taught Caroline to pray, and Evelyn Carson knew that Caroline would again muster unshakable resolve and relentless passion to the cause of Martha Lehman.
Caroline stirred from inward thoughts and said, “I can think of two things to try. Long shots, both, but worth a try.”
Back in the office, Caroline took the half-used pregnancy test kit over to Martha and held out the used stick. Then she took out the second tester and handed it to Martha.
Slowly, Martha reached out for the tester and took it in the fingers of both hands. She looked up, first to her psychiatrist and then to Caroline, and sighed. Getting up slowly, she walked to the bathroom, closed the door, and came out some moments later, holding the tester horizontally in front of her. She seemed to stall just outside the bathroom door, and appeared likely to faint. The two women rushed up to her, and each took hold of an arm. With her free hand, Caroline pushed Martha’s things out of the chair, and the photograph of the young Amish man caught the air and landed face-up on the carpet several feet from Martha. They eased her down into the plush chair, and Evelyn took possession of the tester. She looked at it, handed it to Caroline, and Caroline confirmed the positive result with a nod. Together, they guided Martha out of the chair and sat her down between them, once again on the sofa.
“How long have you known?” Caroline asked Martha.
Martha said nothing. Two days, she thought. Two days, and the world is upside down. How could She have known? White trash? How could She have said that? All ruined for Sonny. Maybe not, I don’t know. What has he done? Will they tell him about me? I almost hope they do.
“Who knows besides us?” Caroline asked.
Maybe I was always trash. Why else the affair with Royce? No good, backwards, Amish trash. His mother was right. Dead.
“Martha, have you told anyone?” Evelyn pushed.
There was a barely perceptible movement of Martha’s head from side to side. No one knows.
“Is it Sonny Favor?” Carson asked.
Sonny Favor. Fallen.
Caroline knelt on the carpet and retrieved the photograph she had found hanging in Martha’s room. She held it up for Martha and Evelyn Carson to see. “Martha,” Caroline said. “It’s not him, is it?”
Martha took the photograph tenderly and smoothed the creases, as tears spilled from her eyes.
Dr. Carson said, “You need to tell us, Martha. Have you been seeing Ben Schlabaugh again?”
But Martha dropped the photograph and buried her face in her hands. A torrent of emotions washed through her, and she seized on the memory of a poem she had written in the sixth grade with Dr. Carson’s help.
There you are, Dread and Silence;
Twin companions, true.
From this pit I must escape
The shadows—clutching shades of blue.
17
Saturday, November 2 9:45 A.M.
CAPTAIN Newell waited in the butler’s room until the sheriff was finished with Professor Dick Pomeroy and then summoned Robertson through the swinging doors. Robertson pushed through the doors thinking about his conversation with the chemist and saw that Daniel Bliss was no longer with Newell. The muscular captain stood at the sink, wearing latex gloves and holding a green crystal pitcher. “Juliet Favor had her own special pitcher last night,” he said.
Robertson glanced at the pitcher and said, “Dick Pomeroy? The chemistry professor? Now there’s an interesting fellow.”
Newell watched Robertson park his backside on Bliss’s desk and said, “Bruce, the pitcher.”
Robertson stirred from his thoughts and said, “Sorry, Bobby.”
“Juliet Favor reserved this pitcher to herself all last night.”
“You got that from Bliss?”
“Only partly. In truth, I got very little from him at all. With his mother dead, ‘Mister Sonny Favor’ is in charge of everything, as far as Bliss is concerned. He made that point very evident.”
“What about his sister? She’s older than him.”
“Bliss wouldn’t say.”
“Man’s
Caroline stirred from inward thoughts and said, “I can think of two things to try. Long shots, both, but worth a try.”
Back in the office, Caroline took the half-used pregnancy test kit over to Martha and held out the used stick. Then she took out the second tester and handed it to Martha.
Slowly, Martha reached out for the tester and took it in the fingers of both hands. She looked up, first to her psychiatrist and then to Caroline, and sighed. Getting up slowly, she walked to the bathroom, closed the door, and came out some moments later, holding the tester horizontally in front of her. She seemed to stall just outside the bathroom door, and appeared likely to faint. The two women rushed up to her, and each took hold of an arm. With her free hand, Caroline pushed Martha’s things out of the chair, and the photograph of the young Amish man caught the air and landed face-up on the carpet several feet from Martha. They eased her down into the plush chair, and Evelyn took possession of the tester. She looked at it, handed it to Caroline, and Caroline confirmed the positive result with a nod. Together, they guided Martha out of the chair and sat her down between them, once again on the sofa.
“How long have you known?” Caroline asked Martha.
Martha said nothing. Two days, she thought. Two days, and the world is upside down. How could She have known? White trash? How could She have said that? All ruined for Sonny. Maybe not, I don’t know. What has he done? Will they tell him about me? I almost hope they do.
“Who knows besides us?” Caroline asked.
Maybe I was always trash. Why else the affair with Royce? No good, backwards, Amish trash. His mother was right. Dead.
“Martha, have you told anyone?” Evelyn pushed.
There was a barely perceptible movement of Martha’s head from side to side. No one knows.
“Is it Sonny Favor?” Carson asked.
Sonny Favor. Fallen.
Caroline knelt on the carpet and retrieved the photograph she had found hanging in Martha’s room. She held it up for Martha and Evelyn Carson to see. “Martha,” Caroline said. “It’s not him, is it?”
Martha took the photograph tenderly and smoothed the creases, as tears spilled from her eyes.
Dr. Carson said, “You need to tell us, Martha. Have you been seeing Ben Schlabaugh again?”
But Martha dropped the photograph and buried her face in her hands. A torrent of emotions washed through her, and she seized on the memory of a poem she had written in the sixth grade with Dr. Carson’s help.
There you are, Dread and Silence;
Twin companions, true.
From this pit I must escape
The shadows—clutching shades of blue.
17
Saturday, November 2 9:45 A.M.
CAPTAIN Newell waited in the butler’s room until the sheriff was finished with Professor Dick Pomeroy and then summoned Robertson through the swinging doors. Robertson pushed through the doors thinking about his conversation with the chemist and saw that Daniel Bliss was no longer with Newell. The muscular captain stood at the sink, wearing latex gloves and holding a green crystal pitcher. “Juliet Favor had her own special pitcher last night,” he said.
Robertson glanced at the pitcher and said, “Dick Pomeroy? The chemistry professor? Now there’s an interesting fellow.”
Newell watched Robertson park his backside on Bliss’s desk and said, “Bruce, the pitcher.”
Robertson stirred from his thoughts and said, “Sorry, Bobby.”
“Juliet Favor reserved this pitcher to herself all last night.”
“You got that from Bliss?”
“Only partly. In truth, I got very little from him at all. With his mother dead, ‘Mister Sonny Favor’ is in charge of everything, as far as Bliss is concerned. He made that point very evident.”
“What about his sister? She’s older than him.”
“Bliss wouldn’t say.”
“Man’s
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