by Laurel Veil
“Thank God, you’re here,” Dane said with relief.
“Why so busy?”
“They just got done playing a game at the baseball fields down the road and decided to grab a bite.” He handed me the apron I had stashed behind the counter. “You’re not nervous, are you? You seem jittery.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
A girl a little older than me stepped out of the restroom and headed towards us, looking pale.
“Are you Ronnie?” she asked.
I nodded. “Kelly?”
“Yeah. Thanks for coming. I hate to leave, but I feel terrible.”
“Sure. I hope you feel better soon.” And thanks for getting me out of my haunted house!
I jumped right in and didn’t come up for air for almost two hours. I lost track of my tips, and couldn’t wait to count them later.
I should’ve been relieved when the crowd began to thin, but I wasn’t. I liked being too busy to think and I didn’t want to go back home—not unless Toni was going to be there.
“Take a seat,” Dane said as he sat down when the last of the crowd left. He pushed a chair out for me with his foot.
I accepted his offer and as soon as my bottom made contact with the chair, I realized I was exhausted and my feet hurt. I must have made a face.
“What’s the matter?”
“My feet are killing me. Too much walking for one day.”
When I leaned back, Dane bent over and pulled my feet into his lap.
Before I could even ask him what he thought he was doing, he had slipped off my shoes and socks and was massaging my feet.
It felt too good to make him stop, even though I was self-conscious about the condition of my feet. His hands were strong. He gripped my feet firmly and pushed his thumbs into my arches.
Instead of faking a protest, I closed my eyes and went with it. When I exhaled, a soft moan escaped.
Embarrassed, I peeked through my eyelids. Just as I thought, Dane was grinning. “I know. I’m that good.”
I sat up and attempted to take my feet back, but he resisted and pulled them back toward him. “Where do you think you’re going?” His mischievous grin was still in place.
“You’re going to make me fall asleep.”
“Go ahead. I’ll push some chairs together so you can lie down,” he teased. He looked around at the empty restaurant. “I got things covered here.”
“Dane.”
Our heads turned at the same time. Jade stood near the entrance.
I slipped my feet, sockless, back into my shoes.
“Hey,” said Dane. “What are you doing here so late? We’re about to lock up.”
“I know, that’s why I had Jamie drop me off. We were hanging out and she starting acting like a b’otch. Anyway, I saw your truck and told her to let me out. Can you give me a ride home?”
“Uh, sure. Yeah, I guess.”
I felt Jade’s eyes on me, but I pretended she wasn’t there. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging what we both knew she’d just done.
“I’m going to go count the drawer,” I told Dane as I stood to go to the register.
I was surprised when he took hold of my hand before I passed him. He seemed surprised too and quickly released it. I gave him a quick smile and headed to the counter.
***
Pete finished cleaning the kitchen just as I was finishing with the register. He said goodnight and left.
“I’ll lock up,” said Charlie a minute later. “You gonna make sure they get in their cars safely?” he asked Dane, referring to me and Jade.
“Yes, sir.”
Charlie nodded and waved, then stepped back inside his office.
Dane walked me to my Jeep and even opened the door. “I had fun today. Let me know when you need me to help you again.”
“Come on, Dane!” Jade called from across the lot where his truck was parked.
Her voice sounded like razor blades.
“See ya,” I said.
He smiled and closed my door.
12.
Four
Jimmy’s car was sitting in my driveway when I got home. I laughed when I noticed the fogged-up windows.
Before I could even get out of my Jeep, he was backing out and Toni was walking towards me, all smiles.
I was so happy to see her, relieved I wouldn’t be spending the night alone.
“Fun night?”
She clasped her hands together and held them to her heart. “I love him, Ronnie. I do. I do. I do. I can’t help it. It’s true.”
She gave me the play-by-play of their evening as we walked upstairs.
“Aw, the futon looks great!” she said when I opened the door.
Without missing a beat, she continued the recap of her night.
As we zipped up our sleeping bags, she finally got around to asking me about my evening.
I reclined my chair back so I could have a better view of the night sky as I talked. I went in reverse order and told her about working with Dane first.
“He’s so cute,” she said. “I think he likes you.”
“You think?” I didn’t feel very convinced.
“What? You don’t think so?”
I told her about Jade.
“She did that on purpose because she saw both your vehicles and knew you were working there alone. She’s so jealous.”
It felt wonderful to hear someone else say what I had been thinking.
By the time I’d finished telling her about the water bottle, the photo and the new ghost girl, only her eyes were peeking over the edge of her sleeping bag.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
I looked at her for a moment.
“What?” she asked.
“I have no idea, but… I like that you said we.”
* * *
My phone woke me in the morning. It was Miss Betty, and she wanted some help. I asked her if I could bring Toni along, and she said it was fine.
I filled Toni in on what Miss Betty had said.
“So… want to come with?” I asked. “I’ll split whatever I get. There’s a chance you could make a whole dollar.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You should’ve held out. I would’ve given you two dollars.”
“I would’ve done it for free.” She laughed.
* * *
I expected Miss Betty to be waiting at the screen door, but the other door was closed as well. I knocked and we waited for a minute. When she didn’t come I knocked again, this time a bit louder. Toni and I watched as a shadow covered the peephole.
I jumped when something touched my leg. Toni giggled, and I did too when I realized it was only her trying to scare me.
“Come in,” Miss Betty said when she finally opened the door.
Her voice sounded tired. She didn’t seem as energetic as she had the other day.
“Do you feel OK?” I asked.
“Yes, hon.” I watched as she closed the door, locked it and then slid on the chain. The house was dark, the shutters closed and the curtains drawn.
Miss Betty looked frumpy in her rob. Her hair was pulled back the same as last time, but it wasn’t fresh. Loose hairs stood at attention like she had slept with it like that. A cross hung around her neck that she mindlessly held onto and rubbed between her fingers.
“This is my friend, Toni, that I told you about.”
She didn’t merely look at Toni; she studied her. I think she was actually considering whether or not she was going to let her stay. For a brief moment, I thought she might ask her to leave.
Toni must have sensed it too. She gave a shy smile and looked down. I could feel how uncomfortable she was.
Betty nodded, as if answering a question she had asked herself. Whether it was did she like Toni or did she think she could trust having her in her home, I don’t know, but thankfully she decided Toni could stay.
She unlocked the back door and we followed her outside.
“I’m going to be doing some planting. I need you girls to dig me some holes.”
“Are you growing a vegetable garden?” asked Toni.
She shook her head. “I haven’t planted a garden in a while. Too much work and I’m too old.” She pointed to the far area of her yard, where a portion of it was fenced in with chicken wire. “That’s my old garden there.” It was overgrown with weeds now. “Clean it out first and then dig the holes. The ground is softer in there. It shouldn’t take you too long.”
She gave us the specifics on what size she wanted the holes to be and how she wanted them spaced before returning to the house.
I heard the click of the lock once she’d closed the door.
“It’s like Fort Knox around here,” said Toni. “What’s with all the door locking?”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t like that last time. She seems different, like she’s scared or something.”
Toni and I went into the garage in search of gloves.
Toni noticed the boxes stacked in the corner. “Is that what you moved down from the attic?”
“Yep,” I said.
When we finally found some gloves, we grabbed them and a couple of shovels that had been resting in the corner and got busy.
Betty was right—the soil was loose and the weeds pulled up with little effort. It wasn’t long before we had a huge pile in the wheelbarrow. Toni helped me push it into the woods and dump it.
“Do you think we’ve earned a nickel yet?” Toni teased. I would’ve laughed harder, but she was probably right.
We each took a shovel and began to dig on opposite sides of the garden, four holes each. Miss Betty had asked that we make the holes about two feet deep, and the same for the length and width.
“Did she ever mention what she was going to plant?” asked Toni.
“There’re some rosebushes leaning against the garage over there,” I said.
I looked up from digging to see Miss Betty carrying a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses of ice.
“I bought ’em a while back. I figured it’s about time they get planted,” she said, apparently overhearing our conversation. I thought old people were supposed to have terrible hearing.
“Do you want us to do it for you?” asked Toni, taking a glass from the tray.
“No thank ya. You girls just dig the holes, and I’ll do the rest. I have a certain way I like to plant my flowers.”
“Thanks for the lemonade,” I said as I reached for a glass.
“I think this is the best lemonade I ever had.” Toni returned her empty glass to the tray.
“I know, right?” I agreed.
Betty looked pleased. “I’ll just put this over here. If you girls want more, help yourself.” She set the tray on the picnic table and went back inside.
A couple hours and four glasses of lemonade later, we finished. The tidy garden was free of clutter and the holes were dug.
“That looks just fine,” said Betty when she stepped outside with her purse. “I’ll call you in a few days,” she said, and handed each of us three dollars.
We thanked her and left.
“So what are you going to spend all your money on?” I asked.
Toni looked down at her blistered hands. “A box of Band-Aids.” Her eyes suddenly got big. “I got a text,” she said as she pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Maybe it’s Jimmy!”
Her smile quickly faded. “It’s Charlie. He’s asking me to work to—”
The ding of my phone interrupted her. “Gee, I wonder who that could be,” I said.
* * *
After we cleaned up for work, we stopped by my uncle and aunt’s to say hi.
Danielle was thrilled to see us. “Come look!” she said.
Toni and I followed her into her bedroom. Danielle pointed to the wall near her bed where she had hung the cat painting she’d purchased.
“It looks great!” I said.
“Yeah,” Toni agreed. “It’s really pretty and I like where you hung it.”
“Me too,” she said. “I can look at it while I’m in bed. He helps me not be afraid when I hear my mom and dad talking.”
Toni and I gave each other a quick look.
“I—I’m sure they don’t mean to scare you,” I said. Even though I would have rather asked what her parents were saying that made her feel afraid, I didn’t want to be nosy. I gave her a quick smile.
Thank God Toni wasn’t a polite wimp like me and didn’t let the opportunity pass.
“What on earth did your parents say that scared you?”
Danielle leaned over and looked around us at her door to make sure no one was there. In a low voice, she said, “They don’t know that I’m awake sometimes and I can hear them. They’ve been talking about the dead girls they found at the orphanage.”
Toni and I gave each other another look.
“So, they found another one? This makes three now, right?” I asked.
Danielle shook her head. “Four.”
13.
Looking For Answers
The parking lot was pretty full. No wonder Charlie had asked us both to come in.
“Looks like we’re not going to be doing much sitting tonight,” I said.
“Each car represents a tip,” said Toni.
Dane looked up from a table he was clearing when we walked in, shooting me a smile that gave me butterflies. I thought about my foot massage and almost blushed.
“Have you guys heard?” he asked when he approached us. “The body count is up to six—all girls.”
I gasped.
“We’re going up there tonight,” Toni said matter-of-factly.
“We are?” I said.
“What for?” asked Dane.
Toni shrugged. “To have a look. It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened on this island since I’ve lived here. I want to see it with my own eyes. Wanna come?”
“Is Jimmy going?”
“I’ll text him now,” said Toni.
“Do you really think we should go back there?” I asked as soon as Dane had left to find a bottle of ketchup for a customer.
“We need answers; it’s as good a place as any to start looking for them.”
“Chop-chop,” Charlie called to us from his office.
* * *
A few hours later, Toni and I were counting our tips.
“It was a good night,” she said.
“Definitely,” I agreed, shoving a wad of bills into my pocket.
“We’re done here,” said Dane. “Come on, let’s go.”
***
Toni and I went home so we could freshen up and drop off my Jeep. A few minutes later, Jimmy pulled up with Dane riding shotgun.
Toni was happy when Dane got in the back with me so she could sit up front with Jimmy. I was pretty pleased with the seating arrangement myself.
We had a fun time on the way. It seemed like Jimmy and Dane were having a contest to see who was the funniest. They took turns telling stories about one another, and Toni and I couldn’t quit laughing.
Jimmy reached over and turned down the radio. “The road’s closed.” A barricade ran the width of the street.
Dane shrugged. “I figured as much. Go the back way.”
“What’s the back way?” I asked.
“There’s a spot up here where Jimmy and I fish. We’ll park there and walk through the woods. It’ll only take a few minutes to get there on foot.”
I looked at Toni with a frightened, wide-eyed expression. She giggled, but my stomach did a flip. I wasn’t much for hiking through the woods at night, especially near the site where bodies had recently been exhumed.
***
“This is a good spot,” said Dane.
Jimmy turned off his headlights and then the motor. As soon as we opened the doors, I could hear crickets and the soft swoosh of the ocean. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.