Chapter 23 – The Carnival

"Walter, I still can't believe you kept those bullet casings a secret from Isabelle. Tampering with evidence is a federal offense. If she finds out you have them, there will be hell to pay," Leo scolded Walter.

Walter just smiled, "I found them, and now, I am going to return them to their owner."

Leo just shook his head. Walter lasted one week before he went back to finding things. It wasn't until almost a year later that Leo discovered that Walter was secretly looking for the shooter from the woods. As if that wasn't bad enough, he also found out that Walter had removed evidence from the scene of the crimes. Although he applauded Walter's integrity for protecting Willa, he deplored the personal risk Walter was taking. Secretly, Leo wanted to shake the hand of the man who killed Shadrack. Leo had no remorse over the murders of Shadrack or Costa. Once Willa finally shared the entire story, Leo was thankful that they were gone; otherwise, he would have had to kill them himself.

Willa stomped out of her trailer. "I can't believe you are taking me to a carnival for my eighteenth birthday. I get the electronic tether off, I turn eighteen and you are taking me to a carnival? What am I twelve?"

"Oh, you'll have fun, trust me," smirked Walter.

Willa just gave him a sarcastic smile with a mock laugh and shook her head.

Once at the carnival, Leo turned to Willa. "Walter and I have a little business to take care of first. Here, take this money and go get yourself some cotton candy."

"Seriously? You want me to get some cotton candy?" Willa asked the backs of Leo and Walter as they walked away. "Some get out of jail party!" Willa sulked.

Willa thought, well, if I'm left to my own devices. . . She slowly stepped back into a wealthy looking man and bumped him. "Hey, watch where you're going," she growled at the stranger as she lifted his wallet. The man stammered an apology and hurriedly walked away. Willa smiled.

"I saw that," a familiar voice said from behind her.

Willa whirled around her heart fluttering, "Timo!"

"Hello, Willa. I get half," he whispered in her ear, "or, I'll tell Leo."

"You wouldn't?" Willa said indignantly.

"I would. You look good Willa," Timo leered at her jokingly.

Willa blushed. "Where's Magdalena?" she asked petulantly.

"Didn't work out after all. Crashed and burned. How about you and Cooper?"

"Cooper? He left the day we said good bye," Willa responded.

"Correction, you said 'good-bye', not me," Timo stated. Willa blushed, again and gave Timo the evil eye.

"Hey, want to get something to eat, ride some rides? I don't really have any plans today," Timo asked.

"Yeah, that would be great," Willa replied. Timo looped his arm over her shoulder as they walked toward the concessions stands.

"It's really good to see you Willa. You just turned eighteen, right? I'm going to win you the biggest stuffed animal we can find here at the carnival for your birthday," boasted Timo.

"You, Timo Proud, are going to try to win me a stuffed animal?" Willa laughed.

"Yes, Willa, I am," he said giving her a quick hug.

Willa and Timo walked past Leo and Walter without noticing them; lost in each other as they talked about the past months.

"You knew he was going to be here didn't you?" Leo accused Walter.

"I actually asked him to meet us here," responded Walter.

"Why in the world would you do that? You know how I feel about him. Timo is a thief, a bad influence," Leo fretted.

"I invited Timo, because, I swear, if I hear Willa heave one more sigh, I'm going to have to toss her into the Everglades. She obviously is missing someone, and I don't think it's Cooper. I think she is lonely."

Leo just glared at Walter. "All the more reason to keep the negative influences away! She is still very vulnerable."

"Ah, we're here," Walter said ignoring Leo.

Leo looked at a broken sign resting against a trailer that read, 'Joe Friday's Wild West Show, Shooting like this hasn't been seen since Annie Oakley!'. Walter and Leo knocked on the trailer door.

"You know that sign is all wrong. It shouldn't read Joe Friday; it should really read Tom Monday," Walter said matter of factly.

"Come on in," a voice called from behind the door. Leo and Walter entered the trailer to see a man cleaning a riffle. He briefly looked up and asked, "Can I help you?"

"I found some things that belong to you and thought I should return them," said Walter as he reached in his pocket and pulled out two shell casings.

The man cleaning the gun looked at the casings and asked, "Should I expect the police?"

"No, just thought you should have these back. Do you want to see her?"

The man looked ashamed as he fingered the shell casings. Finally he said, "No, she's better off without me. I abandoned her years ago. You can't fix that. I had my life ruined by Shadrack; Willa didn't deserve the same fate."

With a puzzled expression on his face Leo asked, "How did you know Shadrack had her?"

The man continued to clean his rifle as he responded, "The witch came to see me. She told me everything. She sold Shadrack some kind of potion not realizing it was intended for Willa. Then somehow the witch found out Shadrack's plan to marry Willa off to that creep. She was real pissed about it and wanted to get even with Shadrack. She has a real soft spot for Willa. She figured if she told me I would take care of it. She was right. I have no regrets." Tom finished assembling the rifle. He stepped out of the trailer and loaded it. In a blink of an eye, he fired the gun at a target in the distance hitting the bulls-eye. Tom turned and gave a single nod of his head to the two men and walked off toward the big top.

Leo bowed his head in acknowledgement thinking 'amen to that'.

"How did you know Walter?" Leo asked.

"Simple, it couldn't have been a professional killer in the woods, because the shooter didn't police his brass. Then on the way back to the Ends of the Earth that night we passed the carnival. I also knew that Willa's mother met her father at a carnival. It seemed to fit. I wanted to return the casings last year, but the carnival left town. Just please don't tell Isabelle."

Leo just walked and nodded. "No, this one stays between us for Willa. We should find her and take her home."

"No, Timo will bring her home later," Walter said sternly. "Let her have some fun."

Leo muttered, "I do not like this!"

Back at the bar, Walter wrote on the chalk board True Love vs. Passion. He and Leo began the debate. Outside, Timo drove up with Willa then walked her to the trailer door.

"Willa, I have to ask you something," Timo started.

Willa looked at the serious expression on Timo's face, she frowned, "What?"

"Willa, Costa told me. . .," Timo swallowed unable to find the words.

"Costa told you what?" Willa frowned and then it clicked. She turned bright red. "Whatever he told you it was a lie!" she huffed angrily.

Timo looked as if a burden had lifted off his shoulders. "Is it wrong to be glad they're dead?" Timo asked.

"I don't know, Timo, I really don't know," Willa responded somberly.

Timo leaned over to whisper in Willa's ear, "You know I really want to go into your trailer with you, but Leo is watching from the bar. I take one step toward that door and he will kill me."

Willa laughed and grabbed the lapels of his vest. She smiled up at him, "I had fun, Timo."

"So did I. Hey, want to go to the beach this Thursday?" Timo asked.

"I love the beach! I'll ask Leo for the day off," Willa answered excitedly.

Timo bent over and gently kissed Willa. She swayed closer to Timo wrapping her arms around his neck. Timo pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "He's still watching."

Willa answered, "I know."

Timo walked backwards, "See you Thursday!" he said and turned to head into the bar. Suddenly turning, he snapped his fingers, "I almost forgot!" Timo reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of blue hair ribbons. "For your hair, wear them for me Thursday?" He handed her the ribbons and kissed her lightly on the cheek with a boyish grin and then turned again back to the bar.

"Blue my favorite color!" Willa exclaimed with surprise. Willa watched him walk away as she fingered the ribbons. She smiled and picked up the stuffed animal Timo won for her at the carnival. She watched him from the trailer door until he disappeared inside the Ends of the Earth.

Timo walked in the bar and said, "Just came in to say goodnight." Leo shot daggers at Timo with his eyes. Timo glanced at the chalk board and said, "Huh. True Love - knowing what color hair ribbons your girlfriend likes best. Passion - not giving a damn if she likes hair ribbons or not. See you Thursday, Willa and I are going to the beach." Timo gave a casual wave and left.

Leo just shook his head and walked back to his office muttering about not being ready for this. Walter laughed and walked up to Willa's trailer window and began to sing,

"Willa and Timo sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. . ."

"Shut up Walter!" Willa yelled as Walter walked away with his hands in his pockets, laughing.