CHAPTER

12

JAMIE WOKE TO the sound of Loyal’s cell phone ringing in the kitchen and his footsteps thudding down the hallway to answer it. She refused to open her eyes, flopped onto her back, and pulled the blanket over her head, but she heard Loyal say, “Goddamn it, I’ll be right there.”

In another moment he came back up the hallway, opened the door, and pointed a flashlight at her.

The light hit her eyes through the threadbare blanket. “I’m sleeping. Can’t it wait till morning?”

“Get up.”

“It’s still dark.”

“Get up.” He yanked the blanket off her.

Across the room, Toby sat up. “What’s going on?”

“Go back to sleep,” Loyal said.

“You two going somewhere, I’m coming, too.” Toby threw his blanket off and groped to find his sweatshirt.

“Stay put,” Loyal said. He pointed at Jamie. “You, grab some jeans and come out here.”

She recognized the tone in his voice and knew from the frown on Toby’s face that he did, too. “It’s probably nothing,” she said, hoping to appease him. “Go back to sleep.”

In the kitchen, Loyal poured a cup of day-old cold coffee into a glass and guzzled it. “Goddamn, it’s early.”

The oven clock read three AM. “Can’t Toby do whatever this is? I mean, it’s rare when he actually wants to help.”

Loyal sloshed some water on his face and spit in the sink. He rubbed his head hard, the gray hairs standing up on end. “Toby’s strong, but he’s got no guts,” he said in a low voice, then pointed at her. “And you goddamn owe me.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “I’ll put some coffee on.”

“No time for that. Keating needs help. Needs it right now.” Loyal started pulling on his boots. “If you want a chance to get out from under your debt, you got it tonight.”

“Doing what?”

“Everything I tell you till sunup. But you play by my rules.”

Right there she knew that whatever he needed help with couldn’t be good.

He stepped closer and towered over her.

Her jaw clenched, knowing she had no choice, but it was a chance to get back on her plan to leave this fucked-up town.

“And you don’t ask questions. You keep your mouth shut and don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Understand?”

She glanced down the hallway.

He lowered his voice. “And Toby can’t know.” He grabbed his keys. “Get your jacket and come on.”

“Okay,” she said, and pulled her boots on. “Where are we going?”

“Keating’s place and that’s the last question you ask,” he said. “You see any cars come up on us, you get down on that floorboard, you hear? The fewer people knowing our business, the better.”

*   *   *

They looped north on the county road to avoid Main Street. It was after hours but there were a few cars at Crowley’s Pub, likely Eddie and some of the servers kicking back with a nightcap or two.

On the other side of town, the houses on Keating’s street were dark and silent. Loyal turned into the driveway beneath a row of sagging elms and pulled around to the back of the house. A porch light spread yellow over the backyard. The door to the freestanding garage was propped open with a metal bucket, a thin light on inside. Keating came out from the garage carrying a folded blue tarp, the yellow porch light like a stain across his hands. He dropped it in front of the truck when Loyal cut the engine.

“The hell you bring her for?”

“What? You going to help me? You skinny bag of bones.”

“It’s a one-man job.”

“The hell it is. That man’s huge.”

Keating climbed the few steps to the back door. “It’s not her damn business.”

Jamie got out of the truck. A light in the upstairs window backlit a familiar silhouette.

Loyal picked up the tarp and carried it inside. He pushed Jamie’s shoulder as if to wake her from a dream. “Stop staring. Back the truck up to the porch and drop the tailgate.” He followed Keating inside.

She looked back up at the window. The curtains shifted slightly and the light went out.

Fifteen minutes later, the men reappeared at the back door dragging the tarp, bundled and wrapped with twine, their breathing labored and fogging the cold night air. The tailgate of the truck sat a good six inches above the level of the porch and transferring it into the truck bed took everything they had. Loyal climbed out of the flatbed and straightened his back stiffly. He rubbed his left shoulder and slammed the tailgate shut. Keating waved toward Jamie. “What about her?”

“You got big enough problems. Leave the girl to me.”

Keating grumbled something and spit on the ground, but he went inside and closed the door behind him.

“Get in,” Loyal said, but Jamie just stood next to the truck, staring at the tarp.

“I’m not getting in there.” She turned for the woods. She’d rather hike alone at night than help dig a grave.

Loyal caught her near the garage and grabbed the wrist he’d twisted the night before. White light shot behind her eyes and her knees nearly buckled.

“You are getting in this truck.”

“That’s a dead man and this is a felony.”

“Just being here puts you in over your head. You best come along.”

“Seeing is not the same as participating.”

“Damn it, girl. I had a choice and I chose you. I could’ve had Toby help me with this, but I gave you a chance to get square. Besides, you think he’ll get into the Army if this thing comes to light and he helped? You really want to drag your little brother into this? You made your bed when you took what didn’t belong to you.”

He took her by the back of her neck and steered her to the passenger door. “That man is dead and there’s nothing going to fix that, but if you play this thing smart you might improve your situation.”

The way he put it, she had no choice. It was horrible and gross, but she’d never dump this on Toby. And if Loyal was willing to cut her a deal, she might be able to pay him back in one night. She opened the door and got inside.

He climbed in behind the wheel and handed her the flask. “Take some whiskey if it helps, but get down on that floor.”