Jane Carter Investigates: Episode Four
Dad and Mrs. Timms did somehow succeed in marrying me off—despite
my apparently slovenly ways—to a lovely newspaperman by the name of Timothy
Carter. That’s how I came to be Mrs. Carter, relict of the late Timothy Carter.
We only lasted a year before Timothy committed the unpardonable sin of going
down a dark alley in hot pursuit of a scoop and subsequently coming between a
mafia hitman’s bullet and his intended victim. Now I’m a widow and absolutely
determined that if I do end up center-aisling it a second time it won’t be with
another newspaperman.
“I’ll tell Mrs. Timms that you won’t be home for supper,” my
father promised. “Drive carefully, Jane.”
After that, we stopped off at Flo’s. Her mother was still out,
ostensibly maintaining order and decorum amongst the ranks of the Daughters of
the American Revolution. The Reverend Sidney Radcliff was in his study, knee
deep in wadded up writing paper and cigar butts.
“When are you going to break down and get a typewriter to compose
your sermons?” I asked by way of greeting.
Revered Radcliff just laughed. I think that now, even if he saw
the light and wanted a typewriter, he’d refuse to modernize just to spite me.
“Where are you going again?” he asked absently, even though Flo
had already told him twice.
“White Falls.”
“Oh, yes,” said Reverend Radcliff. “Used to have an aunt who lived
there. Nice little hamlet, at least the bit of it that hasn’t yet washed into
the river.”
When we returned to Bancroft Street, we found Emma waiting on the
front porch with her suitcase. The luggage stowed in the back seat, we drove
out the south road, which led through fifteen miles of rolling country to the
town of White Falls, located on the bank of the Grassy River.
During the ride, Emma was by turns talkative and morose. I
supposed Flo and I were sympathetic listeners because Emma told us all about
her difficulties since graduating from school. Her parents had left her with
more debts than money, and after the estate had been settled, nothing had been
left. She had worked in a drugstore, in a restaurant, and as a nanny, but none
of those positions had proven satisfactory.
“I haven’t been very lucky,” she said. “It wouldn’t surprise me a
bit if this housekeeping job is gone before we get to White Falls.”
“We’ll hope not,” I said.
I worried we might be delayed by a rainstorm. Clouds scudded like
sailboats across the sky. I called Florence’s attention to them, but she said,
“Oh, the sun is shining. It won’t rain for hours.”
However, before we had covered two-thirds of the distance to White
Falls, the gathering clouds blotted out the last patch of blue. Florence rolled
up the car windows to protect us from the chill wind. It grew darker, and
flashes of lightning crackled across the sky.
“Will we reach White Falls before it breaks?” Emma asked.
“Not a chance,” I said. “The rain is coming now.”
A great white sheet of rain approached from the direction of the
Grassy River. A few drops of rain splattered the windshield, and then a deluge
descended. The pavement became a lake, and I could not see more than ten feet
beyond the headlights.
“This is a regular cloudburst!” I said, slowing Bouncing Betsy to
a crawl.
“Maybe we should pull up under a tree,” Flo suggested. “You’re apt
to run off the road.”
“If I stop and shut off the motor, the engine wires may get so wet
from this driving rain that we won’t be able to get it started again until the
storm is over,” I said. “I believe it’s better to keep going.”
Before Bouncing Betsy had traveled very much farther, it became
apparent to me that my decision had been unwise. The rain was coming down
harder. A coughing gasp from the engine warned that the motor might die
anytime. We were going to be stranded in the middle of the road.
“We’ll have to pull up somewhere,” I said.
“I see a building just ahead.” Florence peered through the
rain-splattered glass. “It looks like a shed.”
“And the door is open, or rather there isn’t any door!” I said. “A
welcome port in a storm!”
I turned the car into the dirt track leading off the roadway and
drove into the shed.
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