Gloria’s Secret

by Robin Alexander

  Mom sighed as she stood. “Then take me for that walk you promised.”

  We were halfway through the courtyard before I apologized for my behavior, but Mom was understanding. I took her by the guest cottages and showed her the ones that she and my family would be staying in. She seemed quite pleased with the accommodations. The next place I took her was the bluff overlooking the beach. She stood in awe of the pink-tinted sand and the blue waters that lapped at the beach.

  “When I first came here, I walked out on this bluff. A snake slithered out of the brush and I ended up in that tree.” I pointed to the poor excuse of a scrub oak. “I got all tangled up in it and ended up tearing my shirt off. I didn’t realize that Adrienne was behind me and had seen the whole embarrassing incident.” I couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “She laughed at me and I wanted to choke the daylights out of her.”

  A lump grew in my throat and I couldn’t speak another word. Mom stroked my back but said nothing. She knew that no words would comfort me.

  Night seemed to come too early, and with great sadness, I had to accept that I would be spending it without Adrienne by my side. The notion that I should get used to it crossed my mind, but I refused to accept it. I busied myself with helping my family get settled in and helping Iris prepare dinner.

  She was exhausted but pushed on anyway; like me, she needed something to keep her mind occupied. Colie and Shelby didn’t join us but persisted in their search, and I was grateful. Dad, Wanda, and Jeff looked beat as they ate. All three were sunburned and looked like they might have fallen into their plates at any second. They tried to keep the conversation light and talked about all they’d seen on the island, but when Wanda’s head began to bob, I knew their evening was drawing to a close. I sent them all off to bed, but Mom insisted on doing the cleaning up. Iris and I walked her back to her cabin and returned to the bar where we settled on our chaise lounges.

  “You can’t keep going at this pace,” I told Iris. “You ought to go to one of the cottages and get a real night’s sleep.”

  “You should take your own advice, girlie,” Iris shot back with a yawn, but neither of us was willing to budge.

  “I did sleep a little today, and I dreamed about Gloria.”

  Iris turned on her side and looked at me. “Tell me about it.”

  “She told me I had the key and to use it, but I don’t really know what that means.”

  “What is locked that we haven’t already opened?” Iris asked around a yawn.

  “Nothing that I know of. We’ve searched every building, every vehicle. There’s nothing left to search that has a lock on it.”

  “Maybe it’s not a real key, maybe she means something else,” Iris said as her eyelids began to flutter. I watched her doze off, and I began my lonely vigil. You have the key, use it played through my mind. I was too weak and tired to brainstorm any longer and I felt myself slipping into sleep.

  A noise caused me to bolt upright, and I startled Iris, who gave out a little cry. The sun was up, and we’d slept through the night. I felt like I’d betrayed Adrienne by indulging.

  “I’m going to get breakfast started,” Iris said as she stretched and groaned.

  “I’ll help,” my mother said from behind us. She was sitting at a table with a cup of coffee, looking refreshed. “If you don’t mind, Iris, I’ll do the cooking and you can enjoy a cup of coffee. There’s no need for you to wait on us. You’ve done too much as it is.”

  I was shocked when Iris agreed, then saddened to realize that even though she’d gotten some sleep, she was still exhausted.

  “I’ll help you, Mom.” I struggled to my feet.

  “You will go and shower,” Mom said sternly. “I can manage breakfast by myself.”

  My hair was tangled, and I smelled awful. I was offensive to myself and probably to everyone around me, so I reluctantly agreed. I hobbled back to my cottage and frowned at the disarray. It took me a while, but I managed to clean up the bathroom. Then I wrapped my leg in the plastic wrap and climbed into the shower.

  As I washed my hair, I remembered how Adrienne would stand just outside of the shower making sure I didn’t get the cast wet or fall again. Everything in our cottage reminded me of her, even those long auburn hairs that often clogged the drain. I missed her terribly and my heart broke. I cried for her the entire time I bathed and I hated to admit to myself that I was sinking deeper into despair.

  I emerged from the shower awkwardly, missing her hands to steady me. I dried and managed to dress, then sank down into my favorite chair. I used a crutch as a lever and pushed the coffee table back upright and lit a cigarette. Adrienne would’ve been pissed at me for smoking in the cottage, but in its current state, I doubt it mattered. I propped my casted leg up on the coffee table, but before I could lean back, the phone rang.

  “Hayden, it’s Aggie Spivic.”

  I wasn’t sure if Mom had spoken to Aggie before they left. Maybe she didn’t know Adrienne was missing, and I couldn’t bring myself to explain to another soul what happened, so I played dumb. “Hi, Aggie, what’s up?”

  “Your aunt paid me a visit last night.”

  “Gloria’s dead.” The words were out of my mouth before I could rein them in. I regretted being so blunt.

  “Deader than a doornail, but she was here. Sat at the foot of my bed wearing one of those awful floral print shirts.”

  “Whatever you ate for dinner last night played havoc on your imagination.”

  “She told me you were mule-headed. That’s why she came to me. She said to tell you ‘Merry Christmas,’ make any sense to you?”

  “Aggie…are you on drugs?”

  Aggie’s nonchalant tone took on an edge. “You always were a smart ass. It’s a shame you use so much of your brain power to be a shit. So listen up, young lady, because I’m going to spell it out for you. I think that book I gave you at Christmas is important.”

  It dawned on me then, the book was the key. “Aggie, I’m sorry for being so disrespectful.”

  “Make it up to me by taking care of whatever Gloria wants. She scared the shit out of me last night. No offense, but I don’t want to see her again unless I’m dead. Bye, kid.”

  The next thing I heard was a dial tone. I looked at the disheveled mess around me and tried to remember where I left the book. I tossed the phone onto the coffee table and watched as it skidded across the surface and dropped off the other side. It occurred to me that if it rang again, I might not be able to get to it fast enough. I cursed my stupidity and struggled to my feet. When I hobbled around the coffee table, I noticed that it lay on top of the journal.

  “This is just a coincidence,” I said aloud, but little hairs stood up on the back of my neck. “But if not, thanks, Aunt Gloria.”

  I snatched up the book with shaking hands and began reading what Gloria had scribbled. She talked about issues with the inn. Plumbing problems, holes in the thatched roofs, and the like. I was exhilarated and frustrated at the same time. I wondered how much I’d have to read to find the “key” that Gloria spoke of.

  Movement at my door caused me to look up as Iris stepped in.

  “Did they find her?” I asked.

  “No, I heard the phone ring. Is there news?”

  “I can’t explain it, and right now I don’t want to try, but I think this may hold the key to Adrienne’s disappearance.” I held the book up for her to see.

  “Gloria’s journal?” Iris asked, looking perplexed as she stepped over our belongings that littered the floor.

  “Help me go through it. What else do we have to do right now?”

  Iris pulled a chair up to mine and I laid the book on the table so both of us could look at it. I scanned each page with Iris doing the same, looking for anything we could consider a key. There were hundreds of entries. Mundane things flashed by until I noticed that her handwriting had changed. As I looked closer, something jumped off the page at me.

  I’m troubled by Hank. He’s an ugly bastard and sti
nks to high heaven, but he’s a good handyman. He doesn’t screw around, comes in, gets the job done, then goes back to that shack of his and drinks himself into orbit. But lately, he’s been acting strange, he’s nervous and jumpy. And the other day, I saw him slap that girl he’s been seeing. I lit into him hard, and now he knows where I stand on that kind of behavior.

  The entry abruptly stopped. I scanned through the next few pages but read nothing but Gloria’s musings that I might have found entertaining if the circumstances were different.

  “Did Hank have a girlfriend?” I asked.

  “I don’t remember ever seeing him with a woman, but Gloria got around da island more than I ever did. She took trips all the time and knew a lot of people and their gossip.”

  I started turning through the pages again, until another entry caught my eye.

  Had a beer with Gabe today, and he dropped a bomb on me. Hank has fathered a child with one of the local women. I’m not sure if the mother is the same one I saw him slap, though. Gabe says he heard the baby was a healthy boy. I wonder if Hank is going to help support his son. I doubt it. I may just confront him about it.

  “Aw, Gloria, you’re killing me!” I yelled. Just when I found something interesting, she’d start talking about the weather or wondering what she’d look like with dreadlocks.

  I was turning pages so fast that some of them were beginning to tear. Iris gave me a little shake. “Slow down, girl. You’re going to ruin it.”

  I found another entry, and Iris and I bumped heads trying to get a closer look at it.

  You stick money in a gumball machine and a gumball pops out. A man sticks his pecker in a woman and is shocked when something comes out nine months later. And they have the nerve to get pissed off about it! Hank says that ‘he ain’t sure the kid is his.’ I’ve seen him, though, and it’s plain to see that his father is white. This is Hank’s excuse for not supporting the mother and child. Useless, useless as tits on a boar hog. I hope the child doesn’t take after him; at least he hasn’t in looks. His momma named him Teddy.

  Iris and I looked at each other, our mouths hung open. “Call Colie,” I said as I read on.

  “Yes, it’s a lead and we’re going to go there right now, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up,” Colie said after he looked over the entries that we’d pointed out.

  “It’s a connection to Hank,” I argued. “She could have told us that Hank was Teddy’s father, but she kept it a secret.”

  Colie was walking to his car with me bouncing on his heels with my crutches. He spun around and took me by the shoulders. “This is the best lead we’ve had yet, but I don’t want you to get too excited, it could be a dead end.” Colie sighed and softened his tone. “I want you to be prepared if we have to start at zero again.”

  “Fine, got ya. Now can we go?”

  “Get in the car, Hayden.”

  “I’ll take the Jeep with Mom. I can’t get myself and these crutches into that little car. Iris wants to ride with you anyway.”

  Iris climbed into the car with Colie and they took off. It was then that I realized it was just me, Mom, and a Jeep with a standard transmission. Memory of the hellish ride we took in New Orleans flashed through my mind and I made a move for the driver’s seat, but Mom cut me off.

  “You can’t drive a stick with that cast,” she said.

  “How long has it been since you’ve driven a stick?”

  Mom thought for a minute. “I don’t remember, but I can handle it.”

  I had no choice and accepted her help into the passenger’s seat. She jumped behind the wheel and turned the engine. After moving the seat up until she was nearly atop the steering wheel, we took off. “Took off” was the best way I know how to describe it because that Jeep hopped all the way down the driveway and slid out onto the road sideways.

  Colie had been waiting on us on the road and sped off with us hopping behind him and Mom grinding the gears.

  “They drive on the left here.” I held on for dear life. “Which should be normal for you,” I mumbled.

  “So I’ve noticed,” she yelled over the engine and wind noise.

  Once she got into the higher gears, she had better control of the vehicle, and we stayed close behind Colie…too close at times.

  My mind settled on Adrienne and I hoped and prayed we’d find her tucked away at Marta’s house. I wondered if she’d been abused and my stomach lurched. Hang in there, baby, I’m coming to find you, I said in my mind, hoping she could hear me.

  Colie turned and left the paved portion of the road and continued down a narrow dirt road. I doubt Mom used the break at all. The Jeep went into a power slide, and when we hit the soft earth and sand, the Jeep fishtailed. Banana leaves hit me in the face and nearly knocked me out of the vehicle. When I was able to see again, the floorboard of the Jeep was filled with bananas and limbs. Colie pulled off the side of the road and got out of the car. Mom stopped a few feet short of him.

  “It’s too muddy, we’re going to have to ride with you,” he said as approached the driver’s side of the Jeep and looked at Mom expectantly.

  “Climb in back with Iris Mom,” I said relived that someone else would be driving.

  We rode past ramshackle buildings that people like me wouldn’t have even used for a tool shed, yet these were homes to families. They watched us as we plowed down the narrow road, slinging mud and sand as we went.

  “It’s there,” Iris said and pointed to a wooden structure that looked as though a good wind would take it all down.

  I was out of the Jeep in a heartbeat, thankful that I found dry ground and my crutches didn’t leave me hanging. Colie moved past me and knocked on the door. There was no answer, but we could hear movement inside.

  “Bust it down, Colie,” I whispered anxiously.

  He shot me a look and motioned for me to get back; he turned the handle and the door swung open. Sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by toys, empty cereal boxes, and rotting food that I couldn’t distinguish, was Teddy.

  Colie moved cautiously into the other room.

  “Where’s your momma, Teddy?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

  “I don’t know,” he said, looking frightened.

  “How long has she been gone?” I took in the filthiness of the room. Teddy was no better off. He looked like he hadn’t been bathed since the last time I saw him.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  My nerves were on edge and the last thing I wanted to hear was “I don’t know.” “Was she here today?” I asked with my voice taking on an edge.

  Teddy flinched and whimpered but shook his head.

  “Hayden,” my mother said gently while moving past me, “he’s afraid.”

  She walked over and knelt down in front of him. “My goodness, did you eat all this stuff?” she asked in a soft voice.

  He nodded up at her with big eyes.

  “Did mommy cook you breakfast this morning?”

  He shook his head.

  “How about dinner?”

  Again, he shook his head.

  “Did you spend last night alone?” Mom asked as she stroked dirty hair from his forehead.

  Teddy nodded.

  “Can you count on your fingers how many nights mommy has been gone?”

  Mom suspected the same thing I did, judging by the way the place looked. This child had been left alone. Having to feed himself on whatever he could find.

  Teddy first held up two fingers, then eventually three.

  “Would you like to come back to the inn with us and have something to eat?”

  “Mommy said for me not to go outside,” he said.

  Iris stepped closer. “I’m sure it will be okay with her if you came with me.”

  Teddy finally nodded and allowed Iris to pick him up from the floor.

  I moved into the other room as Colie was flipping his phone closed. If it were possible, this room was even filthier than the other. But what caught my eye and Colie’
s was a shelf covered in the materials used to make the voodoo dolls we found at the inn. Below it lay our shirts that had been taken and used to dress the dolls.

  I bumped into a table and caused several bottles to topple that held strange-looking concoctions. I gagged when I noticed a chicken foot covered in flies lying amongst them.

  “This crazy bitch has Adrienne,” I said as my anger and fear rose.

  “Yes, but is she working alone?” Colie moved closer to the table and grimaced.

  “Where do we go from here?”

  Colie looked at me and saw the desperation on my face. “I have people coming to talk to everyone on this road. These people that live around here will be more trusting of them than me. Myself and a few others will begin searching the woods around here. I think it’s best that you and Iris return to the inn and feed that boy. Maybe you can get him to talk a little more then.”

  I made my way out to the Jeep; Mom was already in the backseat with Teddy. She had her arm draped around him and he appeared to be more relaxed. Iris was in the driver’s seat and turned the engine when she saw me coming. I managed to climb in on my own.

  It was late afternoon, and I knew I would spend yet another night without Adrienne.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I was a mite too edgy to be around Teddy. I held no resentment toward him, but I wanted answers and it was apparent to all that I was getting very impatient. When I began mumbling about decapitating stuffed animals, Mom sent me to time-out. I went around to the courtyard and mulled over the day’s events.

  We knew now that it was Marta who’d been tearing up the inn in pursuit of the money. It was unclear whether she had an accomplice. She’d left her baby to fend for himself for days alone in a shack with no electricity or fresh food. This bitch was callous, and I wanted to get my hands on her in the worst way.

  The journal had indeed been the key, so I pulled it out and looked for anything that might point us in the right direction. When I got to the back of the book, there was something on the last page that took me by surprise. It had nothing to do with the situation, but Gloria had a secret that she shared with me. I knew now why she didn’t want the journal on the island.