SHUDDER

By Jennie Hansen

CHAPTER ONE

“It was a dark and stormy night.”  Darcy wished she could get the stupid phrase out of her head.  True, there was a storm raging, and technically it was still night.  But not all of the darkness came from the black clouds; some were the product of her fearful thoughts.  It had been a night just like this when DeLana died.  Darcy had been alone that night, too, studying for a chemistry exam when the officers came to her door.  Blue and red lights had flashed intermittently from a police cruiser parked at the edge of the front lawn, blurred by a torrential rainstorm. The older of the two policemen had asked for her parents and mumbled something about a drunk driver and slippery roads.  It all became a painful blur with only one stark fact standing out above everything else: Darcy’s big sister was dead.

She attempted to shake off memories of the past and focused on the present as she worried about her roommate Clare, who was out later than usual.   She’d never had a serious boyfriend before now though.  “I’m not her mother,” she reminded herself as she moved one slat of the blind again so she could peer out at the swaying trees and the rain lashing at the window.  She wouldn’t worry so much if Clare were with anyone other than Blaine Prescott.  There was just something about Blaine that set Darcy’s teeth on edge.

The building creaked, but Darcy immediately dismissed the sound.  The apartment building was old, and being alone in their apartment wasn’t new to her.  For the past two months, Clare had spent almost every evening with Blaine, while their former roommate, Ellen, had seldom been arpund in the months leading up to her wedding.  Her roommates’ popularity regrettably made Darcy doubly aware of her own infrequent dates.  She had never claimed a large entourage of young men seeking her time and attention, but she’d never been as completely without male friends as she’d found herself during the past few months.  Of course working long hours and a full slate of college classes precluded a busy social life. 

It had been two weeks since Ellen had moved out, and Darcy and Clare would have to find another roommate soon or move to a smaller apartment.  Discussing the problem with Clare had proved to be impossible between her boyfriend’s constant presence and the two young women’s conflicting schedules.  She’d have to go ahead on her own with making the arrangements. Tomorrow she’d prepare an ad to go in the paper, and on Sunday she’d put a message on the singles ward bulletin board.  Clare’s new job paid well, and she could easily afford to pay her share of the rent, but Darcy was hard pressed to pay a third of the rent; she certainly couldn’t pay half.  She turned back to the window.

Car lights cut through the blackness, coming much too quickly.  She held her breath as the lights swept into the driveway and disappeared behind the four-story apartment building.  Releasing the blind, she slipped back into bed where she lay still, listening for the faint swish of the elevator, a key in the lock, and the careful steps of her roommate. 

As expected, the sounds came, though they seemed slower than usual, and Clare didn’t seem to be taking her usual care not to disturb Darcy’s sleep.  Several times she seemed to stumble, and once Darcy thought she heard mumbled words.  The sound of running water came from the bathroom the girls shared followed by the closing of Clare’s door.  Silence followed, and Darcy had almost drifted to sleep when a faint sound reached her.  Clare was crying. 

Darcy sat up then hesitated.  She wasn’t certain whether she should go to her friend or respect her privacy.  Moving hesitantly, she left her room and took the few short steps to Clare’s room.

“Clare?”  Darcy tapped softly on the door.  A muffled sound came from the other side.  Darcy wasn’t sure if it was an invitation to enter, but she assumed it was.  Pushing the door open, she hurried to Clare’s bedside.  Dropping to her knees, she reached out to touch her friend.   “Are you all right?  Are you sick?”

She couldn’t understand Clare’s muffled reply, but she felt the wetness on her friend’s cheek.  “Did you have a fight with Blaine?”

“No!”  The answer came too quickly and sounded defensive.  Darcy had given up sharing her reservations about Blaine with Clare.  They’d been best friends as long as either could remember. They were the rare childhood friends, who had grown up almost next door to each other and had still been there for each other through high school trials and triumphs, college, the death of Darcy’s older sister, Clare’s mother’s illness and subsequent passing, and now their first full-time jobs.  Blaine wasn’t worth messing up their friendship over.

“It’s nothing.”  Clare gulped noisily.  “I fell on the rain-slick steps and hurt my wrist.”

“Let me see.”  Darcy clicked the switch on Clare’s bedside lamp.  “Woah!  That doesn’t look good.”  Darcy gingerly touched Clare’s arm above her red and swollen wrist.  “You need to see a doctor.”

“I’m sure it will be all right in a little while.  I don’t have to work tomorrow . . .”

“Today!”  Darcy interrupted.  “It’s already almost four o’clock, and that wrist needs to be x-rayed and wrapped.  Come on, I’m taking you to St. Luke’s emergency room.”

Clare continued to protest, but Darcy refused to listen.  She pulled back Clare’s quilt and paused before adding in a dry voice, “At least you won’t have to get dressed.”

“I couldn’t unbutton my shirt or take off my jeans with one hand.”  Clare sniffled.

“And it didn’t occur to you to ask me to help you?”  Darcy found her friend’s shoes and slipped them on her feet.  Putting an arm around Clare, she helped her to the front room and then found rain slickers for each of them before grabbing up her purse and car keys.

When Clare was settled in the front passenger seat with her seat belt fastened, Darcy hurried around the front of the car to take her place behind the wheel.  They didn’t talk much on the drive to the hospital.  Between the rapid beat of the windshield wipers and frequent puddles that seemed to want to change the direction they traveled each time she struck one, it didn’t seem like the right time to ask why Blaine hadn’t seen Clare fall or noticed that she needed to have her wrist checked.

The emergency room was busy when they arrived.  The storm was being blamed for two car accidents plus the usual weekend stream of patients which were keeping the doctors busy, resulting in almost an hour’s wait before Clare was taken to an examination cubicle.  She was no longer crying, but she was either numb or half asleep by the time the doctor stepped into the room. 

Without ceremony, the doctor picked up the clipboard Darcy had filled out, briefly scanned it, then stepped to the gurney where Clare sat.  Picking up Clare’s arm, she probed the swollen tissue.  From where Darcy stood, she saw the doctor’s attention focus on a single bruise on one side of Clare’s right wrist then turn back to study a row of bruises on the other.  The doctor glanced at Darcy and shook her head before scribbling something on the clipboard.

“Were you drinking?”  The doctor sounded almost bored.

“No, of course not,” Clare protested.  She turned to Darcy.  “You know Blaine and I don’t drink.” 

“She said she slipped on wet stairs.  There was no alcohol involved,” Darcy assured the doctor.  Blaine might be a jerk, but he didn’t drink.  She was pretty sure of that, and she knew Clare never touched alcohol.

“Someone will be here to take you to x-ray in a few minutes,” the doctor said, walking away with hurried, deliberate steps.  She seemed annoyed, but Darcy figured it might just be that she’d had a long shift and was anxious to go home. 

Another hour passed before the X-rays were complete and the doctor returned to announce that one of Clare’s wrist bones was cracked and that it would be necessary to place a brace on it to hold the bone immobile.  When she finished, the doctor scribbled a prescription and handed it to Darcy.  “Have her take one tablet every four hours and see her personal physician in two weeks.”  She started to leave then looked back at Clare.  “The hospital provides counseling services if you’d like to meet with someone.  The receptionist at the front desk can make an appointment for you.”  She disappeared into a cubicle farther down the long room.

Clare’s face turned red, and Darcy hurried to assure her she’d filled out all of the correct insurance information and that the receptionist at the front desk had made a copy of Clare’s insurance card.  Putting her arm around Clare, Darcy continued, “Dr. Whatshername obviously doesn’t have the best bedside manners, but don’t worry about it.  I’ll drive you home, and once you’re settled in bed, I’ll go to the pharmacy to fill your prescription.”

The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining through vivid patches of blue when Darcy and Clare emerged from the hospital.  Clare sat silently huddled in her seat all the way to their apartment.  Darcy helped her up the stairs and into a pair of pajamas. 

“Would you like a glass of juice or something to eat before I go to the pharmacy?” Darcy asked when Clare was settled in her bed. 

“No, I just want to sleep.”  Clare turned on her side, taking care to rest her arm with its bulky brace on top of her quilt.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Darcy promised, looking down at Clare’s blond curls spread across her pillow.  Even pale and feeling miserable, Clare was beautiful in a way Darcy knew she would never be.  Not that she was ugly or anything like that.  It was just that her dishwater blond shade of hair and hazel eyes were no match for Clare’s pale, almost-white hair and china-blue eyes.  Darcy had always envied Clare’s tiny, delicate nose too.

“Don’t rush.” Clare’s words were slurred.  “You didn’t get much sleep last night either, and I’m not hurting as much now as I was earlier.  A nurse gave me a shot before the doctor put the brace on my wrist, and you’ve already done so m . . .”  Her words trailed off as she closed her eyes.

Darcy smiled.  Not only was Clare beautiful, but she was also kind and thoughtful.  With all she’d been through, she was still concerned about Darcy.  Stepping back into the hall, Darcy glanced longingly at her bedroom door then picked up her purse again.  She’d sleep better once she’d picked up the prescription.

* * *

When she returned to the apartment, she was surprised to hear Clare’s voice.  She’d been sure her roommate would still be asleep.  As she approached the bedroom door, it became clear the other woman was talking on her cell phone.

Not wishing to eavesdrop or interrupt, Darcy carried the small bag from the pharmacy into the bathroom and left it on a shelf above the sink.

“I haven’t had a chance to ask her yet.”  Clare’s voice carried clearly through the thin wall.

“I will.  I promise, but I don’t think she’ll agree.”  Darcy wondered if she was the subject of Clare’s telephone call.  If she was talking to Blaine, and if they were planning to line her up with one of Blaine’s dorky friends, she wouldn’t agree to it.  Blaine’s family was rich and prominent in Boise, but Darcy didn’t want anything to do with anyone who might bring her into closer contact with Clare’s chauvinistic, know-it-all boyfriend.  Even though he was an attorney, employed by his father in one of the city’s most prestigious law firms, there was something about him that grated on Darcy’s nerves, and she suspected his ethics didn’t match his father’s firm’s sterling reputation.

“I’ll try,” Clare’s voice sounded strained.  “But I don’t think this is a good time.  I’m really tired . . . I know, but the doctor gave me a shot . . . No, of course not.  I know it was my own fault . . . Darcy will be back any minute . . . Yes, I will . . . I love you too . . . Good-bye.”

Darcy wasn’t certain which was the stronger emotion: guilt for listening to Clare’s conversation or annoyance that Blaine had stayed on the line to badger Clare about something after she explained that she’d fallen and needed to sleep.  Actually, now that she had time to think about it, she thought it strange that Blaine hadn’t seen Clare fall and been the one to take her to the hospital. 

Darcy yawned.  She’d just peek in on Clare to be certain she was comfortable before crawling back into bed for a few hours.  She usually ran several mornings a week and had planned an extra long run for this morning, but sleep held more appeal than running this morning.

When she eased the door open, Darcy saw Clare curled up like a kitten on her bed.  Her cell phone lay inches from her fingers as though she’d dropped it the moment she’d finished talking to Blaine.  Darcy stepped forward to pick up the phone.  As she began to set it on the nightstand beside Clare, she impulsively turned it off.  Clare didn’t need any more disturbances.

Returning to her own room, Darcy stripped off her jeans and shoes before sliding under the comforter.  She fell asleep almost instantly.

Ringing awakened her long before she felt prepared to face the world again.  She staggered into the kitchen, hoping to stop the persistent noise before it disturbed Clare.  She and Clare had discussed discontinuing the hard-wired telephone after Ellen left. Darcy planned to purchase a cell phone like Clare’s with her next paycheck so they wouldn’t have to worry about missed calls when one or both were out of the apartment or sleeping.

“Hello,” she muttered as she put the receiver to her ear.

“Clare isn’t answering her phone.  Where is she?” 

“She’s sleeping.”  Darcy struggled to be polite.  If she’d had any idea Blaine would call back on the apartment phone, she would have turned it off too.  She’d go shopping for a cell phone of her own soon and make certain the apartment phone was turned off on Monday.

“Go get her.  I need to talk to her.”

“I’m sorry, Blaine, but she really needs to sleep, and I have no intention of disturbing her until that pain shot wears off.”  Darcy spoke with firmness as she glanced at the nearby wall clock.  She’d been asleep barely thirty minutes, and Clare only about five minutes more. 

“This’ll only take a minute,” Blaine wheedled.

“No.  Clare was seriously injured this morning and is now sedated.  She can’t come to the phone.”

“She’ll want to talk to me.”

“I don’t care how much she might want to talk to you, I’m not waking her.”  Darcy struggled to hang on to her temper.  “Don’t you understand plain English?  She was up all night with you, then injured, and her doctor gave her a shot to put her to sleep so she can rest.  You can call her later this afternoon.”

“I’m coming by to take her to lunch.”

“No, you’re not!  She’s in no condition to go anywhere, and if you show up here before four o’clock, I’ll call the police and have you charged with trespassing!”  Darcy slammed the phone back on its receiver.  She hesitated a moment then shut off the ringer and switched on the answering machine.  “How can Clare stand that creep?” she muttered as she staggered back to her bed. 

* * *

            Clare awoke feeling as though her head was stuffed with cotton.  Her mouth was dry, and she felt disoriented.  A glimpse of her alarm clock indicated it was after three.  Blaine!  He was going to pick her up for lunch.  She hoped he’d understand that she couldn’t help falling into such a deep sleep after her trip to the hospital.  Surely he must have called.

She sat up too abruptly and grimaced with pain when she accidentally leaned her weight on her injured wrist.  After just a moment’s pause to get her bearings and allow the worst of the pain to fade, she swung her legs off the side of the bed and groped for her robe.  Darcy would be leaving for work soon, and she needed to talk with her before she left the apartment.

She could only get one arm through a sleeve of her robe and had to settle for draping the other side over her shoulder.  As she turned, she noticed her cell phone sitting on her nightstand.  Picking it up, she was about to drop it in her pocket when she noticed it wasn’t on.  I must have accidentally turned it off after I talked to Blaine this morning.  I shouldn’t have done that.  I promised him I’d leave it on always.  She quickly turned it on and noticed she had several messages waiting.  Perhaps she should call him back.  No, he’d want her to talk with Darcy first.

She entered the living room as Darcy emerged from her bedroom wearing her uniform.  There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked tired.  Her light brown hair wasn’t as carefully brushed as usual. Clare knew this was the sixth night in a row that Darcy had worked and that being on her feet so many hours, along with spending the early part of the day in a classroom, left her friend exhausted.  Fortunately this was Darcy’s last semester, and after she finished her student teaching, she’d be able to get a better-paying job and would no longer need to wait tables.

“Darcy?”

“Oh, Clare, are you feeling better?  I left your prescription in the bathroom.  I’m sorry to leave you alone this evening, but it’s too late to get someone to fill my shift.”

Clare knew that Darcy received more tips on Saturday nights than other nights and that she couldn’t afford to pass up working her usual Saturday shift.  “I’ll be all right.  Blaine will probably come over and stay with me until you get off.”

Darcy frowned.  “You really need to rest.”

“I won’t do anything strenuous.  He’ll probably bring a pizza and we’ll watch TV.”

“If you get tired, send him home.”

“I will.”  She watched Darcy put on her coat and knew she had to say something quickly.  “You know we haven’t talked much about getting another roommate.”

 “I’ll see if I can get an ad ready during my break,” Darcy promised.

“No, I mean . . . I’ve already found us another roommate.”  Clare scuffed a toe across the carpet, unable to meet Darcy’s eyes.

“You have?  What’s she like?  Is she LDS?  How soon will she be moving in?” 

“It’s Blaine.  He wants to move into our vacant room.  That room has its own bathroom, and it’s clear across the apartment from our rooms.  You know he can afford to pay his share of the rent, and we’ll be much safer with a man living here.”

“Blaine?  No way!” 

Clare caught a glimpse of Darcy’s incredulous expression.  She’d been skeptical too when Blaine first proposed becoming their new roommate, but he’d convinced her it was the perfect solution.  Now she just needed to overcome Darcy’s skepticism.

“You know his moral standards are the same as ours.  He’s a returned missionary, and we can trust him not to do anything inappropriate,” Clare pointed out.

“Uh uh.  Ever hear of avoiding even the appearance of evil?  We’re getting a female roommate.”  Darcy was adamant.  “I can’t believe you would even suggest allowing Blaine to move in with us!”

 “Our apartment is nice, but this really isn’t the best neighborhood.  I’d feel much safer with Blaine living here.”  Clare wasn’t ready to give up.

“If my dad heard we were even considering letting your boyfriend move in, he would totally explode.   If this neighborhood makes you nervous, we can find another apartment in a better neighborhood.”

“You know that if we move, we’ll have to settle for a smaller apartment, and all the work we put into fixing this one up will be for nothing.”  Clare was beginning to feel desperate.  She had to persuade Darcy that Blaine’s plan would work.

“Clare, I’ve got to get to work.  Having Blaine as a roommate isn’t an option I’m willing to even consider.  Why would he want to live with us anyway?  He can afford any apartment he wants.  His daddy is Mr. Big Bucks, and he’s always telling us what a great job he has and how much money he makes.”

“He worries about me and wants to be sure I’m safe.”

“If he’s so worried about you, why didn’t he make certain you were safely inside our building before leaving this morning?”  Darcy opened the door and closed it quickly behind her.

Clare blinked back tears.  She’d handled it all wrong.  Blaine would be disappointed, and she hated disappointing him.  Honesty compelled her to admit every one of Darcy’s objections were the same ones she’d given Blaine.

* * *

            Darcy’s burst of temper cooled as she drove toward the restaurant where she worked.  She shouldn’t have let Clare’s proposal upset her so much.  She was tired, but that was no excuse for losing her temper.  Clare was still in pain and wasn’t thinking clearly.  Tomorrow they wouldn’t be so rushed or tired, and they could discuss the matter more rationally.  Clare would see reason, and if Darcy couldn’t convince her that allowing Blaine to live with them wasn’t a good idea, she’d suggest they discuss the matter with Bishop Gregston, their singles ward bishop. 

            Pulling her ten-year-old Escort into the parking lot, she headed for the back row where employees were allowed to park.  Even though the area was clearly marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, there were some vehicles that obviously didn’t belong in the few allotted spaces.  Finally at the far end of the row, she was able to maneuver her little car between two large SUVs.

            The restaurant was full, and a line of people waited to be seated.  There was no time to catch her breath before beginning work. 

By nine o’clock her legs ached, and she was looking forward to the break she should have gotten two hours earlier. With just an hour until the restaurant closed, she debated even taking a break, but sitting down for fifteen minutes was too tempting.  She hurried toward the staff area.

            “Excuse me, miss.”  A man seated at a corner table caught her attention.  He wasn’t at one of her tables, but she’d noticed him and the tall blond woman with him when they’d entered the restaurant.  She wasn’t sure why she’d noticed him. There wasn’t anything particularly unusual about him.  His brown hair was an ordinary color, and he wore glasses with a narrow, gold metal rim that gave him a studious look.  Maybe it was the way he walked.  Not many men as tall as this one walked with the smooth assurance she’d noticed as he’d made his way to his table.

            “Could we see the dessert menu?” he asked, and she noticed an appraising twinkle in his eyes.

            “And I’d like my glass refilled.”  The sleek blonde indicated her empty glass.  Darcy noticed something vaguely familiar about the woman.  It might just be that she was a regular customer, but she suspected it was more than that.  Seeing that the couple’s waitress was busy with a large party, Darcy quietly left dessert menus with the couple and refilled the woman’s glass before leaving for her break.

            When Darcy returned from her break, she was surprised to see the couple still seated at the corner table, deeply involved in conversation.  Turning her attention to her own area, she took dessert orders from a table of theater goers who had been in earlier for dinner.  Several regulars sat at tables, and she exchanged pleasantries or joked with them, but the restaurant was thinning out.  Tips had been good, and even though she was tired, she felt optimistic that she’d have enough money to pay her share of the rent when it came due.

            Feeling a tug on her apron, she turned to see a man who frequented the restaurant and who had gained a reputation for bothering the waitresses.  He didn’t appear to be more than forty and wasn’t bad looking, but he always drank more than he ate.  And he seldom left a tip. She’d been dismayed to find him in her section that night.  Though the restaurant offered wine on its menu, the waitresses all knew the wine steward didn’t deliver to any patron the amount of liquor the man consumed whenever he was in the restaurant.  Clearly he kept a flask in his pocket.  As the evening progressed, he invariably changed from an unassuming businessman to an aggressive would-be lady’s man.

            “What time do you get off, darlin’?”  She ignored the question and tugged her apron free of his grasp.

            “Here’s your check, sir.”  She set the paper on his table.

            “I’d like another drink.”  He thrust his glass toward her.

            “The restaurant is closing.  If you want another drink, you’ll need to move to the bar next door.”  She turned away, and he grabbed at her again, catching her arm.

            “You ain’t very friendly,” he whined in a slurred voice.

            “Let go of me, or I’ll call the manager,” she spoke slowly and distinctly in a cold, no-nonsense voice.  He released his grip but sent her a reproachful glare.  Seeing no new customers at any of her tables, she returned to the kitchen, where she fumed to one of the other waitresses.

            “Management should refuse to serve Mr. Carlson.  People like him should be in the bar, not the restaurant.”

            “I’m glad you got him tonight instead of me,” the other waitress agreed.  “He never leaves a tip, and other customers don’t want to sit near him.  I’m sick of him always trying to touch me when I walk by.”

            “That’s it,” another waitress said.  “The place is empty and we can go home.”  One waitress bent down to rub the calves of her legs while the other one removed a roll of bills from her apron pocket.  “The only thing that makes Saturdays survivable is the number of good tips and I got lucky tonight.  Pauline Prescott was in tonight with some guy.  She said if he insisted on paying for dinner she’d get the tip.  She left a fifty on their table.”

            No wonder that woman looked familiar.  Darcy groaned, remembering the blonde who had looked familiar.  She was Blaine’s sister!  She’d seen her picture in the paper when she was named as the attorney representing the accused in a recent high-profile case.

            She quickly gathered up her coat and handbag, suddenly anxious to get home to check on Clare.  She hoped her roommate would be alone and peacefully sleeping.  She didn’t want to argue with her any more over her absurd suggestion that Blaine move into the third bedroom in their apartment, and she certainly didn’t want to have to be polite to the irritating man her friend had fallen for. 

            She was disappointed to see that the two large SUVs were still on either side of her little car.  It always made her nervous to back out of a parking spot when she didn’t have good visuals on either side.  Pulling her keys from her pocket, she promised herself, as she did every night she worked, that her next car would have a wireless door opener.

            She leaned forward to unlock the door and felt an arm circle her waist.  A hand cut off her scream.  She took a step back and slammed her heel on her attacker’s foot.  She pressed hard and heard him mutter several expletives.  The hand holding her keys was pressed tightly to her side, but with her other hand she clawed at the hand covering her mouth.  She managed to move it far enough to call for help before her voice was muffled again.

            She heard a loud smack and felt a jolt behind her. Suddenly she was free, and her attacker sprawled on the pavement.  She sagged against her car door.

            “Are you all right?”  asked the tall man who had asked her for the dessert menu earlier that night.  Pauline Prescott’s boyfriend was her rescuer.  She wasn’t surprised to see that irritating drunk out cold on the pavement.

            “I called the police, David.”   Pauline said as she walked up to him.

            Darcy leaned against her car, feeling weak and exhausted.  All the waitresses complained about Mr. Carlson, but they all considered him pretty harmless.  Why had he chosen to come after her? 

            “Here, I think you need to sit down.”  David took Darcy’s keys from her shaking hand and unlocked her car door.  Relieved, she sank into the car seat and leaned her head against the steering wheel. 

            “Did he hurt you?” David asked.

            “No.  I’m not hurt.  I was just scared.  Thank you.”  She paused, remembering Clare. “I really appreciate your help, but I need to go now.”

            “You can’t leave yet.  The police are on their way.”  Pauline frowned and tapped her foot.  The sound of sirens filled the air.

            It was more than an hour later that the officers who responded to Pauline’s call finished their questions and Darcy was allowed to leave.  Pauline and David had stayed with her, and she’d learned that David’s last name was Schoenfeld and that he was a coach at Boise High School.  She thanked them both for rescuing her and for their consideration in staying with her. 

            It was approaching midnight when Darcy finally pulled into her parking space behind the apartment building and locked her car before hurrying inside.  She heard the television as soon as she stepped inside the apartment and felt a stab of disappointment when she saw Blaine seated beside Clare on the sofa.  Remembering his sister’s kindness to her earlier, she determined to be gracious to him.

            “Hello, Blaine,” she said, then turned to Clare.  “Are you feeling better?  I’m not sure you should be up?”

            “I’m fine,” Clare attempted to reassure her, but the dark circles under her eyes, and her slumped shoulders suggested otherwise.  “You look more frazzled than I feel,” Clare added, eying Darcy critically.  “Did the restaurant stay open later than usual?”  Darcy’s hand went to her hair, and she realized she must look a mess after her scuffle with Mr. Carlson.

            “No, the problem was after I left work.  If Blaine’s sister and her date hadn’t parked next to me, I could have been badly hurt.”  Darcy went on to tell them about the evening’s events.

            “Oh, Darcy, I’m glad they were there to help you.”  Clare struggled to her feet to give Darcy an awkward one-armed hug.

            “I’m not surprised that Pauline involved herself in something dangerous,” Blaine said.  “It does surprise me, though, that David exerted himself to do anything.  He’s usually a big wimp.”

            “I wouldn’t think a high school coach would deserve being described as a wimp.”  Darcy said.

            “He’s a little older than me,” Blaine elaborated.  “He and Pauline were classmates.  He’d never stand up for himself when any guy threw a punch his way.  He never even went out for any of the tough sports---only for golf, tennis, track, swimming, and sissy stuff like that.  He played volleyball too---on the co-ed team.  He qualified to compete in some big golf tournament once and chose to sing in a choir festival that was being held the same day instead.”

            “I don’t think that makes him a wimp, and he didn’t hesitate to knock this guy’s lights out.”

            “He was probably just trying to impress Pauline.  I thought that after she finished law school and started to make a name for herself, she’d dump him, but she’s never been any good at attracting men and probably figures she’d better hang onto David until she finds something better.”

            Darcy bit her tongue to keep from commenting on Blaine’s insensitive remarks concernng his sister and her friend.  “Well, I’m going to bed.  Church starts at nine and I didn’t get much sleep last night.”  She added the last as a pointed reminder that Clare needed to rest too.

            Exhausted, Darcy fell into bed, but as she drifted to sleep, she could still hear the murmur of Blaine’s voice coming from the front room.

* * *

            Darcy tacked the small notice announcing that she and Clare were looking for a roommate to the singles ward bulletin board the next morning before slipping inside the chapel for sacrament meeting.  She found a seat beside a couple of young women she’d gotten to know in the little more than two months that she and Clare had been living in Boise.  They both smiled and whispered a greeting.  When they looked past her, obviously looking for Clare, she explained, “Clare broke her wrist and didn’t feel like coming today.”

            “What happened?”  Elaine asked.

            “Her wet shoes slipped in the entryway to our building when she was coming back from a date Friday.” 

            “Oh, how awful!  I’d be so embarrassed to fall like that in front of my boyfriend.”  Elaine looked sympathetic.

            “If you had a boyfriend,” the other girl, Tammy said, giggling.  “Suddenly her smile disappeared, and she looked thoughtful.  “Clare’s been dating Blaine Prescott, hasn’t she?”

            Darcy nodded.

            “Where was he when Clare happened to fall?”  Something in her voice caused little alarms bells to ring in Darcy’s head, and she remembered she’d heard rumors that Tammy and Blaine had been an item before Darcy and Clare moved into the ward.

            “Shhh!  The meeting’s about to start,” Elaine whispered.

            Darcy reached for a hymn book then settled back against the bench.  She mouthed the words to the opening song, but her mind was otherwise engaged.  Where was Blaine when Clare fell?  Why did the doctor at the hospital suggest counseling to Clare?  Was it possible she hadn’t meant financial counseling?  Her mind filled with a picture of Clare’s wrist with four long narrow bruises on one side and one larger one on the other.  She didn’t like the ugly picture her thoughts were suggesting.

            Darcy struggled to keep her mind focused on the sacrament meeting speakers, then on the lessons taught in Sunday School and Relief Society, but at unexpected moments, she found her thoughts drifting back to Clare and her injury.  She found herself wondering if she should have stayed home with Clare instead of coming to church.

            “Darcy?  Darcy Olsen?”  She was leaving the Relief Society room at the end of the three- hour block when someone called her name. 

            “Yes?”  She turned to see a young woman with long, straight hair who looked barely eighteen.  There was something about the girl’s beaming smile that brought a smile to Darcy’s face.

            “I was afraid I’d missed you,” the girl gasped.  “My name is Stacy Moore.  I saw your note on the bulletin board and wanted to tell you I’m interested.  Is there a time when I could meet with you and your roommate to see the apartment and answer any questions you have about me?”

            “Clare works weekdays, but she might take tomorrow off since she has a broken wrist.  Why don’t you come over about eleven tomorrow morning?  If she isn’t there, I can show you the apartment.” 

            “That would be great.  I have a job, but I don’t start until next Monday, and I would like to be settled in an apartment by then.  I’m staying with my sister and her family, but it’s awfully crowded.”

            “Great!  I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

Darcy began the walk back to the apartment with lighter footsteps.  Stacy had impressed her as friendly and congenial.  Stacy was a little younger than her and Clare, who had both graduated from Washington State last Spring, but she was a member of the Church and had a job, so there shouldn’t be any problem.  Darcy just hoped Clare was ready to forget her silly idea of having Blaine move in with them. 

For a moment she regretted that she hadn’t found a good job like Clare had when they first arrived in Boise so that she could afford to pay half the rent instead of only a third.  But she wasn’t sorry that she’d enrolled at Boise State to take a few more classes and do a semester of student teaching.  An English degree hadn’t been terribly useful for finding a job, and she’d quickly regretted not getting an English teaching degree in the first place, so she’d taken the waitress position and applied at Boise State.  She’d been taking classes all summer in addition to working.  Anyway, she was far more interested in teaching than finding some low-level business position.  By the time she finished her student teaching and found a job, she’d be able to afford a bigger share of the rent.

Twisting her key in the lock, Darcy pushed the door open and stared in dismay at the mess that greeted her.  Boxes were scattered across the front room and down the hall leading to the third bedroom.  Clare stood as though frozen beneath the arch that separated the kitchen and living room.

“What’s going on?” Darcy asked.  Clare’s face told her she wasn’t going to like the answer.

Clare turned a bright, phony smile toward her.  “We have a new roommate,” she announced.

“But we haven’t . . .”

“Hi, roomie.”  Blaine stepped from the hall to place an arm around Clare.