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Evelyn had been sitting on Anne’s porch, waiting patiently for Kate’s return. Normally, idling came to her as naturally as asking for help, which was to say not at all. But she had to admit that if one were to while away the afternoon, waiting to see what happened next, Anne’s porch was a good place to do so. Her idle had been rewarded with Kate’s return and Tom’s near miss, confirming her opinion that most men were dolts. After Tom drove away, Kate and Sheera remained in the drive. Evelyn walked down from the porch to greet them.
“Welcome back. You kids have fun playing cops and robbers?” As she said this, she leaned down and winked at Sheera through the open window. Looking back at Kate, Evelyn realized Kate had no idea what she was talking about. “The ranger. It looked like he was in hot pursuit.”
“What? Oh. No.”
Evelyn shook her head. “Law enforcement’s best and brightest, right here on our little island. Speaking of which Lurch is gone. Dorothy read him the riot act and sent him away.”
Evelyn waited for Kate to say something. She didn’t.
“Come on. You need some coffee. And I bet the Princess of Power could use a snack.”
Kate absently took the crutches Evelyn held out to her but otherwise stood as if stuck and gazed at the house.
“Come on, Kate,” said Evelyn again. “You’re dead on your feet. It’s just me and Anne in the house. We’ll get Sheera set up with a snack in the kitchen and you can rest a bit on the porch.”
“Right, yeah, okay,” said Kate. She looked at the car as if surprised by where she was.
Sheera clambered out on the passenger side, slammed the door and came around to the driver’s side. Kate leaned in, one knee on the driver’s seat, and pulled the keys from the ignition. She checked front seat and back, looking for her purse. No, backpack. Right, that was in the woods somewhere. She got back to her feet and closed the door.
“We should probably close the windows,” said Kate, gazing at the car.
Evelyn waited but Kate was stuck again. “Here. Let me. You shouldn’t be operating heavy machinery.” She took the keys from Kate, opened the door and, sitting half in the car, leaned back to put the keys in the ignition. That’s when she made the connection. She sat back up, grinning. “That’s why the car was running. Before. You turned on the car to raise the windows and then forgot to turn it back off.”
“What? Oh. Yeah, maybe. Sheera was crying. I don’t know why. I was too. We both, we just needed a little privacy.” Kate reached her hand out to the girl who wrapped her fingers around Kate’s thumb.
“Lurch is young and stupid. But Dorothy, she’s a keepah. We had a chance to talk after you left. She’s smart. Definitely on your side.”
As Evelyn spoke, she nudged Kate and Sheera up toward the house. Kate wiggled her hand free from Sheera’s so she could use the crutches. Sheera stayed close by Kate’s side.
“Lurch,” said Kate, finally getting the reference. “He’s the one who upset Sheera? I was only gone a minute. What did he do?”
“Sheera was frightened when you left the house without her. Lurch got between you and her and it sort of snowballed from there.”
“Oh, Sheera,” sighed Kate. She stopped walking, found Sheera’s eyes, and held her gaze intently. “I won’t leave you. I promise, I won’t leave you.” They resumed walking. “And Dorothy? Is that her real name?”
“First impression, she reminded me of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.”
Kate laughed low, acknowledging the resemblance.
“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” said Kate. They’d arrived at the steps leading to the front porch. “Oh, Evelyn, what next?”
“Coffee and a snack,” she said and helped Kate negotiate the steps.
Kate hadn’t expected an answer but was grateful for the one she got. Anne joined them on the porch and helped settle Kate into a rocking chair and cover her in a blanket.
“I just got off the phone with that detective,” said Anne.
“Dorothy,” said Kate.
Anne smiled. “She’s asking that you stay here for a while, in case they have any more questions. She also said that if Sheera says anything, anything at all, she wants to know right away. Has she?”
Kate didn’t answer.
“Said anything?” prompted Anne.
“What? Oh, um, just my name.” She smiled at Sheera who smiled back. “You’re sure it’s not an imposition?” Kate said this out of habit, not even looking at Anne. In truth she couldn’t fathom going anywhere else. There was nowhere else to go. Sheera was here. She was with Sheera. Beyond that she couldn’t think.
“As long as you don’t mind me cleaning house,” said Anne. “I’ve got a party here tonight.”
There was an island tradition that on the first Friday of the month one of the residents would host an open-to-the-community party. It could be anything from an afternoon picnic with kids and ice-cream to an adult only keg party. This month it happened to be Anne’s turn. Her wine and cheese affairs didn’t usually draw a crowd, but the events of the day had changed all that. Anne had lived on the island long enough to know how fast news traveled and was smart enough to prepare for an onslaught of curious gossips.
With the promise of hot cocoa and the reassurance that she could see Kate from the window, Sheera went into the kitchen. Anne dug out some paper and pencils for Sheera to play with. Evelyn stayed at the table with Sheera while Anne returned to cleaning house.
Kate was just starting to nod off to sleep when she was jolted awake by the sound of whistling. She looked up toward the road and saw the man she kicked and hit and tied in duct tape, walking up the street, on his way further out of town. Matt. His name was Matt.
Kate tossed the blanket aside, snatched up her crutches and made for the road. She called out, “Ah, Sir? Excuse me, Sir?”
Matt stopped and turned around to see the crazy woman who’d viciously attacked him, clumping down the porch steps and path toward him. He held up his palm to stop her. “Sir? Are you kidding me? Sir? Is that supposed to be funny?”
“Sorry, no, not funny,” said Kate as she continued to close the gap. Matt turned his back and continued up the road.
“Listen. Please. Stop. Matt,” said Kate, with each plant of the crutches and swing of her legs. She finally reached the roadside, slightly out of breath. “Listen. Sorry. I… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for…” Kate waved her bandaged hand toward the man’s face, swollen, bruised and scratched, then vaguely towards his body and groin. “For everything. I’m sorry for everything.”
“You should be.”
“I am. I really hurt you. I’m so sorry I attacked you.”
“I’m not talking about me. Do you have any idea what you did? How much harder you’ve made it to catch the guy who kidnapped and dumped that little girl.”
Kate looked at the man squarely in the eye. “I do. I know what I did. What I didn’t do. I know how badly I failed her. Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
“I could have helped you, you know. And that little girl.”
“Yes. You could have helped. You tried to. I’m sorry I didn’t let you.”
“Christ. You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” said Matt.
“Actually, no. I don’t know that, Matt. I have no fucking idea what I am but I’m sure I’m not a ‘real piece of work’. Not by half. I had thought, before all of this, that I would have done better. That I could have handled this, known what to do, made the right decisions. No idea why I thought so, but I did. I really did. But now I know – I’m not half the person I thought I was. And I’m sorry.”
“Christ,” said Matt again, shaking his head. “Look, just forget it. I’m going home. It’s been a long morning.”
“They’re all done then? Questioning you?”
“Oh yeah. Thanks for that,” said Matt, rolling his eyes. “Over and over, the same questions, in exquisite detail. It was like getting beat up all over again, only worse because they made like it was all my fault. Why did she attack you? What did you do? Why did she tape your mouth? What did you say? Oh, and then my personal favorite, ‘Why do you carry duct tape, Matt?’”
“Why do you?”
Matt looked at Kate in dismay, but all he saw in her eyes was curiosity. He asked the question of her as it had been asked of him. “Why do you carry duct tape? Are you into bondage? A pedophile? Do you like to tie up little girls?”
“Oh my God.” It was bad enough that they wanted to measure her hands. She couldn’t imagine being suspected of something like that.
Matt smiled. “That was my first clue that there was something else going on.” After a pause he answered her question. “I do, or did, I’m pretty sure I won’t ever again, carry duct tape because it’s useful. It might come in handy, you know, to fashion a splint.”
Kate cringed.
Matt hadn’t intended the gibe, not consciously, and tried to move on. “After a while he started mixing in all these random questions. Do I own a boat? Do I have a seizure disorder? Do I have a substance abuse problem? Do I take prescription drugs?”
“I can explain some of that. The little girl, she was drugged with Klonopin. Anne explained to me that it’s a benzo, used to treat panic attacks or seizures, but it’s also a pretty common street drug. Evelyn thinks maybe it wasn’t the first time she’d been drugged – she’s pretty good at swallowing pills. Or TicTacs – which are kind of like pills.”
Matt looked at her, forehead crinkled, not quite following. “What about the boat?”
“The boat,” repeated Kate, thinking. “Well, it’s an island. She had to get here somehow. Or maybe because she’s really comfortable with boats and ropes and stuff.”
Matt tilted his head to the side, squinting his good eye. “How do you know?”
“That’s how we were rescued. We made it to Long Pond and flagged down Evelyn – you know Evelyn – she was swimming the pond. I guess she’s training for a half Ironman or something. Anyway, she got her dinghy and rowed us across. That’s when I met your Dad. Although I didn’t know that at the time. He didn’t say a word. That you were his son. He must have known, right, when he heard me talking about a man, and he didn’t say a thing.”
“To me neither. Not about the girl or anything. Nobody did,” said Matt.
The two stood, appraising one another. “Joke’s on us,” said Kate.
“Not much of a joke,” said Matt.
“No.” After a pause Kate continued, “I’m sure they had their reasons. I, um, had my reasons.”
Matt waved his hand again. “Yeah. I get it. Who knows? Maybe I’d have done the same thing.”
Kate looked at him doubtfully.
Matt laughed. “Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows? People do crazy shit for kids.” Matt’s demeanor suddenly shifted, as abrupt as if a switch had been flipped. He looked to the ground, clenching his fist with one hand and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. Kate couldn’t tell whether he was angry or about to cry. She almost reached out to touch him but then thought the better of it.
“Um, listen, let me pay for your glasses or something. I lost my pack but as soon as I get home, I can send you a check. It’s the least I can do…”
“Kaaate!” wailed Sheera as she burst through the front door onto the porch with a crash and a bang. Her eyes sought Kate and an instant later her hands flew up to cover her mouth when she saw Matt standing just beyond her. There she stayed, rooted to the porch, desperate to be with Kate but frightened of the stranger.
Kate swung around, let go of the crutches, and dropped to her knees. She opened her arms wide. “Sweetie – I see you! I’m right here! Right down here!”
The little girl tore down the path from the house and launched herself into Kate’s open arms, knocking her right over onto the dusty road. Kate laughed and hugged her tightly.
“Shh, shh, I’m right here. I won’t leave you. Remember?” She gave her one more extra tight squeeze and then lay flat on the ground and loosened her hold. Sheera squirmed around until she was sitting astride Kate, her small hands on Kate’s shoulders. The two beamed wide smiles at one another.
“Sheera,” said Kate.
“Kate,” said Sheera.
“You flattened me like a pancake,” said Kate. “Guess that makes you the maple syrup. Sweet enough to gobble you up.” Kate tried to tickle her all over but didn’t have much success against the life jacket. Sheera squirmed and giggled until she fell off to the side. Kate sat up.
“Come on, it’s never a good idea to lie down in the road. Help me over to that grassy patch.” Kate took her crutches in one hand and leaned onto Sheera with enough weight to make her stagger but not so much that she couldn’t make it. “Oh, it’s so far, I’ll never make it, I’ll never make it,” wailed Kate, to great hilarity. The two collapsed side by side on the grass.
As Kate and Sheera’s laughter died down, Matt looked up and saw Anne and Evelyn on the porch. Anne’s smile turned to a frown. He cleared his throat, shuffled his feet, and mumbled something about heading on home. Sheera grew instantly still and serious and raised her hands to her face. Kate sat up and studied Sheera. Men. This is how Sheera acted around men.
Kate gently held Sheera’s wrists and lowered the child’s hands from her face. “You don’t have to cover your mouth. Ever. And nobody is allowed to cover your mouth for you. Ever. I know somebody did – but that was wrong. If you ever want to make a sound, we want to hear it.”
Kate waited until Sheera nodded at her.
“Okay,” said Kate, glancing briefly at Matt. “This is the man I called to in the woods. The man whose pack we took.”
Sheera made a series of gestures that Kate didn’t understand. Sheera repeated the gestures, then touched Kate’s head with the palm of her hand and wiped her hand between her legs.
Kate smiled broadly. “That’s right. We wore his clothes and ate his food. And we owe him a new bandana.” The two giggled at each other. The girl puckered her lips. Kate puckered hers too and made a kissing sound. The girl shook her head. She puckered her lips, touched them with her finger and then pulled it away wiggling.
Ah. Kate did the same thing with her finger, whistling a few notes. “And he carries duct tape. Don’t ask him why. It makes him grumpy.” Kate flashed a mischievous grin at Matt when she said it.
Matt looked at her blankly. He had no idea what was going on.
Kate pulled Sheera into her lap so that they were both facing Matt. “Sheera, this is Matt. Matt, Sheera.”
Matt extended his hand to the girl and said, “Nice to meet you, Sheila.”
The child jerked around in Kate’s lap, hid her face and covered her ears.
“It’s She-Ra, not Sheila,” said Kate, her forehead crinkled with concern.
She held the girl tightly and rubbed her back. “I know, he looks kind of scary right now. But that’s my fault. I thought he was the bad guy, and hit him, and now he’s turning blue. You know, if we flattened him like you flattened me, he’d be a blueberry pancake.”
“Whoa, hold on now,” said Matt, pretending to be scared. “I’ve already been flattened once by you. I don’t think I could take another round.”
“What do you think, Sheera? Should we flatten him and leave him for the birds. Or will you show mercy and release him. Your wish is my command.”
The girl turned and studied Matt carefully. Over her head, Kate bugged her eyes out at him.
It took a moment but Matt caught on and bowed his head in deference. “Please, oh She-Ra, show mercy.”
Sheera rose to her feet and stood as imperiously as a five-year-old girl can. There was a long pause. Kate spun her finger for Matt to continue.
He dropped to one knee. “Spare me and I promise never to call you Sheila again.”
The child jerked back a step and slapped her hands together like the jaws of an alligator. Kate was surprised by the verdict and considered for a moment how best to handle Sheera’s continued mistrust.
“You are to be flattened,” intoned Kate. “Prepare yourself.” She gathered up the crutches and struggled to her feet.
Matt hammed up his plea. “Spare me, oh She-Ra, and I shall provide you a mighty feast. A feast far, far better than a flat, dirty, blueberry pancake. My father is the greatest cook in the land. His castle, just a short way down the road. Please, She-Ra, allow me to remain… plump.”
Kate barked a laugh. She bent down and whispered to Sheera, eliciting shakes and nods from the girl. Eventually Sheera shrugged her shoulders. Kate stood up straight. Sheera took Kate’s hand and stood beside her. “The Princess of Power has decided to take your offer under advisement. For now, you are free to go unflattened.”
“Thank you,” said Matt dusting off his hands and getting back to his feet. He met Kate’s eyes and held her gaze.
Sheera tugged at Kate’s hand, drawing her attention.
“I meant it, about the feast,” said Matt. “My father really is an excellent cook. He’s making soup. There’s sure to be plenty.”
“You don’t have to do that, Matt. After everything. We’re fine here at Anne’s. I gather there’s a party here later tonight. Maybe I’ll see you then.”
“I don’t think so. I’m sort of a persona non grata at Anne’s. Long story. But you should come over for lunch. We, em, obviously, didn’t get off to a great start. Come for lunch and we can start over, compare war stories.” He smiled as broadly as he could given his battered face.
“If you’re sure,” said Kate. “I should check with Anne and Evelyn.” Matt groaned but Kate continued. “And the investigators.”
Matt groaned again. “I’ll be happy to never see them again. Have you seen detective Anders? He’s terrifying.”
Kate’s eyebrows shot up and she directed his attention toward the child with a flick of her eyes.
“Well, no, not actually terrifying,” said Matt to Sheera. “Just. Really. Plump.” He held his hands wider apart with each word. “Tell you what, though. If he gets your name wrong, he would definitely make an excellent pancake.”
“Oh,” said Kate, looking at Sheera. “I, um, I just thought of something.” She looked to the house, toward town, back to Sheera, then Matt. “Hey, could you, um, take a message for me over to the hall?”
Matt looked at Kate aghast. “I just spent the last two hours being interrogated down there.”
“Right. You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Christ, sorry, it must have been rough for you too. The questions, I mean. Look, why don’t you come up to the house after you deliver your message? It’s just a few more houses up, on the left.”
“Okay. Sure. Thank you. It shouldn’t take long, but you know how they are. I’ll stop by as soon as I can.”