Part 28 (1/2)
”Well, they've got to go somewhere until I can read through them,” Deem said. ”Winn? Any ideas?”
”My trailer is too obvious,” Winn said. ”They know I'm with you on this. It'll probably get searched tomorrow.”
”And they monitor everything,” Deem said. ”I've got to store them somewhere they can't see.”
”Transfer the boxes to my car when we get back to St. George,” Awan said. ”I know a place. I'll take them there.”
”Where?” Deem asked.
”I have an aunt in Leeds,” Awan said. ”She lives in an old house, from pioneer days. It'll offer some protection for the boxes, if we make a deal with Lyman.”
”Who's Lyman?” Deem asked.
”It's a long story,” Awan said. ”But the boxes will be safe. Trust me.”
”It's better than taking them home, Deem,” Winn said. ”Safer for your mom.”
”I don't know,” Deem said. ”I can't afford to lose them. I feel like they've fallen into my lap for a reason, and I need to read what's inside. What if your aunt loses them? Or Dayton tracks them there and intimidates her into giving them up?”
”Tell you what,” Awan said. ”Come with me to Leeds and drop them off yourself. Meet my aunt, and Lyman. See if you're comfortable leaving them there.”
”What if we're being followed?” Deem asked. ”They'll know where the boxes are.”
”It won't matter if they know they're at my aunt's,” Awan said. ”If Lyman agrees to watch over them, there's nothing they can do.”
”They could kill him,” Deem said, ”like they killed Claude.”
”He's already dead,” Awan said.
”Oh,” Deem said. ”Well then. Alright. But I want to talk to him, to be sure.”
”Of course,” Awan said, smiling. He turned to Winn. ”She can be very insistent.”
”You have no idea,” Winn said.
”Then we don't need to go to your car, Awan,” Deem said. ”Let's just go straight out to Leeds now, and we'll bring you back to St. George after. Alright, Winn?”
”Yes,” Winn said. ”Let's do it.”
”I'll call her,” Awan said, pulling his phone from his pocket, ”to tell her we're coming.”
Winn pulled up to the old home situated at the dead end of a flat street in Leeds. Newer homes lined the street that led to the house, but there was a comfortable distance between the last houses on the street and the old one at the end. It was surrounded by a white two beam fence and had a large front lawn. A hill rose up steeply behind it, the reason for the dead end. Winn drove into the driveway. Deem noticed a large sign that said ”No Visitors No Trespa.s.sers No Solicitors No Missionaries” posted on a stake just inside the fence. Winn parked next to an old green Ford station wagon that had wood paneling on the side.
”Carma is gifted,” Awan said as they walked to the door, ”but her practice is a little different.” Awan knocked on the door. It flew open and Carma rushed out, extending her arms to Awan, who allowed her to wrap him in them. Carma was thin and tall, just over six feet, and had perfectly manicured hair she looked as though she'd just left a beauty parlor. A thin cigarette dangled from one hand.
”You don't visit enough,” she said in a slightly raspy voice, which Deem a.s.sumed was due to the smoking. She hugged Awan until Deem thought he would pop. Then she abruptly released him and turned to Winn and Deem.
”Your companions?” she said.
”Deem and Winn,” Awan said. ”Good friends.”
”I am so pleased to meet good friends of Awan's,” she said, transferring her cigarette from her right to her left hand, then extending the right to each of them. When Deem shook Carma's hand she thought she could feel every bone in it, and she was afraid of using too much pressure and breaking it.
”It won't break,” Carma said, smiling at her. ”I take calcium pills. They do a number on my stomach, but my doctor insists. Didn't drink enough milk as a child apparently.”
She whirled around in a perfect one-eighty and walked back into the house, motioning for them to follow her.
Deem looked at Winn. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. They both seemed to approve of Carma.
”Now, this house is over a hundred and forty years old!” Carma said as they walked into a hallway and down it to a back room. The hallway was lined with pictures of the house from different eras and the surrounding area. Deem recognized pictures of abandoned buildings at the nearby ghost town, Silver Reef.
”Built by a Mormon pioneer named Hosea Hamblin, a revered name in these parts. He was a favorite of Brigham Young until he sided with John D. Lee and apostatized. They killed apostates in those days, but Hosea had built himself a nice homestead here and he had some resources as well as friends, so the local church decided to leave him alone rather than slit his throat. Anyone like some iced tea?”
They emerged into a back room that had a comfortable sitting area with more pillows than Deem could count. It had large gla.s.s windows that looked over the back yard.
”I'd like some,” Winn said. ”Thanks.”
”Awan?” Carma asked.
”Not for me, thanks.”
”How about you, dear?” Carma asked Deem. ”You look like you could use something right about now.”
Deem looked out over the beautiful back yard, lit by small lights placed here and there, and a larger light that lit part of the large hill rising at the end of the lawn. It was beautiful. The day had been brutal, and for the first time in a long time, she felt peace wash over her. She felt a release coming, and lowered her head to her chest, fighting the urge to cry. I will not let Winn and Awan see me cry, she thought.
She felt Carma place her hand on her back. ”I have a Diet c.o.ke with your name on it, my dear. Does that sound good?”
Deem shook her head yes.
”Good,” Carma said, walking away. ”I'll be right back with drinks, you all make yourselves comfortable.”
”Nice place,” Winn said to Awan. ”That yard is amazing.”
”You OK, Deem?” Awan asked.
”I'm fine,” Deem said, looking for a place to sit down, and finding a large overstuffed chair she flopped into. It was soft and enveloping, and she instantly felt the tension that had built up in her body seep out and into the chair. ”It's been a long day.”
”That it has,” Winn said, joining her by sitting on a nearby couch. Awan joined him.
”Here we are,” Carma said, entering the room with a tray. ”Now, take what you want and leave what you don't. I've brought some of these little Asian crackers you might want to try. I've fallen in love with them. Not everyone likes them, because of the seaweed. If you don't like them, just ignore them.”
”Thank you,” Winn said, standing up and pouring himself a gla.s.s of iced tea from a pitcher. He took the can of Diet c.o.ke from the tray and handed it to Deem, who popped it open and took a long swig.
”The boxes!” Deem said, pulling the can away from her lips. ”They're in the car!”
”We have some boxes of doc.u.ments,” Awan said to Carma. ”We were hoping we could keep them here for a while. They're...”
”Dangerous?” Carma said, c.o.c.king one eyebrow.