The Witch On Twisted Oak

by Muller, Susan C.

  He stopped for gas, a quick burger and to study the map. He hadn’t been here for at least three years, probably four, and if it wasn’t for Adrienne he wouldn’t be here now. As soon as she was old enough to fly alone, he’d brought her out to join him.

  Nothing had changed. A few more fast food joints, casinos. But the fucking swamp was still only feet off the road in places. And the people that lived in it were still as superstitious and backward as ever.

  The burger tasted like cardboard, but he didn’t care. It was just fuel for his body. No different than the gas he put in the car.

  Another hour of driving, and he turned off the interstate, into bayou country. The lights fell away and he was left with only his headlights poking a hole in the darkness. Even the air felt heavy, like a weight on his shoulders.

  God, how he hated this place. And now it had taken his daughter.

  Gabrielle Hough paced and watched out the window. Remy had phoned every half hour, but she had no news. If only it wasn’t so dark.

  Was Adrienne hurt, frightened? Was she calling for her mama? Or laughing behind her back?

  It was too soon to expect Remy, but she stared into the darkness anyway. If only he’d get here. She didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want to set eyes on him. He had no right to raise his voice with her. But he’d know what to do, and she wouldn’t be so alone.

  He’d obviously started to work on finding Adrienne. A deputy had come by earlier and said he’d called. They’d checked the school, talked to her teachers, asked questions. All to no avail.

  They had looked at her with scorn in their eyes. Just another single mother who couldn’t control her kid. Probably out partying or ran away to try her luck on the back streets of New Orleans.

  They didn’t know Adrienne. She was a good girl. She had plans. She wanted to go to college.

  But then, so had she. Until that smooth-talking son-of-a-bitch had wormed his way into her pants and they had to get married two days after high school graduation. Almost exactly eighteen years ago.

  She blew out a shaky breath. She wasn’t being fair. She’d been there right along with him. Senior Prom and she’d had it all pictured ahead of time, her dress on the floor. How he’d look. She’d been dying to see that. He wasn’t tall, but then, neither was she. He was a handsome devil, with black hair and eyes like obsidian. Two years on the wrestling team hadn’t hurt, either. No, she hadn’t been a bit disappointed, until the condom broke.

  She gazed out the window. At least this was May. The weather was warm if Adrienne was outdoors. Of course, the mosquitoes were out also, and the snakes, and the ‘gators.

  Headlights caught her eye. There he was. Everything would be better now.

  Remy sat at the kitchen table and played with the cup of coffee Gabby had given him. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled. Chicory, that should do the trick. No chance of him dozing off now.

  The same old mug, the same old table. Did nothing ever change around here? Probably still used the same coffee pot.

  Every fiber in him screamed to rush out into the swamp with a flashlight and a machete and start looking for Adrienne, but that wouldn’t help. He forced himself to sit still and listen; learn everything he could.

  “So why was she supposed to be spending the night with Evie on a school night?”

  “They had a project they’d been working on for weeks. It was due on Friday. I dropped her off in front of the school on Thursday. She was supposed to go home with Evie and finish the project that night. Then Evie’s mother would take them to school Friday and she’d come home as usual.”

  “Only she didn’t go to school Thursday or Friday and Evie doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” Remy finished the story for her.

  “Right. The project was finished last week. Evie swears she doesn’t know where Adrienne is and didn’t have anything to do with this. Evie’s a good girl. She wouldn’t lie about something this important.”

  “Well, somebody lied about something.” His voice started to climb, but he forced it down. If he upset Gabby any more than she was, he’d never learn what he needed.

  Her eyes were already swollen and her nose was red, but she still looked damn good. The women he knew wouldn’t leave the house without fifty dollars’ worth of makeup, yet here she was; hair like warm honey, blue eyes. No worse the wear for the last eighteen years, while the wrinkles around his eyes grew deeper every day.

  He took a deep breath. All he needed to remember was that she didn’t love him.

  “How did Adrienne know you wouldn’t phone and check up on her?”

  Gabby’s face flushed. “I would never check up on her.”

  Maybe that was your first mistake.

  “We were running late Thursday morning. She forgot her phone and we didn’t have time to go back. It’s sitting in her room.”

  Fuck. No wonder she hadn’t answered any of his calls. If she had her phone, they’d at least have a chance of hearing from her. “Then Evie’s definitely in on it. She’d need to cover if you did call. Has Adrienne ever spent the night with Evie before?”

  “A few times, sure. Just in the last few months.” Gabby glanced at him, then lowered her eyes. “And no, I didn’t call over there to check.”

  He pushed his cup back. “Okay, time to visit Evie.”

  Gabby’s hand flew to her mouth. “We can’t go over there now. It’s too late. Besides, the police have already talked to her.”

  “Sure they did, and her mother was sitting in the room, listening to every word she said. If you think it’s late for Evie, think how late it is for Adrienne.”

  Remy’s heart squeezed tight and he sent up a prayer that it wasn’t too late.

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