Page 11 of Jacob Michaels Is Not Jacob Michaels

Lucas was still panting, his hands on his knees as he stood next to the woman and me and I had to control the urge to snarl at Oma that it was apparent to anyone with eyes what was wrong with the woman. The compulsion got swallowed when I took a moment to consider the burns that went from the top of the woman’s head down to her foot on one side. When I noticed that her one remaining eye—which was open and lifeless—looked like a mix between a human eye and something else, it struck me.

“She’s dead,” I said simply.

“What?” Oma gasped.

“She’s—she’s dead?” Lucas was starting to get his breath back.

Looking up at Oma, I felt my stomach sink.

“You better call the police.”

“I’ll do it.” Lucas straightened up and dashed towards the back steps, shooting a look at me over his shoulder. “Sheriff Dennard. I’ll call him.”

“Oh, fuckin’ great.” Oma rolled her eyes as the screen door shut behind Lucas. “Just what we need.”

“Could you try and show some compassion?” I snapped up at her as I felt the woman’s wrist, praying that I was wrong.

“I’m showin’ more compassion than whatever did that to her, ain’t I?” Oma threw her hands up. “Why the hell did she wander up in my damn yard? Couldn’t she have gone over to The Irish to cause trouble?”

The Kelly’s were “The Irish” that Oma was referring to as she stood there, flinging her arms in the air like a crazy person. A rotating cast from the Kelly brood had lived a few hundred yards away from Oma for more than a few generations. All Irish, red hair, annoying to Oma, and constantly being described as “ugly assholes” by her. Regardless of her thoughts on the Kelly family, I felt it was wrong to wish this upon them.

“She’s been burned bad.” I swallowed hard, ignoring my grandmother merely to state the obvious.

“No shit.”

“Oma.”

“Well,” Oma sighed, “bless her heart. I don’t mean nothin’. But this is certainly not how I saw my day startin’.”

“I’m sure this wasn’t how she wanted to start her day either.”

“No one wants to wake up dead, that’s for sure.” Oma shrugged. “How the hell do you think she got burnt up like that?”

“No idea.”

Lying hadn’t been on my agenda for the day, wasn’t how I saw my day starting, yet that lie was just the beginning.