CASUAL LABOR

by Michael Aaron Bodi

email:durhamsbane@yahoo.com
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BOOK ONE me in his direction? I‟ll be more than

She was quite tall for her age, and happy to be on my way. Thank you.”

long of limb in a way that some might “Insolent little beast!” Gerda said.

call elegant, with a curious, freckled, “In case you‟ve forgotten, this town

rawboned face, and curly, shoulder- isn‟t anything like that fancy liberal

length auburn hair worn in a ponytail. boarding school of yours. The people

Barefoot, the girl descended a dog-leg of Redgate Parish expect a proper de-

staircase and paused for a moment on gree of manners and respect from a

its landing, where Gerda Allard waited. young lady, sixteen years old or not!”

1. Gerda nodded toward the parlor‟s

“So, Avery Boyce has had enough of fireplace with an aggrieved little hmph!

her bedroom and has decided to grace It was there, amongst the motley as-

us with her royal presence. Typical. semblage of pallbearers and condolers

The way that you sulk and carry on, that Avery finally espied Redgate‟s

someone would think that it was you sheriff, John Mallory, and her father,

who had died and not your poor Lane Boyce, who stood with one hand

mother. What a tragedy!” Gerda said. braced on the mantelpiece and the

“Oh, hey there, aunt Gerda. It‟s other casually wedged in a hip pocket.

been a while. How old are you now, Avery planted an obsequious kiss

exactly? In your eighties? Nineties?” on her aunt‟s cheek and crossed the

Avery said. “Ah. Right. I thought so. parlor to its hearth, where she said,

And as fit as a fiddle, which is more “Dad. John? Oof. Look at all of the in-

than can be said for some of us. laws. The body isn‟t even cold yet and

Have you seen my dad, by the way? they‟re ready with their knives drawn.

Because I really need to talk to him So, anyway, John? I want to thank

right now, so if you could just point you for your beautiful eulogy at the
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service this morning. For all of the house and my dad are my sole raison

things that you said about my mom. d'être, now. And my mother‟s family

Her art and her photography and her too, if they‟ll permit it. And speaking

charity work, what she did for people. of, where are they? It‟s been over

And your musical selection, Fauré‟s twenty-four hours and I haven‟t seen

En Priere for Flute and Orchestra, was a single Hart or MacReady anywhere.

perfect. It was one of her favorites and Out of all the days, today is the day

I know that she would have loved it.” that they should have been here.”

“You‟re more than welcome, pet,” “Sorcha‟s people are a stubborn lot,

John said with his burly Waydale pet. Aye, and you know their peculiar,

brogue. He hooked his thumbs into hardheaded ways as well as I. But

his garrison belt in an aw, shucks they gathered at the Wooden Whistle

sort of way then and continued, “You and drank a pint to your mother‟s

know, I‟ve had to deliver a fair share memory back home in Breton Cove, of

of eulogies in my time, but Sorcha‟s that you can be sure,” John said.

was definitely the hardest. That said, “Lane, my old friend? The hour is late

it‟s still good to see you back home and it‟s time for me to be on my way.

again, although I dearly wish that it So, we‟ll finish our prior conversation

was for some other reason than this. about the you-know-what when we

Tell me, how long are you here for?” meet again tomorrow afternoon, yes?

“I‟m out of school until the fall, so And as for you, Avery. My wife and I

for the next few months, I suppose,” love you very much, that we surely do.

Avery said. “Or until someone around Like you were our own flesh and blood,

this place finally gets wise to my from the moment that you were born.

schemes and kicks me out for good. From the moment that you were born,

Yeah, you mean you didn‟t know? The I think, seeing as how Margaret and I
 3

were never able to have a daughter. well, in all of this, now. Everything.”

So for her sake as well as mine, I Including the beers and the wine

want you to stay strong for us, lamb. coolers that she regularly swiped from

It‟s going to get better. -- I promise.” the cellar refrigerator, or the secret

John emptied a highball glass of treasure trove of her mother’s unused

what appeared to be straight Four prescription painkillers and sedatives,

Roses Bourbon with a single swallow, or the rapidly dwindling stockpile of

then meandered tipsily toward the pilfered cigarettes, carefully hidden

foyer and his deputy, Nick Fabian. away in her bedroom closet, upstairs.

When both were safely out of earshot, “Good Lord, Avery. I‟m trying to

Lane turned to his daughter and said, maintain some level of decorum here.

“John has been a cop for twice as long I understand that you‟re in mourning,

as you‟ve been alive and so help me, but couldn‟t you have put on some

I‟ve never seen him cry once. But two slippers or a pair of socks at least?”

days ago, I watched him weep like a Lane said. His demeanor softened a

baby in Norval Adams‟ funeral parlor. bit then, then he tsked and added,

So, let him take a little solace in the “You want to talk about everything?

bottle if he feels the need tonight, and Well, we can talk tomorrow, and the

don‟t be so quick to judge him, Avery.” day after that, and the day after that.

“I want to talk about mom, not You and I will have more time to talk

John,” Avery said. “And not just that. than you can possibly imagine, now.

You and I haven‟t had a moment to So how long has it been since you ate?

ourselves since I got home, so when I Twenty-four hours? Forty-eight? You

say that I want to talk, I mean really aren‟t going to do me or anyone else

talk, about you, and about me, and any good by starving yourself to death,

what part I‟m supposed to play in, kiddo. Go get something to eat before
 4

you waste away. Do as I say, Avery.” platters of bread, casseroles, poultry.

Jesus, dad looks old. Avery thought Avery dipped a biscuit in gravy, and

as she walked away. Twice his forty- as she crammed the entire affair into

nine years at least. And certainly not her mouth, her attention was inevita-

the wunderkind that he was during his bly drawn to one of her many uncles,

salad days as a tenured professor of the Right Reverend Hemming Allard.

English at Redgate Parish’s regional At the moment the old evangelist was

University, back when he was still a perched ramrod straight before her

successful, first-time science fiction au- mother‟s 1910 Beckwith pump organ,

thor and her mother was at the height plowing his way through yet another

of her physical and artistic prowess. round of Ah, Sweet Appearance Of

And it was at that moment that Death, to the great discomfiture of all

she suddenly recalled the name of the those still gathered within the parlor.

101 literature class that her father Nothing out of the ordinary here.

used to teach, unbidden; The Super- But what transformed this domestic

hero In Popular Culture. Yes. Superhe- scene from mummer‟s play to which

roes in flowing scarlet capes, superhe- one of these things is not like the oth-

roes in yellow spandex tights. Puerile ers Not puzzle was the dramatis per-

trash for maladjusted misfits and shut- sonae seated betwixt the harmonium

ins, the savants wrote at length, but and a Jansport book bag, a girl, an

Avery ignored them all and soldiered uncommon girl, an odd girl. An odd

on, because Lane was her father, and girl. But only in that she was so com-

in her eyes her father was a genius. pletely and desperately out of place

And Superheroes? Well, sorry, Cha- here within Avery’s ultramontane,

rlie. That was another lifetime ago. white-bread environs, not odd ha-ha.

A buffet table was decked out with She was a diminutive 4‟11” at the
 5

most, with large, wide-set grey eyes, sublime terrors that sleep would sure-

a pugged nose, and glossy, blue-black ly bring. Nightmares. Visions of the

hair worn in a pageboy bob. Her beg- grave, with its brackish fetor of turned

garly aspect was made all the more clay and ineluctable putrefaction,

manifest by her ragamuffin clothing; yawning wide before her. Or her moth-

laced coal miner‟s boots, faded jeans, er’s corpse, as cold as a dead cod.

and a scarlet hooded sweatshirt that Instead, Avery fell into a deep and

was tattered at the elbows and cuffs. dreamless slumber, this time without

Did anyone else see her? Avery the myoclonic kick that often sent her

thought as she surveyed the room. bedclothes hurtling across the room,

Was she a distant relation, a cousin, and awoke just after daybreak, sum-

perhaps? If so, the girl was certainly moned by the noisome clank of pots

no one that Avery had ever met before. and pans somewhere downstairs.

Avery looked at the harmonium again, 2.

just to make sure that she wasn‟t in Avery dressed, arranged her hair,

the precursory throes of hunger in- and made her way to the kitchen. It

duced delirium, and found that both was there that she found her ginger

the girl and her book bag were gone. tabby cat, Ranger, reposed within a

The remainder of the Boyce tribe pool of morning light, and her father.

finally departed well after midnight. Lane, who was presently occupied

Avery escaped the compulsory good- with preparing a skillet of scrambled

byes and retreated to the solitude of eggs, said nothing and barely raised

he r be droom instead, where she his eyes as Avery entered the room.

closed and locked every window and Two slices of grilled country ham

levered a spare mattress upright lay on a plate where she would sit. As

against the door. She dreaded the a rule Avery would have rejected this
 6

type of fare outright, but she was in Lane stopped eating, mid-chew.

too foul a mood today to quarrel with Every atom of color drained from his

anyone, least of all her father. In- normally sanguine face then, and he

stead she took a seat at the room‟s stared past Avery with glassy, unfo-

table, a restored camp ground relic, cused eyes that welled with tears. As

with a long-faced and sullen thump. a rule Lane avoided physical violence

Lane spooned a blob of eggs onto and had never laid a hand on his wife

Avery‟s plate, and then his own. He and daughter, but he did have a caus-

sat opposite her then and the pair ate tic, deprecating tongue and an almost

in a respectful but awkward silence. inherent talent for dissembling and

Just when the tedious clink-scrape of insult, and thus for a moment Avery

Lane‟s silverware began to grate on wondered, as her father sat, fork wa-

Avery‟s nerves, he asked, “So, what vering between his plate and mouth, if

are your plans for the day, kiddo?” he was about to unleash a fusillade of

“I‟m going to get the mop and a imprecations at her or vault across

slop bucket and clean this place up,” the table and strike her for the first

Avery said. “And I need the keys to time in her life. Instead Lane sprang

the truck, too. No arguments, okay? to his feet as if he had sat on a tack,

I‟ll pay for the gas. I want to drive up and as he did so, his bench tipped

to North Cape this afternoon to look and hit the parquet floor with an an-

for a full-time job. In a pet shop or a gry thwack! that made Avery flinch.

book store or a coffee bar, right now I “Forgive me if your lack of e m-

don‟t care. Anything will do. Because ployment isn‟t the foremost thing in

you might want to rattle around the my mind right now,” Lane snapped.

halls of your own house like some “I‟ve been too busy watching your

kind of a zombie forever, but I don’t.” mother die by to give a tinker‟s damn
 7

about you or this wreck of a house. guments, merciless verbal and physi-

But then again you might have known cal trials by combat that always left

all of that if you had bothered to call her seeking cover in her bedroom,

either one of us every once in a while.” seized with racking bowel spasms.

He then collected his cup and plate Avery gnashed her teeth and knew

and strode wrathfully from the room. that, un bel di, she would discover

“Yaay, pity claps for dad!” Avery Lane in his study sometime later,

shouted over her shoulder. “And by posed like the poet in the Henry Wal-

the way, it was you and mom‟s bright lis painting, The Death of Chatterton,

idea to pack me off to boarding school, asleep with one forearm draped over

not mine, in case you‟ve forgotten? his eyes. If she cared to look, that is.

And you only talked to me a handful Lane left without a word soon after.

of times when I called home over the He carried with him a leather mes-

past two years, so don‟t even think senger bag, an anniversary gift that

about trying to lay that shitty victim Avery hadn‟t seen in years, clenched

blaming guilt trip on me, mister man!” under one arm like a Wilson football.

Slam! went Lane‟s study door. A Lane then tossed the bag into his SUV

brief moment of death-like quietude and sped away in a cloud of dust.

was then followed by music; Spring, If every morning is going to be as

movement one, Allegro, from Vivaldi‟s contentious as this one was, I’ll have

The Four Seasons, English Chamber to strike a truce with dad, negotiate a

Orchestra, Henryk Szeryng conducts. temporary ceasefire or establish some

It was the very same 1969 vinyl LP friendly level of détente, or life inside

that Lane always played at maximum the house will be virtually untenable,

volume after he and Sorcha had ex- Avery thought as the SUV finally dis-

hausted one of their innumerable ar- appeared from view. So it would be a

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stand-down, then, until the fall at least. cruised the business district again

It was either that or concede defeat, and again until she spotted a help

then pack her bags and return to boar- wanted placard taped to a bistro‟s

ding school, while she still had the front window, then circled her truck

means and the opportunity to do so. around to park, three blocks away.

Avery opened long-closed curtains, Avery walked the distance back to

wiped down dusty tabletops and vac- The Green Man. The bistro was bus-

uumed floors, but shunned her par- tling at midday, packed with college

ent‟s bedroom and her mother‟s art students and working-class townies.

studio, which was embowered in a Avery found a vacant stool near the

gloomy, hornet-infested tangle of pur- espresso machine and asked a barista

ple wisteria and blush roses behind if they needed a part time employee.

the house, like a fairy tale‟s Bloody The bistro‟s senior barista emerged

Chamber. Both filled her with horror. from the kitchen a moment later and

When her work was finally done passed Avery a generic questionnaire.

almost four exhausting hours later, Avery ordered a café mazagran and

Avery again sat at the kitchen table, filled out the application on the spot.

where she ate the remaining slices of When she was done Avery signed

a leftover pizza and drank a beer. She the application, then set her pen aside

then checked her iPhone for texts, and studied the bistro‟s hipster clien-

voice messages and email. Nothing. tele. Maybe this place won’t be so bad

3. for a few months after all, she thought,

North Cape‟s streets were already and then her gaze alighted upon a girl

swamped with early afternoon lunch seated alone in a corner booth, a girl

hour traffic overflow when Avery fi- clad in a scarlet hooded sweatshirt.

nally entered the city‟s limits. She The girl sipped iced coffee and read
 9

a manga entitled Battle Angel: Last employed the same sleight of hand

Order for five minutes or so, then technique herself on more than one

stood and stowed the book inside the occasion while in boarding school.

same ratty Jansport book bag that The girl then bought a chocolate bar

Avery had seen the day before. She and a pack of gum for effect and left

then chucked her empty cup into the bodega. Avery followed after her.

the trash, hitched her book bag over “I saw what you did in there,”

one shoulder and exited the bistro. Avery said as she exited the bodega.

Avery slid her application to the The girl, who was now about twenty

barista with a polite thank you very feet away, froze dead in her tracks.

much! and hustled outside. By then “You were stealing,” Avery went on. “I

the girl had already crossed the street don‟t know what or how much or

and was trudging steadily westward where you hid it. But I still saw you.”

with quick, soldierly strides. Avery The girl stomped toward Avery,

pursued the girl for eight more city stopped short less than a yard away,

blocks until she finally ceased her then dropped her book bag to the

wandering and entered a bodega. pavement and said, with the flinty,

Inside, the AC was on full blast. heavily intonated accent particular to

Avery stood below the exit sign at the the northern rust belt émigrés who

back of the bodega, well away from lived and worked in North Cape, “Oh,

any CCTV cameras and the three or you saw me now, did you? You know,

four stout niñeras who were gathered it takes a lot of guts to creep up on

at the cash register and watched the someone and talk smack like that.

girl cruise up and down the aisles. Guts or a serious lack of mother wit.

She was shoplifting. Avery knew The question is, what the fuck are you

this with certainty because she had going to do about it, skinny bitch?”
 10

“I don‟t know,” Avery said. “I could really stupid and end up in city jail.

tell the bodega‟s cashier about your I‟ll start. Hi. I‟m Avery. Avery Boyce.”

little five-finger discount, which would The girl shook Avery‟s hand in a

either get you arrested or trespassed vice-like grip and said, “Corlie Weeks.”

from that store for the rest of your “Corlie Weeks. Pretty name,” Avery

life, or both, or I could scream bloody said. “You see, now? There was no

murder in front of all of these nice, need to punch my lights out after all.

workaday people and those very eager And don‟t worry, I‟m not going to rat

looking cops across the street and we you out. I need the free smokes too

can see what happens. Or maybe I much. Are you hungry, by the way?

could do nothing at all. That is if you You pick the place. Lunch is on me.”

were to, say, give me a pack of those Corlie chose a greasy spoon called

cigarettes that you lifted. Sound fair?” The Seaside Room. Avery instructed

The girl hesitated for a moment, Corlie to find a secluded place to sit,

then knelt and opened her book bag, then went into a women‟s restroom

and said, after surrendering a single stall and smoke an entire cigarette.

pack of Kool 100‟s to Avery, “I know When she finally reemerged roughly

who you are. You‟re the girl who lives five minutes later, Avery found Corlie

in that creepy old house in Redgate. comfortably ensconced in a banquette

The Painted Lady, on Molliver Street.” booth at the back of the restaurant.

“True, true, and true. And I know For the better part of two hours

who you are, too,” Avery said, then they discussed the weather and North

wedged the cigarette pack into a hip Cape and being sixteen years old over

pocket and offered Corlie her hand. twin quad-stacker cheeseburgers and

“So how about you and I deescalate ice-cold cokes, with fries on the side.

this before we both do something As the afternoon progressed, Avery

 11

found herself almost itching to ques- those farm country roads after dark,”

tion Corlie then and there about the Avery said. Corlie‟s expression seemed

day before, but dared not. Not yet. to take on an even more querulous

“I‟m through with high school, with aspect then, so Avery quickly added,

the cliques and the bullies and the “Please feel free to drop by the house

racist assholes, I‟ve had enough of it,” anytime you want from now on, okay?

Corlie said at last. “So I‟m going to We can listen to some music, watch a

enroll in a special education program movie and then study for your GED‟s.

next month and then take my GED Now, do you need a ride or anything?

exam. Then I was thinking about go- As long as I‟m here in the city, I can

ing to Beauty College out in Cumber- drive you home, it‟s not a problem.”

land. Hey, I know that it isn‟t rocket “Nah. Thank you, but I can hoof it

science or anything, but there are from here,” Corlie said, and clapped

plenty of high paying jobs out there a handful of crumbs to her mouth.

for cosmetologists and hairdressers, 4.

and it will get my mother and I as far Corlie and her mother, Lettie, ate

away from North Cape as possible.” bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches for

Avery paid the tab and wrote her supper and watched M*A*S*H and

name and phone number on a menu, The Andy Griffith Show reruns on TV.

then passed the menu and the pen to Then Lettie opened a pack of Kools

Corlie. Corlie did the same in return. and smoked one cigarette after an-

It was settled, then. They vowed to other until she began to fall asleep.

call each other and meet again, at an “Are you tired now?” Corlie asked.

eatery of Avery‟s choice next time. Lettie, who was not able to speak,

“So, I have at least an hour‟s drive nodded in reply and patted the back

back home and I don‟t want to be on of Corlie‟s hand, one time for yes.
 12

Corlie draped a U-Haul furniture No matter. She knew with irrefuta-

blanket around Lettie‟s shoulders and ble certainty that any and all things

went into the kitchen, where she were subject to change if given a suf-

drank a glass of milk and ate a wedge ficient amount of sheer, brute force.

of butter cake from the refrigerator. Avery was either a simpleton or a

Feel free to drop by the house any- mental case and Corlie could use the

time from now on, Avery had said. affectation of friendship to inveigle

Just like that, as if she had expected to her way back into the house again.

get a fucking gold star or something. Corlie rose from her place at the

Come and sit for a spell and I’ll help table, then stood upon a footstool and

you study for your stupid little GED’s. opened a pair of cupboard doors.

What a joke. No one had ever given There, perched on a topmost shelf,

Corlie a break and no one ever would. she found her father‟s gun, hidden

For years she had looked on as her in the Quaker oats box where Ellis

parents had worked themselves into Weeks had stowed it before his death.

the ground without so much as a sin- 5.

gle ort of gratitude from anyone, and Where is dad? Avery thought. It

so, as loathe as she was to acknowl- was now well past 9:00 PM and Lane

edge the specter of a divine hand at still wasn‟t home. He had left no tele-

work in anything, she more often than phone voice messages or iPhone texts,

not had to concede that life seemed to not even a perfunctory post-it note.

be almost willfully contrived to benefit Avery fed Ranger and ate a bowl of

the sanctified few who resided at the vegetable soup while she watched an

top of the universal food chain, with episode of Bob’s Burgers on TBS. She

the Weeks’ definitely at the bottom. then turned the TV off and went up-

And so enmity ate at her like a cancer. stairs, where she swooned onto her
 13

bed and sobbed until her throat ached. And I made a friend too, in spite of

Lane returned home after 11 PM. myself. A city girl named Corlie Weeks.

Avery heard her father lock the front She‟s has grey eyes, and she‟s so tiny

door, then toss his car keys onto an that she looks like a little person,

end table and climb the stairs, after even though she‟s sixteen years old.”

which he paused in her doorway and “Good. Good. You should have

said, “Hey there, kiddo. I wanted to your own money and friends your own

see if you were okay. It was so quiet age so you don‟t have to hang around

up here, I thought you were asleep.” with an old egghead like me,” Lane

“Hey, dad,” Avery replied. “How said with a weary nod, and looked at

was your day with John? Eventful?” Avery over his shoulder. There was

Lane sat at the foot of Avery‟s bed something decidedly bleak and unbal-

and said, “No one could ever put any- anced in his tired, bleary-eyed stare

thing past you, could they, Avery? that told Avery that her father was,

Well, sorry, but for now the answer to first, probably slightly drunk, and se-

that question is grown-up business, cond, more than dead serious. He

and I‟m the grown-up around here drew in a slow, deep breath and com-

and you‟re still the kid. Got it? So, posed himself then, as if he were a

what‟s new with you? Did you have penitent about to unburden himself of

any luck up in North Cape today?” some terrible secret, and continued,

“I applied for a job at a bistro “You know that they blame me for

called The Green Man,” Avery said. your mother‟s death, Avery. Her fami-

“The manager will probably call me ly. You asked John where they were,

back in a few days with a yes or no. why none of them were at the funeral.

It‟s a really cool place, very bohemian I‟ll tell you why they weren‟t there.

and very working class, you‟d love it. Spite. Yes. You heard me. Spite. And
 14

perhaps a bit of revenge, too. Because, Apology accepted? Yes? Good, then.

you see, to this day her people still Well, I do have to tell you something

say that I stole her away from her that you will definitely want to hear,

home in Breton Cove, that I deliber- but we‟ll talk about it in the morning.

ately sabotaged her career as an artist, Even the darkest night will end, and

and that I - I - killed her. That‟s why the sun will rise, as Victor Hugo said.”

your mother and I sent you away to “Dad? Stop. Stop. Wait a minute,”

boarding school, kiddo. We weren‟t Avery said, and clutched Lane‟s hand.

trying to hurt you, we were trying to “I want to apologize to you about this

protect you, to save you, from this.” morning too, about what I said, that

Avery’s heart was in her throat. you had just given up on everything,

This was new, in that Lane’s everyday on the house, and yourself, and me?

pettifogging now sounded less like yet It‟s just that I miss mom so much,

another tiresome litigation of the past and I freaking hate seeing you, like --

and more like some kind of confession. I don‟t know, like this. It makes me

She prayed for her sake that it wasn’t. angry and I say and do stupid things.”

“That‟s not true, dad,” Avery replied. Lane summoned a wan smile, even

“Mom was practically a rock star in though he looked as if he were about

the art world up until the very end. to burst into tears, and said, “Hey, my

The backstabbing from mom‟s family shoulders are plenty broad, kiddo. I

is just sour grapes and you know it.” can take whatever comes my way and

Lane stood, then pulled a saddle then some. Now get some sleep. We

blanket over Avery‟s legs and said, have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“I‟m sorry that I left you here on your 6.

own all day. It was wrong and selfish, Avery entered the kitchen at 9:00

and I won‟t ever do it again, I promise. AM. Her face was puffy and creased
 15

and she had slept in her clothes. With We, and more specifically you, have

a loud groan, she sat at the kitchen an appointment with Buzz Jasper this

table and held her head in her hands. afternoon. At the Emerald Motel. He

Ranger lay atop the table, lazily has a lot to say to you and he‟s pro-

swishing his tail and purring with a bably going to ask you some very im-

thrum-thrum-thrum not unlike that of portant questions, so you need to get

an old four-stroke outboard motor. your act together tout suite, kiddo.”

Lane fussed over the stove for several “Buzz Jasper? Your lawyer? Jeez,

more minutes and finally ladled three I‟m not in trouble, am I?” Avery asked.

eggs, fried sunny side up, followed by “No, it‟s nothing like that at all.

two slices of dry toast onto a plate, You‟ll know everything when we get

which he then scooted toward Avery. there. In the meantime, let‟s eat and

“Fuck this shit,” Avery said. She get this party started.” Lane replied.

drew a lighter and a pack of Corlie„s He sat opposite her then, and, after

filched Kools from her pants pocket, halving an egg with the same fastidi-

then lit a cigarette and dragged, deep ous exactitude that always managed

and slow, so that she would get the to set Avery‟s teeth on edge, added,

stratospheric head rush that inevita- “By the way, I‟m your father, not some

bly followed her first puff of the day. total stranger, all right? And I‟m not

Lane poured two glasses of orange as oblivious or as senile as you think I

juice, then handed one to Avery and, am. I know very well that you smoke.

after fanning away the cloud of smoke So you don‟t need to hide your ciga-

that lay coiled above the table, said, rette stash from me anymore. Okay?

“Well, since that’s out in the open, I They left just after breakfast and

suppose that I can go ahead and tell arrived in the town of Redgate twenty

you what I wanted to say last night. minutes later. The little parish itself
 16

wasn‟t very much to speak of; a de- per, a wizened little man in a green

crepit school building on its outskirts, plaid suit and wire-rim glasses in-

followed by eight intersected double- stantly sprang from his desk chair

lane streets, a post office, a court- with a start and approached Lane.

house, a dollar movie theater, a police, “Lane, so nice to see you again!

fire and gas station, an antique shop And Avery, is that you? Goodness, it‟s

for tourists, and The Emerald Motel. been what, almost two years, now?

Lane parked in the Emerald‟s lot and Oh my. Please, sit down, sit down,”

he and Avery made their way inside. Buzz said. He then guided Avery and

Legal offices were located on the Lane to a threadbare sofa and re-

motel‟s renovated upper floors. Lane turned to his station at his desk,

and Avery rode a rickety cage elevator where John Mallory loomed like an

to a second-floor waiting room, where attack dog or sentry in the ensor-

a secretary, Abigail Prendergast, said, celled shadows just behind him.

after looking up from her work on an Buzz opened a manila folder and

80‟s-era PC and tapping an intercom, spent several minutes silently poring

“Eddie? They’re here. All right, then. over the documents compiled within.

You can go on in now, Mister Boyce. He then removed his glasses, and said,

You too, Avery. Buzz is waiting for after tapping them idly on his desk,

you. Just follow the hallway to the “I can‟t express how deeply saddened

arch top door. You know the way.” I am by Sorcha‟s passing, Lane. Truly.

They then entered the office‟s Among other things, I was best man

Holy-Of-Holies, a kind of bedimmed at your wedding and practically in the

sacrarium piled from floor to ceiling delivery room when Avery was born.

with statute books and legal arcana. Frankly, I always thought that I would

It was there that Edward „Buzz‟ Jas- be the one who would go first. That
 17

said, are you holding up okay, Avery?” fellow by the name of Albert Heaney?”

Avery nodded in reply. Buzz put Avery looked at Buzz, then her fa-

his glasses on, then placed a Xeroxed ther, then Buzz again, and shrugged.

document atop the folder and went on, “Heaney? No, I don‟t. Why, should I?”

“Excellent. Well, let‟s go on then, yes? “Wait. Albert Heaney,” Lane said.

You probably know all of this already “He owned that comic book shop that

but I‟m going to say it again anyway. we used to go to all the time when

Sorcha willed the house, her posses- you were little. Remember, Avery? Yes,

sions, and her artwork entirely to you, It was that little hole-in-the-wall place,

Lane, and then, I assume, to Avery. up in North Cape. Fantastic Planet.

On its own the house itself is worth a You always called Albert „mister H‟.”

small fortune, so don‟t let that gang of “That would be him,” Buzz said.

chiselers on the city council hoodwink “And it would seem, Avery, that you

you with their tales about repairs in are now a young woman of means.

arrears and devalued properties. Add According to this death notice, Albert

to that the market value of the acre- Heaney has passed on as well, and

age that it‟s sitting on, plus Sorcha‟s only a few months before your mother,

paintings and photographs and the may her memory be for blessing. And,

royalties from your early novels, Lane, as his wife Felicity has been dead for

and the entire estate is worth more over a decade and he had no living

money than most people would ever heirs to speak of, Albert has, out of

see in a lifetime. Ad pedem litterae. necessity or sheer goodness, willed

Are we clear on that, now? Lane? Fantastic Planet exclusively to you.”

Avery? Any questions before I go on? “What? No. That‟s not possible,”

So, on to what they call the big reveal. Avery said. “Dad? There‟s been a mis-

Avery, do you happen to remember a take, like some kind of clerical error,
 18

right? I have AP courses in the fall, an “The last recession hit us hard, here.

internship at the museum of natural As a matter of fact, North Cape and

history in Kingsport, SAT‟s. What am I its surrounding cities are practically

going to do with a comic book shop?” hemorrhaging businesses by the day.

“I don‟t know, Avery,” Buzz said. You want my honest opinion, Avery?

“Ultimately the decision will be yours. Sell the property and its inventory off

And I know that this will probably to the highest bidder, then take the

sound trite, but think of this dilemma money under the table and go live a

as a grand endeavor, one door open- happy life while there is still time. If

ing when another closes, making lem- any person deserves that, it‟s you.”

onade from lemons, that sort of thing. 7.

It‟s not an easy lift but you can do it, Lane stopped at The Step-Down

if you give it a little time and effort.” Diner, found a window booth and or-

Buzz opened a desk drawer and dered coffee for himself and Avery.

produced a verdigris-encrusted steel Avery ate a red velvet cupcake in ru-

ring, a kind of key fob with an out- minative silence and watched locals

sized gold and silver mortice key upon as they scurried to and fro like so

it, which he handed to John Mallory. many insects in the diner‟s parking

John crossed the room to Avery then, lot. The temperature outside was al-

and said, after pressing the ring into ready on its way north of 100° F at

her hand, “These belonged to Albert midday and a baleful-looking squall

and now they belong to you, duck. So, line roiled above the western horizon.

remember, the silver key unlocks the “So, this is what you, John, and

security gate, the gold the front door.” Buzz were up to all day yesterday?”

“And now a final word of warning Avery said at last. “We’ll finish our

before I conclude,” Buzz said at last. conversation about the you-know-what

 19

when we meet again tomorrow, yes? and my mare, Baroness. Every day.”

Jesus, dad, you could have told me They drove on. An hour later they

the truth, you know, I‟m not a baby.” finally came upon Fantastic Planet,

Lane sighed. “I reserve the right to wedged between a Dollar Bills thrift

invoke the fifth on that one, kiddo. store and a closed Blockbuster Video.

Let‟s just say that I wanted Buzz to The plaza‟s parking lot and shop‟s fa-

tell you about Albert Heaney, not me. çade were both in ruinous condition.

And before you say another word; this Lane opened the Planet‟s security

is a real opportunity for you to sock gate and front door, entered the shop

away a considerable chunk of change and switched on an overhead light.

for your future, kiddo, whether you Avery crept in after him. The shop it-

finally decide to sell the shop or not. self was barely 26‟ x 20‟ inside and

Now, what‟s all of this business that was permeated with the pungent odor

I‟m suddenly hearing from you about of mildew and siphotrol. Sealed card-

AP classes and SAT‟s in the fall? I board boxes and promotional foam

don‟t understand, I thought that you core standees were piled everywhere.

weren‟t going back boarding school.” “Albert must have died suddenly.

“You‟re right. I‟m not,” Avery said. See how everything has been left in

“I thought that I would finish up my place? I wonder where he passed. It

senior year at West View High in Red- could have been right here. Creepy,”

gate. I‟m never going back to boarding Lane said. Avery had to agree. To her,

school. Never, never, never. You know the shop‟s crypt-like interior looked

what‟s the strangest thing, though? vaguely like The Well of the Souls

I hated, hated, all of those cruel, piggy scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, or

rich girls in my classes with a passion. a set piece from a 1980‟s slasher film.

But I still miss the Hoof Prints Club That eeriness, coupled with the ap-
 20

proaching thunderstorm‟s persistent Mircronauts. Biotron. Microtron. Heav-

rumbling outside, lent her undertak- en knows what treasures that sly old

ing a tenor of adventure and mystery. pack rat has stored away in here.”

Lane handed Avery her key ring, Avery perused the comic books,

fished a Swiss Army knife from his which had been fanned out and orga-

hip pocket, then sliced open a taped nized by title on the display counter.

box with an unexpected, startlingly It didn‟t take a connoisseur to know

loud r-r-rip! sound, and peered inside. that some of them were almost cer-

“Jesus!” Avery exclaimed. “What tainly quite valuable, even if sold for

the hell, dad! Don‟t mess with that!” nothing more than their cover price.

“What, aren‟t you the least bit cu- In its own peculiar way, the strange

rious about what‟s in these boxes?” imbroglio that currently involved her

Lane asked, eyes keen with interest. had unexpectedly taken on the aspect

“If by chance you find an Incredible of a true adventure, Avery thought,

Hulk number one eighty-one, the one and she hadn’t seen her father this

with the first appearance of Wolverine? engaged, this hopeful, in some time.

You‟ll be richer than King Croesus. Lane appraised the shop again,

If you‟re lucky, no, if you‟re blessed, then nodded meditatively and said,

and you find a mint condition Action “Well, what do you think, kiddo? It

Comics number one, you‟ll never have isn‟t exactly the best-looking property

to work another day in your life. And in the world and the location totally

look out for any original 1970‟s Star sucks, but, hey, what can you say,

Wars toys and action figures, too. The you know, other than if wishes were

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader var- horses than beggars would ride. Still,

iants with the double telescoping light I think that you could probably get a

sabers could buy you a new car. And good deal on it if you decide to sell it,
 21

but just to be on the safe side? do us fit probably dusts their crops with it.”

both a favor and sleep on it, okay?” “Can you fly it?” Avery asked, and

They were almost home when a pulled at a propeller blade. It was as

downpour hit them like a tidal wave. heavy as a length of iron rebar and

Lane drove on for another quarter of a also seemed to be welded in place.

mile, then slowed the SUV to a crawl Lane laid his forehead against the

and parked in the breakdown lane. plane‟s metal skin and said, “Nope.

“What do we do now? If we just sit Sorry. I‟m an academic and a fanta-

here like this we‟ll eventually run out sist who lives his life vicariously

of gas and die in this heat,” Avery said. through comic books and action mov-

“Hold on a minute. I have an idea,” ies, kiddo. I can‟t fly a freaking kite.”

Lane said. He cut the SUV‟s lights, Avery turned her attention to the

veered onto a packed gravel driveway barn‟s many shelves and work tables.

and inched through the rain until he There she found an LED camping lan-

reached a gambrel-roofed barn that tern amongst an array of heirloom

rested some 150 yards from the road. tools, and after switching it on and

A moment later Avery and Lane passing the flashlight to Lane, said,

were safe and dry inside the barn. “Come on, you just broke into some

Lane closed its door while Avery cast guy‟s barn in the middle of a derecho.

a flashlight beam over what lay within. That has to count for something.”

A Steiger tractor, field cultivator, and “Something? Oh, kiddo, the stories

a combine harvester rested beside a that I could tell about the life that

bi-wing crop duster in the darkness. your mother and I had before you

“That‟s a Boeing Stearman Model were born would read like a novel,”

75,” Lane said. “Like the one in North Lane said, and then went on, after

by Northwest. Whoever runs this out- seeing Avery roll her eyes in response,
 22

“Hey, stow the attitude for a minute. departed mother was the same way,

You said that you wanted to talk? too. Sorcha MacReady, bleeding heart

Well that goes both ways, you know. liberal and patron saint of the power-

So how about we start with the girl less and the downtrodden. Pretty soon

that you met in North Cape yesterday. you‟ll be giving this poor girl all of

Corlie, Corlie Weeks was her name? your old shoes and clothes, whether

Yes. Miss grey-eyes. What‟s she like?” she wants them or not, am I right?”

Avery shrugged. “Corlie? What can Avery, during this time, had dis-

I say? She‟s an old soul. Tough and covered both a Winchester rifle and a

cynical, street-wise and whip-smart. Quik tin filled with .30-.30 bullets

But mostly she‟s very isolated and concealed below a patchwork quilt.

lonely, and really needs a friend.” She sat, then, with the quilt mantled

And thus, endeth the tale, Avery around her shoulders and the rifle

thought. There was no pressing need held across her lap, and remarked, “I

to recount the previous day’s events, see that you still haven‟t shaved yet,

the unknown whys and wherefores of and it‟s been how many days, now?

Corlie skulking about her parlor like a You know, but with that beard going

ghost, just after her mother’s funeral. on, I can‟t help but notice that you

Less was definitely better, for now. sort of resemble Harry Dean Stanton.

“Ah, you‟ve found yourself a lost As Travis Henderson, in Paris, Texas.

cause. Well, I‟m not surprised; you‟ve We had to watch that movie in a film

been doing this sort of thing your en- studies class, when I was in boarding

tire life, you know. All of it, foster pets, school. I thought that it was sad.”

save the whales, climate change and “Don‟t get all goofy on me, now,”

hea lth ca re for all, et cete ra, e t Lane said. “Rest for a while. This is

cetera,” Lane said. “Alas, your dear just a cloud burst, it won‟t last long.”
 23

“If you say so,” Avery said. “Just lets within the SUV‟s trunk and closed

promise that you‟ll wake me if you its hatch without making a sound.

happen to hear dueling banjos, okay? 8.

Everything about this place gives me They spent the following day im-

the creeps and I don‟t want to wind mersed in research. Zoning, insurance,

up hanging by my ankles in some property values. Avery also pored over

cannibal maniac‟s summer kitchen.” online comic book and action figure

Avery laid her head against the price guides, trawling for a rare gem

wall and closed her eyes. It was al- or two amongst the Planet’s rubbish.

most silent within the barn, save for Routine, or something very much

the unceasing tattoo of rain on the like it, had returned to Avery‟s life,

shingled roof and the cooing of pi- and she welcomed it with open arms.

geons in the crossbeams far above. She passed the menu where she had

She drifted off to sleep until Lane‟s left it on her nightstand again and

hand clapped down on her shoulder. again and wanted to phone Corlie, but

“Avery. The rain finally stopped,” caution, and perhaps a bit of fear,

Lane said, and gestured toward the fear of the unknown, she admitted to

deep lavender and seashell pink sky herself, ultimately got the better of her.

just beyond the barn‟s open door. Let sleeping dogs lie, as the man says.

“We‟d better get a move on before Avery finally turned her computer

Farmer Brown finally spots our car off, then tossed an assortment of gar-

and shoots us both for trespassing.” dening tools into a wheelbarrow and

They emerged into the gloaming cleared away an overgrown tangle of

then and Lane locked up the barn. evergreen vines and stinging nettles

While her father‟s back was turned, that had crept up alongside the house.

Avery stowed the quilt, rifle, and bul- She worked at this until Lane ap-
 24

peared, attired in a wilted Hawaiian and hallucinated, moaning out that

shirt, cargo shorts and jandals and ghosts were seeping through her walls,

announced that supper was ready. floor and ceiling and that fleshless

He served lasagna with an appro- human faces leered at her hungrily

priate red Zinfandel. They ate and whenever she tried to close her eyes.

hashed over the progress that they Lane sat beside Avery‟s bed and force-

had made on the shop once again. fed her doses of Benadryl and Tylenol,

Despite the brightening of his mood, washing both down with Gatorade un-

Lane‟s eyes were still sad, and Avery til her fever finally broke and began to

understood that he would probably subside sometime around twilight. As

never recover from her mother‟s death. the sun dimmed below the horizon,

Lane retired to the den with his Avery hobbled downstairs and sipped

Bordeaux glass and the wine bottle. from a mug of chicken broth. She had

Avery bade her father goodnight and never seen her father look so worried.

climbed the stairs to her bedroom. An unexpected call came on the

There, she lanced the blisters on her sixth day. Avery picked up the kitchen

fingers with a sewing needle while telephone, an avocado-green 1970‟s

Lane watched an old episode of Mys- artifact with no caller ID, and said,

tery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix. “Chateau Boyce. -- May I help you?”

Avery awoke the following morning “Hey, what‟s up, Doc,” Corlie said

with agonizing nausea and a 103° F merrily. Avery heard traffic and an

fever. She hugged the upstairs toilet ambulance‟s wail somewhere in the

and vomited for what felt like hours, middle distance and surmised that

then withdrew to her bedroom and the call was in all likelihood being

lapsed into a semi-conscious stupor. placed from a downtown payphone.

It was an arduous day. Avery wept She could only imagine what Corlie
 25

was doing on the street at 10:00 AM. brought on by the heat and the rain

Corlie invited Avery to a house par- and all the damp inside of that barn.

ty in North Cape later that evening. So, seeing how your fever is gone to-

After saying that she would think it day, you can go, but -- but –- only for

over and call back in an hour or so, a few hours. I want you home before

Avery made her way to her father„s midnight, and no booze and no weed.

study and asked Lane if she could go. Understand? I‟m serious, Avery, it‟s

“Corlie said that there will just be probably a bad idea to let you do this

college students and townies there. anyway, so if you come home with a

It‟s totally on the level,” Avery said. DUI or reeking of anything illegal, I‟ll

So, what do you say, dad? I‟ve been ground you until you‟re eighteen and

cooped up in this house for days. If I then marry you off to a republican.”

don‟t get out for a while, I‟ll go crazy.” Avery immediately dialed Corlie‟s

“Ah. Corlie said, Corlie said,” Lane home number and Corlie picked up.

sighed from behind his writing desk. “So, you can go, then?” Corlie said.

He nestled into his high back chair, “Cool beans. Meet me at the Green

then folded his arms and tilted his Man at five o‟clock and I‟ll give you

head, that subtle Boyce gesture that directions from there. See „ya later.”

always preceded some royal decree. Avery found Corlie waiting in the

“You know, you really had me going Green Man‟s shadow when she pulled

for a while there yesterday. I thought up to the curb ninety minutes later.

that you had food poisoning, the flu, Corlie jogged to the truck and leapt

even bacterial meningitis. I‟m not go- headlong into the passenger seat.

ing to lie; I was scared shitless, kiddo, “Shit, I‟m late, aren‟t I,” Avery said.

I mean, I was really, truly frightened. “Nah. You‟re good,” Corlie replied.

But I suppose that it was just a bug Her sartorial transformation tonight
 26

was nothing short of astounding in its Langlodge Tops. How about yourself?”

entirety; she had accented her eyes “I was born and raised right here,

with liner and wore a plum-dark lip- back in Redgate Parish,” Avery said.

stick, her hair was lustrous, and she “Ah-ha, a local yokel,” Corlie said.

had exchanged her hoodie for a Mis- “Well, my mother and I live in North

fits t-shirt, a chain wallet, and jeans. Cape, right next to the East River.

She fastened her seatbelt with a deci- It„s a quite a lovely place, our little

sive little snap-click then, and added, hovel on the wrong side of the tracks.

“And you‟ll want to keep your eye on It has all the majesty and the gran-

the off ramps and stay on this road deur of a no-tell motel‟s walk-in closet.

until I tell you when to turn, okay?” Den, kitchen to the left, hallway, a

Avery followed the main highway shitter to the left, and one bedroom. I

northward for some time, a route that sleep on a fold away sofa. My mom is

spirited her farther and farther away a shut-in and can‟t talk. Secondary-

from North Cape‟s Old Mill district Progressive MS, the doctors say. My

and ever closer to the ramshackle dad died of Pneumoconiosis, other-

suburban neighborhoods that once wise known by its more familiar name,

housed the city‟s post-war workforce. black lung. Life is a bitch, ain‟t it?

“I noticed your accent. It‟s very, Here. Take a left at this intersection.”

unusual. So, where are you from? They entered a maze of tree-lined

Redgate or North Cape?” Avery asked. streets, where bungalow houses in

“I‟m from Wintervale,” Corlie said. increasing states of disrepair peeped

“That‟s way out west, just south of through the verge every few minutes.

Pathstone, near Wolfpine and Arkney. Occasionally Corlie would survey the

In the puckerbrush, as we northern street and blurt out this way, keep

folks like to say, at the ass end of the going, turn here. Avery began to won-
 27

der how she could possibly recall her God, oh my God! Hiya, short stuff!”

route and return home after sunset. “Hi there, baby doll,” Corlie said.

Soon Avery found herself on a one- “This is the girl that I told you about.

way street that ended in a wooded Saga, meet Avery Boyce. Avery, meet

cul-de-sac. There cars, trucks and Saga McKee. Avery is my new bestie,

SUV‟s were parked more than fifty so you and your crew had better be

deep around a massive plantation extra nice to her tonight, comprende?”

house‟s brick and wrought iron gates. Saga kissed the crown of Corlie‟s

“Stay cool and follow my lead. I‟ll head and shook Avery‟s hand, then

introduce you around, okay?” Corlie shouted over the terror trance beat

said after Avery had parked the truck. that thumped steadily from the house,

She grinned crookedly, then punched “IT‟S NICE TO MEET YOU, SWEET-

Avery on the shoulder and added, HEART! ANY FRIEND OF CORLIE‟S IS

“Hey, look, don‟t worry about it, eve- A FRIEND OF MINE! COME ON IN

ryone here is going to love you. Trust AND MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!”

me, Doc, you‟re going to do just fine.” A bewildering mixture of college

They approached the porch steps students and townies filled a parlor to

and ascended them to the manor‟s capacity and spilled onto the lawn.

front door, where Corlie rang the bell. Avery and Corlie were then guided

The door opened less than a second through an unending succession of

later and a woman attired in tiger smoke-filled rooms and hallways to

stripe fatigues leapt onto the porch. a spacious, Hampton style kitchen.

The woman, who also smelled rather More partiers were gathered there

sweetly of beer, cigarettes and hemp, around a marble-topped island. One

threw her arms around Corlie and of the scruffier male guests, a tow-

squealed, “Eee! Oh my God, oh my headed giant of near lumberjack pro-

 28

portions, immediately scooped Corlie Corlie grabbed a Lager and a can

up into in an affectionate bear-hug, of Coke from an ice-filled cooler and

and said, “Angel eyes! How are you stood against a wall, where she and

doing there this evenin‟, cutie pie? My, Avery went on to drink undisturbed.

my, and don‟t you look as pretty as a Thirty minutes later, Boomer, Dahlia

proverbial picture tonight. And how‟s and David approached the girls once

your mother since the last time we again, at which time Boomer said,

talked? Hale and hearty, I hope.” The “Corlie? Sorry to interrupt, guys, but,

giant returned Corlie to terra firma, Avery, hey, it was cool meetin‟ you.

and then, after inclining his great, And Corlie, you and I will catch up

shaggy head toward Avery, went on, later all right? See ya‟ later, darlin‟.”

“You must be Corlie‟s friend. Avery? David then proceeded to direct a lin-

I‟m Boomer Bennett. This is my lady, gering, almost yearning glance over

Dahlia Defries, and that tall drink of his shoulder at Avery as he, Boomer,

water pretending to be annoyed over Saga and Dahlia exited the kitchen.

there? is my wingman, David Holm.” When the quartet had finally dis-

As he spoke, Boomer pointed to his appeared from sight, Corlie remarked,

companions; a taciturn, moon-faced “See, it looks like everyone here really

girl with lemon-yellow hair braided likes you, just like I said they would.

into looped pigtails, and a brooding Especially David. I mean, God damn. I

dilettante artiste-type with a baseball practically saw little hearts and flow-

player‟s height and lanky physique. ers twirling over his head just now.”

“Boomer. Dahlia, Avery said, and “Golly, I don‟t know about all that,”

deliberately locked eyes with David. Avery groaned. “I have to be honest,

“And, ah, David, is it? David Holm? though; I had you pegged as some

Uh-huh. Hi. Hi. It‟s nice to meet you.” kind of a weirdo and a loner, like me,
 29

a homebody and a wallflower without The duo fished beers from the cooler,

a friend in the world. But looking at and upon spying Corlie nearby, the

all of these people here tonight, I see shorter man strode directly toward

that you have more real friends than the girls, then whistled and remarked,

I‟ve ever had in my entire life. So, I “Well, look who‟s off the rez tonight!

guess that I was wrong about you.” She-yit, I didn‟t know they let your

“Never judge a book by its cover, kind partake the fire water, shrimp!”

Doc,” Corlie replied with a chuckle. “Get out of my face, Bobby Ray.

Her artless, lopsided smile abruptly And Wade? Later days,” Corlie said.

vanished then, and she whispered, She seized Avery‟s hand, then shoved

“Shit, here comes trouble. Don‟t look. the shorter man aside and added,

I‟m serious as a heart attack, Doc. “Come on, girl, let‟s get out of here.”

And a quick word of warning, I know “Whoa, not so fast there, slick,”

these two mooks very, very well, so if the taller man drawled in a lilting,

you want to get out of here without plangent voice, a nasal amalgam of

any trouble, just stay cool, keep quiet Foghorn Leghorn and Truman Capote.

and let me handle this, all right?” “Please, introduce me to your friend

Avery followed the tilt of Corlie‟s first. I‟m Wade Finch. And you are?”

head to the two men who had just “Tamera Fowler. Charmed,” Avery

stormed their way into the kitchen. replied without missing a beat, then

An unevenly mismatched team, one offered her hand maîtresse de maison

being tall and the other short, the fashion, with her fingers canted down.

couple were, in the colorful local par- Wade clasped Avery‟s hand, bowed,

lance, backwoods redneck shitkickers, then clicked his heels, and crowed,

with the shorter man clearly in the “Miss Fowler. And this vulgar fellow is

role of his associate‟s subordinate. my fidus Achates, Bobby Ray Hatch.

 30

Bobby? Be good and apologize to the Avery nodded and replied, “I‟ll be

lady for your rude remarks, please. on the back porch, if you need me.”

If there‟s one thing that I simply can‟t She exited the kitchen and stepped

abide, it‟s poor etiquette. Thank you. onto a roofed veranda. Except for the

So now, I really do hate to rain on evening‟s heat and the few guests who

your little hen party here, but Corlie chatted on the lawn, the scene was

and I need some face time to discuss quiescent and peaceful. The air was

a few very important business matters. thick with the scent of pine resin and

Import-export. Isn’t that right, Corlie?” magnolia blossoms and the sun, now

There was just enough assurance just a fiery ellipse on the horizon, was

of physical violence in his stance and reflected widdershins on a glassine

the timbre of his voice to let Avery lagoon that buttressed the property.

know that Wade wasn‟t playing games. Avery paused and looked at her

And like his friend Bobby Ray, Wade hands. They were shaking. The pre-

was a block of solid muscle below his ceding dust-up with Finch and Roy

t-shirt, and came off as a seasoned Lee had left her more than a little rat-

street tough and criminal who was tled and she needed something, any-

accustomed to giving orders and hav- thing to take the edge off of her mood.

ing them followed without question, A couple of beers, maybe, not enough

no matter how ludicrous or illegal. to get her brass-eyed drunk, of course,

Avery studied Corlie’s expression. Her but just enough hooch to get the nest of

back was still up, but Avery could see snakes in her belly to stop squirming.

her folding, folding like a kicked dog Instead she went for a pack of ciga-

under the full weight of Wade’s gaze. rettes and realized that she had left

“Go powder your nose for a few her lighter in the truck‟s glove box.

minutes, Doc. I‟ll be okay,” Corlie said. “He’s her fence,” said a voice be-
 31

side her. Avery turned to see David “That‟s quite a story,” Avery said.

standing beside her, only a few feet “The stuff of fiction. Bad fiction. Do

away but still close enough for the you really expect me to believe that?”

tungsten light above to pick out the “Go ask your friend Corlie if you

texture of his beard and the beads of don‟t believe me,” David said. “Why

sweat that glistened along his hairline. else would she show up at a party

“Wade Finch,” David went on. “You with a Saturday night special in her

know, the dude with the pompadour? waistband, other than force of habit?

I take it you‟ve already met. Corlie Hey, look, don‟t act so surprised, okay.

steals swag for him and Wade resells And she‟s not the only one around

it on the black market. She gets a here with a checkered past, either. If

small cut of the profit. He‟s her fence.” the cops were to show up right now

David proffered a Zippo lighter‟s three-quarters of the people at this

flame to Avery. Avery lit her cigarette, party would probably end up in jail.”

then exhaled smoke into the humid “What about your friend Saga Mc-

twilight air, and said, “Oh, really?” Kee? Is she a part of this vast gang-

“Really,” David replied. “Wade op- ster underworld too?” Avery asked.

erates a one-man crime racket out of “Saga? She owns this house, the

the Barrows north of the East River. property, everything,” David replied.

Burglary, auto theft, gun running and “Saga is an heiress. Yes. Her father is

protection shakedowns, you name it. the billionaire Deacon Baxter McKee,

He keeps Bobby Ray around as his of McKee Farms. You know the place,

personal pet goon, a loyal enforcer that mechanized slaughterhouse out

who cracks skulls and breaks knee- in Woodbine, the one that illegally

caps when it‟s time to pay the piper.” dumped all of the animal blood into
 32

the East River and caused that huge could get you in trouble. You need to

fishsteria outbreak a few years ago. stay laser focused on school and on

Yeah. that‟s the one I‟m talking about. your future now, Avery,” Lane said.

And do you eat chicken, by the way? “Right, dad. You give me plenty of

You sure as hell wouldn‟t anymore if room to spread my wings and fly but

you saw what they did to them there.” in the end your word is still the law,”

9. Avery laughed. “I‟m all too familiar

“So, I take it you didn‟t enjoy the with your tough love routine, like how

party that much after all,” Lane said. you always call me Avery instead of

It was morning and they were at kiddo when you really mean business?

the picnic table again, Lane with a You‟re coming back to the land of the

plate of eggs and toast, Avery with a living a little bit more every day. And

bowl of Cheerios. “Oh, I don‟t know,” so am I. It‟s nice to have you back.”

Avery said with an indifferent shrug. Avery adjourned to her bedroom

“Everybody there had to be at least and fired up her desktop PC, a vintage

five or six years older than me and 1987 Amiga 500 rigged with a Zorro II

acted like I wasn‟t even in the room. adapter board to tap internet access

All in all it was loud and really boring. from a downstairs modem. A subse-

Corlie wanted to stay past midnight quent cursory person search for Corlie

so her friend Boomer Bennett said Weeks revealed no telltale social me-

that he would give her a ride home. dia footprint of any kind, not even a

Poor thing, she looked like she was street address or telephone number.

going to claw my eyes out when I left.” She then Googled organized crime

“Well, I‟m relieved that you finally + the Barrows + North Cape, and was

got that out of your system. Parties linked to a year-old article posted by

and all that, especially with kids who The North Cape Sentinel’s online edi-
 33

tion entitled State And City Legislature shot caller, the outlaw, the warlord;

Launches Teen Runaway Task Force. however, Avery had certainly met her

So what David had told her about own fair share of gangsta wannabes

Corlie was at least in some part true. in school to know that appearances

The Barrows, once the location of a could be deceiving. Her mind reeled.

prosperous 19th century harbor on Avery opened a window, fell back-

the East River‟s leisurely northward ward onto her bed and closed her eyes.

bend, had now become a weigh sta- She listened to the susurrus of cica-

tion for vagrants on their way south das and birdsong from the trees that

and west in search of warmer climes. surrounded the house, the rumble of

An astonishing three-fourths of their faraway highway traffic, and a garden

numbers were underage. More than shear‟s crisp snap snap snap some-

half of that percentage eked out an where below her window. Her father

existence through panhandling, theft, was at work in his vegetable garden,

the sale of illegal and prescription cursing the current flea beetle blight

drugs, pornography, and prostitution. while tending to his cherry tomatoes.

The mental image of Corlie turning The shear‟s whack whack abruptly

tricks literally chilled Avery‟s blood. stopped. Avery then heard the front

How trustworthy was David anyway? door slam, followed by two sets of

Corlie‟s shaggy dog stories and Brag- footfalls ascending the stairs to her

gadocio was as ubiquitous as table bedroom, and a moment later Lane

salt among urban kids and most also and Corlie strolled through her door.

carried handguns for self-protection. “Hey, Doc. How are you doing?”

And what about Wade Finch and his Corlie said. “I rode the North Cape

first lieutenant, Bobby Ray Hatch? city bus to Redgate and walked to

Wade certainly played the part of the your house. I hope you don‟t mind.”
 34

Avery rose dizzily to her feet and ceilings, dead rats in the air condi-

said, “No. No. You‟re fine, it‟s just that, tioning ducts, the whole nine yards.

oh, God, where is my head, I just, After my dad published his first novel,

wait -- have you two been introduced? Summer’s Song, and my mom started

Yeah. Right. Dad, this is Corlie Weeks. to really make it big in the art world,

Corlie, this is my father, Lane Boyce. they bought the place and fixed it up.

And as for you, miss? The bus stop is I was about seven, then. As for this,”

miles from here and it has to be at and here Avery paused and indicated

least a hundred degrees outside today. her bedroom‟s oppressively low ceiling

Don‟t ever pull a crazy stunt like that and curious juxtaposition of narrow,

again, am I absolutely clear? You call outward slanting and vertical walls,

me on my cell phone next time, and “this is a panic room for a horse ob-

we‟ll meet each other half way, okay?” sessed fourteen year-old dork. Here.

Lane departed. When his footsteps Put this on. You can keep it. We can

had at last diminished into silence, wash yours later too, if you want to.”

Corlie sat on the edge of Avery‟s bed, “Killer fake out last night by the

then folded her tiny hands in her lap, way. Tamara Fowler? Cle-ver,” Corlie

and said, “Nice place you got here.” said as she swapped her t-shirt for

Corlie exuded palpable body heat Avery‟s and dropped hers to the floor.

and a vinegary, apocrine odor, like “What is that supposed to be, an an-

that of a wet dog or overripe laundry. agram or something? Marrowfat Ale?

Avery rummaged through a bureau Miss Marrowfat Ale? I don‟t get it.”

drawer, produced a clean t-shirt, then “It‟s a Nom De Plume,” Avery said.

presented it to Corlie and said, “Yeah? “Like a made-up name, a pen name.

The house was a disaster when my I created it to sign all of the awful

parents moved in; gasoliers in the poems and stories that I wrote back
 35

when I was in boarding school, so Wade and Bobby Ray or no Wade and

that no one would know who I was.” Bobby Ray. And if you two pious

“I know what a Nom De Plume is, assholes had to live in my neighbor-

I‟m not a frickin‟ retard,” Corlie said. hood instead of your big old pretty

“And you don‟t have to be afraid of houses you would pack heat too.”

Bobby Ray and Wade either, okay? Avery knelt before Corlie and said,

They‟re just a couple of bigmouthed “White trash? I don‟t think so. And

good ol‟ boys who play up their repu- what if you do carry a gun? It means

tation for street cred, and that‟s all.” that nobody fucks with you. Ever.”

Avery picked up Corlie‟s t-shirt, “Ever? That proves that you don‟t

draped it over a chair back and said, know the first thing about me, sister,”

“Really? Someone at the party told Corlie said with a grim smirk, and

me that they were really bad dudes. feigned a kick directly at Avery‟s face.

So bad in fact that you need to carry Avery‟s first impulse was to wind

a gun all the time to protect yourself. up a haymaker and sock Corlie hard

A .22 revolver, to be more specific, a enough to make her nose bleed, but

Saturday night special. Is that true?” she tempered her anger instead, and

“Someone? -- Who?” Corlie asked. then calmed herself and thought, this

She suddenly went bright red with is what people, what friends do, right?

rage and looked as though she might No biases, no preconceptions or plans.

leap from the bed and throw a punch. They just simply are, in the moment.

“David Holm,” Avery replied. “Oh, but I do. I think that I know

Corlie nodded. “David Holm, huh? you better than you know yourself,”

Oh, I‟ll bet you guys had a good Avery said. She pulled the quilt out

laugh about poor little white trash from under her bed, then unveiled

Corlie. Yeah. Yeah, I always carry, the rifle within, and added, “If any-
 36

one can show me how to use this, so I relieved him of it. Très vite. And

it‟s you. Teach me. I want to learn.” that‟s all I‟m going to say, all right?”

With a single, fluid motion, Corlie Corlie passed Avery the rifle, then

gathered the rifle into her hands and indicated its loading port and said,

swiftly cocked the finger lever. As she “I have to say, I like your style, Doc.

did so, a spent shell popped from the Okay. Load it here. Cock the lever,

receiver, then pin-wheeled in midair pull the trigger to fire, cock the lever

and hit the floor with a metallic clink. again to eject the shell, and repeat.

Before Avery could move a muscle, Good. And remember to keep your

Corlie picked up the shell, sniffed it finger off of the trigger until you‟re

twice, then patted the rifle and said, ready to shoot. So. Any questions?”

“What you have here is an antique “No. No, none at all,” Avery said.

Winchester model 94. Fully loaded. She aimed the rifle‟s barrel at a wall,

You didn‟t know? Christ, Doc, you imagined pulling the trigger, the car-

could have killed yourself. And it‟s toonish ka-blam! that would follow,

been fired too. Recently. Here, smell.” and the tattered hole in the plaster

Avery examined the shell. It was the where the boy band poster used to be.

unvarnished color of hammered brass, With a jumbled little pile of torn wall-

and possessed a chrismal, machine- paper heaped below for dramatic effect.

made aroma, commingled with some- Lane would overhear the gunshot and

thing unknown and vaguely sinister. scramble up the stairs and into her

“So, let me guess,” Corlie said at last. bedroom, thinking that she’d finally

“This isn‟t your gun, now. Is it, Doc?” said, fuck it, I’ve finally had enough,

“It‟s a long story,” Avery replied. and blown her head clean off. Bang.

“Let‟s just say that the fellow who Show’s over. That’s all folks. And that

used to own it didn‟t need it anymore, would be two suicides on his watch.
 37

Corlie studied Avery for a moment, made the sixty-minute drive west to

then shook her head and remarked, the Spring Meadow Memorial Park.

“Jesus, Doc. Get a load of you. Have Once there Avery knelt and placed a

you ever used a firearm before? Do bouquet of white Calla lilies on her

you even have a gun in the house?” mother‟s grave and Lane read verses

“My dad made his living writing aloud from Elizabeth Barrett Brown-

about comic books and horror movies ing‟s Sonnets from The Portuguese.

and wouldn‟t even tolerate war toys. The trio then ate lunch at a local

I did take archery for a semester or McDonalds, while a late afternoon

two while I was in boarding school, thunderstorm heaved up dark and

but I totally sucked at it,” Avery said. fast and finally broke above them.

“Archery, huh? Well, that won‟t Midway through her meal, Avery

do,” Corlie said with a dismissive asked Corlie, “Why don‟t you spend

snort. “So, I‟ll tell you what, Doc. How the night at my house? It‟s too late to

about you and me do a little give and catch the bus now, and you can‟t

take here, a little quid pro quo, yes or walk home in this weather. Stay over-

no. I‟ll turn you into a world class night and I‟ll drive you home tomor-

deadeye in exchange for a few of those row morning. Come on, it‟ll be fun.”

GED lessons that you told me about. “Okay, sure. But I have to call my

Are we agreed then? And you never mom first. I‟m not joking you. If I

know, this understanding of ours don‟t tell her where I am 24/7, she

might even save your life someday.” shits pink Twinkies,” Corlie replied.

10. They returned to the Painted Lady

Avery, Corlie and Lane climbed after 6:00 PM. Avery then assembled

aboard the Boyce family SUV, and, a canvas cot in her bedroom while

with Lane safely behind the wheel, Corlie showered in the second-floor
 38

bathroom. Soon, Avery heard the tell- a pair of Lane‟s old pajama pants.

tale rattle of antique plumbing clang- “Whoa, whoa. Hey. What’s up with

ing from the hallway below, followed the waterworks, Doc?” Corlie asked.

by Corlie talking on the telephone. “I overheard you talking to your

In a practiced voice, Corlie said, mom and I guess it really got to me,”

“I‟m all right, I‟m all right. Yes. I just Avery said, red-eyed and spluttering.

missed the bus. Uh-huh. Right. Yes. She clenched her hands into white-

No, I‟m at a friend‟s house. Yes, a knuckled fists then, and continued,

friend. You remember, the girl from “If I had been here at home and not at

Redgate? Avery. I‟ll see you tomorrow, boarding school, I would have been

then, okay? Love you, mom. „Bye.” able to hold her hand one last time

Corlie‟s maudlin love you, mom and say good bye, but no one told me

provided the trigger for the physical that she was gone until it was too late.

and emotional meltdown that had My dad included. Now my entire fami-

been building up in Avery for days. ly wants to make it out that I‟m the

As her legs buckled, she found herself God damned bad guy in this somehow,

sinking to the cot and weeping into the rotten daughter, but it‟s not my

her hands with bitter, hitching sobs. fault that my mom died the way that

Oh, Christ, is this what I’ve come to? she did. It isn’t my fucking fault.”

Avery thought. What are you doing? “Oh, for Christ‟s sake. Listen up,”

Stop your babyish crying and get on Corlie said, and seized Avery‟s wrists.

your feet, you weak, stupid girl! Don’t She gave them an emphatic little twist,

let Corlie see you like this! Not now! then, meting out just enough pain to

At that moment the door creaked silence Avery‟s sobbing, and went on,

open and Corlie strode into Avery‟s “Have you ever been raped? Or beaten?

room, clothed in Avery‟s t-shirt and I mean really, really licked on, and
 39

not by another girl, but by a grown and you won‟t come off as such a

man, so bad that you can‟t move and snippy stuck up bitch all of the time.

you think that you‟re going to die? Now are you going to get off of your

Yeah, yeah, right, I didn‟t think so. sorry butt and show me around this

Well, when it‟s you that‟s had the shit dump or do I have to do it myself?”

kicked out of you every day of your Avery‟s subsequent walking tour of

life and no one will do a damned thing the house, which occasionally paused

to help you because you‟re just an- here and there to contemplate some

other worthless street kid, we‟ll talk. curious aspect of her parent‟s osten-

Until then? you oughta check your tatious and oftentimes bizarre Gothic

conceited rich white girl‟s privilege at Flamboyant décor, finally concluded

the door and be thankful that you‟re in the home‟s grassy, sunstruck back

still above ground and breathing.” yard, just outside Sorcha‟s art studio.

“Thanks for the lesson, sensei,” Corlie pressed her nose to a win-

Avery said through a haze of tears. dow and asked, “Can we get inside?”

“And are you through, by the way? “No. No. Not from here, anyway,”

Because that hurts, and it‟s really, Avery replied. “The only way in is to

really pissing me off right now.” break a window, pick the lock, or go

Corlie released Avery and said, through the secret door in the kitchen.

“Yeah. Just one more thing, though. The servant‟s entrance, the one hid-

Your mother up and dying was her den behind the blue china cabinet.”

doing, not yours. So stop trying to And what was the source of that

take responsibility for all of the shit chill wind that suddenly stirred the

that you aren‟t responsible for, okay? roses that bloomed about the studio?

It doesn‟t do you a bit of good, believe That feeling of presence experienced in

me. Plus, you‟ll also live a lot longer the mind rather than perceived by the
 40

senses? There, and then gone again. I‟m sixteen, and he‟s, what, thirty?”

It was a short time later that Lane “For your information, he happens

dragged a charcoal grill from the tool to be twenty-nine, single and looking.

shed to the front yard, where he pro- And you ain‟t gonna be sixteen years

ceeded to serve up three t-bone steaks. old forever, sweetheart,” Corlie said.

“Your dad is so cute,” Corlie said Avery, Lane and Corlie ate dinner

from her perch on the porch swing. in the kitchen‟s air-conditioned cool.

She cradled a beer and Ranger on her Corlie heaped dollops of ketchup and

lap while Avery, who sat beside her, sour cream onto her steak and potato

rocked the swing with one bare foot. and supped with half-starved fervor.

“I know that it sounds cold, seeing as She finished her meal with a slice of

how your mother just died, but I can‟t apple pie and a bowl of sour black

believe that he doesn‟t have tons of cherry gelato while Avery and Lane

lady callers. Hell, if I were a little bit washed dishes and tidied up the room.

older, I‟d make a play for him myself.” The sun began to set. Avery and

“Ugh, don‟t be gross,” Avery said. Corlie went into the den, and, after a

“Hey, I know you think that your bit of pleading from Corlie, watched

dad is some kind of frickin plaster Jim Henson’s Labyrinth on Blu-ray.

saint, but he‟s a man like any other, Corlie sat, speechless and enthralled,

and men have needs,” Corlie said. through the entire film, and her eyes

“And speaking of men, if I were you? welled with tears as the credits rolled.

I‟d bust a move on that David Holm Avery switched on the local news,

while I still had the opportunity, Doc.” returned the disc to its box and went

Avery rolled her eyes. “Please. He‟s to Lane‟s study, where she found her

far too macho and glib for my tastes. father at work behind his computer.

Sure, he‟s definitely eye candy, but “Dinner was perfect. And you‟ve won
 41

Corlie over, by the way,” Avery said, thought. What the fuck was that?

and hugged Lane, the first real hug “Don‟t freak, doc. It‟s just a fox,

that they had shared since she had out raiding a henhouse somewhere,”

returned home so many days ago. “Oh, Corlie said from her place on the cot,

this is good. Good, good, good. So, I‟ll in a voice so loud and sudden that

see you in the morning, then, okay?” Avery almost jumped out of her skin.

The girls then climbed the stairs to “People call that howling the Vixen‟s

Avery‟s bedroom. There Avery found scream, although it‟s way too early

an oversized, knee-length t-shirt for for their mating season. Scary, huh?”

Corlie and flannel pajamas for herself. Avery gathered her wits, sat up,

When Avery emerged from the bath- then hugged her knees and asked,

room a few minutes later, dressed for “So, tell me something, Corlie. And

bed, Corlie was already on her cot, please be honest. Why did you walk

nestled within a cocoon of blankets. all the way out to my house today?”

Avery switched a table lamp off After a moment of brooding silence,

and stealthily climbed into her bed. during which an errant storm cloud

Lying motionless on her back, she lis- had obscured the moon‟s glow and

tened to the ceaseless ululation of the cast the bedroom into shadow, Corlie

spring peepers, crickets, and whip- turned and gazed at Avery with eyes

poor-wills as they prated outside. that shone like twin embers in the

Then Avery heard a keening howl that darkness and said, “I had to see you

she had never heard before, a series again. To make sure that you and I

of inhuman shrieks in the darkness were still on the up and up, you know?

beyond that chilled her to the marrow. After what happened at the party, I

Jesus. That sounded like a person thought that you were mad at me and

screaming, a woman screaming, Avery didn‟t want to be my friend anymore.”

 42

“Oh, Corlie. Why do you have to be She then made a circuit through the

so God damned vexing?” Avery said. house and inspected each and every

“Look, I told you a hundred times that silverware drawer and the contents of

I had a really good time at the party, both bathrooms‟ medicine cabinets.

okay? Wade and Bobby Ray or no Nothing was amiss. There was a safe

Wade and Bobby Ray. Why wouldn‟t stocked with cash, jewelry, some

we still be friends? Corlie? Corlie?” pricey first edition books and who-

There was no reply. Avery pitched knows-what-else in Lane‟s study, but

back onto her bed and closed her eyes. one would need either a professional

Soon the soft, metronomic cadence locksmith or dynamite to open it.

of Corlie‟s breathing soothed her jan- Then in a dizzying rush she thought,

gled nerves and lulled her mind into My God, of course! How could I have

surreal imaginings, and she slept. been so trusting? She’s taken the gun!

11. Avery bolted back to her room,

At 7:55 AM Avery found Corlie‟s pulled the quilt out from under the

sheets and blanket folded and neatly bed and found the rifle still in place,

squared away at the foot of her cot. just as she had left it the day before.

On the pillow was a single, halved Later, over a breakfast of cereal,

sheet of ruled notebook paper, a mis- bagels, and coffee, Lane remarked,

sive written in Corlie‟s hand that read, “I have to say, your friend Corlie is a

had to be on my way and didn’t real character. A bit of a lost ball in

want to wake you. thank you for high weeds, though, right? I under-

everything. call me XOXO Corlie. stand why you‟d feel sorry for her.”

Hugs and kisses my bony ass. The “Uh-huh,” Avery said absently. She

spooky bitch has probably gone and troweled butter onto a bagel and fo-

robbed me fucking blind, Avery fumed. cused on the gravelly scritch-scritch-

 43

scritch the knife made in its travel apron, and a superior, a young wo-

while her brain worked double-time. man with the improbable forename of

“Hey, how long has it been since we Bunny Kaplan. Bunny chewed bubble

cleaned out some of these rooms? gum nonstop, gabbed in nimble, un-

Like the basement, the closets and punctuated sentences, and wore her

the attic? I‟m curious, you know? I bobbed, fire engine-red hair styled in

thought that I heard rats last night.” glossy World War II-era liberty curls.

The phone rang before Lane could She also smoked during her twice a

reply. Avery leapt from her chair and day break times and doled out free

picked up the receiver on the third loosies to her coworkers, which was a

ring. It was The Green Man. You’re veritable gift from the gods for Avery.

hired, and could you be here at noon The work was grueling. At first,

tomorrow, Miss Boyce? a voice asked. Avery‟s duties were relegated to bus-

Lane seemed to be overjoyed, but sing and cleaning tables and wheeling

Avery detected a trace of apprehen- a food cart to and from the kitchen.

sion in his voice and suspected that The register and espresso machine

he was only pretending to be happy. were the province of senior staff only.

They spent the day hauling cardboard And where was Corlie? After almost

boxes of old magazines, clothes and three days without so much as a sin-

mismatched shoes from the attic to gle text or phone call from her new-

the local Goodwill and the town dump. found friend, Avery began to worry.

Avery left early the next morning Boomer, Dahlia, and David strolled

and entered North Cape at 11:55 AM. into the Bistro on Avery‟s fourth day.

The Green Man‟s regional manager, David ushered his friends into a booth,

Vinson Page, summarily issued Avery then walked to where Avery stood at

a laminated name tag, a canvas bib the register and banged a half-shell
 44

motorcycle helmet down on the bar. worked here, Hermione Granger. So,

“Well, hi there. Long time no see,” what‟s your story? Do you go to col-

Avery said as she tidied a towering lege in North Cape, or out of state?”

stack of menus and trays beside the “I go to High School, in Redgate.

helmet, and then added, ambrosially, I‟ll be a senior this fall,” Avery said,

“So, what can I get for you, partner?” and then winced and bit her lip, as

For a moment David goggled at she had just unwittingly blurted out

Avery with the blank expression of a the truth about her age, and it was

person caught completely unawares, too late to do thing one about it.

and then, after snapping his fingers in Unphased, David said, “Redgate

a gesture of recollection, answered, High, huh? Funny, you seem like more

“Oh, yeah. Hey. I know you. You‟re of a Cumberland Conservatory girl,

that Hermione Granger-looking chick with your attitude. So, what are you

from the party. The one with the ritzy going to major in once you blow this

name. Aubrey, was it? Amelie? No, pop stand? What floats your boat?”

wait a minute, Avery. Avery Boyce.” “I don‟t know,” Avery shrugged.

“Mm-hmm. That’s me,” Avery said. “Not what you‟d expect, considering

“I see Boomer and Dahlia over there, both of my parents were crazy artists.

too. So, you pretty much hang out Agriculture, maybe. Chemistry. Geol-

with them all the time, then, right?” ogy. Rocks. I like rocks. And horses.”

David glanced at his wristwatch David drew a ball point pen from

and said, “Oh. You mean those two? his jacket pocket, scribbled a name

Yeah. Yeah. We‟ve been out on the and phone number on a paper napkin

road all morning. Riding. I have a Tri- in a precise, chancery hand, and said,

umph Bonneville 650, a café racer? “Boomer and I do landscape work for

God damn, I didn‟t know that you a guy who lives northwest of here,
 45

way out past Harrow and Crowfield, what can you tell me about David

in a little country town called Oracle. Holm? I‟m just asking for a friend.”

Old dude name of Ormond Meadow. “For a friend. I see,” Bunny said.

He and his wife Robena own a work- “Sure, honey, sure, right, whatever.

ing ranch there. And by a working Well, David Holm? I don‟t know, he‟s

ranch, I mean a working ranch, i.e. an all right enough guy, I suppose.

horses. The Ravensback Ranch and He‟s an orphan, though, you know.

Riding Club. Look „em up sometime.” His parents were killed in a car crash

David passed the napkin to Avery. when he was around eleven years old

At that moment Bunny sidled up to or so, and then he was moved from

the register, clapped a not-too-genial foster home to foster home for years.

hand on Avery‟s shoulder and said, He has a college degree too, believe it

“As I live and breathe. Come on, David, or not, in journalism and psychology,

you know the house rules. No chat- which makes him what my dear old

ting up the baristas. And they need granddad used to disparagingly call a

you in the kitchen, Avery. Right now.” jack of all trades and a master of none.

Avery was hustled into the kitchen And that crew that he runs with; you

and handed two huge bags of trash, know what kind of people they are.

which she then tossed into an alley Boomer and that Dahlia Defries? Brrr.

dumpster. By the time she pushed They‟re a rough bunch of characters.

her food cart back into the bistro, Too rough for rich little Güeras like you.

Boomer, Dahlia and David were gone. Oh, yes. You’re not fooling anyone with

Behind the Green Man later, Avery that asking for a friend jazz, darling.

asked Bunny, “So since you seem to So why the sudden interest in David?

be on a first name basis with just Avery‟s cell phone bing-bonged. On

about every one of our customers, it was a seconds-old SMS text mes-
 46

sage from Corlie, which read simply, Riding Club on her bedroom computer,

hi. we’re on for the riding club then printed a map to Oracle and de-

Sunday 12 PM. bring the trapper leted her search and browser history.

for your first lesson XOXO – C She then secreted the rifle and bullets

“Er, um, no reason in particular, within the pickup truck and set out

Avery replied, and quickly tucked on her journey the following morning.

her phone into her pants hip pocket The terrain became increasingly

before Bunny became overly curious. featureless as Avery drove northwest,

“It‟s just that he‟s, well, rather mature and ever more depopulated as well,

for his age. Confident, I suppose.” save for the occasional Wheatland

Bunny stubbed her cigarette out tractor chugging through a soybean

and scoffed, “Confident, you guess? field, or lonely farmhouse and raised

Huh. No, a heartbreaker is what he is. roof barn pinioned in the distance.

Watch your step, sweetheart. I mean Three hours later, a dirt road led her

it, okay? You belong in the movies or to a one-story rustic ranch rambler,

in medical school, not knocked up flat-roofed outbuilding and horse barn.

and stuck in a Podunk town like this.” Avery parked adjacent the rambler

That night over dinner, Avery told and stepped into the afternoon‟s blis-

Lane that she had to work on Sunday. tering heat. As she stretched out her

Between bites, she said, “Inventory, legs and lower back, her gaze was in-

you see. I have to be there all day, evitably drawn to a massive, mid-

and I won‟t be home until around ten. night-black muscle car, which looked

Or later, maybe, like eleven o‟clock.” like demolition derby bomber or prop

Another day went by without any from the The Road Warrior, nearby.

unwanted questions from Lane. Avery “That‟s David‟s „69 Chevy Camaro

Googled the Ravensback Ranch and Z28, by the way,” a voice declared.
 47

A t-shirt and overalls-clad Corlie ap- “Good afternoon miss Boyce. Wel-

proached the pickup truck from the come to the Ravensback Ranch,” the

direction of the rambler and said, af- man said with an almost comical ap-

ter embracing Avery in a sweaty hug, proximation of a cowboy drawl, and

“Hey, Boo. I see that you got the text extended a leathery hand to Avery.

that I sent you from his phone, too. “I‟m Ormond Meadow. This is my wife,

Yeah, I ran into David and his friends Robena, and this is my son, Thomas. I

coming out of the Green Man a couple hear you have a passion for horses.

of days ago, and when he told me that Well, I hope that we can oblige you.”

you guys had talked about the ranch, Ormond then tacked up a spirited

I said that we should do something chestnut filly named Diamond Flame,

there this weekend, Avery will love it. and together the group made their

So, did you bring the rifle? Awesome. way to a wooden stock corral outside.

Everyone is in the stable, let‟s go.” There Avery rode at a full gallop, fol-

Avery and Corlie found Boomer, lowed by Corlie, with Boomer short-

Dahlia and David gathered just in- leading the mare about the corral.

side the barn‟s cavernous entrance. Dahlia and Ormond remained just

Accompanying the trio was a stooped, outside the corral while Avery and

sun-burned rancher, a raven-haired David looked on from its walk-thru,

woman draped in a blanket shawl, side by side. As Corlie and Boomer

and a boy of perhaps seven or eight. cantered by again, David remarked,

The boy, who wore an expression of “She‟s had a hard row to hoe, you

catatonic vapidity on his deadpan face, know. And by her, I mean Corlie. And

also stared fixedly into the middle dis- I‟m not just talking about her family

tance with round, glassy, emotionless history, either. Do you remember the

eyes that made Avery‟s flesh crawl. Pagett case from about a year ago?
 48

The sisters, Sheila and Lindsey, who “Hang on a minute,” Avery said.

were abducted in North Cape, killed “That was a couple of years ago, and

and then dumped in the Barrows? she did that in secret. How do you

Those girls were Corlie‟s friends. Yes. know that my mom was a teacher?”

And she was supposed to be with With a contrite shrug David said,

them on the day they got grabbed, too, “Your mother was Sorcha Boyce, the

so I guess that she thinks that she Sorcha Boyce, nee MacReady, right?

could have saved them if not for some The artist and photographer some-

random twist of fate or something. times known as the female H.R. Giger?

Whatever she believes, that must be I‟m not spying on you or anything.

one hell of a case of survivor‟s guilt to Corlie is a total comic book nerd and

have carried around all of this time.” told me who your mom was after you

What the fuck? A double homicide? left the party. I‟m impressed. You‟re

Jesus, what have I gotten myself into? remarkably humble for a celebrity.”

Avery thought. Then she said, calmly, The group returned to the barn,

“She was in my house, in the parlor. where Avery fed Diamond Flame su-

Just after my mother‟s funeral. Sitting gar cubes and a Winesap apple, and

in plain sight with ratty old book bag then adjourned to the house for con-

of hers. That‟s how she and I first met. versation and an impromptu lunch.

Unofficially, that is. I still haven‟t a As the discourse finally turned to the

clue why she was there, though. Try more mundane workings of the ranch,

as I might, I can‟t connect the dots.” Corlie nabbed two beers from the re-

“Your mom taught art classes for frigerator, and whispered to Avery,

wayward inner-city kids back in the “There’s a field out past the ranch

day? At risk youth and all of that? where we can do some target shooting.

Maybe that explains it,” David said. Play it cool for a few minutes and then
 49

go and get your rifle, Doc. Come on.” He‟s not a drooling idiot or anything,

Avery retrieved the rifle and bullets he just doesn‟t talk. Or won‟t. Selec-

from her truck and pursued Corlie tive mutism, I believe they call it. It‟s

farther and farther from the house. still as spooky as hell, though, right?

They passed through a stand of tow- Meadow family lore has it that Rob-

ering wolf trees then and followed a ena‟s twin sister, Dardana, dropped a

goat path until they finally came upon toad on Robena‟s belly while she was

a small, weedy, sunless glade, where preggars, and that‟s why the boy can‟t

a wooden slat rail fence and a buck- talk. Because he‟s cursed, you see.”

shot-riddled Danger! Beware of Rat- Corlie walked on to the fence then,

tlesnakes sign sagged in the distance. where she wrenched a pock-marked

“So, was I right, or was I right?” paint can from its resting place in the

Corlie said as she surveyed the grove. Timothy grass and thistle. She pro-

“No one from the ranch will be able to ceeded to position the can atop a rail

hear us with all of this forest cover. post, and continued, after returning

Yes, this will do the trick quite nicely.” to where Avery knelt upon the sward,

Avery sat on a fallen tree, then “I have to confess, it was me who in-

rubbed at a twisted ankle and said, vited David out to the ranch today. I

“As long as you‟ve dragged me out know that you think that I did it to

here into the middle of nowhere so we mess with your head or something,

can shoot this stupid rifle at nothing, but this entire thing was his idea, so

you can be a peach and tell me, it would have been rude of me not to

what‟s wrong with the Meadow boy?” ask him and his friends to tag along.

“Thomas? Gee, I don‟t know, Doc,” Trust me; you‟ll thank me later, Doc.

Corlie said. “No one does, not his par- Now, blast that bucket off that fence.”

ents, his teachers, his doctors, no one. END OF BOOK ONE