, they were met by three large dogs, barking excitedly
and wagging their tails.
“They
look friendly enough,” he observed as he turned off the motor.
“Everyone
who lives in the country has dogs and they’re almost always friendly,” Morgan
informed him. “They’re also a necessary part of country life. They keep the
skunks and snakes out of the yard.”
As Morgan
opened her door and began to get out, he shook his head and muttered under his
breath, “Great. And I thought Arthur was only joking.”
When
McCoy got out and joined Morgan she was petting the dogs, which had stopped
barking but were each boisterously vying for her attention. He reached to
scratch the ear of one as a man and a woman approached from the house. The
blond-haired woman wore a pale pink dress and white sweater, while the man, a
good head taller than her, was dressed in typical
Morgan
straightened as the couple neared, regarding them somewhat nervously.
The man
was two steps ahead of the woman as he closed the gap between them and
immediately swept Morgan into his embrace.
“I can’t
believe you’re finally here!” he exclaimed, smothering her against his chest.
Then holding her at arms length he looked her up and down. “In twenty years
you haven’t changed a bit!”
Relaxing
a bit and giving him a warm smile Morgan noted, “It’s definitely time to get
your eyes checked, Simon.” As the man let out an exuberant burst of laughter,
she stepped around him and reached to hug the woman. “It’s so good to see you,
Lisa. How have you been?”
Returning
the embrace the woman replied, “I’m doin’ just fine, Calea. I can’t tell you
how glad we are to see you.”
“It’s
good to be here,” Morgan agreed. Stepping back, she took McCoy by the hand.
“Simon, Lisa, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Jack McCoy. He was brave
enough to make the trip with me.”
As he
shook their hands in turn he said, “Don’t let her fool you. I willingly
volunteered. I couldn’t wait to see this great state of yours.”
“You’ve
never been to
“Never
have,” McCoy answered. “What I’ve seen so far is just beautiful. And I have to
say it isn’t anything like I expected.”
“Well I
hope you enjoy your stay here,” Mrs. Miller offered. “We always look forward to
having company.”
***After having taken a tour of the house the
four of them sat around the kitchen table, sipping iced tea and nibbling
homemade cookies.
“Where did
you grow up, Jack?” Mrs. Miller asked.
“I grew
up in the heart of
“I think
I’d go crazy in a place like that,” Mrs. Miller stated. “I don’t even want to
be able to see my neighbor’s house from mine.”
“I’m
surprised you haven’t changed this house,” Morgan observed. “I told you a long
time ago that you could do whatever you wanted with it.”
“It’s
pretty much served our needs to leave it the way it was,” Miller explained. “We
did update the kitchen a few years back. The boys each have their own bedrooms,
as you saw, and the back bedroom was plenty big enough to add the extra
bathroom we put in. We put the furniture that was in here in the garage. I know
you said we could do what we wanted with it but we thought you might want some
it for sentimental reasons, if nothing else.”
“I
appreciate that,” Morgan nodded. “How old are the boys now?”
“Toby is
fourteen and Travis just turned seventeen,” Mrs. Miller answered. “Travis is already
as tall as Simon and Toby doesn’t have far to go. They’re up at the main house
helping out today.”
“So Tim
and Nancy live in the main house and Keith and Laura built one close by?”
Morgan questioned.
“That’s
right,” Miller responded. “By the time Tim got married, Dad’s health was
already starting to decline. It seemed like a good idea for him and Nancy to
stay there and watch out for him. And since the house is so big, they took one
end while Dad stayed in the other so everyone had plenty of privacy. It worked
out well for everybody.”
“I want
to tell you again how sorry I am about your Dad,” Morgan noted. “I wish I
could’ve visited with him. He always treated me like I was one of his own. He
was a very special man.”
“Thanks,
I appreciate that. He had a soft spot for you, too. I used to read him the
letters you sent. He enjoyed hearing from you.”
Morgan
glanced at McCoy. “Do you think we should be going soon? We still have to find
rooms.”
Before he
could respond, Miller interrupted. “I wanted to talk to you about that. Lisa
and I were thinking you should stay here.”
Shaking
her head Morgan said, “We don’t want to put you out. We’ll be fine in town.”
“Before
you make up your mind, just hear me out,” Miller insisted. “Dad was really sick
toward the last so we all stuck pretty close. Now that he’s gone and things
have settled down a bit, we’ve all felt the need to get away. We have a little
place down on the bay that we all share and last week Lisa and I spent some
time there. This week Tim and Nancy are taking a turn. We’re going to go up and
stay at the main house while they’re gone. They’ve got a couple of bottle
babies that have to be fed every few hours so it’ll just be easier if we’re
right there. That leaves this house empty, so y’all wouldn’t be putting us out
at all. Besides that, I think you need to be here to get a feel for the place
again. It seems only right, all things considered.”
After
contemplating a moment Morgan queried, “Are you absolutely sure? You aren’t
just making up the story about needing to stay at the main house, are you?”
“Not at
all,” Mrs. Miller responded. “Tim fixed a little pen in the yard up there for
the calves. If we brought them here we’d have to put them in the calf pen out
at the barn. But one of them is so small, she could probably crawl under the
gate.”
Putting
his arm around his wife’s shoulders Miller added, “Lisa won’t have them in her
yard. She doesn’t want to have to wash the cow patties off the sidewalk.”
Morgan
grinned and said, “I don’t blame her. Washing off the sidewalks when the cows
got in the yard was always my job as a kid. It wasn’t something I enjoyed.” She
then looked at McCoy. “What do you think?”
He shook
his head. “It’s entirely up to you. I’m fine either way.”
After contemplating
another moment she finally nodded. “Okay. We’ll stay here. But you have to
promise that you’ll let us know if it isn’t going to work out. We won’t mind,
really.”
Miller
got up and placed his glass in the sink. “It’ll work out. And the boys are
looking forward to staying up at the house. Dad bought a satellite dish a few
years back so they’ll get to watch something besides the local stations at
night.”
As Morgan
began helping clear the table Mrs. Miller told her, “I left a baked chicken in
the refrigerator, along with some carrots from the garden and a bunch of
spinach. There’s also a freezer full of fresh beef and the garden will need to
be picked by tomorrow. I want y’all to help yourselves while you’re here. I
won’t hear of you going to town and buying food.”
“Thank
you, Lisa,” Morgan smiled. “That’s really nice of you but you shouldn’t have
gone to all that trouble.”
“It
wasn’t any trouble at all,” she assured her.
“I
brought in several jars of preserves from the wash house, too,” Miller chimed
in. “You’ll find them in the pantry. I’ll bet Jack’s never had mustang grape
jelly.”
“Mustang
grape? I can’t say I’ve ever even heard of it,” McCoy replied.
“Mmmm… I
guarantee you’ll like it,” Morgan nodded, giving him a smile.
***“It was nice of Tim and Nancy to stop by on
their way out of town,” Morgan said as she began clearing the table. “I was
hoping to see them and I really wanted you to meet them, too. Tim is quite a
bit younger than me so I mostly remember him as being a little kid. It seems
like he’s grown up to be a very sweet young man.”
“Everyone
I’ve met so far has seemed exceptionally nice,” McCoy commented. “Is that what
people mean by ‘Southern hospitality,’ or are we only getting the star
treatment because of you?”
“If you
had shown up alone, they’d treat you exactly the same way,” she contended with
a smile. “That’s just how people are around here. I forgot how much I missed
that. I had a hard time adjusting when I got to
“It’s a
nice difference,” he noted as he helped put away the food. “You know, maybe
it’s all the traveling or maybe it’s that my stomach is still on
“It might
have something to do with the fact that everything we ate was fresh, too. You’d
be surprised how much flavor is lost by the time store-bought food reaches our
tables. And the chicken was what a New Yorker would call ‘free range.’ Only
they don’t call them that here. They call them ‘Fred’ or ‘Harriet’ or ‘Bernice’.”
He gave
her a surprised look. “They raise and eat their own chickens? No wonder it
tasted so good. Maybe you should think about putting a little coop out on the
roof of your building. I could go for this more often.”
She shook
her head sadly. “No, because I really would name them Fred or Harriet and I’d never
be able to eat them. Chickens may be stupid but I couldn't eat something I fed and took care of. I’d end up like one of those old ladies you read about,
found dead in her apartment with fifty-seven cats. Only with me it would be the
chickens.”
McCoy
chuckled as he finished wiping the table. “Now there would be a sight!”
When the
kitchen was cleaned they made their way to the living room where their luggage
sat in one corner.
“What are
we going to do about sleeping arrangements?” McCoy asked, pulling her into his
arms, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “I know the Miller’s told us to sleep
where we wanted but maybe we should think about conserving on laundry and
choose only one bed.”
Giving
him a half-amused, half-warning look she said, “I believe we settled this
issue back in
He
grinned and leaned down to kiss her as he replied, “Just checking. I was hoping
that little voice had missed the plane.”
***McCoy sat up and swung his feet to the floor,
then stood and made his way to the bathroom. Once he was finished and had
started back to bed, he glanced into the room Morgan had chosen to occupy. He
stopped in his tracks upon realizing that the bed was empty. Groping his way
through the dark, unfamiliar house, he checked first the kitchen, then the
living room. He was about to turn around when he noticed that the main door
leading outside was open. Through the screen door he could see Morgan sitting
on the steps.
“Hey.
What are you doing out here?” he asked as he opened the door and walked out
into the cool night air.
“I woke
up and couldn’t go back to sleep so I thought I’d come out for a while,” she
explained without looking over her shoulder.
He
straddled her legs with his and sat down on the same step behind her, then
wrapped his arms around her. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Morgan
placed her arms over his but remained silent for a moment. Finally she said,
“When I was a kid and couldn’t sleep, I’d come sit out here and look at the
stars. It always made me feel peaceful.”
Pulling
her back slightly so that she was leaning against him, he noted “I’ll take
that as a ‘yes’.”
“Too bad
it’s cloudy tonight,” she continued. “At least it's warm, though, unlike the
weather back in
“This is
a nice change from what we’re used to,” he agreed. “But I wouldn’t exactly
consider it warm. It’s kind of nippy out here.”
After a
moment she sighed deeply and leaned her head back against his shoulder. “I’m
really glad you came with me, Jack. I don’t think I would’ve been able to come
here otherwise.”
He laid
his cheek against her soft hair. “It’s nice to know I’m needed.”
He sat
quietly for a while, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. Finally he
covered her hands with his and noted, “Your hands are freezing. Come on, let’s
go back to bed.”
Allowing
him to pull her to her feet, she followed as he led the way back inside
through the house to the bedrooms. But as he continued past the room she had
been sleeping in, toward the one he was occupying, she pulled back and stopped.
When he turned to look at her questioningly she simply shook her head.
“I
thought, since you had the nightmare, you might want some company.”
“I’m all
right,” she assured him.
Bending
to give her a light kiss he smiled and said, “Okay. Call me if you need me,”
then continued down the hallway alone.