Chapter 13

Dinner was ready to go on the table at the Clark home and Carl Clark the oldest was looking for his daughter and since she had spent so much of her time the last few days in the barn that is where he looked first.

When Carl walked into the barn he quickly saw his daughter with the fireman from California. She looked as if she had cried herself to sleep in this man's arms.

Julie had finally shared her grief with someone. He wished she could have opened up to him but after all he had said to her in opposition of the time she spent with this handicapped young man to make his life better he could understand why she wouldn't come to him. Carl's thoughts turned to Julie telling him that she didn't want just any guy; she was holding out for a man.

Mr. Kelly was still in his uniform, a testament to the fact that he just hopped in Jack's semi and came right from work. The moisture on his face bore testament to the fact that he cared for this young man as much as his daughter did. There was noticeable dampness to the front of the uniform in the area of each of the shoulders. Carl Clark Sr. felt at peace at last. It was clear that his daughter had found such a man.

Less than an hour ago he had learned why his daughter came home and kicked two bales of hay apart the night before they learned of Frank's death. What had Julie ever done to deserve the vindictiveness of the folk in these parts?

Carl quickly removed his coat and wrapped it around his daughter's shoulders as she slept on Chet's shoulder. Chet just moved to place his arm on the outside of the coat and hold it tighter around her as he tucked the front part between Julie and himself.

"Thank you," Carl spoke to Chet quietly.

Chet smiled but said nothing.

"I came to get you two for dinner but I don't know what she needs most food or sleep, don't think she's had any of either since we got the word."

"Well," Chet whispered, emotions affecting his voice. "She's made it to sleep maybe it would be best to let her at it and feed her when she wakes up."

"Yeah," Carl responded nodding his head as he spoke. "I'll help you get her inside where it's warm."

Before Carl was able to move into a position to help lift his daughter Chet slipped the hand that had been stroking her hair under her knees and stood up with Julie in his arms making it clear that the only help he needed was for someone to open the doors for him. Carl moved ahead to do just that.

Chet walked along carrying Julie pausing only to kiss her forehead and snuggle her into his shoulder with his cheek when the cool breeze started to awaken her. It wasn't a long distance to the house and once they were there Carl lead the way to Julie's room and turned down the bedding. Chet lay her in the bed and carefully removed her father's coat from around her shoulders as he pulled the blankets up and talked soothingly as he did so. Like Chet had been in the semi Julie was exhausted enough to go back to sleep and once she stilled and settled in Chet silently followed her father out of the room.

With a jerk of his head Carl directed Chet to the dining room table. "It's not anything really fancy just a pot of clam chowder, Julie seems to like it and she really needs to eat something.

Not knowing what to say and feeling a little hungry himself Chet watched as a ladle of chowder was poured into a bowl and placed in front of him. Waiting patiently for his host to be ready to eat Chet took his first, best table manners yet, taste.

Smiling Chet went back for his second taste to confirm his suspicions. "You must be the one who taught Cap how to make such great clam chowder."

"Are you telling me that Henry still uses the recipe he begged a year and a half to get me to write down for him?"

"Well, it tastes the same, but he doesn't use a recipe any more; he makes it from memory and if it took him that long to get the recipe I guess that's why he will never let anyone around him while he's cooking it."

It felt good to smile and then a second later it felt wrong to smile. Chet took another taste of his chowder then set his spoon down.

"Sir, I've gotten to know Frank really well the last few months and I have to tell you that there is no way that he started that fire."

Carl toyed with his chowder then looked up at his guest. "It is possible alright, but I know he didn't do it either."

"I didn't take it personally when the state fire marshal asked his questions. He doesn't know anyone in this area from Adam. He's just came in to do a job and he's doing the right thing to check out every lead. They've got a problem in town; have had for close to two years now. I've heard of similar problems throughout the county and into the next. For some time now, two maybe three times a year an older house burns to the ground. There's no way Frank is responsible for the fires in the neighboring areas. Unless he was driven by someone else he never went any farther than he could walk. He was here on the ranch when several of the fires took place. There were two such fires while he and Julie were in California. Whoever is responsible seems to be accelerating.

"I used to think it was just an inadequate Fire Chief. The one they've had for the last eight years or so is more than a little short of knowhow. But then what can the town expect when they're only willing to pay fifty bucks a month and obsolete and worn out equipment or no equipment, no one else wants the job.

"They had a guy about ten years ago that was a former firefighter out of Arizona. The Mayor ran him out on a rail after about six months. Every town council meeting he'd ask for money to make the department safe. Things like turn out coats that were newer than fifty years old and not deteriorating, replacing the clutch on the fire engine before it broke down completely and had to be towed to the fire, stuff like that.

"The Mayor doesn't like to spend money the city doesn't have, I'll give him that but there are needs that he doesn't see as needs. The man runs unopposed in most elections, guess no one wants his job either.

"I suggested they bring in a state investigator to look into these fires nearly a year ago. Now that there has finally been a fatality they have no choice. I don't like some of the rumors that are going around but it's about time they got to the bottom of things."

Carl took several more spoons full of chowder as he gave Chet a look that made him uncomfortable.

"The investigator was here late this afternoon asking if there was any truth to the rumor that Julie was pregnant." Chet suddenly and completely understood the look he had been getting.

Chet answered without hesitation. "No sir, I have not taken advantage of your daughter. She has been working her butt off to finish her education, work a part time job to be able to cover what expenses her savings didn't and spending whatever time she could to see to it that Frank was taken care of and had the support he needed to advance in the program he was enrolled in."

Carl nodded his head in satisfaction with the answer given. "Actually, it seems the rumor going around is that she's carrying Frank's child. I knew that wasn't the case. Those of us that have known Frank for a few years now know that his father saw to it that he was rendered incapable of producing offspring before he reached puberty."

Chet understood where the man across the table from him was coming from. Instantly he was grateful that he had asked him instead of Julie to confirm or dispute the rumors he had been asked about. Chet felt assured that he had passed the test.

Chet's mind turned to Frank and wondered if his father had used medical intervention or a painfully placed foot to render his son sterile. He told himself that it was none of his business and then asked the other question he wanted an answer to.

"What is it that people around here have against Julie?"

Carl actually looked pleased with that question.

"I don't really know. I suspect that each person involved has their own reasons. For the most part I think that it's in response to pain others have caused and by wana'be suitors that she's rebuffed. There are times when she can be a regular bull moose when she's right and she knows it. That's caused a few waves.

"Mostly I think the rumors are started by people that feel trapped in this territory that time forgot and can't take it that she's made something of herself and can go anywhere she wants with the skills that she has and the name that she's made for herself. Some are afraid she's going to take their job, others are just plain jealous."

After dinner Chet made even more points with Julie's father by helping with the dishes before the two of them sat in front of the fire place.

Carl broke a long silence. "I have a couple of favors I need to ask of you if I may."

"If I can," Chet was quick to respond.

"First, I'd like you to go with us to this inquisition thing tomorrow afternoon. I want you to tell them about Frank and the time you've spent with him. You'll probably be considered an expert witness because of your education and years with the fire department back in LA."

"I want to go anyway. I want to be there for Julie."

Carl smiled again. "The second favor, well, someone needs to go through the closet in the bunk house where Frank's things are kept. For years now this has been the place he would come when his Dad admitted he needed a break from him. We've always kept at least three changes of clothes for him, you know, one to wear, one to wash and a spare. I knew it was just going to be a matter of time before he'd be back even after the six months in California. He also left his favorite fireman print pajamas here when he went home this last time. His dad thinks they're ridiculous and he wanted to try hard to make his dad happy that he was coming home." Carl huffed at that thought then held his breath for a moment.

Carl took a deep breath to keep his emotions from over flowing, "There's a sock monkey out there that Julie made for him. I think she may want to keep that, but everything else can go in a box and a, well I guess it should just be dropped off at the nearest Goodwill store, or maybe that training center he just came from could put them to use."

"I'll take care of it, sir," Chet solemnly agreed.

Carl took a break to go get a drink from the kitchen and stopped by Julie's room to check on her before he returned. She was lying there awake so he coaxed her to come with him to sit by the fire. The remaining clam chowder was warmed up and Chet convinced her to eat it. Actually he told her that if she didn't eat it herself he was going to spoon feed her and that got her started. After a few spoons full she realized how hungry she was and finished off a couple of bowls full.

The three of them stayed by the fire late into the night and since Carl felt a change of topic of conversation was in order he asked how his old friend Henry was as a Captain. The conversation led to the crush Julie had on him when he worked at the ranch the summer just before he got married and they were all laughing before they split up to try and get some sleep.

Author's Note: As I stated repeatedly in the first story of this series, there is a lot of comparison to the area I grew up in. I've also repeatedly reported that each character was built by combining traits of several different people to make one person in the story. That said there was one such special friend in my life that did meet with a tragic end that was my inspiration for killing Frank off. My friend didn't die in such a heroic manner as Frank did but that ending fit with my story. Also the part about the fire chief being paid fifty dollars a month is true for such area's including the one I grew up in. I have lost touch with the area now and have no idea what the pay scale is back home today.

I do have to add that as was reveled in the prequel chapter of the first story, my father was the fire chief in our area during the time frame that this story is based. I feel that for future hope of any relations with said father I have to add that the part in this last chapter that will be continued in the next chapters do not relate to him. My father was one of a dozen firefighters when he was still in high school that completed a correspondence course in fire fighting while he was part of the fire department. His Chief at the time taught some of the lessons during fire drills. After years with the local fire department he was appointed as the local fire chief, a position he held from the time of my early youth until he feared he was getting too old to do the job any longer. His pay at the time was a paid health insurance premium.

The man that took his place was a medically retired firefighter from a larger city and he was appalled with the equipment he inherited to work with. The city council didn't like him much and his appointment was unappointed in a matter of months. I could say some things about the Chief that took over next but since he's still in charge I think I better not.