morning.”
Earl David took
quick successive draws from his cigarette as he looked at the photos.
“Is it
commonplace for customers to leave things at the lake?” Maggie asked.
Earl David
flicked the stub of the cigarette onto the ground and lit another one with a
blue Bic lighter. “Ah, you wouldn’t believe the stuff I find around here.
Billfolds, glasses, keys. One feller even lost his teeth. Hey, I’ve got to get
this weed eating done, but that stuff in those pictures, I ain’t never seen any
of that before.”
I didn’t ask if you had seen them, Maggie thought to herself.
When no one
answered at Dennis’ trailer, Maggie said, “Rats,” and looked around the sparse
lawn as if she expected Dennis to materialize among the dandelions. “As long as
I’m here,” she said to herself, “I’ll drive up the road and see if Fallon’s
home.”
Fallon’s shiny
new car was in the driveway, and Dennis was there, too, power washing the
house. Maggie decided to visit with Fallon until Dennis took a break from his
chore. When Fallon came to the door, Maggie was taken aback by the young
woman’s appearance. Fallon’s resemblance to a raccoon was more striking than it
had been on Maggie’s first visit. Her tanned face and blue eyes had reddened
from crying and her ample eye makeup had smeared and run.
When Maggie
asked her what had happened, Fallon resumed crying and handed Maggie a piece of
paper. Maggie read the eviction letter and winced.
“I’m sorry,
Fallon, but look on the bright side, if you find a bigger place to live, you
can get the rest of the bedroom set.”
“I can’t afford
a bigger place.” Her attempt to wipe away tears from her eyes only succeeded in
making dark tears run down her face.
“Where’s your
bathroom?” Maggie asked.
“Down the hall,”
Fallon sniffed.
Maggie walked
down the short hallway and into the bathroom. She turned on the bathroom faucet
and opened the cabinet to look for a wash cloth. She picked up a burgundy cloth
and started to close the cabinet door when a black eyeliner pencil grabbed her
attention. She stepped out of the bathroom and looked down the hall before
picking up the pencil. “It looks like the one found near Hazel’s body,” she
whispered to herself, “but it is a popular brand. There might even be one in my
bathroom.” She put the pencil in the cabinet, warmed the cloth, and returned to
the living room.
Maggie handed
the cloth to the still-sobbing Fallon. “Wash your face with this. It will make
you feel better.”
Fallon wiped her
face. “Nothing will make me feel better. I don’t know what me and Cullen are
going to do.”
“Where is
Cullen?”
“With his dad.”
“Fallon, I know
this is none of my business, but does Cullen’s dad pay child support?”
The warm wash
cloth made Fallon’s young face appear even softer. “I’ll give him that much. He
takes care of Cullen, but the mines he was working at closed down. He’s found
another job, but it don’t pay that much.”
“Between child
support and your salary, I’m sure you can find a place that’s just as good, if
not better, than this one.”
“No, this place
was perfect for us. Me and Cullen never had it so good.” She fell back onto the
sofa and smoothed the wash cloth on her brown legs. “It wasn’t supposed to work
out like this. Everything was supposed to be taken care of.”
“Taken care of? What
do you mean by that, Fallon?”
Without looking at Maggie, Fallon said, “I think I’ll take a nap.”
When Maggie
stepped outside, she didn’t hear the motor of the power washer. Deducing that
Dennis had taken a break, she followed the extension cord until she found him on
the back steps chugging a sports drink.
“That’s a good
idea,” Maggie said, pointing to the bottle of orange liquid. “It’s important to
stay hydrated on a hot, humid day like this.”
Dennis looked at
the sports drink like he had never seen it before.
“Do you mind if
I talk to
Earl David took
quick successive draws from his cigarette as he looked at the photos.
“Is it
commonplace for customers to leave things at the lake?” Maggie asked.
Earl David
flicked the stub of the cigarette onto the ground and lit another one with a
blue Bic lighter. “Ah, you wouldn’t believe the stuff I find around here.
Billfolds, glasses, keys. One feller even lost his teeth. Hey, I’ve got to get
this weed eating done, but that stuff in those pictures, I ain’t never seen any
of that before.”
I didn’t ask if you had seen them, Maggie thought to herself.
When no one
answered at Dennis’ trailer, Maggie said, “Rats,” and looked around the sparse
lawn as if she expected Dennis to materialize among the dandelions. “As long as
I’m here,” she said to herself, “I’ll drive up the road and see if Fallon’s
home.”
Fallon’s shiny
new car was in the driveway, and Dennis was there, too, power washing the
house. Maggie decided to visit with Fallon until Dennis took a break from his
chore. When Fallon came to the door, Maggie was taken aback by the young
woman’s appearance. Fallon’s resemblance to a raccoon was more striking than it
had been on Maggie’s first visit. Her tanned face and blue eyes had reddened
from crying and her ample eye makeup had smeared and run.
When Maggie
asked her what had happened, Fallon resumed crying and handed Maggie a piece of
paper. Maggie read the eviction letter and winced.
“I’m sorry,
Fallon, but look on the bright side, if you find a bigger place to live, you
can get the rest of the bedroom set.”
“I can’t afford
a bigger place.” Her attempt to wipe away tears from her eyes only succeeded in
making dark tears run down her face.
“Where’s your
bathroom?” Maggie asked.
“Down the hall,”
Fallon sniffed.
Maggie walked
down the short hallway and into the bathroom. She turned on the bathroom faucet
and opened the cabinet to look for a wash cloth. She picked up a burgundy cloth
and started to close the cabinet door when a black eyeliner pencil grabbed her
attention. She stepped out of the bathroom and looked down the hall before
picking up the pencil. “It looks like the one found near Hazel’s body,” she
whispered to herself, “but it is a popular brand. There might even be one in my
bathroom.” She put the pencil in the cabinet, warmed the cloth, and returned to
the living room.
Maggie handed
the cloth to the still-sobbing Fallon. “Wash your face with this. It will make
you feel better.”
Fallon wiped her
face. “Nothing will make me feel better. I don’t know what me and Cullen are
going to do.”
“Where is
Cullen?”
“With his dad.”
“Fallon, I know
this is none of my business, but does Cullen’s dad pay child support?”
The warm wash
cloth made Fallon’s young face appear even softer. “I’ll give him that much. He
takes care of Cullen, but the mines he was working at closed down. He’s found
another job, but it don’t pay that much.”
“Between child
support and your salary, I’m sure you can find a place that’s just as good, if
not better, than this one.”
“No, this place
was perfect for us. Me and Cullen never had it so good.” She fell back onto the
sofa and smoothed the wash cloth on her brown legs. “It wasn’t supposed to work
out like this. Everything was supposed to be taken care of.”
“Taken care of? What
do you mean by that, Fallon?”
Without looking at Maggie, Fallon said, “I think I’ll take a nap.”
When Maggie
stepped outside, she didn’t hear the motor of the power washer. Deducing that
Dennis had taken a break, she followed the extension cord until she found him on
the back steps chugging a sports drink.
“That’s a good
idea,” Maggie said, pointing to the bottle of orange liquid. “It’s important to
stay hydrated on a hot, humid day like this.”
Dennis looked at
the sports drink like he had never seen it before.
“Do you mind if
I talk to
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