Diana Anderson - Entering Southern Country 01 - Famous in a Small Town

by Diana Anderson

  The walls in the room were a deep, rose red. Gold curtains hung over the store front windows. Large and small lit candles lined the shelves around the length of the walls. Golden stars hung from the ceiling.

  She heard a tinkling sound and turned toward it. Beaded curtains parted and an older woman, dressed in a floor length, green, satin skirt and a white, peasant blouse walked through. Her long, black hair hung down from a gold scarf that was wrapped around her head and tied at the nape of her neck. Bangles hung from her wrists and several beaded necklaces dangled from around her neck. Silver, hooped earrings adorned her ears.

  “May I help you?” she asked, her dark eyes pierced through Callie’s.

  Wow! “Yes, I’d like a reading.”

  The woman stepped aside and motioned her toward the beaded curtains. Callie walked by her and through the curtains. She stepped in and glanced around the room. Same rose red colored walls, but many more candles lit the room. A red cloth covered the round table that sat in the middle of the room with two chairs on each side. A crystal chandelier hung over the table, and in the middle of the table was a crystal ball. Off to the side of the crystal ball was a deck of tarot cards.

  “Please, sit,” she motioned Callie with her hand as she sat down across from her.

  After Callie sat down, the woman said, “I am Rhoda. It is twenty-five dollars for palm, forty-five for crystal ball, fifty for Tarot.”

  Callie thought a moment. “I’ll take all three.”

  The woman eyed her and then held out her palm. Callie looked at it and then placed her hand face up in the woman’s hand. The woman removed her hand and let Callie’s drop to the table.

  “No!” She pointed her index finger at her. “You pay up front.” She held her palm out again.

  “Oh.” Callie reached into her purse and took out her wallet. She opened it, flipped through her cash, and then handed her a hundred dollar bill and a twenty.

  The woman folded the bills and stuffed them inside the front of her blouse.

  “Now, give me your hand.”

  Callie rested her hand in the woman’s. The woman leaned over, peered at her palm, and frowned.

  “What?” Callie asked as she leaned over and looked too.

  The woman licked her own index finger and then rubbed Callie’s palm. She eyed her palm again. “I hope chocolate.”

  “I had a candy bar earlier.”

  The woman shrugged and looked down at Callie’s palm. She tilted her head and studied it from a different angle. She dropped her hand and eyed Callie.

  “What?” Callie asked as she looked back at her.

  Rhoda shook her head. “I am surprised you are still here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Your lifeline.” She lifted her hands up and shrugged. “I never saw such a thing.”

  “What?”

  “You should be dead.” She placed her hands on the table and leaned in toward Callie. “It makes no sense. Your lifeline, it is short. Very short.” She placed her fingertips on her own forehead and thought for a moment. “Okay, on to crystal ball. “Maybe it will help me understand.”

  “Dead?”

  The woman gave a flip of her hand. “Do not worry ‘bout it.” She laughed. “You are still here, are you not?”

  Rhoda covered the crystal ball with her hands, leaned her head back, rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling, and hummed. After a minute, she dropped her head, removed her hands, and leaned toward the crystal ball. She gazed into it, and then her eyes grew wide.

  “What?” Callie leaned in and eyed the crystal ball. “What do you see?”

  She held her hand up. “Shhh!”

  Callie watched her.

  She lowered her hand. “I see money, lots of money in your future.”

  “Really?”

  “Shhh!” She held up her hand again. “Do not speak.”

  Callie bit into her bottom lip.

  “But you should be very careful. You could lose it—just like that.” She snapped her fingers. Her eyes grew wide again. “Oh … I see a man, a very handsome man watching you.”

  Lots of men watch me. Callie smiled.

  “He is an important man.” She tilted her head. “Wait! I see more men. One is very angry and wishes to do you harm.”

  Angus! She’s good!

  “But bad luck will fall on him.”

  Callie smiled again. She envisioned Angus as he tumbled down a mountain and then plummeted over the edge of a cliff to a rocky basin.

  “And yet another has evil desires for you.” Rhoda spread her fingertips wide on both sides of the crystal ball.

  That’s a given. She pursed her lips.

  “Someone has come back into your life. You fear this person. This person has brought you sorrow.”

  Agnes and that damned book.

  “But soon this sorrow will be gone and replaced by something greater.”

  Thank goodness! Callie stared at the crystal ball. How can she see all of that? I can’t see anything except the reflection of the candles.

  “You will travel soon to a very secure place. A place where these people who wish to do you harm can not touch you.” She looked up at the clock on the wall behind Callie. “Okay! Now I read cards.”

  Rhoda slid the crystal ball off to the side of the table. She grabbed the tarot cards and shuffled them. She slid them in front of Callie.

  Callie glanced down and then looked back at her. “What?”

  “Cut the cards.”

  Callie did as she was told.

  The woman spread the cards out on the table face down. She flipped one over. “Hmmm.”

  Callie looked down at the card and then back at the woman.

  Rhoda looked up at her and said, “Someone died and left you wealth.”

  Callie’s jaw went slack, and she sucked in a breath. Ted?

  “But you must find this wealth.”

  Callie’s eyes lit up. It’s not Ted?

  “I see a move in your future.”

  Callie’s lips formed an ‘oh’.

  “A big, big place.”

  “Where?” Callie asked.

  “I see a jewel like a pearl.”

  Callie placed a hand over her heart and sucked in a breath. “Go on.”

  “A massive place called The Pearl of the South.”

  Callie pulled her bottom lip through her teeth and shook her fist into the air. Yes! I’m finally getting out of this God forsaken place and getting what I deserve.

  Rhoda turned over another card. “It is about timing. It is all about timing, and your time has come.”

  With each card Rhoda turned over, Callie was amazed. She was so amazed that she left a hefty tip on the table before she headed out the door. She knew what she had to do now.

  54

  Salvador opened his refrigerator door in the small kitchenette of his rented duplex. The shelves contained a smidgeon of milk in a half gallon plastic jug, a partial stick of butter, and a block of cheese. He took out the block of cheddar cheese and slapped it down on the counter. He opened a drawer, pulled out a butcher knife, and then slid through the plastic wrap, and tore it away. He took the cheese and the knife into the living area and sat down on the sofa. He sliced off a piece of cheese and bit it off the blade. He leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees as he chewed.

  His thoughts roamed over the past few days. He felt restless inside. Time was running out. He knew that he needed finish what he’d started instead of waiting on someone else to do it for him. He could trust no one. He would die first before being sent back to La Mesa. One month in the prison there would kill him. No, he would prefer to die a free man than die a prisoner.

  Every day he worked hard as he tended to the rich man’s garden and tended to the rich woman’s desires. All in hopes that one day, he’d find a way to be on the other side and someone tending to his gardens and his desires. Sure, he had access to the rich man’s food, his house, his swimming pool, and his wife, but
at what cost to him? To have to pretend that he is without knowledge, that he is stupid, and lower than a dog.

  It had felt good to sit on the rich man’s sofa, watch his television, and drink his expensive whiskey. It even felt good to screw the rich man’s wife—just because he could.

  The whore is clueless. She does not know who she is dealing with.

  He held the knife by the tip end of the blade, raised it over his shoulder, and flung it across the room. It stuck into the wall.

  A knock fell on the door. He set the chunk of cheese down on the coffee table, stood, and walked the short distance to the door. He flipped on the outside light, peered through the peephole, then grabbed the doorknob, and opened it.

  Lupe fell into his arms. She looked up at him. He smiled down at her and then covered her lips with his. He leaned back, pulled her away from the door, and closed it with his foot. He continued to kiss her.

  When they came up for air, she said, “Sal, I’m afraid. I did what you tell me to do, but I am afraid.”

  “Oh, mi amor, there is no need to fear anything. Soon, we will be far, far away, and all of this will be behind us. I am going to take you away from here. No more working for these, these muy pesado glotóns.” He swept his hand in the air. “You deserve better. You deserve to be waited on.” He kissed her again and then said, “Soon, mi amor, soon. I will give you everything.”

  She pulled away from him, turned, and took a couple of steps. He stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What is it?”

  “The sheriff. He handcuffed me and asked me questions.”

  He gripped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. He gazed into her eyes. “Why? What questions?”

  “He asked about Jimmy and the Rayburns.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I told him that Jimmy used to be my boyfriend, but when I found out he was making drugs, I did not like him anymore.”

  “What did he want to know about the Rayburns?”

  “If I took anything. I told him no, that Mr. Rayburn would kill me for stealing.” She shrugged his hands off her shoulders. “You made me sell those drugs. I could have been killed when his trailer blew up.”

  “We needed the money, Lupe.”

  She shook her head. “Is money all you think about? We have some money, but look at us. We do not even share the same house, the same bed.”

  “I have explained that. I have told you why. You must be patient, Lupe. Soon we will have all we want. You will see.”

  “But my step-brother,” she said. Tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Jorge?”

  “Yes. He is gone.”

  “Gone? Gone where?”

  “I do not know.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.

  He eyed her a moment. “You think he went back to León?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe, but he said he would never go back there unless I went with him. Why would he leave me?”

  “Have you talked to anyone about this?”

  She shook her head. “The sheriff asked me if I knew him. I said no.”

  “Good, good. But I do not understand why the sheriff would ask about him.”

  “I do not know. He did not say. Maybe I should have asked him.”

  “No!” He grabbed her shoulders and looked in her eyes. “Never say his name to anyone. Never say my name to anyone.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “If you say anything to anyone, they will deport us. I can not go back there. They will put me in prison.” He lifted her chin in his hand and gazed into her eyes. “Then I would never see you again.”

  She stepped back. His hand fell to his side. A crease formed between her brows.

  “What is wrong?” he asked.

  “This woman you work for, she will take you away from me.”

  He shook his head. “No. Why do you say that?”

  “I can tell. She now has your heart.”

  “No.” He reached for her, but she backed away.

  “I do not believe you.” Tears filled her eyes once more. “I think you love her.”

  “That is not true. I love you, Lupe. I could never love another.” He stepped closer. “She is useful to us. That is all. Soon we will have no more need for her. We will leave here together.”

  She looked at him a moment, and then wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her cheek to his chest. He looked over her head across the room at nothing.

  55

  The front door of the sheriff’s department opened and Ted walked inside. Justin had just finished up some paper work for the day. He looked up to see who stood in front of his desk.

  “Dr. Wallace, how may I help you?”

  “I really need to speak with the sheriff, and don’t tell me that he’s not in, or he’s busy. This is very important.”

  “Hold on.” Justin picked up the phone and pressed the intercom button. “Sir? Dr. Wallace is here to see you. He says it’s very important.” He listened. “Okay.” He hung up the phone and turned to Ted. “Down the hallway, second door on the right.”

  Ted hurried out of the room and down the hallway. He knocked on the door.

  “Come in, Dr. Wallace,” Cal called out.

  Ted opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.

  Cal looked up and motioned for him to have a seat across from him. Ted walked over and sat down.

  “How can I help you?” Cal leaned back in his chair and waited.

  “It’s Raven.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s leaving tomorrow. She’s going back to New York.”

  “She told you this?” Cal sat up straight.

  “Yes, today at the funeral. You’ve got to stop her.”

  “I tried that, and it didn’t work the first time. I doubt it would work the second time.” Cal gave his head a small shake.

  “So is that why you had her arrested?”

  Cal looked away for a moment. He breathed out. “Not entirely.”

  “Callie threw her out of the house.”

  “She what?” Cal put his arm on the desk and leaned in forward.

  Ted nodded. “She threw her out.”

  “Why?”

  “Who knows why Callie does anything she does?”

  “Raven didn’t say?”

  “No. Raven isn’t saying anything. I tried to talk with her after the funeral, but she just clammed up. Only spoke about Suzanne taking the dog and a little about her trip back home. You’ve got to figure out a way to stop her.”

  “Why is this so important to you?”

  Ted lowered his head. “I’d rather not say.”

  Cal watched him a long moment and then asked, “Are you in love with her?”

  Ted’s head jerked up. “No! I mean, I’ve come to love her as if she were my own daughter, but no. Not like that.”

  Cal kept his confused expression.

  Ted adjusted himself in his chair. “Sheriff, you’ve got to trust me on this. She doesn’t need to go home yet.”

  “Is she in any danger?”

  “No, but she has been hurt so much so many times in the past. Leaving right now will only make it worse.”

  “You’re not making any sense.”

  Ted looked away and then looked back. “That book she wrote has everyone in this town wondering whether or not it’s fiction or truth. Have you read it?”

  Cal shifted in his seat.

  “I can tell by the look on your face that you have. I haven’t read it yet. Hadn’t had the time to. But I heard all about it at work today. Some of the nurses and a few of the doctors have read it or know someone who has. If she wrote it on the belief that everything she was told while she lived here was true, then she is living a lie and will leave here believing that lie for the rest of her life.”

  “What do you know that you aren’t telling me?”

  “Everything out of Caldonia’s mouth is and always has been a lie. Callie has lied to Raven sinc
e she was a child.”

  56

  Bull frogs croaked in the lake while the tree frogs chirped in the nearby trees surrounding the cabin. A slight breeze blew, rustling the leaves on the trees.

  Gabriel smelled the shrubs near the front of the cabin and then hiked his leg. While Raven waited on the front porch for him to finish his business, she glanced up at the bright stars over head in the black night sky. A sight she didn’t see in New York City. She’d always loved living in the country, but it had come with a heavy price, and one she wasn’t willing to pay anymore. She looked back at the dog. She would miss him. The only friend she’d found since she’d been back.

  Well, there’s Ted, she thought.

  He’d been a good friend to her. He was kind, gentle, and caring. How he ended up with her mother was a mystery.

  A person would have to be hard up to want to live with that woman.

  But her mother had fooled many people over the years. Raven was just one of the few who knew her up close and personal. She touched her still swollen lip where Callie had left a sting. A reminder that, even though Raven was a grown woman now, Callie would try to continue that abuse if Raven stayed on much longer.

  Headlights lit up the short driveway. She shielded her eyes with her hand and looked. The squad car came to a stop. Cal got out from the driver’s side and Justin from the passenger side.

  Gabriel trotted over to greet them. Cal patted him on the head, and then walked to the porch, and stood in front of the steps. Justin waited by the car.

  “Sheriff, what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I’ve been told that you plan on leaving tomorrow.”

  “Yes. There’s no need for me to stay any longer.”

  “We had an agreement,” he said.

  “No, you had an agreement. I never agreed to anything.”

  “You said you’d stay if I gave you a get out of jail card.”

  “And did you? I don’t remember you giving me a card.”

  “Well, no, but … it was a make-believe card.”

  “I don’t believe in make-believe. I never have and never will.”

  He shook his head. “I’m telling you, you can’t leave right now.”