Jagger

by Kristopher Rufty

  Odd question. Why would you ask me that? Shouldn’t you be asking how Amy is doing? Or anything other than why I’m here?

  “Wanted to see if you happened to go back to the house at any point yesterday.”

  “Why?”

  Mark closed the notepad. “Just curious if you saw anything.”

  Teresa shook her head. “No. I didn’t go over there, I mean.”

  “Not after you left?”

  “Right. I’ve been here.”

  “All day and night?”

  “Well...” She made a face that was almost a wince. “Not all day. I was out for some of the time.”

  Mark nodded. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Any reason why you have been ignoring Amy’s attempts of contacting you?”

  Teresa looked down at her legs like a guilty child. “Um…”

  “She said she’s been trying to reach you.”

  “I know. It’s just…” She raised her head. Though her face was smudged in shadow, he could see the haunted regret in her eyes. “I got back together with my boyfriend. Amy’s going to be pissed about it. I mean—I just couldn’t tell her, you know? Not yet, anyway.”

  Mark released a slow breath through his nostrils, intentionally trying to show his disappointment in her answer. “I see.” Teresa watched him as if expecting him to say more. But he decided to let it go for now. “That should about do it.”

  “Oh? Okay.”

  “I’ll be in touch again, I’m sure. Once I find out some more information, I’ll have more questions.”

  “Sure. Anyway I can help, let me know.”

  Now that I’m leaving, she’s ready to cooperate.

  Standing, Mark slipped the pad back into his pocket. “For one, call your friend. She’s worried about you.”

  Teresa quickly stood up and came to him. “I will.” She looked eager to escort him out of her home.

  They headed for the kitchen.

  He knew he couldn’t judge her for it, but she was acting nervous and strange. That wasn’t anything to fret over, though. Most people acted the same way when speaking with a cop.

  But he decided to say something else, to judge her reaction.

  “Oh, one more thing,” he said, stopping.

  She paused, turning to face him. “Yeah?”

  “Know anybody that owns a white van?”

  The color seemed to drain from her face, making her even paler in the murky light. “A white van?”

  “Yeah. Neighbors reported seeing one in the area yesterday. No windows in the back? Kind of like a maintenance van? Know anybody who drives one?”

  Teresa looked as if she’d become lost in her thoughts. Her eyes stared just off to the side of Mark, as if she was watching something happen behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure there wasn’t anything.

  Just a blank wall with cracks in the paint.

  “No,” she said in a scratchy voice. She cleared her throat. “Not that I can recall.”

  Liar.

  Mark nodded. “Okay. It was worth a shot.”

  Back in the car, Mark sat behind the wheel, enjoying the feel of the cool air blowing from the vents. The kids were no longer on the playground equipment. Maybe the heat was too much even for them.

  “She was lying,” he said to the empty car. “Why?”

  Mark had no idea. Teresa knew something about Jagger, he was sure of it. He’d almost mentioned the cigar but decided to hold back. For now. He’d use it later. Right now, he would let Teresa squirm for a bit.

  He grabbed the mouthpiece from the CB and raised it to his mouth. “Dispatch.”

  “Is that you Unit five?”

  “Sure is.”

  “What do I owe the pleasure of this little call?” asked Carla’s distorted voice.

  “Afraid it’s official business.”

  “Aw, pooh. A girl can dream, right?” She laughed.

  Mark smiled. He liked her laugh. “I sent something over to Pierce to be checked for DNA. Has he left a message for me?”

  “As a matter of fact...” She paused. He heard the whispery sounds of rustling paper. “Yes. He wants you to call him around four. Said he should have some information for you by then.”

  “Four?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you very much.”

  “Got any lunch plans?”

  Actually, I was going to drop in on Amy.

  “Afraid so,” he said.

  “Oh, pooh, again. It’s not my day at all.”

  “Talk to you later.”

  “Take care of yourself out there.”

  He returned the microphone back to the base. He looked through the windshield toward Teresa’s apartment.

  How do you fit into this?

  Hopefully Pierce might be able to shed some light on that mystery.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Clayton raised the cigarette to his mouth with a trembling hand. He had trouble getting his lips around the filter from how badly it shook. There was another sizzling zap of the cattle prod, followed by a throaty wail from Jagger.

  Jesus H. Sounds like Freddy’s killing him.

  Jagger’s cries overpowered the range of barking from the pens in the back. It was as if the other mutts knew one of their own was being tortured.

  Stan had said the dog would stop feeling pain, and Clayton hoped it was soon. Right now Freddy was trying to make him mean, but to Clayton it seemed to not be working.

  “Fucking shit!” Freddy shouted from inside the barn. He’d sounded like a shrieking woman.

  Clayton stood outside, leaning against the barn’s wall. His legs felt weak and stringy. If he had to walk at this moment, he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Never before had he felt this way during a dog’s programming. Maybe it was because Jagger just seemed to maintain so much innocence in him, a genuine display of love and trust.

  Asshole had even licked Stan’s hand, as if telling him he forgave him before being stuck with the needles.

  Six times. Stan had injected the large dog six times, and Jagger had handled it just fine. The last two had seemed to actually hurt him, though the others acted as if they’d had no effect.

  “Make sure he gets plenty of water,” said Stan. “The water will speed up the process.”

  Well, Jagger has had nothing but water.

  Sometime today they would start the raw meat feeding. Getting the taste of blood in his mouth. Raw meat made the dogs crazy, especially if it was all they ate. Freddy guaranteed by the time he was finished with Jagger, his new name would be The Terminator.

  Clayton heard the dull strikes of Freddy’s fists pounding Jagger. The dog yelped and cried, which seemed to make Freddy hit him harder.

  He wished he had some music to listen to, something to drown out those anguished whines.

  “You like that, fucking cock-sucker!?!” Freddy shouted. “How about this?”

  Zzzzzzz.

  The cattle prod’s zap seemed to linger much longer than needed. Jagger shrieked and groaned, as if begging Freddy to stop.

  Asshole.

  Who was Clayton to judge Freddy? He was the reason the dog had been brought here. Feeling sorry for the stupid thing or despising Freddy for his blatant mistreatment of animals would do nothing to cleanse his soul. If there was a hell, he was surely going there, along with Freddy.

  Clayton felt vibrations in his leg. At first he thought his muscles were starting to give out and he would finally drop from having to listen to Jagger’s anguish for so long.

  Then he realized it was only his phone.

  Tugging it out of his pocket, he read the screen. Teresa had sent him a text message. He’d left this morning while she was still sleeping. After going home to change his clothes, he’d come to the barn to find Freddy had already began working on Jagger. He’d claimed he’d been up all night, pounding hell into the poor dog, and Clayton didn’t doubt it was true.

  He thumbed the button on the phone so he could read the m
essage.

  Cop came by. Somebody saw the white van. Asked questions. I think he knows somethin’.

  Clayton suddenly felt cold in the stifling heat. The sweat trickling down his body felt like ice water.

  He wanted to ask Teresa more about her visitor, but replied with: Ok. Talk later.

  Before he’d even lowered his arm, she had already responded.

  Ok. I love you.

  Seeing she’d written that did nothing to make Clayton feel better. He felt worse. Guilty. As if he’d somehow ruined Teresa, and she was too stupid to realize it.

  I have. She’s fucked too, if we get caught.

  “Ow!”

  Freddy’s cry of pain snapped Clayton out of his self-blaming mood. Turning around, he looked into the darkened entrance of the barn.

  “You damn bastard! Bite me, will you?”

  A moment later a leathery snap resonated from the shadows. Jagger’s yelps sounded worse than before.

  Clayton guessed Jagger had finally had enough and let Freddy know it by biting him. Now Freddy was teaching him a lesson with the whip.

  If Jagger lashed out at Freddy, the programming was working. Before long, Jagger would be the monster Clayton needed him to be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Amy hoped her disappointment wasn’t noticeable when she opened the door. She’d finally gotten dressed and was about to take a walk through the neighborhood to look for Jagger when somebody knocked on the door. Expecting it to be Mark Varner, she’d hurried to the door and opened it.

  Ellie Riley stood on the other side, a plate sheathed in aluminum foil propped on the flat of her hand. She had on a sundress, blue with white flora printed across. Her graying hair was pulled back on her head. The sunlight seemed to magnify her eyes, making them sparkle like glass.

  “Good morning,” said Ellie, from the other side of the storm door.

  Smiling, Amy unlocked the door, and pushed it open. Ellie took it. “This is a surprise,” said Amy. She stepped back to give her neighbor room to enter.

  “Hopefully I’m not intruding.”

  “Not at all, come in.”

  Ellie stepped past Amy, into the hall. “Brought you some breakfast. Have you eaten?”

  Amy caught the salty scent of bacon and felt her mouth fill with slobber. She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Didn’t think so.” She gave Amy the plate. “It’s been wrapped since I cooked it, should still be warm.”

  Amy felt heat seeping through the bottom of the paper plate. Her stomach trembled from the food. She hadn’t felt like eating all morning since the throbbing head and the soreness in her eyes had ruined her appetite.

  But this plate in her hand had changed her mind.

  “Come sit down,” said Amy. She started down the hall. Looking back, she saw Ellie following her. “I really appreciate this, Ellie.”

  “It’s not a problem. Not exactly breakfast in bed, but it’s the best I could do.” She smiled.

  “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  They stepped into the living room. Amy walked straight to the couch and sat down. She put the plate on the coffee table. From habit, she checked for Jagger to make sure he wasn’t going to come and try to snatch the food away from her.

  He’s not here, moron.

  It hit her again. The realization that he was gone seemed to drain the delight she was beginning to find.

  Ellie must have noticed. “Not doing well this morning?”

  Amy shook her head. “I keep forgetting he’s not here.”

  Frowning, Ellie nodded. “I know the feeling.”

  Forcing a smile on her face, Amy looked up. “Now what have you brought me?”

  “Open her up and find out. I didn’t bring a fork, so I’ll grab one of yours.”

  “Okay. First drawer when you go into the kitchen.”

  Nodding, Ellie walked into the kitchen. She stepped behind the counter, looking. “Ah.” A drawer opened. Silverware clattered. The drawer shut. Then Ellie returned, holding out a fork. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks,” said Amy, taking it. She unwrapped the foil as if it were a present. It made soft squeaking sounds that made her teeth tingle when she folded it away from the plate. “Oh, wow.”

  Two fried eggs with a thin layer of white covering the yellow bulges, three pieces of bacon, two pieces of sausage, a scooping of hash browns and a biscuit.

  All it was missing was a bowl of grits, but Amy wasn’t going to complain. This was the best looking breakfast she’d had in a while.

  “This looks delicious,” she said.

  “It is. I’m a cocky bitch when it comes to my cooking.”

  Amy laughed. Her cheeks warmed. Something about hearing a woman Ellie’s age use language like that made her blush. “Do you cook like this every morning?”

  “Not exactly. Big Jim wondered what the occasion was. I told him I was making enough for you. Should’ve seen his face light up. He thought you might be joining us.”

  Amy saw Jim in the woods, watching her as she pretended to sleep on the blanket. The heat of the sun had slicked her body with sweat. She had untied the straps of her top and folded the patches down. All that had kept them from falling off her breasts had been her hard nipples.

  She pushed the memory away. Nothing would ruin this meal.

  Ellie sat down on the love seat against the wall. She sighed as if it felt good to be off her feet. She crossed her leg over a knee. The creamy shade of her skin glowed. Though she had no tan, Amy couldn’t ignore the nice shape of Ellie’s legs.

  She stabbed the fork into the flimsy hump of the egg. Yolk oozed out. Taking a bite, she moaned at the delicious taste.

  “Good, huh?” asked Ellie.

  “Amazing.”

  Ellie laughed. “Well, thank you.” She rubbed her knee. “I hope you don’t mind, but I walked around asking some of the neighbors if they’ve seen your dog.”

  “Oh, Ellie. I wish you wouldn’t do that. Some of our neighbors aren’t exactly...decent.”

  “Don’t I know it? No worries, I didn’t go to the other side of the park. Just this side.”

  “Nobody’s seen him?”

  Ellie shook her head. “Afraid not. I take it he hasn’t come home, either?”

  Amy clamped her teeth on a bacon strip and snatched off a chewy portion. “No.”

  Frowning, Ellie nodded. “That sucks.”

  “Yeah.” Amy swallowed. “I was about to walk around and call for him. Maybe even walk around the woods for a little while. Who knows, he might be out there. Might’ve gotten hurt.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  Amy shook her head. “No.”

  Ellie absently stroked her shin, her sandal hung from her toes, leaving her heel bare. “What are you going to do?”

  Amy shrugged. “I have no clue.”

  “Well hurry up and eat. We’ll go out there and look around.”

  “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “You didn’t. I volunteered.”

  Amy smiled with a mouthful of hash browns, nodded. She didn’t want to drag Ellie into it, but she also wasn’t eager to go out there alone. She’d probably just keep putting it off if it was left up to her.

  “Sure,” said Amy. “That’d be fine.”

  After Amy finished eating, Ellie took the plate and dropped it in the trash. She set the fork in the sink. Returning to the living room, she brushed her hands together. “Ready to go?”

  Amy, standing by the back door, slid her feet into her sandals. “As ready as I’m going to be.”

  Probably going to regret going out in the heat with so much greasy food in my belly.

  Breakfast felt heavy in her stomach. Maybe the walk would help. They could hike the horseshoe road and back. With Ellie, she wasn’t too worried about walking to the other side. Nobody had ever tried anything with her before, but she wasn’t going to risk it. It helped being the one who owned the land, though she doubted it mattered too much to some of the r
esidents.

  Plus, Carlos would probably be outside with his buddies and all their roaming eyes. Maybe they won’t be so obvious with their gawking if Ellie was with her.

  Amy grabbed her keys from the board on the wall, and slid them into her shorts. She opened the door, bumping the storm door open with her hip.

  Janice’s envelope was still there. Amy had forgotten all about it.

  “Got mail?” asked Ellie from behind her.

  “Whoops.”

  Bending over, she grabbed the envelope. It felt a little thick. Some amount of lot rent was definitely inside. Not wanting to count the money in front of Ellie, she stuffed it into her other pocket.

  At the end of Amy’s driveway, they went to the right, heading toward the main strip of Eagle’s Nest.

  “Hot as hell already, isn’t it?” Ellie asked.

  “Very.”

  Felt like a muggy foot was squashing down on her back. Sweat wiggled down her sides, tickling her. Her hair on her neck made it worse. She wished she’d put it up like Ellie’s before leaving.

  Too late now.

  “You sure Big Jim isn’t going to mind you being with me?”

  “Bah,” said Ellie, waving her hand. “Don’t mind him. If he had his choice, we’d spend all our time with those damn chickens.”

  Amy laughed, though she knew she probably shouldn’t. Peeping actions aside, she found Big Jim to be a pretty depressing guy. She could tell he constantly annoyed Ellie with just his presence, and she felt sympathy for him in that regard. After spotting him lurking just beyond her property last month, she kind of was afraid of him now. Hopefully she’d get over it, since he’d never done anything to cause her discomfort until then.

  They walked in silence for a while, listening to the birds chirping. In the distance, a lawn mower droned on. It was a comforting sound that blended nicely with the birds.

  “Well,” said Amy, “guess I better start.” Cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her shout, she called for Jagger. The name echoed, growing fainter until it dissipated.

  Approaching Ellie’s driveway up ahead, Amy saw a pinwheel sitting crooked beside the mailbox. Weeds reached up through the spokes, waving in a breeze that Amy’s sweaty skin couldn’t feel.