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“Do you want me to have Juan do it?” she asked.
I took the folder and shook my head. “No. I’ve got this.”
I paused outside the door to take a deep breath, then opened the door and went inside. Juju was standing next to the exam table. Pumpkin, her toy poodle, was sitting on the table enjoying getting his ears scratched.
“How have you been, Annabel?” Juju asked tentatively. Her smile was shaky. The skin around her eyes was tight with tension. She was not her usual bubbly blonde, over-the-top self. To the contrary, she looked like a nervous wreck.
I tugged on a pair of latex gloves and glared at her. I was forcing myself not to cry. “Look, Juju, I will take care of your dog, but we’re not going to be friends. So, let me do what I need to do so you can leave.”
“I understand,” she said quietly. “I just want you to know that— “
I held up a hand to hush her. “Just… save it.”
I checked Pumpkin’s weight and vitals. She was young and healthy. No issues other than having an owner who was a cunt. I picked up the syringe and started to give Pumpkin her shots. The syringe was trembling in my hand.
“I can’t do this…” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll have Juan come in and do the shots.” I snapped off the gloves and reached for the door.
“Annabel, wait,” Juju said. “There’s something you should know.”
I shook my head at her. “I’m not interested in hearing anything you have to say, Juju. Please. Just don’t ever talk to me again.”
I opened the door and started to go through.
Juju raised her voice. “Annabel, stop! You’re going to want to hear this,” she said.
“Why would I give a shit about anything you have to say?” I asked.
“Because you are about to let a good man get away,” she said with a heavy sigh. “And I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell you the truth.”
20
Shane
“Well, I reckon that’s it,” Uncle Seth said as he watched me toss my duffel into the back of the rental car. “Wish you’d hang around for a while. We could catch up. Do some fishing.”
“I’d like to, but now that the house is done I need to get back,” I said. “I appreciate all your help. I wish you’d let me pay you.”
He held up his hands. “You gave me a car and a truck and a houseful of furniture, son. We’re square.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “And I appreciate you taking mom’s dog, too.”
He smiled. He’d never admit it, but he had bonded with the little white dog right off the bat. He had scooped her up and said he was taking her home to Wilma. The next day all he could talk about was how fucking cute that dog was.
“Happy to help,” he said. “Wilma loves that little dog.”
“That’s good to know.” I took a moment to look over the front of the house. It looked a hundred times better than it had a week before. The roof had been replaced, the siding repaired and painted, the windows replaced. Inside there was fresh paint and carpet and appliances. Juju’s sign was in the yard. I told her to take whatever was offered and email me the papers for signatures.
I opened the truck door and slid in behind the wheel. Seth leaned in the open window and let his voice go soft. “You ever coming back?”
I shook my head. “No, sir.”
He nodded like he understood. “Okay, well, you take care. You know where we are if you need us.”
“Thanks, Uncle Seth. You take care.”
I put the truck in gear and drove slowly away without looking in the rearview mirror. I took the long way around so I wouldn’t have to go through the intersection where Kenny died. I crossed the railroad tracks on the south end of town and turned toward the highway.
I’d be at the Houston airport in a couple of hours
