Page 145 of Five Mountain Daddies

“Fuck no.” She spits on the ground. “But it’s not like he didn’t have itcoming.”

“How did he have it coming?” Cora asksher.

She shrugs. “Atticus was a fucking asshole. Always talking a big game, always trying to find some way to make money. But in the end, he was just another little shrimp shooting all his cash down hisveins.”

I glance at Cora and I can tell that hurts. She’s doing a good job of keeping a straight face, but the way her hands twitch makes me think she’s holding herselfback.

I don’t understand why Kristi is talking shit about Atticus like this, but I have my suspicions. “So he deserved to die?” I askher.

She shrugs. “Not really, but that’s what happens when you run with the Niners,right?”

“No,” Cora says softly. “He didn’t deservethat.”

Kristi looks at her and realizes her mistake. She sighs. “I’m sorry, kid, okay? Atticus wasn’t all that bad. We had some good times. But I can’t helpyou.”

“Where were you when he died?” I askher.

“Here,” Kristi says. “With mymom.”

I make note of that. “Did he ever talk about anything? Maybe he owed someone money? Someone pissed at him for robbingthem?”

She laughs again at that. “You’re describing half the town now,” she says. “I thought you were a smart detective or someshit?”

I smile pleasantly at her. I don’t know what Atticus saw in this girl, though. Maybe she was a pair of tits that would put up with his junkie bullshit, but still. “I’m talking someone dangerous, Kristi. Maybe someone in theNiners?”

She shrugs. “Some guys, maybe.” She clearly looks uncomfortable and flicks her cigarette, spilling ash on the ground. The little white dog comes bounding over and she kicks him awayagain.

“Who exactly?” Cora asks, beating me toit.

“Just some fucking guys, okay?” Kristi glares at me. “Maybe you can figure itout.”

“Is there anything else you can tell us?” I ask her. “You knew him really well, better than wedid.”

She hesitates a second. I can see something in her face, maybe a glint of her humanity from back before she became a junkie, but that quicklyvanishes.

“He was an asshole,” she says again. “Dumped me like, three weeks ago. So fuck him, okay? I’m done with this shit.” She flicks her cigarette away, walks over, grabs the dog, and heads back to the house. The dog struggles like it wants to getaway.

I glance atCora.

“Wait, Kristi,” Cora says. “Please, can you give usanything?”

She pauses at the back door. “Yeah, okay, fucking fine. Be careful of the Niners and leave me the fuck alone.” She opens the back door and slams it behind her as she disappearsinside.

Cora groans and turns back to me. I give her a tight smile and we head back around to the front of thehouse.

“What do you think?” she asks me finally as we walk away from thetrailer.

“I think she’s hiding something,” I say. “I couldn’t shake that feeling the wholetime.”

“I felt it too,” Coraadmits.

“Why is she staying with her mom right now instead of in town, in her ownplace?”

Cora shakes her head. “It’sstrange.”

“And the cops haven’t talked to her yet?” I glance back over my shoulder. “I think she’s hiding her. I don’t think she expected us to find her sosoon.”

“Think she’ll run?” Coraasks.

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