Page 219 of Restless
Big Joe glared at him. “Let’s ride out, K-P.”
“You’re leaving?” Joey managed, an idea forming in his head. Had Christopher actually cut up Holmes? “But where do you go every weekend?”
Dad ignored the question. “I’ll deal with you both when I get back. If one hair’s harmed on his head…” Voice trailing off, he snapped his mouth shut and stalked off.
“Dad!”
He kept walking, crushing Joey’s soul.
“I’m a dead man,” Rack said dully.
K-P smiled, but it wasn’t nice. “Joe’s more merciful than Cee Cee. If Christopher comes to harm…” He shrugged. “I suppose Cee Cee’s forgiven your desertion, so who knows?”
Rack turned ghostie pale. “How’d you find out?”
“Talbot saw Joey head down the pathwayafterhe walked a woman to the gate.”
“That fuckhead!” Joey yelled. “I gave him $5.00 to shut up.”
“You stupid little shit,” Rack growled. “Talbot likes Christopher as much, or more than, Krag.”
“How was I supposed to know?” Joey burst into tears. “My father will never forgive me.”
K-P started off, but Joey grabbed his hand.
“Please, talk to Dad.”
“Christopher already told him what happened.”
“Which was?” Rack asked.
“Joey locked him in the fucking meatshack with the decomposing body of one of the few friends he had.” K-P shook his head, his expression bleak. “Holmes was a good kid, and one of the few friends close to Christopher’s age.”
“He couldn’t have felt that much for him if he…if he…” Joey swallowed.
“He’s a survivor.” K-P glowered between Joey and Rack. “Holmes was beyond saving, so what did you expect him to do?”
“Not that!” Joey said, his wail-snarl pathetic to his own ears. “I expected him to fall to pieces. Talk to Dad, K-P,” he begged. “If not, Christopher will win.”
The moment he chose to beat you and Rack at your games, you lost.” K-P walked away.
For now, but Joey would not go gentle into the night.
Christopher wanted their fight to turn into war?
So be it.
Act Four – Mendacity – Dinah
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Dinah Fink read over her lesson plan. She’d had a long week at school, so she’d come home, prepared dinner for herself and Meggie, and taken a hot shower.
After Joe canceled their plansagainthis weekend, Dinah bathed her daughter, plied her with Tylenol, and put her to bed. Now, Dinah sat at the dinette table, drinking hot tea with honey and lemon and listening to a CD of country music hits.
Just asDelta Dawnby Tanya Tucker began, Dinah sat her pen down, satisfied she was finished with the lesson plan. One good thing in Joe disappointing her for a second Friday in a row. He’d arrive tomorrow morning with no explanation, but full of mischief and…andmanliness.
Sometimes, she hated him, and yearned for revenge. He made her love him, then refused to do what she asked. Every time she’d visited that immoral club, those whores ignored her and crawled all over him. He’d laugh it off and swear he was hers.
Was he? He had a son! Joe wanted her to meet his boy, but she refused. She refused to care for a motherless child, evenifthe woman was dead.
