Dirty Truths

by Renee Miller

  The telephone rang.

  Amy jerked, the cherry of her cigarette grazing the hand holding the glass.

  “Fuck!” She jumped back as the heavy cut glass shattered on the floor, liquid splattering her jeans. Giving wide berth to the glass shards, she hurried to catch the phone after its third ring. “Hello?”

  “She has the box,” the voice sounded ragged, as if its owner had been running.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I am. She’s just told me.”

  “You’ve seen it?” Amy opened a small drawer on the telephone stand and rummaged for cigarettes and a lighter.

  “No, but she says Wade left it in her basement.”

  Amy watched a catlike smile on the face reflected on the pane of glass. “Thanks. I owe you, Michelle.”

  Silence.

  “Yes?”

  “What about our deal?”

  “Ah, that—you’re right, consider your debt settled.” Amy ended the call. Instead of replacing the receiver in its cradle, she took a deep drag of her cigarette, flicked ash on the rug and punched a local number.

  ***

  Sleep proved elusive for Kristina. She spent the night dozing at intervals—but waking with a start as dreams tormented her—and gave up when the sun brightened the living room, teasing her eyelids until the headache that threatened most of the night finally exploded.

  She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes and then stretching. Good thing she’d agreed to let her parents take Cadence, the thought of having to do all the things her daughter would demand made her cringe. Besides, she didn’t want her daughter around the mess she’d created. She stumbled to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Welcoming the dim light of the small room, her headache subsiding just a little, she padded to the counter and pulled the coffee maker from the wall. As she turned to the sink, something caught her eye. She paused, leaning toward the door she squinted at it. Mud?

  Kristina set the coffee pot on the counter and walked across the kitchen for a closer look. Definitely mud, but just a clump of it, no tracks across the room, and dark like the dirt in her backyard. She frowned and checked the door. It swung open. Hadn’t she locked it?

  Her gaze went around the room, settling on the blue recycling container next to the door. She laughed at herself. Of course, before Daniel’s visit, she’d brought the box in from the curb yesterday. Heat crept up her neck and into her cheeks as she thought of him. Shaking her head, she forced the dark memories away. There would be time to deal with them later.

  The mud must have fallen from the container when she brought it in. She hadn’t noticed and then she forgot to lock the stupid door. Smiling, Kristina turned back to the sink to finish making the coffee.

  Either relax a little or suffer a nervous breakdown.

  She also had to mop her floors again.

  Puttering around the kitchen, making coffee and wiping off the counter and stove, Kristina hummed to herself. She’d stop this doubting; stop being afraid and move on. If Wade wanted her, he’d come back.

  Shuffling to the sink to rinse the dishcloth, Kristina realized the past hours had triggered an epiphany. Her doubts and fears happened because she didn’t believe in herself. It had nothing to do with Daniel or with Wade and whether he’d told her the truth or not, but her ability to let someone love her.

  Amy could rant and rave all she wanted; Kristina wouldn’t give her anything else. She had enough worries without adding someone who was simply bitter and angry to add to them. Wade would come and get the box when he could. Amy couldn’t touch them

  The satisfying aroma of coffee brewing filled the room. She turned to the cupboard, and reached for a cup when the phone rang. Closing her eyes, she set the mug next to the coffee pot, and ran to answer the phone.

  The brightness of the living room—after spending so much time in the dull kitchen—startled her. She blinked. The ache in her head returned. Brilliant morning sunshine blazed through the window next to the couch. She made a note to get some blinds.

  She picked up the phone. Wade’s voice barked in her ear before he had the chance to say hello. “Go and make sure the decorations I gave you are where you left them.”

  “What?”

  “The decorations. Make sure they’re still there.”

  “Okay, just a minute.” Kristina set the phone on the stand and turned to the basement door.

  The latch was still in place and she wondered why he suddenly thought it might not be there. If he cared so much, maybe he should come and get it. She opened the door, reached to switch on the light and her gaze fastened to a clump of dark mud on the second stair from the top.

  “No,” she whimpered and hurried down the stairs. It wasn’t possible. I barely slept last night. Surely she would have heard if someone came in, especially if they’d gone down here.

  The stairs creaked and groaned. The box should be…right on top. Shit. Stepping slowly, afraid of what she would discover, but not wanting to prove it, she walked down the stairs. He would hate her. He would hate her and then his friends would kill her.

  Kristina reached the bottom and glanced to where she’d left the box. It wasn’t there. Hoping she’d remembered wrong, that she’d buried it, she moved boxes and bags tossing them across the dirt floor uncaring of where they landed or what was inside.

  Her heart pounded against her chest and an ache ate away at her stomach. She turned, her eyes searching the cramped space, praying she overlooked it somehow. Her breath came in short gasps, suddenly she couldn’t get enough air and sweat trickled down her back despite the damp chill of the room.

  Stilling her raging mind, she tried to think the situation through. She’d blurted about the box to Amy but didn’t give up its location. No, the idea was ridiculous. She wouldn’t have known where to look anyway. The dirt on the stairs could have come from her own feet she may not have noticed it before because she tended to clean in a haze. Who else could have taken it?

  Daniel hadn’t come down to the basement, not since he’d lived with her, and she would have heard someone come into the house last night. So where the hell did it go?

  A light went on in Kristina’s head. She forgot the trip to Toronto, when she took Cadence to Wonderland. She’d been gone overnight. Did she look down here after she returned? No, she didn’t. She’d come home and everything had gone ballistic on her. Daniel went nuts, the man…the man.

  Would he have come back? She’d been certain he and Wade were friends or at least ‘associates’ after he left. He wouldn’t take it without telling Wade. Would he? A thought hit Kristina suddenly, one that angered and relieved her at once. What if it was all a setup? Did Wade come and get it or send the stranger here to pick it up? He must have. He was testing her.

  Furious at him for stressing her out, but relieved to have figured out where the box was, Kristina ran upstairs and picked up the phone.

  “When did you come get it?”

  “I didn’t. Are you telling me it’s not there?” Wade growled and the menace in his tone irritated her.

  “Wade, this isn’t funny.”

  “Christ, I did not pick it up. I’m not joking. I told you to lock the damn doors. What is it with women? Do you have an allergy to fucking deadbolts?”

  Kristina’s throat burned, her eyes moistened with tears. He had to have picked it up. It was the only thing that made sense, the only thing that didn’t imply she was a fool. The room spun, the walls bending and shifting toward her, and Kristina stared at the basement door, still ajar and the light blaring at her. She didn’t want to admit she forgot to lock the back door. He’d be furious, although he was pretty pissed already.

  “I…uh, shit.” Kristina paused struggling to find a way to tell him about the door without sounding like an idiot. Wade said nothing, but she heard his breathing, heavy and angry. “I forgot to lock the door yesterday, and usually I’m so careful, but Daniel came over and he was angry and then I didn’t know what to do, so I called you, but you
didn’t answer and I panicked.”

  “What happened?” Wade’s voice sounded calm, but she knew better.

  “I panicked. I’m so sorry, Wade.”

  “What happened when Daniel came over?”

  “N-nothing, he just got mad and—”

  “Damn it Kristina! Stop covering for him. Did he fucking rape you again? I suppose you didn’t call the cops either. Jesus Christ, I go away for a couple of days and everything falls apart.”

  “He didn’t—I’m sorry,” she murmured, not knowing what else to say. Guilt pressed hard against her heart. If she’d just trusted him, Daniel would have been gone long ago.

  “Don’t apologize for that prick. I’ll take care of him. What about after I didn’t answer? Did you call the cops at all?”

  “I—I called my friend.”

  “Which friend,” ice crept into Wade’s voice.

  “Michelle.”

  “And?”

  “I needed to talk to someone, you didn’t answer and—”

  “Did you tell her about the box?”

  A blinding light exploded in Kristina’s mind and she had to lean against the wall to stop crumpling down. “Well, yes but—”

  “Shit. Shit. Shit.” The line sounded muffled.

  Kristina held her breath as the silence lengthened.

  “Go and check again. Maybe you panicked and overlooked it.”

  “No, it’s not there. I’m sorry. I haven’t even gone down there since I put it there.”

  “Okay, we need to think about this logically. It’s not your fault, honey. I’m sorry I got mad. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. It was unfair.”

  “No, I should have trusted you,” Kristina murmured. Wade was silent for a moment and she wondered if he heard her.

  “The decorations are clean, do you understand? No one knows who they belonged to and they won’t be able to find out. Of course if you’re careful, you can deny ever having them. Unless you looked, and then it’s likely your prints are all over the bags. No, don’t deny you had them. Maybe you could say Amy brought it over or something and it said decorations so you opened it and... Shit, I don’t know. If this is Amy’s work, you can claim she’s lying and shift the blame to her but you have to make sure you don’t trip up. If it’s your word against hers, they have to prove otherwise.”

  “Why Amy?” She clung to her last shred of hope, praying the name screaming in her head was only a figment of her imagination. It couldn’t be. “She didn’t know where to look.”

  “Didn’t she? Don’t be so fucking naïve. You told Michelle. They’ve been friends, more than friends now that I think of it, for years.”

  Kristina cringed at his words. Michelle… She really was naïve. Until now it hadn’t seemed like such a terrible thing.

  “You don’t have to talk to anyone, got it? Just lay low while I figure out how to fix this.”

  “Okay.” Kristina gripped the phone and closed her eyes. This had spiraled out of control and fast. She’d betrayed Wade, one tiny little doubt could send them both to jail and it was all her fault. And Michelle had betrayed her. Why? Tears burned her eyes and she sniffed.

  “I love you. You know I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, right?”

  Her hands trembled and she nodded. “Yes, I know.”

  Wade sighed and she felt his frustration in every muscle of her body. He still loved her despite this huge fuck up. Guilt gnawed at her belly for ever thinking he didn’t care.

  Wade cursed again.

  She flinched.

  “This is Amy’s doing. She must have bribed Michelle to do it. Stupid bitch. Look, don’t worry. Who am I kidding? You’re freaking out. Just let me handle it. Everything will work out in the end. Okay? I’ll be in touch. I love you.” The line went dead.

  Kristina stood, the phone to her ear and Wade’s words running through her head. I love you.

  It was time she earned his love.

  ***

  “Bitch.” Wade cursed, running a trembling hand through his hair. He paced the small office and considered his options.

  Sheila was due to open the bar any minute and he wanted to be out of there as soon as he handed her the keys. The Brothers had told him to lay low, to disappear until they’d solved their little problem. That had been his intention—after he picked up the box. Now what? He couldn’t disappear but how did he tell them? They had no clue how far out of control this thing had gotten. If Thomas knew how badly he’d fucked things up, he’d be in a landfill before next sunup.

  Amy had stepped up her game; it had to be her. No doubt she had something big planned. Somehow she’d fooled Kristina and he’d bet money she had the box, but he couldn’t be sure what she’d do with it. Going to the police meant exposing her role in the Brotherhood over the years. Would she risk it?

  “Of course she would,” he muttered.

  He’d tried to protect Kristina but hadn’t thought about how much pressure he put on her by asking her to keep the damn box. She worried about everything and with that asshole Riley in her life, she second guessed every thought she had. He should have realized it. Then to top it off, he told her not to look. He was a fool and deserved the bullet he was sure would be in his brain very soon.

  Wade cursed. She would have been fine and she definitely wouldn’t have freaked out if Daniel hadn’t been around. He should have known the jackass would throw a goddamn wrench into things. It infuriated him Daniel could still hurt Kristina. What good was he to her when someone like Daniel could walk in and rape her any time he wanted? He should have taken care of him at the Peek-a-Boo Club, no matter what Kristina’s feelings were. Then he found those bruises all over her body. When he’d realized that as he had driven by the house that day and kept going because of the black Dodge in the driveway, Daniel had been inside brutalizing her, he went berserk. He should have gotten rid of him. She’d never have known if the bastard were dead or had just disappeared. He’d been too wrapped up in his own problems.

  Stupid decisions. The only thing he cared about at the time was winning Kristina over. Worried she’d hate him for what he’d done for the Brothers, he tried to do things differently than he always had. Well, now she knew what he was and she still loved him. All this time he’d cursed her for her inability to trust. What have I done?

  Wade turned, his gaze on the phone. He could call Thomas and tell him what happened and how Amy had fucked him over royally. Thomas might see things rationally and help him out of this pile of shit he’d buried himself under. The box was partly Thomas’s responsibility. If he’d taken the damn thing like he said he would—fuck, they were in deep. But the particulars of who should have done what wouldn’t matter to Thomas. He cared about results. And the result here was Wade had fucked up. Now he had to own up to it and hope their friendship meant more than ‘business’. Friends or not, Thomas would only consider keeping Wade alive if he had a solution to the problem. And Wade didn’t have any.

  Kristina told him she hadn’t looked in the box, but the poor girl couldn’t lie if her life depended on it and it might. Her prints would be all over the stuff. Wade had cleaned everything else. The knife, the bags, the guns, all of them had nothing on them except Kristina’s prints. If she stuck to the story he’d suggested, there might be a chance, but Amy could fuck it all up.

  Amy had to go. That much he knew. He’d battled Thomas on this for a long time, each of them teetering on either side of the decision at different times. Amy was the only one who could link Kristina to the box, and she would sink Kristina to get at him. No matter what happened, he wouldn’t let Kristina suffer anymore.

  Wade grabbed the phone and turned it over in his hands. He pictured Kristina, her eyes heavy with sleep their last morning together as she smiled. A rush of emotion he’d never imagined he’d be capable of feeling rushed over him.

  He punched the numbers into the phone.

  Hearing Thomas’s voice, a voice that could sound velvety smooth one moment and cold as ice the nex
t, he took a deep breath and considered his words.

  “It’s me.”

  Thomas was silent.

  Wade continued. “We have a problem.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “Let’s get rid of it.”

  “Are we talking about the same problem?” Thomas’s voice dropped to a whisper.

  Wade faltered, unsure if he should do it. What if it made things worse? Would Kristina hate him if she knew? She’d figure it out. He closed his eyes, nodding to himself. He’d killed for money and revenge, why not love? “Yeah, I need a divorce.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Grunting, uttering a muffled curse, Kristina reached into the closet and pushed the clothes aside. She’d cleared out everything earlier that morning and spent three solid hours tossing old clothes, separating what she planned to keep. Idleness gave her time to think, to focus on negative things she had no control over. She could have gone back to work but Wade advised against it and she didn’t want her decisions to hurt him again; he’d suffered enough because of her mistakes.

  The pile of clothes Kristina would donate to the local thrift store seemed mountainous. She eyed it warily. I need some bags. There was no way she could carry the pile in her arms. Sighing, she left her room and wished she’d thought of that when she started. But then, she hadn’t planned to do quite so much, only to straighten out the mess of clothes she’d jammed on the shelves and in the corners.

  As she stepped off the bottom step, the phone rang. Her mother said they’d call when they were on the road home, but she didn’t expect them to leave today. Her dad hadn’t even dragged the boat in or packed the trailer when they called yesterday. She hoped it wasn’t her parents, and they were already on the road bringing Cadence home. After the past week’s events, she yearned for her old boring, empty life. It was easier to deal with than with the roller coaster of emotion that came along with Wade.

  Kristina answered, and phone in hand continued to the kitchen to search for some garbage bags.