Part 25 (1/2)
”The union men gave Father an ultimatum,” Amanda said.
Grace groaned. ”I can imagine how well your father took that.”
”He slapped the presenter, but, Mother, Hank wasn't with them.”
Grace frowned, seeing her daughter's fear. ”I don't understand. Do you think Dr. Montgomery could have done a better job of the presentation?”
”Hank said he was going to present the paper. But he didn't do it. Mother, there is something awfully wrong. I know it. I'm going to look for Hank.”
Grace Caulden set down the suitcase she was holding. ”Then let's go. We'll find him.”
”The fields are awful,” Amanda said, her eyes searching her mother's. ”The people are-”
Grace took her daughter's hand. ”It's time we did something, don't you think? It's time we both stopped hiding in our rooms.”
”Yes,” Amanda said and they started walking.
They searched for two hours. They walked around every tent, every squalid little hovel, stepped over unspeakable piles of stinking garbage, endured much abuse and lewd remarks. They asked everyone, used every language Amanda knew. They communicated with hand gestures. They asked any way they could, but no one had seen Dr. Montgomery for hours.
Whitey Graham blocked their path when they'd started on their third hour of searching. ”You two are Cauldens?” His eyes gleamed in the growing darkness. ”Feelings are running pretty high against the Cauldens right now. You two better get out of here.”
”I want to know where Dr. Montgomery is,” Amanda said, swallowing her fear of this man.
Whitey grinned. ”Went off hours ago with a pretty lady. Haven't seen him since. Maybe he's...” He trailed off, letting his face make his bawdy suggestions.
Amanda hid her clenched fists in the folds of her skirt. ”I'm going to get him. I'll drag him... out of bed if I have to, and then he's going to talk to my father. You'll get your wage increase. Hank will find a way to persuade my father.”
Whitey smiled in a mean way. ”You sure seem to think the professor's powerful. Personally, I don't think there's anything anyone can do to make Caulden listen, except maybe a few shots fired into somebody.”
Amanda swallowed and hoped her face didn't betray her terror. ”I'll get him. Hank knows how to talk. If anyone can talk to my father, he can.”
”It may be too late for talk.” He was looking her up and down in an insolent way.
Amanda turned away from him and started walking toward the road to Kingman.
Grace hurried to keep up with her daughter. ”What an awful man. He makes my skin crawl. Dear, where are you hurrying off to?”
”Reva Eiler's house,” she said bitterly.
”You think your Dr. Montgomery is with her?”
”Yes I do. He seems to need lots of women around him.”
Grace was tripping over clumps of gra.s.s, her heels were snagging, her skirt kept getting caught, and her little hat was down over one eye as she rushed to keep up with her daughter. ”I've only seen you with him once, dear, but it was my impression that he was quite mad for you.”
Amanda hesitated, then resumed her pace. ”He looks at all women like that.”
”No man has enough energy to be that intense about two women.”
”Hank has lots of energy,” Amanda said over her shoulder. ”Ma.s.sive amounts of energy. Long-lasting, enduring, incredible energy.”
Grace stopped, eyes wide, and looked at the back of her daughter. ”How very fortunate for the woman he loves,” she murmured and hurried forward.
Amanda climbed over the fence at the edge of the field then helped her mother over.
”Are we planning to walk all the way into town?” Grace asked, flexing her aching ankles. She thought she had the beginnings of a blister on her left little toe.
”We are going to hitch a ride.”
Grace turned away so Amanda wouldn't see her horror. For years she had prayed that her daughter would someday break out of Taylor's rule, but to go from being a meek little lamb to thumbing rides was more than she wanted.
The first car that came down the road stopped for them, but it was heading out of town. Handsome young Sam Ryan leaned out the window and smiled at Amanda.
”So, we meet again,” he said softly.
Amanda narrowed her eyes at him. ”Sam, I want you to turn this car around and take my mother and me to Reva Eiler's house.”
Sam drew back into the car. ”Sorry, but I can't.” He looked as if he'd just noticed Grace. ”I have to run an errand for my father.”
”If you don't take me to Reva's house this instant, I'll go to your parents and tell them what you did to me the night of the dance. I still have that torn dress.”
Sam grimaced. ”All right, get in, but I'm not waitin' for you at Reva's house.”
”No one asked you to,” Amanda snapped.
Amanda didn't say a word on the way to Reva's house. She didn't even answer her mother when Grace whispered, ”What did Sam do to you at the dance?” Amanda was too busy raging inside at Hank Montgomery. Here she'd been thinking she loved him and thinking what a n.o.ble person he was to try to help the poor, defenseless workers, when he was out lollygagging with Reva Eiler. And Amanda had told Taylor to go after Reva! What a fool she was about men-and women, for that matter. Reva had flirted with Hank at the Union Hall and conned Taylor into taking her home from the carnival.
Amanda began to imagine the terrible things she'd do to both Reva and Hank when she found them together.
”Here we are,” Sam said sullenly, ”and this makes us even. Dad'll have my head when I'm late.”
”You deserve it,” Amanda said, shutting the car door. ”You shouldn't take advantage of defenseless women.”
”You weren't exactly defenseless with that professor around. He knocked one of my back teeth loose.”
Amanda smiled at him. ”Maybe you'll remember next time.”
Sam grimaced and drove away.
”Amanda dear,” Grace said, ”you and I are going to have to have a long talk after this is settled.”
Amanda didn't answer but went to Reva's door and knocked. It was a filthy little house, with a broken swing outside, rusted tin cans in a pile by a fence with missing boards. Hollyhocks that looked as if they were fighting for life grew from something that looked like a truck fender. A pane of gla.s.s from the front window was. missing and newspaper had been taped over it.
At her second knock, Amanda heard shuffling footsteps inside.
”What'd'ya want?” a man's voice yelled.