Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, Chapter 13
Janice Cooke had been invited for Thanksgiving dinner by Trudi Boxwell, the mother of Cy's former girlfriend. That was her main reason for being in the area. She hadn't originally planned to drop in on her children and ex-husband. In the back of her mind, she had known what kind of reception she might receive. However, she desperately needed money, and she knew Trudi didn't have any to spare. She might have to borrow against her car, unless her brother would loan her some cash. Asking Bob for money was even less appealing than dealing with her ex.
Len's reaction to her visit made her very angry. For over 20 years, she had kept his house and borne his children. He should have had more sympathy for her in her current situation. He had evidently poisoned the kids against her too. They were all hostile to her! She wanted to get even.
She stayed with Trudi and her family until well after dark. Trudi offered to put her up for the night, but Janice said she needed to drive to the suburbs to be at her job on Friday. Instead of heading home, she drove around for a while becoming angrier by the minute. Eventually, she formed a plan of revenge.
As Aaron was driving Molly back to the family farmstead, the couple saw flames at the back door of the house. Someone ran from the front porch and jumped into a car which nearly sideswiped them as it sped down the lane.
"Oh God! We've got to get Dad and the boys out before the place goes up in smoke," Molly cried.
The two of them nearly tripped over a can of gas as they made their way to the front door. Running up the stairs, they pounded on the bedroom doors to awaken Len, Chet, and Derek. The guys came out struggling into jeans.
"Molly, call the volunteer fire department and the sheriff. Guys, come with me. There are fire extinguishers in the machine shed. I hope we can save the house."
By the time the firemen had arrived, the blaze was nearly extinguished. However, the tanker truck with an ample supply of water was very welcome to make sure the embers didn't flare up again.
Because of the guys' rapid response, the damage was limited to the back porch.
Deputy Klinetobe pulled into the lane a few minutes later.
"What happened, Len?"
"Arson," he responded.
"Good Lord, man who would do something like this? You're a well-respected man in this community. You don't have an enemy in the world."
"Possibly one. I think it was my ex-wife. Molly and Aaron saw a female jump into a red car as they were coming up the lane. There was enough illumination from the yard-light to see the color of it. Evidently, they surprised her just as she was about to start a second fire at the front of the house. There's a gas can and a lighter on the steps. We made sure not to touch them in case there are prints."
"That was smart thinking. But isn't Janice four hours away with her new husband?"
"She dropped in on us today when we were having dinner with the Stephen's. Evidently her new relationship isn't working out all that well. We had words."
"Hmm... `Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,'" the deputy quoted. "But arson is a serious crime. Given that a second blaze was planned to cut off an escape route puts it in the realm of attempted murder. Can you describe her car? Is it the one we saw in the garage in Naperville? Do you have a plate number? I'll get out an APB to the highway patrol."
Len knew the make, model and color of the car, of course. Aaron was able to supply a partial Illinois license plate number because he'd seen it at the Stephen's home around dinner time, and some of the numbers were similar to his Iowa one. Ken Klinetobe got on his radio to spread the word.
Molly began to worry about what else her mother might do for revenge. Janice would likely know that Cy would be staying with Beau's family. If she were bent on harming her family, Cy would be a likely contender for her wrath. She asked her fiancé to keep an eye on their house when he got back there. He hated to leave her, but she said she would be perfectly safe. The deputy would be making the rounds of the area while looking for her mother. And she was sure her mother wouldn't be stupid enough to come back to the scene of the crime.
When Aaron got back to the house, Beau came downstairs to ask if he knew what the sirens had been about. Aaron filled him in on the fire and whom they suspected had started it. The two of them sat up in the dark for a while watching the lane. Beau got dressed enough to get one of the bigger work vehicles to park across the end of the lane to keep anyone from being able to pull up to the house. He figured it would be a deterrent for Janice if she were to try anything.
Cy woke up when Beau came back to bed and asked about what had happened. Beau related what Aaron had told him. Of course, Cy was horrified that his mother could have done such a thing. Both of them slept poorly.
Janice's first thought was to speed toward the Illinois border as fast as she could. However, it might be smarter not to be on the road when the authorities could be looking for her. She might wait it out a day or two and take a circuitous route back to the suburbs. Trudi Bowersox had sent enough leftovers with her to keep her from having to eat in a public place. They would keep in the trunk okay since the weather was cold. All she had to do was think of a place to hide her car. She remembered an old building on one of the farms Len had purchased a couple of years ago from the Baker family.
When Janice eventually made her way to the old farmstead, she found that the garage was still sound and wasn't locked. She was in luck. The car would hold its temperature for quite a while. She might have to run it a bit early in the morning to warm it up again.
Word of the suspicious fire at the Stepanek farm made the Channel 9 morning news. Kyle McNutt's mother, Carol saw the broadcast and alerted her son and Paul who were at their house. The boys called Beau to get an update and made plans to go to the farm immediately to see if they could be of assistance in any way.
When Paul and Kyle arrived at the farm, they were welcomed with open arms. Everyone, including Len, hugged them. There wasn't a lot of work left for the harvest, but the presence of the two extra young men lifted everyone's spirits.
Despite being deprived of sleep, Chet and Derek rallied in the presence of their friends. By noon, all of the harvesting was finished.
Jen hosted a hearty lunch made up mainly of leftovers. The two Cedar Rapids residents enjoyed getting acquainted with Molly's fiancé. Aaron was outgoing and easy to talk with. If he had any reservations about being in the midst of a bunch of gay guys, he didn't show it. Molly was a lucky young lady.
Back in Ames, Michael and Ryan had a very loving and peaceful holiday. Michael couldn't believe how comfortable his boyfriend had become with his orientation once he made a clean break from Sara. Ryan didn't keep begging for forgiveness like Michael had feared he would. Instead, he did little things to let Michael know he was the only one in his life. Michael responded in like manner, of course. It turned into a time of bonding which boded well for the future of their relationship. Ryan and he openly held hands in the presence of his family. No one was embarrassed when they did.
News of the farm fire wasn't covered by the TV channels in the central part of the state. Therefore, these boys wouldn't hear about it until their college friends came back from break.
One of the stranger aspects of the fire was the fact that Janice seemed to have vanished into thin air. There were no credible sightings of her car. When contacted, her current husband, Robert, said he had no knowledge of where she might be. Since they were in the process of breaking up, he had no reason to protect her from the authorities, even if he might have done so early in their relationship.
Len was on edge, fearing what she could be up to. Deputy Klinetobe suggested that he might want to head to Florida for a vacation or stay in a motel in the city until they had some word of Janice's whereabouts. If Len was insistent on staying at the farm, he should sleep with his shotgun at the ready.
Jen offered their guest room which would be available after the boys went back to college. Len thanked her, but said he felt his presence in their home might put them in peril them if Janice discovered where he was and decided to set fire to their house as well.
Cy thought it would be best for his father to come to Ames for a while until his mother was apprehended.
"Beau and I talked it over. You can stay in our bedroom and we'll sleep in the family room on one of the sofas."
"That won't be comfortable for you guys."
"We did it all of second semester last year," Cy responded.
"I'll consider coming, but only if you let me sleep on the sofa in the family room. There's only one of me and I don't need a big bed."
Ultimately, Len decided to take his son up on the offer and live with the college students for at least the rest of December. Without any livestock to look after, he could lock up the farm and be away for an extended period of time. If Janice tried to set another fire, it might damage equipment, which was insured, it but wouldn't endanger his life.
He was, however, intent on earning his own keep while in Ames. Since the guys were all busy with their studies, he would become their cook and housekeeper. It would relieve their stress and give him something useful to occupy his time.
The interval between Thanksgiving and the end of the term was only about three weeks. However, for college students, it was packed with projects, tests, and papers. The guys in the Stephen household were relieved not to have to prepare meals as well. Len assured the young men that he could cook whatever meals were eaten at home and would clean up after them as well.
Ryan insisted that he would help with the cleanup. On the evenings when he was invited to eat with the other guys, Michael pitched in too. Len was pleased to see high school kids take responsibility without being asked.
Everyone got along well.
During the first week of December, a high school student who lived near Len's farm called to request permission to go rabbit hunting on his land with a couple friends. When the kid didn't get an answer, he phoned Larry's house because he knew they were part of the corporation. Larry knew Len would be impressed that teenagers would ask instead of just presuming. He had no problem with letting Jimmy Nance's younger brother, Billy, and his buds hunt as long as they were careful not to pose a threat to anyone else. With the neighboring farm they'd acquired, there were many acres of land they could roam without being close to a road or dwelling.
Rabbit pelts didn't bring as much money as they did at one time, but the boys usually managed to make more than enough to pay for their ammunition and gas. Mostly, they did it for an excuse to be outside and get some exercise in the winter.
They had roamed about a mile from Billy's car when the sky suddenly darkened and thunder rumbled. The old Baker farmstead was a lot closer than the car, so the teens ran to it for shelter. The garage was closet. Finding it unlocked, they hurried inside to avoid the lightning strikes.
As their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the windowless building, they realized that there was a late-model vehicle inside. Everyone wondered how it got there and who owned it.
They were also aware of a rather strong odor emanating from the building. Billy's friend, Ben, nearly tripped over something as he went around to the other side. He let out a shriek when he figured out what it was. He ran to open the door for some air to keep him from puking. With the door open, the teens were able to see that it was a body. They ran to another nearby shed until the storm moved on. Then, they hurried to Billy's car to find the nearest phone to call the sheriff's office.
Deputy Klinetobe identified the car and said that he was sure the body was that of Len's ex-wife. It would be up to the coroner to make a positive identification but, seeing that it was found near the vehicle which belonged to her, he had no doubt. He probably should wait until after the autopsy to call Len, but since they were good friends, he felt he ought to give him a heads-up so that he wouldn't be left in limbo. He would be careful how he worded his call, so that he'd be covered in case anyone wanted to make trouble.
"Beau, this is Ken Klinetobe. Is Len there? I need to speak with him."
"Yeah, he's here. Is there word about Janice?"
"This isn't an official call, so I'll refrain from answering your question. I'll let Len explain what's going on."
"Okay, I'm good with that."
"Hello, Ken, this is Len. Have you found Janice?"
"Here's the situation. The body of a middle-aged female was found by a red sedan in a garage on the old Baker farmstead. The car's ignition was on and it had run out of gas. The state crime lab believes that the individual had run the car to warm up and had been overcome with carbon monoxide. The coroner hasn't made a positive ID, so I can't confirm that it's your ex."
"Thanks, Ken. You and I know it's her. How did you happen to look there?"
"Some local lads who were hunting on your property stumbled on it when a storm struck."
"That must have been Billy Nance and his buds. I'll see that they get the reward I posted. They're probably traumatized."
"Actually, they're good. Everyone is treating them like heroes."
Len sat down with the college student to give them the unofficial news. All Cy's buds expressed their sympathy to him. He appreciated their kind words, but he explained that he would have a difficult time grieving for his mother, given the way she had treated him since the day he came out. On top of that, she had tried to set fire their house with them in it.
The rest of the guys assured him that they understood.
Then, Len called Molly. She was both saddened and relieved. Like her brother and her father, she had mixed eomtions. The three of them, along with Aaron, talked at length. Len said he would reimburse Beau for the long-distance charges.
Two days later, Len received the official word. His former wife was no longer a threat.
When Deputy Klinetobe made the call to Janice's current husband, he was surprised at what Robert Cooke wanted to do. Robert wanted to have Len's phone number so they could discuss what to do with Janice's vehicle. Ken told him that Len wasn't at home and he was uncomfortable about sharing the number where he was staying. Robert then asked if Ken would give Len his number so he could initiate the call. Ken agreed to do it. When he did, he was surprised at what the man had in mind.
"Hello, this is Robert."
"Hi, Len Stepanik here. Um, Deputy Klinetobe gave me your number."
"Oh, yes, Len. I was hoping you'd contact me. First, I want to apologize for the way I reacted when we first met. Janice had told me she was hiding out from her deceased husband's brother who was trying to cheat her out of her inheritance, part of which was that bright red car. It wasn't until I'd seen the papers she was served that I realize she'd fabricated the whole thing. You were gone before I could tell you that I was sorry. Honestly, I'd never have slept with her if I'd known she was married."
"I don't hold you responsible, Robert. We were both victims of her lies. We'll both rest better without having any animosity."
"Thanks, Len. I wish we had met under different circumstances. You seem like someone I would enjoy knowing.
"Anyway, I also want to send you the title to the car and the other set of keys. It was licensed in both our names and I can legally dispose of it. I have no desire to keep the vehicle. No doubt, you paid for it and you should have it."
"I'm not sure I could stand having it around. It would stir up too many memories."
"Well, if you don't want to drive it, perhaps one of your children could use it.
"I don't think either of my children would want it. She was particularly nasty to Cy after he came out to us. Molly won't be able to forget that her mother set fire to our house, knowing Molly would likely be in it. She still has bad dreams seeing that car speeding away from the scene of the crime."
"Janice complained that her whole family had turned against her. She had a kind of vendetta against gays and gay-sympathizers. That's one of the things we fought about. My brother and his partner had a commitment ceremony late in the summer. It was as close to a marriage as they could make it. While it has no legal standing, it meant a lot to them. When I agreed to act as his best man, Janice was livid! I told her that she was being irrational, and things went downhill from there. That's when I really saw a different side of her.
"Well, sorry to have gone off the subject. I'll get the title signed and notarized and in the mail. If you don't want the car, maybe you could donate it."
"Thanks, Robert. I may just do that. And thanks for clearing the air about the other stuff. I think in another life, we might have been buds."
Len left Ames for home two days before the end of fall semester. He wanted to get the house ready for Christmas ahead of when the boys would be there. Since he wouldn't be around to cook for them, he left money for them to eat out if they wished. They would have enough on their plates not to have to worry about food.
On his second day in his house, Len saw a story on the noon news about a young family who had fallen on hard times and were in need of reliable transportation. He immediately called the agency which was helping them and offered to donate the car.
The next afternoon, he called his favorite auto shop and asked them to bring a new battery for the vehicle which was still parked in the garage at the Baker farmstead and to take it to their shop for a thorough checkup. He wanted to make sure the car was in top shape. It gave him a feeling of closure, and pleasant thoughts about Robert who had helped to make this possible.
Author's notes: Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder.
Special thanks to Tony C, Ott H, Andy R, Geoff (2), Chandra B, Frank K, Mendy D, Tim T, Hotrod, Bill T, Tommy G, Paul R, Jim W, Gordon, Steve C, Ken McC, Peter S, Paul F, and Joe W (2) who emailed this week. I appreciate the encouragement.
Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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P.S. I have a chronological list of all my posted stories which I can email to you if you have an interest.1