tell him she's not here

by Rees, Melissa; Bishop, Oliver

  Emma met Casey’s eyes, and they both grinned. “I’ll call you when we get in,” she said.

  “I’ll be waiting.” Casey smiled.

  Emma smiled back and went to help her mother.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Bonnie struggled to sit up, yawned, and glanced over at Orley. The asshole had taken up the whole bed the night before. They had been holed up in the hotel for two weeks now. She had no idea how much she owed the old man. Luckily, he didn’t seem concerned.

  She scratched her head and yawned again, then pushed herself out of bed. Wandering over to the dresser, she picked up the bottle of whiskey and took a sip. Shaking the bottle, she sighed. Orley would have to go and steal some more.

  Bonnie stared at her reflection in the mirror over the dresser and frowned. She looked like crap. The roots in her hair were showing and the mascara she’d put on last night was all over her eyes. She looked like a damn raccoon. Staring at her naked body, she shook her head disgusted. Thin skin hanging off bones, she muttered. Taking another drink, she tried to remember when she had last eaten.

  She glanced over at the bed. Orley was on his back, his stomach protruding into his groin area. His thick brown hair stuck out in greasy directions and his mouth hung open. Drool was running down fat cheeks onto the dirty sheets that lay bunched around him.

  Not a pretty sight, Bonnie decided taking another drink.

  She held the bottle up to the light. Not nearly enough. She’d have to wake Orley soon.

  When Bonnie heard the loud knock on the door, she squeezed her eyes shut. Damn her head, it hurt like hell. Scrambling, she pulled on jeans and a shirt before opening the door to Jimmy Joe. “You don’t have to knock the door down, you know,” she said, keeping her eyes shut. “Orley’s still sleeping.”

  Jimmy Joe limped in, then glanced in the direction of the bed. Raising his eyebrows, he turned toward Bonnie, ignoring the naked snoring Orley. “We need money.”

  “Yea,” Bonnie said yawning. “So what do you have in mind?”

  “Maybe robbing someplace, a gas station, or something.”

  “So go rob,” Bonnie yawned again, walking toward the bathroom.

  Jimmy Joe grabbed arm and jerked her to him. “I’m not doing it by myself. You and Orley are gonna help me.”

  “I ain’t robbing no place,” Bonnie snapped, pulling her arm loose.

  Pissed, Jimmy Joe grabbed the bottle of whiskey. Pushing her out of his way, he strode into the bathroom and poured the last of the whiskey down the sink. “You’ll help if you and your boyfriend want any more booze.”

  “Damn you, Jimmy Joe, that was all we had.”

  He shrugged and walked in to the bedroom. “Are you going to help or not?”

  “All right,” Bonnie muttered. “We’ll help, but it’s your fucking fault we can’t go home.”

  “I didn’t tell you and Orley to kill some doctor. I wasn’t even awake when you all did that.”

  “God damn you Jimmy Joe, it was an accident. We told you that a hundred times. Besides it was your fault we were even there. Kidnapping some kid and locking her in granny’s trailer, that was crazy.”

  “Yea well, I’m crazier than I was, ‘cause I decided to get that bitch back. She’s going to pay for what she did to me and mama.”

  “That girl you kidnapped, you want her back? You’re out of your fucking mind,” Bonnie said, staring at her brother in disbelief.

  “Yea, I’m out of my mind. I’m also getting her back and you and Orley are gonna help me.”

  “Hey, I saved your ass from the law. I ain’t doing nothing else.”

  He grabbed her arm and twisted it until she cried out. “You’re helping me ‘cause it was your mama she killed too.”

  “She didn’t kill mama. Mama died of a heart attack caused by you.”

  “Caused by her,” he shouted, flinging her away from him. “I’m going to get that bitch and make her pay for what she did.”

  Bonnie rubbed her arm and glared at Jimmy Joe. “Orley ain’t going to help you. He’s still crying about that doctor he kilts.”

  “Yer gonna make him help me or I’ll tell the cops where you are. I’m guilty of kidnapping. You and Orley are guilty of murder,” he pointed out, walking over to look in the mirror. “That whore will suffer for what she did to me,” he muttered, staring in the mirror.

  “Look what she did to me,” Jimmy Joe screamed, turning on Bonnie. “You’ll help or so help me God I’ll turn you both in.”

  “All right, all right. Calm down. We’ll help,” Bonnie said, defeated. She sank onto the end of the bed, “I don’t want to go to prison.”

  “Get Orley up. We got work to do,” Jimmy Joe ordered, before turning and walking out of the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Emma pushed back the stark white curtains and stared out Kerry’s bedroom window into the backyard. Kerry wasn’t getting any better. When she found out Jimmy Joe wasn’t dead, she’d become hysterical. Since then, she wouldn’t leave the house. Most days, she wouldn’t even come out of her room.

  Thanksgiving came and went with family and friends walking on eggshells. No one knew what to say, so no one said anything.

  Now Christmas was four weeks away and Emma wondered if anything would ever be the same. Not that she expected everything to be back to normal. She really didn’t. But she felt as if everyone was suspended in midair. Just waiting until they got the call that Jimmy Joe had been caught. Until then, Kerry couldn’t move forward, so neither could her family.

  Emma went over to the bed and sat beside her sister. “Hey, how you doing? You want anything, pop or hot chocolate, anything?”

  Kerry pulled her blanket up to her chest, and leaned against the headboard. “No, not really. Where are mom and dad?”

  “Dad’s working in his den everyone else is in the family room watching the history channel – its Grandpa’s favorite. Why, do you need them?”

  “No, just wondering. Emma?,” Kerry’s voice was tentative. “Um, I’ve been meaning say I’m sorry, you know, about Thanksgiving. It was such a bust... and, I know it was my fault.”

  Emma reached for her sister’s hand. “Nothing about this has been your fault. You are the victim not the problem. Kerry, when he kidnapped you, that’s when we were destroyed, not now, when you’re home with us. Everyone is just worried about you. That’s all. We just want you to be okay.”

  Kerry squeezed Emma’s hand. “I don’t think I’ll ever be okay as long as I know he’s out there, somewhere, waiting for me.”

  “He can’t get in here, Kerry. Dad had a really high tech alarm system installed. There’s no way he can get in.”

  “You really don’t think he can?”

  “I don’t think anyone could.”

  Kerry sighed and rested her head on her pillows. “That’s good.”

  “Why don’t you come down stairs? We’ll watch television with the family. It’ll do you good to get out of your room.”

  Kerry was shaking her head before Emma had even finished talking. She shrank further onto her bed. “No, I don’t want to.”

  Deeply concerned, Emma stared at Kerry’s frightened face. “Okay, how about I go get National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and we watch it up here?. That sounds good? I’ll rustle us up some cookies and Pepsi and we can watch Chevy Chase destroy another Christmas.”

  Kerry nodded and smiled shakily.

  Emma leaned in and hugged her, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. She winked. “Just between us, I think we could get away with bringing the whole refrigerator up here.”

  Emma stood and patted Kerry on the top of her head. “I’ll be right back okay?”

  Kerry grabbed her hand and whispered, “I’m sorry Emma. It’s just that… I’m so scared.”

  Emma gazed down at Kerry’s pale face and felt anger well up inside her. “That’s okay if you’re scared. I think we’re all a little bit scared.” Patting her on her knee, Emma turned and walked out the
bedroom door.

  She leaned against the wall in the hallway and thought about what she’d like to do to Jimmy Joe Walters. Where was he? Hiding out under some rock, she supposed. The bastard.

  ***

  Emma sat crossed legged in the middle of her bed, waiting patiently for Casey’s call. He always called when he got off work, which was, she checked her watch, another ten minutes away. She couldn’t believe how far and how fast their friendship had come in such a short time.

  Although, Emma was determined nothing would interfere with Kerry’s health, she believed she was falling in love for the first time in her life. She and Casey had discussed Kerry. They decided to keep their developing relationship quiet for the time being. Kerry probably wouldn’t feel comfortable about Emma seeing someone from Arkansas for a while, until she was better.

  It had been four weeks since his first call. He’d immediately told her he’d broken off his relationship with Cindy. He said the day after they left Arkansas to bring Kerry home, he’d told Cindy he wanted to be free to pursue Emma. He was that sure about them. Casey said she hadn’t taken the news at all well, whatever that meant, and didn’t offer any further explanation. Emma knew how she’d feel in the same situation.

  She scooted off the bed and gazed at herself in the mirror. She wore old faded blue jeans with her Indiana University t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her feet bare. The jeans were loose because of the weight she had lost when Kerry disappeared. Still, she didn’t look bad.

  She heard her cell phone ring and hurried over to pick it off her bed and flipped it open. It was Casey. She settled back on her bed for a long talk.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Jimmy Joe sat in the car and studied the small convenience store across the street. They had left the hotel that morning and were out of money. With no money for gas or liquor, Orley had alternated between crying about the doctor, to begging for whiskey. Jimmy Joe was sick of him.

  “Well, what we sitting here for?” Bonnie asked, already knowing, praying she was wrong. She didn’t want to rob the place. She wanted to go home.

  “What do you mean, why are we sitting here?” Jimmy Joe snapped. “You know God damn well why we’re sitting here.”

  “Jimmy Joe, why do we have to rob any place?” Bonnie asked.

  “You got any money?” Jimmy Joe screamed.

  “No. You know I don’t.”

  “Then shut the fuck up.”

  Jimmy Joe glanced in the back seat where Orley laid, his arm over his eyes. “Get up, Orley.”

  “I ain’t robbing no fucking store,” Orley cried.

  “Oh, okay. I guess, I’ll just call the cops and tell them you and Bonnie are ready to go to jail.”

  “I ain’t going to jail,” Orley whispered.

  “Then get up,” Jimmy Joe ordered. “We’ll all go in. Bonnie you gather some supplies together. Orley, I’ll hold the shotgun on the dude and you get the money.”

  Jimmy Joe’s demand was met by silence.

  Furious, he turned on his friend. “If you don’t get up and help us, Orley, so help me God, I’ll call the police.”

  Orley struggled up and wiped his eyes. “You know killing that doctor was an accident.”

  “Yea, was running from the law an accident?” Jimmy Joe mocked.

  “We were running to help you,” Bonnie snapped.

  “And you helped me. Now you’re going to help again.”

  ***

  Jimmy Joe shifted into Drive and pulled the car in front of the building. He stepped out and waited while his sister and friend climbed out. He motioned for Bonnie to go in and waited until Orley shuffled around beside him. Reaching into the backseat, he hauled out Orley’s shotgun and dropped a coat over it. Waving Orley ahead of him, they entered the store. The only person in attendance was a teenage clerk who was chatting on a cell phone.

  When he saw Orley and Jimmy Joe, the boy smiled and hung up.

  “Girls,” he joked, looking at the men. “What can I do for you?”

  Jimmy Joe took a swift look around and pulled the coat off the shotgun. “Open the register and give me all your money.”

  The boy froze, his face pale. “Look, we don’t have much money.”

  “Get it out,” Jimmy Joe demanded.

  The boy watched Bonnie head outside with her arms loaded with food. He reached over and hit a button and the register popped open. Grabbing a sack from under the counter, he began stuffing money in it. He looked, “You want the change too?”

  “Yea, all of it and make it snappy,” Jimmy Joe shouted.

  He scooped up the change and threw it into the sack, then reached over to hand it to Jimmy Joe. The plastic bag snagged on the corner of the register and the money filtered out. Furious Jimmy Joe pointed the shotgun at the terrified boy and pulled the trigger. The blast hit the boy in the chest and threw him against the back counter.

  Stunned, Orley stepped forward and looked down at the boy, then back at Jimmy Joe.

  “Get the fucking money!” Jimmy Joe screamed, pointing the shotgun at Orley.

  Orley scrambled behind the counter and gathered the bills together. Hurrying back, he ran for the door. Jimmy Joe leaned over the counter and stared at the boy lying on the floor. “You don’t have to worry about any girlfriend anymore,” he snickered, then ran out of the store.

  ***

  Jimmy Joe picked a piece of firewood off the back porch of the deserted cabin and rammed it through the window. Reaching inside, he unlocked the window and pushed it up. He motioned for Bonnie, “Get your skinny ass in there and unlock the door.”

  Bonnie winced at the noise and did as she was told, she climbed through the window.

  He’s crazy, she thought, shuffling to the back door and holding it open. Making her and Orley rob that liquor store in broad daylight was just crazy. And killing that young boy was horrifying. Everybody knew those places had cameras, now the police would see their faces. Orley had gotten so nervous afterwards, they’d had to pull over so he could puke.

  Bonnie was getting scared of Jimmy Joe, she really was. He was more like a stranger than a brother. God help that girl, if he ever got his hands on her again.

  “What are you standing there looking at me for?" Jimmy Joe snapped, grabbing her arm. “Go get your drunken boyfriend out of the car before he freezes to death.”

  Bonnie jerked her arm free and glared at him. “I’m going but I’m wondering what’s going to happen if someone comes here.”

  “No one’s gonna come here,” Jimmy Joe said, glancing around at the small kitchen. “This here is a hunting cabin, no one lives here. They just use it for hunting and its hell and gone from the road, so no one will notice a small fire. We should be safe here for a while.”

  “Oh, good,” Bonnie said feeling better. She had no wish to see anyone else hurt.

  “Get Orley out of the car. I’ll see if there’s any propane left in the tank outside,” Jimmy Joe ordered and limped back outside.

  Bonnie struggled across the deep ruts that ran along side the house and climbed in the car. “Orley wake up, Jimmy Joe said you needed to get inside the house.”

  “What house?” Orley mumbled, grabbing at Bonnie.

  She slapped his hand away. “If you grab my boob one more time, I swear I’ll chop your goddamn hands off.”

  Orley tried to focus, squinting at Bonnie. “We got any more whiskey?”

  “Yea and you can have some if you get your fat ass in the house.”

  “Ain’t no need to go and yell at me, Bonnie. You know I love you,” Orley whispered, patting her leg.

  Bonnie sighed, and reached over to tug Orley out of the car. “Yea, I know you do. Come on, let’s get in the house before Jimmy Joe goes crazy on us again.”

  ***

  Frustrated, Jimmy Joe kicked the shed door harder. Damn thing wouldn’t budge. Leaning against the shed, he sucked in deep breaths. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he still felt weak as a kitten. It had been
five weeks since he had gotten hurt and his back and neck were still sore.

  It was all that bitch’s fault, catching him off guard like that, had been a rotten thing to do, he thought, getting pissed all over.

  Oh yea, the bitch was gonna pay big time when he got hold of her. She’d be begging for death before he was done with her.

  Jimmy Joe looked around for something to break the door down with. Everything was frozen to the fucking ground.

  He watched Bonnie dragging Orley out of the car, Orley still drunk as a fucking skunk, fat lot of good he was gonna be. Gazing at the car, gave him an idea. He snickered at the thought. Orley might not be any help, but his goddamn car would.

  ***

  Bonnie pushed Orley onto the bed, then straightened, with her hand on her back. Damn he was heavy. God knows how much he weighed. When she heard a loud crash coming from the back yard, she turned and ran into the kitchen. Opening the back door, she saw Jimmy Joe climbing out of Orley’s car. The engine was still running and the car was half way inside the shed. “What happened?” She shouted, rushing outside.

  Jimmy Joe pointed at the shed and laughed. “Couldn’t get the fucking door open. But it’s open now.”

  “Orley’s gonna be pissed you wreaked his car,” Bonnie snapped, shaking her head.

  “What’s he gonna do?” Jimmy Joe demanded. “Have me arrested? Orley ain’t gonna do shit. Get on in that frigging house and see if there’s any food. Don’t you worry about what Orley’s gonna do. Freaking fat slob,” Jimmy Joe muttered, making his way into the shed.

  Scared, Bonnie hurried into the cabin. Jimmy Joe’s lost his mind, she thought, opening cabinet doors, peering inside. He’s nuts, crashing the car like that. Too bad, he didn’t break his crazy neck. Swallowing back tears, she pulled some canned goods out and put them on the counter.

  She felt bad for thinking it, but she’d wished a hundred times lately, that the girl had killed Jimmy Joe.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Restless, Jason Stewart walked from room to room checking the windows, making sure the alarm was on. It was the same ritual every night since they’d brought Kerry home.