AllFreeNovel
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Dixie buzzed about the room, flicking on lights and opening thick, polyester curtains. “We all share the washer and dryer up at the community room. You’ll find the Coke machine there, too.”
Lucy quietly tapped her sling-back heels together.
Click.
Click. Click.
Nothing.
“Wow, there’s a bit more space in here than I expected,” Lucy said, grasping for something, anything, to compliment. “And it’s…clean.”
Dixie frowned. “Katie didn’t give us any problems. I expect the same from you.”
Lucy never caused problems, but lately, her life hadn’t gotten the memo.
“Katie told me what happened to you in California with that man followin’ you and all.”
The savage pressure inside Lucy’s chest escalated. “No one is supposed to know about that.”
“Well, I’m no busybody, so I won’t be flappin’ my mouth.”
“No, of course not.”
Dixie moved through the room, fluffing the pillows on the couch. “That’ll be the kitchen, and over there’s your room. Bathroom is on the other side. Now, you’ll have to remember the air conditioner is a bit iffy sometimes. Call me. I’ll send my Jeff over to fix it.”
Lucy attempted to keep up. “Jeff?”
“My son lives across the way. He’ll come help with your bags.”
The apartment was small, simple, clean…and ugly.
Dixie headed for the kitchen and made herself comfortable in a metal chair at the Formica table. Boomerang designs stenciled in vibrant orange and yellow decorated the surface of both the chairs and the table. She retrieved a full pack of worn and crinkled cigarettes from her pocket, tapped one out, looked at it warily, and then slipped it back in. “Will you be on TV like Katie?”
“No, I’m behind the camera this time. Producing.”
“Whatever that means,” Dixie said blandly. “We sure were proud watching Katie on the TV each night. Made us feel like royalty having a real-life television star next door.”
Lucy tried for courtesy. “It’s hard to stay hidden when you’re on television.”
“I suppose.” Dixie made a face at Lucy’s beat-up appearance. “You’ll want to clean up, I’m sure.”
Her hot pink fingernails scrolled across the screen of her cell phone, and she lifted it to her ear. “Jeff, it’s your mother. Come help the new girl unload her bags.” She clicked the off button without waiting for a response.
“Thank you.” Lucy inched toward the bathroom to clean up.
Dixie hauled herself to her feet and headed for the door.
The whole wall rattled when she closed it behind her.
Lucy turned on the bath faucet and balanced on the edge of the tub. Warm water swirled at her feet as she peeled away the Band-Aid on her knee. With her skirt hiked to her thighs, she angled her body to rinse the debris free. Water poured down her leg, and a hiss formed on her lips. Her swollen knee looked as if a colorful plum had sprouted there. Glass had punctured her outer calf, and bits of skin had scraped off her shin. She wiped away the grime, refusing to focus on her deeply crushed pride.
The tub drained while she patted her legs dry with a rough towel. With a resolution that the rest of the night would get better, she pinched color into her cheeks, ran a hand through her hair, and stepped out of the bathroom just as the chief of police she’d met at the gas station brought in the last of her bags. He caught her eye and grimaced.
“You’re the handyman?” Lucy asked, dumbfounded.
“I suppose so, yes. Although, I’ve never thought of myself like that.” He lifted the bags to the sofa. “I didn’t realize you were Katie’s friend.”
The room appeared to be two sizes too small for him. The ceiling loomed an inch above his head, like Alice in Wonderland after the Eat Me cake.
