Mama’s dead.
My chest clenched and tears landed on my guitar.
Who could do that to her?Pop made her lip and nose bleed the week before last, but he couldn’t ...wouldn’t ...Right?
Aunt Laurelyn downed the glass of liquor before pouring some more.When she lifted it to her lips the second time, she paused.
“She shoulda known better.”She whispered the words as tears welled in her eyes.
“What?”
Aunt Laurelyn drained the glass and lowered it to the bar.
“She shoulda known better than to get mixed up with Gil.I warned her.”Aunt Laurelyn huffed out a harsh sound.“I knew messin’ around with that man wasn’t gonna get her anywhere good.And see what it got her?”Tears spilled down her cheeks.
For the first time since I came out of the bathroom screaming, Esteban, my mama’s parrot, piped up.
“Dirty whore.Dirty whore.”
Aunt Laurelyn sagged against the bar.“The whole world’s gonna say worse, so I guess we better prepare for it.Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Two hours later, we came back from McDonald’s and I stared at the bathroom door.The police were gone, and Mama was too.
Aunt Laurelyn took the bottle of whiskey and disappeared upstairs.I swallowed back the bile as I remembered what Pop had said about making sure the mess was cleaned up.Aunt Laurelyn sure wasn’t gonna do it.
When I closed my eyes and saw Mama in that pool of blood, my Happy Meal twisted in my stomach, threatening to land on the floor.
They can’t make me do it.I won’t.
But when Pop came back a few hours later and found it wasn’t done, he started yelling.Aunt Laurelyn didn’t wake up, and Brandy hid.
My tears landed like raindrops as I dunked the mop in the water, turning it red.
Good-bye, Mama.
2
Ripley
Present day
Alone in Boone’s empty house, I listen to Esteban squawk in his cage.
“Shoulda known better.”
The bird has the most uncanny knack for saying the exact wrong thing at the wrong time.
“Shut up!”
“Crackerhead,”he says before rustling his wings and preening.
When Anthony came out to the pond on his ATV to let Boone know the cops were here, he didn’t say why.Boone hustled down the dock and they talked.From where I sat, I could hear Boone curse before coming back to get me.
All the questions were on the tip of my tongue to ask, but I held them back.I figured he would tell me when we got back to the house, but once we got there, everything was a whirlwind.
Boone strode to the front door and stepped outside with Anthony on his heels.When they returned, it was for Boone to grab his wallet and press a hard kiss against my lips.
“Sit tight.I’ll be back as soon as I can.”