chapter Six
Liberty moved for the guest quarters, only making a quick detour to snag a bottle of wine. The last time she’d given him the silent treatment was probably before they had left Proem, when she’d caught him in Patience’s chamber. But he deserved this as much, if not more than, the last time.
Katie and Gabriel’s cot was still set up so she turned the lantern up a bit and settled in with the quilt she’d taken from their bed. With little trouble, she pulled the cork from the wine bottle. The last one. She didn’t even feel guilty. She lay there, wrapped up, drinking right from the bottle.
The edge of the photo book caught her eye, sticking out from beneath the pillow on the other cot. She wasn’t surprised. Of course Adrian hadn’t returned it; simple courtesy would be completely foreign to him.
She snagged it, closed her eyes and ran her hand over the cover. The raised, purple letters spelled out her daughter’s name.
She and Ellie spent hours snipping and pasting fancy borders around each photo inside. Placing colorful stickers and captions throughout. Chock full of memories and laminated to protect it from the unkind elements of their underworld.
She opened her eyes, turned the page, and a three-year-old Sage greeted her from the lower level of the Kennel, back when Ellie had first opened for business. Sage sat inside a cage, on all fours, meowing and barking her little head off. The picture was snapped mid-woof it seemed, her mouth looked like she blew a kiss to the camera.
Each picture was sweeter than the one before it. Even though auras weren’t captured with cameras, Liberty didn’t need them to see the happiness and love on each face. She continued to look, enjoying the snippets of memories as they popped up from the pages.
Reaching the end, she paused. Scribbled on a piece of paper taken from her desk, was a message from Adrian. It looked dashed off, but it was definitely legible.
Did not make it up. I saw her. She saw me, too. We’re leaving now, no time. More to tell you. Will go to R in 3 days. I’m sorry.
Damn Katie for being so irrational. She needed Adrian here to explain himself. She reread the note, though it didn’t help clarify things. He wanted to meet at the Rendezvous, though. That much was clear. She counted in her head. They’d left yesterday, Sunday, so he wanted to meet her on Wednesday.
There wasn’t a doubt in her mind she would go, come flood or fire. She needed to know the “more”.
She folded up the message, tucked it back inside the album, leaned over, and shut off the lantern. Before finding his note, the wine had begun to work its magic. And just like that, she had sobered up.
How in the world would she be able to wait? She whispered into the dark chamber, “I never gave up.”
Lying there, she willed the words to Sage, wherever she was, with every fiber of her being.
“You passed out? Really?” Becky headed to the little table in the kitchenette of the kennel, nudging the chair out for Liberty to sit in. “Are you good?”
She nodded and took a seat. Pulling her hair back into a pony, she fastened it with a band from her dress pocket before looking up again.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Liberty sighed. “Now. But last night was so horrible, I can’t even begin to tell you.”
“Well, you try and I’ll listen.” Becky walked to the steaming coffee pot on the counter, and poured them each a cup. “Is it okay to talk? I understand if it’s not.”
Liberty chewed her lip as Becky set the coffee down, tried not to let her emotions get the better of her. “The reason I fainted wasn’t because of the argument.”
“No?”
“No.” Liberty released a sigh. “Adrian admitted it was him in the picture and the reason he’d gotten caught…” She paused again, taking a deep breath before letting it all tumble out at once, “was because he’d seen Sage. Sage in her human form. Crazy isn’t it?”
“Well, no wonder you fainted,” Becky sat slowly, considering the new information. “Wow. That’s huge. Serious?”
Liberty nodded and picked up her coffee, held it to her lips without taking a drink, set it back down and said, “I am. And you know what else?”
“There’s more?”
“I believe him.”
“Oh, Liberty.” Becky reached across the table to take her hand.
Liberty nearly pulled back awkwardly. Becky wasn’t often the touchy-feely type.
“Do you really?” Becky continued.
“You wouldn’t believe him?”
“Well…” Becky shook her head slowly like she really didn’t. “I don’t know. It’s been what? A year? Besides, I thought the only time a Sasquatch was human-shaped aboveground was when…” She paused and Liberty guessed she was doing her best to be tactful. “You know.”
“When they’re dead?”
“Yeah, that. I didn’t want to say it.”
“Well, we don’t know all there is to know in the world, do we? Besides, he thinks she recognized him, too.” Liberty told her about the note.
“Let me get this right. According to Adrian, his girl, the one who might be Sage,” Becky made sure to emphasize might. “Was out with some human boy. And then she made eye contact with a Sasquatch, and instead of her screaming, Adrian thinks he saw recognition in her human face?”
“Uh huh.” Liberty didn’t like the way she’d spelled it out.
Becky sat back, picked up her cup and said, “Look, I don’t mean to be a Debby Downer here, but I think you’ve been through enough already and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’m beginning to feel like I’m talking to Nathaniel,” Liberty snapped. “Why aren’t you being supportive?”
“I am. I truly am. But we’re talking Adrian here, aren’t we? Let’s face it, he’s been less than reliable in the past. Right?”
“Adrian had nothing to gain by telling us he saw Sage and, in fact, he never mentioned it until he’d been confronted with the photograph.”
“Sounds like he was backstroking. Trying to save his ass.”
Liberty didn’t respond, just stared, wanted Becky to get to the point.
After Becky noticed Liberty wasn’t going to respond, or attempt to defend Adrian’s behavior, she continued, “I think it’s a little…” She opened her arms wide. “Out there.”
“The fact my daughter may be alive? Or that she may be human?”
“Both, actually.”
“And sitting here drinking coffee with a Sasquatch woman, in the basement of a kennel in Fairfield, Pennsylvania…you don’t think that’s a little ‘out there’?” Liberty made little air quotes.
“You got me there.” Becky frowned and looked down at her hands, silent for a moment.
Liberty watched her and nervously sipped her coffee, wondered if she’d made a mistake in sharing the story.
Becky raised her head, met Liberty’s eyes. “Okay. What do you want to do?”
“Seriously?” She grinned from ear to ear. “Go meet Adrian. Find my daughter. That’s all.”
Becky sighed, got up from her chair, and started to pace. Her platform sneakers squeaked on the linoleum and she bobbed her head with every step, running her hand through short blond wisps. Finally, Becky stopped, bit the corner of her lip, and blinked several times. Then her eyes lit up. “Do you have the photo of Adrian?”
Liberty pulled the sheet out of her pocket. “Yeah, why?”
“I want to see where it was taken.”
“Oh, I already know. Adrian told us it was at the campground pavilion.”
Becky didn’t reply. She unfolded the paper and set it down on the table underneath the overhead light. She smoothed out the creases, peered closer. “Hot damn.”
“What?”
She turned the photo toward Liberty and pointed at some fine print in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture. “You see that? The ‘V. Jenkins’?”
Liberty looked closer and nodded. “Yeah, what is it?”
“It’s a watermark. I think I know who took this picture.”
“I knew better than to trust that cowboy,” The muscles in Becky’s face twitched.
“Who?” Liberty asked.
“Russ Jenkins. He and his son moved into the old Marvin place and took over the business. A taxidermy shop no less.” Becky shivered. “He’s a regular at the River. And this…” She tapped at the watermark with a pink-painted nail. “This has to be his son. I mean, how many Victor Jenkinses can there be? Right?”
The River was a little whiskey joint on the outskirts of Fairfield, and Becky worked the dinner crowd before she came to the kennel.
Liberty looked at the photo again and then back at her friend. “So you think they’re not good people?”
Becky nodded, her face all twisted up, like when she spoke of her philandering ex-husband. “That’s right, I don’t. The eerie way his smile stops at his lips and hangs there like a scythe. It nowhere near reaches his eyes.”
“You pick up evil in smiles?” Liberty frowned, she learned something new about humans on a regular basis. “All I have are auras.”
“Oh, there are vibes, too.” Becky arched an eyebrow. “You know? I may not have a visual clue, like you, but I do get ‘em. Invisible, but usually as apparent.”
“Sure,” Liberty said. She reconsidered. “No, not really.”
“Well.” Becky grabbed their cups and refilled them. “It’s like this.” She handed Liberty her mug and sat back down. “If you feel a heavy sensation twisted deep in your belly, you should trust it.”
That, she understood. It usually followed a shift in auras, and was accentuated by gunshots or human voices in the woods. “I get that. But what specifically makes you think he’s evil?”
Becky shrugged. “It’s not his appearance. He’s decent looking if you liked the sweaty-faced Richard Simmons 80s type. Minus the frizzy mullet and striped shorts, of course.”
“Richard Simmons?”
“Oh.” She smirked. “I forgot you don’t do much TV. He’s like the father of aerobics.”
Liberty nodded politely, waited to figure out what the connection was to Sage.
“Anyway,” Becky continued, “I catch Russ staring at me all the time like he’s marked his territory.” She pointed to the last kennel. “Like old Rebel, except Russ only visually pisses all over me.”
“Yuck.” Liberty looked at the Montgomery’s fat, orange tabby sleeping on top of one of the two-level cat condos.
“Don’t I know it, but it isn’t just the looks,” Becky said. “I’m used to come-ons, but I’m telling you, this guy’s different. Doesn’t try to make new friends. Sits himself at the bar, drinks two beers, listens like a hawk to everyone’s conversations, and then slaps a couple bucks on the counter and slips out when everyone’s back is turned. It’s like he’s just waiting to pounce.”
Liberty let what Becky said sink in. If Russ was as bad as Becky made him out to be, what was his son like? And if Adrian had seen Sage, was there a good chance she was with this Victor? Liberty swallowed the questions feeling sick to her stomach.
“We need a plan,” Becky said, “right? I’ll go into work tomorrow and see what I can dig up.”
Liberty nodded and tightened her hands around her mug to quell the trembling.
“Honey? It’ll be okay. Everybody’s evil. They’re born with it.
“No they aren’t.” Liberty refused to believe all people were bad.
“Sure,” Becky nodded, “like how some of our cells are perfect until they mutate. Doesn’t mean it’s some fourth stage horror show. Could be a benign cluster kicked to the curb with the right medicine or scalpel, never to show its ugly face again.”
Liberty sat and stared at the stormy look in Becky’s eyes for a moment, not sure her friend believed Russ’ evil was that insignificant. Finally, she said, “You know what I can’t wrap my head around? What bothers me the most?”
“What?”
“The human part. I tell myself maybe Adrian’s delusional, maybe he saw a lookalike. But then I realize I’d also have to admit Sage wasn’t real.”
Becky nodded, she understood. Or maybe not.
Liberty voiced her concern, “Are you agreeing to help me just because you’re my friend, or because you think it’s possible Adrian did see Sage?”
“I’m your friend. And I believe anything is possible. So, a little of both.” Becky paused. “Are you okay with that?”
Liberty smiled. “I’m super okay with that. What more could I ask for? Sage’s own father refuses to even consider it.”
The next night, Liberty returned as they’d planned. Gave Becky the most recent picture she had of Sage, a printout Ellie had made, one with three head shots of each of them, Liberty, Sage, and Nathaniel.
Becky chuckled. “Mug shots anyone?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, look at you three, so serious.”
Taken against the painted cinder block walls in the lower level of the kennel, Ellie had said they were portrait shots, like you’d get at a real studio. They’d obliged, like they always had when it came to Ellie requests.
“Anyway, do you mind if I cut the one of Sage out?” Becky asked. “I don’t really want to bring attention to you and Nathaniel if I don’t have to.”
“Of course, whatever you need to do.”
Becky nodded, tucked the photo in her purse, “How did Nathaniel take it when you told him our plan?”
“He didn’t take it any sort of way because I decided not to tell him.”
“What do you mean you didn’t tell him?”
Liberty shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re not really talking right now and think if he knew what our plans were, he’d find a way to prevent me from going.”
“Huh. Okay.” Becky didn’t seem sure but had never been one to meddle in the lives of other couples. “Well I’ll tell you a couple of things I found out.” They sat at the table with their customary mugs. “First, Pete down at the Shell station said Russ comes in a bunch for gas.”
“Gas?”
Becky nodded. “Yeah. Pete said you’d think he commutes to Pittsburgh every day for the amount he buys. Except Russ is a regular in town, you know?”
Liberty shrugged, sipped her coffee. “Not really getting you.”
“Well, he’s punctual. Like at the post office every day around noon, at the River for his afternoon beer at three. No way he can be going anywhere too far and still make it back for his stops.”
Liberty shook her head. “I still don’t know what you mean.”
It was Becky’s turn to shrug. “Me, either. But doesn’t it seem odd? Like, where’s he driving all the time?”
Liberty knew nothing about cars, so she couldn’t venture a guess.
Becky continued, “Oh, and Victor? Seems he’s a pretty decent worker, according to Lindy’s brother, Matt, who works with him at the mill in Sparta.”
Lindy was Maggie Lindberg’s nickname. She and her husband, Pete, owned the whiskey joint Becky worked at.
Liberty raised her eyebrows. “Does he? Did he say anything about the photo?”
“Not that I know of. I mean, I didn’t mention it, of course. All Lindy knew was that Victor seems shy. He’s only eighteen, so doesn’t converse much with the other guys there.”
“Hmm.” Liberty mulled it over. “Does Victor drive? Maybe his dad is driving him back and forth to work?”
“Even if he is, it’s like twenty miles round trip at the most. Still wouldn’t explain all the gas.”
“So he drives a lot,” Liberty recapped. “And Victor works at the mill. Doesn’t tell us much.”
Becky clicked her tongue. “I’m sorry. I guess I don’t really know what I was hoping to find.” Her shoulders slumped.
Liberty reached across the table to pat her hand. “Hey. It’s okay. This is good news.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure. Like, no news is good news?” Liberty recalled Becky saying that once after a doctor’s appointment, while waiting for test results.
“Oh, yeah. There’s that.”
Liberty didn’t believe it for a minute either.