The River Valley Series

by Tess Thompson

  “What time?”

  “Two o’clock?”

  “Fine.”

  She saved the hardest call for last. She dialed Von’s phone number listed on the worn business card from all the months in her wallet. She almost hung up when she heard his chilling voice, but took a deep breath instead and caressed the bump on her stomach she believed to be the baby’s knee. “Von, this is Lee Tucker, I mean, Lee Johnson.”

  “You have our money?”

  “I do. Meet me at eleven p.m. at Riversong.”

  “Don’t mess with me this time. Understand?”

  “Yes. See you at eleven.” She hung up, sinking into the couch, arms around her stomach.

  Chapter 24

  Two minutes after eleven, the restaurant was almost empty. Tommy played without his band. The servers and busboys had all left for home. The remaining dinner guests, a young couple, were finishing the last bites of their desserts. Lee exchanged glances with Tommy and watched Cindi wipe the bar with a white bar towel. She turned back to her podium and played with her star necklace at her throat. She heard feet shuffle on the sidewalk outside and looked up to see Von limping by the window. He tipped his hat when he saw her and, despite the plan, she froze until she saw him reappear inside the doorway. He slipped inside and hovered beside the ficus tree, blending into the shadow except for his eyes that glittered between the leaves. The young couple stopped at Lee’s podium, grabbing a business card. They said something to her that she couldn’t hear for the pounding in her head and then stopped at the door when they saw Von, hesitating as if they sensed something amiss. The young man glanced at Lee with a questioning look and she mustered a reassuring smile. “Thanks for coming in. We’ll see you next time.” The couple smiled, grabbed each other’s hands, and walked through the door.

  Von turned to Lee, his mouth turned up at the corners in a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m in a hurry, so let’s get this done.” She smelled cigarettes and the pungent spice of his cologne. His white-coated tongue flicked over his chapped lower lip as he reached inside his jacket, the glint of his gun reflecting in the light of her podium lamp.

  Legs numb and shaky, she stepped from behind the podium, placing her hand on her stomach for courage. “Can you wait for me in the bar?”

  He glanced at her midsection. She thought she detected shock and perhaps even shame cross his face but he followed her in silence past the empty tables to the bar. “Have a seat here and I’ll be with you in a minute,” she said.

  Annie sat at the table next to the stage taking sips of white wine, her foot twitching under the table. Ellen was at the bar with her hands around a Bud Light draft. Billy pretended to read a newspaper at the table closest to the kitchen. Von chose a barstool in the middle of the row and Lee whispered to him, “Please don’t make a scene in front of my customers. Just have a drink and I’ll be right back.”

  He looked around the restaurant, avoiding her eyes. “Make it quick.”

  She heard Cindi ask what she could get him as Lee walked to the front door and locked it. As she walked back to the bar she gave Ellen a nod. Tommy put down his guitar and jumped from the stage, and in tandem they all surrounded Von, except for Billy, who ran to stand at the front door. Ellen and Tommy pointed guns into his back while Cindi pulled her pistol from under the bar and pointed it at his head. He reached to his belt but Tommy poked him hard with the butt of his gun. “Don’t even think about it. Give me the gun, real slow.”

  Von pulled the gun out of its holder and handed it to Tommy. Von looked over at Lee. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with here.”

  Cindi wagged her gun at him. “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with.”

  Linus came in from the kitchen. Von stared at him. “You.”

  Linus touched his forehead with his fingers and tossed his head. “Just little ol’ me, only this time we have the guns.”

  Von squirmed on his stool. “I told my boss I should’ve hurt you worse than I did.”

  Tommy went to Annie, handing her Von’s gun. Then he put his face next to Von’s and said through clenched teeth, “We’re going to get this settled.”

  “What is this, the hick brigade?” said Von, his eyes on Cindi.

  Tommy yanked him off the barstool and threw him against the counter. “Listen, you piece of shit, I would love to beat you beyond recognition.” The scar on his cheek twitched. His free hand tightened around Von’s neck. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to this woman’s life?” Tommy raised his gun in the air like he was going to bring it down on Von’s head.

  Annie’s eyes darted from Von’s face to the gun in Tommy’s hand. Sweat dripped down the sides of her face and she looked at Lee and mouthed, “Do something.”

  “Tommy, stop. We don’t want to kill him here,” said Lee.

  Linus put one hand on his heart while waving the other in front of his face as though he might faint. “Too much blood.”

  The anger seemed to run out of Tommy as he let go of Von’s neck, shoving him back onto the barstool and sticking his gun into his ribs again.

  Ellen poked him with her shotgun. “We’re gonna shoot you and feed your body to a bear.”

  Von’s eyes darted to Lee. “You think this is over if you kill me? I don’t work alone.”

  Lee went around the bar and stood next to Cindi. Her knees knocked together as she held onto the bar, thankful she didn’t have to hold a gun. “Do you have another solution besides my friends killing you and feeding you to a bear named Clive?”

  “It doesn’t matter. If I come back empty-handed, after letting you escape, I’m finished. These people I work for, they’re not part of the humanitarian movement. So I may as well let you idiots do it.” She saw the fear in his eyes.

  Lee nodded to Linus and Annie. “Go get him.”

  Annie and Linus walked to the kitchen. No one spoke while they waited for them to come back. Lee trembled and couldn’t bring herself to look at Von, instead focusing on the popping vein in Tommy’s neck. In less than a minute, Annie and Linus came through the kitchen door with Zac. His hands were tied behind his back and his mouth was gagged. His eyes darted around the room in an expression between confusion and rage. Ellen aimed her shotgun at Zac and pointed at the barstool next to Von. “Put him next to the scumbag.” Linus lifted him up to the barstool.

  Zac’s eyes were wild, trying to talk through the gag. Lee directed her gaze on him. “We’re sorry to have to bring you into this mess but I’m afraid you’re the only solution to a very serious problem. You see, I owe this man money, thanks to a debt left to me by my late husband, and he’s threatened to kill me if I don’t give him 750,000 dollars.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Do you know anyone who has that kind of money?”

  Linus fluttered his hands in the air. “Say, lying around?”

  Zac looked at Linus and back to Lee. He shook his head no.

  Tommy kept his gun’s aim on Von. “See, we know different. We know there’s a whole lot of money from your little business. Blood money you’ve made hooking innocent kids on meth. So we decided you either give us that money or we kill you and blame it on this asshole here.” He poked Von again.

  Ellen rested her gun on the back of Zac’s scrawny arm. “Of course, if you cooperate, we’ll just forget this ever happened and keep your drug dealing ways from the police.”

  Cindi shook her head. “Unless you start up again, and then we’re singing like canaries.”

  Linus leaned over and took off Zac’s gag. “Now, why don’t you tell us your decision?”

  “You’re all crazy.” Bits of saliva flew out of Zac’s mouth.

  Ellen motioned at him with the barrel of the shotgun. “You’re a very rude young man.”

  Tommy’s face was flushed. “You know, I’d love an excuse to shoot this guy. Let’s just do it and get our other friend back on the road before midnight.”

  Cindi cocked her gun. “I want to do it.”

  Zac spit at Cin
di. “That thing isn’t even loaded.”

  “Should we test it?” said Cindi.

  Tommy prodded Von with his gun. “Why don’t you tell us what you do when people don’t cooperate?”

  “We get people to do what we want, let’s just say that,” said Von.

  “Like what, cutting off fingers, stuff like that?” said Cindi, leaning on the bar as if the idea intrigued her.

  “I haven’t personally done that one, but yeah, like that.” He smirked and stared at Cindi. “We don’t have a handbook, so to speak, we just use our instincts.”

  Cindi nodded and squinted, pursing her lips in agreement. “That makes sense.”

  “Annie, go get your meat cleaver.” Tommy looked over at Zac. “I’ve seen Annie with a knife and she’s good.”

  Annie ran back to the kitchen and came back with the meat cleaver, the lights from the bar glinting from its shiny surface as she raised it in the air. She said to Cindi, “This’ll be fun. A little revenge for all the men who’ve treated us bad.”

  Cindi twirled her arm in the air like she was roping a cow with a lasso and whooped. “Say it again, sister.”

  Zac’s eyes blazed and he lifted his chin. “You guys are so full of shit. No one’s gonna cut off my fingers.”

  “Who wants to hold his hand up on the bar?” Annie raised the meat cleaver in the air.

  Linus smoothed his hand along the surface of the bar. “Don’t do it here and ruin the wood. Let’s take him to the kitchen.”

  Tommy shifted his stance, keeping the gun on Von but looking at Zac. “Listen, these guys are having fun at your expense. Truth is we’re not going to hurt you. None of us have it in us. However, Lee needs this money, so we’re going to give Von back his gun and let you two work it out between you.”

  Von raised an eyebrow and surveyed Zac. “You gonna keep him tied up?”

  Linus put his hand on his hip, with a mock innocence in his tone. “Don’t you think that’s best?”

  Von grunted yes and nodded at Zac. “What’s it gonna be, then?”

  Zac’s eyes widened and for the first time he looked frightened instead of just angry. He turned toward Von and spoke like they were old friends. “Listen, you and me, we could work something out. Between us, y’know?”

  Von looked at him, his face stony. “You wouldn’t last a day in the company I keep.” He turned to Tommy. “Can I get my gun now?”

  Tommy moved like he was going to give him the gun but before he reached him, Zac jerked in his seat. “No, no, I’ll give you the money but you’ll have to let me go so I can pull it together.”

  Linus tilted his head, tapped the back of Von’s stool, and pursed his lips in a smirk. “I don’t mean to be bossy but I wouldn’t let him go before I got the money.”

  Von glared at Linus for a moment and then turned to Tommy. “You gonna give me my gun now so this idiot can get me the money?”

  “We have an even better solution.” Lee reached under the counter and placed a small suitcase in front of Von. “Zac, you needn’t worry about getting the money together. We took the liberty of taking care of that for you.” Lee opened the suitcase, which held stacks of money.

  Zac stared at the bills. “What the hell?”

  Lee pushed it closer to Von. “This is all of it, in hundred-dollar bills, but we’ll wait if you want to count it.”

  He nodded, picked up several stacks and flipped the bills, his eyes snapping with what appeared to be silent counting. After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied and closed the lid of the suitcase and shut the clasps. “You people are crazy in this part of the country.” He nodded towards Cindi. “Let me know if you’re ever looking for work.”

  “I run the bar here and someday we’ll be known as the best restaurant in Oregon, so no thank you.” She fluffed her hair-sprayed coif, flushing a little as if she were flattered.

  Tommy kept his gun aimed at Von. “Now that you’ve worked it out with Zac here, we’d like to keep your gun, make sure you leave without any trouble.”

  “Consider it a gift.” He got off his barstool, gave a slight nod of his head, and limped to the front door. Billy unlocked it and Von disappeared into the darkness.

  Annie went behind the bar and put her arms around Lee. “You’re free.” Lee slumped into her, fatigue and relief washing over her in equal measure. Annie helped her to one of the tables and had her sit, smoothing her hair. “It’s okay now. Ellen, she’s really pale.” She pulled a chair next to Lee. “Put your feet up here.”

  Ellen pointed her gun at Zac. “You want him over at the table now?”

  Tommy walked to the table. “Go get Mike and then wait for us in the back, in case we need you.”

  The others left as Tommy pulled Zac off the barstool and over to the table. Lee wanted to tell Zac that everything was going to be fine, that he just needed to get himself cleaned up and then he could go to the beach. She might say, you don’t need a million dollars, you could live there anyway, start to make a life for yourself slowly, get a job and an apartment. She wanted to tell him that her mother’s life could have been different if she’d faced her pain instead of trying to kill it with vodka. She wanted to tell him that rehabilitation would help him, and that he could rest there and heal from the years of drowning all that rage and sorrow with booze, drugs, and women. But Zac wouldn’t meet her eyes, kept his gaze on his hands, slumped forward, so she stayed silent too.

  She peeked at Tommy across the table. He looked tired, deep circles under his brown eyes. She put her hand on his arm and he looked at her. She mouthed the words, “Thank you,” and he nodded but then looked towards the door. Her heart filled with remorse and she wondered if she could win him back after all she’d put him through. After a moment, Mike came in from the back and joined them at the table.

  Mike nodded at Zac. “Son.” Zac didn’t respond, except for a twitch and shift in his left leg.

  Tommy leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “We’ve got video of you dealing drugs in the parking lot, copies of your client book, and pictures of the sacks of money. More than enough evidence to get you thrown in jail for a long time.” Lee went to the bar and pulled out the copies she made months before of the contents of his Fairy Book, photos of the money, and fake tapes, and placed them on the table in front of Zac and sat again.

  Zac looked at them, sullen for a moment and then his face turned purple like it did the day Lee confronted him, all those months before. His body shook and his eyes darted back and forth. “What do you want?”

  Mike pulled his chair closer to the table and looked as if he might reach for Zac’s hand but instead crossed his arms across his chest. “We don’t want you to go to jail. We think you need some time to dry out and there’s a place down in California that will take you. It’s a full ninety-day drug and alcohol treatment program. Get you cleaned up and help you deal with stuff. They even have the family participate. I talked to your mom and she’s willing to come out for it. And me, too, of course.”

  Zac looked up then, his eyes wide and his voice haggard and dry. “You talked to Mom about this?”

  “Yes, and she was concerned about you. Wanted to help,” said Mike.

  “I’m sure. ‘Cause she’s been so involved the last twenty years. You can’t make me go to rehab. I just drink a little too much. I’m not like those people.”

  Mike glanced at Lee, looking uncomfortable. She caught Tommy’s eye and motioned towards the kitchen. He nodded and they headed for the back. As the doors closed she heard Mike say, “Rehab or jail. Your choice.”

  Chapter 25

  The rest were huddled around the chef’s island in the kitchen. They all looked up when Lee and Tommy came through the door. “Are they still out there?” said Annie.

  “We wanted to give them some privacy,” said Lee. She plopped into the chair by the walk-in freezer just as she felt a little pop and then a gush of fluid between her legs. And then there was a pool of water underneath her chair. She stared at it for a
moment, unable to make out what happened and then it occurred to her. “I think my water just broke.”

  The women circled and Annie took control. “Tommy, get your truck and pull around front. Ellen, call the doctor and have her meet us at the clinic.”

  Lee shook her head, dazed. “But the baby’s not due for three more weeks.”

  Annie gripped Lee’s hand. “Don’t worry, after what we just pulled off, having a baby’s going to be a piece of cake.”

  Tommy, his face wan, appeared at her side and guided her towards the door. A pain like severe cramps started in her groin and she felt her belly tighten. She gasped and leaned against him until it passed. She grabbed his arm and whispered, “Please stay with me.”

  “I will.”

  * * *

  The doctor, hair disheveled, was between Lee’s legs. “Just one more push and we’ve got a baby.”

  Lee flopped back onto the hospital bed, looking first at Tommy and then Ellen. She’d pushed for two hours and she was beyond fatigue, almost delirious. “I can’t do it. I’m too tired.”

  Tommy’s voice was in her ear. “Just one more push and you get to see the baby.”

  She looked in his eyes and anchored to that pool of brown. “It hurts.”

  He wiped the sweat from her face with a soft cloth. “You’re tough, you can do this.”

  The doctor’s voice sounded far away. “Alright, it’s time, just one more push, Lee. Tommy, get behind her on the bed and prop her up.”

  She leaned into Tommy’s torso and tried to breathe through the burning pain and the intense pressure of the baby’s head pushing through the small opening of her body. She concentrated on Tommy’s voice in her ear, took a deep breath, and pushed with her remaining strength. There was burning pain like she might rip in half and then she knew the baby’s head was out. Then there was a gush of fluid and the sensation of the rest of the baby slipping into the world. Then crying that sounded like the exaggerated mew of a frightened kitten. The doctor held it in the air and Lee saw flailing limbs and a slightly bloody head thrown back. “It’s a girl and she’s got red hair,” said the doctor. A nurse wiped the baby with a cloth and placed the naked bundle in Lee’s arms. The baby’s stunned eyes, only minutes ago in the protected warmth of a womb, locked to her mother’s face. Lee scanned her features, for clues about who she was, who she looked like, if Dan were etched anywhere. But she was so small that Lee couldn’t see anything recognizable.