Delroy waited for a moment, then asked the question he didn’t want to ask but he couldn’t leave it alone. “What am I going to do if I’m not strong enough to save myself?”
“You’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. Just take one step at a time for right now. That’s plenty fast enough.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Walter shrugged. “Onliest answer I got. And the way you get started on that is to finish that breakfast. They go to a lot of trouble to fix a good plate here, and ain’t fitting for them to throw it out because you’re denying your appetite. You gotta eat and keep your strength up. You’re a military man, Chaplain. You eat what’s put before you to keep yourself fit because that’s part of a soldier’s standing orders. Right now, God and the navy own you, and you’d best see that they get their investment back.”
Delroy worked to turn off his feelings, his doubts, and his fears and concentrated on his plate. He got both jobs partially done. When he pushed the plate back, food remained but Walter Purcell seemed satisfied.
“Settle up the check,” Walter said, grabbing his hat from the table. “I’ll give you a ride.”
Delroy paid the bill, left a generous tip, and joined the deputy outside the café. The wind blew cold and clean from the north, but it carried a taint of woodsmoke and burned rubber.
“Hotel’s not gonna have you,” Walter said as they climbed into his cruiser.
“Why?” Delroy asked.
“Because I ain’t taking you there. I got a room in back of the house I can let you use for a few days.” Walter cranked the engine over. “Till you figure out what you’re gonna do.”
“So I’m under house arrest.”
“I wouldn’t call it that.”
“What if I want a hotel room?”
Walter looked at him. “You gonna insult my hospitality?”
Delroy didn’t know what to say. Walter Purcell surprised him at every turn.
“You wasn’t listening back in the café when I told you I had a couple of things I wanted to make sure of.” Walter put the transmission in gear and pulled out of the parking lot into the street.
“You didn’t want me to see Clarence Floyd and Glenda. I got that.”
Walter nodded. “Yep. You heard that right enough. I don’t aim to see you hurt nobody in my town.” He paused and shifted gears. “But I also want to make sure you don’t hurt yourself either.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Says the man who looks like he shoved his face into a wood chipper.”
Delroy remained silent as he looked over the town. So many things seemed different, but so much of the area looked the same. Memories of his father played inside his head. He remembered the rough feel of his father’s hand holding his when he was small, and the smell of his father’s cologne when he was older.
Lord, I was wrong to come here. I was wrong to test You. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, but this is the wrong place to do it. My daddy’s all over this town. I’m going to see him everywhere I go.
He knew he’d be trapped into remembering Terrence as well. Delroy had brought his family to Marbury often to visit his mother. Terrence had played in the same park he had, had spent time in his father’s church after the new preacher had taken over, had eaten breakfasts in Hazel’s Café.
“You okay?” Walter asked.
“Aye,” Delroy answered.
“You ask me, that sounded a tad weak.”
“Regretting coming here.”
Walter nodded and pulled to a stop at the red light. “I can see how you’d feel that way right now.”
“I do appreciate your hospitality, Walter. There aren’t many men who’d do what you’ve done.”
“No, sir. I expect not. A few days ago, before all them people disappeared, I wouldn’t have done it.” Walter glanced at Delroy and grinned. “I called my wife, told her I was bringing you home. She thinks I’ve lost my mind.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
“Because it feels right.” Walter shrugged and looked a little embarrassed. “Kinda following my heart on this one. And way I feel, I don’t think I could walk away if I wanted to.” He looked at Delroy. “Why’d you take me up on it?”
“I had a choice?”
“You coulda made me make that call. Coulda spent the night in jail and probably got you a navy escort out of here first thing in the morning.”
“I could still slip out the window tonight.”
Walter laughed. “Maybe we’re both fools then, Chaplain.”
“Call me Delroy. Chaplain … just doesn’t feel right at the moment.”
“Fair enough, Delroy.”
“I’ll probably trouble you for the bed today and tonight,” Delroy said. “More than likely, I’ll make a phone call to the navy tonight and be gone first light if I can get a rental car.”
“What about your missus?”
Delroy shook his head. “I’ve made enough mistakes coming here. I don’t need to make one more. And that one would be a big one.” He laid his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, shutting out the familiar streets and all the painful memories.
Just get me free of this town, Lord, Delroy prayed. He hoped God was listening, but he didn’t know if He was. No, it’s not that you don’t know; it’s that you don’t believe, Delroy. You call this one fair and square. He wanted to cry but he lacked the strength and he knew it would do no good. He kept his eyes closed good and tight.
Then he grew aware of how long the car was sitting at the red light. No red light lasted that long. Delroy lifted his head and peered forward. The light was still red. To his left, Walter Purcell sat patiently with both hands
