Page 55

CHAPTER 55

REDLEY

“Howdy, Redley, how’re you doing today?” Doc asks, and my eyebrows push together with my confusion. I’ve never run into him so randomly like this.

“I’m good, thanks, Doc, and yourself?” My born and bred Southern hospitality is kicking in, but in the back of my mind, I’m wondering what the hell he’s doing out here.

“The Smiths’ dog went missing. I’m helping them look for it, and I saw your truck,” he says by way of explanation.

I look at Doc carefully. He’s always been real short with me and made me feel kind of stupid, if I’m going to be totally honest, so I’ve avoided him. But now that I’m looking close, I notice something that’s been right in front of me the whole time. They’re not exactly the same color as Wolf’s, a deeper amber maybe, but all the same, he’s got yellow eyes, and how many people around here have yellow eyes? My hands shake, and my heart pounds, but I do my very best to act normal.

“Hate to say it, but the dog probably got eaten by a wolf.” I watch Doc as I speak, looking for a reaction. He’s always been one of the greatest deniers of the Wolf, a doctor, a man of science, far too high on his horse to believe in magic or curses. How many times did he say a death was an accident when it damn well wasn’t?

A sudden pit of dread opens in my stomach when I realize just how well it all fits into place. He’s been working against me the whole time because he’s one of them.

“Oh Red, while I’m out here, your electric bill hasn’t been paid this month.”

I swallow.

“Oh no? I asked Bobby to bring the money down for me before he died, but I guess it never made it there.”

“No, I suppose not,” he agrees.

“How did you know anyway, Doc? My cabin’s burned to the ground now so I wasn’t exactly worried about it.”

“I wasn’t sure if that’s what happened or not,” he hedges. “I don't make it up to the top of the mountain much, but a bill is a bill.”

“That is what happened. But how did you know I haven’t paid?” I ask again, refusing to be dissuaded.

“Oh well, the company knows I have about the only phone in town, so whenever anyone doesn’t pay, they just call me. I got a call about your bill just yesterday.”

“Oh, I didn’t know they call you. I guess I’ve never had a problem paying before.”

“No, you’ve always been good. Anyway, if you get it to me, I’ll get it to them,” he says.

“Okay, Doc. Well, I haven't seen any dogs.”

“All right then, I’ll be on my way. Make sure you get that bill to me.”

“Of course Doc, just as soon as I’m done here, I’ll bring it into town for you. Quick question, though. What’s the name of the power company? I’ve never known that before.”

“Oh, uh, West General Electric.” He’s the first person I’ve asked who’s ever been able to answer that very simple question, but he’s lying through his teeth. I know damn well which company services this mountain, and why the billing address is the Badgley mansion.

I’m not sure what his relationship to Wolf really is, but I know for certain his name is Doc Badgley, and as he’s leaving, his eyes stay stuck on Great-great-granddaddy’s grave. I wonder what the hell he was really doing out here because, as far as I know, the Smiths don’t have any dog.

Once he’s gone, I head back to my truck. Instead of going into town to give Doc the money he feels I owe him, I head back to the trading post. Daniel is dead now, dropped out of my truck and onto the forest floor by my own hand. I would and probably should feel sad for him, but I’ve seen so much death recently that it doesn’t actually seem real.

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day all of the corpses of Grimm Groves walked in, including the ghost of my cabin, and said surprise. It was all a prank. You’re just completely insane. Fortunately, Wolf and I are the only ones who know Daniel is dead yet. And Wolf doesn’t have a single reason to steal anything from anyone but me. Why steal from a trading post when you have a mansion full of treasures you’ve stolen?

I try not to be bitter as I grab a shovel, a pickax, and pretty much everything else that’s lying around. I break into Danny’s office and hoot with relief when I find he keeps an extra set of clothes here. Danny was a bit taller than me and completely flat-chested, so my pants are too long, and my boobs are busting out the top. Still, they're an immense relief after the long johns, and at least they’re clean. I guess I’ve technically got my own money now, but I’m not sure how the big fat diamond in my pocket helps me if I can’t find anybody willing to trade it for gold.

I suppose I could go to the city and find someone there who could afford to buy it in American dollars. But I’m afraid that would be the very first time the cops paid any real attention to me, and I would go to jail for more than one miserable night. There’s one thing I’m absolutely certain of, though. I only have one place left to look to find those deeds, and I’m pretty damn sure my daddy was ready to do the job himself before Carver Badgley killed him.

I haven’t seen Wolf since I left him in the forest last night, and my worry for him is a constant drip in the back of my mind. I hate that he gave me the idea that I might love him. Hasn’t he gotten enough from me already without that too? His entire family has lived a privileged, luxurious life on the back and deaths of mine, so why the fuck am I still worried about him?

I head back out to the forest, considering finding that access road instead just to make sure he’s not still lying there. If he died, and I left him, it would be something close to justice, but it would not feel that way to me. I don’t go to him, though, because going to him means admitting that I love him, means choosing him over my family and the pain his has caused, and despite everything between us, I’m not ready to do that. And why should I when he won’t choose me over his own father?

I shouldn’t ask him to, just like he shouldn’t ask me to forgive him. You can’t have things both ways. Instead, I head back to the cemetery. I keep my eyes open for Doc, looking around and expecting him to come out at any point. Knowing now that he’s a member of their family, I find his presence on my property highly concerning. Does he know what I’m up to out here? Does he suspect I'll find it?

But I find I’m entirely alone. I say a quick prayer and ask my great-great-granddaddy for his forgiveness before I put the shovel in the dirt and start digging up his grave. Hours pass as I work. He's not buried six feet down since it’s not really possible with the rocky terrain, and I find the lid of his coffin at about three and a half feet. A metallic ping sounds when my shovel hits it, and I cock an eyebrow at that. We don’t usually work that hard to keep the dead safe out here.

My heart pounds as I reveal the rusted surfaces, the holes starting to form from time and my own shovel. Let's hope if there’s something inside it’s not as rotten as everything else. My hand slides over the lid.

This is it.

Sweat coats my skin as I work, and when the coffin is nearly fully exposed, I sit to take a break and catch my breath. My concern that Doc is still circling hasn’t left me, though every time I’ve looked over my shoulders, I’ve found nothing but trees and the occasional scurrying critter.

This time, though, when I look to the right I find someone standing there watching.