Page 67 of Robin and Marian
“C’mon Mrs. Klause, this is my first day on the job!” he teased. “I can’t go sluffing on my first day. We’ve got more deliveries to make, ma’am. More homes to save.”
“To save?” Merilee repeated. Studying the jewels and then the paperwork that came with them, her eyes grew moist with emotion. “Are you saying that this is enough to buy back my home?”
“And more.” Robin relished the news.
She wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Robin. Thank you! I had nowhere to go.”
Robin’s heart jumped when he saw the tears slide down her cheeks, and he rushed to her aid. “It’s okay, Mrs. Klause. This will be enough to cover the debt. And you have duplicates of the receipts and appraisals in the basket. I have them too so no one can question you. You give those to the sheriff along with the jewels. Um, tell him it’s a donation from the Nibor Hood Property Tax Foundation.” Nibor was just Robin backwards, and he smiled self-consciously. “See, I wrote it there.”
“God bless you, Robin!” She hugged him again. Turning to Marian, her old fingers wrapped around her too and she caught them both to her chest. “You’ve saved me.”
He felt himself blushing wildly. As soon as they were able to make their escape, they jumped onto the Engler F.F. He took off his cap and threw it. “That was a lousy disguise,” he said, turning to her and snickering. “I blame you. You’re just too beautiful for anyone not to look twice.”
“Well, maybe if you didn’t try to make up weird poems, she wouldn’t have known it was you.”
An overpowering feeling of giddiness overcame him and he kissed her cheek, loving the freedom he had to touch her whenever he felt like it. He tried to shake that it felt temporary, like everything could be taken away from him. “I like poems,” he found himself saying.
“I guessed that.” She smiled and squeezed his hand.
Still basking in the glow of their good deeds, he drove out of the graveled road and headed to the next address on the list that was the closest. It was also in the trailer park. These were the only residences on this road that hadn’t been seized yet. Weeds had choked out the others. This time, Robin parked further into the forest so that Alan’s outrageous Engler F.F. couldn’t be seen.
They approached the trailer in the darkness and set the basket on the porch with the poem. Marian smiled when she saw he’d included it. Then they knocked and ran, hiding behind the bushes near Sherwood Forest.
Ralph Carroll came shuffling out the front door on skinny white legs and in a ragged bathrobe and slippers. He picked up the basket, his forehead wrinkled in confusion as he rummaged through it to find the jewels. His eyes widened. “Annie!” he shouted inside. “Annie. Look what this is.”
Marian’s hands wrapped around Robin’s arm, and she whispered through the darkness. “I love May.”
“Yeah, we should do this every day.”
The headlights of a loud car traveled over the gravel road. One beam was lower than the other and it drooped like a lazy eye. They ducked back into their hiding spot, frozen there as the sedan parked near the trailer. The driver killed the engine and shoved open the squeaky door of the patrol vehicle. It was the sheriff. He was still dressed up from his meeting with Guy, though he’d disposed of his tie.
“He’s early!” Robin grumbled. He was supposed to be there the next day. What was the rush?
Straightening his shirt, the sheriff approached the door and knocked loudly. Ralph came back to the door, still in his bathrobe. The sheriff handed him a notice. “I’m here in an official capacity to collect the remainder of what you owe to Guy King. If you cannot meet this payment then you will be evicted and escorted from the premises. Do you understand?”
The old man nodded and set the jewels into the sheriff’s hand. Robin’s eyes narrowed on the men. If the sheriff didn’t accept those then Robin would intervene himself—he didn’t care if the sheriff arrested him for his interference in “business matters.”
“What’s this?” the sheriff asked.
“They’re worth more than what I owe,” Ralph said, his voice strained in his nervousness. “Here’s the appraisal.” He laid the paper in the sheriff’s hand with shaky fingers.
“You have copies of these?” the sheriff asked.
“Yes, in the bag.” The old man seemed to be holding his breath.
“I’ll substantiate these claims with the jeweler… who gave you these?”
Ralph took out his glasses and read the form that Robin had placed in there. “They’re a donation from the Nibor Hood Property Tax Foundation. The number of their lawyer is there on the paper.”
The sheriff seemed confused, but he was ready to accept it. “I’ll… I’ll get back to you. I’ve got some paperwork for you in the car.” He went back to his patrol car then returned with a stack of papers. Robin and Marian were stuck while Ralph took his time, signing each paper with great deliberation. As soon as he was done, the sheriff drove off. Likely to the widow’s.
Marian’s shoulders relaxed and Robin let out an excited whoop. It was echoed inside the little trailer by the old man and his wife. Robin couldn’t wait to help the next person on their list. It was Sierra Wyss. His heart beat a little faster at the thought. Rushing to where they’d parked, they took off for her place. It was in a small neighborhood near the side of the mountain… and it was also past county lines.
He turned to Marian. “If the sheriff catches us here, just put me in the trunk.”
She looked terrified by the prospect. The moment they crossed the border, she grew even quieter. As they neared the area, he saw most of the homes were vacant, besides Sierra’s mobile home set in a vast field.
And the sheriff had beaten them there. He’d skipped the widow’s place, for now, and sat in his car outside the driveway, working on his laptop. No doubt making calls about the jewelry and doing paperwork. They drove past and parked down the street. “What do we do?” Marian asked.
