Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
CORRINE
“I love you, sweet pea.”
I didn’t want to move or breathe. He hadn’t called me sweet pea since I was six years old. My father smoothed the hair out of my face and crooked a finger under my chin.
“You look more like your mother every day.”
“I miss her,” I said.
“Do you? She wasn’t always so nice to you, was she?”
I felt a lump in my throat the size of a grapefruit. This was the most lucid Dad had been in a year. And Sylvie and PJ were missing it.
“She did the best she could,” I said.
“I’m sorry it wasn’t enough.”
A nurse waved to me from across the cafeteria. Dad was late getting to physical therapy. After that, they would take him to bingo. He needed help running a card, but sometimes they let him call the numbers.
“I’ll see you next week,” I said.
“There’s a twenty in my money clip on the kitchen counter. Go to the store and get some hamburger. We’ll grill out tonight.”
“You got it,” I said. I gave him a kiss and let one of the nurse’s aides take him to his next stop. Char Davies, the administrator, walked me out.
“I’m working on it,” I told her, before she had a chance to bombard me with his financial woes again.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. It’s taken care of. Your father’s paid up for six more months.”
I stopped. “What are you talking about?”
“I thought you knew.”
“No,” I said, my pulse quickening. “I didn’t know anything about it. Who paid it? Was it by check?”
Char’s face went pale. “It was a cash payment. I’m not the one who took it. I just assumed your family handled this.”
“How much is six months’ worth?” I asked.
“His out of pocket? Fifteen thousand dollars. Is there something wrong?”
I found a smile. “No. It’s nothing. I’m just surprised.”
“So was I. But that should take some pressure off you for a while. He really is having a good week.”
“Thank you,” I said. My head started to buzz. Fifteen thousand dollars. Cash. PJ didn’t have that kind of money. Neither did I. What in the world was going on?
I couldn’t think about it now. I wouldn’t let myself.
I was once again late getting to the bar.
PJ was in Grand Rapids this morning. Sylvie had something going with one of the kids.
They’d left it to me to open. PJ’s way of giving me another chance.
I could only guess what garbage Sylvie had told him about our confrontation the other day.
My shoulders sank with relief when I pulled into the parking lot. PJ’s car was still gone. I had a good twenty minutes before he showed up. Plenty of time to make it look like I’d been here for two hours.
I raced inside and started turning lights on. Thankfully, last night’s closers did a good job with their clean-ups. I barely needed to be here early at all.
I wiped down the bar. PJ had three big-screen TVs on the far wall. I turned all three screens to the local news stations. As soon as the regulars started filing in, they’d argue about what cable news outlet to turn them to. Sometimes, it erupted into political discussions.
I headed back to the kitchen, churned the ice in the big bin, then filled two buckets to take to the coolers behind the bar. As I walked out, the center television cut to a press conference. A uniformed sheriff from Washtenaw County stepped behind a lectern and cleared his throat.
“As of this morning, an arrest has been made in the Gretchen Small case.”
I dumped the ice into the coolers and stepped back to watch.
“Daniel Palicki, thirty years old of Manchester, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, kidnapping, misuse of a corpse, and obstruction of justice.”
“Have you recovered Gretchen Small’s body?” one of the reporters shouted.
I sank onto one of the bar stools. A mugshot of Palicki filled the screen.
“Do you recognize him?” Mina Sobel’s voice filled my head. “Take a good look.”
Hot tears filled my eyes.
“Has Mr. Palicki given a statement?” a reporter called out.
“At this time, Mr. Palicki is not cooperating with law enforcement. He is being held without bail in the Washtenaw County jail…”
I heard the back door open and clicked off the center television. PJ walked in with two bags of produce he’d picked up at the farmer’s market.
“We’re out of lemons,” I said, finding my voice again.
“Got you covered,” PJ said, setting down one of the bags.
I reached in and grabbed two bags of lemons. I found a knife under the sink and started slicing them.
“The place looks great,” PJ said.
PJ went about his chores, humming the whole time. After a few minutes, I turned the television back on. The local channels had switched to talk shows.
“PJ,” I said. My brother came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of clean Pilsner glasses. “I just wanted to tell you, you don’t have to worry about me. No matter what Sylvie told you.”
He put the glasses on the bar and started placing them in the small fridge he kept under the counter.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “But if you—”
“No ifs. No buts. I’m fine. I’ve got my head on straight. I promise.”
PJ stared at me for a moment. I knew my brother well enough to know he was debating how far he wanted to go with lecturing me. Finally, he let out a breath and smiled wider.
“Good. I’m glad. You know I’m here for you.”
“But I wanted to let you know, I’ll stay here until the end of the summer,” I said. “Then I’m going to find something else.”
PJ’s eyes widened. “Cor…”
“You can find someone to replace me. I need space. I need my own life.”
“Where?”
“I’ll figure all that out.”
“Cor, you don’t have to do that. Nothing has to change.”
“Everything has to change,” I said. “I need to figure some stuff out without you and Sylvie breathing down my neck all the time. I’m going to find my own place too.”
PJ pursed his lips and nodded. He had no faith I’d be able to do any of the things I said I’d do. “We can talk about all of it when the time comes. Let’s just focus on the day, okay?”
Focus on the day. I wish I could. I wish I didn’t have to constantly worry about what came next. How long before either Sylvie or PJ got angry with me? I was so tired of it.
“I need to take off for a while,” I said.
“Off work?”
“Yes. There are just some things I need to take care of.”
“You want to tell me what?”
“No, it’s Wednesday. You won’t get busy if at all until after four. I looked at the schedule. You’ve got Kristen coming in at noon. She’ll be able to handle the lunch crowd by herself. If things get slammed for some reason, you can call me.”
“Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Nothing. I just need to work some things out. I’m fine. I swear.”
“Yeah. Okay. Fine. Just keep your phone on you. I’ll have Kristen text you if she’s in trouble.”
“Perfect,” I said, untying my apron. PJ stood in front of the kegs.
I went over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
It startled him in the way my father had startled me today.
I didn’t wait for my brother to change his mind.
I scooted out from behind the bar and tore up the interior stairs to my apartment.
Fumbling for my key, my phone beeped with an incoming text. When I opened my messaging app, I was met with a wall of text.
Corrine. You looked so pretty in your skirt the other day. But you shouldn’t have worn it. You know the rules. Red isn’t your color.
I’m working on trying to forgive you. I know you talked to the police.
I know you told them things that weren’t true.
I want things to be like they were before everything went sideways.
Remember how well we fit together? Remember how I made you feel?
You can feel that way again. Think about how good it will be.
Think of my gift for your father as a show of good faith. A reminder of what I can do for you. And what I can take away.
I’ll call you soon. But know that I see you. You’ll always be mine. No matter how much you want to hurt me. I know it’s not you. I know they tried to turn you against me. Wait for me. I won’t be long.
I held the phone to my breast, right over my heart. No. I would not lose control of this. Mina would see the truth soon enough. Any day now, I would get the call.
I looked at the text again. He knew I went to the police. He knew about my father. Of course he knew. Of course he would check up on me. I’d been wrong to think he’d ever forget about me or how he made me bend to him in the dark.