by Jae Hood
I knew it’d only just begun.
Chapter 15
Tanner joined me where I stood, his shoulders slumped in dejection. He pressed a light kiss against my cheek, his breath warm against my face. “Are you afraid of me now? I’d never hurt you. You know that, right?”
“I’m not afraid of you.” I sighed. “I’m afraid of what’s going to happen. I’m afraid of getting caught and losing you because of it.”
Tanner dropped one last kiss on my cheek and walked away, removing the tire iron from the back of the van. “No one’s getting caught. There’s no time to stand around and chat. We need to return this van, pick up my car, and get rid of the evidence.”
I was terrified to return the van to the side alley beside Nana’s shop. Levi’s dead body had been lying in the back long enough to soak the carpet with a small amount of blood. After dumping him in the river, Tanner, Bryce, and Chance ripped up the carpet until there was nothing left in the back but bare metal. They rolled the carpet up and tossed it into the back of Bryce’s truck.
“What are you going to do with the carpet?” I asked.
“Burn it,” Tanner replied. “Does your grandmother use the van enough to notice it’s missing before I replace it?”
I wrapped a strand of hair around my finger, tugging. “No. The only ones who use the van are me, Josie, and Brodie, but there’re no deliveries scheduled until next week.”
“I’ll have your carpet replaced before then,” he said in a calm, sure voice. “I’m taking the tire iron with me. Graham will know what to do with it. I’d dump it in the river if I wasn’t concerned they might drag it once the police realize Levi’s not coming back. After we leave here, we’ll drop the van off in the alley and head back to my house.”
Lucy stepped forward, twigs and bracken snapping under her feet. “No. Everyone is going to freak out when they realize Levi is gone. Buck Bridges has a close, personal relationship with our family. There’s no telling who might show up at our house over the next few days. Nana might show up wanting to gossip about it. Amos might show up, if Levi was being honest about following us under his direction. Hell, Buck himself might show up investigating things. He’ll tear the town apart looking for evidence over his only son’s disappearance. We have to separate ourselves from one another for a little while.”
Tanner wrapped his arm around my waist. “I’m not leaving Rue.”
Lucy shrugged, walking to where Chance stood. “Then you’ll be the death of her. Believe it or not, I have an uncanny ability to sense things. Rarely do I disappoint.” Grinning wickedly, she tapped the side of her head.
“She’s right,” I admitted, my skin crawling. “We should separate, just for a little while. Everyone will be searching for Levi. Y’all can’t be gallivanting around Mayhaw the way you have the past few weeks. It’s not safe for you or us. You’ll only draw suspicion to yourselves.”
“I don’t like leaving you,” Tanner whispered. “No matter what you or your sister says, I won’t be far from you at all.”
I didn’t doubt his words.
*
After Lucy and I begrudgingly parted ways with Josie and the boys, we headed home. Once there I pulled a frozen bag of peas from the freezer and pressed it against the side of my swollen temple. Somehow I managed to fall into a restless sleep.
My dreams were filled with memories of Levi’s hands touching my body, his fist slamming against my skull, and alligators tearing at his flesh. I woke up screaming with a thawed bag of peas underneath my head. Lucy was tangled in the sheets beside me. It was obvious by her haggard appearance she’d had little sleep.
After her vain attempt with a few comforting words, Lucy left for work without me. She was lying for me, telling my grandmother I had a stomach bug. Nana would believe Lucy.
After clambering out of bed, I stared into the bathroom mirror horrified by what I saw. The bag of peas had helped with the swelling on the side of my face but left an ugly red rash in its wake. The icy burn was numb and rough under the light brush of my fingertips.
I stumbled downstairs and dug around in the medicine cabinet until I found a forgotten bottle of Mama’s prescription sleep medication. I popped one in my mouth, washed it down with a swig of water from the tap, and crawled onto the couch.
Sleep came easy. But through the grogginess and shadows of rest, something beckoned me awake. Gentle fingers probed at my swollen face. The touch was soothing and familiar. I smiled, climbing through a foggy haze to find him. I believed I was dreaming until I felt Tanner’s lips brush against my cheek.
“You can’t be here.”
“I had to check on you,” he whispered. “I had to make sure you were okay. I’m leaving now, before Lucy gets home. She’s crazy, and crazy people have superhuman strength. I’m not sure I could fight her off if push came to shove.”
I laughed at his silly words. The jarring from the laughter made my head throb and swell. Groaning and lethargic, I was pulled back into a dreamless sleep.
I fully awoke in the middle of the night. Lucy was sitting beside me on the couch staring at the blue, blank screen of the TV. I sat up, still a bit groggy and disoriented. My sister turned her head and gave me a small smile.
Lucy drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You look better. How do you feel?”
“Like dammit,” I said, wrinkling my brow. “You seen Tanner around?”
“Tanner? No, why?”
“Never mind.” I yawned and stretched, shaking the notion from my head. “Must have been a dream. So what’s going on? Did Nana buy my excuse of being sick?”
A grin spread across her face. “Nana’s completely unconcerned about you and your faux illness. She’s completely obsessed over the Levi Bridges disappearance, just like the rest of the town.”
“Oh Lord.” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “What’s going on? Does anyone suspect anything? Have you seen Buck?”
Lucy blew out an exasperated breath. “Calm down, Chris Brown. No one’s the wiser. Everyone is going a little kooky with all the gossip going around, none of which points to any of us, of course. Just wait until you get back to work.”
“Ugh, I dread it. I have to wait until the swelling and bruising go down. I’m going to worry myself to death until then.”
Lucy stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. “Find something to do. You know what Nana says. Idle hands are the devil’s playground.”
Lucy was right. I knew exactly what I could busy myself doing. Unfortunately, it was something the devil himself would probably approve of.
*
Bam! Ping!
Round one.
Bam! Ping!
Round two.
Bam! Ping!
Round three.
“Rue!”
I stared down the glinting barrel of our father’s gun, attempting to ignore my sister’s petulant whining of my name. Only Lucy could transform my name into a three-syllable word.
I cocked the gun again, my hand steady. “What?”
Feet parted shoulder-width, my arms were locked in front of me, grasping the now familiar weapon. The hot, summer sun beat down upon my bare shoulders, sending beads of sweat rolling down my back, tickling my skin along the way.
The empty Coke cans I’d collected over the past several days didn’t stand a chance. They were lined up on a weathered, white wooden fence behind the pool house. The red cans gleamed in the sunlight before exploding into a metallic, tattered mess each time I gently squeezed the trigger of my daddy’s gun. Rare was it that I missed.
Lucy huffed, planting her hands on her hips. “I’ve said your name three times.”
I continued to ignore her and squeezed the trigger once more. Each time a bullet tore through a shimmering can, sending it spiraling through the air, I was brought closer and closer to a sense of self-satisfaction and smugness.
The next time someone attacks me, I’ll be fully prepared.
“Mama called.”
Lucy’s voice was a softer, less irritating tone.
The gun slowly came down. My jaw flexed and I processed her words. I shoved the metal safety with my thumb and turned to my sister who had a frown on her face and her thumbnail shoved in the corner of her mouth.
I sat the gun on a nearby picnic table, turned, and retrieved the ruined cans. “What did she want?” The plastic grocery sack I’d stored the cans in hung from a nail lodged in the fence. I grabbed it, shoving each destroyed can in the bag.
“I don’t know what she wanted. She just said she needed to talk to you. You were out here playing Ruthless Rue. She’d want to know what all the racket was if I brought the phone outside.”
“I’ll call her when I’m finished … maybe.”
Lucy heaved a massive sigh. She shoved her fingers through her hair before turning and trudging up the hill to our house. Shoulders slumped and her head hung low, she was a picture of exhaustion and worry, the same as I’d been since Levi’s demise.
After locking Daddy’s gun and the ammo back inside his safe, I called my flighty mother. Months had passed since we last spoke. A sense of mutual foreboding and anticipation swirled inside my chest. She answered breathlessly on the second ring.
“Rue,” she squealed.
“Hey, Mama,” I said with an airy, sarcastic lilt to my voice.
Mama, not one for silly formalities such as chatting about her daughters’ lives or questioning our well-being, ignored my sarcasm and got straight to the point. “Sweetie, there’s been a mix-up.”
“What sort of mix-up?”
“Listen, hon,” she said, “they’ve cut back on our hours at the hospital, and I’m a little desperate for cash. I called the Social Security office and had our checks transferred to my own checking account a while back, but this month they aren’t there. I need you to call and tell them to transfer them into my account, just until I get back up on my feet.”
The ground fell out from below me. I pulled the phone away from my ear. I hit the speaker button so Lucy could listen in.
“Is that why our checking account was so short last month, Mama? Did you have our checks transferred into your account last month?”
“Rue, I just told you that,” Mama snapped in that familiar, angry tone. “Why the hell must I repeat myself when it comes to you? You’re so damn stupid. Just like Jeb. You’re selfish too. Your poor mother is in a jam and you won’t even help her out.”
“In a jam?” I laughed, dropping the innocent façade. “And selfish? You left us here to fend for ourselves. Lucy is a minor. If someone calls DHS, they’ll have to come in and investigate. Won’t you get in trouble for leaving your minor daughter alone in the care of her sister? I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”
“Oh, you’re both adults. Get over yourself and stop complaining. I expect that money in my checking account immediately.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she hung up. There was nothing left but dead air floating around. Lucy cried, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. I reached out to console her, but she shrugged me away and darted upstairs.
Slumping on a nearby stool, I dropped my head in my hands and sighed. There was a part of me hidden deep inside that craved nothing but my mother’s love, but I doubted I’d ever have it. We needed to talk, really talk, about our damaged mother-daughter bond. Living with the sadness and worry of our fragile relationship was emotionally draining. I couldn’t live like this forever. I decided I’d speak with her face-to-face. I was going to Birmingham. Soon.
*
Lucy was right. The town was in a total uproar. Levi wasn’t missed until several hours after his actual disappearance, when he stopped responding to radio calls and didn’t show up at the police station. Our sleepy little town wasn’t a hotbed of criminal activity, at least not on the surface. The disappearance of one of only a handful of cops was quite a story. Rumors spread faster than Josie’s legs. I’d heard everything from Levi running off with a married woman to alien abduction. The people in our small town were nothing if not bored and over-imaginative.
Levi’s disappearance sent my gossiping grandmother into an old-lady frenzy. The cake shop phone rang off the hook all day with phone calls from her fellow gossiping friends. I banished her to her office because the way she was running around with the cordless phone pressed against her ear and flapping her gums in excitement exhausted me.
Josie shoved a cookie in her mouth, chewing with a deep sense of concentration. “We should’ve stolen his damn police cruiser and dumped it in the river too.”
“Yeah, because a bunch of kids driving a police cruiser around in the middle of the night isn’t suspicious at all,” I retorted.
Josie shrugged and brushed cookie crumbs from her bottom lip. She’d acted entirely unremorseful since Levi’s death.
We’d somehow talked Bryce and Josie out of placing Levi’s severed finger in Amos’ mailbox. Josie had thrown a hissy-fit over that disgusting appendage, but Tanner had claimed it would do more harm than good. A missing person was better than a presumably dead person.
Josie had settled down pretty quickly after Tanner assured her she could keep the finger and do with it as she liked once we had the evidence we needed on Amos. The finger was currently being stored in an undisclosed location of which only Bryce and Josie knew the whereabouts.
Lucy glanced toward the back of the shop where Nana holed up in her office. “Chance says he and Tanner have been working day and night on getting into the safe. I’ve given him every possible combination … birthdays, anniversaries. Nothing works.”
A group of murmuring townsfolk walked into the cake shop, forcing Josie to lean forward and whisper her response. “We have to get through Nana to get through the safe.”
Josie and I walked away from the front of the store, leaving Lucy at the cash register. The timer on a cake I’d placed in the oven went off, jarring me from my thoughts of cracking the safe. After removing it from the oven and placing it on the cooling rack, I joined Josie once again.
“What if we look inside the desk in her office?” I asked. “Maybe she has something here or at her house with the combination on it.”
“Or,” Josie said, blinking innocently, “we tell her we murdered Levi Bridges, cut off his finger for revenge, fed him to the alligators, and will do the same to her if she doesn’t give us that combination. Do you think she’ll take us seriously?”
“That’s not funny, Josie.” I poked her in her ribs and sent her into a fit of giggles. “I swear, I barely sleep at night. You act like what happened doesn’t even bother you!”
She shrugged, screwing a tip on an icing bag and plopping on a stool in front of a frosted cake. “What happened to Levi doesn’t bother me. I quit caring about that bastard the moment he pointed that gun at my face. You shouldn’t care either.”
“I can’t help it, Josie. I can’t help feeling a little guilty. I have nightmares about that night, what we did to him, the things he did to me, the things he would have done if Tanner hadn’t shown.”
“That should be solace enough to help you sleep at night.” Josie sighed, turning the cake on the turntable as she swirled the icing around the base. “You’d be a rape victim and dead yourself if not for Tanner. Screw Levi Bridges.”
“Did someone say ‘Levi Bridges’?” an eerily kind voice asked.
Josie and I froze then slowly turned our heads to the doorway. Uncle Amos leaned against the doorframe with Lucy standing behind him, wringing her hands. He was eating an orange and was the perfect picture of relaxation. Juice flowed from the fruit and rolled down his chin. Amos wiped the juice away with the back of his hand and shoved himself off the doorframe.
Josie’s rigid shoulders relaxed and she yawned, returning to work on the cake. “Hey, Uncle Amos. You have another orange with you? I’m freaking starving. Someone should call the labor board and report Nana. I haven’t had a lunch break yet.”
The turntable made an odd, screeching sound as Josie rotated it and igno
red the way Amos approached us. The air was stiff and thick with discomfort. I grabbed a bag of icing and joined Josie near the cake, placing it beside her. Amos’ stare was on me, penetrating the side of my face.
“Poor girls,” he said. “You need a break too, I’m sure. It’s been a very stressful few days.”
Josie finished off the row of shells on the bottom of the cake and dusted her hands off on her apron. “How so?”
“Oh, you know, all the excitement of Levi Bridges’ disappearance,” Amos said. “It’s enough to set everyone on edge.”
I gave Amos a steady, firm stare and reached behind my back, tugging the strings of my apron loose. “We didn’t know Levi very well. I’m sorry that everyone is worried about him, but I barely knew him.”
“Really? I remember Jeb and Buck taking y’all fishing a couple times when you were younger. Seems like you tossed him into the lake a time or two for teasing you about your red hair. You had a recent reunion as well. Am I right? On the side of a highway? On your way to the swimming hole, hmm?”
“Yeah, now that you mention it, he did pull us over a few days ago,” I said, willing my hands to not tremble. “He really didn’t give a good explanation as to why he pulled us over. I think he just wanted an excuse to pat me down.”
“That sounds like old Levi.” Amos cackled and shoved the last of the orange in his mouth. He sucked the juice from his fingers. “He’s mentioned, more than once, his desire to court you. Buck’s worried about him, but I’m sure he’s just off somewhere sowing his wild oats. Levi’s always had a wild hair up his ass. Maybe when he shows back up you’ll give that boy a chance.”
I gave my uncle a sugary sweet smile. “Sure. I’ll be more than happy to go out with him.”
“‘Atta girl.” Amos ruffled my hair with his sticky fingers, and I cringed. “Where’s Ma at? In her office? We need to talk.”
“Yes, sir,” Josie replied. She yawned again with a dull expression. “She’s in her office gossiping to the other crypt keepers about the illustrious Levi Bridges’ disappearance.”