Dead End Road

by Lori Whitwam

  Molly’s lips lifted in an approving smile. “Right answer. Look, I admit I was a little worried, but look at you. Your whole world has changed in the last few days, and I’ve never seen you this happy.”

  Abby thought. “I don’t think I ever have been. I don’t even think I knew I could be. Which is insane, considering all the chaos coming with the package.”

  “See? If there’s hope for you, there’s hope for me.” She clinked her bottle against Abby’s in an informal toast.

  They entered the living room as Seth stood, stretching. “I’m going to go check for that e-mail now,” he said.

  “Just a second,” Abby said, holding up a hand. “I told you I had to know something, and now is when I find out.” She turned to Joey. “What’s Seth’s middle name?”

  Joey’s gaze flew to Seth, who had his hand over his face. “You wouldn’t tell her? Why the hell…?” Marshall leaned over to whisper in Joey’s ear, and his eyes widened. “Ooh, now I see. Well, she’s going to find out sooner or later.” He looked back at Abby, his eyes twinkling. “Seth’s full name is Seth David Caldwell.”

  Abby sank to the couch and groaned. “Crap. I think I’d have preferred Euripides.”

  Seth uncovered his eyes. Abby could see he was trying not to smile. “I would’ve too. And I’m changing it. Tomorrow.”

  “Courthouse opens at nine.” She burst into laughter. What else could she do?

  Shaking his head, and with a teasing “I told you so” tossed over his shoulder, Seth went up to the loft.

  While he was upstairs, Abby heard the side door open. Her mother came around the corner by the kitchen carrying a huge covered bowl. Abby estimated there was enough pasta salad there to feed at least two dozen people. She took the bowl and put it on the kitchen counter. “Thanks for making this, Mom. But I think you’re going to end up taking most of it home.”

  “Don’t be silly. You and Seth will eat it.”

  “Not before it grows legs and crawls into the lake.”

  “I’m sure it won’t come to that.” Her mother began pulling food from the refrigerator and assembling it on the stovetop and counter. She informed Abby she’d run into her contractor in town earlier, and he had an emergency and wouldn’t be out until tomorrow. She shot Abby a sidelong glance. “I did have a long talk with Rebecca yesterday.”

  “Rebecca?”

  “Seth’s mother.”

  “Oh.” Did she really want to hear this?

  “She’s very nice. She’s worried sick, of course, but she has faith the police will take care of things.” She rummaged in a drawer for serving utensils. “She said she’s always hoped Seth would find the right person, but she never pushed. She gave him his space and didn’t interfere, because he never made any promises he wasn’t ready to stand behind.” A package of paper napkins was pulled from a cabinet above the stove. “His life might have looked reckless and irresponsible to people who didn’t know him, but he always held up his own kind of honor, and she supported it.”

  “She sounds like someone I’d like to meet.”

  “She’s already planning it. Seth can expect a call.”

  Now the mothers had joined forces, Abby knew it was out of their hands. They only had to show up as instructed. “Let me introduce you to Marshall and Joey. And keep an eye on Molly. She and Marsh are already picturing each other naked.”

  Her mother’s warm smile led them into the living room. Abby introduced Seth’s friends, who responded with lots of Texas-boy manners, full of ma’ams and Mrs. Delaneys until Marilyn set them straight, just as she had with Seth. Abby noticed she sat on the couch in a position allowing her to keep Marsh and Molly in her sights, and to run an intercept pattern if necessary.

  Seth came back downstairs with a sheet of paper in his hand. “Marilyn, I’m glad you’re here. You need to hear this too.”

  He handed the page to Abby. She looked at the image of a big man with yellow hair and tan-in-a-can, then at Seth. “Who’s this?”

  “Drew Purcell.” He sat beside her. “I ran into your favorite fan in town this morning.”

  Abby sat back. Huh. “Pam?”

  “Yeah. Her last name’s Gresak, by the way. Kincaid mentioned it when I called him.”

  “She did sneak back here instead of going home.” She felt a growl threatening to form in her throat.

  “Yep. She wanted to ‘help.’” Seth took the printed photo and passed it to Marilyn. “But it turned out it was a good thing Pam was around, because she said she’d noticed someone in town who wasn’t supposed to be here. She recognized him from a picture she saw online. And she said Drew is Stacy’s brother.”

  Abby had to run the last part through her head a few times before it sank in. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” She shot an apologetic look at her mother to neutralize the coming reprimand for her language.

  “I knew she had a brother, but they hadn’t been in touch for years, since not long after their parents died. But that’s all I knew about him.” Seth turned his attention to Marilyn. “You know everybody, and we need to know if anybody’s seen this guy around town. Pam saw him early yesterday and again last night, and there’s a damned good chance he’s still here.”

  “Print me a copy. If he’s here, I’ll find out where.” Abby’s mother spoke with the firm conviction of a military general facing certain victory. Drew Purcell was toast. He just didn’t know it yet.

  Seth explained the theory he and the guys had formulated. Drew was interested in music, and Stacy, his estranged sister, was interested in musicians. While she was with Seth, her brother had kept an eye on things, and became fixated on the band in general and Seth in particular. After the failed lawsuit and Stacy’s death, his animosity had grown into something much more dangerous. It made sense.

  “This is good,” Abby said. “I mean, we know who it is now. With the whole town and every cop in the county looking for him, they’ll catch him.”

  Seth sat next to her on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. She’d gotten so used to touching him, holding him, over the past few days this semipublic display of affection failed to make her the least bit self-conscious. “Yes, darlin’, it’s a good thing.” His gaze swept the room. “But it’s not over yet. Molly, get a good look at the guy, because anybody who’s close to us could be a target. You too, Marilyn.”

  Marshall sat up straight and looked at Molly as if he were planning to initiate his own version of bodyguard duty. Abby thought it might not be a half-bad idea. She looked at her mother, who gave a slight nod. So far, Marsh was passing muster, but the evaluation was ongoing.

  The more Abby thought about it, the greater her relief became. She knew the part tearing at Seth most was having to look at his own crew with suspicion. It was also disturbing to know someone wished you harm when you had absolutely no idea what you’d done to drive another person to such an extreme. Knowing that, he’d get through it. All they had to do was keep their heads down until Drew Purcell was caught.

  Seth went back up to the loft to print copies of the picture for her mother and Molly. Joey and Marshall started talking about one of the songs they’d been working on earlier, debating if it needed strong harmony vocals or if it would be better to feature only Seth’s voice.

  “C’mon, Mom,” Abby said, rising. “Let’s set the food out. I’ve seen these guys eat, and it’s best to be prepared.”

  Marilyn looked at Joey and Marshall. “Would you go out to my car? There’s a cooler with some hamburger patties and a propane tank for the grill.” They went off to retrieve the food and fuel, and Marilyn turned to Abby. “I’ll help you get things running, but then I have to go. My class starts in about forty-five minutes. I’m glad I had a chance to meet Seth’s friends, though.”

  Before long, Seth was back with the additional copies, and burgers were sizzling on the grill.

  When her mother was ready to leave, Abby walked with her to the car. “Be careful, Mom.”

  “Don’t worry about
me, sweetie,” she said, patting her daughter on the arm. “I’ll be in town all day, and if I feel like anything’s wrong tonight, I’ll go stay with Grace.”

  “Good.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.” Though she and her mother weren’t usually very demonstrative, she couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her in a hug.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  “You’re the only real family I have, so nothing had better,” Abby said, releasing her mother.

  “Nonsense. You have a wonderful family.”

  “Mom, you know Eileen and I have never been close.” What an understatement. Her sister was five years older, and they’d never had a single thing in common.

  Her mother shook her head and nudged Abby several steps in front of the car. She pointed at the people gathered on the deck. “Abigail, tell me what you see.”

  She felt her brows knit in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean. Seth trying to keep Dilbert from burning himself on the grill. Molly, Seth’s friends.”

  “No, look again. That, sweetie, is a family. Molly’s been a sister to you since you were ten, and those are Seth’s brothers.” She returned to her car, and Abby followed. “Now, nothing is going to happen to me, but you do have a family.”

  “Maybe,” Abby admitted, struggling to incorporate the notion. “But if I can’t bring myself to go with Seth, it probably doesn’t matter.” Suddenly, she understood if she failed to conquer her fear, she’d not only lose Seth, but the extended Dead End Road family as well. The prospect of that loss wasn’t as bad as losing a couple of semi-vital internal organs, but she thought it would be close.

  Marilyn took her daughter’s hand. “No one can see the future, but I’m as sure as I can be if you do decide to go you’ll never regret it, no matter how things turn out. And I’m absolutely positive if you don’t go, you’ll always wish you had.”

  Before Abby could formulate a reply, Marilyn was gone in a whirl of BeDazzled t-shirt and red Volkswagen. Abby went back to the deck and settled in with her…family. Wow. When was the last time she truly felt she had one of those? She blinked unexpected tears from her eyes as she watched them. Joey and Seth drank beer and discussed whether they needed to book additional hours in the studio. Dilbert leaned hopefully against Seth’s leg every time he rose to tend to the grill. Molly sat by Marshall, finding excuses to touch him as they spoke. Mom was right. Again. As far as families went, this was a great one.

  When the burgers were done, everyone milled about, drifting into the house to fill their plates. Fresh drinks were taken from the refrigerator, and they returned to the deck to eat. Seth put a Reckless Kelly CD in the player and left the door open so the music could be heard outside.

  After it became clear he wasn’t going to score any more handouts, Dilbert trotted off in the direction of his favorite trail.

  Abby felt warm contentment as she and Seth sat with Joey. Marshall and Molly strolled down the path toward the lake.

  Noticing an increasing number of flies buzzing around the discarded plates, Abby collected them along with some empty bottles, and took them to the kitchen. As she loaded the dishwasher, she heard the side door open. A moment later, a familiar face surrounded by brown curls peeked around the corner from the hallway.

  “Monique, hi!” Abby said, pleased her friend made it after all, if a little late. “Come on in.”

  “Oh, no, no, I can’t stay,” Monique said, her fingers fluttering. “I just need to talk to you for a minute. Can you come outside?”

  “Sure,” Abby replied, closing the dishwasher with a click. Something was off. This sort of covert behavior wasn’t typical for the normally forthright shop owner.

  She followed Monique to the back of the house, walking till they were near the road. Exactly how much privacy did they need? The back of her neck gave a warning tingle. She noticed her friend looked a bit disheveled. She had some scratches on her arms, and Abby was sure it was a twig she saw tangled in her hair. “Nature walk not go well?” she asked, preferring banter to whatever was on Monique’s mind.

  Monique gave a wry smile. “We cut it a bit short,” she said. “Cory saw a bunny, which ran into the bushes, and before you knew it, there was a swarm of preschoolers charging into the bushes in pursuit.” She looked down at the fresh scratches on her arms and frowned. “Some of them had thorns.”

  Despite Abby’s growing apprehension, she had to laugh at the mental image.

  “Abby, I only have a few minutes. I have to get back to the shop.” Her gaze darted around, betraying her discomfort. “I ran into your mom on the way to her class. She told me she thinks you’re going to go with Seth when he leaves.”

  Abby drew a blank regarding why that would require such a serious visit. Wouldn’t it be considered good news? “She did?” Abby dragged out the words, still trying to make sense of it.

  Monique looked at her, her lips in an uncharacteristic firm line. “Honey, you know I love you…”

  Oh, rackenfrazzle. No good conversation ever started this way. Abby waited for the other woman to get to the point.

  Monique chewed her bottom lip for a moment and blurted, “I think you’re making a mistake.”

  It took Abby some time to absorb Mo’s statement. She crossed her arms, knowing even as they settled at her waist it was a defensive posture. “A mistake?” she repeated. “First of all, no matter what Mom thinks, I have not made up my mind about anything. And second, I thought you—of all people—would be happy for me if I did. After all, you’re the one who pointed out life was passing me by, and I needed to stop hiding and start living.”

  Monique’s head snapped up, her chin at a slightly higher elevation than normal. “That is not what I meant, and you know it.”

  Abby’s lips pursed, and she inhaled deeply through her nose. “Well, excuse me, Mo, but I didn’t see that spelled out in your disclaimer.”

  “I also seem to recall telling you not to get carried away.”

  Abby snorted. “Maybe there should’ve been a glossary along with the disclaimer, then, because I have no idea what that means.” She couldn’t remember the last time she had an argument with Monique, but this was sure starting to feel like one.

  Monique ran a hand through her hair, encountered the twig, and plucked it out. “It means to put yourself out there, meet people, date, maybe bring a nice guy home occasionally. It means to come out from under your goddamned rock once in a while.”

  Abby opened her mouth to retaliate, but her friend was on a roll.

  “It does not include walking out my front door, practically straight into the arms of a perfect stranger, taking him home the same night, and rearranging your whole life in a few days so you can run off with him.”

  When Monique had to pause for breath, Abby jumped right in. “Wow, Mo, you sure have a lot of rules for living my own life. But let me remind you I have not made any such decision. And if I did, it would not qualify as ‘running off.’”

  “I’m not saying this to hurt you, you idiot. I’m saying it to save you from being hurt. You don’t know anything about him.” Her head was angled forward, neck extended, as if her hackles were raised. “You’ve known him for three days!”

  Well, they had been three pretty eventful days. Abby gave a noisy sigh. “I don’t know what to tell you, Mo. Sometimes it happens like that. It did for my parents.”

  “Maybe so,” Monique said, hackles lowering slightly. “But your mom didn’t change her whole life overnight and take off with him, going where she didn’t have anyone to watch out for her.”

  Abby did more than roll her eyes. She rolled her entire head. Apparently Monique was not going to believe she didn’t already have her bags packed in the back of her Jeep. “Who says I need anybody to watch out for me? In case you didn’t notice, I’m not an eighteen-year-old fresh off the farm. And furthermore…” She heard herself and mentally cringed. Who said furthermore? “And furthermore, knowing someone
for a long time is no guarantee, either. Hell, I knew David for two years before we were married, and look how that turned out. A fucking disaster, that’s how it turned out!” Now it was Abby’s turn to be on a roll. She paced in front of her friend, making pointed gestures with one arm. “Right out of college, I did what all the nice, sensible girls my age were doing. I met a guy who wasn’t bad to look at, knew how to lay on the charm, and had a good job. Everybody told me what a catch he was. Even you.”

  Monique’s face flushed, and she averted her eyes. “I guess he had a lot of people fooled.”

  “Yes!” Abby almost shouted, and forced herself to ratchet it down a notch. “A lot of people present the side they want you to see. I dated him for a proper amount of time, then we were married. It was only later I realized his charm was pretension, his jokes were always at someone else’s expense, and I only mattered to him because I fit the image he wanted to build.” She stepped around Monique, until her friend once again met her eyes. “He never supported or encouraged me, and he never respected me. I could vomit right now, thinking how hard I tried to get him to approve of one single fucking thing I did. Seth already has him beat by about seventy light-years.”

  “But, honey, look at everything happening! I think he’s bad for you, whether you go with him or not.” A pleading note crept into Monique’s voice, and she pointed at the plywood making up a large chunk of the wall of Abby’s house. “A bomb went off in your house, and someone is still after him. What if he’s killed? What if you’re killed?”

  “What if you’re hit by a logging truck on the way back to town?” Abby countered. “We know who it is now, and it’s not one of his friends. It’s a guy with a grudge, and everybody’s looking for him. He’s not going to have a chance to hurt us.”