At each of the corners they could see down the side streets. To the north the view was into a residential area composed of matching, single-family houses, some in poor condition, a few abandoned that they guessed had been company built. To the south they could see that the town was a block away from the Roaring Fork River, which Laurie was able to name from still having Google Maps open.
“It looks a little like the town was caught in a Victorian freeze-frame,” Laurie said.
Jack nodded. Although Bob had described what had happened to Essex Falls some fifteen years previously concerning the closing of the Bennet Shoe factory, Jack hadn’t imagined it was still goingto appear quite so obvious, nor had he been prepared for the town to be as quaint or as large or as truly isolated as it was.
By far, the most impressive aspect of the town for both Jack and Laurie was the huge, empty red-brick Bennet mill building that loomed up at the far end of Main Street where it abutted Bennet Avenue. At eight stories it was shockingly tall in comparison with the rest of the town. Attached was a clock tower almost twice as high as the main part of the building.
“Bob described the building as being in the ‘Venetian vernacular’ style,” Jack commented.
“I can understand why, looking at the clock tower,” Laurie added.
As they approached the empty factory, Jack and Laurie were transfixed by its size and a bit saddened by it being a forlorn, empty shell with some of its multipaned windows broken. The main entrance was straight ahead with the oversized double doors chained shut. To the right was a second structure of the same architectural style but only two stories tall and obviously in use with cars in its parking lot.
“That’s the old Bennet Clinic building for sure,” Jack said, nodding toward the smaller building. “It’s just as Bob described. It’s where he has his office and where we are supposed to meet up with him.”
Since there were no other cars behind them, Jack stopped in the middle of Main Street facing the old factory building. Between the mill and the clinic building they could see part of a dam with a low volume waterfall spilling over its top. Beyond the dam was an expansive reservoir ringed with tall, heavily forested mountains. It was a gorgeous scene complemented by a deep cerulean, late July sky dotted with puffy, white cumulus clouds.
“It’s breathtaking,” Laurie said. “Especially for us so accustomedto New York City’s cement canyons. Central Park is nice and we think of it as nature, but it can’t compete with this.”
“I can see why Bob called it a summer paradise,” Jack said.
Laurie redirected her attention to the Bennet Clinic building and then glanced down at her watch. “I have a suggestion,” she said. “It’s lunchtime, which means it might not be the best time to arrive for Bob. Besides, I’m hungry. Why don’t we go back into town. I saw at least two places where we could get a quick bite.”
“Good idea!” Jack said. He took his foot off the car’s brake and powered forward. He turned left onto Bennet Avenue, heading north for a block before turning back the way they’d come. Very quickly they’d left the commercial part of the town to enter the residential area with its plethora of small, similar, apparently company-built homes that they had caught brief glimpses of from Main Street. As they drove along they could tell that a significant portion of the houses were clearly abandoned. Of those that were occupied, they noticed many had signs either on stakes in the overgrown lawns or attached to rickety porches with the words:Diehard Patriots.
“What could this ‘Diehard Patriots’ be all about?” Laurie questioned.
“No idea,” Jack said as he made a turn to head them back to Main Street. “We’ll have to ask Bob. It’s curious seeing so many. He did mention that there’s been some right-wing extremism in the local youth thanks to the lack of employment opportunities. Maybe it has something to do with that.”
“You mean it might be an organization like the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers?”
“That’s what I’m thinking, something like that.”
“That wouldn’t be so nice in ‘paradise.’ ”
“Should we try Ted’s Diner?” Jack questioned, pointing out the restaurant through the windshield.
“Why not?” Laurie answered.
Ted’s Diner turned out to be a quick visit to the past, reminding Jack and Laurie of scenes in movies depicting the previous century. It also reminded Jack of the small town in the Midwest where he grew up. The narrow restaurant was dominated by a long counter fronted by fixed stools whose tops spun around. A single row of tables lined the opposite wall. The kitchen grill, cooktop, and deep fryer were directly behind the counter and manned by an older cook whose apron was none too clean. Several female servers were dressed in matching timeworn black dresses with aprons that were marginally cleaner. The menu was spelled out in white plastic letters in a large, framed black velvet board on the wall above the grill. The wordcheeseburgerlacked thes,reminding Jack of an old skit onSaturday Night Live.
What was most obvious to Jack and Laurie about Ted’s Diner was its popularity. It was filled with people of varying ages and sexes enjoying their lunches. Thanks to the aged, pressed metal tin ceiling and the equally aged tile floor, the sound level was almost deafening. Luckily there were two empty seats next to each other at the counter, which they were able to squeeze into. A moment later one of the women in the matching black dresses put empty glasses in front of them, which she proceeded to fill with water. She did this while carrying on a loud, animated conversation with her co-worker who was servicing one of the four-top tables behind Jack and Laurie.
Chapter 8
Wednesday, July 23, 1:50p.m.
Essex Falls, New York
Laurie, who was now driving, nosed into the mostly empty, generous parking area alongside the Bennet Clinic building. After their somewhat chaotic lunch at Ted’s Diner, which included the best hamburgers and French fries Jack and Laurie had ever had, they’d returned to their car and looped back to the east end of Main Street. They were eager to meet up with Dr. Bob Nielson and get on with the reason for their visit.
After going through the front door, it was easy to find Bob’s office, and they entered a simply decorated, vacant waiting room with oddly mismatched furniture. Even the reception desk was unoccupied, but the door behind it was open leading into an interior hallway.
“Hello!” Jack called down the hallway.
Almost immediately a casually dressed woman of medium height with short bobbed brunette hair appeared from a side room.“Dr. Stapleton?” she inquired in a welcoming tone with eyebrows raised expectantly.
“Drs. Stapleton,” Jack corrected.
