The River Widow(50)

He studied her, and his eyes showed that he hadn’t given up hope in humanity yet. There was an almost imperceptible hint of brightness on his face, and his expression slid from distrust to something more open. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I see that now.” He recovered himself and stared ahead wistfully. “I told my father. Only person I told, not even my wife.”

So Buck’s plan had worked to perfection. He’d managed to hurt the father, too.

Ben turned to Adah. “He’s going to loan me the money I lost. I borrowed from the bank to buy the tractor in the first place, so at least I can make my payments. And I’ll sell this tractor used and get at least some of the money back. I’m sure hoping word of this never gets back to my boss.”

“Don’t worry,” Adah breathed out. “Buck and Jesse will brag about it to themselves, but Mabel doesn’t want anyone to know. She’ll make sure it’s kept a secret.”

Ben’s face slid into a wary smile. “Hard to imagine they’d take orders from a woman.”

“Mabel Branch is no ordinary woman.”

He flinched. “Don’t know much about Mabel, but it’s no secret that Buck and Jesse will do anything to save money, even if it means cheating people.”

“Why, then . . . ?” Adah whispered, dry mouthed. “Why, then, do people never confront them?”

Guilelessly he peered at her then. “Years of knowing ’bout them and the things they do has left people scared.”

“Why did you trust Buck, then? Why did you make this deal?”

Deflated, he laughed again, pitifully. “That’s the same thing my father asked. Can’t say he’s exactly proud of me right now. He told me the biggest lessons in life are learned the hard way, but I’m not to make the same mistake again.”

“I’m so glad he’s helping you.”

“Yes,” he said pensively.

She glanced behind her. Ben Harper was going to survive the Branches’ scheme because his father was going to help him. Perhaps he’d see that helping her would ease his own pain. The Harper family probably hated the Branches as much as Buck hated the Harpers. Now they were most likely enemies for life. And the Harpers were powerful people and had more influence than Jack. Seeing no one in sight and not even knowing for sure what she could gain from him, she took a chance. “Would you ever consider helping me?”

“Helping you?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “What’s going on here?”

Adah gulped. What exactly was she asking? Aware of her desperation, she said, “I need to get custody of . . . Daisy.”

Ben Harper leaned back. “The girl?” His eyes lurched away. “I can’t help you, I’m sorry. I can’t do anything against the Branches. I couldn’t risk it. My wife’s expecting, my house is in shambles, and they’ve done enough harm to me and my family already.”

“I understand.”

And she did, although in that moment, she became acutely aware that a weight on her chest had been sitting immovable for some time. It had first formed when Jack Darby dismissed her, when her plans with him fell apart, and had gained shape and heft as Adah looked about her and saw no other paths to follow.

She had been slipping food to the four farmworkers Buck had hired, although their pay was without board, and she had briefly entertained the idea of asking for their help. She’d quickly discarded the idea, however. What could they possibly do? She couldn’t put any extra risk on people who were barely surviving as it was. Everyone around her had a difficult lot, and life could simply blink its eyes or shrug its shoulders and make each and every one of them sink into the silt.

The anvil in her chest took on extra weight as another possible avenue closed with Ben Harper. She had left herself utterly exposed. She resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands and weep.

He tipped his hat. “You have my sympathies, however.”

That night, when Mabel set an extra plate on the supper table, Adah expected the guest would be Esther Heiser again. Instead it was Manfred Drucker, who entertained the family with stories about townsfolk who had tangled with the police or the sheriff’s department, and every so often he glanced at Adah as if making sure she knew he hadn’t forgotten about her.

She had to endure his leering glances and outright stares that brought a chill to her skin; all the while she pretended to be unaffected and continued to force her food down. Nothing was mentioned about the exhumation of Lester’s body. Nothing was mentioned about Lester or his death at all. And yet the threat was explicit. All it had taken was Drucker’s presence to remind Adah that he was probably slowly but surely closing in. Gathering information and perhaps uncovering the truth that would seal her fate. Could her arrest come any day now?

Before he left, Adah was heading toward the stairs to ready Daisy for bed, but he stopped her, saying, “Adah Branch.”

She turned to face him.

With a face full of smug satisfaction, he said, “I’ll be seeing you real soon.”

What did that mean? Sleep that night was a place Adah would not visit. What could she do? She had no one, save a little girl who needed help even more than Adah did.

She had been avoiding going to Jack Darby’s place, even though she was a day late in picking up his laundry. One evening as the sun was sinking low in the sky, she donned an old straw hat and started trudging down the driveway. She also had to go see two of her other customers. She saved Jack for last as she had no idea what to expect from a man who had never failed to surprise her.