Sue Ann walked quickly, nearly running, navigating herself carefully around the slushy puddles and frozen ice of the dirt road. She had to hurry. Jimmy would be home soon, and he would expect his supper when he got there. J.J., thank God, was spending the night with a new friend from church, so he wouldn’t have to witness whatever punishment Jimmy decided to mete out if she didn’t get home in time. J.J. was spending more and more time with the church folks lately, but Sue Ann couldn’t blame him, was thankful, actually, that he had an escape from the violence at home, though she missed him terribly when he wasn’t with her. She rounded the curve and saw with relief that Jimmy’s truck was not yet in the driveway.
Slipping on the frozen porch steps, Sue Ann stumbled into the house, throwing her purse on the counter and haphazardly pulling food out of the refrigerator, praying for something quick and easy to fix. She had some left over collards and some thawed out pork chops that earned the sniff of approval. She would fry up the chops with the greens and some mashed potatoes. With any luck it would at least all be cooking before Jimmy pulled up.
She hadn’t intended to be so late, but Dr. Hayden had given her a last minute letter to type, and she couldn’t exactly say, “I’d love to, doctor, but if I’m late gettin’ home my husband will beat the hell out of me.” So she had stayed, typing as quickly as she could before leaving the office at a run.
Quickly, she peeled and quartered potatoes, throwing them into the pot, wondering what was holding Jimmy up but grateful for whatever it was. She had just put the last chop in the skillet when she heard the splash of the truck tires in the muck of the front yard. A door slammed, and then another one. Sue Ann stood still, listening. Jimmy wasn’t alone. Laughter, then, followed by a string of curse words as the men maneuvered their way through the melting slush and onto the front porch. Throwing open the door, Jimmy tracked mud into the hallway, moving aside to make room for Roy Campbell to squeeze past him into the house.
“We got company, Sue Ann. Set an extra place. Roy ain’t got anyone to cook for him tonight, so I figured your cookin’ is better than none.” The men laughed at Jimmy’s wit, slapping each other on the back and inadvertently splashing beer out of the open cans they both carried.
Although Sue Ann didn’t care for Roy, she was relieved at his presence. Jimmy didn’t mind mocking her and cursing her in front of company, but so far he had never hit her when anyone else was around. For now, at least, she was safe, though God only knew what would happen when Roy left. Hopefully he would be too drunk by then to do any damage.
The men went into the living room and Sue Ann withdrew into the kitchen, thankful for the distraction Roy provided. As she busied herself with the last preparations for supper she caught snatches of the men’s conversation. “...too damn cold...be there when you get home...nice little piece of ass....” This last caused her to look up from the potatoes she was mashing, her ears perked. It had been Jimmy’s voice, and while she couldn’t care less who he slept with—was in truth glad it hadn’t been her—she was curious nonetheless. She slipped unobtrusively into the dining room, setting the table as quietly as she could so as not to attract their attention.
“We’ve been through hell together, ain’t we Jimmy?” Roy slurped at his beer as he spoke.
“Damn right we have,” agreed Jimmy, spitting into his empty can. As Sue Ann placed the flatware carefully by the plates, the men commiserated on their time at the front, during the Second World War. Sue Ann had rarely ever heard Jimmy speak of the war, and she eavesdropped with interest as the men counted down all the comrades they’d known who died.
“And it wasn’t much better when we got back, remember?” this was Roy. “There wasn’t nothin’ to do, wasn’t no jobs but the mine, same as our daddies an’ their daddies before them. Man takes his life in his hands ever’day goin’ down into them mines.”
Jimmy grunted in agreement. “Sometimes seems like maybe Willy knew better than any of us, don’t it? At least he escaped it all.”
The men were silent for a moment, and then Roy said, nearly inaudibly, “If it hadn’t been for that damn Injun bitch he’d still be here. You ever think of that?”
Jimmy nodded. “We got her good, though, didn’t we? Bitch couldn’t even get up an’ walk when we got done with her.” The men laughed as Sue Ann pulled back into the shadow of the kitchen. “Taught that bitch a thing or two about men, fuckin’ freak of nature. You know she’s just been sittin’ out there in them mountains all this time, wishin’ she could get some more of this.”
Roy snorted. “Hell man, it ain’t you she’s wantin’, it’s me. You know you couldn’t satisfy her after she had gotten a taste of mine.”
“Fuckin’ assholes made me take the leftovers,” grumbled Jimmy.
“Wasn’t our fault you couldn’t run no faster,” stated Roy. “Willy caught her first, but she was screamin’ and fightin’ so much he didn’t get to enjoy it the way he shoulda. By the time I got there, she was tired out an’ just waitin’ to be taken by a real man.”
“Hmmmph.” Jimmy sniffed. “By the time I got there, there wasn’t much left for the takin.’” He looked up at Roy, a smile curling his lips. “But I took it anyway.”
Roy grinned back. “Them young ones is nice, ain’t they? I ain’t had another one that nice until my girl turned all woman on me this past summer.”
Jimmy lowered his voice, as if suddenly remembering that Sue Ann was in the house. “When’s the next poker game? I been thinkin’ ’bout that all day. Had a damn hard-on half the day at work.”
“Hell, it won’t do no good to have a poker game now that she’s done run off,” said Roy, his tone peevish.
“She’ll be back,” Jimmy assured him for the hundredth time. “It’s too cold for her to stay gone, and she ain’t got no where else to go, anyways.”
Roy was thoughtful for a moment. “Jimmy,” he began, leaning forward in his chair. “D’you really think it’s possible she’s with the Injun queer? You know she’s up there somewhere. What if she done took her in?”
Jimmy stared back at him, thinking over this possibility. Then he shook his head. “I just don’t think so, Roy. We don’t even know for sure where that Injun bitch went to. How could she? She ain’t nothin’ but a kid,” apparently oblivious to the irony of his statement.
Roy shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, but ever since you brought it up earlier today, I been thinkin’. We might not know exactly where she’s at, but she cain’t be hard to find. We know she’s up on that crazy old witch’s mountain somewhere, prob’ly as far away as she can get, right at the top. Might take a little hike around the mountain, see if I can find her. And I’ll tell you one thing. When I do, she better not be corruptin’ my girl.”
Jimmy took in Roy’s words, then, “Give it a day, Roy,” he said. “If she ain’t back by tomorrow, I’ll go with you. We’ll go lookin’ for the Injun queer, and if she’s got the girl, we’ll make last time look like a picnic. She won’t know what got ahold of her. Neither of them will.”
Satisfied with this solution, Roy sat back and took a deep swig of his beer.
In the kitchen, Sue Ann stood motionless, the horror of their discussion dawning on her. Billy May Platte. They had to be talking about Billy May. Was this why she had left town all those years ago? And Roy’s girl, what was her name? Jessie. But she couldn’t be more than twelve years old!
Sue Ann had never really seen the girl, hidden as she was up on that mountain, but she had heard J.J. mention her fondly a time or two. Dear God, they were in there laughing like lunatics and comparing notes on the rape of not just one girl, but two. Sue Ann bent over the sink and retched, suddenly sick with the knowledge.
“Sue Ann!” Jimmy bellowed from the living room. “Where’s my supper, woman? What the hell is takin’ you so long? And bring me another goddamned beer. Shag your ass, woman.”
Quickly, Sue Ann splashed her cheeks with cold water from the tap. She steadied herself, composed her face into a mask of calm, and went to call the men to dinner. She needed time to think; she knew she had to act, but first she had to survive this night. She was no good to anyone dead.