Cracks in the Sidewalk(93)

“You never said—”

“Well, I’m not one to go about blabbing my business, and besides who knows when it will happen. So far the real estate agent hasn’t been able to find a buyer foolish enough to want the place, and I can’t go until it’s sold.”

“You can’t move,” Claire declared. “What about your Sunday school class?”

Louise laughed. “I’m eighty-three years old. How much longer do you think I’m gonna be able to keep up with those kids?”

“What are they supposed to do without you?”

“They’ll get used to having a new teacher. I figure after a few weeks you’ll be—”

“Me? I’m temporary. I’m willing to do it for another few weeks, until you’re back on your feet. But I’m not capable of—”

“It seems the Lord’s decided you are capable. Just look at the way the kids have taken to you.”

“Nonsense. Kids are kids. They’d be the same with anyone.”

“Not true. Especially not true of Adam. Ever since his mother died he’s been—”

“Adam’s mother died?”

Louise nodded. “Four or five months ago. August, I believe.”

“August,” Claire repeated with a grievous expression of understanding, “is when my Elizabeth died.”

“Perhaps that’s why the Lord brought you and Adam together. He figured you both needed—”

“Not me,” Claire cut in. “I don’t need the responsibility of another child, much less a classroom full of them. I’ve got my grandchildren, or at least I will have as soon as we find out where they’re living. Those three will take up every spare minute I’ve got.”

Louise smiled and said, “You might not need Adam, but he certainly needs you.”

“Well, as I said, I’ll stay on as your helper, but eventually Pastor Branford is going to have to find someone who can take over.”

Louise chuckled. “He doesn’t need to worry about finding a teacher right now. The way things are going, it could be years before that house sells and I’m gonna stay put until it’s sold.”

“Ah, yes, the house.”

Claire began by asking if there was adequate insurance, and when Louise answered yes she moved into explaining about the fire.

As Claire described how the fire department arrived too late to save the house and how they’d said she might have died had she been at home, Louise sat there wide-eyed. After Claire told her everything, Louise leaned back into her pillow and gave a deep sigh.

“Well, if that don’t beat all,” she said. “The Lord sure works in mysterious ways.” She asked Claire to telephone her sister, Clovis, in Minnesota and tell her she ought to start packing.

After Louise left the hospital she spent three weeks living with Claire and Charlie. During that time she arranged her affairs, collected her insurance settlement check, and purchased enough new clothing to last for a month, perhaps two. Bypassing row after row of mufflers and wooly sweaters she said, “Why buy a bunch of winter things when I’ll be living in Florida?”

Louise already had her plane ticket. First she would travel to Minneapolis where she’d spend a week or two helping Clovis pack up her possessions. Once that was done, they’d leave for Florida.

“Since you’ll be in Minnesota for a while,” Claire said, “I thought you could keep an eye out for our grandchildren.”

“Well, sure,” Louise said. Then she warned Claire not to get her hopes up since the Minnesota stay would be short. “Don’t forget, it’s winter,” she added. “Cold as it is there, I doubt we’ll do much running about town.”

~

On the morning of February seventeenth, Louise Farley packed her belongings into one medium-sized suitcase and waved goodbye to New Jersey and the twenty-seven children of her Sunday school class. Before she left Claire promised to teach the class until Pastor Branford could find a replacement.





Two Days Later


Almost six weeks had passed since Charles McDermott had sent Frank Walsh in search of Jeffrey Caruthers and his children. Charlie received three telephone calls from Frank during that time. The first came to inquire about the make and model of Jeffrey’s last known car. The second call came from Minnesota, a lakeside community called Orono.

“Looks like I’ve got a lead on him,” Frank said.

The third call came the Wednesday after Louise left town.

“I’ve found him,” Frank said.

He explained that Jeffrey had rented a house in Plymouth, a suburb of Minneapolis, and he worked as a waiter in Max and Martha’s Waterside Café.

“Are the children with him?” Charlie asked anxiously.

“Yep. Only there’re four of them. One belongs to a young woman he’s passing off as his wife, but I can’t find any record of them being married.”

“Are the children okay? Healthy? Well fed?”

“I can’t find anything to indicate otherwise. Jeffrey works nights, and the woman takes care of the kids while he’s working.”

Charlie asked a number of other questions, mostly relating to the area and whether David had been enrolled in school. Frank gave a brief overview of the situation, then said he’d come by Friday morning to pick up a check for the rest of his fee and provide a detailed report.