“We were never in any spot,” said Seth. “You just thought we were.”
“Well, if you would’ve talked to me about what you were going through…”
“Stop,” said Seth.
“Guys,” said Ron. “Let’s not let this escalate into an argument.”
“It already has,” said Seth. “One that hasn’t stopped for months.”
“And that’s my fault?” Jody said.
“Did I say that?”
“Whoa,” Ron interrupted. “Let’s not go down that road, okay? No one’s blaming the other for anything. Right?”
Neither Covington spoke. They stared silently at each other, but their wrinkled noses and down-slanted eyes showed that both were silently blaming the other.
Ron tilted and twirled the pad, pinched a corner of the page. The page lifted and curled. He did this again, but the page wouldn’t turn.
“Trying to turn the page?” Seth asked.
“Trying and failing,” Ron said.
“Let me help you,” said Jody, standing. She did a quick adjustment of her white dress, flattening the skirt. Then, pulling the top higher on her breasts, she walked over to Ron. “You’re going to tear it.”
Ron stopped trying, letting her take the pad. She flipped the page. With a blank page on top, she put the pad back into his right hand.
“There you go,” she said.
“Thanks,” he muttered.
On her way back to her camping chair, Jody said, “I take it we’re about to start again.” She sat down, letting out a soft sigh.
“I think it would be best, before tempers flare.”
“No temper here,” said Seth. “Why should I have a temper?”
Ignoring Seth’s remarks, Ron adjusted the pad on his lap.
“Married, Doc?” Seth asked.
Jody sighed. “Seth, we need to stay on track.”
Seth held up his hand to stop Jody. “Just asking. And don’t worry, Ronnie, we’re not going to track her down or anything. I’m curious.”
“Yes,” said Ron. “I am.”
“How long?”
Ron swallowed. It made a wet clucking sound. “A few years.”
“It’s your second marriage, isn’t it?”
“Seth!” Jody snapped. “That’s rude!”
Ignoring her, Seth said, “Am I right?”
“Yes,” said Ron. “This is my second marriage.”
Jody’s mouth slowly fell open like a drawbridge lowering on chain-wrapped tracks. Her eyes rounded, lips quivered around silent words of shock.
“Do you love her?” Seth asked. “I mean, really love her?”
“Deeply,” Ron said.
Jody clucked her tongue. “You did all you could to try to hide that you were married from me at the liquor store.”
“Moment of weakness. Happens to the best of us.”
“What happened with your first wife?” asked Seth. “She get tired of living with an arrogant asshole who always pointed out her flaws whenever she turned around? She could never do anything right no matter how hard she tried? Or did you throw her out because she couldn’t live up to the impeccable picture of the perfect woman you’d built in your head?”
Picture…
Ron remembered his favorite picture of Lisa. He saw it in his mind: On her stomach on a blanket in a short plaid skirt and white tank top. Her legs kicked up behind her and crossed at the ankles. She was barefoot, the edges of her feet stained a light green from the freshly cut grass. The skirt swathed her rump, jutting over each buttock and dipping between them. Her bouncy red hair ran down her back. The watermelon scent of a fresh spring was in the air. She smiled as she looked back over her shoulder. Ron had snapped the picture the moment he saw her lips part.
The camera flashed and he saw her in the bathtub. Submerged up to her neck in murky water, an arm draping the edge of the tub, a plastic bag around her head. Blood oozed down the outside of the tub like red glue, hardening before it reached the floor. Her big curls were matted to her head, soaked and tangled like crimson seaweed behind the crinkled sheet of the plastic bag.
Blinking, Ron shattered the horrible image. He looked up and saw the Covingtons sitting in their camping chairs. Jody watched him with a combination of shock, disappointment, and concern. Seth smirked. Probably in his mind, he thought he’d figured Ron out.
He doesn’t know a damn thing…
“Well?” Seth asked.
“She—”
“Left,” Seth finished.
“Died,” said Ron. “Suicide.”
Jody’s face flickered from sympathy to anger. She turned to Seth, whose knowing grin had been traded for an awkward wince. She smacked him hard on the arm. “Jerk!”
“Ow!” Seth rubbed his arm. “That one hurt, Jody!”
“Good! You deserved it. Why do you have to do that? Huh? Why?”
“I didn’t do anything,” he said. “Well, I didn’t mean to…”
“You never mean to!” Rolling her eyes, Jody folded her arms over her breasts. It made the exposed slants jut up like two smooth humps. She looked away, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“Don’t apologize to me. It’s Ron’s tragedy you dug up and brought out into the open. He’s the one who deserves the apology.”
“Jody, don’t make me…”
“I’m not talking to you.”
Seth threw his hands up and growled. “Why me?”
“Because you ask for it,” she said.
His head jerked in her direction. “Thought you weren’t talking to me.”
“Only when it’s appropriate to point out you’re being a jerk.”
“Jesus,” he said. He shook his head. “Wow.”
“Come on,” said Ron. “It’s all right. Don’t let that stop you from working this out.”
“Why?” asked Seth. “I’ll only be a jerk and screw it up anyway.”
“Probably right,” said Jody.
“See?” said Seth. “See what I’ve been dealing with? I make one mistake and she flies off the handle. She’ll be talking about this for days.”
“Only when you deserve it.”
“I guess I deserve it all the time, since you act like this all the time.”
“Maybe so. I’m sure Ron would agree.”
Before Seth could respond, Ron said, “I think Seth might have a point.”
Jody’s head moved like a cobra’s on her stiff neck. Her infuriated glower pointed at Ron and for a moment he feared for his life. Seth didn’t help matters by snickering like a kid who’d just heard somebody say boobs.
“You do?” She spoke through clenched teeth, her unblinking eyes looked maddened.
“Yuh-yes,” he said.
“I thought you were on my side.”
“I’m here to listen to both sides. I choose not to pity one’s story above the other’s. That’s wrong to do, and unfair to both of you. Naturally, the husband is dragged into these sessions and thinks he’s going to be put on the chopping block by not only his wife, but the counselor as well. I assure you, I’m not going to do that. Nobody will be put on the chopping block here. That’s my vow.”
Seth stuck out his bottom lip, considering. “I appreciate that.”
“My pleasure,” said Ron. “And Jody, please don’t take my agreeing with Seth as a sign for siding up with him. That’s not the case at all. Just, in this moment, he might be onto something. But we’re not going to dwell on it right now. It’s too soon for me to offer any of kind of counseling for either of you.”
“Fine,” she said. Though she seemed a bit more relaxed, her sense of betrayal was clear on her face.
“So let’s continue, okay?” Ron said.
Seth looked at Jody. She gave him a glance from the corner of her eyes. Both nodded.
“Who wants to go now?” Ron asked.
“Let him,” said Jody. She thrust her head toward her husband.
“Are you okay with t
hat, Seth?”
Seth shrugged. “I guess.”
“So did you get married soon after?”
“Well, not right away, no. We started dating.”
“Dating? What kind of dates?”
“What the hell kind of question is that?” Seth asked. “Dates, man. Movies. Out to eat. Some baseball games. Watched the Braves beat the Mets by four runs one time. We love baseball.”
“I even caught a home run ball,” said Jody.
“Then gave it to that little girl,” Seth added.
“Well, she wanted it more than I did.”
“But I wanted it more than her.”
“Whatever. You were glad I gave it to her. I saw you smile.”
“Yeah,” said Seth, a smile showing. “She was very happy, wasn’t she?”
“You’re such a softy for kids,” she said through her own smile.
Usually, Ron would interrupt at this point. Sometimes a good memory could escalate to a bad one, and that could turn into a nasty fight. He’d witnessed many such instances in his office, sometimes the couple coming to blows. He’d never forget the Heffertons, the only couple he’d actually called the police on.
The Covingtons could talk as long as they wanted, and Ron would allow it to drag things out as long as possible. If they wrapped up too quickly, he might be dead soon after.
But if I help them get along, maybe I’ll be all right. After all, my colleagues called me crazy for agreeing to counsel the Sheas. Those sessions changed my career!
Also attracted these nut jobs, who’d gone quiet and now stared at the floor. Ron saw his place to keep things moving.
“When did you decide you wanted to marry Jody?” Ron asked.
“After she passed my test.”
“You mean…you made her…kill?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Seth asked.
Jody laughed. This time, she didn’t have his back. She probably wouldn’t speak up for Ron again until he said she was right about something.
“You think I forced her to kill somebody? That was never my intention at all. Far as I was concerned, I was the killer. Not her. But she surprised me not just with Bernstein, but with others. We were a team from the get-go.”
“Then what test are you referring to?”
“Referring to,” Jody said, mocking him. She giggled.
“The test that’s been passed down from father to son for generations.”
Clueless, Ron was sure his expression showed it.
Seth groaned. “The door test, man. Damn. I unlocked her door first and slowly walked around the back, watching her to see what she would do.”
“And I leaned over the seat and unlocked his door. Just seemed like the thing to do, you know? I mean, he’d unlocked my door. Why wouldn’t I unlock his?”
“See?” Seth smiled. “She passed the test and I knew she was the one, for sure.”
“So when did Jody become your…partner?” Ron asked.
Seth let out a long breath, puffing his cheeks. “Like I said, I never intended for her to be a part of it. I figured that her knowing about it and not turning me in to the police would be enough to put her through.”
Ron thumbed the switch on the pen, put the tip to the yellow paper, and prepared himself to write down anything that seemed valuable.
Just like before, it had been hard to get Seth talking. Ron assumed once the buff lunatic started telling the story, the words would spill out of him.
11
Seth
I waited in the car at Honkers while Jody went inside to get her check, and tell the night-shift manager she was quitting. It was a hot, sticky night, so I left the car running and the
A/C on.
Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel along with a Faith No More CD, I stared through the windshield at the truck stop. The exterior looked like old tin, either an attempt to pass off as an establishment from the ‘50s or an old chicken coop. Several rusty patches speckled the silver walls. An awful, trashy smell seemed to hover outside like a rancid cloud.
Through the windows, I could see booths filled with men. Most had big beards and oily hair hanging down their backs, ball caps on. Beyond the booths was the bar. It looked crowded with more burly guys, all wearing either flannel or dark gray.
Women in skimpy white tops that left their midriffs bare walked back and forth with trays balanced on their hands. Sometimes they had food on them, other times coffee. Mostly, the trays were weighed down with pitchers of beer. The women would stop, chat for a bit while they refilled glasses or dropped off food.
I was glad Jody wouldn’t have to put up with the people or the required apparel anymore. Soon as Jody came back, we could leave, and she’d never have to think about Honkers again.
If she’d ever come out. She’d been in there for a long time. I’d known it would take some time for her to wrap things up, but I’d listened to half of the Faith No More album, and she still wasn’t done.
Should I go in? See what was taking so long?
I stayed in the car. I’d probably just make matters worse.
So I waited. And waited.
Finally, she appeared behind the large window in front. Walking past the booths, she smiled at some of the dining men. She looked gorgeous, and out-of-place, in her sundress. Its pale yellow color, the low-hanging front and noodle-thin straps over her shoulders, seemed overly classy inside such a tacky place.
A big guy from a crowded booth reached out, grabbing her wrist. I felt a hot burst in my gut. I wanted to lop off the man’s arm below his elbow. Gripping the steering wheel, my hands made soft popping sounds as I squeezed the leathery covering.
Jody gave the guy a bogus smile, the type of smile saved for somebody who’s telling you about the great and wonderful things in their envious lives that you don’t have.
The beefy guy made a huge spectacle out of whatever she’d just told him. Holding out his arms, his head leaned back. I glimpsed his chubby, hairy face. It looked as if he’d been shot.
Jody, holding out her hands in an I can’t help it pose, kept pretending to smile. The other men got to talking, their heads bobbing side to side.
I figured she’d just told them she no longer worked there.
Their display of disappointment was dramatic, but I doubted it was much exaggerated. If Jody told me that was the last time I’d be seeing her, my heart would shatter too.
Just thinking about Jody telling me such a thing carved an empty space inside me. I filled it back up by reminding myself she was leaving them, not me.
That helped.
And if she’d ever get back in the car, that would really help.
Finally, Jody started to walk away. The guy who’d grabbed her arm quickly got to his feet, holding out his arms. His hands motioned for her to come back.
He wanted a hug.
Jody waved her finger at him, and I could read her lips as she told him to behave. He gave a quick look at his buddies, his ruddy cheeks stretching into an exaggerated look of shock. Then he turned back to her and put his arms around her.
Jody, standing sideways, patted his wide, flannel-covered back with one arm as her side was squeezed against the man’s front. Her other arm was pressed against her side, squished by the fat guy’s large arms.
All was fine until he stepped back.
His hand slid across the exposed curve of her chest, slipped behind the sundress, and squeezed a breast before sitting down. Shocked, and probably disgusted, Jody’s face turned dark crimson. My expression probably matched hers since I was boiling inside.
The bearded beefcake turned to his buddies, laughing, head shaking. His mouth was moving rapidly inside the rim of fur of his beard. I could make out some of it.
Wanted to do that for a long time…had to…never get the chance again…no bra!
Looking away, I took several deep breaths to calm down. It didn’t work. All I could see was red. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. When I faced the window again, Jo
dy was gone. The men had resumed eating, still laughing. An older man sitting beside Beefcake grabbed the hairy tub’s shoulder as if he were proud.
The passenger door opened, startling me.
Jody dropped in the seat. The dress was short, showing a lot of her legs. She didn’t bother fixing her dress, so I saw right up it as she closed the door. “Did you see that?” she asked.
“How could I miss it? We’re parked maybe twelve feet from the front.”
“That’s Earl. A real piece of work.”
“I can tell.”
“Ugh, I still feel his hand on me. My skin feels greasy.” Jody looked down at herself. “Gross.”
Leaning forward, I reached between her knees and thumbed the button on the glovebox. The lid dropped open. I dug through papers until finding the package of wet napkins. “Here.”
“Thanks,” she muttered, taking the crackling envelope. She tore back the adhesive strip, and plucked out two wet napkins. She pulled down her dress, exposing a breast. After a quick look around to make sure nobody was near enough to see her, I watched her wipe her breast. When she was done, her nipple was erect, the breast a glossy, moist hill. She pulled her dress back up. “That’s better.”
“I bet Earl hates he missed that.”
“Fuck him.”
“No thanks.”
“Are you jealous?” Jody turned to me, head tilted. “You sound like I wanted him to grab me.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Then you’re mad at me. You have a tone…”
“What kind of tone?” Even as I asked, I recognized the tone—a cold harshness, quick and snippy. Though I wasn’t jealous, it sure sounded like it. I laughed. “That tone?”
“Yes,” said Jody, not smiling. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
I stopped laughing. “I’m not talking to you in any certain way. I’m just talking.”
“With a tone.”
“Well…sorry.”
“It’s all right. Just don’t act like that was my fault. Don’t be mad at me for what that fat asshole did.”
“I’m not mad at you. I’m just…mad.”
“Same here.” Jody sighed. “It was a waste of time, coming here. Should’ve just left after we got my car.”
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