Page 11 of Small Town Beast 2: Saverin’s Duet (Sins of the South)

It wasn’t nothing. He didn’t move and Tanya shut up. From the intruders there was noise; complaining about the cold front that had crept up the mountain that night. Two men plus a woman.

“You know ‘em?” Saverin murmured.

Tanya shook her head. “Maybe Gwen’s friends?”

“GWEN!”

The woman’s roar rattled the whole trailer. She and her two male compadres had the linebacker bulk of Green Trees. Saverin’s right hand twitched for his belt, but his gun was bricked after it’s busy night. His spare ammo was in the safe, at home, miles from this cursed trailer park.

“Should we wait for her to wake up?” asked one of the men.

“ Wait ? I’ll go get the little bitch.”

But she didn’t need to; Gwendolyn’s bedroom door opened, and the second powerball winner strolled out in her bare feet, yawning.

Gwen was a knob-kneed lassie barely out of her teens. She had shaggy red hair, too many freckles, and a wide, unserious mouth. To Saverin she was just a kid; he could scarcely believe Tanya was barely older than her.

The treacherous orange cat emerged from nowhere, and twined around her legs.

“Mr. Truffles? Is that you?” Gwen yawned, oblivious as ever. “Co ochie-coo. Come for your brekkie-poo. Kibbles n’ bits, yum.”

“Gwen!” barked the female, whom Saverin didn’t recognize. She had no neck and a downturned mouth like a pitbull.

Gwendolyn stopped in her tracks. “Hi, Dinah. Um– come for breakfast? I’m makin’ pancakes,” she stammered.

“We ain’t here for no breakfast. Your daddy’s been owing us money since Christmas and we’ve been more than generous.”

Gwen’s eyes went wide. “Um– come back next week?”

“Get her,” the female said coldly.

Saverin shut the door all the way and stepped back into the room. He ushered Tanya towards the window. “Time to go,” he said curtly.

Tanya gripped his arm. “You’re leaving her here with these animals?”

They could hear the knee-breakers thundering down the hall.

“I’m handling it, Tanya. Don’t let ‘em see you. I don’t know these three.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said stubbornly.

“For the love of God—”

“Tanya! Tanya, help!” screeched Gwen from the hall.

“You got someone else in here?” snarled pitbull-lady.

“TANYA! HELP, TANYA!”

Before Tanya could leap to the little idiot’s rescue, Saverin wrenched open the door and stepped out into the hall, shutting it firmly behind him.

Gwen, her boyfriend Rory (choosing that moment to emerge) and the three knee-breakers stared at him in dumbfounded amazement.

“And who the hell are you?” snarled the woman, Dinah or Diane or something.

“I know who that is,” answered one of her posse before Saverin could speak. “That’s Sam Bailey.”

Dinah snapped, “You Jackass, Sam Bailey is dead.”

“Son of a bitch! It’s a fuckin’ haint!”

“That’s his brother, you jackanape.”

“So what’s goin’ on here?” interjected Saverin, putting himself in front of the door to stop Tanya bursting out onto the scene. “Y’all done woke me out of my sleep and I’d like to know the reason.”

Gwen darted to him like a scared kitten. “It’s a shakedown, Mister Bailey! They say my daddy owes ‘em but that’s a lie.”

“Is it?” Saverin asked harshly.

Gwen nodded emphatically. “I paid all his debts just a month ago.”

“Your daddy still owes us four bands,” said the pitbull woman, showing all four of her teeth. “Plus interest. Now who’s this ‘Tanya’ ?”

“I’ll buy the debt,” interrupted Saverin.

The knee-breaker’s chin disappeared into her neck. “Hold your charity, Bailey. This ain’t your matter.”

“You can’t beat a nickel out of this girl, I can tell you. I’ll give you sixty percent, tonight.”

Heavy jaws chewed it over.

“We want an apology,” said the woman, glaring at Gwen.

“I’m sorry,” said Gwen quickly. “I’m sorry that my daddy is a born liar and a cheat. Nobody’s more sorry than me about that, I can tell you.”

Dinah nodded, then turned Saverin and drawled, “Talk is cheap.”

Saverin took six hundred dollars from his wallet and put it in the woman’s meaty fist. At her outraged expression he snarled, “Do I look like an ATM? You’ll get the rest later.”

“We’ll stop by your hill, then.” The woman crammed the money into her bra and swaggered, “Don’t think ‘cause we’re low down rednecks you can hoodwink us. We got some friends in high places, don’t we, boys? You better stick to your word, Bailey.”

When the knee-breakers left Gwen sagged in relief. “Thank you, Mister Bailey! I was afraid I’d have to tell them about those lottery tickets just to get them to leave!”

Tanya nearly broke the door off its hinges. “Gwen, are you crazy? You can’t tell anybody about those tickets until we get the money!” she shrieked.

“I know that,” said Gwen, with a quick look at her boyfriend Rory, who had been quiet as a mouse for the whole event. Saverin glared at the coward, who shrank back guiltily behind Gwen.

“Think, Gwen,” Tanya said, losing patience. “Imagine what will happen when you go running your mouth about a billion dollars all over the trailer park.”

“Four hundred million, after taxes,” yawned Rory.

“It’d be like covering yourself in steak and jumping in a lion pit,” Tanya fumed. “Gwen? You hearing me? Let’s agree to say nothing until we at least get the check in hand.”

“Okay,” muttered Gwen. “Jeez.”

Tanya might in fact be safer in a lion pit than staying here with these two knuckleheads. Saverin took Tanya by the arm and nodded to the hapless pair. “Thanks for everything, Gwen, Rory. But we’re just gonna head on back now.”

“What? But Gwen’s gonna make breakfast. Pancakes,” Rory cried in real dismay. “You can’t miss that!’

“I don’t eat sugar,” said Saverin.

“We should cash in our tickets at the same time,” said Gwen, squinting at Tanya. “Don’t you think?”

“I’ll take both of you down to the lottery office tomorrow,” said Saverin, reading the silent implication. “Eight in the morning, sharp. Are we clear? Don’t talk to anybody until then. Matter of fact, don’t even talk to each other.”

Rory frowned. “Stay here? Now wait a minute, Mister Bailey. Me and Gwen had plans today already.”

Gwendolyn turned to him. “We did?”

“Remember the Clamson’s tailgate party? They were gonna roast a whole hog and everything, Gwen.”

“Oh! I forgot about that.”

“We promised we’d go,” Rory added.

“Golly, how can I keep it a secret if we go, Rory?” Gwen fretted. “You know Mrs. Clamson already. She could get honey from a tin of worms, that woman. One drink and I’d be spilling the beans!”

“But we promised,” Rory said.

“You’d pick a tailgate party over half a billion dollars?” Tanya said before Saverin could unleash his temper on the runty little jackass.

“I don’t break my word, Tanya,” Rory said stubbornly.

A vein pulsed in Saverin’s neck. “Listen here, you little–”

“We’ll throw our own party next week to make up for it,” Gwen consoled her boyfriend. “Tanya’s right. We better just stay low until we get the money.”

“I guess,” mumbled Rory. “But damn me if the Clamsons don’t make the best cracklins I ever tasted.”

“They’re idiots,” Saverin said to Tanya as they marched back to his truck.

Her lips twitched. “They’re just young.”

“I bet you dollars to donuts they’ll go to that party anyway.”

“You’re probably right,” said Tanya wearily. “I can’t control Gwen if she runs her mouth. All I can control is my ticket.”

Saverin unlocked his truck. Maybe he ought to take Tanya to the office today and claim the prize before Gwen and Rory went blabbing all over the trailer park. “You still have the ticket, right?” he asked Tanya grimly.

“Of course,” Tanya snapped. “It’s in my—” She froze, then bolted like a rabbit back towards the trailer. She emerged a minute later, looking haunted.

“Where was it?” Saverin asked as the steel knot of tension in his chest relaxed.

“I’m embarrassed to say.” Tanya unfurled the delicate scrap of paper carefully. The numbers and barcode still looked fresh. Her hands trembled.

“It won’t happen again,” Saverin said. “Right?”

“Right.” Tanya put the paper gently into her little zip-up clutch.

Saverin was tempted to offer to hold it for her, but he kept his mouth shut.

It still didn’t feel real. Tanya, a millionaire.

Tanya, winning the lottery. Her whole life was gonna change.

She was rich, maybe as rich as he was now.

Imagine that. Did these things really happen?

But Saverin was a realist. He opened the truck door for her and she climbed up. Nothing was certain until she got the money in hand.

“Now I can find Amari,” Tanya said, hope surging in her voice. It was the first time she had mentioned his name since she learned about her winnings, but Saverin knew the fate of her son was always foremost on Tanya’s mind.

“I’m gonna take this money and find my baby, Saverin.”

“Be careful, Tanya. There’s many who’d take your money for a song.”

“I know that,” she snapped. She wove her fingers through the air rushing past the window. “I know that,” she repeated, softly.

“There’s another thing,” Saverin said. “Today there might be a dust-up with the McCalls. I want you to lie low until I get back.”

Brown eyes cut into him. “Is that why you’re going to Rowanville?”

“No,” he said.

Saverin took Tanya somewhere he was sure she’d be safe.

He brought her to Wilks Johnny’s house. The main road was deserted, but he took the back crossings anyway.

Of course the eyes in the trees might be watching still, informing hostile minds of his position.

There was still some darkness on the road, the mist from the night not yet cleared.

He hoped it gave enough cover. He wanted Tanya away from whatever dark deeds his cousins were cooking up in these hills.

Passing Sarah Jane’s house, he took a bad road down, down, deep into a wall of great white pine.

There lived an old Black veteran named Wilks Johnny.

The old badger had no allegiance to any McCalls, Green Trees or Snatch Hills.

Saverin guided the Legacy down the holler road, which was lonely and overgrown, the last vehicle to break apart the vines and overhanging branches being his own truck, just yesterday.

Tanya would be safe here…if she stayed put and did as she was told.

They found Wilks Johnny awake. He was an early riser like most old mountain folks.

He sat on his porch in his wheelchair with his coffee and his Bible.

From the even look he gave Saverin as the truck came into view it was certain he’d heard them coming for a minute.

In a quiet place like this every sound on the wind caught the old man’s sharp ears.

His equally sharp eyes moved from Saverin to Tanya as they approached.

“Strange time for a social call,” Wilks Johnny said. He casually flicked a blanket over the shiny knobs of his amputated legs and added, “I take it you ain’t here to fix my roof.”

Somewhat awkwardly Saverin said, “Morning, sir. This is Tanya, you met her yesterday.”

“She was asleep, as I recall.”

“Good morning,” said Tanya politely, glaring another dagger at Saverin.

The old man marked his place in Corinthians with a gnarled finger. “So how can I help you, Bailey? Missy?”

“Sir, I’d ask you to keep Tanya here until I get back from town. I’m sorry for the inconvenience but it shouldn't be too long.”

Wilks Johnny saw Tanya’s expression and his lips twitched. “If she takes a mind to run off what do you expect me to do?”

“I won’t be long. A couple hours tops,” Saverin repeated. “Tanya understands.”

“I don’t have anything to feed her. All I have in my fridge to drink is orange pop. But she can stay as long as she wants.” Wilks Johnny raised a shaggy grey eyebrow. “This ain’t jail.”

“I’m sure she could outrun you, sir.”

Wilks Johnny guffawed.

“Need anything from town?” offered Saverin.

“Long time since I had a hamburger,” Wilks Johnny said thoughtfully.

“A milkshake for me,” put in Tanya. She followed Saverin back to his truck and planted herself in front of the driver’s side door.

“I can’t believe you’d just throw me on that poor man and not tell me why,” she fumed. “This is too much, Saverin.”

“What did I tell you on the way over here, Tanya? There might be some scrapping going down between the clans today and all things considered, it’s best if you stay low until it blows over. I thought I’d leave you at Gwendolyn, but you’d be safer in a tiger pit than with that little fool.”

“‘Blows over’?” Tanya repeated, brown eyes going huge as she read something deeper in his tone. She grabbed his sleeve. “What does that mean? Is some shit about to go down for real? Why won’t you just tell me?”

“Just stay here, stay quiet, until I get back. It’s that simple.”

“Don’t patronize me, Saverin!”

He kissed her hand and gave her a pointed look that meant he was not gonna stand there dickering with her over his decision.

Rebelling, Tanya broke away and tried opening the back seat door. Saverin removed her from the vehicle and suffered her R-rated protests. Whether she liked it or not it was for her own good. He gently swatted her ass and deposited her back in Wilks Johnny’s yard.

“You take one more step,” he threatened as Tanya puffed up in rage, “It’ll be a real spanking.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh, I would, with pleasure.”

“That–that redneck!” Tanya exclaimed as Saverin’s truck pulled out of sight.

“Coffee?” twinkled Wilks Johnny.