“You wait here,” I said when we reached the door. “I don’t want to have to worry about you getting hurt.”
“Are you nuts? The guy’s built like a truck. If you go out there he’ll bulldoze his way right through you.”
I reached for the door. “What did you think was going to happen if we found him?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I don’t want you to get hurt either.”
“Just wait here and call out an alarm if it looks like I need help. Or call the police. Who knows? Maybe the guy will just talk to me about the whole thing and we’ll find out he went after the wrong person.”
Jessica muttered something about men and their crazy macho attitudes. I took a deep breath, swung the door open, and stepped outside.
“Wes!” Jessica called out from the doorway.
He must have been hiding alongside the door. I spun around but I wasn’t fast enough. Fish Conners drove his shoulder into my mid-section with the force of a demolition ball. He half carried, half pushed me across the dirt yard, smashing my body into the concrete block wall of the building. I’d played football in high school, but the force of Fish’s body block was like nothing I’d ever felt before.
Fish backed away, and I slid down the wall. My legs were too weak to support me and when I tried to push myself up my entire body rebelled. I fought to remain alert.
Conners looked down at me and never said a word. He just smiled. He drew back his foot and lashed out at my head. I moved aside just enough so that he missed my face and hit his foot against the wall. He cursed and prepared to take another shot at me, when out of the darkness appeared the white, angel-like form of my cousin.
In a flash she was on Fish’s back. Kicking and screaming, she dug her manicured nails into his face and eyes, drawing his attention away from me.
Fish whirled about and tried to shake her loose, but Jessica clung to his back like a cowgirl out to break her first mustang. Fish bucked again, then grabbed her leg, and tore Jessica from his back. He studied her for a moment, decided she wasn’t worth bothering with, and then threw her across the dirt lot.
Jessica’s attack had lasted less than a minute, but it was enough time for me to catch my breath. As Fish turned his attention back to me I looked around and spotted a small pile of wood over by the trashcan.
I lunged toward it, conscious of the harsh sound of his footsteps. Unsure of how close Fish was, I dove at the pile and came up with a short piece of two-by-four. Crouching low I turned, expecting to find my opponent right behind me. Fish was nowhere to be seen. A small crowd from the bar had gathered outside to see what the commotion was and must have scared him off. I let out a sigh of relief and despite my aching back and knees, I hobbled over to the prone body of my cousin. Jessica let out a groan and rolled over as I knelt down. Before I could decide what to do, the tall redhead joined me at Jessica’s side.
“I’m a nurse,” she said. She ran a hand over Jessica’s arms and legs like a psychic healer and added, “There don’t appear to be any broken bones.” The woman used her thumb and forefinger to lift Jessica’s right eyelid and my cousin moaned and pulled away.
“What’s going on?” the redhead asked.
“Just a personal spat.” Jessica pushed herself into a seated position and glared at the woman through gritted teeth. “Not really any of your business.”
The redhead got to her feet. “Good. I guess I can get back to my beer then.” I watched as she pushed her way through the horde of gawkers that were milling about. As if on cue, the crowd broke up and followed her through the doorway.
“She was only trying to help,” I pointed out.
Jessica climbed to her feet and looked down at her stained white jeans. “Next thing you know she’d a been wanting to call the cops. Down here we handle things in our own way. You know, when I asked you for help the other day I didn’t expect to be the one coming to the rescue. I was afraid Fish was going to run you right through that wall.”
“You wouldn’t have had to come to my rescue if you’d done what I asked. Didn’t I tell you to get some help if it looked like I was in trouble?”
She shrugged her shoulders and then gasped at the pain it caused her. “I guess I didn’t think. I saw him pounding on you and I just reacted. Besides, I was afraid that if I left you’d be dead by the time I got back. So now what do we do?”
“I suggest we go back to the marina and talk about that over a beer.” As I started to walk around the building toward the car Jessica began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
She limped up alongside me, put her arm through mine and said, “No one will ever accuse us of being Sherlock Holmes and Watson, will they?”
“I guess not,” I said. “Let’s go get that drink.”
Chapter 8
Although the marina restaurant was about half-full, there were no customers at the bar. As Jessica and I took a seat there, Cathy tossed her towel into the sink and headed our way. For a woman who wasn’t really interested in me, she managed to convey her irritation as she set a coaster in front of Jessica. “You’re the cousin, I guess?”
Jessica slipped her arm through mine. “Kissin’ cousins, really. Ain’t that right, Cuz?”
“Well, not really.” I was embarrassed by the implication, and I tried to disengage from Jessica’s grip. She clutched my arm like I was a wayward child, and I gave in and stopped struggling.
“I guess Wes has become localized a lot faster than I did,” Cathy said.
“No I haven’t.” I jerked my arm and this time Jessica released it. “She’s kidding. There’s nothing like that going on between us.”
“Kind of quick to deny it,” Cathy said. “Makes me wonder.”
“He’s easily embarrassed,” Jessica said.
Cathy put out her hand. “Name’s Cathy.”
When Jessica reached out to take the offered hand I stood and excused myself to go to the bathroom. I didn’t know how I felt about these two women suddenly getting friendly. I was pretty sure it could only lead to more aggravation for me. I wished I smoked; it would be a perfect excuse to escape the confines of the restaurant.
I took as much time as I dared before heading back. I could see the two of them bent over the bar, heads together, whispering. When Cathy saw me she waved and drifted away.
I looked down at the beer sitting in front of my stool and then glanced at Jessica. “What’s up between the two of you?”
“Just a little girl talk,” Jessica said. “I ordered us both Buds. Hope that’s all right?”
It wasn’t my favorite beer but I picked up the bottle and took a healthy slug. At least it was cold. “Not spilling any family secrets, I hope?” I asked.
Cathy joined us right then. “She gave me a quick rundown of what you’ve been up to. I suggested you could use a little help looking for your missing book.”
I looked over at Jessica and raised an eyebrow.
“When I explained why I’m such a mess, I mentioned Fish,” Jessica said. “Cathy said you told her about your first run-in.”
I bit back a retort, gulped down the rest of my beer, and held up the empty bottle. “Can I get a Miller Lite this time?”
Cathy took the bottle and then reached for another. “I think you should ask your Uncle Roy for help.” She popped the cap and held it out to me, but when I reached for it she pulled it away. “Maybe he can keep you from getting the shit beat out of you every other day.”
I grabbed the drink from her hand and slammed it down on the counter. “This really isn’t any of your business.”
Cathy cast an evil eye in my direction and put her hands on her hips. “You’re an asshole, Darling. I sort of feel that sleeping with you gives me a reason to worry about you.”
As she turned away I called out, “You told me it didn’t mean anything. That negates your rights.”
I thought her shoulders slumped a little and I felt like a heel. I was about to call out an apology when
Jessica leaned toward me and whispered in my ear.
“You slept with her?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Fine,” Jessica said, but it obviously wasn’t. She picked up her beer, drained it, and slid off her stool. “I think Cathy’s right.”
“What? You think we should ask your Uncle Roy for his help?”
“He’s your Uncle Roy too.” Jessica took two steps away from the bar, then stopped and shot me an angry look. “And no, that’s not what I mean. I was referring to the part about you being an asshole. Don’t bother waiting for me. I’ve got to hit the ladies room, then I’m leaving.”
Cathy moved over to where I was seated and picked up Jessica’s bottle. “You should wait for her.”
“I told you there’s nothing going on between us.”
“Maybe not on your part. Trust me Wes, you need to be waiting for her when she gets out of the head and then you need to walk her to her car.”
“But....”
“She’s your cousin and she’s feeling dissed. Just go.” Cathy picked up my half-full bottle and before I could protest she took it away.
I sat there for a minute wondering what I was getting myself into, and then I threw a twenty on the counter and moved over to the door to wait for Jessica.
She glanced past me when she came out of the ladies room, pretending I was a stranger when I opened the door for her. I followed her down the stairs and out to her car. Finally, she glanced at me, raised an eyebrow, and acknowledged my presence.
“You want me to talk to Uncle Roy?” she asked.
“I’d rather we did it together. I’d like to hear his response.”
“You don’t trust me?” Jessica asked, as she reached behind her and opened the car door.
“You asked me to help because I’m a trained investigator. One of the things I do is observe what goes on around me. I want to watch Roy’s reaction. I don’t want him involved unless he wants to be involved.”
“Fine. We’ll do it tomorrow night. I’ll call and let you know what time I’m gonna pick you up.”
“Why not in the morning?”
“Uncle Roy’s a night owl. He sleeps most of the day, gets up around dinner time and doesn’t go to bed until the sun comes up. I guess we could go tonight if you’d like.”
I thought about it for half a second and shook my head. “I’m whipped. Every muscle in my body hurts from the beatings Fish gave me and I haven’t recuperated from my boat trip up here. I did two overnight sails in a week.”
“I’ll call tomorrow,” Jessica said.
I started to turn away but Jessica wasn’t quite finished with me. She grabbed my arm and tugged until I spun to face her, then she threw her arms around my neck and locked her lips on mine.
I tried to pull away but she was a strong girl, and then I wasn’t trying so hard. My mind shouted that this was so wrong, but I drew her closer and returned the kiss and just when I thought I’d found heaven, she pushed me away and jumped into her car.
Lowering the window, Jessica stuck her tongue out. “Now you know what it means to be kissin’ cousins. So why don’t you take your not-me attitude, shove it in a pipe, and smoke it.”
I stood there, my body limp as a piece of overcooked spaghetti, until her taillights vanished in the night. As I headed back toward the boat I mulled over what had happened. Jessica seemed to be toying with me, and enjoying it way too much. I didn’t know what the hell was going on in her mind, but my thoughts were spiraling out of control.
In the distance Lyle Lovett was playing on a stereo. The cool night air smelled of salt water, swamp mud, and shit, as if someone had just pumped their head out into the river. The moon sat in the sky and cast a near perfect glow like a magical corridor along the length of the Dog River, and I had never felt so confused in my life.
The tide was going out and it was a long step down into the cockpit of my boat. As I got ready for bed I ruminated over what had just happened. Maybe I was being too rigid in my thinking. After all, how did I know that she was really my cousin?
My mother had always claimed that all she knew about my father was his name. She was certainly capable of lying to me if she felt it would help drag me back into her fold. But this didn’t feel like one of her ploys.
No, I was pretty sure that Jessica was my cousin and the thoughts I had when she’d kissed me out there in the parking lot were not good thoughts to have about a cousin. I needed to keep my distance from that girl and the best way to do that was to not be alone with her. It was definitely time to call on Uncle Roy, and the sooner the better. I didn’t know if he’d really be much help in finding the book, but he sure as hell could create a buffer zone between Jessica and myself.
I plucked my cell phone from its holder and dialed Jessica’s number.
“What up Cuz?” Jessica answered. There was a lilt to her voice that made me think she was laughing at me. I ignored it.
“Can we go see Roy tonight?”
“I thought you were tired?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Why’s that?” Her tone suggested that she knew exactly why I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t take the bait.
“I just want to talk to Roy. Can we do it tonight or not?”
“Sure, Cuz, but I need to stop for gas first. Give me half an hour.”
Before I could respond she clicked off her phone. My hands started sweating at the thought of being alone with her again. I hoped to hell Roy would agree to help us. Someone was going to have to stand between Jessica and me, because if that girl ever kissed me like that again, there’d be no stopping me.
Chapter 9
My stomach churned at the thought of seeing Jessica and I couldn’t sit still and wait. Throwing my clothes back on, I grabbed a Snickers bar from the fridge and hustled outside.
I gobbled down the candy bar as I trudged past the junkyard toward the end of the street. The chocolate bar did nothing to settle my stomach. A dog barked and my steps slowed. I looked behind me in time to see a large, mixed breed dog throw itself at the rusted yard gate.
As I walked along the road the animal followed on the other side of the fence, a growling shadow in the night. At the end of the property he let out a final bark and bounded off toward more interesting prey.
I paced back and forth along the edge of the road for ten minutes before spotting the headlights of a car in the distance. A moment later, Jessica’s little Honda slid to a stop a few yards ahead of me. I ran up, pulled open the door, and climbed in.
“I didn’t even see you,” Jessica said as she turned the car around and headed back out to Dauphin Island Parkway. “You should dress in something lighter if you’re going to go wandering down unlit streets at night.”
I was dressed in jeans and a dark sweatshirt and couldn’t argue with her reasoning. I wanted to avoid too much interaction with her so I drew an invisible curtain around myself and leaned against the door as far away from her as I could get in the little car. I don’t know what I expected, but she didn’t throw herself at me and she didn’t bite, although when I looked her way I thought she had a rather smug smile on her face. I lay my head back, closed my eyes, and promptly dozed off.
The gentle braking of the car roused me from my fitful sleep. I stretched and glanced over at Jessica as she turned off the main highway. “Where are we?”
“Grand Bay,” she said. “Uncle Roy has about twenty acres of mostly woodland out here.” I thought she sounded a little curt.
“I’m sorry for falling asleep just now. I haven’t recovered from the beatings I’ve taken in the last couple of days.”
Jessica took her eyes off the road long enough to give me a speculative look. “You and me need to talk.”
“About what happened between us earlier,” I said.
“Indirectly,” she said. “There’s something I haven’t told you about me, but we’re almost at Uncle Roy’s now. We’ll talk later.”
I shifted in my seat and loo
ked out the window, watching the night shadows whiz by as we drove along the uneven road. We passed battered trailers and wood shanties. A burned out shack with the roof caving in stood out in the dark, and next to it sat a yellow school bus that had been converted into someone’s home. The car slowed again and we turned onto a narrow dirt track. The driveway had been leveled with oyster shells that made snap, crackle, and pop sounds as we drove over them. I almost expected little elves with cereal bowls to come running out of the darkness.
Uncle Roy lived in a hand-built log cabin surrounded by dozens of pine trees. The place was small but neat, with well-crafted lines. A sturdy porch ran along the entire front of the building, and when I stepped out of the car I was overwhelmed by the aromatic scent of wood smoke and pine pitch. I thought that if heaven wasn’t a sailboat floating on clear blue water, then this might be it.
Jessica walked up and stopped alongside of me. “I love it here. It’s so peaceful.”
“I don’t know what I was expecting,” I said. “But this wasn’t it.”
The door opened before we got to the steps and the large figure of my uncle stood silhouetted in the night. Beside him a massive bundle of fur, jowls and teeth took one look at us and bounded down the steps in a single gliding motion. I froze in my steps, but it wasn’t me the beast was interested in, it was Jessica.
The dog let out a long howl and leaped up on Jessica, knocking her off balance. She laughed as the dog’s paws rested on her shoulders, and she tolerated the tongue lashing her face received.
“Get down, Dwayne,” Roy called out from the doorway. Dwayne looked over his shoulder as if questioning his master’s sanity, but when Roy repeated the command Dwayne dropped down beside Jessica and looked up into her face.
“Dwayne used to be my dog.” Jessica reached down and ruffled his fur. “He was a half-starved, skinny string bean of a pup when I found him. When we couldn’t find his owners I begged Daddy to let me keep him. He agreed, but then Dwayne just kept growing and growing. When I went off to college Daddy and Uncle Roy decided he’d be better off out here.”
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