A Rift in the Fabric of Time

Chapter 6: Desperation Dictates

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Gesturing to a chair, Duncan bade me sit down. Officer Bayne then held out the telephone to me. I took it, but what was I to do wi' it? Did I havta put my finger in the little holes like I saw the other men do? I held the piece wi' the long black rope attached, and placed it to my head. Duncan straightaway took it from me and turned it opside down. I expect I had the wrong end to my ear.

Startled I was, to hear Claire ... loud as ye please. If I had been at Leoch, I wouldha thought it was a spirit talkin' to me, or leastways, some type of witchcraft.

"Claire? Stars and stones, I hear ye as if ye were right beside me. Aye. Ye should see me, all dandied op in new clothes. I e'en shaved my face. All right then, if ye think that's best. When will she pick them op? Ah ... weel, I'll no be goin' anawhere soon. That's for certain.

"D'ye swear to me truly, as ye're fine? Frank didna beat ye, did he? Good. Afore ye say g'bye, ye ken as I love ye, aye?"

I couldna help smilin' as she told me she loved me still.

I handed the thin' back to Bayne. "Clair says she'd like to speak to ye."

# # # # #

Jamie sounded in good spirits despite being incarcerated, but then, this jail was a far cry to what he'd been accustomed to.It probably felt more like a vacation to him. At any rate, he apparently was weathering the storm more cheerfully than I was.

After talking to officer Bayne, I hung up the phone, and not a minute too soon, I might add. Frank was in the hall, keying the lock.

Staggering into the room, he plopped himself next to me on the edge of the mattress. "Still here, I see," he mumbled, his words slurring.

"Not hard, considering you locked me in here."

He tossed his head. "Is that so? Well, I almost expected to see the sheets knotted together and dangling from the casement. Not too enterprising are you?"

I scooted away from his side a little, and folded my hands in my lap. Frank reached over and touched me, fingering the wedding band that Jamie had given me. "What's this cheap piece of jewelry doing on your finger?"

"Jamie gave it to me."

"Take it off."

"I will not."

Frank, grabbed the ring and yanked it off my finger. Flinging it across the room, the pewter band bounced on the floor, finally rolling beneath the dresser.

"No!" I screamed at him. Down on my hands and knees, I scrambled along the carpet, brushing my hands under the dresser, searching for it.

With tears in my eyes, I found it and scooped up the symbol of my love for Jamie, slipping it once more onto my finger.

The words were hard in coming, but I said, "Frank, I can't stay here in this room with you. You can see that it's impossible. I need to be alone. Can you see if Mrs. Baird has another? I'll pay for it of course."

Leaning back onto his elbows, his head jiggled from side to side, as he smugly inquired, "And how do you propose to do that? You haven't so much as two pennies to rub together."

"I'll get a job; I'll wash dishes ... anything. I'll pay you for the price of the room, I promise."

"You promise ... what about, love, honor and obey? Were they not promises you made to me as well?"