CHAPTER

26

AFTER a couple of hours, David could sleep no longer. He got up, undressed, and stood beneath the spray of the shower, the water as hot as he could stand. He stood there until the hot water was gone. He didn’t feel the shower, nor the cold of the air as he stood wet in the center of the bathroom. He dressed and went upstairs. He leaned against the wall beside Sixbury’s bedroom door.

“Why don’t you go in and see her,” said Sixbury. She was at the bottom of the stairs.

David looked at her and said nothing. He went into the room. Butch was curled up beneath a stack of quilts. There was a chair beside the bed. He sat down. Her hair was still dirty, but she had been bathed. Her skin looked fresh and smooth. Except for a scratch just below her ear, one might have thought that nothing had happened. He pulled some of her black hair out of her face.

Butch’s eyes opened and they looked at each other for a few seconds. The child cried softly at first; then she began to scream.

Her screams were no more than shouted breaths into the pillow. He stood up and backed away, watching her. Her body remained still. Her eyes were fixed blankly on David’s form in the dim room. He called out for Sixbury. The old woman came in and stood at the foot of the bed.

David stepped out of the room and waited in the hall while Sixbury quieted the child. She came out and shut the door.

“Well, I guess it makes sense,” said David.

Sixbury just looked at him.

“I mean, she’ll have to adjust to me.”

Sixbury shrugged.

David rubbed his eyes.

Sixbury started toward the stairs. “What would you like for breakfast?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to have something.”

He followed her downstairs and into the kitchen. He sat at the table while she cooked.

“Coffee’s still hot,” she said.

He got up and poured himself a cup. “You want some?”

She nodded. “What about a little ham with your eggs?” She didn’t let him answer. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the leftover meat.

He put her cup near her and sat again. He watched the old woman hobble about. He studied her behind and thought of Patrick passing from the body of this sweet woman. Her strength moved him. He almost cried. He was a murderer, and the major well of guilt in this was that he felt no remorse. He laughed softly to himself and shook his head. The most frightening element of it all was that, even with the grotesque image of the retarded man bound and dangling, the action was somehow beautiful.

Sixbury put a plate in front of him.

Later, David took Sixbury’s truck and headed off for the Lowe ranch. He stopped along the way at Mitch’s filling station. He stomped the snow off his boots and stepped into the office. Mitch was sitting on the counter, eating a sandwich. A Thermos was open beside him.

“Well, hey there,” said Mitch. “How’s your little lady?”

“Fine,” said David. “I came by to thank you for helping out last night.”

“No problem. I’m just glad the little girl’s all right.” He finished his sandwich.

David leaned against the candy machine and rubbed his neck.

“I’m really sorry you didn’t catch the bastard,” said Mitch.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Probably some drifter or one of them motorcycle characters.”

David nodded.

“Girl’s okay, though.”

“Doc says she’ll be just fine.”

“Good.” Mitch looked past David, out the window.

“Well, I’ll see you later,” David said and left. He looked back as he drove away and saw Mitch watching from the window.

He had the heat and the fan on full and the warm air felt good on his feet. The cab was filled with the roar of the wind. He switched on the radio and heard the scores of some local football games. The scores were all very high and he remembered that Howard had told him that the schools often fielded eight-man squads. What a very strange place.

Mandy Lowe let David into the house and led him into the den. “I just talked to Chloë,” said Mandy. “She says little Butch is resting just fine.” She nervously rubbed her hands together. “How are you?”

“A little tired.”

“You men were out late.” She stood there, seemingly on the verge of a further utterance, but nothing came.

“It’s a cold one out there,” said David.

“I’ll get Joshua.” She left the room.

David walked around the den. It was a cozy room, a warm room. There was a large, full bookcase against the wall opposite the fireplace. On a table beside a winged chair was a lamp, The Holy Bible, and another book. He picked up the second book. It was a novel by William Faulkner, The Hamlet.

“Do you like Faulkner?” asked Lowe, stepping across the room.

“I have to,” said David. “I’m a Southerner.”

They shook hands.

“Sit down, please.”

“No, I’m not staying. I just came by to thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I need to get back and check on Sixbury.”

“How’s she holding up?”

“Pretty well.”

They walked to the front door.

“So I’ll see you in church tomorrow,” said Lowe.

David looked at him, cold air rushing through the open door. “Yeah, I suppose you will.”

As he drove home, David felt a strong attachment to Lowe, this solid, decent man with whom he had committed a premeditated murder. He pulled off to the side of the road and just sat.

“So what did you do with the body?” Howard asked, twisting the cap off another bottle of beer.

“Why? I mean, what difference does it make, Howard?” David watched him cross the room and plop down on the sofa. “Does it make a difference?”

Howard kicked his feet onto the coffee table and pulled on his beer. “Just asking.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I guess not.”

“What is it, Howard? Do you think we should tell the sheriff?”

Howard put his beer down. “Hell, I don’t know.” He paused. “Maybe.”

“It’s over.”

“Just like that?”

“If it was just me or just me and you, I might agree with you. But it’s not just you and me. These men have families. Hell, we may have done the right thing.”

Howard said nothing.

“It felt right.”

Howard picked his beer up again.

“How’s May doing?” asked David.

“She’s all right.”

“Are you going to be able to keep this to yourself?”

“You don’t think I’d tell anyone.”

“I don’t know.”

“Who would it matter to, anyway?” Howard asked.