Approaching Menace (26 page)

The man’s excitement soared. The throbbing in his chest seemed so loud that the sound might be heard through the window. The window that could be shoved higher up so quickly.

He slid to the side and grabbed the corner of the screen.

His belt buckle scraped a brick.

Josie glanced at the window.

He ducked.

The television’s volume increased. “We advise all residents along the Gulf Coast to continue watching. Daniel has begun to drift…not expected…before reaching landfall…possible flooding…wind…keep you posted.”

“Mine took longer than yours,” a different male voice said.

The man outside crouched lower.

“You know what I really could eat?” the man in there said. “A dozen raw oysters.”

It was her boyfriend. Where was his motorcycle?

“Andrew,” Josie said, “did you hear that? How bad could the storm get?”

Her words vibrated. Wonderful. She was frightened. Of course she would fear the approaching stormy weather.

“It shouldn’t be bad here. Some wind, maybe a few broken branches.”

They grew silent. Were they kissing?

The man outside bit his lips in fury.

“Look,” her boyfriend said, “one of your commercials.”

The figure departing from the outer wall did not wait to hear what the television had to say. He was devising. He finally knew how he would be certain to get Josie alone.

Chapter 18

On Josie’s television a rugged man lumbered up to drive an eighteen-wheeler. He steered his cargo through highway traffic and then turned off to a slender road that wound up a mountainside. Night deepened while his rig climbed. Inside the truck’s cab, the man’s eyes grew drowsy.

The trucker drove higher up still. Through the open window the camera pulled close to his eyes, which began shutting. His head nodded. A wide-angle view revealed the truck plunging. The big metal tube dropped off the cliff.

An unseen speaker announced, “Jordan Vicar no longer has need of his eyes.”

A new scene replaced the falling truck. A young mother strolled along a sidewalk with her small daughter. The child stumbled and fell. The mother helped the girl to her feet. “But little Jerilyn Davis is blind. She does have a need.”

The man’s words clipped to a halt. Then he said, “You can give sight. And maybe a life.”

Music swelled while the mother and child held hands, trailing away down the sidewalk. Over their retreating figures came the words, “Consider donating organs.”

“Wow,” Andrew said. “That’s powerful.”

Josie leaned her forehead against his. “I hope it’s strong enough.”

A cool breeze blew in and she shivered. Stretching her neck, she glanced out the window. “That’s not the storm, is it?”

Andrew grinned and drew her against his side. “No. But you don’t have to fear. If it shows up, Andrew’s here.”

Satisfied, she leaned on his shoulder to continue watching an old drama.

“I’ve seen that movie four times. Why does it always do this to me?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes when it ended.

“Because the wrong guy gets the girl. Exactly like what could happen between two other people.”

She studied Andrew’s eyes.

“You won’t commit to me,” he said.

She gripped his hands. “Please understand. I can’t leave until things get better for Colin.”

Andrew drew in a breath. “So we can’t live together until he gets a kidney.”

She swallowed. How old would they be by then?

And suppose her brother never got one?

She forced a tight smile. “Maybe our daddy will come home and Sylvie will act like a mother again.” Josie was angry with her father and mother and Colin’s situation. And angry with herself for making Andrew wait for the unknown. “Andrew, I—”

“Hi, Andrew.” The words saved her. Colin woke and stretched in his recliner. A curious look from him aimed at Josie. Had he heard?

“Hey you,” she told him.

“That’s for bulls,” he said, tone cheerful. He turned to his humming machine. “Fred, aren’t you almost done yet? I got stuff to do.”

Josie stepped close, smoothed back his bangs, and checked the dialysis machine’s timer. “You’re almost done. Like a good roast, you’re about ready.”

Colin shook his head to straighten his bangs and leaned toward Andrew. “My sister thinks she’s funny.”

She rose to the challenge. “What do you mean thinks? I am funny.” She touched her fingers to his armpits.

He giggled. “Stop it, Joseph.”

“Do you call me Joseph?” She pretended she would really tickle him.

“Andrew, stop her.”

Playfully, Andrew grabbed Josie’s arms. “Got her.”

Colin raised a thumb. His machine beeped. The red light came on.

“Okay Fred, don’t be so bossy,” Josie said, making her tone light so that their mood would continue to be. But she knew each person in the room realized the machine positioned against the wall remained in full control of all of their futures.

* * *

Sunday was reserved for writing. Josie worked on the speech she would give to the Knights of Columbus group in a few days. Jitters fluttered through her stomach as the time approached for her first time to speak to a large group.

Recalling the benefits, she felt her insides calm.

By late morning she thought of attending a mass. Glancing at the clock, she considered all of the people who might be attending and their imagined stares at her after all these years, and the concept became more formidable than giving the speech.

She rewrote her speech. Josie revised and revised what she planned to say until the words swirled through her head, not wanting to stick into sentences.

She walked outside, pleased that Sylvie had taken Colin to a restaurant for lunch, and afterward they’d shop for clothes for him. The sun glittered. Josie sat on the swing, jotting notes.

Annie came walking across the lawn. “Hey, Josie,” the little girl said, flipping her golden hair back over her shoulder.

“Hi Annie. Are you looking for Colin?”

“Uh uh. Misty. Did you see her?”

“I’m afraid not. I’ve hardly ever seen your cat in our yard.” She scooted over and patted the seat. “Do you want to swing with me?”

“No, Misty’s ready to have babies and I can’t find her. Misty! Here, kitty kitty kitty kitty,” Annie called, glancing toward their rear lawn and heading back toward their garage.

Josie smiled at the nimble figure retreating. She heard a small sound. Mewing came from the side. “Annie, I think I hear her.”

Annie scrambled near. “Misty,” she called and then listened.

A loud meow answered from beyond the pampas grass.

Annie darted there, and Josie rose to follow. “She’s in here!” Annie yelled. “Come see, Josie. In here.” The girl pointed to Maurice Exely’s closed garage. From the dark building came a cat’s hoarse cry.

“That might not be Misty,” Josie said. “And I’m not sure if Mr. Maurice is home to let us check inside.”

Creaking made her and Annie jump. The garage door was slowly lifting.

Annie smiled when she saw her mother cat. Tiny gray and black kittens pushed their paws into Misty’s stomach while they nursed.

Maurice stood on his stoop, holding a remote control device.

“Annie’s cat came into your garage to have her kittens,” Josie said, grinning.

His cold expression didn’t change.

Annie plopped on the concrete garage floor and stroked Misty. The little heads struggled for a place to latch onto their mamma. “Come see the babies, Josie,” she said.

Josie smiled at the picture. Until she realized what else was in there.

Parked a few feet ahead of the litter was a late-model dark blue sedan.

* * *

“I didn’t know he had a car,” Josie told Andrew soon afterward on the phone.

“We thought he didn’t drive,” he said.

“That’s not the car his grandmother drove. This one is fairly new and shiny.”

“He must polish it often and probably doesn’t use it much. Maybe not at all.”

Josie couldn’t get that vehicle out of her mind. A dark sedan—the car that had followed her? Calming, she realized the sedan came where she did because it belonged to a person who lived next door.

Relieved, she told Andrew about the kittens. They were adorable. Annie was ecstatic. When Josie had looked up to tell Maurice they would get the litter of kittens out of his garage, he was no longer outside.

She had emptied a box from her garage and helped Annie gently set the little ones in it under Misty’s wide-eyed supervision. Together they carried the box to the Allen home, with Misty running alongside them, mewing and worriedly glancing up toward her charges. “Annie ran inside yelling about the kitties,” Josie said. “Her parents came out and thanked me. Then Mr. Allen took the box to their garage to fix up a home for the additions to their family.”

“They didn’t want all those little ones sleeping and crying inside their house?” Andrew asked with a snicker.

“I guess not.” They disconnected and Josie pondered. The kittens were cute, but that other discovery lingered. Maurice had a car. A dark blue sedan. She would be keeping an eye out to see whether he ever drove it.

Her speech ran through her head the next day while she finished tailoring a gown and then hung other dresses that women tried on. Five groups of customers had come in during the day. Some gowns had been put back with the wrong sizes. Others were jammed into place.

Walking her hands through the fabrics kept Josie from being idle while thoughts of what she would say to the K.C.’s conflicted with questions Andrew had asked.

When
would
she commit to him?

She loved him. He did have a gambling problem that was under control, but that was not the barrier.

Josie moved one of her favorites, a celery-colored gown with beaded shoulder straps.

Am I really staying home for Colin? Why can’t I make a decision?

Her hand rested on the gown’s satin bodice. Colin surely was a reason to remain home awhile longer, but couldn’t he manage without her? He did have a parent here.

A middle aged man exiting told her goodbye, making her notice for the first time that he’d been inside. Sauntering across the showroom, she saw Otis Babineaux in his office. Intently, he stroked his beard while reading something.

She liked seeing his interest was not in her.

Idly she moved toward Eve, thinking
I love Andrew
.
But I thought I loved Samuel in Tennessee. And I still adore my father
.

“I’ve got to drop this off at the bank on my way home,” Eve said. She held the cash packet.

“They can’t pay us without it,” Josie replied.

Eve’s nostrils widened as she grinned. “And I wouldn’t be able to get the car I’ve been wanting.”

“A new car,” Josie said, nodding at the idea.

“How’s your car doing?”

Josie smirked. “What day is it?”

“Maybe our bosses will give us a raise. Then you could buy any car you’d want.” Eve gave a high-pitched chuckle that startled Otis Babineaux. He stared out at the two of them.

Josie withheld a giggle. “I’m going to be leaving soon, too. I want to sew snaps on the back of this dress. Someone tried it on and the rear neckline doesn’t lie flat.”

“That could wait. But of course, you want everything perfect.”

“Not really. The car I have is just old and tired.”

“Just like some of us are getting,” Eve said. She paused at the door to turn the sign hanging on it to Closed. The bell jangled when she went out.

On the way to her alcove, Josie noticed the saffron cape of a gown had fallen. She bent to retrieve it and, before she stood, saw movement. Otis Babineaux stood at his office door, filling his eyes with her rear view.

Josie glanced at the entrance. Eve was gone.

Clutching the cape, Josie rose. She straightened her back toward her boss, and as she hung the dress on its hanger, heard sputtered deep laughter. She turned around to face him. With a broad smile, he slithered his gaze down, making it linger on other parts of her body.

Suddenly cold, Josie grabbed her upper arms. Fear came to her face, she knew, and she gave her head a slight shake, telling herself to stop it.

She wanted to mention his name, to find something to say about work. This uncomfortable strange moment had to be broken. After all, he was her boss. And being a man, he might notice a woman’s figure.

Determining how frozen she must look, she moved, but sideways, toward the front door. Words came to her throat—his name or a mention that she had to be going. But from inside this man came a mocking, evil laugh that sent chills from Josie’s scalp to her legs.

Without looking back, she dashed out the front door.

Josie didn’t stop running until she reached her car. Grateful to find pedestrians on the sidewalk, she yanked her door handle.

Andrew had fixed the latch. It was locked. She had forgotten her purse.

Taking a deep breath, she peered back. People were still out on the sidewalk. She strode back to Ye Bridal Shoppe. A glimpse in the door let her know Otis Babineaux had returned to his office. He hunched in his chair, angrily flipping through a folder.

She inched the door open. The bell rang and he glanced up.

Josie’s face remained stern and steady with her chin up while he watched her. Striding across the showroom to her cubicle, she grabbed her purse. Then she dashed outside.

Jeering laughter followed through the doorway.

Heartbeats drummed in Josie’s throat while she drove. A murky gloom had descended, coating the city with a mist, making her have to put on headlights and windshield wipers. She was halfway home when she recalled other stops she needed to make.

She turned at the next corner and headed back to town.

At Wood’s Cleaners she picked up a donation for her campaign. She stopped at Safety Alarm Systems for the same. The owner, Mr. Sam Hudson, went into a spiel about gun control and how everyone today needed a weapon. His ranting then turned to how everyone should donate their organs. “And you have?” Josie asked him.

“Not yet.”

He made himself a note to do that and tossed the sheet on a desk cluttered with papers, where she determined he would not find it again.