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“Mr. Dodge, I’m just trying to save you a visit from the SPCA people. Once they get wind of this, they’ll have you in court lickety-split.” The deputy took a package of gum from his pocket, unwrapped a piece, and stuck it in his mouth. “I just wanted to give you fair warning so you can take care of any problems you might be having.”
“I told you I haven’t got any problems.”
Esperanza’s brothers Dom and Frankie hurtled across the yard, laughing and trying to trip each other. They ground to a sudden halt when they saw Uncle Ezra standing there, with the stranger.
“What’s going on, Uncle Ezra? Why’s there a sheriff’s car here?” Dom was the one to ask. He was the least afraid. No matter how many times Uncle Ezra whipped him with the belt, he never cried. He said he wouldn’t give Uncle Ezra the satisfaction. No sirree. Dom went to bed with his backside black and blue, nasty welts puffed up all over the place. Esperanza could hear him sniffing through the walls. Sometimes she’d slip in and put a cold rag on his back. He’d just sniff and tell her to go to bed before Uncle Ezra decided to wale on her.
“Nothing a child should be concerning himself with. Go inside, boys.” The cold steel in Uncle Ezra’s voice made Esperanza shiver.
“Hey, boys. What’s your names?” The sheriff’s deputy held out the pack of gum. They were gonna get gum. A wave of jealousy raced through Esperanza. Momma always said there was no money for gum or candy or soda. “Have a piece of bubblegum.”
“I’m Dom. This here’s Frankie.” Dom held his hand out.
Uncle Ezra’s hand knocked Dom’s away. “That’s all right, Deputy. They were just going in to supper. Be a waste to give them gum. I said get on in the house, boys.”
“Where are your sister’s girls?” The deputy glanced around again. Esperanza could’ve sworn he looked right at her peep hole. She jerked back, her heart racing.
“What does that have to do with the animal cruelty complaint?”
“Nothing. Just trying to be neighborly. She’s got twins? That’s a lot of work, raising four kids.”
“Yeah, but she’s got me to help her out. Keep them in line.”
“I bet you’re right, Mr. Dodge. You likely got your hands full. My wife and I were never blessed with children. Not one. Funny, how that works. Well, I best be getting back into town. Sheila gets downright irritated if I’m late for supper.” The sheriff’s deputy slapped a big cowboy hat on his bald head and moved toward his car. “Like I said, I’ll be back to check on those horses.”
Esperanza waited until the car was out of sight and the dust settled before she crept from her hiding spot and ran up the porch steps into the house. She eased the screen door open and shut it carefully. Uncle Ezra didn’t like it to slam.
She was half way across the dining room when she heard the whack. Whack. Whack. Leather against skin. Uncle Ezra had Dom face down on a dining room chair, his pants down. Uncle Ezra looked up, his face red, beads of sweat trickling from his gray sideburns down his leather-skinned neck. His cold eyes bore into her.
She tore her glance from him to Dom. Her brother’s chest heaved, but no tears rolled down his face. Red, angry welts made a bizarre pattern across his back and behind. The pain and humiliation in his eyes told her he didn’t want her looking at him, not like this.
She whirled to run to the kitchen.
“Girl, get back here!”
She stopped. Slowly turned to face Uncle Ezra.Please, God, help us.
A cruel grin formed on her uncle’s face. “Where’re you going, girl? You think I don’t know you were out there in the barn listening to every word I said. You think you’re allowed to sneak around and eavesdrop on grownup conversations? Sneaky kid. I am so thankful to God that you ain’t no kid of mine. None of you. I give you the hospitality of my home even though you ain’t even mine. What thanks do I get for feeding and clothing you? Nothing. Not even a thank you. No, sir.”
He snapped the belt back and let it fly against Dom’s bare skin. Esperanza flinched, gritting her teeth to keep from screaming at him to stop. He shoved Dom from the chair so he landed on the floor, falling over the pants twisted around his ankles.
“Move, boy. Your sister’s next.”
Chapter Thirty
“Whatcha doin’?”
Benny tried to run, but it was too late. He couldn’t get away. Mr. Juice shoved him to the floor in the hallway. Benny cowered, waiting for the blows to fall. Nothing happened. He peeked between his arms. Mr. Juice towered over him, the gun in his hand inches from Benny’s face. “Time to go. I told you it was gonna be time to go. You don’t listen, do you? Kids just don’t listen. Time to get in the car.”
Benny flattened himself to the floor and crawled away from the barrel. He didn’t want to go anywhere with Mr. Juice. He looked and smelled like Benny’s mom at the end of the evening when she’d been sipping on the bottle too long. Mr. Juice’s hand closed on the collar of his shirt and jerked him up. “Gotta hurry. It’s almost midnight. Move it!”
Benny scrambled to his feet and scurried forward. They pushed through the screen door and into the backyard. A blast of cool, damp night air hit Benny in the face. Thunder rolled and lightening crackled in the distance. He halted at the back of the car. The oily smells and the darkness of the trunk swirled around him even before Mr. Juice opened it.
“You can ride up front with me.” Juice pushed him forward to the driver’s side door. He laughed, coughed, then laughed some more. “I’ll show you how to drive. Dads should teach their sons to drive. That’s what dads do.”
His stomach flopping with fear and surprise, Benny crawled across the front seat. Once upright, he pulled on the seatbelt and snapped it across his chest. Mr. Daniel said always use a seatbelt. It’ll save your life. For a second, he felt safer.
“Mr. Juice, where we going?” He figured he had nothing to loose by asking.
