Ravens. Part 18

He gave her back the gla.s.s. She rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher, and sponged the countertop. When she was done, everything was immaculate, just as it had been. You've got quite the system here, thought Romeo.

He said, "MacKenzie, do you like Mew Mew Power?"

She smiled and her eyes grew round. She said, "I love love Mew Mew Power." Mew Mew Power."

He said, "I have a niece who loves Mew Mew Power."

She asked him, "You see the magnets?" She meant the magnets on the refrigerator. "They're from the Bible."

"That's beautiful," said Romeo.

She pointed to a Nativity. "That's from the Gospel of Matthew."

"Really? What about that one?"

"That's Acts of the Apostles."

He smiled. "This here is a house of true holiness. You know how I know that?"

MacKenzie guessed, "The magnets?"

"Well yes, but more than that, your generosity." He truly meant this. It had been a mistake to come here. He felt no hatred for these people at all. He hoped Shelby would invite him to stay for supper.

But Shelby said nothing. They all stared at him.

"All right," said Romeo. "Well, thank you for the water. Goodbye, MacKenzie. Goodbye, sir."

Shelby told his daughter, "Honey, hold Lucky, I don't want her getting out."

Romeo got back in the Tercel, and returned to his circling of h.e.l.l.

Shaw and the Boatwrights went to St. Simon's Island for the Jackpot Party, arriving at 7:00 p.m. It was still light out, but the place was already packed to the rafters. and the Boatwrights went to St. Simon's Island for the Jackpot Party, arriving at 7:00 p.m. It was still light out, but the place was already packed to the rafters. Hoo Hoo-aws. Bear hugs. To get through the crowd Shaw had to give everyone a shake or a tap. Some guy hung an elbow over his neck and introduced himself as Skeet and asked what he was drinking. Shaw said shyly, Johnnie Walker Red? Rocks? Then a girl with a tightly strung midriff murmured into his ear how much she liked what he'd said on TV. She murmured more than that, but there was an old-timey band playing, harmonica and fiddles and banjos, and he couldn't hear. Her lips brushed his cheek as she spoke, though, and her message came through.

Henceforth all the world would be coming to him like this? On a platter?

The scotch was placed in his hand. He pulled out his wallet but Skeet said, "No, I'll I'll get this. get this. You You get my mortgage." get my mortgage."

When Shaw laughed, everyone around him also laughed.

Also he found that wherever he looked, girls would lower their eyes bashfully, pretending they hadn't been staring at him.

Skeet was a tax preparer three months of the year and a beach b.u.m the rest. He advised Shaw to steer clear of sharps and grifters. He said, "Success is a peak - soon's as you get up there you start sliding down. Anyway, that's what I did."

Shaw laughed and they high-fived.

Then he worked his way through the crowd to the Boatwrights' table. There was supposed to be a no-media, no-pictures rule, but flashes kept going off. Oh, let them, he thought. Are we hiding something? No, we're as open as church doors on Sunday. He asked Patsy for a dance. She was already pretty drunk, so to absorb her clumsiness he took something off his own moves. He twirled and jitterbugged and rock-a-bye-babied her, and made her look almost graceful, and she seemed to enjoy herself, and locked eyes with him as they spun.

But he saw Mitch glaring at the floor with his bug eyes.

So while the musicians tuned up for another song, Shaw went over to sit by him. Saying into his ear, "I'm not getting it on with your wife, OK, Mitch? I just want everyone to survive. Remember in a week I'll be gone and you'll still be the richest man you know. You don't have to love me, but make 'em think you do. OK?"

Then he bought a round for everyone in the bar.

Romeo, following Shaw's orders, left the car on Redwood Street, and went on foot from there to the Boatwrights'. A pig-rig was blocking Oriole Road, which made him nervous. But he walked right past it, and they didn't try to stop him. They were just there to keep vehicles out - there were already too many SUVs and RVs and TV trucks. following Shaw's orders, left the car on Redwood Street, and went on foot from there to the Boatwrights'. A pig-rig was blocking Oriole Road, which made him nervous. But he walked right past it, and they didn't try to stop him. They were just there to keep vehicles out - there were already too many SUVs and RVs and TV trucks.

At the Boatwrights', he found twenty people, whites, blacks, and Latinos, sitting in a circle under a big oak, singing songs of praise. Their smiles were unwithholding. One pointed to a cooler full of soft drinks, and Romeo nodded thanks and took a Stewart's Root Beer, and listened to the music while he steadied himself. Then he went up to the front door.

Waiting for him was a taut, drawn-looking guy in tie-dye pants.

"You Trevor?" said Romeo.

The guy made a small acknowledgment - a circ.u.mscribed tilt of the head. "Romeo? Shaw said you were coming. I'm supposed to help get you settled."

They went into the house, to Jase's room, where Shaw was staying. Trevor pointed to one of the two beds and said, "Take that. We'll find somewhere else for the kid." Then he left Romeo alone.

As soon as his footsteps faded, Romeo slipped across the hall to Tara's bedroom.

It had the fragrance of a small-town college girl. Humbly sweet and fresh but with a faint pull of s.e.xuality. He wondered if Shaw had been in here yet. Had he tried to seduce her? Well, he would. This was just the kind of girl he went for: skinny and feisty and nice-haunches-no-t.i.ts and loves her grandmother.

On her bookcase was a Stephen King and an Edgar Allan Poe and The Uncanny, The Uncanny, by Andrew Klavan. So she liked terror? Though she also had by Andrew Klavan. So she liked terror? Though she also had Wind in the Willows Wind in the Willows and and The Borrowers The Borrowers and and The Bell Jar The Bell Jar, and a glowing Jesus and a cross-eyed rhinoceros. And an Edward Scissorhands bobblehead doll.

From outside came the praise-singing: "Even when the flood starts rising, Even when the storm comes, I am washed by the water."

He sat before her laptop. Turned it over, opened the mini-PCI slot, installed his keylogger card and transmitter. It took him two minutes. Then he went to the master bedroom and impregnated Patsy's laptop the same way. The system was rigged so that Shaw's computer would hijack the transmissions and email them directly to Romeo.

Then he went out to the carport and found Trevor. "Hey, listen," he said. "Thank you, but I just can't take that kid's bed."

"Oh, that's no problem. He can sleep on the couch."

"Tell you the truth, I'm kind of freaked out by the singing. But tell Shaw to call me, OK?"

He went down the driveway while the folks were singing "El-Shaddai." He got to his car and fed Drive Fast & Shut Your Eyes into the CD player, and drew another slow circle around the city.

He went by Hazel Ramsey's house. Shaw said that Hazel was Patsy's friend - that's why she was on Romeo's circuit. But her house was dark. Of course it was. Any friend of Patsy's would be at the Jackpot Party.

He went by Enoch Emery's office. Enoch was a 'Point of Interest' because his business had been mentioned a few times on Mitch's website. But the office was closed, naturally. It was Sat.u.r.day night. Enoch would be at the Party.

The neon signs along Rt. 341 made Romeo feel lonely as h.e.l.l. So did the sodium-arc streetlights on MLK Boulevard, and so did the hoa.r.s.e songbird when he stopped for a red light at J Street. Then on Rt. 17 he saw a line of claret taillights, waiting to turn onto the St. Simon's Island causeway. Sat.u.r.day night! Everyone Everyone was going to the island, everyone but Romeo. He got gas at El Cheapo, and drove on. He wanted to scream. He wanted to batter his fists against the winds.h.i.+eld. Driving around and around trying to figure out how he could ever kill these people. How did anyone ever sc.r.a.pe up that much insanity? was going to the island, everyone but Romeo. He got gas at El Cheapo, and drove on. He wanted to scream. He wanted to batter his fists against the winds.h.i.+eld. Driving around and around trying to figure out how he could ever kill these people. How did anyone ever sc.r.a.pe up that much insanity?

Shaw danced with old Nell, buckdancing and high-stepping. The two of them brayed out "Rocky Top" like a pair of broken-hearted hounds, and anyone could see they were madly in love. danced with old Nell, buckdancing and high-stepping. The two of them brayed out "Rocky Top" like a pair of broken-hearted hounds, and anyone could see they were madly in love.

Shaw had another Red-and-rocks. Then he danced with Cousin Vanessa.

He didn't ask Tara to dance. That would have been too loaded - everybody was watching him as it was.

He had another Red-and-rocks.

There was a new girl. Over by the fireplace. Tall, strong-boned, tragic, gazing at him with fierce interest. She wore a strange ornament: a spiral snake that wound through her cheek, and he knew who she was from her Mys.p.a.ce pics.

He made his way over to her. "h.e.l.lo, Clio."

She gave him a sidelong squint. "The guy on TV?"

"Uh-huh. How'd I do with that?"

"Want the truth?"

"Yes."

"You were kinda cheesy."

"Aw. You didn't see the light of Jesus radiating out of me?"

"I saw a cheesy poser-a.s.s on drugs."

"What kind of drugs?"

"I don't know," she said. "What kind you got?"

"What kind do you like?"

"Depends on my mood," she said. "Amytal? Percs? Dems if I'm really really depressed. Like today." depressed. Like today."

"Why are you depressed today?"

Clio drew a breath and let it out. "My best friend just dumped me."

"Why'd she do that?"

"She thinks she's too good for me."

"No she doesn't."

"How would you you know?" know?"

He smiled. "Cup your hand."

She did, and he pressed a little round pill into her palm.

"What is it?"

"Just a little old-fas.h.i.+oned dexie. It'll lighten things for a while."

He pa.s.sed her his Red to chase it with. She kept her eyes on him as she drank. Then she had a thought: "Hey, how do you know my name?"

Tara saw Clio flirting with Shaw and ceased to breathe. saw Clio flirting with Shaw and ceased to breathe.

She thought, everything I did to protect her has only made things worse. Because now she thinks I deserted her. Now she's furious with me. She might have f.u.c.ked Shaw anyway, but now she surely surely will - just to hurt me. will - just to hurt me.

She saw Clio break into a laugh, and though it was drowned out by the bar noise, she knew just how it sounded: cutting but playful. Tara had one like it in her own a.r.s.enal. You put the boy down cleverly and use the laugh to throw him off balance, then soften it into a giggle at the end. She could see it was working for Clio. She could tell by Shaw's expression - kind of confused but beguiled at the same time. He was caught.

Aunt Miriam came up to Tara and started chirping: "Oh, child! That was the best news ever! We're so so proud of you. I believe G.o.d truly has a purpose for your family. I think when He gives so generously, it's because He has a purpose, don't you? These things don't just fall out of the sky for no reason. There's nothing that happens in this world without a proud of you. I believe G.o.d truly has a purpose for your family. I think when He gives so generously, it's because He has a purpose, don't you? These things don't just fall out of the sky for no reason. There's nothing that happens in this world without a reason reason ..." And on and on, but Tara hardly heard, as all her focus was on Clio and Shaw. He was showing her that c.o.c.ky little smile of his. She stood on tiptoe to speak into his ear, to share some intimacy, and he reached up and traced the serpent on her cheek with his fingertip, audaciously zigzagging down the coils. ..." And on and on, but Tara hardly heard, as all her focus was on Clio and Shaw. He was showing her that c.o.c.ky little smile of his. She stood on tiptoe to speak into his ear, to share some intimacy, and he reached up and traced the serpent on her cheek with his fingertip, audaciously zigzagging down the coils.

Tara felt something give way then, in her vitals.

A tiny snap of jealousy.

He's my my demon, demon, my my h.e.l.l; leave him h.e.l.l; leave him alone. alone.

The thought was gone in an instant. But she could feel its poison lingering in her mind, and meanwhile Aunt Miriam kept twittering: "I mean don't you think this Shaw boy is just a jewel? He's truly devout devout, Tara. That part's very real. I think he's an absolute gift from G.o.d, if you want to know what I I think ..." think ..."

Romeo knew he wasn't welcome at the trailer. He knew if he stopped there, Wynetta would come after him with a kitchen knife. But he wasn't planning to stop - he just wanted to drive past, for a glimpse of Claude. knew he wasn't welcome at the trailer. He knew if he stopped there, Wynetta would come after him with a kitchen knife. But he wasn't planning to stop - he just wanted to drive past, for a glimpse of Claude.

But when he saw that Wynetta's truck was gone, he pulled right in. He went up to the door and pushed it open. Claude lay there with no blanket. His eyes lifted slowly. "I feel. Great, Great," he said. Then turned away with a gypsy-dog look of remorse. There was a sour smell, and the sheet around his a.s.s was stained a rich walnut.

Romeo asked him, "Where's Wynetta?"

Claude attempted to shrug.

Romeo went to the linen closet and found sheets, threadbare but clean. At the sink he rinsed out the sponge and filled the enamel pot with warm water. Then he went to work.

So long as he was taking care of things, he felt lighthearted.

But as soon he was done, the moment he had Claude all cleaned up and resting peacefully in fresh sheets and pillowcases with a new bag of morphine seeping into his system, Romeo felt the weight of all his troubles again.

He lay down on the bed, next to the old man. The two of them gazed up at the spiderwork cracks on the ceiling. Claude's lips were moving, and he seemed to be struggling through some train of thought. But maybe that was wrong. Maybe he wasn't thinking at all - maybe he was just suffering.

Romeo said, "Has it kicked in yet?"

Long pull of silence. Then Claude said, "I think. I know what. You're doing here. You're supposed. To kill someone. Right?"

Romeo took a breath. "Yes."

"But you're not. Ready?"

"I'm not."

"Well. Then. You should. Practice."

"What do you mean?"

"Killing," Claude whispered.

"Practice killing? How would I practice killing?"

"On me."

"I don't ..."