Safe Harbor Read online

"Since the day of the accident - almost ten years. I guess its pretty ridiculous to keep hoping, isnt it?"

  Reese shrugged. "If its something you want that much, it makes sense not to close any doors. You know how much pain you can take - and if its worth it."

  Tory looked at her gratefully. "Thanks. My friends and family might not agree with you. They think I should have let them do it when I was in the hospital the first time."

  "The first time?"

  Again Tory dropped her gaze. "There were problems - infection, some muscle necrosis. It took the surgeons a few tries to get it cleared up."

  Reese regarded her steadily, revealing none of her churning disquiet. Her training had taught her not to personalize pain, nor to be distracted by another soldiers injury, because even a split seconds loss of focus could mean the loss of more lives. But the knowledge of Torys suffering penetrated that shield and Reese had to consciously dispel the vision of Tory in a hospital bed, fighting to keep her leg. Tory would not have wanted her pity then, or her sympathy now.

  "Does the kayaking help?"

  "Some - Im on the water, the rhythm is good. The damn shell is so heavy, and of course, my body is restrained. Its nothing like the feeling of being alone in a scull," she cried, her frustration evident.

  Reese remembered the needle thin sculls from the pictures in Torys office, no more than a sliver between the rowers and the water. She also remembered the long, clean line of Torys legs as she pulled through her stroke. "Im sorry," she said softly.

  Tory laid her hand on Reeses forearm, squeezing gently. "Hey, its okay - really. I only get morose when the damn things acting up. Believe me, most days Im just glad its there. But thanks for not saying Im being a fool."

  "You said you still work out?" Reese asked.

  "Yes, Hapkido, remember?"

  "I dont usually forget when someone humiliates me!"

  "I cant imagine anyone getting the best of you!" Tory laughed. "As you saw, I do mostly weapons work, with the cane - which fortunately for me is a traditional Asian weapon."

  At Reeses nod of understanding, she continued, "With a light air cast I can stand long enough for self-defense drills, and mat work is not a problem. The only things I really cant do anymore are forms. The katas are too much of a strain."

  "So, would you be willing to teach me the cane?" Reese asked.

  "If youd be willing to work on the mat with me," Tory countered immediately.

  Reese smiled happily. "Absolutely. I havent had a training partner in a long time. Just let me know when your leg is better."

  "Give me a week," Tory replied just as enthusiastically. "Now wed better get out of here before were both late for work!"

  Reese looked at the clock over the stove, amazed to find it was close to seven. She couldnt remember the last time she had lost track of the time.

  Randy was just unlocking the front door when Reese pulled into the lot. He watched with raised eyebrows as Reese walked Tory to the door.

  "Well! Good morning," he crowed with exaggerated emphasis, looking pointedly from Tory to Reese.

  "Sheriff Conlon needs her stitches out, Randy, if you could manage to let us in?" Tory said, frowning at his innuendo.

  "Oh, of course , Doctor! Right away Doctor!" he continued with a grin, his tone lightly mocking.

  "Cut it out, Randy," Tory muttered as she passed him.

  He managed to follow them down the hall on the pretense of opening the exam room doors. He leaned against the door of the treatment room while Tory removed the sutures from Reeses brow.

  "Just keep it clean. It should be fine," she said as Reese stood to leave.

  "Sure thing. Thanks, Doctor," Reese said. She nodded to Randy as she brushed past him into the hall.

  Randy craned his neck to follow her progress toward the door.

  "Oh my, what a butch thing she is!" he announced once she had gone.

  "Randy!" Tory said in exasperation.

  "Oh, come on now, Doctor King, what would you call her?"

  Tory grinned at him. "An incredibly stunning butch thing!"

  Randys eyes widened in surprise. He couldnt ever remember his solitary employer commenting on a woman before. He had given up nagging her to get a date when he saw the pain in her eyes whenever he teased her about it.

  "And just what was Sheriff Heartthrob doing driving you to work?" he persisted, curious and hopeful that someone had finally managed to capture Torys attention.

  Tory looked suddenly serious. "She drove me home last night - I couldnt."

  "Damn it Tory! I would have stayed! Why didnt you ask?"

  She sighed. "I know. Im just not used to asking."

  "Then how come you asked her?"

  "I didnt. She didnt give me any choice."

  Good for her ! Randy thought, but had the good sense not to say. It was about time someone refused to be intimidated by Victoria Kings staunch reserve. Then again, remembering the commanding air of the woman who just left, he didnt imagine anyone intimidated her.

  "So-o-o..?" he questioned suggestively.

  "So nothing!" she replied curtly. "She would have done the same for anyone. Thats just the way she is."

  Right , Randy muttered as he watched Tory move stiffly away down the hall.

  **********

  Reese entered the office whistling, much to Nelson Parkers amazement.

  "Do you mind telling me whats so wonderful about the first day of Memorial Day weekend?" he asked grumpily.

  "Excuse me?" Reese asked, perplexed.

  "Never mind!" he snapped. "Youre on seven to seven today, okay?"

  "Sure," Reese responded. "No problem."

  "And youve got traffic detail at the pier from one to five."

  "Yep."

  He looked at her closelyshe was relaxed, smiling faintly, and, if he didnt know better, not totally present. In the two months he had known her, he had never seen her the slightest bit distracted. His curiosity was more than piqued.

  "So what gives, Conlon?"

  "What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely confused. "Not a thing." She glanced at him as if he were acting strangely.

  "Never mind," he muttered. "Anything new on the clinic break-in?"

  Reese shook her head. "No. The things that were missing are impossible to trace. Unless were lucky, well never know. Theres too much traffic in and out of there to making finger printing valuable. Not much to do but keep an eye on the place."

  "Well, youd better swing by there a couple of times a shift for the next few weeks. I hope that will discourage any repeat break-ins By the way, nice job out on the jetty yesterday. I heard the guy was a mess."

  "I didnt do much. If Tory hadnt been there, I think the guy would have bled to death before the EMTs got him out. She deserves the credit."

  "Chances are youll have plenty of work for the doc before this summers over. We spend half our time dealing with accidents, overdoses, and minor brawls - and all of them end up at her place."

  "Thats a heavy load for one doctor," Reese commented, remembering how exhausted Tory had seemed the night before.

  "Dont remember her ever taking a vacation in the three years shes been here," Parker noted.

  Something about discussing Victoria made Reese uncomfortable-she had no idea why. She shook off the sudden urge to drive by the clinic. Impatiently, she grabbed her keys.

  "Im going out for a tour before I start the traffic detail," she announced. Maybe that would dispel the odd anxiety.

  "Sure," the Sheriff called to her departing back.

  Reese traveled out Route six to Truro, then circled back to town along 6A, purposefully avoiding the turn onto Bradford that would take her past the clinic. She stopped instead across the street from her mothers gallery. She sat with the engine idling for a few moments, wondering why she had come. For the first time in her life, she didnt feel entirely sure of herself. Impulses were not something she had ever been prey to, and yet here she was. She cut the engine and climbed from the car before
she had any more time to think.

  "Reese!" her mother exclaimed when she opened the door.

  "Bad time?" Reese asked uncertainly.

  "Not at all. Its wonderful to see you. Come on back and have some coffee."

  "Sure," Reese replied, following the other woman through the house to the kitchen.

  "How are you?" her mother inquired.

  "Im fine. I was just passing by, and-" Reese faltered, not able to explain.

  "Reese," Kate said softly, "you dont need a reason to come by. Being able to see you is a miracle."

  Reese looked away, then faced her mother directly. "It was part of the agreement, wasnt it? That you not see me?"

  Her mothers distress was palpable. "Yes. I wouldnt have agreed, but twenty years ago, a lesbian mother had no rights at all. And I couldnt fight it. Your father had pictures."

  Reese grew very still. "He had you followed?"

  "Yes. We werent very discreet. Jean and I were young and terribly innocent. It didnt occur to either of us that loving each other could be wrong. Im so sorry, Reese! I was selfish, I know, but I was so unhappy for so long! Not with you! You were the best part of my life! And then I met Jean, and I felt alive for the first time!" Her eyes were wet with tears as she looked at the woman her daughter had become. "I am so terribly sorry!"

  Reese shook her head. "You chose life. If you had stayed, I can only imagine it would have been worse for all of us eventually. I dont blame youif I ever felt what you felt for Jean, Id do the same."

  Kate studied the tightly controlled, perfectly contained features of her daughters face and asked boldly, "And have you ever? Felt that way for someone?"

  "No." Reese looked past her mother to the smooth water of the harbor, looking inward to a life she never examined. "Im like him, you know. I was happy in the military, and Im happy now. I love the order, and the duty, and the responsibility. I dont need anything else."

  "You have your fathers best qualities, Reese. I can see that. You remind me of why I married him - seeing you in that uniform - not a wrinkle, not a fold out of place. It reminds me that he represented something decent and honest and admirable. Or so I thought. Your father never made room in his life for love, Reese. I hope that wont be true for you. If it finds you, dont turn your back."

  Reese smiled ruefully. "Im not sure I would recognize it."

  Her mother laughed, squeezing Reeses hand gently. "Trust me - youll know."

  **********

  Reese spent the next four hours directing slowly moving cars and hordes of weekend arrivals through the congested, narrow streets in the center of town. Tour buses crowded the pier, disgorging packs of mostly elderly people who milled about uncertainly, seemingly oblivious to the cars passing within inches of them. Lesbian and gay couples of all ages and description poured into town for the first gathering of the summer season. Commercial Street was wall to wall pedestrians, interspersed with vehicles attempting to navigate around them. Reese greeted Paul Smith, her relief, with a grin.

  "Welcome to bedlam, but I guess you expected it!"

  Paul looked up and down the street, shaking his head. "Yep, looks about like I thought. Once the sun goes down, most of the out-of-towners will leave. Then all well have are the gays - until two or so."

  He looked harried, and Reese remembered that his young wife was pregnant. "Whens your baby due?"

  "Any second. Cheryls so big now she can hardly sleep, and shes getting really spooked about being home alone at night," he said worriedly.

  Reese looked at her watch, then said, "Listen - how about I relieve you at midnight? I can duck home now and sleep for a while."

  He looked at her hopefully. "Youd do that?"

  "Sure - its only for a few days. Just let the Sheriff know, okay? Ill be home if you need me."

  She waved away his attempts to thank her, walking off to retrieve her cruiser. The enthusiasm and holiday spirit of the people surrounding her was contagious, and she doubted that shed be able to sleep much. She might as well work. Besides, she was anxious to see the Provincetown that only came to life at night.

  At ten minutes to midnight, Reese pulled her squad car into the small lot behind city hall, across the street from the Pilgrims Monument, and one short block from the center of town. She found Paul and sent him home. Standing with her back to the pier, she looked up and down Commercial Street. It was nearly as crowded as it had been at noon, but the entire atmosphere had changed. There was a Mardi Gras energy in the air, as same sex couples of all ages, styles, and garb strolled the sidewalks and spilled out into the street. Men in impossibly revealing shorts, leathers, and spandex passed singly or in groups, openly appraising each other. Women, mostly in couples, and occasional knots of youths were very much a presence as well. They held hands or draped their arms about each other, delighting in their visibility. Reese had never seen so many gay people in one place before. It was clear that Provincetown was every inch the mecca it claimed to be.

  She started west along Commercial, toward the Coast Guard station that marked the end of the most populated walk in Provincetown. For the most part, the crowds were congenial and controlled, parting like the sea for the bicyclists and rollerbladers who dared navigate the packed one way street. Reese took her time, glancing in the shops she passed, most of which were still open and would remain open eighteen hours a day until after Labor Day. The merchants of Provincetown had a very short season, and worked nonstop during the three months of summer. The restaurants and many bed-and-breakfasts were also dependent on a heavy tourist trade during the summer migration of gays and lesbians in order to survive the near desolation of the empty winter months.

  Reese walked down to the entrance to the Provincetown Gym and stuck her head inside. Marge was behind the counter, piling tee shirts and sweats onto the shelves behind her. Marge smiled a greeting. "Hey, handsome! I thought this was Paulies shift!"

  "It is, but hes home with his wife, waiting on the baby. Im filling in for a few days."

  "Aint it beautiful out there?" Marge remarked with a grin.

  "Everything Ive been told is true. Its changed overnight," Reese agreed.

  "And it isnt even busy yet!"

  It was hard not to catch the enthusiasm that pervaded the small fishing village. Reese nodded, knowing that the hardest three months of her year were in front of her, and not minding a bit. This was the reason she was here - to make sure that the town and its people were safe and prosperous through another cycle.

  "Ive got to get going. I just wanted to say Hi."

  Marge waved her on, saying, "How about dinner again soon?"

  "Sure," Reese agreed. "How does September sound?"

  "Oh, come now, Sheriff," Marge teased, "youve got to find some time to enjoy the goings on around here. Ill take you to the tea dance!"

  "Deal," Reese acquiesced, "as soon as I get a day off."

  "Its a date!"

  Reese raised one eyebrow. "Oh really?"

  Marge laughed, "Get out of here. Go make our streets safe for the younguns!"

  Reese smiled to herself as she rejoined the throngs in front of Spiritus Pizza, the central gathering place for the dozens of men and women who sat on the curb, occupied the benches, or leaned against the light poles to watch the spectacle of life passing by. There wasnt much in the way of public drunkenness, or obvious drug use. Generally someone in the gathering managed to keep the heavy partyers under control or off the streets. Reese was glad of that. She didnt want to spend her shift hassling people over fairly harmless substance use, but shed have to if it became too publicly blatant. She was paid to enforce the law, and she would, but she reserved the right to use her own judgement as to what constituted a real violation.

  She glanced down the alley next to Spiritus and noticed movement in the shadows at the far end. It was dark enough that she pulled out her flashlight, playing over the ground ahead. Two people, wrapped in an embrace, pulled apart as she approached. Her light flickered over the face of a pretty
blond teenager. The girl looked like any of the leather-clad youth who crowded the streets. She had the requisite multiple piercings along the edge of her ears, a small silver ring through the rim of her left nostril, and a tattoo showing along the inner aspect of her left breast. The lace up vest she wore with nothing under it was still open to the waist from what no doubt had been an interrupted caress. A typical teenage rendezvous, except this girl was holding tight to Brianna Parkers hand, trying to look defiant. Brianna stepped forward, her shoulders braced, obscuring the girl from Reeses view.

  Reese spoke before Brianna could. "Its not safe down these alleys. You two head on back to the street."

  Neither of them said a word as they sidled past her, hurrying toward the end of the alley. Reese took her time, giving them the opportunity to disappear into the crowd. She glanced at her watch. It was one-twenty in the morning. She was willing to bet that Nelson Parker did not know that his seventeen -year-old daughter was out on the streets, or what she was doing there. She was glad it wasnt her daughter. She was positive she would make a mess of handling what didnt have to be a problem. As she walked east back to city hall, she thought about herself at seventeen. She had never had the desire to sneak out to be with anyone, male or female, and for the first time in her life, she wondered why not.

  Chapter Nine

  Reese pulled up the short driveway to the rear of her house at six-fifteen a.m. The night had passed uneventfully. By two-thirty the streets of Provincetown had been deserted. The bars had closed at one, and for the next hour the street in front of Spiritus Pizza was a mob scene. Predominantly men, the crowd swelled as those who had yet to find partners for the night cruised each other. There were also a fair number of men and women who just wanted to partake vicariously of the sexual energy that literally filled the air. The party-like atmosphere would be sustained for the next twelve weeks, as new vacationers and week-end visitors flooded into town, carrying the excitement of being openly gay and unafraid, perhaps for the only time all year, with them. Periodically Reese walked down one of the narrow alleys between the crowded establishments to the harbor beach, checking that no one decided to sleep off too much alcohol on the sand. High tide was at five-forty, and by then the waves, still vigorous even in the secluded harbor, would be up to the pilings of many of the buildings. Already the decks behind the Pied and the Boatslip, two of the most popular lesbian and gay bars, were surrounded by water. Reese didnt intend to have any drownings on her watch. She knew that the shadowed areas under the piers were favorite spots for quick sexual encounters, but she wasnt interested in busting two adults for a fast grope in the dark. She was on the lookout, however, for groups of teenagers hanging out on the beach. Nelson Parker had warned her that drug use, and distribution, was becoming more of a problem with the youth of the small community, and that many of the suppliers seemed to be teenagers from neighboring townships on the Cape.