Box. Part 5

Daddy goes through Dr. Box's wallet and pockets, finds some bills, counts them out. "How's eighteen hundred sound?"

"He's carryin' that much?"

"He's carryin' thirty-six hundred, to be exact."

"You're takin' half?"

"Seems fittin'."

"Why?"

"He'd bribe me at least eighteen hundred to escape an attempted rape charge, don't you think?"

"I suppose. But I don't want you to run him off, Daddy."

"Trust me, this guy's sc.u.m."

"He's rich, and he likes me."

"He may be rich, and he may like you for a night or two, but you need to take this eighteen hundred, get yourself a car, and drive to a better place so you can start a new life."

I frown. "Eighteen hundred ain't but a start for that type of plan. I'd need twice that, at least."

He sighs. "Fine. Here. Take it all. But when you go, don't look back."

"What about Dr. Box?"

"I'll send him packin'. After we have a little talk."

"You're gonna tell him to never see me again."

"That's right. And someday you'll thank me for it."

"What's the plan?"

"Wait here and call Kennon to cover your s.h.i.+ft. I'll be right back."

He circles the restaurant to the parking lot, drives Dr. Box's rental car over to where I'm standin'. Then he pushes Dr. Box into the back seat and tells me to drive to Jake Thatcher's old barn.

All the way to Thatcher's, I think about drivin' off with Dr. Box, but Daddy's behind me in his squad car, and I'd never get away. But I'm also thinkin' how I'm gonna write Dr. Box a message about how to contact me after Daddy throws him out of town.

When we get to Thatcher's, Daddy drags Dr. Box inside, handcuffs him, and starts tying him to a chair.

"This where you interrogate your prisoners?" I say.

"It is. Now go out to the car and wait. And do not come back in here."

"Can I ask a favor?" I say.

"What?"

"Before you let him go, kick him in the nuts."

"What?"

"Twice. And don't hold back."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"You never fail to surprise me, Trudy."

I do have my reasons. I aim to drive out of town with Dr. Box later tonight, and don't want s.e.x on his mind for at least a day or two while I decide what I want from the relations.h.i.+p, if anythin'.

While Daddy's tyin' Dr. Box up good and tight to the chair, I climb in the rental car and dig a pen and paper from my purse and start writin' him a note. I hear the sound of a trunk slammin' shut and look up to see Daddy carryin' a long rope into the barn. I finish writin' the letter and put it in the console between the seats, figurin' Dr. Box will check to see if there might be somethin' in the console he can use to stop the bleedin' Daddy'll cause durin' the course of his interrogation.

Two minutes pa.s.ses, then I hear a terrible noise. It's dark, but I can tell half the barn roof has come cras.h.i.+n' down!

Dr. Gideon Box.

DEPUTY SCOOTER BING kicked the chair out from under me to start the hanging, but the beam couldn't handle the weight, and broke. I fell to the ground. There was a split-second pause before the roof came cras.h.i.+ng down.

It wasn't much of a roof, but it was board and tin and heavy enough to kill me. I counted my blessings at having cheated death two times in the s.p.a.ce of thirty seconds. As I pulled the rope off my neck, Trudy ran into the barn yelling, "What the h.e.l.l happened? Is everyone okay?"

She saw me moving around and said, "Where's Daddy?"

Turns out Deputy Bing was alive, but his right leg was trapped under one of the rafters. Trudy and I pulled it off him and found his leg was broken.

"Other than that, is he okay?" Trudy asks.

"Yeah, but we should get him to the hospital."

"Daddy?" she says. "You got what you deserve for tryin' to hang my boyfriend."

She unhooks my cell phone from his belt and gives it to me.

"You're not gonna leave me here, are you?" Scooter says.

"I'd take you to the hospital, but sure as s.h.i.+t you'd just wind up throwin' poor Dr. Box in jail. So we're gonna leave now. I'll call an ambulance to take you to the county hospital. And tomorrow I'll call to make sure you're okay. But we're gonna head out now."

She looks at me and says, "Are you fit to walk?"

"I'd be fitter if he hadn't kicked me in the nuts."

Trudy said, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, sugar," he says. "But I'm afraid you've got yourself a bad doctor."

"Time will tell," she says. "Let's go, Doc."

"It's been a pleasure," I say to Deputy Bing as I step over his body.

"She's a good girl," he says. "Don't treat her badly."

I wait till Trudy's nearly out the barn before whispering, "Every time I f.u.c.k her I'll think of you."

I get about ten feet before he says, "I'll be sure to tell Darrell you said that."

I stop and turn. "Who's Darrell?"

"You'll see."

WHEN I EXIT what's left of the barn I notice Trudy's in the driver's seat.

I open the pa.s.senger door and lean in.

"Not to be rude, but that man looks way too old to be your father."

"He's had a rough life."

"How old is he?"

"You mean because he looks too old to be my Daddy?"

"Well, yes. To be frank about it."

"He started another family before he met Mom. She was much younger."

She looks at me, smiles, and says, "Guess she was a lot like me."

"In what way?"

"Attracted to older men."

I smile.

She says, "Aren't you gettin' in the car?"

"Who's Darrell?"

She frowns. "Scooter told you about Darrell?"

"Just in pa.s.sing. Who is he?"

"My brother."

"Will he be mad at me, too?"

"I don't know."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, of course not, honey!"

"Where are we going?"

"Your place."

"I haven't booked a room yet."

"No. I mean, your place. New York City."

"This is a rental car."

"I know. You got it in Nashville. At the airport."

She can tell I'm puzzled, so she adds, "The rental agreement's in the glove box. I read it while waitin' for you. So anyway, I'll drive us to Nashville, we'll catch an early mornin' flight, and be home by noon."

"Home?"

"I've decided to move in with you."

"Seriously?"

"How could I not? We're practically engaged."

I hold up a hand.

"What?" she says.

"First things first."