“Nobody crosses Earl Fagan and gets away with it,” he grumbled then snatched his keys from atop the dresser and headed for the car.
That night when the bowling alley closed, he stopped at Maloney’s for a few drinks, just as he always did. But this night he drank almost twice as much and stayed until they closed the place. As he stumbled toward the door, Maloney said he was in no condition to drive and offered to give him a lift home.
“Don’t bodder.” A bit of spittle shot from Earl’s mouth, and the words were so slurred they were barely understandable.
With a grunt of disgust, Maloney shook his head then took Earl by the arm and hauled him off.
“No bother,” he said. “It’s on my way.”
When they pulled into Earl’s drive, Maloney eyed the house. Pitch black, no porch light, no lamp in the window, nothing.
“Seems Suzanna got tired of waiting up and went to bed.”
That thought made Earl angrier than ever. “When I get hold of her, she’ll get more than tired. She’ll get her face bashed in!”
“Hold on now, don’t go saying something you don’t mean—”
Earl shouldered the car door, pushed it open, and started to climb out. Hesitating long enough for a glance back, he said, “I ain’t just bullshittin’. She deserves it.”
A look of concern flitted across Maloney’s face. “That’s jackass talk.”
He climbed out of the car, circled around, and again took Earl by the arm. “Let’s get you to bed before you get your fool self into trouble.”
Built like a bull, Maloney hoisted Earl up the steps and into the house. When Earl started toward the bedroom, Maloney grabbed him and shoved him into the recliner.
“Stay there, and don’t go bothering Suzanna when she’s asleep.”
“Asleep?” Earl guffawed. “She ain’t asleep, she’s gone. Stole money outta my pocket and took off.”
“That doesn’t sound like Suzanna—”
Earl cut in, saying he’d woke up that same morning to find both her and his money missing. He told of how he’d searched the house and found nothing. No clue as to where she’d gone and no note explaining why she’d leave. He didn’t mention the row they’d had the night before, nor did he say that it wasn’t the first time he’d whacked her across the face.
Lowering himself onto the sofa opposite Earl, Maloney shook his head sympathetically. “I’m surprised at Suzanna doing such a thing. She seemed like a nice woman, a good mama.”
“She’s good enough to the kid,” Earl grumbled, “but when it comes to me, that’s a whole other story.”
With someone willing to listen, Earl went on and on telling of Suzanna’s faults until smack in the middle of a sentence, he dozed off.
That was just moments after he’d told Maloney he was all but certain she’d come crawling back.
Suzanna
The Next Morning
SUZANNA NEVER INTENDED TO STAY more than just one night. It was fun pretending to be Ida’s granddaughter, and sleeping in a comfy bed was far better than a wooden bench at the bus station, but when morning came her first thought was to leave before anyone discovered she was not who they thought her to be. She climbed from the bed, pulled on the dress she’d worn yesterday, and hurried across to the room where Annie had slept.
She expected to find her still curled beneath the blanket with her thumb in her mouth, but the bed was empty. Not just empty, but made, with the corners of the coverlet tucked neatly in place and the pillows plumped. A feeling of dread took hold of Suzanna’s heart. There was no telling what Annie would say. Hurrying down the staircase, she called for her.
Before the answer came, she heard the trill of childish laughter coming from the kitchen. Rounding the corner, she saw them sitting side by side, their heads together and both of them grinning as if they’d shared the most delicious secret.
“Annie,” she said nervously, “are you pestering Mrs. Parker when she’s got a dozen other things to do?”
Annie giggled. “Mama, you’re not ’posed to call Grandma Mrs. Parker.”
Ida looked up. “I hope you don’t mind that I told her to call me Grandma.”
Trying to push back the edginess that made her voice sound high-pitched and panicky, Suzanna gave a lighthearted laugh. “No. No, of course not. Why would I mind? I just hope she hasn’t made a pest of herself. Annie can talk your ear off if given half a chance.”
“Not at all, she’s a delight. She’s been telling me how you stopped a trucker on the road and caught a ride.” Ida chuckled as she stood and pulled a mug from the cupboard. “You’ve got your granddaddy’s spunk, that’s for sure. When Bill wanted to get something done, he rolled up his sleeves and did it. Nothing wishy-washy about that man. Your daddy, well, now, he’s another story.”
Ida shook her head as if remembering something, then set the mug on the table, filled it with coffee, and motioned for Suzanna to sit. “Breakfast is ready. We’ve got blueberry pancakes and country ham, but if you’d rather I can fix bacon and eggs.”
A bit unnerved by Annie’s chattiness, Suzanna hesitated a moment. She glanced at the clock on the wall: 8:30. Enough time for a quick breakfast, and they could still make the 10:30 bus.
“Pancakes would be perfect.”
She slid into the chair across from where Annie was sitting. Ida was every bit as pleasant as she’d been last night, so apparently the tale of them hitchhiking had not aroused any new suspicions. Feeling a bit of relief, Suzanna sipped her coffee and eased back into the role of being Darla Jean. They were halfway through breakfast when
