Chasing Justice

by Danielle Stewart

  As Piper parked her car she saw Betty’s rusted blue sedan and a shiny, red antique pick-up truck parked ahead of her. She reached into the back to get her purse and the plain blue empty plate she had brought. And finally it hit her. The article she read didn’t mean to bring your hostess an empty plate; it meant a dish, like peas or salad! “What an idiot,” she thought to herself, feeling grateful that she hadn’t brought the stupid plate in with her. She rummaged through her glove box to see if she had something that would qualify as a gift for her hostess. Nothing. Well, rule number one had been broken.

  Piper walked toward the house and heard the swinging of a screen door as Betty stepped out onto the porch to greet her. Betty’s smile wasn’t a cosmetically pretty one, but the way it spread across her whole face made it striking.

  “I’m so glad you found the house. We’re so excited to have you, and I hope you’re hungry. I know you’re not from down South, so I made you some good ol’ fashioned country food for you to try out.” Betty hardly took a breath as she spoke, and Piper only had time to nod and follow her obediently into the house.

  “I’ve got some more work to do in the kitchen so you go on into the sitting room, it’s two doors down that hall. I’ll get the rest of the meal all finished up.” She pulled her apron back up over her head and around her neck. Before Piper could ask if there was anything she could help with, Betty was gone.

  Piper intended to make some polite conversation with Julie and Scott and do her best to not sound like a fool until Betty came back. As she entered the sitting room she was surprised to see Bobby lounging comfortably on the couch reading a car magazine.

  “What are you doing here?” Piper asked without the slightest attempt to cover her disappointment at his presence.

  Bobby did a slightly better job at hiding his surprise. He had years of experience at dealing with Betty’s meddling ways. He kept his face unaffected as she spoke. “I come here every Wednesday night for dinner, but I would have made the exception and skipped tonight had I known I’d be in mixed company.” He barely spared her a glance over the top of his magazine before nonchalantly returning to his reading.

  At the sight of this man lounging confidently and flinging insults her way, Piper felt her fight or flight mechanism kick in. Running out of the room seemed slightly ruder than engaging him in some hostile banter, so fight would have to do right now. “Do you have some sort of mental disorder or something? Because it seems like you do a lot of the same things at the same time in the same place every week. You might want to have that checked out. I’m going to give Betty a hand in the kitchen.” Piper turned to leave as Bobby stood up. She was still taken aback by his height and the width of his shoulders, but more so by the way he carried his size. He was so much larger than her but not the least bit intimidating.

  “No, don’t go into the kitchen. Then Betty will think I was rude to you, and I’ll catch hell for it. Sit down and I promise not to bother you.” He caught her elbow gently and she felt a shock go through her body. Its intensity was unfamiliar and scary. She didn’t think she liked the way Bobby’s touch rocked her. He pointed to the wingback chair across from the couch.

  Piper looked closely at the chair, peeking on either side of it and behind it.

  “What are you looking for?” Bobby asked, thinking this girl might be crazy.

  “I’m trying to make sure your name isn’t on this chair anywhere. I’d hate to take a seat that belongs to you again. I’ve learned my lesson.” Piper kept her face intentionally serious even though she felt like a wry smirk would fit the moment better. Bobby rolled his eyes and flopped back to his seat heavily. He pulled the magazine up in front of his face and she felt slightly victorious as she caught a glimpse of the corners of his mouth rising in a reluctant smile.

  The screen door squeaked open and slammed shut as someone else entered the house. A younger version of Betty stood in the doorway of the sitting room. She had all of Betty’s features: the small pointed nose, almond shaped eyes, and feminine jaw line. But they were all in a form that had not been weathered by half a lifetime of worry. Her hair, however, was crimson red—not at all like Betty’s dark caramel tresses that were now streaked with gray. Everything about this girl seemed perfectly proportioned and delicate. Her nails were artfully polished, her hair bright and voluminous. Her lips were a soft pink and freshly glossed contrasting her pale complexion which was dotted with endearing little freckles. It would have been easy to tell which attributes came from her mother and which from her father, even without ever meeting him.

  “Hi, you must be Piper. I’m Jules.” She reached her hand out and Piper shook it firmly. Piper meant to say that it was nice to meet her as well, that she was grateful to Betty for having her over for dinner and helping her to get a job. Instead all that came out was a timid “hello” and then it was too late, the conversation moved on without her. Piper hated how the events in her life over the past few years had changed her so greatly and how weak she must look to people. She missed being labeled as a firecracker and partaking in clever banter. She felt constantly confined by her new identity and her responsibility to maintain its credibility.

  “So you don’t even say hello anymore, Bobby? Have you been as rude to poor Piper here as you’ve been to the rest of us lately?” Jules’s hand rested on her hip, and she stood on tippy-toes to catch Bobby’s eye over the top of his magazine.

  “Hello Jules. Where’s Scott, or have you wised up and left him?” He raised his magazine higher as a shield from her frosty stare.

  “You’re such an ass. Actually he’s stuck on a job. He’ll be here when he’s finished.” She crossed the small room and sat beside him on the couch. She was just about to turn the conversation back to Piper when Bobby spoke.

  “Some big cable company emergency? Boy they sure are lucky to have a dedicated guy like Scott there when HBO is on the fritz. I’m sure he’s up for a medal or something by now.” He threw his magazine to the coffee table and readied himself for Jules to fire back. Piper was having a hard time telling if they were both enjoying themselves or genuinely couldn’t stand each other. Regardless, she was slightly envious of the chemistry between them. This was the dynamic she had missed since moving here.

  “You know what Bobby? His job is important, and he’s good at it. What’s the point of having some big job like yours if you’re just going to screw it up in the first place?” Piper cringed with the direct hit that Bobby had just taken to his ego.

  “Whatever, I’m going in the kitchen to see if Betty needs any more help with dinner. The sooner it’s ready the sooner I can get out of here.” He went to stand and Jules grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back to the couch.

  “No way, if you go in there she’ll know I am giving you a hard time and she’ll give me hell for it,” Jules stammered.

  With that, Bobby’s eyes met Piper’s and they both did their best to stifle a laugh.

  “Supper’s ready,” Betty called from the kitchen. It was still strange to Piper to hear the last meal of the day referred to as supper, rather than dinner. There were certainly things down South she felt she’d never get accustomed to.

  Piper felt her palms begin to sweat as she ran through the rules of etiquette once more in her mind. She waited for everyone to take what she assumed were customary seats. Betty pointed to the open chair by Bobby, and Piper cringed inside at the thought of having to apply rule number five regarding polite conversation to him. She was still beating herself up about blowing it on rule number one, but was relieved to see a paper towel in place of a napkin sitting across her plate. She still laid it over her lap, but at least it wasn’t a beautifully folded cloth napkin to contend with. She also noticed that there was no endless line of different shaped cutlery at either side of her plate, just a fork and knife.

  “So Piper, this meal is about as country as it gets, and I won’t be offended it you don’t like it. I know we all tend to like what we grew up on. You eat what you like; no feelings
will be hurt here. What was your favorite dish growing up, dear?” Betty asked as she served herself a heaping spoon of mashed potatoes and passed the bowl over to Bobby. Piper noticed no one at the table seemed to have read the same article she had regarding etiquette.

  “Um… we ate a lot of takeout when I was growing up. Pizza, fast food, not a lot of home cooking, but this all looks amazing, I’m sure I’ll love it. Are these your own recipes or something from a cookbook?” Piper had become incredibly astute at redirecting a conversation away from her. She had found people generally enjoyed talking about themselves more than listening anyway.

  Betty proceeded to go into elaborate detail about how the fried chicken recipe had been handed down through many generations of her family. She talked at length of how it was her mother who had started adding sour cream to the mashed potatoes, her great-grandmother who had first fried the okra, and how the biscuits were a family secret.

  Piper, who had no appreciation for cooking, or food for that matter, was astonished by the pride Betty associated with the simple act of mixing up some ingredients. It was another reminder there was no shortage of things that separated Piper from the rest of the world.

  The screen door swung open and slammed shut again, and in walked a stocky bald man wearing the navy button-down shirt of the cable company. This must be Scott, thought Piper. He was as dull looking as Betty had implied. Piper thought she recalled Jules mentioning that Scott was twenty-eight, but he could easily pass for forty. His eyes were slightly vacant and droopy like those of a basset hound. His round face was flush and sweaty from working outdoors. Piper thought if you put a hard hat and tool belt on this guy he could be the poster child for blue-collar work in the South.

  “Hi Scott,” Jules squeaked. “This is Piper; remember Mom was telling you about her? She’s interested in a job at ComCable with you. Remember?” It was as if Jules was willing him to not say something dumb or to admit that he didn’t remember who the hell Piper was or why she was there.

  “Oh, yeah we’ll get you a job.” He smiled, flashing the small gap between his front teeth. “I mean, a hot chick like you they’ll hire in a minute. I was afraid you were going to be some cow with a unibrow, and I’d have to find some nice way to tell you no dice on the job. But any of the guys would be all right with you on the crew.” Scott clearly couldn’t see the icy stare of his wife or the enormous, gloating grin plastered across Bobby’s face. Scott just continued to check out Piper’s goods and assess her qualifications for the job.

  Piper coughed as the water she was drinking lodged slightly in her throat. There was really nothing left to the imagination when it came to why Bobby had been so snarky about the love of his young life marrying a dumbass. No wonder Betty was disappointed in her daughter’s choice for a husband, especially when there was a man like Bobby in the running. Scott was exactly as Piper had imagined him, maybe slightly worse, but he was going to get her a job and access to what she needed. That was really all that should matter to her. For some reason however, a small part of her ached for everyone in that room, excluding Scott.

  “Thanks Scott. For the job and the self-esteem boost. I was feeling a little bovine-esque lately.” Piper knew she was speaking to only one person in the room. That was Bobby. She knew her comment would fly over Scott’s head, sting Jules and maybe even Betty, but Bobby would appreciate it, and she found herself wanting to put a point in his column for some reason. It worked, because as she glanced over at Bobby she saw him smiling. Her remark may have been funny, but her timing was terrible, as he too coughed back a sip of his drink.

  Bobby shot Piper a grateful look and she felt herself blush slightly.

  “Oh good,” Scott said obliviously. “Can we get to eating now? I’m so hungry my belly thinks my throat's been cut.” He reached his large arm across Jules’s plate and began to serve himself.

  Getting the dinner back on track quickly became Betty's number one objective. They all ate sheepishly. They knew any amount of fooling around would result in some form of scolding from Betty.

  The remainder of the meal was uneventful but delicious. They kept the conversation limited to the unusually warm weather they were having. Normally by September in North Carolina you could count on a break in the humidity and the evenings would be cool enough for a sweater at times. Each of them took turns commenting on how the extended heat had them all anxious for winter. It seemed to be the only common ground they could find.

  Piper had barely left room for dessert but decided it would be rude not to partake in Betty’s peach cobbler. She looked around the table, and, although the tension was still palpable, she found herself envious that all these people would be back here next week. The bickering and jabbing that might have seemed annoying to all of them was charming to Piper. No one here was throwing things; no one was threatening anyone’s life or slamming a door. They were simply disagreeing without being overly disagreeable. It was such a stark contrast to all Piper had ever known, and she wished it didn’t have to end after just one night.

  Jules rose abruptly from the table after Scott had taken the final bite of his second helping of cobbler.

  “Ma, I'll help you clear the table, but I've got a big day at work tomorrow and we’d better get going.” Jules physically lifted Scott upward by hooking him under his arm. He clearly had not gotten the message that she was anxious to go. As far as Piper could tell, he was completely oblivious to any tension circling the table. As a matter of fact, it seemed like there was no shortage of things to which he was oblivious.

  “Don't you touch a dish. I know there's a lot going on in your office. It seems like every time I drive by, there is a line practically out the door. That’s what happens in a growing town like ours. I guess everyone needs something from town hall. Permits, licenses, records. In a small place like Edenville they expect you guys to do it all.”

  Betty turned toward Piper and said with pride lighting her face, “My Julie is in charge of the whole town hall. Well pretty much.” Piper loved how Betty seemed to be the only one who called her daughter by her full name. She wondered when it had morphed into Jules for everyone else and why Betty had decided that just wouldn’t do for her.

  “Not quite, Ma. It’s too bad you quit school Piper. If you ever go back we’d be seeing a lot of each other. All the courthouse documents are housed in my archives. The lawyers, detectives, and such are always pawing through and leaving it a mess.” Jules was still trying to shuffle Scott away from the table as she spoke. “It was really nice to meet you Piper, I’m glad Ma had you over and that Scott will be able to help you get a job.” She leaned in and whispered to Piper. “He means well, you just have to get to know him better.” She smiled through the embarrassment of having to plead her case for compassion for her husband. She pulled Piper in for a hug and continued their private conversation. “And keep your eye on Bobby for me. He’s on a slippery slope. He could use a friend right now.”

  “We’re not really friends. He’s been kind of rude actually. All we’ve done is argue with each other,” Piper whispered, with a confused look on her face as they broke their embrace.

  “Well that’s how most epic love stories begin,” Jules insisted, as she turned away from Piper and toward her husband who had his fork back in the serving dish of peach cobbler. “Are you kidding? Let’s go already Scott.” She yanked on his arm and he finally moved in the direction of the door.

  “Come down to the office tomorrow, Pepper. I’ll have everything set up for you,” Scott mumbled, his mouth full of cobbler.

  “It’s Piper, Scott. I swear you have the memory of a gold fish.” Jules physically shoved him the rest of the way through the door and toward the porch. “Bye Ma,” she called out behind her.

  Betty walked out behind them and waved from the porch until they were out of sight. Bobby and Piper had begun clearing the table, and she quickly hustled back into the dining room to stop them.

  “You put those dishes down and get on out of here.
Go sit out on the porch, and I’ll bring out some tea. Dishes keep, good company doesn’t.” She shooed them out the screen door, and they found themselves standing there awkwardly, not sure exactly what had just happened or how they ended up alone again, something neither of them wanted.

  “I should actually get going,” Piper said just louder than a whisper. “It’s getting dark and I don’t know these roads very well. It’s taking me a while to get accustomed to things down South, especially no street lights on these country roads.” She fished in her pocket for her car key and looked through the screen door, hoping to see Betty on her way back out.

  “I know, moving down South takes a little while to get used to. I was young when we moved here from New Jersey, but it took me years to get accustomed to things like chicken fried steak and grits. Listen, you might as well have a seat. Dark or not, Betty won’t let you go without a little time on the porch, it’s what we do on Wednesday nights. She’s been letting Jules off the hook, but I think that’s only so she doesn’t have to listen to Scott snoring after he falls asleep on the swing. If you want I’ll follow you home, make sure you get there safely.” Bobby flopped down on the squeaky swing whose chains groaned under his weight.

  Piper forced herself to brush past his offer. She pushed out of her mind the thoughts of him getting her home safely, and the even more dangerous thought of him getting her to her bed safely. She did not like how she felt in Bobby’s presence, how caught up in him she was getting. He was taking up far too much space in her head. Instead she went right for the other interesting part of his statement. “You’re from New Jersey?” Piper asked, intrigued enough to sit down next to him without thinking of how boorish he had been toward her.