Dane stepped closer to the glass. “My name is Dane Foster. I’m here to see an inmate by the name of Thomas Stewart. I called yesterday.”
The guard checked the visitor log. “ID, please.”
Dane handed over her driver’s license.
“Have you been here before?”
“No, ma’am.”
“You should leave any personal items outside in your vehicle.”
Dane patted her pockets. “All I have is my wallet.”
The guard nodded. “We’ll bring you into the corridor where you will be searched. From there you will go to the visitors’ room. You are not allowed personal contact with the inmate. A glass divider will be between you and the inmate at all times.”
Dane nodded.
“Step up to the metal doors,” the guard said, pointing to the left.
The farther Dane went into the bowels of the prison, the colder it became. She wondered if that was the temperature or the chill in her veins.
Once she was seated on a small round stool bolted to the floor, she waited. A few moments later Thomas Stewart was led into the room. He was taller than her, his hair more gray than black, his eyes the same ocean blue as her mother’s, the same as hers.
He sat down in front of her, looking at her curiously. “Who the hell are you?”
Dane swallowed. “My name is Dane. I’m Pearl Jean’s daughter.”
“Ha. Is that so? What does little Jenny want from me after all these years? I thought she was too good for us.”
Dane took a deep breath. “She didn’t send me. I wanted to meet you. I wanted to see what you could tell me about her. Why she left.”
He laughed. It was an eerie sound that vibrated in his chest. His voice was coarse, and his teeth were yellow from years of tobacco use. “What do you want to know? What did Jenny tell you?”
“Not much. That’s why I’m here. I never got the chance to know anyone on her side of the family. She never said much about you or her life before she married my father.”
Thomas frowned. His body tensed. He leaned forward. “How is that prick, anyway? Still got a stick up his ass?”
“I take it you two didn’t get along.”
He glared at her. “David was a spoiled rich kid who put ideas in Jenny’s head. He made her think she was better than me. Our ways weren’t good enough for David.”
“What ways?”
Thomas shook his head and looked Dane up and down. “A woman has her place. Jenny was always getting out of line. Sometimes she needed a little reminder of where she belonged. I looked after Jenny. David wanted to take her from me.”
“So you didn’t want her to go to college or move away.”
“It wasn’t like she couldn’t take classes or get a job. But those city boys had no right to come into town and take our women.”
Dane frowned. “Your women?”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. David thought he was better than me. He thought he could take Jenny from me. But he could never have what I took from him.”
Chills ran down Dane’s arms. She felt sick.
He turned his head from side to side, studying her. He started to laugh.
Dane stared at him, afraid to ask the next question.
“How old are you? If I had to guess I’d say you’re about forty. Am I right?”
Dane swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She ground her teeth, fighting the rage boiling in her veins. “What did you do to my mother?”
He laughed. “You should ask her.”
“She’s dead.”
He grinned. “Ah, that explains it.” He sat up and stretched as if he was bored with the conversation.
Dane wanted to slap the stupid smile off his face. She gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles were white. “Tell me what you did to her.”
“I told you. I put her in her place. I showed her what a real man could do.”
Dane shook her head. Her face burned with rage. “You son of a bitch, you raped her.”
He smiled. “I wanted to tell David myself, but the coward left town. I thought I was rid of him. But then Jenny ran off.” His lips stretched across his teeth in a sneer. He looked like he’d just bitten into something sour.
“You hated my father so much you raped your own cousin? What kind of sick fuck are you?” Dane was reeling. She didn’t want to believe him. She didn’t want to believe this was possible. “You were right about one thing. She was better than you. She was better than all of you.”
He leaned close to the glass, glaring into Dane’s eyes. “Maybe she was. But it looks like I got the last laugh after all.”
Dane frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Who’s your daddy, girl? Who’s your daddy?”
Dane pushed back against the table so hard she fell off the stool. She scrambled to her feet, glaring at him. “That’s not possible. That’s not true,” she yelled.
Thomas laughed uncontrollably. He slapped his hand on the table and pointed at her, mocking her.
Dane called for the guard. “Let me out of here. I’m done.”
She could still hear laughter as the door closed behind her. She was trembling. She needed air. She needed to get away. Thoughts of what that monster had done to her mother slashed through her mind like razors tearing through everything she had ever believed.
She ran to her Jeep. It couldn’t be true. He couldn’t be her father.
* * *
Emma put the ticket on the table in front of Trevor.
“I’ve been patient, Emma, but I have a business to run. You have one week. If Curtis doesn’t come through, you better get on board.”
Emma crossed her arms over her chest to hide her fear. Her stomach was twisting in knots. “What is it that you think Curtis owes you? I can’t help you if I don’t know what he’s done.”
Trevor stood. “Tell him he has one week.” He tossed two twenties on the table. “Keep the change.” He brushed Emma’s shoulder as he passed.
Emma had barely caught her breath when Dane entered the bar. Dane looked sick. Sweat clung to her skin, and her head was bowed as if she wore a badge of shame. Something was wrong. How could this day get any worse?
“Where have you been all day?” Emma asked as Dane sat down. “You don’t look so good.”
“Whiskey and a beer. Keep them coming.”
Emma hesitated. Dane’s hands were trembling, and her eyes were red as if she’d been crying. Emma reached for the bottle of Jack Daniel’s. She set the bottle and a glass on the bar in front of Dane and opened a beer.
“I’ll tell you about my day if you tell me about yours. What happened?”
Dane shook her head. “Be careful what questions you ask. You might not like the answers.”
“About your mom?”
Dane nodded. Emma poured the whiskey into the glass and handed it to Dane.
“Give me a minute,” Emma said. “I have to fill this order. I’ll be right back.”
Emma had no idea what was going on, but it was bad. She’d never seen Dane like this. She looked around at the few customers left in the room and was tempted to tell everyone to leave. At least it was a slow night.
Dane was still nursing her drink when Emma returned. At least she was pacing herself tonight. Emma braced her arms against the bar in front of Dane and waited.
Dane looked at Emma over the glass as she drank. “Looks like you were right.”
“I usually am. What was I right about this time?”
“You said I might not like what I find. You said I was trouble.”
Emma frowned. “Whatever you found doesn’t make you trouble, Dane. Our families aren’t perfect, but we get to make our own choices about how we want to live.”
Dane pursed her lips in thought. She slowly nodded her head.
Emma placed her hand over Dane’s. “I don’t know what happened today. But I know you’re not trouble. I can close up in a few minutes and we can talk. Okay?”
Da
ne stared blankly at the whiskey swirling in the bottom of her glass. “Yeah. Sure.”
Emma was able to get the coolers stocked and the tables cleaned before she even locked the doors. She said good night to the last couple on their way out. She was happy the night was over, but she had a feeling more bad news was on the way. Dane hadn’t moved from her spot at the bar. She had pushed the whiskey aside and had stuck with beer.
Emma sighed. At least she wouldn’t have to carry Dane home.
She opened a beer and sat on the stool next to Dane. Dane’s shoulders were slumped, and she didn’t look at Emma when she sat down.
“Feel like talking?” Emma asked.
Dane turned her head, meeting Emma’s gaze.
Emma’s heart sank. Dane’s eyes were glassy pools of despair. “Is it that bad?”
“He raped her.”
Emma flinched. “Oh God. How do you know?”
“I went to see him today at the prison. He bragged about it. Said he was putting her in her place. It was his way of hurting my father.”
“Jesus. That’s terrible.”
“Yeah,” Dane agreed. “But there’s more.”
Emma braced herself this time. She couldn’t imagine what could be worse than knowing your mother was raped. “What?”
“He insinuated he might be my father.”
Emma gasped. “Oh, Dane.” She didn’t know what to say. What could she say? Everything Dane thought she knew about her family just blew up in her face. Dane was already in some kind of identity crisis, and this was the last thing she needed.
“This could explain everything. No wonder my father doesn’t want anything to do with me. Maybe I was destined to be a screwup.”
“No, that’s not true. You can’t let this monster determine that for you. You’re better than that.”
Dane laughed.
Emma was confused. “What?”
“He kept saying my mother thought she was better than he was. She just wanted a life of her own. He wanted to control her. He did everything he could to destroy her.”
Emma wrapped her arm across Dane’s back. “I’m sorry.”
Dane leaned her head on Emma’s shoulder, surprising Emma. She froze for a moment, but then gave in to Dane’s hurt. She leaned her head against Dane’s, a small act of comfort. “What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know where to go from here.”
Emma stilled. “There’s no rush. You can stay.”
Dane didn’t answer.
Emma closed her eyes. Wasn’t this what she had expected? Dane was only a visitor here. This was not her home. Dane had never intended to stay. She swallowed her disappointment. It didn’t matter what she knew—she cared about Dane. She didn’t want to see her go.
“What did you plan to do with your life before your dad died?” Dane asked.
Emma was surprised by the question. “Why does it matter?”
“I just want to know. I want to talk about something else. Anything but what that monster did to my mother.”
Emma nodded. “I wanted to be a biologist.”
Dane sat up and looked at her. “Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“It’s just not what I pictured, that’s all.”
“What did you think then?”
Dane narrowed her eyes and studied her.
Emma grinned. “Stop it, just tell me.”
“Okay then, I thought you would have been a social worker or in business. Someone out there trying to help the less fortunate get back on their feet or starting your own business somewhere.”
“Really?” Emma laughed. “To be honest I’ve always liked animals more than people. I don’t think I would have made a good social worker. The business thing was just part of the package. I learned a lot from my dad.”
Dane nodded. “Isn’t it weird how things work out? I never wanted to be anything like my father, but I ended up a lot like him anyway.” She cringed. “At least he’s better than the alternative.” Dane was thoughtful. “Everyone says he loved my mother. What if having me destroyed that?”
Emma brushed her thumb across Dane’s cheek. “No, sweetie. No matter who your father is, you didn’t have a choice. You were the child. You didn’t ask for any of those things to happen. And from what you’ve told me, you were your mother’s joy. She must have been a very strong woman to have overcome everything that happened to her and build a whole new life. She made sure you never had to know the things she’d known.”
Dane nodded.
Emma finished her beer and tossed the bottle into the trash. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get back to the house. Are you ready?”
“Sure.”
Emma took Dane’s hand, lacing their fingers together, hoping the connection would help Dane feel a little less lost. If she was honest, she needed the connection too. Dane was the first person she’d allowed close since losing her parents. She wanted to hold on to the tenuous connection between them as long as she could. But it was just a matter of time before Dane would leave like everyone else.
* * *
Dane knew something was wrong the moment her headlights beamed across the lawn. Samson stood next to something piled on the grass. He barked ferociously as they pulled up.
Emma jumped out of her truck and ran toward Samson. Dane slid to a stop and jumped out to run after her. Samson was limping, and blood dripped from a cut across his snout.
“Curtis!” Emma screamed. She fell to her knees. Curtis lay in a heap on the ground. He groaned and rolled onto his back.
“Curtis, are you okay? What happened to you?” Emma asked as Curtis pressed his hands to his head.
“Nothin’. I’m okay.”
“Don’t give me that shit. Someone beat the crap out of you, and by the looks of it they went a round with Samson as well. Now tell me what happened, or so help me, I’ll finish what they started.”
Dane looked up at Emma, surprised by the threat but certain Emma would follow up on what she said.
“Dang, Emma, give me a minute,” Curtis groaned.
“Who was it?” Emma demanded.
Curtis sat up. “I don’t know. I didn’t know him. He was a big fella, kind of looked like a bear. He was in a black truck.”
Emma looked at Dane. “Sounds like the same guy that jumped you outside the bar.”
Dane nodded. “What did he say, Curtis?”
“He told me to keep my mouth shut. Said he’d be watching me.”
Emma pinched Curtis’s face in her hand, looking over the cuts and bruises.
“Ow,” Curtis said, trying to pull away.
“Be still. Is anything broken?”
Curtis pushed her hand away. “No. Stop it. I said I’m okay.”
Emma turned to Samson. “Come here, boy.”
Samson whined as Emma held his face gently in her hands and inspected his snout and then his leg. “I don’t think anything’s broken, but we need to clean this cut.”
Dane was amused by how gentle Emma was with Samson after her handling of Curtis. She turned her attention to Curtis. “Come on. Let me help you to the house. We’ll be able to see better once we’re inside.”
Curtis groaned as Dane threw her arm around him and lifted him to his feet. She steadied him a moment. “Are you good?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine as long as you don’t let Emma get me again. I think I’d rather fight the bear.”
Dane laughed. “You’ll live.”
Once inside, Dane took Curtis to the kitchen. She wet a towel and began to clean his wounds. Emma did the same for Samson.
“What was this about, Curtis? What are you not telling us?” Emma demanded.
“I don’t know. I went to see my PO, and when I got back, this guy shows up. I went out to see who it was. He got out and just clocked me. He got in a few punches and kicks before Samson got to him. Samson got a good bite of his arm. He knocked Samson off and got back in his truck. He told me I better learn t
o keep my mouth shut. He said if we had to talk again, he’d shut me up for good. Then he just left.”
Emma finished with Samson and came back for another look at Curtis. “It’s about those damn drugs of course, or is there another mess you’ve gotten yourself into that I don’t know about.”
Curtis turned. “I said I was sorry. What else do you want me to do?”
“I want you to stop acting like this is no big deal. This isn’t a game.”
Curtis pushed back his chair. “Forget this. Just leave me alone. I can take care of myself.” Curtis stormed out of the room and stomped up the stairs. A minute later they heard his door slam shut.
“You were a little hard on him, don’t you think?” Dane said, as she rinsed the towel in the sink.
Emma glared. She closed her eyes and sighed, releasing some of her frustration. “Yeah, maybe. He just scares me to death sometimes, and it pisses me off.”
Dane laughed. “Noted.”
Emma shook her head. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t even want to call the police about this. I’m afraid the guy will just come back if we do.”
“I think I’ve seen that truck outside the bar a couple of times, but I never get a look at who it is.”
Emma considered this. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same one that was outside the justice center when Curtis was released from jail.”
“Someone is watching you guys pretty close. Whatever Curtis knows must be pretty big.”
Emma put her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. “What if Curtis doesn’t know he knows? It’s possible he doesn’t understand. He may not be able to tell us because he hasn’t put the pieces together.”
“He knows where he got the drugs.”
Emma nodded. “But what if there was more going on and Curtis didn’t realize it?”
“It’s possible. That doesn’t help us much, though.”
“I know. Trevor has to be behind this. He was in the bar earlier handing out his usual warning. He said Curtis had one week to get him what he’s owed, but he wouldn’t say what.”
“So it definitely wasn’t Trevor who did this.”
Emma shook her head. “Not personally, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t send the messenger.”
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