live in Tennessee?"
"Pigeon Forge. She's a glass blower at Dollywood."
"I ain't got the slightest fucking idea what that means."
"She—"
Jack stopped her by waving it away. "Don't matter. All that matters is that you don't come back here. Ever."
Alexis stuck out her hand. "Thanks, Effervescence. For everything."
Jack nodded. Alexis turned to me. I shook her hand. "Jack's right," I told her. "This place, and everybody in it, is nothing but trouble for you. Don't email. Don't call. Don't go on Facebook. And don't you ever come back to Arkansas."
Alexis nodded. "Thanks, Ellie."
Jack and I got in the truck and drove away. We rode in silence most of the way, but not far outside of Osotouy City I turned and asked her, "Why'd you ask where her cousin lives?"
"What?"
"Why'd you ask where her cousin lives? Why'd you want to know where Alexis is going?"
She didn't say anything but the answer hung unspoken in the silence of the truck. It was insurance. Jack had insurance now. And so did I. Even if I told myself that I didn't want it, I had it now. If everything went wrong and Kluge started putting the questions to me in a rough way—in a way that did not accept an honest "I don't know" as an answer—then I needed to know where she was. I needed to know how I could still give them Alexis if it came down to a choice between her or me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We got back to Jack's place a little past four in the morning. I drove home and collapsed on my bed.
I didn't sleep though. I just lay there thinking about things. I would have to see Kluge and try to sell him on the idea that Alexis was gone to Texas. I rubbed my eyes.
I rubbed them again and noticed that the room was full of sunlight. I'd been asleep for hours. I got up and went downstairs.
The family was at the table having a late lunch.
"No one working today?" I said.
Felicia was wearing a T-shirt for some band that looked vaguely Christian. Chewing some potato chips, she laughed, "It's Saturday, Aunt Ellie."
Nate and Bethany glanced at each other. She got up to get me a plate, but Nate wouldn't even look at me. He scanned the sports section of the paper without settling on any one thing to read. Mostly he just ignored me.
* * *
After lunch, I took a shower and got dressed. I broke out another dark skirt, matched it with a white blouse and a darker jacket. I dressed and went downstairs and found my brother holding the baby, watching a couple of birds in his yard.
"How's it going?" I asked.
He patted the baby's back. "He's got an ear infection."
"Aw. I'm sorry to hear that."
Nate kept watching the birds. "You know," he said, "I actually do need help at the shop."
"I know. I'm sorry. I've been doing this other job for some people."
"A job you don't want to talk about."
"I'm almost done, Nate. I'm almost done. I'll be set up, and I can get out of here, get my own place. I won't be a bother."
Nate watched a squirrel dart out of his yard and into the street. It jerked both ways as a car passed and hopped into the woods. He said, "Stupid thing almost got run over. Should've stayed put."
I waited, but he didn't seem to have anything to add to that. I said, "I promise that things are about to get a lot better."
* * *
I called the number Kluge had given me. Vin Colfax answered.
"What kind of news you got for me?"
"I'd like to see your boss," I said.
"My boss … don't know that I'd call him my boss exactly. That would make me his employee, wouldn't it? Like a servant. I look like a servant to you?"
"I want to see the old man. Can I see him or do you want to keep jerking off on the phone?"
He giggled. "Good idea." I heard a zipper and then he started to moan. He moaned and grunted and the phone shook. I waited. Then he moaned, "Mm, guess I did want to jerk off on the phone …"
"Do I get to talk to the old man or not, you fucking psycho?"
"Oo-ee," he said. "Nasty mouth. You probably learned to talk that way in prison. I'll try to forgive it. How about
"Pigeon Forge. She's a glass blower at Dollywood."
"I ain't got the slightest fucking idea what that means."
"She—"
Jack stopped her by waving it away. "Don't matter. All that matters is that you don't come back here. Ever."
Alexis stuck out her hand. "Thanks, Effervescence. For everything."
Jack nodded. Alexis turned to me. I shook her hand. "Jack's right," I told her. "This place, and everybody in it, is nothing but trouble for you. Don't email. Don't call. Don't go on Facebook. And don't you ever come back to Arkansas."
Alexis nodded. "Thanks, Ellie."
Jack and I got in the truck and drove away. We rode in silence most of the way, but not far outside of Osotouy City I turned and asked her, "Why'd you ask where her cousin lives?"
"What?"
"Why'd you ask where her cousin lives? Why'd you want to know where Alexis is going?"
She didn't say anything but the answer hung unspoken in the silence of the truck. It was insurance. Jack had insurance now. And so did I. Even if I told myself that I didn't want it, I had it now. If everything went wrong and Kluge started putting the questions to me in a rough way—in a way that did not accept an honest "I don't know" as an answer—then I needed to know where she was. I needed to know how I could still give them Alexis if it came down to a choice between her or me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We got back to Jack's place a little past four in the morning. I drove home and collapsed on my bed.
I didn't sleep though. I just lay there thinking about things. I would have to see Kluge and try to sell him on the idea that Alexis was gone to Texas. I rubbed my eyes.
I rubbed them again and noticed that the room was full of sunlight. I'd been asleep for hours. I got up and went downstairs.
The family was at the table having a late lunch.
"No one working today?" I said.
Felicia was wearing a T-shirt for some band that looked vaguely Christian. Chewing some potato chips, she laughed, "It's Saturday, Aunt Ellie."
Nate and Bethany glanced at each other. She got up to get me a plate, but Nate wouldn't even look at me. He scanned the sports section of the paper without settling on any one thing to read. Mostly he just ignored me.
* * *
After lunch, I took a shower and got dressed. I broke out another dark skirt, matched it with a white blouse and a darker jacket. I dressed and went downstairs and found my brother holding the baby, watching a couple of birds in his yard.
"How's it going?" I asked.
He patted the baby's back. "He's got an ear infection."
"Aw. I'm sorry to hear that."
Nate kept watching the birds. "You know," he said, "I actually do need help at the shop."
"I know. I'm sorry. I've been doing this other job for some people."
"A job you don't want to talk about."
"I'm almost done, Nate. I'm almost done. I'll be set up, and I can get out of here, get my own place. I won't be a bother."
Nate watched a squirrel dart out of his yard and into the street. It jerked both ways as a car passed and hopped into the woods. He said, "Stupid thing almost got run over. Should've stayed put."
I waited, but he didn't seem to have anything to add to that. I said, "I promise that things are about to get a lot better."
* * *
I called the number Kluge had given me. Vin Colfax answered.
"What kind of news you got for me?"
"I'd like to see your boss," I said.
"My boss … don't know that I'd call him my boss exactly. That would make me his employee, wouldn't it? Like a servant. I look like a servant to you?"
"I want to see the old man. Can I see him or do you want to keep jerking off on the phone?"
He giggled. "Good idea." I heard a zipper and then he started to moan. He moaned and grunted and the phone shook. I waited. Then he moaned, "Mm, guess I did want to jerk off on the phone …"
"Do I get to talk to the old man or not, you fucking psycho?"
"Oo-ee," he said. "Nasty mouth. You probably learned to talk that way in prison. I'll try to forgive it. How about
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