A Clearing in the forest by Gloria Whelan Read Free Book Online

don’t look more than twelve years old, David. They must be hard up if they have to take boys like you in the sheriff’s office.” She rubbed her feet dry with a handkerchief and put on her shoes. “If you’re here to pester me about a license for the dog, you can just take him away. He isn’t worth the three dollars.”
    â€œI’d like to see the man that could take that dog away from you. The county’s got better things to do with my time than send me out to check on dog licenses. I’ve got some sort of a legal paper here. What have you been up to?”
    She didn’t seem to hear him. “Come on in the house and have a cup of coffee with me. I’m chilled right through from the water.”
    â€œYou’ll have to give me a rain check. I’ve got to see about a B & E report at one of the cottages down the river. Took a little booze and messed things up. Probably a couple looking for a place to make out. Woods are still too cold at night for lovebirds.” He held out a long official-looking envelope.
    â€œI don’t see how you can do the oil people’s dirty business for them.”
    â€œThey got their rights like anybody else. There are some around here that would say they’ve brought a lot of business to the county.”
    â€œTell me what the paper says. I haven’t got my glasses. And don’t bother with all the legal mumbo jumbo.”
    He opened up the paper and read it out to her, nervous as a schoolboy giving his first report to the class. He knew all about Mrs. Crawford’s temper. “It sounds like its an injunction. The company that tests for oil wants to gain access to your property for the purposes of ‘exploration.’ I guess you don’t want them here. I don’t blame you. It’s just about the only unspoiled spot left on the river. I’m sorry it was me that had to deliver this thing.” He waited for the explosion, but Frances took the envelope from him without a word.
    â€œThe Greeks used to slay the messenger that brought bad news,” she said. “I never did think that made much sense. I could give you a beer, David, instead of coffee.”
    â€œYou twisted my arm.” He followed her into the cabin, hurrying a little to keep up with her.

8
    Young enough to believe that the exciting things in life happened at night, Wilson was pleased to be working the late shift. Tomorrow morning if his dad didn’t get him up to help him work on a car, there would be the luxury of turning over in bed and going back to sleep. Afternoons he could hunt for rock specimens and fish down at Mrs. Crawford’s or just hang around enjoying the way summer days stretched out even beyond your expectations.
    The drive to the state forest where the well site was located took about twenty minutes. His father had reluctantly accepted his working on the rig and had even allowed him to use a car they had recently brought back to life. His mom was keeping a tight-lipped silence, and lately none of his favorite dishes had appeared on the table.
    The shadowy treetops swept past the car like black clouds. Twice the headlights illuminated yellow eyes; the first time they belonged to a white cat, the second time to a fox carrying a small animal in his mouth. The fox had been in no hurry, standing at the side of the road and staring at the car, his prey hanging limply from his mouth, dead or paralyzed with fear.
    It was a shock to turn from the dark road onto the well site, where a cold white glare from the fluorescent lights flooded the three-acre clearing, giving it the look of a gigantic operating room. In the center of the site stood the derrick, reaching up a hundred and forty feet, a row of red lights on its tower to alert low-flying planes. Two-thirds of the way up the derrick was a platform. Last week when he had visited the well site where Ron worked and had watched him climb up to a similar platform, it had