by Ronica Black
He looked down and shoved nervous hands into his pockets. “Bea said he wasn’t paying me enough, so I quit.” He shrugged.
“He was paying you a fair wage, Billy. I told you he would.” She’d secured the job for him from inside, promised him Mr. Dudley was a good guy. Damn Bea.
“How long ago did you quit?”
Again he shrugged. “Bea said we could make more money making deliveries. But I didn’t like that. The people weren’t nice and they told me I might have to hurt someone if they didn’t pay. They wanted me to hurt a lot of people. So I stopped doing that.”
“So now you have no money?”
He shook his head.
“How long?”
“Since Bea’s been gone.”
Furious, Brynn crossed the room and flipped the light switches. Nothing. “Billy, the power’s been cut off. That’s why there’s no AC. Bea hasn’t paid the damn bill.” She stormed into her room, so angry she could fight a room full of hornets and relish the stings. She stopped and stared. Her dressers were gone. She walked to her closet and yanked open the door. Thankfully, most of her clothes were still there. She grabbed a small flashlight, switched it on to make sure it worked, and exited. She found Billy standing in the bedroom doorway.
“Bea sold your furniture. Said we needed the money.”
She rubbed her face, exasperated.
“Billy, go shower. Put on a clean shirt and shorts.”
“Where we going?”
“To Nanny’s tree.”
“Why?”
“Just go get ready, okay?”
He walked off to shower and she went down to the dank, soil smelling basement. She again switched on the flashlight and began searching for the garden spade. She found it where she left it years ago, stuck in an old flower pot from when she’d last planted spring flowers. It was amazing how some things changed and some things didn’t. As if Billy and Bea were mere ghosts sleeping and eating in the house but doing and touching little else. She turned off the flashlight and went out through the back basement door, locking it behind her. She walked across the lawn, through the big pecan trees her grandfather had planted to her great-aunt’s house. She pulled open the glass weather door and knocked as she entered. Ice cold air welcomed her. May preferred it arctic cold, and Brynn always enjoyed it for the first fifteen minutes, then she always ended up hugging herself, frozen.
“May, it’s Brynn!” She waited by the door taking in the smell of spice and antique furniture.
A voice came from the kitchen. “Well, I’ll be, it’s Brynny.” Her aunt appeared and walked slowly to where she stood, arms open for an embrace. Brynn hugged her and teared up. May had always been her rock, and the thought of her getting on in years bothered her. She seemed to be shrinking, and she was feeble looking but still dressed in pressed pants and a nice blouse. Her hair was perfectly set and she still smelled the same. White Shoulders.
“How are you, young’un?”
Brynn forced a smile. “I’m okay, May. I’m okay.”
May patted her abdomen. “Do they not feed you in prison?” Her crinkled eyes showed concern and she backed away offering Brynn a seat.
“Not anything you would want to eat,” Brynn said, sitting on the maroon leather sofa. May sat next to her and held her hands.
“Well, are you hungry? I just made an egg salad for later. But I could make you a sandwich now.”
“No, no thanks. Not right now.”
May smiled and studied her closely. The woman could see things, sense things. Not a word needed to be spoken.
“What is it, child? Bea or Billy?”
Brynn sighed. “Both.”
“I’ve been feeding Billy and he’s been up here doing his wash.”
“We have no power, he has no money, so that doesn’t surprise me.”
May patted her hand. “And Bea?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know where she is. Apparently, she got Billy into delivering drugs. So he quit his job. His good job. Now he’s got nothing, and he’s been living that way since Bea came to get me.”
“I don’t know what all’s been going on. I’ve been telling you as much as I can. You know Bea doesn’t come up here since I stopped giving her money. And Billy, he comes, but he won’t tell me things.”
“I know.” Brynn closed her eyes. “I appreciate what you do. We’d be lost without you.”
May watched her. “What else, honey. A policeman? I saw one bring you in. Got all the phones a ringing around here.”
Brynn pressed her lips together. “That, Aunt May, is a story for another day. Right now, I need to borrow your Lincoln to go get some money and pay some bills, get some food.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “You know where the keys are. Are you sure you won’t have a sandwich?”
Brynn kissed her cheek. “Later, I promise. Billy and I will come eat with you.”
Brynn crossed to the kitchen to retrieve the keys. When she returned, she hugged May again and exited to her front porch. The mosquitoes were already out, floating around the lawn ornaments, seeking, searching, like little sharks. She smacked her legs as she opened the old Lincoln’s large door, tossed in the spade, and slid inside to start the engine. She backed out and drove to her house where she honked for Billy. He came out and jogged to the car, tugging on his ball cap. When he climbed in she could smell the Irish Spring on him.
“You going to tell me why we’re going to Nanny’s tree?”
She put the car in gear and drove up Williams Lane. “To get some money.”
“There’s money at Nanny’s tree?”
“There is.”
He sat back and didn’t ask any more questions, and she didn’t offer any more information. The money had been her well-kept secret and she’d promised to never tell anyone about it and to only use it in emergencies. Her Nanny had left it to her when she’d died, and Brynn had been smart enough to bury it out where her grandmother had grown up. Far away from Bea.
When she pulled into the old Holland homestead, she crept down the dirt road, hoping those who now lived on the property wouldn’t give them any trouble. Their mobile homes were off in the distance, so she hoped to be in and out. Billy stirred, having fallen asleep on the ride over.
“We here?” He rubbed his eyes.
“Mm hm.” Brynn grabbed the garden spade and climbed from the car. Billy did the same. The tree in front of them was a large willow. Her grandmother had always claimed it’s where she would run to when she needed time to think. As a child, she’d buried things there. Trinkets, toys, anything she wanted to hide from her siblings. So it had only been natural for Brynn to think of the tree when she needed to hide the money.
Tears burned her eyes as Brynn located the spot and sank to her knees. She reached up to trace her grandmother’s initials in the bark. Then, as Billy sank down next to her, she dug. The earth was soft, the dirt red. She dug until she hit tin and stopped. With Billy’s help they scooped the dirt away and exposed the old tin lunchbox. Brynn laughed.
“Remember this?” She lifted the Smurfs lunchbox and brushed it off.
Billy nodded. “That was Emily’s wasn’t it?”
“Sure was.” Emily, their older cousin, had always given them her hand-me-downs. Including the lunchbox.
Brynn set the box on the ground and unlatched the rusted locks. She popped the lid and sighed with relief.
“Thank God.” She looked to the sky. “Thank you.”
“How much is that?” Billy asked, sweat trickling down his temples.
“Never you mind,” she said. “Enough. And that’s all that matters.”
They stood and hurried back to the car. Brynn kept the box in her lap and drove back down the road. Quickly, she pulled back on the main road and sped toward town. Billy made waves with his arm out the window, playing with the hot air. She watched him and wiped away a tear. He was so naïve, so sweet. He’d tested low in school and she’d had to put him on a different bus every morning so he
could go to the school that better met his needs. She’d worried about him constantly for as long as she could remember while Bea had taken him under her wing and used him to carry out things she didn’t want to do herself. It infuriated Brynn, but Billy couldn’t see it and he loved Bea so much.
“I’m going to call tonight and get your job back, okay?”
Billy smiled. “Okay.”
“Billy?”
He looked at her. “Yeah?”
“You still doing drugs?”
His eyes fell and he looked regretful, like he felt ashamed about her asking. “No. Not in a long time. I don’t like how I feel when I can’t get them.”
She nodded. “Good. Now you know what I mean when I say they aren’t good.”
“Yeah. But Bea does. Her and Robbie, they do a lot of bad things. You would be mad. And I don’t want you mad at me.”
She reached over and patted his leg. “I’m not mad at you, Billy. I just worry. I just wish you would listen to me rather than Bea.”
He looked back out the window. “I think I should too. I think you love me more.”
Brynn blinked at him. Maybe he understood more than she thought.
“Where’s your mountain bike?” He always got around town on his bike. He loved the freedom it gave him.
“Bea sold it.”
Brynn clenched her jaw. “Okay.” She tried to sound lighthearted. “We’ll get you another one.”
“Really?” He lifted his ball cap and scratched his hairline.
“Sure. You gotta get around, right? And we’ll get you a good lock and you can lock it up at home too where Bea and her friends can’t get it.”
He smiled, pulled down his ball cap, and once again made waves in the air with his arm. Brynn drove on thinking about Bea. She wondered where she was and where she’d left the car. If she was smart she would cross the state line and hide out somewhere far away. But Bea didn’t like leaving home and rarely ventured from the county. Big cities overwhelmed her. She liked rural areas and old farmhouses on acres of land. She’d once said she’d never leave Williams Lane. Brynn hoped she was okay, but more than anything, she hoped she’d turn herself in for her own sake. Her current situation was dangerous, and Brynn didn’t want her getting hurt or causing anyone else to get hurt.
She breathed deeply as she thought about Vander’s partner and what Deputy Murphy had said. Deputy Damien might not survive. Brynn cringed as a wave of guilt overcame her. Why didn’t she check his pulse? Why didn’t she make sure he was dead?
Maybe he would’ve had a better chance if she’d dragged him to the car too. But he’d looked dead, bullet wound to the head. She wrung her hands along the steering wheel. She felt responsible, and she hated thinking about how badly his loss would hurt Vander.
She swallowed around a tightening throat as she entered town and slowed to pull into the power company to pay the bill. She wished there was something she could do. She had to make it right or the guilt would eat her alive. She just wasn’t sure what she could do.
Billy climbed out of the car with her.
“I have a lot to do the next week or so,” she said to Billy. “But we will definitely get you a new bike, okay?”
He nodded and they opened the door to clean up yet another one of Bea’s messes. Was this how the rest of her life was going to play out?
Chapter Ten
Kat walked into the hospital, clenching her fist in nervousness. It felt like the hundredth time she’d come to see Damien, but it didn’t seem to matter when it came to her nerves. The first time she’d had to insist on coming, insisting Margie drive her. When she’d entered Damien’s room she’d gasped and backed up, completely unprepared for what she’d seen. His wife, Genie, had come to her, grabbed her hand, and led her to a chair. Damien was lifeless, machine pushing in breath after breath, hissing. His head was shaven, wrapped partially in a bandage. His chest rose and fell with the hissing.
“No one told me,” Kat had said. “Oh God, no one told me.”
She’d lit into her captain and Murph both that evening when she’d gotten home. Why hadn’t they told her how serious he was? She’d been asking and asking about him, but they had only told her he was still healing. They’d said that they were trying to protect her, to allow her to heal a little first. While she understood their intent, she didn’t agree with it. What if Damien had died? She wouldn’t have had the chance to tell him good-bye.
Damien had been her close friend for ten years. They’d been fast friends since the first day they’d met in the gym, both of them grunting louder than the others as they pushed themselves beyond limits. Their fellow officers laughed and gave them a hard time. Kat had looked at Damien and shrugged.
“Jealousy’s a disease,” she’d said to the others. “Get well soon, fellas.” She then high-fived Damien as he laughed and introduced himself.
They’d been nearly inseparable ever since, and when Damien had been assigned to work with her, a bond had formed. One of mutual respect and caring and something that went deeper. She watched his back, made sure he made it home to his wife and kids. She’d been there for his wedding, the birth of his kids. She’d rescued a dog and given it to his kids for Christmas, much to his dismay, which had only made her and Genie laugh. She loved him. He was blood. Family. And no one was allowed to fuck with that.
She pushed the button for the elevator and rotated her shoulder, finally free of the sling. She’d already started a little physical therapy, which she hated. But she did it anyway, pushing through the frustration, the setbacks, her need for perfection. She had always excelled, and it wasn’t easy to see her body so weak and unable to function properly. Damien would give her such shit if he could see her lose her temper at therapy. The thought made her laugh and then tear up. He would have to wake up first.
The elevator door opened and she stepped in. A woman with balloons and flowers entered, taking up most of the space. Kat had done the same on the first visit, but today she brought him his favorite—banana pudding. Even if he wasn’t awake, she believed he could hear her, and she was damn sure gonna let him know that she and Genie were enjoying it without him. If that didn’t get to him and make him wake up, nothing would.
She politely pushed past the balloons and stepped out at her floor. She walked quickly with her typical long strides. The closer she came to his room, the more nervous she grew. Sweat formed at her hairline and dripped down the back of her neck. Seeing him hooked up to all those machines scared the shit out of her. He looked so pale, thin. Gaunt. It was like watching helplessly as your dear brother slipped away, tethered to life by cords hooked to machines. She prayed he’d hang on, hang on tight to those tethers.
She came to his room, gave a few nurses at their circular counter a wave, and pushed open the cracked door to enter. But she heard a voice, a familiar voice, and she halted to listen. Her heart pounded as she heard Brynn Williams speak to Genie.
“I’m just so sorry. I should’ve done more. Should’ve thought to do more. He just looked so bad and he didn’t move…I’m just so sorry. It’s my fault he’s so bad off. I could’ve got him help a lot sooner.” She grew quiet and then Kat could hear her stifle back sobs.
Genie spoke, and Kat could see her cross the room to where Brynn must be standing. Kat pushed the door open a little farther and saw them embrace. She took in a quick breath, the sight moving her deep inside.
“Don’t you burden yourself with this,” Genie said through tears. “You did the best you could. Lord knows what you went through just helping the way you did. Honestly, after I saw the dash cam footage, I can’t believe Kat or Brian are alive at all.”
“I could’ve done more,” Brynn said. Kat saw them pull apart, and Genie brushed Brynn’s hair from her face.
“He’s alive. He’s alive because of you.” She smiled softly. “Thank you for that.”
Brynn wiped her eyes, then dug in her jeans pocket. She pulled out a folded stack of money and tried to press it to Genie’s
palm. “This is all I can do,” she said. “God knows if I could wake him up, I would. But I can’t.”
“Brynn, please, no. I can’t take this.”
“Please do. I know you have children, a home to care for. This will help a little.”
Genie held her forearms. “Trust me, we are well cared for. We are loved. Damien…he means so much to a lot of people.”
Brynn eventually nodded and shoved the bills back into her pocket. “If you ever need anything, you’ll call me?”
“I will,” Genie said. “But please don’t be a stranger. Stay awhile. Visit often. He can hear us. I believe that with everything I am.”
Brynn and Genie crossed to Damien. Brynn took his hand and sat. Genie stood, hand on her shoulder. Brynn massaged his hand and Kat heated, knowing she should look away, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the tender moment.
Just then she felt a hand touch her shoulder from behind. “Excuse me,” a nurse said pushing a machine. “I need to check on him.”
Kat moved aside, exposing her presence. Genie smiled.
“Kat, you’re back so soon.” She greeted the nurse with a pat to her arm and left Brynn sitting with Damien. Genie enveloped her in a warm hug. “It’s good to see you.” Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, her face pale and hollow. She’d done a lot of crying and praying, and it was beginning to show.
“I can’t seem to stay away,” Kat said, trying to sound casual. “He’s never going to get rid of me you know.”
Genie laughed. “I’m sure he’s aware of that.”
“He better be,” Kat said, stepping farther in the room. She handed over the container of pudding. “Banana,” she said. “His favorite.”
“Oh my Lord, you didn’t. Babe, you hear that? Banana pudding.” She placed it on a bed table and offered Kat a seat. “Kat, do you know…of course you do,” Genie said, catching herself.
Kat met Brynn’s gaze. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears. It had been almost two weeks since she’d seen her, and she looked as beautiful as ever, in loose jeans and a white polo style shirt. Her thick hair hung below her shoulders and reflected waves of auburn in the sunlight coming in through the blinds. She offered a smile, but it fell quickly. She gently released Damien’s hand and stood.