with a dry, wrinkled hand.
“You’ve come back,” she whispered softly. Her touch was gentle, her voice suddenly calm. For a moment he was staring straight into her eyes, and he saw something there that shook him; it was the spark of recognition.
“ Annie ,” the man said sharply.
She turned again, her mouth moving softly, and stumbled away from them across the open stretch of fresh grass, just an old, bent woman talking to herself. Smith willed himself to relax, and let go of Angel’s hand.
“Annie’s harmless,” the man said, after a moment. “Been like that for years, though she’s usually not so vocal. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s become sort of a fixture in town, and we let her go about more or less as she pleases. She must be near eighty years old now.”
“God,” Angel said. She had her arms wrapped around herself now, and she shivered. “What happened to her?”
“She lost her son in an accident a long time ago. The boy fell into the falls and drowned. Ever since then she hasn’t been quite right. She walks around talking about the boy coming home again, returning to her.”
“Her eyes—”
“Odd, aren’t they?” the man agreed. “She’s got a way of looking at you, that’s for sure. But she doesn’t mean anything by it.” He extended a hand in greeting to each of them in turn. “Harry Stowe. I’m the local quack in town. Working up at the clinic this morning, thought I’d take a walk in the sunshine. Glad I did, or Annie might have run you two right out of town.”
“You’re very good with her,” Smith said. He still felt the woman’s touch on his cheek, and resisted the urge to scrub at it. Don’t fall to pieces, for Christ’s sake , he scolded himself. She was just an old, confused woman who had thought he was someone she knew. That was all.
“I’ve treated her at the clinic for quite a while. Surprisingly healthy. She never catches a cold, even though she walks around in her bare feet half the day.” Stowe chuckled. “We used to have a problem with her wandering around town in her underwear. Thought we’d have to lock her up, but she stopped doing it after a while. Sue Hall, that’s the reverend’s sister, she takes care of Annie most of the time.”
“Must be quite a job.”
“We all keep an eye on her.”
Smith nodded as if he understood. He introduced himself, and Angel as his wife, and related the vague story they had taken on as their own; a couple just passing through, looking for a change of scenery for a while. He added that they were treating it as a kind of second honeymoon, because that seemed appropriate, and tried not to meet Angel’s eyes. If he looked at her he was afraid he would either give up the whole ridiculous story on the spot or burst out laughing. Either way,that would be the end of their decision to “lay low” in White Falls, for all intents and purposes.
But then again, Harry Stowe did not look like the kind of man who spread rumors around on a daily basis. His eyes were quick and sharp, and he stood with both feet planted firmly on the ground, an air of quiet authority surrounding him. He had a way of putting you immediately at ease, and Smith thought he was probably a very good doctor. I’ll bet the single ladies flock to him, and half of the married ones, too .
“So this is your first day here in our little town,” Stowe said, grinning. “Bet you’ve got the locals giving you the evil eye, am I right? Don’t pay them any attention. Why don’t you let me show you around a little bit? I can tell you some of White Falls’ more colorful history.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—” Angel started to protest, but he held up a hand.
“The least I can do, after that incident with Annie. To show you that most of us around here are sane. More or less.” He grinned again, and Smith felt a smile work its way out onto his own face. Here was a man who knew how to put others at ease, that much was readily
“You’ve come back,” she whispered softly. Her touch was gentle, her voice suddenly calm. For a moment he was staring straight into her eyes, and he saw something there that shook him; it was the spark of recognition.
“ Annie ,” the man said sharply.
She turned again, her mouth moving softly, and stumbled away from them across the open stretch of fresh grass, just an old, bent woman talking to herself. Smith willed himself to relax, and let go of Angel’s hand.
“Annie’s harmless,” the man said, after a moment. “Been like that for years, though she’s usually not so vocal. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s become sort of a fixture in town, and we let her go about more or less as she pleases. She must be near eighty years old now.”
“God,” Angel said. She had her arms wrapped around herself now, and she shivered. “What happened to her?”
“She lost her son in an accident a long time ago. The boy fell into the falls and drowned. Ever since then she hasn’t been quite right. She walks around talking about the boy coming home again, returning to her.”
“Her eyes—”
“Odd, aren’t they?” the man agreed. “She’s got a way of looking at you, that’s for sure. But she doesn’t mean anything by it.” He extended a hand in greeting to each of them in turn. “Harry Stowe. I’m the local quack in town. Working up at the clinic this morning, thought I’d take a walk in the sunshine. Glad I did, or Annie might have run you two right out of town.”
“You’re very good with her,” Smith said. He still felt the woman’s touch on his cheek, and resisted the urge to scrub at it. Don’t fall to pieces, for Christ’s sake , he scolded himself. She was just an old, confused woman who had thought he was someone she knew. That was all.
“I’ve treated her at the clinic for quite a while. Surprisingly healthy. She never catches a cold, even though she walks around in her bare feet half the day.” Stowe chuckled. “We used to have a problem with her wandering around town in her underwear. Thought we’d have to lock her up, but she stopped doing it after a while. Sue Hall, that’s the reverend’s sister, she takes care of Annie most of the time.”
“Must be quite a job.”
“We all keep an eye on her.”
Smith nodded as if he understood. He introduced himself, and Angel as his wife, and related the vague story they had taken on as their own; a couple just passing through, looking for a change of scenery for a while. He added that they were treating it as a kind of second honeymoon, because that seemed appropriate, and tried not to meet Angel’s eyes. If he looked at her he was afraid he would either give up the whole ridiculous story on the spot or burst out laughing. Either way,that would be the end of their decision to “lay low” in White Falls, for all intents and purposes.
But then again, Harry Stowe did not look like the kind of man who spread rumors around on a daily basis. His eyes were quick and sharp, and he stood with both feet planted firmly on the ground, an air of quiet authority surrounding him. He had a way of putting you immediately at ease, and Smith thought he was probably a very good doctor. I’ll bet the single ladies flock to him, and half of the married ones, too .
“So this is your first day here in our little town,” Stowe said, grinning. “Bet you’ve got the locals giving you the evil eye, am I right? Don’t pay them any attention. Why don’t you let me show you around a little bit? I can tell you some of White Falls’ more colorful history.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—” Angel started to protest, but he held up a hand.
“The least I can do, after that incident with Annie. To show you that most of us around here are sane. More or less.” He grinned again, and Smith felt a smile work its way out onto his own face. Here was a man who knew how to put others at ease, that much was readily
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