Paradise Falls (10 page)

“I can hurt you,” Jacob said. “But you can’t hurt me.”

“Wanna bet?” Elliot said.

Jacob didn’t reply.

“I will fuck you up,” Elliot whined as he rubbed his lip. “I will fucking end you. Your life won’t be worth-“

Jacob cut him off by taking his skinny little throat in his hand, fighting off the overwhelming urge to choke him. Elliot flailed around, trying to slap or kick his way free. Jacob spun him to pin him to the Charger’s side.

“Listen to me very carefully. You were at Jennifer Katzenberg’s house tonight.”
 

“I know who you are, now,” Elliot wheezed. “You simple fuck. Just because that whore…”
 

That was it.
 

Jacob face twisted in fury under the mask, and he pulled Elliot back and drove his face into the car’s fender. Elliot slumped back, clutching at his bleeding nose.

Jacob took him by the throat again.

“All I have to do is squeeze.”

Elliot tried to talk. Jacob tightened his grip.

“I’m not interested in what you have to say. I want you understand something.”

Jacob’s other hand patted Elliot down until he pulled out his wallet. He managed to remove Elliot’s driver’s license one handed. Jacob examined it before tucking it in Elliot’s pocket.

“Is that you? Is that where you live?”

Elliot nodded.

“If you bother her again, somebody is going to pay you a visit.”

Jacob loosened his grip.

“Try it, motherfucker.” Elliot hollow threat didn’t phase him.

Jacob sighed softly, and squeezed again. “No. Not me. Someone you’ve never seen before. Understand?”

Elliot’s gaze filled with hatred while tears ran down his cheeks. He nodded, and Jacob let go.

Elliot sank to the ground.
 

“You can’t do this,” he whined. “My Dad will…”
 

That was it. Jacob had to leave now, or he’d kill him.

He slipped into the Reliant and pulled away, leaving Elliot panting and slump to the pavement.

As soon as he was out of sight, Jacob retrieved his phone.

Faisal answered. “Sir?”

“Faisal, meet me at drop number two. I need a ride, and this car is burnt, get rid of it. Scrub it first.”

“Yes, sir,” Faisal said. “I’ll meet you there presently.”

Jacob didn’t stop until he reached the drop, a gas station outside of town. He calmly stepped out of the car and walked over to sit in the back of Faisal’s hatchback while two of his men drove the old Dodge away.

“What did you do?” Faisal peered into the rearview mirror.

“The plan has changed,” Jacob said.

“If he accosts her again?”

“I want to be notified right away. I’ll kill him.”

“Sir-“

“You’ll be taken care of. All of you will. I wouldn’t abandon you like that. If someone has to do it, it will be me. I have nothing to lose.”

“Are you certain of that?” Faisal asked.

Jacob folded his arms across his chest. He hated it when Faisal was right about something, but said nothing more until they returned to the house. After he secured his gear and showered once more, he collapsed into the bed and rubbed at his eyes. He still had homework to grade.
 

He managed to get a few more hours of sleep before Faisal came knocking at the door.

“What is it this time?” Jacob said, snapping awake.

10.

“I’m not hungry,” Jennifer insisted.
 

Katie ignored her and pulled into the parking lot of Whamburger. Jennifer waited while Katie went inside to order. A few bolted down tables with beach umbrellas sat in front of the walk-up window, with no place to sit inside. They would eat in the Beetle.

Katie dropped a greasy paper bag on Jennifer’s lap.
 

 
“A fish sandwich?”
 

“They don’t really have vegetarian stuff,” Katie said. “Come on, just eat it.”
 

At least it wasn’t a burger. She was sixteen years old the last time she ate a burger at the Wham. Her mother glared at her the entire time, mouthing
fat
every time Jennifer dared to eat a French fry.

Katie tucked a napkin into her shirt collar to ward off the grease from her oversized triple with cheese. Jennifer pressed her legs together and felt the reassuring weight of her purse between her ankles. Katie eyed her.

“Just eat it, Jen. It’s not going to bite you.”

“I’m a vegetarian.”

Katie rolled her eyes. “You’re starving yourself. I can see your ribs.”
 

“No, you can’t.”
 

“I think you should come with me.”

“Katie, I have work on Monday. How am I supposed to go to work if I’m in Philadelphia?”
 

“You’re not. Call a substitute. Shit, you should just quit. You could get another job.”
 

“I don’t want another job. I like the one I have.”
 

“Do you?” said Katie. She twisted in the seat to face Jennifer. “Do you like it? Jen, I don’t want to see you living like this. Franklin wouldn’t, either.”
 

“Don’t tell me what he would want.”
 

“You were only supposed to be living in that house until he finished law school. You were going to move. He told me he was trying to talk you into quitting work after he got a job so you two could have a baby.”
 

Jennifer choked, grabbed Katie’s extra-large Coke and gulped some down to clear her throat. A rush of syrupy sugar coated her tongue instead of the tang of artificial sweetener. Damn it.

“He told you that?”
 

Katie nodded.
 

Jennifer looked out the window. “We talked about kids. He did want to move, but… I don’t need that much room. The duplex is fine.”
 

“It’s not fine, Jennifer. You didn’t have anything in your fridge but bottles of water and cheese.”
 

Jennifer winced. The last of the orange juice was gone.
 

“I just haven’t gotten to the store this week.”

Katie sighed and leaned back in the seat. “Why not?”
 

“I’m busy. New school year. I have work to do.” She nibbled at the fish sandwich.

Both sisters ate in uncomfortable silence until Katie broke with the refrain she heard from multiple people the past few days. “You have to do something.”

“Like what?” Jennifer said.

“I don’t know. Call the cops. The FBI. Somebody.”
 

“Who?” Jennifer said. “Elliot can do whatever he wants. The only person who ever stopped him is gone.”
 

The only person?

Jennifer shivered. Not now.
 

“This is what we should do. I can have a guest in my room. No one will care. It’ll be a little weird at first, but my loans will pay for an apartment. We can move in together. I know you’ve got enough to get by.”
 

Jennifer thought about her sister’s offer while chewing fried fish. She did have a sizable nest egg. Her rent was absurdly low, which was how she and Franklin managed to afford a place of their own after they were both essentially disowned. Mrs. Carmody had never upped the rate.
 

I could do it. Leave with Katie, get an apartment. With my experience and references… oh.

“I’ll never get another job,” she said.
 

“Why?”
 

Jennifer shook her head. “I’d need references, Katie. Elliot would pull strings. If he thought I was going to get away from him, who knows what he’d do? He could probably get my teaching license revoked or pressure my coworkers not to give me recommendations.”
 

“Rachel would never do that.”
 

“
I’m not sure. I wouldn’t do that to her, anyway.”
 

“Do what?”
 

Jennifer shrugged. “Put her up against Elliot. I won’t have him sending Grayson over to threaten my friends so I can get away from here. Where am I going to go, anyway? Unless I move out of the state I’ll never get away from them, and even then, who knows what kind of favors his father can call in? I’m just a teacher, Katie. I don’t have anybody but you.”

Does it have to be that way?

Jennifer shivered.

Katie gulped down the last big bite of her cheeseburger, stuffed the greasy wrapper back in the bag, and made a show of cleaning herself up.
 

“Well, I am involved. I mean it, Jen. You say the word, and we’ll go back to the house and get your stuff and go. Mrs. Carmody will be fine without you.”

Jennifer’s sigh turned ragged. Her breath hitched, and melted into a sob when she let it out. She rubbed her eyes and threw half the fish sandwich into the bag.
 

“What?” Katie’s concern ratcheted up a few notches.
 

“I like him.” Jennifer hugged herself and hunched forward. “I don’t know why, but I do. I made a mess of it. I ran out of the house. He must think I’m crazy. What’s wrong with me, Katie?”
 

Katie rubbed her back. “You’re just not ready yet, Jen. Look, I want to see you get together with somebody, I really do. You’re too young to be so… old.”
 

Jennifer’s sharp glare didn’t interrupt her sister.
 

“I mean it. You’re only twenty-six, Jenn. Lots of people your age haven’t even gotten married yet. You can start over, but you’re not going to do it living in that shitty house, staring at Franklin’s picture. I don’t care if you want to hear it or not, I have to say it. Do you really think it would make him happy to know that you ended up like this, eating cheese sandwiches for every meal, and letting Elliot torment you all the time?”
 

Jennifer’s jaw clenched. “I am not leaving my home.”
 

“It’s not your home anymore. It was, but it isn’t now. You have to accept that. Stop beating yourself up. It’s not your fault that Franklin died. It was an accident. Things happen. I know what it’s like.“
 

“Do you?” Jennifer snapped. “How do you know, Katie?”
 

Katie wilted and drew her hand back. “Dad,” she said, “and you know, I liked Franklin, too. I liked having a big brother.”

Jennifer’s head drooped, and a sob wrenched itself free. “I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t mean it.”
 

Her sister’s ragged breathing and choked her voice. “I know. Come on. Get a bag, grab some stuff, and come with me.”
 

“No,” Jennifer said. “Don’t ask me again. I’m not going. I’m
not.
I want to go home.”
 

Katie wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve. “Fine,” she said with resignation. “Let’s go back to your house.”
 

Katie focused on the road and didn’t speak again until they pulled up to the duplex.

Chipped white paint covered the house, revealing the silvery old wood beneath. The porch sagged to the left, pulling away from the structure. The warped overhang beneath the second floor windows gave the front of the house a drunken grin. The half-abandoned appearance matched the rest of the street, where some of the houses
were
abandoned.

Jennifer got out of the car and fished some cash out of her purse. Katie declined the offer with a wave of her hand.
 

“Call me if you need anything,” Katie said. “I mean anything. If he comes back, get somewhere safe and call me and I’ll come get you. I mean it.”
 

Jennifer nodded even though Katie would be over an hour away and probably wouldn’t get to her in time to affect anything Elliot attempted. The handle swayed loose on the bent storm door, and chips of paint scattered to the ground. She started to step out of the car.

Katie grabbed her arm. “Jennifer, please. Don’t stay here. Come with me. I’m scared. I haven’t talked to Mom in over a year. I can’t lose you.”
 

“You’re not going to lose me,” Jennifer said, absently. “This is my house.”

She would be safe in her house.

Katie sighed, willing the tears back. Jennifer hugged her sister, and Katie squeezed her back.

“Call me if anything happens. Even if you just need to talk. I mean it.”
 

Jennifer nodded.

“You’re supposed to be the big sister,” Katie said softly. “You’re supposed to be taking care of me.”

Tears slid hot down Jennifer’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’ll call you in the morning, Kat.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be waiting. I’m not leaving until you’re in the house.”

Jennifer’s stomach twisted into a queasy knot as she watched the goofy little car pull away. The fish sandwich wanted to come back up. A hard swallow banished it back to her stomach, but it wasn’t giving up yet.

She took an old piece of wood and wedged it against the baseboard, between the front door and the wall behind it. When they first moved in, Franklin reassured her by putting the board in place and kicking the door. Even unlocked, it wouldn’t budge. The back door was locked up tight with a heavy deadbolt, a chain and a little wire hook.

After checking every window twice, she went upstairs and got in the shower. Just being around Elliot made her feel like she was covered in a fine layer of grease, and the warm water swept it away as well as settled her stomach. She just hoped Mrs. Carmody wasn’t trying to do her dishes.
 

Jennifer unwound her hair and counted each stroke as she brushed it out. Her mother would do this for her when she was very young, but when Jennifer hurt her ankle and had to quit gymnastics, her mother stopped and Katie took over. Working the bristles through the tangles only reminded her how terribly empty the house was.
 

As much as she hated doing it, she took out one of Franklin’s old sport shirts and put it on, buttoning it up to her neck. She liked to imagine she could still smell him on it, but time and mothballs had stolen the scent from the cloth. Trying to remember his voice brought only white noise.
 

The bedsprings creaked under as she curled up on her side and tucked the pillow under her head and breathed into it to warm it up. The air conditioner rattled like mad. The room around her was dark. The baseboards were scuffed and the paint peeled. The hardwood floor was worn, its shine lost. The walls were warped and uneven and the crown molding was cracked and the corners didn’t meet up.