“Why?” he asked. “I’ll need to know how to fly once this park gets off the ground.”
“My class is full.”
“You can fit one more in.”
“I don’t want you here!”
He smiled. “I know you don’t. But if you think about it, it would be the smart thing to do. That way you could keep your eye on me. Make sure I don’t skip town.”
“There’s nothing that says you can’t skip town just because you’re taking a class.”
“True. But I really do want to learn to fly, Carny. It’s always been a dream of mine. I’ve just been too busy. Come on, I’ll pay you in advance. Cash. And I’m a quick learner.”
She waved at her students assembling in her classroom. Well, he was right about at least one thing. She would be wise to keep an eye on him. And the more money she could take from him, the better. After all, his cash had come from the people of her town. Maybe she could use it to help out those who could least afford to lose it.
“All right, Brisco,” she said. “I charge forty dollars an hour, plus plane rental. To get a private pilot’s license, you’ll need ground school plus at least twenty instructor hours in the plane, and at least twenty solo hours.”
He smiled and pulled out his wallet. “And you call me a con artist.”
“FAA rules. And that’s cash in advance for you,” she said. “And frankly, I wouldn’t be comfortable letting you solo in my plane.”
He looked insulted. “You think I’m going to steal your plane?”
“I’d rather not take chances. You can get your solo hours somewhere else.”
He pulled out ten one-hundred-dollar bills and dropped them in front of her. “How’s that?”
Something tightened in her chest. Was she really going to have to teach him how to fly? Snatching the money angrily, she went into the classroom. He started to follow. “You can’t start tonight,” she said. “I only have enough materials for five students at a time, and besides, these people are halfway through ground school.”
“When do you have another class?”
“I have one for kids after school on Tuesdays and adult classes on Saturday and Monday nights. But they’re all in progress.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to start a new class just for me.”
“The price I gave you wasn’t for private lessons,” she said.
He laughed and reached into his wallet. “Boy, your daddy taught you well.”
Something in her snapped. She took a step closer, glaring into his eyes. “There’s a difference between a con artist and a business person, Brisco, and you know it. If you don’t like my rates, find another instructor.”
He opened his wallet. “Why don’t you just take what you need and give me back what’s left?”
“Fine.” Taking the wallet out of his hand, she counted out the bills she needed, wondering if it added up to what her in-laws had given him. “That ought to do it.”
He looked down at the few bills she gave back to him. “This better be good.”
“Oh, it will be,” she said. “I have a delivery to make in Sherman tomorrow, but I should be back by mid-morning. Meet me here at ten for your first lesson, Brisco.”
eight
Logan was right on time for his lesson the next day, and Carny launched into the first session of ground school, which was an overview of the parts of the plane. But Logan already knew most of them, what their uses were, and many aviation terms. Some of his knowledge applied more to commercial jets than to small single-engine planes. He’d posed as a pilot many times to cash Montague’s homemade Delta payroll checks at the airport terminals. He’d claimed to have a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, one of the leading schools for commercial pilots, so he’d learned enough to make that plausible. He’d deadheaded on many a flight, posing as a pilot catching a ride between airports, listening to the talk in the cockpit and watching the captains and first officers work. Now he’d have the chance to find out how to actually get the plane off the ground.
Halfway through the lesson, Carny put her hands on her hips. “How do you know all this stuff?” she asked him.
“I fly a lot,” he told her.
“You don’t pick this up sitting in coach,” she said.
He shrugged. “Who says I fly coach?”
“You don’t get it in first class, either. You already know how to fly, don’t you? This is just another con.”
“Well, if it is, it’s your con. I’m the one who paid you an arm and a leg, remember?” He raised his right hand. “I promise I don’t know how to fly. But I read a lot. There was a time when I thought I might want to be a professional pilot, so I did some research. I told you, I’m a quick learner.”
She bristled. “Don’t waste my time, okay?”
“I won’t. When you check me out, see if I have a pilot’s license.”
Carny leaned back on her desk. “You know, I do intend to check you out, but I have no illusions that you’re even using your real name. You could have the name and history of some other poor soul.”
Logan had, indeed, used aliases before, and the time he’d served in prison was under Lawrence Cartland. He hadn’t been the only one in prison using a fake name. Many of the other inmates were arrested with false IDs and booked under those names. But he did have a couple of legitimate credentials under his real name, and no rap sheet. “Now how would I get identification with someone else’s name?” he asked.
She laughed. “All it takes is a computer and a printer, and a little ingenuity. My father once got the birth certificate of an acquaintance who’d died, and with it, he was able to get a driver’s license and a passport. But I would imagine you know all the tricks.”
“You’re the one with all the expertise. I should take notes.”
“Yeah, I was raised to be a hawker, but you might say I departed from the ways of my kin. Were you raised to be a con artist, Brisco, or were your parents good, law-abiding citizens who had to answer to the cops for you?”
That hit a nerve. “Nobody answers for me.”
“Well, there must be somebody back there in Virginia … isn’t that where you said you were from?”
“I didn’t say.”
“Oh, excuse me. I should have known that was a secret.”
Wearily, he stood up and began to gather his notes. “It’s no secret, Carny. I was born in Alabama.”
“And went to school in Virginia? Interesting.”
“People go away to school all the time.”
“Yes, they do. Logan Brisco. Logan’s an interesting name. Is it a family name? Your mother’s maiden name, maybe?”
He didn’t like her talking about his mother. “My mother never married. Brisco was her maiden name.”
“Oh.” Carny hesitated, almost as if she sensed his discomfort. But she didn’t back off. “So where did the name Logan come from?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I never got the chance to ask her.” He slammed the cover of his textbook shut. “Her name was Melissa Brisco, Carny, and she was born in Selma, Alabama. Happy hunting.”
Her eyes softened, and he could almost see the wheels turning in her brain, wondering if this was another bluff.
“When’s the next lesson?” he asked in a clipped voice.
“Next Monday? Same time?”
“What’s wrong with tomorrow?”
“I’m all booked up with classes and deliveries through Saturday.”
“Then what about Sunday?”
She shook her head. “Nope, I don’t work on Sundays.”
“Oh? Then what do you do on Sundays?”
“I go to church,” she replied. “Have you ever gone to church, Brisco?”
He thought of the dead church that one of his foster mothers had made him attend. “Not without being dragged.”
“You should give it another shot,” she said. “It might change your life.”
He managed to grin again. “Are you tryi
ng to convert me?”
She smiled. “Heavens, no. I’ll leave that to Brother Tommy. He’s worked miracles before. The real kind.”
“With you, maybe?”
“Absolutely,” she said, lifting her chin. “With me. Salvation is the biggest miracle of all. You want to really get to know the people of Serenity, Brisco, you have to go to their church.”
His stomach felt a little sick. “And what church is that?”
“Half of Serenity goes to Deep Waters Christian Church. We’re of the ‘turn-the-other-cheek’ ilk. Of the belief that if a man asks for your shirt, you should give him your cloak also. That’s why we make easy targets for people like you.”
He gave a defeated laugh and started for the door. “Why on earth would you want a lowlife like me in your church?”
“Because,” she said, ignoring the sarcasm, “if I can’t stop you myself, maybe God can at least reactivate that conscience of yours. Maybe seeing the goodness in these people will make you back off. But beware, Brisco. You might decide you like them too much to fleece them. It could cost you a huge score.”
The woman knew which buttons to push. Irritated, he turned around. “You never give up, do you?”
“Nope.” But her smile was less condemning, and he saw the slightest trace of warmth in it.
He shook off his discomfort. “Do the church folks go to the town dances?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Of course we do. Everybody goes.”
“Really? I thought Christians were against dancing.”
“Some are. But we’re just fine with foot fellowships.”
He laughed, and surprisingly, she joined him. No wonder the towns people were so fond of her. “You want to start a scandal and show up with me at the dance?” he asked.
Her grin almost disarmed him. “No, Brisco. I doubt you’ll still be in town a week from Friday.”
“Wait and see,” he said.
He closed the door behind him, and as he got into his car, he felt her watching him through the window.
Watching him drive away, Carny reflected on the anger and pain she’d seen flash across his face when she’d mentioned his mother. In spite of her efforts not to be moved by him, something about his reaction had touched her.
I never got the chance to ask her … Melissa Brisco … Selma, Alabama …
After her class, she went back in her office, sat behind her desk, and ran what he’d told her through her mind. Some of it sounded true, and her instincts were often right. But there was so much that didn’t add up.
She flicked on her computer, pulled up her email. There was a message from Ruth, who sat in her trailer at her computer when she wasn’t teaching the carnies’ kids. She earned her living designing software and feeding her genius IQ while communicating with people all across the world.
Carny smiled as she read.
Hey, baby. Haven’t heard from you in a week. How’s Jason? When are you bringing him to see us again?
Carny responded quickly.
Ruth, sorry I haven’t written. I’ve been busy. Why don’t you give me a call? I’ll be at the hangar all afternoon. Jason’s getting off the bus here at three. While you’re at it, get Mama and Pop to call me too. I need to talk to all of you.
She sent the message, then waited for the phone to ring. In moments, it did.
“Serenity Aviation,” she said.
“Hi, baby,” Ruth said in a voice so thin, you’d never know she weighed five hundred pounds. “I got your message.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t emailed this week,” Carny said. “It’s just that this guy came to town, and I’m pretty sure he’s trying to run a scam … and I’ve been a little distracted trying to expose him.”
“Anybody I’d know?”
“Well, I don’t know,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to talk to Mama and Pop. I thought they might have run into him.”
“They’re right here, darlin’. I’m gonna put on the speakerphone so we can all talk.”
She switched over, and Carny heard her mother. “Hey, sweetheart. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Mama. Pop, are you there?”
“Right here, Carny. So how’s that grandbaby of ours?”
“Growing like a weed. You wouldn’t recognize him.”
“When are you ever going to bring him to see us?” her mother asked. “You know we can’t get away. We have carnivals booked all through the South for the next six months.”
“I’ll come soon, Mama. But I have to ask you something. There’s a guy here who’s trying to sell the town on building a huge amusement park. He’s taking money from everybody, telling them they’ll get rich.”
“Good line. Are you in on it with him?” her father asked.
Carny wilted. “No, Pop, I’m not. I told you, I’m living a clean life here. And I don’t want him messing up this town. I wondered if you might know him. The name he’s going by here is Logan Brisco.”
“Brisco,” her mother said. “I don’t believe I’ve heard that name.”
“Don’t know him,” her father said. “What’s he look like?”
“Tall, dark hair, relatively handsome, but not as good-looking as he thinks he is. Of course, all the women here practically swoon every time he walks by. It’s downright sickening. And he’s got an unusual smile. Real big, and real contagious.”
“Are you sure you’re not swooning too?” Ruth asked with a laugh.
Carny grunted. “I’d rather be hung up by my toenails in the town square,” she said. “Does he sound familiar to any of you? He tells me he’s from Alabama and went to school in Virginia, and he’s also mentioned Marietta, Georgia.”
“Was he a carny?” her mother asked.
“I don’t think so. My gut tells me his are all white-collar scams.”
“I’m sorry, honey, but none of what you’ve told us rings a bell.”
She sighed. “All right, just thought I’d ask.”
“By the way, Carny,” her father said. “If it turns out not to be a scam, and there really is a park, I’d like to talk to him. I could set him up with some rides, and your mother and I could bring a bunch of our carnies and set up some flat stores.”
Over my dead body, Carny thought, but instead, she said, “There’s no way he’s legit, Pop. And as soon as he realizes what a hard time I’m gonna give him, I’m sure he’ll he ad out.”
“So what’s his line again?” he asked. “Building an amusement park? Telling them to invest and they’ll get rich?”
Was her father taking notes? “Pop, don’t.”
“I was just askin’, darlin’. That’s all. Now, when can I see my grandson?”
“Soon,” she said, but her promise was as weak as ever. The less time her parents had to influence Jason, the better.
After they hung up, she got on the Internet. In a few hours, she would know a lot more about Logan Brisco — hopefully, enough to expose him for exactly what he was.
nine
Logan hadn’t expected to be an honored guest at Deep Waters Christian Church, but when Brother Tommy, the preacher, spotted him before the service, he introduced him to the deacons he hadn’t yet met.
It surprised him that the whole town actually set their alarms on Sunday mornings and showed up early enough for Sunday school. As they wandered in to find their places before the service, he was hit with the strange and unexpected feeling that they actually enjoyed being here. It was a social gathering, where people smiled and laughed and encouraged one another, where they wore their Sunday best and fixed their hair. Men who rarely shaved during the week were spit-polished this morning.
Logan didn’t know what Montague would have said about his being here, but he suspected he would have approved. As mercenary as he was, his old friend had always admired honor and decency, traits Montague vowed to adopt as soon as he made enough money. And as Carny had pointed out, what better place for him to get to know people than in their church?
Someone tapped Logan on th
e shoulder, and he turned to find Slade Hampton, smiling like an old friend and waiting to shake his hand. Jack, his dog, was at his side.
Logan stood and shook Slade’s hand, then bent to pet Jack. “They let you bring him in here?”
“Nobody’s ever said nothing about it,” Slade said. “I guess they’re so used to seeing us together, they’ve mostly forgot he’s not human. Besides, he enjoys it.”
Logan could see that the dog did, indeed, enjoy it, for every child that came by stopped to speak to him. Slade slipped into the pew next to Logan, and Jack followed, curling up at his feet. As he and Slade talked, Logan watched the crowds coming through the doors from Sunday School, waved at all of those he knew. But the moment he spotted Carny, he realized the real reason he had come.
She wore an outfit that spoke more of southern gentility than biker chick — a long, flowing skirt that stopped just above the ankles and a silky lavender blouse.
Logan tore his gaze away as Julia Peabody approached him, and grinning his most flirtatious grin, he told the printer’s daughter how glamorous she looked, complimented her dress — then glanced back at Carny. Her eyes briefly met his, then she looked down at Jason, walking at her side. It was almost as if she didn’t care that Logan was here.
Mildred Smith, her hair glowing neon-red from the dye job Lahoma had given her, started to play the piano, and Logan watched Carny and Jason move through the crowd still coming in. Her hair was pulled up in a loose chignon, with tiny wisps around her face. He swallowed. Man, she was beautiful. She made every other woman in the room look like a poor imitation of femininity. She was the real thing.
Carny came up the aisle and stopped when she reached him. “So you decided to come, did you, Brisco?”
Like the gentleman Montague had taught him to be, Logan stood and smiled. “A man has to worship somewhere.”
“I guess that depends on what he worships. Do yourself a favor and listen to Brother Tommy. You might learn something important.” Then she slipped into the aisle across from him.
Logan didn’t believe in God, and he rarely believed in goodness. And even though Carny clearly viewed Serenity as something of a paradise, he didn’t believe in heaven.