The Lake

Shocked. Staring at Leigh’s naked body with horrified, accusing eyes, bright as polished stones in the fading light.

The woman skimmed past her. Into the house. Leigh hurried on, toward the canoe, her feet cut and bleeding as she fled over stones and fallen branches.

The scream coming from the house pierced the evening quiet, renting the air like a knife through silk.

Pure. Vibrant. Agonized.

An animal caught in a trap. Then…

“Whore; Lilith; poisonous bitch; filthy murderess!”

Under glowering skies, Leigh pushed her canoe into the lake and climbed in. Grasping the paddle, she worked it hard, bending forward and back; dipping, skimming through the dark water. As she traveled, crisp, white wavelets lifted around the bow, telling her the wind had changed direction.

She shivered, feeling its chill on her tear-streaked face, on her cold, trembling body.

Paddling hard, her uneven breaths coming in raw, hurting gasps, she left Goon Lake behind.

The screams of Edith Payne followed her like arrows from hell.

EIGHTEEN

“Hey. Earthling. Anybody home?”

Jenny eyed Leigh over the breakfast table. She didn’t like what she saw. Yesterday Leigh had been bright and breezy. Today, it looked like her personal piece of sky had just caved in.

“Sorry, Jenny. I… I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

“Didn’t hear you come in.” A pause. “We waited to eat supper, just in case. Then, when you didn’t show, we ate your share and decided to turn in.” She paused, not wanting to appear heavy—after all, Leigh was on vacation. She decided on the concerned-aunt routine, hoping it wouldn’t come over too strong.

“Didn’t you know that Mike and I would worry if you stayed out late? ’Specially nights… What happened, Leigh—or is it a state secret?” Beneath her determined smile, Jenny was worried.

If this is what life with a teen is all about, Mike and I sure missed out on all the excitement.

They’d regretted not having kids, and visiting Jack and Helen on the West Coast once in a while made up for it to some degree. That, and teaching kids at high school, helped them both understand what went on in those young minds.

Leigh hung her head. Put her fork down and pushed away her untouched eggs. Her lip trembled. She scraped back her chair and rushed from the table.

Jenny followed her to the guest bedroom. She spotted Mike coming out of the bathroom and put a discreet finger to her lips. With raised brows, he carried on rubbing his damp hair and went on his way.

Kids, eh?

Jenny sat on the bed and drew the sobbing girl to her. “Come on, now, tell Aunt Jenny,” she said gently, cradling Leigh’s head against her shoulder.

Leigh let everything go, crying as if her heart would break. Eventually, the great, gulping sobs trailed off and she recovered sufficiently to wonder where to begin her story and what, if necessary, should be left out. The plain, unadulterated truth was just too awful to say out loud.

“It’s bad, Jenny. It’s real bad…” Leigh broke down again, heaving and sobbing into her aunt’s soft, accommodating bosom. A cold shiver touched Jenny’s spine. This was bad. She knew she wasn’t going to like what Leigh was about to tell her.

Had the girl been raped? Oh my God! What do we tell Jack and Helen?

“Take your time and tell me all about it, baby,” she said in a soothing voice. “Tell your auntie Jenny.”

Leigh’s parents listened in horror to Mike’s story over the phone. “Not that we wouldn’t like her to stay with us a while longer,” he’d explained in a calm but concerned voice. “It’s just that I—we think Leigh needs her parents at a time like this… And, of course, there is the matter of her being questioned…”

Mike met Jack and Helen at General Mitchell International. They’d brought a change of clothes in their carryons, expecting only to stay overnight before taking Leigh home.

The journey to Wahconda was not a good one. Along the way, there was a wearing mix of tearful accusations from Helen, interposed by irate remonstrations from Jack—punctuated by Mike’s patient explanations. Fielding their rhetoric wasn’t easy, and Mike wished like hell Jenny had come along as referee.

He sighed. He’d expected the drive to be a nightmare. It was—and more besides.

They arrived at Wahconda in the early hours, fatigued and more than ready for the fragrant coffee, but, for the aggrieved parents, not the cheese sandwiches and apple pie Jenny put before them. Preparing the snack beforehand, she hadn’t reckoned on them doing much eating.

She was right.

Jack and Helen demanded to see their daughter, who’d taken sedatives prescribed by Doc Barton and was lying, pale and barely breathing, when her parents arrived.

“Not a good time to wake her, Helen. The poor dear has been through a lot these last twenty-four hours. Best let her rest while she can.” Jenny looked anxiously at her sister-in-law. The last thing they all needed was one of Helen’s tantrums.

“You’re right, of course,” Jack said, placing an arm around Helen and steering her into the hallway. “Come along, dear. Let’s get us some rest. Plenty to discuss tomorrow.”

“You’re not kidding,” retorted Helen, glaring at him through red-rimmed eyes. “Leigh had better have a real good reason for going off on her lonesome like that.” She darted an accusing glance at Jenny. Clearly, right now, she was blaming her in-laws for the mess they were in.

Daylight found them drinking coffee around the kitchen table again. Still tired, but determined to see this thing through like sensible people.

“At least,” Dad said, “Leigh’s alive. That’s a blessing in itself.”

Leigh, pale and dazed from her drugged sleep, joined them in the kitchen. Smiling wanly at Mom and Dad, she avoided their questioning looks and gratefully hugged the mug of steaming coffee Jenny placed before her.

“Good morning, young lady,” Dad began.

Leigh groaned inwardly.

This I can do without.

After… Charlie…

Tears welled and fell down her face. Mom rose and took her daughter in her arms. They both had a darn good cry. Then Mom told her: “We love you so much, sweetie. How could this awful thing be happening to us…?”

“Now, Helen,” Dad put in. “All we can do is get our little girl through this unfortunate incident. We have to be strong, for her sake.”

“Agreed,” Mike murmured. “At this stage, recriminations are redundant. Leigh needs all the help we can give her.” Jenny nodded, smiling bravely. “That’s right,” she said. “We must pull together, whatever happens.”

“Now, perhaps you’ll be kind enough to tell us in your own words what happened back there, day before yesterday.” Dad caught Mike’s raised brows, realizing that maybe a confrontational attitude wasn’t going to work with his little girl. Not this time.

“It’s okay, Dad. I’ll tell you as best I can… I appreciate you need to know the facts before the cops get here.”

Mom and Dad exchanged glances. This was their errant offspring. Chastened and acting grown up for a change.