The Woman. Part 19

"I am not!" Peg said.

And that was not not emotionless. It was tense as h.e.l.l and there were tears beginning to form behind the words. But Cleek seemed to ignore his daughter. Cleek's focus was directly on her. emotionless. It was tense as h.e.l.l and there were tears beginning to form behind the words. But Cleek seemed to ignore his daughter. Cleek's focus was directly on her.

"What makes you think my daughter is pregnant, Miss Raton?"

She noted that they were no longer Chris and Genevieve, they were back on formal terms. It was actually a relief.

"She's showing, showing, Mr. Cleek. Not very much yet but that won't last much longer." Mr. Cleek. Not very much yet but that won't last much longer."

"Any of your colleagues concur with this opinion, Miss Raton?"

"What? I wouldn't know. I haven't discussed it with them. I thought it best to come directly to you and your wife."

"And you did well to do so."

He leaned in close and she knew what that smell was now. He smelled like old rotting meat. There were girls in cla.s.s whose personal hygiene was well south of what it should have been and when they got their period they smelled the same way. Old spoiled meet.

And a meanness had crept into his voice that she didn't like.

"I thought you teachers were supposed to listen," he said. "You don't listen too well, Miss Raton. I told you that Peggy didn't have a boyfriend and that I'd know it if she did, right? Didn't I?"

"Yes, but..."

"You accusing Brian here?"

He motioned toward his son. The boy was grinning. What's going on here? What's going on here? she thought. she thought. What have I stepped into? What have I stepped into?

"He's just a boy, Miss Raton."

"No, of course not..."

"Dad," Peg was tugging on his arm. He pulled away.

"You accusing me me?"

"No, I..."

Get out of here, she thought. There's something seriously wrong with this guy. She stood up. So did he. she thought. There's something seriously wrong with this guy. She stood up. So did he.

"You saying that? Are you Are you?"

She held her ground. Short of sprinting for the door there was nothing else she could do. Besides, this guy was beginning to p.i.s.s her off, too.

"I said nothing of the sort, Mr. Cleek."

"In my own home. You accuse me."

He was right in her face now - way into her s.p.a.ce - and his voice had gone eerily soft.

"Right here in my own home," he said.

"I did not. I never said..."

But I didn't have to, did I? she thought. she thought. You said it for me. You f.u.c.ked your own daughter, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you sick piece of s.h.i.+t. You f.u.c.ked her and got her pregnant and now I've stuck it to you, haven't I? You miserable sack of...

She never saw it coming.

But Peg did.

Peg saw her father strike a woman for the second time that night.

Open-handed this time but with no less power and right across the side of her head. So that one moment Miss Raton was standing there in front of her and the next she was on the floor, her head striking the antique pie safe so hard it rattled the plates inside. She saw her teacher's eyelids flutter once and then close.

"Jesus, daddy! What did you...?"

"Shut up, Peggy. This is all your own d.a.m.n fault, you little b.i.t.c.h. Get out of here! Go out to the barn. Go get me some rope!"

"Rope? What are you going to do with rope?"

"Go! Now!"

"No!"

"I'll go," said her brother.

She heard the front door slam. Her father was glaring at her. Her father wanted to hit her too.

"Get out of my sight," he said. "You brought this on. You and that sweet little c.u.n.t of yours. Go help your mother."

TWENTY-EIGHT.

Darlin' hid.

Darlin' - Darleen, Darleen, her name was her name was Darleen - Darleen - was hiding. She hid behind her sister's bed because her sister's bed was safe and heard loud voices and things going was hiding. She hid behind her sister's bed because her sister's bed was safe and heard loud voices and things going thump thump and she could feel bees buzzing up through the floorboards, she could feel bears coming out from the dark of the woods, there were black crows at the windows wanting to get in. and she could feel bees buzzing up through the floorboards, she could feel bears coming out from the dark of the woods, there were black crows at the windows wanting to get in.

What she could do was ball herself up tight and kiss her knees. She could blink a hundred times and count them one by one.

That way she wouldn't cry.

She would count her blinks and kisses and wouldn't cry.

TWENTY-NINE.

Genevieve Raton awoke at the end of a rope tied to her wrists. Being hauled across the yard on her belly by a madman.

She saw floodlights above a barn with its doors open. She felt hard earth and wet patchy gra.s.s. Heard dogs barking. Her arms felt like they were tearing out of her shoulder sockets. She saw the boy walking along beside her, grinning.

She turned on her hip to try to get to her feet but he was pulling her along too fast and she fell back down again, landed chin first. She tasted blood. Felt a hot pain score the inside of her cheek.

"Cleek!"

She was spitting blood at him. He didn't even turn to look. Just kept dragging her. She tumbled side to side, sc.r.a.ping herself hip to hip.

"Cleek!"

She saw Peg run to him from somewhere behind her, Peggy pulling at his arm, trying to stop him.

"Daddy! Stop, please! You can't do this! She's my teacher teacher, daddy. She's my..."

"Friend? That what you were going to say? Your friend friend comes here to expose you for the little wh.o.r.e you are?" comes here to expose you for the little wh.o.r.e you are?"

She managed to get over on her a.s.s, dug in with her feet like some rodeo cowboy and jerked at the rope. For a moment he lost his balance. Then he jerked back and she was on her belly again.

They were nearly to the barn.

"Daddy, you can't..."

He grabbed his daughter's arm and flung her to the ground. Hauled the rope the last few feet and lashed his end to the barn's door handle. Then he walked over to Peg, stunned, cowering beneath him in the dirt.

"Daddy, you can't," he said. "You can't. You can't! I have f.u.c.king he said. "You can't. You can't! I have f.u.c.king had it had it with with you can't you can't and the women in this family! Your mother, your idiot sister, you!" and the women in this family! Your mother, your idiot sister, you!"

Genevieve got up on one knee. Then to her feet.

"Please," she said. "Just let me go. I won't tell anyone about this, I promise."

Her voice sounded hoa.r.s.e and distant to her.

Behind her Brian rapped her in the head with a stick. She hadn't seen the stick. It f.u.c.king hurt.

"Shut up, lady," he said.

"No, make that all all women," said Cleek. He was on a tear now. "I have had it with all you G.o.dd.a.m.n b.i.t.c.hes. You're leeches, every one of you! You suck a man dry. A man works like a dog every day and you suck him dry!" women," said Cleek. He was on a tear now. "I have had it with all you G.o.dd.a.m.n b.i.t.c.hes. You're leeches, every one of you! You suck a man dry. A man works like a dog every day and you suck him dry!"

He reached down and grabbed the neck of Peg's sweats.h.i.+rt and yanked her to her feet. Then he had the s.h.i.+rt in both hands, shaking her. Peg was flailing at him.

She was not about to watch him beating up on his own daughter.

"Stop this!" she said. "Stop this right now!" And this time her voice was clear.

Brian rapped her in the ear. She almost went down again but managed only to stumble. She turned to go after him but he danced away laughing.

"You little f.u.c.ker!"

She felt blood trickle down her neck to her collar.

Peg screamed. Cleek had his hand up under her sweats.h.i.+rt clutching at her breast. Peg was trying to pull his hand away. He only clutched harder.

"Cleek! d.a.m.n you, Cleek!"

She turned to see if Brian was planning on whacking her again. He just smiled. The little snake.

"Cleek!"

He paid her no attention. He was focused on his daughter's breast. He was focused on his daughter's breast.

"You know what you're good for, Peg? " he said. "You ridiculous whining b.i.t.c.hes are good for one thing and one thing only and half the time you're miserable at that. You think I don't know who you are? You think I don't? You're no better than that thing in there. That thing in the cellar. That's where all all of you belong. Every last c.u.n.ting one of you!" of you belong. Every last c.u.n.ting one of you!"

She had time to think, what thing in the cellar? what thing in the cellar? and then he threw Peg down again - she was all knees and elbows, hitting hard - and started pulling on the rope, hauling her toward the open barn doors. She tried pulling back but it was useless. He was much too strong and much too furious. She could hear the dogs inside in a frenzy now. Something was happening out here and the dogs wanted in on it. and then he threw Peg down again - she was all knees and elbows, hitting hard - and started pulling on the rope, hauling her toward the open barn doors. She tried pulling back but it was useless. He was much too strong and much too furious. She could hear the dogs inside in a frenzy now. Something was happening out here and the dogs wanted in on it.

"Come on, Brian," he said. "This one we handle right away."

THIRTY.

Her father's words dripped poison in her ears. That's where That's where all all of you belong. Every last c.u.n.ting one of you. of you belong. Every last c.u.n.ting one of you.

She hung up the phone. The police said they were on their way. They were out in the middle of nowhere though. It would take them half an hour to get from town to her house if she was lucky. Her breast throbbed. Her ears rang.

Every last c.u.n.ting one of you.

Am I next, daddy? Am I?

Momma? Me? Darlin'? In what order?

She was crying, sobbing.

The dogs were barking like crazy. She couldn't imagine what was going on out there or maybe she could could imagine and didn't want to. imagine and didn't want to.

"No more," she said. "This has got to stop. Not any more..."