Creepers (14 page)

It should have made him sad, or apprehensive, but it exhilarated him.  It meant that he was moving on with his life, moving forward.  Not just away.  Yancy was now forced to do what he had been dreaming of for so long.  For the first time in his life, meek little Yancy Clower was determined.  He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do it, he simply didn’t have a choice.  Yancy liked that feeling, it was something he had never really felt before, and it was intoxicating.  He wondered then if that was how most other folks felt all the time.

With his determination strong, Yancy finished his shift and went to see the foreman, Dave Lester.  He had decided there was no sense in waiting.  He knew what he wanted, what he needed, and putting it off was just an excuse.  Yancy no longer cared about leaving the mill, but he wasn’t stupid either.  He knew he needed his last paycheck and a good recommendation.  Yancy needed to leave on good terms, at least with his boss that was. 

“What is it Yancy?” Dave asked.

“I wanted to let you know that I was quitting,” Yancy replied.

“Quitting?” Dave said as he cocked one eyebrow.  “Fuck me Yancy, when?”

“Today Mr. Lester, now.  I’m sorry for the short notice, but I need to leave town.”

“Shit,” Dave said, “first Ricky and now you.  What the fuck is going on around here?  Are you in some trouble boy?”

“Sort of,” Yancy lied, “I need to go to Memphis.  I’ll be leaving town in the morning.  You’ve been good to me Mr. Lester, and I hate doing this to you, but I have to go.”

“Damn Yancy, I hate to lose you.  Is it anything I can help with?”

“No, sir,” Yancy replied, “I got to do this on my own.  But thank you.  I do have one favor.  Could I ask you for a reference when the time comes?”

“You’ve been a good employee boy; I’ll give you a good reference.  Do you have any idea when Ricky’s coming back?”

“No sir I don’t.” Yancy said honestly, “I don’t know if he ever is coming back.”

“Damn,” Dave said as he rubbed his scalp up under his dirty ball cap.  “What about your last check?”

“I was hoping I could pick it up in the morning on my way out of town if that’s okay?”

Dave rubbed his chin and said, “I think we can work that out.  Are you sure I can’t get you to stay?  I could maybe wrangle up some more money.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lester, but I have to leave.  I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I just can’t stay.”

Dave looked at Yancy long and hard then shrugged, “Okay Yancy, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.  You take care son.  I’ll have your check ready for you in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Yancy repeated.

After his brief meeting with the foreman, Yancy cleaned out his locker and said a few goodbyes to some of the guys he liked.  He was so giddy with excitement he almost skipped to his car.  Yancy had never felt this good before, ever.  The world seemed new and full of possibilities.   It was almost unreal.  He chided himself for not doing this sooner.  Yancy was finally on his way.

It was nearly six o’clock by the time Toby and Tom Unger got home from Donald Dixon’s house.  Their parents had beaten them home, and Toby could smell that dinner was on the stove.  He licked his lips and could feel his taste buds squirt.  Toby loved his mom’s cooking, and tonight it smelled like ham.  He knew there would be green beans and biscuits and mashed potatoes with it too.  Toby’s stomach grumbled in anticipation.  They had worked on the mowers so hard that they had missed lunch, and Toby was starving.

As the two men walked into the living room their father Roy, was sitting in his recliner reading the newspaper.  From the kitchen, Toby could hear the clank of pots and pans as his mother Lois, prepared dinner.  She was humming a tune as she worked as she often did.  Roy was mumbling as he read the paper as he often did.  Toby smiled and glanced over at Tom.  Tom seemed far away and a little green around the gills.  Toby wondered then if Donald might not be right.

“You boys are just in time for supper,” Roy said as he glanced at them over the top of his paper.

“Best news I’ve heard all day.” Toby blurted out as he turned his attention back to his dad.

“You boys get those mowers done?” Roy asked as he buried his face back in his paper.

“They’re done Dad,” Tom answered.  “I’m not too hungry though.”

“Did you boys eat while you were out?  You know how bad that pisses off your mother.  You’d better eat something Tom.”

We didn’t eat Dad,” Toby replied, “Tom just isn’t feeling that great.  I’m starving.”

“Well,” Roy said to Tom, “get washed up and try to eat something son.  Your mother went to a lot of trouble.”

Changing the subject Toby said, “What happened at Aunt Vi’s?  Tom said something about her chickens.”

Roy rested the paper in his lap and said, “Yeah, someone or some animal got to her chickens.  Every last one of them is gone.  I looked around the coop, but I couldn’t find anywhere that an animal got in.  I think someone took them.  For all of them to just disappear in one night without a trace, someone had to have taken them.  But neither Vi nor Wilbur heard a sound.  She just went out this morning to pull the eggs, and they were gone.”

“That’s weird,” Toby said, “didn’t the dogs make a fuss?”

“No, I guess they were quiet too, although one of them is missing as well.  That lazy ass Donnelly sent his half-coon out there to look into it, but I don’t figure he could find his own asshole.  You boys heard anything?”

“No, nothing,” Toby admitted.  Tom only shook his head.

“Vi said that some other folks are missing animals too, all along these back woods.  Something strange is going on here; I can feel it.  There’s just something not right around here.  The woods have been real quiet all year, and now livestock and pets are missing.”  Almost as an afterthought he added, “And that Ricky friend of yours and his girlfriend are missing too.  I don’t like it.”

From the kitchen, Lois spoke up, “Don’t forget what my niece Lottie said.”

“That’s right,” Roy acknowledged her, “I plum forgot that.”

“Forgot what?” Toby asked.

“Well, your cousin Lottie, she works at the hospital you know.  Well, she said that some little black girl came in today all beat up.” Roy said.  “She said she was beat up real bad.”

Toby swallowed hard, and Tom sank down onto the couch.  “What else did Lottie say?” Toby asked.

“Not much except that preacher Jesse Johns was out in the lobby with her mother and they were praying all come to Jesus like.  Lottie said her mother almost got hysterical because her daughter had to stay in the hospital.  Anyway, she said they made a huge scene out in the lobby.”

“Did she say how long that black girl was going to be in the hospital?” Toby asked.

“A few days or so, but Lottie wasn’t sure.  Why?”

“No reason,” Tom Lied, “it’s just a lot of strange stuff like you said.”  Toby looked over at Tom, and he appeared even greener than before and his eyes were far off.  Roy scrutinized his sons for a moment and was about to say something but was interrupted by Lois.  She had stuck her head into the living room from the kitchen doorway.

“Supper’s on,” Lois said, “now get to the table before it gets cold.”

After Grace, Toby ate his supper in silence, and Tom barely picked at his food.  Roy and Lois chatted amongst themselves and largely ignored their boys.  Toby was ravenous and ate several helpings of everything while Tom barely managed to finish half of his plate.  Toby kept glancing over at Tom; he was worried.  After what his father had just told them, and with what Donald had said earlier, Toby was very worried.  He wondered then if he could, or even should go through with what Donald had said needed to be done.

Toby knew that he could never hurt his brother, no matter what old man Dixon said.  He didn’t know that he could make Tom keep his mouth shut either, not now.  Toby sopped up the last bit of gravy on his plate with a biscuit and then shoved it into his mouth.  He belched out a deep guttural sound and then pushed the plate away from him.  Satisfied, he stood and put one hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“That was good Mom,” Toby said.  “C’mon little brother, we have things to do.”

“I made a strawberry rhubarb pie for desert,” Lois announced.

“Sorry Mom,” Toby replied, “Tom and I promised a friend we would help them out tonight.  But can you save me a piece for later?”

“Not if I get my hands on it,” Roy said with a wink.

Lois picked up her and Toby’s plates and headed to the kitchen sink.  “Don’t worry boys; I won’t let your pig of a father eat all the pie.  I’ll save you some.”  Roy “oinked” in response, and they both chuckled.

“Thanks, Mom,” Toby said as he half dragged his brother into the living room.

“What?” Tom asked, irritated.  “I was still eating.”

“No, you weren’t,” Toby said, “you were picking.  Besides, we need to talk.”

“No shit we need to talk,” Tom replied, surlier than Toby had ever seen.  “What the fuck?”

“Not here Tom,” Toby said.  “Let’s get some beer and go out to our shooting spot.”

“Yeah,” Tom said, “I could use a beer.  But that’s we’re all going to do tonight.  Just talk and drink beer, Right Toby?”

“That’s all Tom, just talk.”

***

It was nearly six o’clock by the time Yancy finished his burger and had made it home to his apartment.  His first stop was the apartment manager’s apartment.  With his box of personal effects from the mill in his hands, he did his best to explain why he needed to leave.  Fortunately for Yancy, he had been a good tenant over the last few years, and the landlord agreed to return his deposit if he made sure the place was clean when he left.  Yancy was thrilled.  It seemed like everything was coming together so that he could leave this town.

Yancy returned to his apartment and looked around the place expectantly.  His life suddenly seemed so surreal.  Here he was, leaving Lusaoka.  Yancy sat down on the bed and placed the half empty box he was carrying on the floor beside him.  He looked around the room.  “Damn,” he thought, he had more stuff than he thought he did.  Yancy realized that he was going to need to rent a trailer, so his thoughts of packing it all in his car and just leaving town quickly dissipated.

He hadn’t even thought of the furniture.  That was stupid he chided himself; he would need furniture in Memphis.  Depending, of course, on how much Terri had.  Either way, he couldn’t just leave it here.  That might ruin his chances of getting his deposit back and besides, it was worth some money.  So what, he decided.  It just meant that he would be leaving town a little later than he had planned.  That was all. 

With his mind made up and his plans adjusted; Yancy headed into the bathroom.  He had a serious amount of primping to do before he went to see Terri.  Yancy was anxious to show Terri the kind of man he really was, the kind of man she had never known.  Or at least the kind of man he could be.  He had changed so much in just the last couple of days.  He needed to show her.  He needed to show her the Yancy that she could count on, the Yancy that she could love.  Yancy had so many things to show Terri.  It was too bad that he would never get a chance.

***

It was just after six o’clock by the time Terri, Jesse, and Jack sat down to dinner.  That was a great thing about pasta; it was pretty much ready when you were.  Just throw the noodles in the pot and the garlic bread in the oven.  At first, Terri was a little miffed that neither Jesse nor Jack had been there when she had planned.  Then she decided that just gave her some more time to relax, and she opened up a bottle of wine.  Terri had already finished her first glass of wine be the time Jack had arrived, and she had a second glass with Jack while they waited for Jesse. 

Shortly after Jesse arrived, he poured himself a glass of iced tea and the three of them sat down at the table to eat some salad and wait for the pasta and bread.  Jesse was unusually quiet, and Terri was a little concerned.  It just wasn’t like Jesse not to join in the conversation.  While Terri kept her attention on Jack, she would regularly glance over at Jesse.  Something was eating at him; she could tell.  Eventually, Terri could take no more, and she spoke up.

“What’s wrong Jesse?” Terri asked, placing her hand on his arm.

Jesse looked up from his salad and gave her a wan smile.  “It’s nothing.” He said reassuringly.

“Is it your parishioners?” Terri persisted.

“It is honey,” Jesse replied, “but I can’t tell you about it.”  He considered then added, “Well, not all of it.  I suppose I can tell you the gist of it.  You know Miss White?”

“Of course I do, she lives just up the road.  Did something happen to her?”

“Yes and no,” Jesse said cryptically.

“Oh no,” Terri said alarmed, “did something happen to her daughter?  I saw your car at the hospital today.”

Jesse’s pause was answer enough, and Terri bit her lip to keep from pressuring Jesse to tell her more.  She knew that he would in his own time, in his own way.  It was obvious he was struggling with what to say next, with what he could say next.  Terri glanced at Jack, and he gave her a sympathetic smile.  Terri turned back to Jesse and waited for him to continue.

“Would you like me to leave?” Jack asked, breaking the awkward silence.  “I could give you both some privacy.”

Jesse shook his head and said, “That’s okay Jack.  You can hear what I have to say.  But you have to understand this is between family.”

“I understand.” He said.

“Precious had…An accident last night.  She’s in a bad way, but I got her Momma to take her to the emergency room this morning.  Evvie was struggling with her faith, and I just helped her get through it.  That’s all.”

Jack looked at the old man and said, “accident?  What kind of accident?”

“The kind that black folks just don’t report,” Jesse replied.  “The kind we ain’t seen in a long time around these parts, the kind that could cause a lot of trouble.”

“I understand,” Jack said.  “Is there anything I can do to help…unofficially?”

Jesse smiled.  “Not just now Jack,” he said, “but thank you.”

“Was there anyone else involved in this accident, anyone that I should keep an eye out for?” Jack asked.

“Not for sure,” Jesse admitted, “but there are some rumors.”

“Who do the rumors say might have been involved?” Jack pressed.

Jesse thought for a moment then said, “You might keep an eye on Ricky Dixon’s friends.”

Jack nodded, but Terri was confused, at first.  When she finally realized what they were talking about she became infuriated.  “Are you trying not to say these men did something to Precious White?” Terri blurted out.  “Is that really what’s going on here?”

“I can’t,” Jesse said, “I promised both of them I wouldn’t talk to anyone about this, especially the police.  All I can tell you is Precious was in an accident last night and is in the hospital tonight.  I think you’ll find her car is still in the ditch down by her house.”

“You can’t, but you did.” Terri barked.  “What did they do to her?”

“Precious is hurt, and her mother is distraught honey,” Jesse replied, “That’s all that I can tell you.  Precious is in no shape to talk to anyone, and wouldn’t if she could.  She’s scared and withdrawn.  She won’t let anyone touch her.  That should tell you enough.  You haven’t been away from Lusaoka that long; you know how it is here.”

Jack interrupted.  “Terri,” he said, “if she is like Jesse is saying I wouldn’t get anything from her anyway, and it might just stir up a big hornets nest.  It might cause things to get very bad for the White family.  I couldn’t do anything anyway, unless the Whites themselves reported this.  From Jesse or anyone else, it’s just hearsay.  At least now I can poke around quietly and see what I can come up with.  At the very least, I can ‘find’ her car in the ditch and start a report on that.  But if I want to keep an eye anyone, I’ll need to know who Ricky’s friends are.”

Terri calmed down; she did remember how it was in this town.  That was a big part of why she had left.  “Okay Jack,” she said, “You guys are right.  At least I can tell you who Ricky was running around with.”