Shona Jackson- The Complete Trilogy

by Vicky Jones

  “Yeah, you got that right,” Shona replied, smiling. “Anyways, I’ll get started on that one over there.” She pointed to a truck that was parked up on the ramps and picked up a wrench on her way over.

  “Hey Shona, you’re back?” Jonny called out then ran quickly over to her.

  “Yeah. So, what’s new around here?”

  “Nothin’ much. Same ol’ place. All the better for havin’ you back though. Say, can I treat you to lunch later? Just us this time. I’ve kinda missed you bein’ around.” Jonny turned his cap over in his sweaty hands as his cheeks began to redden.

  “Thanks, Jonny, I’d love to, but I got loads to catch up on here.”

  Jonny’s smile faded. “Oh, OK. But one day you’re gonna say yes to a date with me, I swear.” He smiled, then sauntered off, leaving Shona to get started on her first job of the day.

  Lucy’s eyes lit up when she saw Shona walk in through the doors to the bar the following day after work.

  “Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes. How’s Dorothy? I heard about her fall.”

  “She’s fine. Thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful. Really cheered her up.” Shona smiled and sat down at the bar.

  “Well, I meant to come over before I went to Tennessee, but Frank wanted me to do a few last jobs for him before I left,” Lucy said, snipping the cap off a bottle of Coca-Cola and setting it down in front of Shona.

  “You remembered,” Shona grinned, downing a long slug.

  “Of course, how could I forget? You’re the only one I know who comes into this bar and leaves sober,” Lucy chuckled, clinking her own shot glass with Shona’s bottle.

  “How was it at your aunt’s place?”

  “Well, I came back, didn’t I?” Lucy replied, winking. “She talked some sense into me, said I should knuckle down at college and give myself the best chance of making something of my life.”

  “And what about Frank?” Shona broached. “Will you stay with him?”

  “I guess so. For now. But I ain’t gon’ be working all hours behind this damn thing.” She tapped the bar top. “I gotta concentrate on my studies properly now.”

  “That’s great, Lucy. I’m real pleased for you,” Shona said. “You’ll make your ma and pa proud.”

  After half an hour of playing pool and sharing stories about their weeks apart, Lucy leaned against her cue and perched on the edge of the table.

  “Why are you always looking around you? Who do you think’s gon’ walk through that door, Rock Hudson?” Lucy asked.

  “Huh?” Shona replied. “Oh, sorry.”

  Before Lucy could ask her next, more probing question, Norm walked over to them both.

  “Whaddaya think? Thirty dollars in prize money should have them piling in from all over,” he said, holding the flyer he’d drawn up for the pool competition and pinning it up on the wall behind them.

  “Say now, you’ve beaten me in every game we’ve ever played, Shona. You should enter. That’s a tidy lil’ sum of money you could make there."

  “Yeah. It would be,” Shona replied.

  “You’d clean up. I ain’t never been beat this many times, and I’m really trying.” Lucy laughed. “You’d be talked about for miles around. Heck, it might even make the press. You’ll be famous.”

  Shona froze. Famous? Leaning against the pool table, her head began to spin. Lucy’s smile faded, seeing Shona’s muted reaction to her enthusiasm. Just as she was about to ask what the problem was, she heard her name hollered from the other side of the room.

  “What’s up, Trish?” she asked, walking over to the bar.

  “What’s up? I’m just getting a little tired of you slacking off around here. I work my fingers to the bone cleaning up out back, then I come in here and find you, not even back a day yet from your nice lil’ vacation, playing pool and having a good old time.” Trish’s eyes blazed as she rested her mop against the bar.

  “Trish, what’s got your goat? Tommy not well again? I thought that new treatment was working.” Lucy reached out her hand to lay it on Trish’s shoulder.

  Trish brushed it away. “Yeah, it’s working. But it ain’t gonna cure him. I need to take him to the hospital every two weeks and that costs money. I’m pulling double shifts here to afford it and then I see you goofing around, not a care in the world. That’s what’s got my goat. And to top it off, every night you go up those stairs, I hear you in that room complaining to Frank that you don’t wanna do this anymore. Well, if that’s the case, then why don’t you just get out of the game permanently, not just for a week when you feel like sunning yourself on vacation.”

  “Look, before I left, I spoke to Frank to tell him to give you all my guys. That should help with money, right?” Lucy cocked her head to the side as she processed one element of Trish’s earlier speech. “Wait a minute, you been hanging around outside my room?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

  Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, Trish softened her tone. “Look, just forget I said anything. It’s not easy for me. I’m juggling a lot of shit right now. Sorry. Don’t tell Frank, OK?” She picked up her mop after Lucy nodded her assurance, then headed back into the restrooms.

  “What was that all about?” Shona asked as she walked over to Lucy at the bar and sat down on a stool.

  “Don’t matter,” Lucy sighed, rubbing her eyes.

  “Oh, OK.” Shona nodded and began fiddling with one of the paper napkins on the bar top.

  “What’s that you’re making outta that napkin? Looks like a bird or something,” Lucy asked, watching Shona fold down each corner.

  “Oh, nothing. Just something my momma taught me. How come’s Trish is angry with you?”

  “She’s just a little stressed about…” Lucy paused, remembering the sordid subject of their conversation. “Well, let’s just say you ain’t the only one around here who don’t wanna talk about stuff.”

  “I guess so. Alright, I’ll catch you later. It’s chicken pie tonight, I can’t miss that.” Shona grinned and got up to leave.

  “Heaven forbid you miss a chicken pie, Shona,” Lucy called after her.

  Frank emerged from the back room with a man in a gray flannel suit carrying a clipboard.

  “Look, Frank, rules are rules. You can’t run a business with the kitchen in that state. That basement wall needs total rebuilding too. It’s not safe. If we have another downpour like the one a few months ago, the whole damn roof’ll come down with it,” the suited man warned.

  Frank flashed a smile at Lucy as she walked over to them, her brow furrowed as the scale of the problem facing them was becoming more apparent.

  “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll take care of this. You go start dinner.” He raised his eyes to the staircase next to the bar. Lucy complied, feeling the sting from the next look Frank gave her.

  After she was out of sight, the building inspector stepped closer. “Look, Frank, all us guys know what goes on in this bar. That’s none of my concern. All I care about is that it’s safe. Max Whitfield won’t stand for any more complaints about this place, y’hear? He’s already got the measure of you from what he’s hearing around town and it wouldn’t take much for him to close you down. Understand?” Seeing Frank’s eyes twitch, the building inspector softened his tone. “Put the money into smartening this place up… and fix that damn wall. Then you won’t have the pleasure of seeing me again.” He grinned.

  “Why the hell do folks around here seem to think they got the right to tell me what to do in my own bar?” Frank seethed. “Get outta here.”

  Feeling the shadow of Frank drape over him, the building inspector did the wise thing and stepped past him. “Get that wall fixed, Frank.”

  Chapter 21

  Shona was hammering away underneath a truck when a familiar voice chirped from above.

  “You got a minute?”

  “Sure.” Shona slid out and stood up, brushing herself off.

  “I owe you an apology. Yesterday… it felt like I was a li
ttle rude to you. When you asked me about Trish? It’s just, well, she’s taken me into her confidence and…” Lucy stood there twirling a strand of her loose hair around her index finger.

  “Hey, don’t worry. It’s forgotten,” Shona replied, squatting back down to sit on her creepers. “I hate too many questions being asked about me too. I guess I should practice what I preach, huh?”

  After a few moments of watching Shona get back to work, Lucy had an idea.

  “Say, can I buy you an early dinner tonight? I can’t promise it’ll be as good as Dorothy’s famous pie now.” She smiled, biting on her bottom lip as she waited for Shona’s answer.

  “You don’t have to, it’s fine really. It’s none of my business what you and Trish were arguing about.”

  “I know, but… Look, at least let me treat you to a burger at the bar after work, OK? You gotta let me win a few games of pool back; my ego can’t handle it.”

  Seeing Shona’s resolve crack made Lucy’s heart jump.

  “OK then. I’ll see you later.” Shona smiled up at Lucy who skipped away in triumph.

  “Baby, please, just one last time. For me? Don really wants to see you again. He’s a nice guy and he pays a lot for your company.”

  Frank had spent the best part of half an hour trying to sweet talk Lucy.

  “OK, Frank. But this is the last time, OK? I don’t wanna do that stuff anymore. You promise?”

  “Honey, I promise. Now go get ready, he’ll be here just after five. And Lucy…?”

  “Yes, Frank?”

  “I love you.”

  “See you tomorrow, Harry,” Shona called out as she headed over to her truck at five thirty that afternoon. Hearing his muffled response from inside the office, she smiled, dropped her lunch box on the passenger seat and walked across the road to the bar.

  “Hey Norm, Lucy around?” Shona asked, after looking around the bar for a few seconds and not seeing her.

  “She’s upstairs,” he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the lipstick stain on the rim of the glass.

  “Thanks. Try a bit of vinegar on that,” she suggested, winking as he looked up at her in surprise. “Where did you say the stairs were?”

  “Just around the end of the bar, turn right, you can’t miss ‘em,” Norm replied. “Oh, and hey, thanks for the tip,” he added.

  “No problem.”

  Shona walked all the way around the perimeter of the bar, eventually finding the bottom of the staircase. Grabbing the handrail, she skipped up the stairs, two at a time, then followed the balcony walkway over the top of the bar area, turning left along the corridor that led to the rooms. Most of the doors were closed but, as she passed one, the noises coming from inside were too intriguing for Shona’s curiosity to resist.

  Bending down to peek through the keyhole, she recoiled in horror.

  Inside, Frank was sitting in an armchair with one girl kneeling in front of him, her head face-down in his lap, while another girl was leaning over and kissing him. Recognizing them as two of the girls she’d seen working behind the bar, Shona felt sick to her stomach.

  Just as the thought about how upset Lucy would be to know Frank was cheating on her, she heard another noise further down the corridor. Tiptoeing, and hoping she wouldn’t hit a creaky floorboard, Shona stopped outside the room where the strange grunts and groans were coming from. The door this time was slightly ajar.

  Looking in, Shona’s mouth suddenly went dry.

  Chuck’s hulking figure stood in one corner, with only a thin screen obscuring his view of the bed. He was obviously there as some kind of security but couldn’t resist a look through a tiny hole in the screen every few seconds.

  Keeping as quiet as she could, Shona inched closer to look through the crack in the door. Inside, a brown-haired woman wearing nothing but a red lacy bra, was lying on the bed facing away from the door. Sprawled on top of her was a naked man, his smart blue business suit flung all around the bed in his haste to get on with it. Blinking several times to try to make sense of what she was seeing, Shona stood on the creaky floorboard she’d been terrified of finding.

  Chuck snapped his body around from the screen and tore open the door. “What the…? What the fuck are you doin’ up here? This is a private party!” he roared at Shona, who fell backwards as the door was ripped away from her grasp.

  “I was… I was just looking for Lucy… I’m sorry, I…” Shona stuttered, in total shock and fear of Chuck’s massive frame bearing down on her.

  “Oh yeah? Well, as you can see, she’s busy.” He pointed over to the bed and glared at Shona.

  The bottom of Shona’s stomach suddenly felt as if it had been set on fire.

  Oh my God, no. Not now. It’s happening all over again, she thought, as her memories flew through her brain like missiles. With her head spinning out of control, she looked at the bed where Lucy was lying and clamped her eyes shut. Feeling the burn in her throat and her eyes stinging, Shona slumped against the doorframe and doubled over. Retching uncontrollably, she then vomited onto the floorboards.

  “Goddamn it, you better clean that up.” Chuck grimaced as Shona tried to stagger away. Grabbing her shoulders, he lifted her up a foot off the ground and threw her down the hallway. “Get the hell out of here, now!”

  “What the hell’s goin’ on? Can’t a guy get some damn peace around here?” Frank roared as he emerged into the hallway. Lucy shrieked in horror. Desperate to get to Shona, she tried to wriggle free of Don, but he grabbed her waist with both hands.

  “No, goddamn it, not till I’ve finished,” he growled, yanking her back.

  After a few more moments of Don’s grunting, Lucy was finally able to prize herself free from his grip after he sprawled himself backwards on the bed with a huge grin plastered over his well-groomed face. Grabbing her skirt and shirt, she threw them on, then slipped on her sandals and pushed past Chuck.

  “Shona… please, wait.”

  Shona had already barged her way past a bemused-looking Frank and was already at the bottom of the stairs and stumbling towards the exit.

  Ripping open the front door, Lucy watched helplessly as the blue truck roared off, kicking up dust as its shape became a blur on the horizon. With absolutely no way of catching up with her, Lucy set off on the mile-long trek to Dorothy’s house in the hope that by the time she got there, Shona might have had time to calm down.

  “What the hell’s goin’ on, Chuck?”

  Frank, after watching Don leave the room half-dressed and scuttle down the hallway past him, looked over to see Chuck picking up the last few items of the clothing Lucy had left on the floor by the bed.

  “Lucy,” Chuck replied, standing up. “She bolted. That broad from your uncle’s garage came in and saw what was goin’ on up here. God knows why but Lucy ran after her. She’s probably gone to the old lady's place… that’s where she's gone a couple of times before."

  “Did he pay?” Frank asked as he walked up to the bed, his eyes narrowing when he saw the delicate lace panties Chuck was clutching. “What you doin’ with them?”

  “What? Oh yeah. He paid. Not full whack though, he only got half of what he was promised but…” Chuck put his hand into his pocket and took out the money. “Here.”

  Frank grunted as he held the thinner than he was expecting wad of bills. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. “Say, Chuck. How do you know she's been to the old lady’s place before? You been followin’ her?”

  “Yeah,” he said in a quiet voice, his eyes lowered to the frayed carpet.

  “Well now, you really are keepin’ a close eye on my girl, ain’t ya.” He walked over to Chuck and then reached up to pinch his fingers and thumb between his collarbones until the big man winced. “I appreciate that, my friend. You’re lookin’ out for your buddy. Thank you, Chuck.”

  The corners of Chuck’s mouth twitched as he caught a glimmer of menace in Frank’s dark eyes. Letting him go, Frank strolled back over to the bedroom door and pocketed the money.


  “Oh, Chuck?” he said, without turning back to face him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Take the panties outta your pocket and put them back on the bed.”

  Lucy stood outside Dorothy’s cottage, frozen to the spot, trying to summon up the courage to knock on the door. Completely distraught at what Shona had seen her doing, she’d run the whole way over to try in some way to explain. But no amount of words said in the right order was ever going to remove the image she’d imprinted on Shona’s mind.

  It was useless even knocking. Neither Dorothy nor Shona would answer the door. Disgusted with herself, she turned back towards the road.

  Chapter 22

  Lucy sat at the breakfast table in the little kitchen above the bar, staring into space. Frustrated that she hadn’t been brave enough to knock on Dorothy’s door last night, she hadn’t slept a wink, completely embarrassed and horrified at what Shona had seen. The irony of it all was gut-wrenching. On the same night she’d promised herself she’d stop, she had been seen by the one person in town she prayed would never discover her sordid little secret.

  Stirring her coffee into a whirlpool, she didn’t even notice Frank enter the kitchen and stand behind her chair.

  “You OK?” he asked.

  “Hmm?” Lucy replied, not lifting her eyes from her cup.

  “Last night. You didn’t get in until late. Did you find your friend?” Frank’s demeanor was eerily calm.

  “What?” Lucy snapped her eyes back into focus, perplexed by his question. “No.” She looked up at him, tears in her bloodshot eyes. “Oh, Frank, I didn’t want her to see me like that. She’s my only friend and I’ve gone and ruined it now.” She put her head on the table and sobbed.

  Frank watched her for a moment, unmoved.

  “It’s probably for the best. If she’s too square to understand what we gotta do to make ends meet, then she ain’t no real friend.” He walked over to the table and kneeled beside her. Stroking her hair, he softened his tone. “Shhhh… please don’t cry. You know it makes your eyes all red.”