An Unexpected Arrest
The attorney looked like a farm laborer rather than a lawyer. He wore blue jeans and a solid color button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled. He was about fifty with salt and pepper hair and a ready smile. His desk was littered with paraphernalia for tying fishing flies. He had no secretary and didn’t give much of an impression from his little storefront office.
David introduced him as Chris Christiansen. I offered my hand, but it locked painfully as I tried to shake. I banged it on the lawyer’s desk like it was a broken tool. “Sorry, arthritis. No offense.”
“None taken. What brings you here today?”
David answered. “We want some information about the other buyer for the Krengel dairy farm. Is there anything you can tell us?”
He shook his head. “The offer was tendered through an attorney out of Billings. I never heard of the firm, but that doesn’t mean anything. There’s a lot of lawyers in the capital. They didn’t name their client, but they don’t have to.”
“Isn’t that odd?” I asked.
“It’s not unusual. Big landowners often go through third parties to make purchases because they don’t want their name attached to an offer. If folks know one of the big boys is involved, they get greedy and try to drive the price up. Either that, or competitors think there’s something special about the property and bid up to get it. Anonymous offers tend to keep funny business to a minimum. Why do you ask? Are you reconsidering their offer?”
I answered for David. “He might be. He’s worried about who wants the property and why. David has a great operation going and doesn’t want to risk a troublesome neighbor. Can you press them for more information?”
Chris looked to David for confirmation of what I said. David gave it. “Law is right. We’ve had a little trouble on the property lately. I’m starting to think I bought Lars Krengel’s bad luck with his farm. Maybe someone else could do better. I’m not set on selling, but I could be persuaded. I’m not so worried about the money. I just want peace of mind.”
Chris’s face fell at the mention of trouble. “What’s been going on?”
David told the strict truth. “The old house burned yesterday. It was a total loss. I drove in to tell Lars because I didn’t want him finding out from anyone else, and we found him dead. Looks like he had an accident at his new place. A bookcase fell on him. I’m not a superstitious man, but it spooked me to find him like that. I reported it to the police, then came right here to see you. Maybe this one time it’s better to cut my losses.”
Chris was visibly shocked. “Lars Krengel is dead?”
I answered. “Has been for a few days at least. The state police are there now.”
“Damn shame. He’s got his will with me. We had to update it when he sold the farm. I’ll start getting things ready. Poor old Lars. Has anyone told Jacob?”
David said they hadn’t told Lars’ son yet. “The police wanted to notify the next of kin.”
“Damn shame. Jake was a few years ahead of me in school. We weren’t friends exactly, but we knew each other to say hello. I’ll get the will ready and wait for his call. Wouldn’t be right for me to tell him what he doesn’t know. Shame he’s got to hear it from the police, but they’ve got their rules.”
David dragged the conversation back to the business of the property. “You see why I’m thinking about selling?”
Chris nodded slowly. “I’d be spooked after all that. I’ll telephone the Billings attorney this afternoon. They might not tell who their client is, but they might if I promise to keep it confidential. Can I talk to you tomorrow?”
“That would be great. Thanks, Chris.”
We said our goodbyes and I got my hand working in time to shake. David and I left. I complimented my friend once we were headed back to the farm. “You’re getting good at going along with my lies. You didn’t hesitate.”
“Chris is a friend and he’s been my lawyer for over ten years. I don’t like to lie to him, but I don’t want to explain everything either. I remembered what you said about not telling Eddie about the arson. The more people who know something, the more likely it is they’ll talk. Chris doesn’t need to be careful with a secret he doesn’t know.”
I was happy about the way the discussion went with the lawyer. I was also glad over the way Officer Koenig handled the death. I suspected he was so agreeable because he didn’t appreciate Sheriff Andy’s bluster when he first arrived on the scene. Koenig seemed the type who doesn’t suffer fools. I wondered about Andy. “Are we going to have trouble with your wife’s cousin?”
“Andy’s an ass!”
David’s outburst was surprising because he didn’t bluster or swear often. He elaborated. “He was with the sheriff’s office when Larry went missing years ago. When I brought him back, Abby told Andy’s wife why Larry left and what happened and all that. Andy ran his mouth all over town and we had ugliness between us for years. I let him back into our lives for Abby’s sake and things settled down. I thought he wised-up, but he’s the same bigot he’s always been.”
“How did he find out about me and Walt?”
“Abby told Nancy. She said last night after we went to bed. I wished she wouldn’t have. She thinks the best of everyone and doesn’t understand how difficult it can be for queer men in old fashioned places.”
I agreed but amended that things could be difficult in all places. “Times are changing for the better, but it can be difficult even in Philly. They don’t enforce the old morality laws, but they’re still on the books. If a cop wanted to make trouble for Walt and me, the law is on their side. We’ve had a few run ins over the years, but nothing serious. The people around here seem like great people, but I’m sure there’s enough sanctimonious types to fill a jury box. They could put me and Walt away just for being who we are. Is Andy crazy enough to try to arrest us? I don’t want any trouble, and I don’t want to cause any for you and your family.”
“Since when do you worry about trouble?”
I looked at my hands with their thin skin and swollen joints. “Since I got old and since my husband had a heart attack that almost killed him.”
“Walt seems fine. The way he tells it, his heart attack was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing.”
David pulled off the road into a wide dirt shoulder and shut the engine off. “Do you want to tell me about it? Long distance telephone calls are so expensive, we didn’t get a chance to talk much when it happened. I was worried sick, but when I got Walt’s letter asking about a visit, I assumed the attack was minor.”
I didn’t want to talk about it because I didn’t want to relive it. I started talking anyway, like the story demanded I tell it. “He’d been having indigestion. Walt never has indigestion. It got so bad, he went to the doctor, twice. They told him to avoid rich food and treat with bicarb. I begged him to see another doctor, but he didn’t want to. He trusted his doctor. I finally persuaded him to go to the clinic in the hospital across the street. He agreed to go the next day.
“We were getting ready for bed, and the indigestion was worse than it had ever been. He couldn’t even lay down. He was pacing the bedroom and rubbing his chest. He grabbed his chest in pain and leaned against the wall. I didn’t know what was happening. He slid down until he was sitting on the floor and cried out that it hurt. I cried out for help.
“Lucky for both of us, I’d picked up a stray doctor earlier that day. He was a Vietnam vet who was having trouble readjusting to civilian life. I offered him a place to stay and he accepted. He knew just what to do for Walt. Doc took care of him while I called the hospital across the street. They sent a stretcher crew and took him right in.
“I tried to follow him into the examination room because I love him. They wouldn’t let me because I’m not really his husband. I live like his husband and we wear rings, but we’re not allowed to be married because the law says it’s wrong. I had to go back to the apartment and get paperwork to show I’m his adopted son before they’d even talk to me.”
David didn’t understand. “What do you mean, you’re his son?”
“Remember Scobie, the lawyer who helped Larry? He told us about it. Because we can’t get married, we have no legal protection as partners. There’s a loophole in the law that queers use to adopt each other. It forces the state to acknowledge us as kin. Walt adopted me in 1954. I’m so glad he did because otherwise, the hospital would have called his sister to make decisions. Walt’s sister doesn’t even speak with him because he’s queer. Who knows what she might have done.”
David patted my shoulder in sympathy. I heaved a breath and went on. “The heart attack was massive. One of the arteries to his heart was completely blocked. Part of the muscle is dead. There’s nothing they can do. He’s got to take it easy. He can’t handle stress. That’s why he had to give up the restaurant. We sold half of it to my niece’s husband Owen. He runs it now. We’re silent partners. When we die, Owen will inherit the rest of it.”
He patted my shoulder some more. “I’m so sorry. That must’ve been hard.”
“It was. It was harder because he fought me every step of the way. He didn’t want to give up his dream. He didn’t want to sell out. He didn’t want to lose the thing that makes him who he is. We almost lost each other over the fighting. I threatened to leave if he wouldn’t listen to reason. I hated to do it, but it was the only way he’d acknowledge that he couldn’t still be the man he once was. I took my ring off and left. Larry and Stephan put me up for the night. When I went back the next day, he apologized and we started to work together like we should have from the start.”
“I’m glad you were able to make up. I’m glad you both made it through. That must’ve been so hard.” He switched topics. “You mentioned Larry and Stephan; do they know about this adoption scheme?”
“They did the same thing. Larry is Stephan’s adopted father. They’re protected and, God forbid something happen to one or the other, they can make decisions without any delay.
David was about to say something when he was interrupted by the blip of a siren from behind us. He looked in the rearview and announced we had company. “It’s Andy.”
The sheriff came to the driver’s window with a scowl on his face. “Illegal parking, blocking the thoroughfare, endangering traffic, failure to signal, obstruction. You’re under arrest, both of you, and this vehicle is hereby impounded.”
David blustered. “ANDY, I’M GONNA…”
I shouted him down. “DON’T!”
He rounded on me. “WHY NOT?”
“The deck is stacked in his favor. We’re under arrest. Let’s go along quietly.”
David relented and we were arrested. The sheriff took our sidearms and handcuffed us both. He put us in the patrol car and ordered a tow truck to pick up David’s Suburban. He took us to the sheriff’s office, had us fingerprinted, took our mug shots and booked us. The charges included the traffic infractions Andy reeled off at the side of the road, as well as all the offences he listed in Krengel’s backyard, plus a few more he made up in between. It was well into the evening when he put us in the cell.
The deputy offered to let us make our phone calls. I didn’t have anyone to call, but I coached David before he made his. “Don’t let Abby bring Walt into town. If you can, tell her to drop the envelope at the state police before she comes. Tell her to hand over the film from Charlie’s camera, too. Have her get a receipt for both and bring it with her.”
He went with the deputy to make his call and came back with a smile on his face. “Abby is fit to be tied. She’s on her way. She’s going to pick up Andy’s mother and bring her along. We’ll be out of here and home before it’s time for bed.”
He sat next to me on the fold down cot. It protested the added weight with an angry creaking of springs. I asked if he was alright. He didn’t understand the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’ve been thrown in jail.”
He sighed. “It’s a good thing you yelled at me in the car. I was gonna wring Andy’s neck.”
“That’s why I yelled. If you’d punched him, that would have given him the reason he needed to grind us through the system. There would have been a jury trial and all the other crap. We went peacefully. All he’s got is his made-up bullshit. Hopefully your wife and her aunt can pressure him into letting us out. Once he does, he won’t be able to pull us back in unless we do something overt. As mad as I am, this escapade basically neuters him.”
He leaned back on the bed and propped himself on his arms. “Are you sure you can’t see the future?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Law I knew back at the beginning would have joined me to punch Andy’s face. The Law I knew back in ’53 might have done the same. I don’t understand this person you are now. The only thing that makes sense is that you know what’s going to happen and you choose your actions according to the best outcome.”
“I hate to disappoint you my friend, but I cannot see the future. If I could, I’d tell you how this works out. I’ve gotten old. I’m no longer more powerful than my circumstances. I’ve got to accept what happens because I’m not equal to fighting it anymore. The strange thing is, I see wisdom in observing. I never saw any before. I watch more than I used to and my watching helps me act in a more reasonable manner.”
“Is it hard being old?”
“It isn’t easy, but it’s not bad. I feel like it happened all the sudden. Just yesterday it was 1947 and Walt and I were opening Walt’s Special. I blinked my eyes and it’s twenty-two years later and I’m an old man.”
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “My body hurts more than it used to. The winters are getting harder. I’m cold more than I used to be. I worry what will happen when I can’t do as much as I can now.”
“You’re what, fifty-eight?”
“Yeah.”
“Seventy is coming, my friend. If we’re lucky, it comes for all of us. You’ve got time now to recognize that you won’t be able to do it forever. At some point, you’ll have to pass the reigns to the next generation. Now is the time when you’ve got to decide how to leave things. Now is the time for you to plan who will carry on when you can’t.”
He rubbed his big hands together with the familiar sandpaper scratch of his callouses. “When Larry was born, I thought he would be the one. I used to stand on the back step of the original house, before we had the additions built. I’d hold him up and tell him all this would be his one day. When he moved away, I figured it would be Eddie. Eddie is a good boy, but he doesn’t have the drive to do what I do. He helps, but he’s more of an operator than a builder. The two middle boys, Marcus and Robert, both went to college and took jobs in the city. Marcus is a teacher and Robert is an engineer. I’m proud of them, but neither will carry on my legacy.”
I saw a possible solution. “What about Charlie? Look at what he did today. You needed help and he volunteered without you having to ask. I’m sure he wanted to come along with us, but he put the farm first. He strikes me as the type who would work and strive and push and shove to make sure his father’s empire thrives.”
He rubbed his hands together again. “I wonder if he’d want to. I don’t want to push it on him, but I’d like it if he did. I also don’t know how I’d square it with Eddie. I don’t want hurt feelings.”
“If Eddie is the way you say he is, he likely wouldn’t want the responsibility of the whole place. You’d have to talk to him very carefully, but if you offer him a seat at the table, so to speak, he might not need to sit at the head. As for Charlie, maybe he could run the farm with Mitch. They seem like the two musketeers. Charlie is definitely the leader, but Mitch could be a steady partner. Talk to the boys. Gather the family and talk to all of them. Make a plan. If Charlie wants to do it, teach him how. Make him your apprentice. The only way you’ll make sure your place goes on the way you want it to is to teach the next generation how you built it.”
He agreed with reservations. “I’ll talk to them. I’ll talk to Charlie first, then him and Mitch, then everyone together. A place as big as mine is a huge responsibility. He’d have to want to do it for the right reasons.”
“You don’t have to rush into it. Why not make Charlie your right hand for the summer and don’t tell him why. See how he takes to it. Maybe he’ll prove he’s the right choice without having to ask him.”
“That’s an idea. I think I’ll have them both work with me once this mess is settled. I’ve been treating them like cheap labor, but I should get them involved in how my place runs. You’re smart. You would have made a good dad.”
I shook my head. “I’m a better uncle and friend than I would have ever been a father. I appreciate the compliment though.”
* * * *
About an hour later, the deputy escorted Charlie into the jail and left him. He was grinning like it was Christmas morning. “Mom and Great Aunt Violet are in with Sheriff Andy. They’re givin’ him the business. I ain’t never seen mom as mad as she is tonight. I could hear them yellin’ right through the door.”
David observed that they made good time getting to the sheriff’s office. Charlie’s grin widened. “Mom drove. I offered but she wouldn’t let me. She came into town like she was bein’ chased by the devil. I wouldn’t trade places with Cousin Andy for a million bucks. Oh, and we did what you said and took the envelope to the state police. Mom got a receipt for it. You should have heard what she told Andy he could do with it!”
The hallway door opened again for the deputy who came in with Abby. She wore a scowl that would have stopped a train. The deputy dawdled over his keys and she blasted him. “GET IT OPEN!”
The man startled, and he dropped his keys. He picked them up and had to flip through the bunch again. He found the right key and unlocked the cell. He escorted us into the main office where we had to sign for our belongings. We received them in oversized envelopes. Abby stewed the entire time.
David opened his envelope and didn’t find his car keys. “What about my truck.”
The deputy shook his head. “Impound yard is closed for the night. We’ll release it in the morning.”
Abby lost her composure and addressed the deputy by name. “LYLE FARNSWORTH, YOU GET THAT TRUCK UP HERE RIGHT NOW! MY HUSBAND HAS NO TIME TO RUN BACK UP HERE BECAUSE YOU THINK THE WORLD STOPS WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN!”
Deputy Lyle ran off like he’d been zapped with high voltage. Abby monologued as he went. “Is everyone in this office a turnip-headed idiot? Thank God for the state police or we might all be murdered in our beds.”
A door opened at the back and an elderly woman strode through it with a shamefaced Sheriff Andy behind. She urged Andy to the counter where we stood. He shuffled his feet and wouldn’t look at us. The elderly woman spoke in a low, firm voice. “Are you going to apologize or do I have to do that for you as well?”
He grunted. “I’m sorry.”
The woman reached a bony hand over the counter toward me. “Violet Olsen. Pleased to meet you, Mister Edwards. I hope you will accept my apologies for my stupid son. We usually treat visitors far better than this. I hope you won’t let the actions of one simpleton color your impression of all of us.”
I shook her hand. “No ma’am. I deeply appreciate your intervention on our behalf.”
She directed her next words to David. “My apologies to you as well.”
“You’ve nothing to apologize for Aunt Violet. You have my thanks. To prove it, let me invite you for dinner tomorrow. We’ve got a real chef staying at the house and we’d be happy if you’d come enjoy his cooking with us.”
Aunt Violent made a wry mouth like she tasted something sour. “A real chef? As opposed to your wife, maybe?”
David corrected himself. “I don’t mean to belittle Abby, but our guest is a famous chef from back east. He’s got two Firestone stars.”
She unbent slightly. “Does he now? I’d be happy to come. I haven’t seen you and the family in ages. What time?”
“Why don’t you let us fetch you? No need to put yourself out driving all that way. Charlie will be along about four-thirty if that suits.”
“Suits me fine. I’ll look forward to it.”
The deputy hurried in the front door and brought David his keys. David held them up toward Violet. “Shall we drop you home?”
The woman scowled and jerked her head toward Andy. “Andy will see me home later. He and I are not finished with our talk.”
David and I thanked her again and left.
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