~ Changeable Facades ~

by

Suzanne Hurley

“Were you ever suspicious about how she died? Was foul play ever suspected?”

I held my breath, wondering if he would have the same angry reaction Mrs. Horton had.

I didn’t have long to wait.

“Those are pretty strange questions.” He answered bluntly. “What in hell’s got into you? Sarah’s death was caused by diabetes, that’s it. There’s no secret about it. Foul play was never even a consideration. Why in the world would you suggest such a preposterous thing?” His voice was firm and deadly. “Are you implying that us country yokels don’t know how to do our jobs? Don’t you think we would have investigated if we were the least bit suspicious?”

He took a deep breath and I jumped in to offer up an apology.

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I was just curious.” I seemed to be apologizing a lot lately. But I still couldn’t help myself. I just had to know.

“Is that what the autopsy showed? Natural causes?”

Indignant he exclaimed, “I never looked at any of her reports. Why would I?” He glared at me. “Sounds like you’re just trying to make up excuses for Tommy’s bad behavior.”

He leaned forward for emphasis. “Be careful about what you say. The Reverend is a popular and influential man in this area and town folk won’t take too kindly to you prying and stirring up trouble. Especially since you’re a newcomer. People here are still grieving the loss of Sarah and you’d be wise to pay attention to that.”

Stung by his criticism, I jumped up, ran to the kitchen, grabbed the coffee pot to pour us a second cup, and pointedly changed the subject. Fortunately Al went along with it and nothing more was spoken of Sarah.

But I kept a mental note that although he was surprised and annoyed at me, he seemed confident that her death wasn’t suspicious. As a policeman and the person I remembered him to be, he would have searched hard for answers if he had thought otherwise. I know I was touching on sensitive matters, but I sure did find it strange that Al hadn’t looked at her autopsy results. I thought it would have been standard procedure to investigate, especially if someone became ill at home. But enough was enough, and I decided that it was time to put aside my concerns and focus on enjoying this reunion with Al. That is, if I hadn’t already blown it.

For the next while we both made an effort to keep the tone light and airy, returning to safe topics such as our high school years. I was relieved that he eventually relaxed again, especially since he was off duty and probably needed some downtime.

Rats! I should have waited a few days, and if I was still concerned, made an official appointment at the police station signaling that my questions were just business. I guess my worry over Tommy over-rode my common sense and I hoped that one day I would be able to explain it all.

At least the atmosphere was a lot lighter now, as he began talking about how great a town Paxton was. His eyes lit up and I could tell that he had thrived here, however he startled me with a comment about ‘what a great place it was to raise children.’

Was Al married? I was ashamed to admit that I had already noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring but I also knew that many people took them off in the line of duty for safety reasons. I was surprised that I felt a little disappointed at the possibility of Al being married and maybe even a father. But surely this handsome and dynamic man had been snapped up by now, and anyway, who cared?

Relationships were not on my agenda, especially after ending a three-year romance only six months ago, but I was still curious and decided to come right out and ask.

“Do you have any children?”

I crossed my fingers for luck behind my back, a childhood trait that I’d never outgrown.

He raised his eyebrows at my personal question. “Not yet!” He grinned. “I’m still a free man.”

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I unclasped my fingers. Why I cared was a question I’d have to ask myself at a later time. After all, this Al was a lot grouchier than the person I so fondly remembered.

“But I do like the idea of settling down one day and raising a family here,” he continued, “It would be the ideal place, quiet and peaceful. Nothing bad ever happens here.” He turned to look at me. “How about you? Is your boyfriend moving out here as well?”

“Boyfriend?” Confused I faced him. “How in the world did you hear that?”

“Nothing mysterious about it.” He paused to gulp down the last of his coffee, keeping me in suspense. “I ran into your father the last time I was home. He was full of news about you, and your ‘hoity-toity’ boyfriend--his words not mine. He also raved on about your achievements and how proud he was of you. He was the one who told me you were moving here.”

I should have guessed. My father was seventy-one and still going strong. He walked three miles a day, was in excellent shape and definitely my number one fan. He was also very protective, probably because he never remarried, and I was his sole focus and responsibility. He couldn’t stand Dave, my now ex-boyfriend, and since he always liked Al, probably thought that since we were living in the same town, a romance could begin. But I wasn’t too sure that this new Al was the dream man my dad might wish upon me. Maybe being a deputy with all of its responsibilities had caused him to change… and not for the better.

“No, my boyfriend’s not moving here.” I finally said, realizing that Al was staring at me, waiting for my response. “We broke up but I just haven’t told dad the news yet. I decided that I just couldn’t handle his I told you so’s.”

Embarrassed that I’d revealed so much, especially to someone I hadn’t seen in years, I began stacking the cups and plates. “My dad must have talked your ear off rambling on about me. He has a habit of doing that and it’s downright embarrassing.” Trying to change the subject I asked. “Do you get home often?”

“No, not much. It’s hard to get the time off since I’m the rookie on the force. Imagine that, five years and they still call me the rookie, but I manage to get home at least a couple of times a year.” He continued looking at me earnestly. “Hey, don’t worry about your dad talking about you. It’s kind of nice to see him so proud of his daughter, and well he should be.” He then glanced at his watch. “Well… it’s been good chatting, but I’d better push off and write those reports. I’ll let you get back to your unpacking.” He laughed and said sarcastically, “I know how much fun that can be.”

He was right about that. Who in their right mind liked to unpack? He stood up, getting ready to go. “I hope we have more evenings like this.”

I quickly agreed, glad that he seemed to forgive my outspokenness. I figured I might have become first on his ‘people to avoid list,’ so I was glad to hear that he wished to see me again. I also must admit that I felt a little bit sad at seeing him leave for I was really enjoying his company, except for those few rocky moments.

After following him to the door I repeated, “Thanks for dropping in and feel free to come over anytime.”

Promising that he’d be back soon, he gave me a quick goodbye salute and ran down to his cruiser. I watched him drive off, catching sight of him turning and waving, almost as if he were aware that I was still standing there, staring after him.

Embarrassed I turned away thinking how wonderful it was to see him again. His smile still had the same effect it always did, never failing to cheer me up.

As much as I was thrilled to be working at Milton, I had to admit that it had been rough going these last few months. I had been burying memories of my break-up, but talking to Al about it, brought to the surface vivid memories of those last few months together. Those last few painful months, I might add.

Back then I had become immersed in my work, for I was finishing up both my doctorate and internship. But the long hours rushed by when I became involved in high school life, discovering that I loved working with teenagers and found the work exciting and challenging.

I had wanted to share my excitement with Dave, and I tried so hard to make him understand. At first he was supportive, but as the long hours took its toll on our social life, he became irritated. He couldn’t understand that counseling was not just 9:00 to 5:00, and that a crisis rarely happened on a schedule. He drifted away, and before I knew it, I’d lost him. He dumped me, and became engaged and married within the space of three months.

I quickly shook myself free of my useless meanderings. There was really no point in focusing on the past, especially when my present had great potential. Here I was doing the challenging work I always longed for and even had the good luck of renewing an old acquaintance from my past. Things were looking up.

On this happier note, I busied myself finishing up the unpacking of that last box. I decided to ignore the hooking up of my computer, and curled up with a cup of tea in my much cozier, and warmer looking living room, filled with my own ‘stuff.’

Not being able to stop myself, I once again found my thoughts drifting back to Tommy. The more I thought, the more I felt that I hadn’t misunderstood him. Something about his mother disturbed him enormously, and hopefully in time he would tell me.

All I knew was that I was not going to give up on Tommy Bride.