'I… I'm not sure. I mean, in all probability, I will. I haven't thought about it.'
'Well, if you do, keep your door locked. Ma'am.' He stepped back and touched his hand to the brim of his cap. He watched Beth walk off with an appreciative eye as her buttocks swung from side to side as she walked. He took off his hat, raked his hand through his hair and set the Stetson on his head at a business angle. That was quite a tantalizing little piece with a real proper manner and face. 'Lucas,' he said to himself, 'something happened here last night and that young lady knows something about it.' He walked to his patrol car and decided to radio headquarters and told the dispatcher he wanted all the New York authorities could give him on one Beth Carruthers, Caucasian, early twenties, extremely attractive, occupation school teacher, driving license number XLU34198.
He switched off the mike, looked up the Gans' house, looked at Beth's camper and shook his head. Part of being a sheriff was being patient. Something more than just a burglary attempt went on at or outside the Gans' house last night and sooner or later, he'd find out. Lucas gunned out onto the highway and commenced his daily rounds from sunup to sundown. Evenings, his deputy took over with Lucas coming in if help was needed. People had a way of hiding things about themselves from him. It was natural and Lucas expected it. He shook his head, thinking that he already knew more about people than he wanted to know.
Beth threw herself into the day, greeting the children with a grasping eagerness. She needed them far more than they needed her. She won their confidence and control in a short time. Soon, she had them clustered around her as she read them short stories. She kept the length of the classes relatively short, allowing periods for play and resting.
By lunch time, she was enchanted by the children and one boy in particular, Manuel, a little Mexican boy with black button eyes who was very bright and burning to learn how to read. 'Learn me this,' he would say, pointing to a word. In the afternoon, she spent time with individuals; Manuel in particular, for he was charming and very bright and she held him in her lap as they went through the alphabet and she felt an odd comfort and thrill from his young body.
Late afternoon came and the children were sleepy and getting irritable so she declared an afternoon siesta and soon, they were all asleep in the shade. All except Beth, who sat guard over them and thought of the night before. It was like being touched with the tip of a very immense and cruel pain and she flinched from it, putting her hands to her eyes.
A sound behind her made her jump. 'Oh, you scared met!'
A young boy was standing behind her. A good looking young boy with freckles, clear blue eyes and a quiet cool smile that reminded her of someone or thing. He stepped back, saying, 'Sorry, ma'am,' in a quiet voice.
'It's all right,' Beth whispered, pointing at the children and then indicating they'd better walk a distance from the open drying shed if they wanted to talk.
'I'm sorry, ma'am, if I disturbed you or anyone,' the boy said when they were far enough; away from the shed.
'It's all right. It was just so quiet and I was… thinking. What did you want?'
'My name's Lonny, ma'am, and when I heard you was here I thought I'd come over and see if you had any books to lend. You know, I was hoping you'd be a lending library or something.'
Beth smiled. 'How old are you, Lonny?'
'Just sixteen, ma'am.'
Her smile broadened. She found herself thinking something she had never thought before: he was at such a beautiful age; old enough and certainly big enough to be a man, yet still a boy. Big for his age, but still a boy. 'Well, I don't have too many books for someone your age, but I could scare some things up. You see, I'm here for the pre-school children so most the books I have would be for their age.'
'Oh that's all right,' Lonny said brightly. 'They're not for just me, they're for some little kids.'
'Well, I'm going to see all the children in the county.'
'I doubt you'll see these, ma'am.'
'Why not?'
'They're back in the hills in the communes, ma'am.'
'Yes, the hippies. The sheriff was here this morning and told me about them.'
The sheriff's my pa, ma'am. I'm Lonny Lamont,' Lonny said brightly, grinning engagingly and looking like such a nice clean-cut American kid.
'Really? How nice. Does your father know that you go up to the commune, Lonny?'
'No, ma'am, he doesn't and he sure would tan my hide if he did know.' Lonny was charmingly honest and his grin made him look like his father. 'I go up there when I'm hunting sometimes and I see those kids and thought I could do something for them.'
'How nice, Lonny. Tell me something. If you were to take me up there, how do you think they'd receive me? I mean, would they mind my teaching their children to read?'
Lonny looked quizzical and scratched his head like his father. 'They seem a pretty nice bunch. Some of them are weird and all of them are little nuts. I don't think they'd hurt anybody. Yeah, they might like it.'
'If I wanted to go, would you take me up there?'
'Sure, only it would have to be this evening, tonight, because I'll be playing basketball every night for the rest of the week.'
'Basketball? Really? I bet you're good at it. Mmmmm.' Beth pretended to decide, when, in fact, she had made up her mind immediately. She didn't want to spend another night right in the camp and she didn't want to be alone until she absolutely had to. This way, she would have Lonny's company and plenty of children to pay attention to. 'How far is the camp from here?'
'Not far. Under an hour. Lots of dirt road.'
'Will my camper make it?' Beth asked, pointing to it. 'That?' Lonny asked, shading his eyes. 'Sure. Easy.'
'Would you please guide me up there after dinner? I'd pay you for your time.'
Lonny put his hands in his hip pockets and shuffled his feet, looking embarrassed, 'I said I would. You don't have to pay me nothing.'
'We'll discuss that later,' Beth said. Then she did a thing she never felt she was capable of. She flirted with the boy, teasing her hips back and forth and smiling at him in a knowing way. She laced her long fingers together and tried to be cool. 'Shall we meet at my camper around seven?'
'Sure thing.' He acted as if he hadn't noticed her flirting.
'Good, it was nice talking to you, Lonny, and I'll see you at seven.' She held out her hand.
Lonny took it reluctantly and said, 'Seven o'clock.'
Beth went back to her sleeping class and sat down. She looked at the children, at their young sleeping faces. Whatever happened last night, whatever Beth was, she was now helping young children toward learning and that was a good and positive thing. Whatever else took place, the day was good and she still had good instincts and motives. Tonight, she would be doing still more good things. Yet, she was deeply troubled and her eyes were clouded and doubtful from so much pain and bewilderment. And her action toward Lonny – she had never felt that way toward grown men, let alone a young man. Yet, for a minute, such a lewd evil thrill and thought entered her mind and she felt a strange little twisting sensation deep in her groin.
Last night. It had to be last night and an after effect. Her mind was confused. She resolved she wouldn't think that way anymore. Tonight, she would be on her guard with Lonny and she was going to do something fine and decent: show she cared enough to journey right into a commune and teach the children. She imagined herself loved by all the children up and down the county, bringing a ray of intelligence into their lives. She thought of herself like a modern Florence Nightingale, bringing the promise of knowledge to hungry young minds.
She daydreamed of helping all the children, even those of Lonny's age, inspiring him to go to college. She made a mental note to stock up on adult books – the classics – next time she went to town for supplies. She would be famous within the county. And she would prove she was really a worthwhile person. What happened with Wilma Gans would never happen again.
Despite the heat of late afternoon, Beth felt a chill and she pulled her jacket tight around her. She would tale to Wilma. Tonight, she didn't want to stay in the camp. She figured she'd take Lonny home then find a side road somewhere and sleep. She needed rest and tomorrow, when the men were gone to work, she could confront Wilma.
When the classes were over, Beth went back to her camper and cooked a simple dinner over a stereo stove
