Journey Into Darkness – Chapter 5

She was asleep when he pulled up outside a semi-detached two storey house on Whittier Street. It was twenty-two minutes before two. He had made good time. There were no lights on in the house. That was no surprise.

At first he thought about waiting until morning before disturbing her, but he was tired and sore from driving and the thought of sleeping in the car did not appeal. He rang the doorbell and waited.

A light came on behind the glass panel in the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Eva. Trumper.”

The porch light came on and he could see her face peering through the sheer curtain over the window panel in the door.

“Bradford? Is that you?” The door opened and he thought she was the most beautiful sight he could wish to see at twenty minutes to two in the morning in Idaho Falls. They stood looking at each other without speaking.

“Is this what you meant when you promised me you would call?”

“I’m sorry, Eva. Something came up.”

“Yes,” she said, “nineteen years and a wife and daughter.”

“I was never any good at facing the music.”

“At least you remembered where I live.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t have moved.”

“How could I move? You said you were going to call.” He looked at her, trying to take her seriously, but the smile forced its way through despite his best efforts. “You’d better come in.”

“I have someone with me. A young girl.”

“Your daughter?”

“How I wish it was.”

“I see. Were all the motels full up?”

“It’s not like that, Eva, believe me.”

“Alright, bring her inside.” She waited by the door while he went and got Cassie Monroe from the car.

“Eva, this is Cassidy.” The girl was immediately wide awake.

“How are you, Cassidy?” The woman in the housecoat extended her hand. “I’m Eva Swensson.”

 “Pleased to meet you, Miss Swensson,” the girl replied, shaking the woman’s hand as if she were interviewing for a job.

“Oh, Cassidy, please call me Eva.” The girl looked at her and there was a hint of tears in her eyes. Suddenly she closed the gap between them and embraced the beautiful woman who was inviting this complete stranger into her home.

Eva Swensson could feel the young girl trembling as she embraced her.

“Are you alright, Cassidy?”

The girl held her tight for a moment longer.

 “I actually prefer to be called Cassie,” she said as she removed herself from the embrace.

“Then Cassie it is. Do you have some things with you, Cassie?”

“What you see is what you get.”

The woman looked at Trumper.

“It’s a complicated story.”

“Well, you’d better come in, both of you. Are you hungry? Can I fix you something to eat?”

“We’re fine. What we need more than anything else is somewhere to crash. We’ve had a long drive.”

“Actually, I’m famished.”

“Then, we’d better get you fed. What would you like, Cassie? How about ham and eggs?”

“There’s no need to go to any trouble, Eva. Maybe a bowl of cereal to get us through the rest of the night.”

“Ham and eggs sounds just right,” the girl said, ignoring Trumper. “I could eat a side of pork, I swear.” Eva Swensson laughed, and Trumper couldn’t help a smile, despite his attempts at a disapproving frown.

“How about you, Bradford? Can you handle the other side of the pig?”

“Well, since you’re making anyway, then, yes, I’ll have some.”

“You always were an easy conquest, Bradford.” He could see that she was trying to tease him. It was something new between them. “I’ll fix us all something to eat. You two can freshen up, if you like. Do you remember where it is, Bradford? Down the hall and to the right.”

“Why do you keep calling him Bradford?”

“Because that’s his name.”

“He told me his name is Trumper.”

“Trumper is his surname.”

The girl shot Trumper a dirty look. He thought she was mad that she had been made to look silly.

“I thought Trumper was a stupid first name, right from the start. I’m going to take a pee. Are you going to come and watch me, again, Bradford?”

Eva Swensson gave Trumper a questioning look.

“It’s not like that. She’s trying to get back at me because she thinks I’ve embarrassed her.”

“You have embarrassed her. You should apologize.”

“Everybody calls me Trumper,” he said to her back as she walked away.

“She doesn’t,” Cassie called from down the hall without turning around.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s a start, at least.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry that you had to run into the only person in the whole damn world who doesn’t call me Trumper.”

She stopped at the bathroom door and looked back at him. “Your daughter calls you Trumper?”

“Okay, the second person.”

“You’re an asshole, Trumper,” she murmured as she disappeared into the washroom.

“That girl is very perceptive,” Eva said as she took out eggs, ham and bacon from the fridge. He watched her in silence.

They heard the toilet flush and a moment later the girl had turned on the shower.

“She makes herself at home very easily. I had better get her some fresh clothes. She looks like she’s been through hell.”

“She has.”

“Well, I’m going to bed,”

Cassie said after they had sat around for almost an hour saying practically nothing of any consequence.

“Can you point me in the right direction, Eva?”

“Next door past the washroom. You can borrow a pair of my pajamas. My bedroom is right opposite.”   

“Thanks, but I don’t use them.”

She got up to leave.

“Just one request though; try to keep it down to a moderate scream, could you?”

Eva looked at Trumper who merely shrugged.

“She has no trouble speaking her mind, does she?”