Jane and the Fire – Part VI

In 1958, young Jane is a twelve-year-old girl who has just moved to the big city of Chicago, Illinois with her parents and cousins Billy. When the esoteric Mr. Peele and the elusive Mr. Bennet walk into a local grove, Jane becomes suspicious and follows.

“Enough talk,” snaps Mr. Bennet, “Let’s get on with it.” Mr. McCawley takes a paper out of his pocket and Jane forgets herself; she leans a bit too far to get a look at the paper and nearly slips off the tree. A dry branch cracks and falls with a crash. The three men freeze. Jane’s pancreas is in her chest and her face grows hot with nerves – can they see her?

“What was that?” whispers Mr. Peele. They are all looking at Jane’s tree but they can’t see her yet, she thinks – fortunately, it is very leafy. Mr. McCawley glares at him. “It can’t be a person, idiot! How could anyone get there without us seeing him?”

Mr. Bennet looks carefully at the tree; he stares hard at the leafy canopy. The other two look at him – Mr. Peele is white with fear, and Mr. McCawley is rolling his eyes. Mr. Bennet takes a step forward and laughs out loud.

“It’s a raccoon! A foolish old raccoon,” he turns and chuckles to others. “Look, you can see its striped tail through the leaves. As you were, gentlemen.” They turn back to McCawley, and all three are chuckling and mumbling unintelligibly. Jane nervously tucks her stripe-stockinged legs up. It seems the danger has momentarily passed. She creeps along the leafiest branch of the tree, getting close enough to hear better but not to see.

Mr. McCawley unfolds the piece of paper he is holding. Mr. Peele leans back and takes his hat off. “Don’t get cold feet, Frank,” says Mr. Bennet, giving him a suspicious glare.

McCawley chortles. “Everyone gets a little nervous before the first big project, Vince. It takes tangible benefit to get used to this business.”

“Enough talk,” barks Mr. Bennet for the second time in ten minutes. McCawley hands him the paper. Mr. Peele steps over to him and for a moment, as they read, the forest is pin-drop silent. Jane is frozen with fear; she suspected that something was wrong from the moment she entered the wood, but now she knows. There is foul play afoot. Suddenly, Mr. Bennet’s head snaps up.

“We’ll see you tomorrow at The Hungry Eagle coffee shop to discuss,” he says coldly to Mr. McCawley.

McCawley grins. “I’m available.” He does not shake Mr. Bennet, as the latter storms away, toward the park, immediately. Mr. Peele shakes hands. “Good to see you, Jim,” he says, and takes off after Mr. Bennet. Mr. McCawley nods at him and smiles. He waits a few minutes, until the other two men have disappeared, and follows. Jane waits another five minutes before following him. She’s relieved to be out of the grove very quickly. There is no sign of any of the three men. She sees her father and the Billies still on the bench where she’d left them. They inquire politely as to where she has been, and Jane mumbles that she took a little walk. “Why, look!” says Mr. Joyce brightly, “It’s our neighbor, Mr. Bennet. Hello, Mr. Bennet, how are you?” He waves at Mr. Bennet, who has rather suddenly appeared, before Jane can stop him. Mr. Bennet walks over, staring with a suspicious eye at Jane’s stripey stockings.

Oh no, Jane thinks with a shiver, He’ll know I followed him!

Will Mr. Bennet realize that Jane has seen the grove rendezvous? Read on to find out! Share your feedback with us at editorjaanu@gmail.com!