Abbey Burning Love. Donan Ph.D. Berg
sacred ground. Can’t fathom the city would penalize us because we were crime victims. In addition, my family’s buried here beginning with my great-great-grandfather.” Her voice rose with defiance; eyes sparked with anger. “Nobody will take this land and dream from us.”
Neck and shoulder muscles tightened. “What you talking about?” Her instantaneous scowl and his knotted stomach alerted him to expect an outburst as her eyes slowly filled with a controlled rage. “This isn’t a cemetery.”
“Yes, it is.” Her voice filled with disdain. “Would show you if we could walk behind that police tape.” She pointed two fingers toward a debris heap that the previous week had been the chapel.
“Don’t want to argue.” He glanced toward a ten-foot pile of embers, stone, and empty metal window frames. “But if your family has graves here, I’m sure the city would be more than willing to assist in their relocation. We’ve done that before when, for example, a contractor unearthed a burial site when excavating for a new building.” She folded arms beneath breasts. “Not every settling pioneer family could foresee their prairie homestead would some day mushroom into a town.”
“My Dad’s fighting for his life. Melissa lies in a hospital bed. I’ll warn you and the city right now. This family will neither relinquish the resting place of our ancestors nor renounce my father’s hard work.” Her eyes reddened. “Boulder Isle won’t take advantage of our family misfortune to throw us out.”
Rob had never before seen Carol tear up.
“I live near Menard, out in the country, because I chose to, not because an arrogant bureaucracy dictates. If my stable were to burn down, it would be rebuilt exactly where it now stands using the first contractor’s plans.”
He contemplated the passion in Carol’s eyes before his gaze averted hers. Rob heard rumors the doctors transferred her father to a specialized university burn unit. Bull said Melissa hospitalized in Boulder Isle. If he’d learned anything in handling zoning appeals, it had been to regard patience as a virtue. With his former job in public sanitation, he could be arrogant and obnoxious. He’d threaten a citizen if they didn’t conform to the rules they’d have their garbage left smelling at the curb.
Zoning decisions weren’t as clear-cut. Oftentimes the end result defied what should have been the logical application of crystal clear rules. With the Malone family, he realized the city faced clout wielded by strong, well-respected, local celebrities. Community gossip labeled Carol easier to deal with then the younger Melissa. In the last two years, Melissa emerged to be the publicly visible Malone family persona, assuming reins as the father aged.
Rob gazed into Carol’s eyes. “Don’t know the seriousness of your father’s injuries nor how long Melissa might be hospitalized. This fire created a dreadful tragedy for the entire community.” He dropped crossed arms to have body language express he wasn’t totally hostile. His throat ached. The effect of lozenges sucked earlier worn off. Lozenges had been Rob’s antidote for ignoring doctor order of no basketball. “I’ve added my prayers to those of others.”
“You know I appreciate all kind words.” Her mien steady and gaze straight to his face. “History tells me that you ignore all but the written rules in your guidance and formal recommendations to the zoning commission. In addition, you have the mayor’s ear.” She mimicked him and relaxed both arms to her sides. “Also speculate you don’t fully appreciate or understand the gigantic effect The Abbey fire has and/or will have on this entire area.”
He gazed away. He really couldn’t become publicly and prematurely entrapped in what might be future city administrative decisions. “You’re wrong, Carol.” He tried to keep his voice volume low. “Was at The Abbey when the fire broke out.” Her eyebrows briefly rose to indicate bewilderment. Then lowered to express simple dismay. “Was crouched on the floor at far front stage edge. Tried to help man find eyeglasses knocked off his head. While crawling on hands and knees, the kitchen blast missed direct hit. By good fortune the explosion’s initial shockwave rolled above my head. Stuffed a handkerchief into mouth to avoid fine dust dropping from the ceiling and crawled across the ballroom floor at the fringe of the ensuing main chaos. Ears heard the kitchen wall collapse. Blast tremors immediately caused my whole body to shiver.”
Stern in tone, Carol asked, “Why were you there?” Her eyebrows remained lowered.
His mind scrambled for words not to indicate he sought out an old girlfriend. “Purchased a ticket from those being circulated around City Hall. A flyer announced a scheduled band I wanted to hear.”
Carol intensely stared. He didn’t grasp why.
“Ever since Nancy reportedly died, I’ve heard you avoided dances and bands.” Carol stepped closer.
He began to smell perfume wafting in the whispering breeze beneath clouds trailing wisps tinted black. “I listen to bands at the CBC.”
“Doesn’t count. The only reason any guy goes to the CBC is to drink, not listen.” He couldn’t disagree. “And,” she added before a gaze to his left, “to ogle the waitresses in their skimpy serving outfits.”
He felt warmth rising in his cheeks and he couldn’t deny the spoken truth. Days ago Victoria’s short miniskirt barely covered a ruffled leotard, fully exposed when she bent forward. “Did The Abbey put up this crime scene tape?”
“Not that I know of.” Carol glanced behind her shoulder, as if she expected someone. “Perhaps, you can enlighten me.” She faced him.
“Must be the authorities found something suspicious with the fire. City hall rumors say arson’s highly suspected.” Can’t let her know he talked with the fire marshal. He observed Carol step sideways and bend at the waist to peer at the ground immediately inside the yellow tape. He had no idea what in the grass fascinated her.
* * *
Melissa’s senses didn’t require the brightly lit hospital room fluorescents this Wednesday to intuit Carol’s agitated mood. “Sis, what’s up? You get a speeding ticket?” She gazed straight ahead. The nurse had raised the hospital bed head position to forty-five degrees for the expected eleven a.m. visit.
“No, worse.” Carol deposited a filled paper shopping bag in Melissa’s closet and moved two plants from a fabric-covered chair seat to the floor. “Brought you your dark green small sweats and green-streaked sneakers.”
“Forget clothes,” Melissa demanded. “Tell me. You look ready to explode.”
“On way here stopped by The Abbey. Rob Campbell there measuring.”
More concerned about Carol, Melissa skipped the relief Carol’s news offered. In one major prayer petition positively answered, Rob Campbell hadn’t been listed among the killed in Sunday’s newspaper. And that caused Melissa to fret although concerned about the extent of injury. No mistake with Carol’s information no injury serious enough to disable him. “What’s disturbing?”
Carol tossed her purse on the chair. “We started talking. He said the city wasn’t going to allow The Abbey to be rebuilt like it was, where it was. I was ready to—”
“No way,” Melissa shouted. Pain gripped raw throat muscles. “Get me those clothes right now,” she demanded. She yanked the white bed sheet back, twisted it, and began to swing heels off the bed onto the floor. Carol grabbed Melissa’s fist holding the sheet.
“Hold on. There’s time; didn’t mean to upset you too. You need to recover your full strength first.”
Melissa smoothed a blue-striped cotton hospital gown. She reclined while Carol readjusted the bed’s sheet and blanket. “Were you given a reason?”
“Not really,” Carol replied, pulling up the chair. Seated, the purse squatted on Carol’s knees. “Just that there’d be no special consideration.”
“Typical Rob Campbell. Do you think Alice’s dad could help?”
“What you talking about?”
Carol’s