Even after all these years, Daytona made an awful liar. Wouldn’t have surprised Lucky a bit to hear snores.
“Why you got me on speaker?” Had the kid always sounded so suspicious?
“’Cause painting my toenails takes two hands.” Charlotte? Now there was one dyed in the wool liar. Lucky never had been able to beat her in poker.
“I take it there’s a reason for you to call me this late,” came over the speaker.
Nine P.M. was late?
“As a matter of fact, there is. You know I’ll be staying there while daddy’s in the hospital and while he’s recovering.” For the past sixteen years she’d lived in the great Northwest, yet sounded more Southern than Lucky, who rarely strayed north of Tennessee without a warrant.
“Yeah. Need something?”
“Just information.” Charlotte hardened her face into a mask of determination. Daytona might run if he saw her.
The suspicion returned to Daytona’s voice. “What kind of information?”
“Mama got to crying, talking about what a shame it was ‘bout Richmond and all. And she started to say something but stopped when Dad called her. So, I’m hoping you can fill in the blanks. What happened to make them stop talking to him?”
Silence. Then, “Daddy said we weren’t never supposed to mention that asshole ever again.”
Wow! Even Lucky didn’t growl so low unless really pissed. Whatever had he done to deserve his brother’s anger?
Charlotte mouthed to Lucky, “What the hell?” To Daytona she said, “Well, now I’m asking. I need to know, and you’re gonna tell me.”
She probably used the same no-nonsense tone on her boys to keep them in line.
Daytona muttered, “Fuck” too low to have intended Charlotte to hear. “It’s over and done with. That’s what Daddy said. Besides, Rich is dead. Mama always told us not to speak ill of the dead.”
Charlotte turned down her demanding tone, sweet talking like she’d once done to Lucky to get him to share candy. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. Please, Daytona, he’s… he was my brother too.”
Lucky mouthed back, “Nice save!”
“Oh, alright. I don’t s’pose it’ll hurt nobody now.”
Charlotte grinned and fist bumped Lucky. “I want anything you can tell me.”
Another silence followed. At last Daytona said, “Remember when I overdosed my first week at college and nearly died?”
“Yes.”
He’d nearly died?
Lucky opened his mouth but Charlotte shushed him. “Go on.”
The silence stretched, nothing to hear but the air conditioner’s soft whirring and Moose barking in the back yard.
Cue the dramatic music and they could be on an episode of Lucky’s favorite soap opera,South Bend Springs.
After a small eternity, Daytona said, “It was all Richmond’s fault.”
Chapter Twelve
“Do what?” Folks three states away probably heard Lucky’s yell.
Charlotte slapped a hand over his mouth. “It was Richmond’s fault? How could it be his fault?”
Daytona sounded small and lost. “It was right around my birthday. I’d only been in college for a couple days, and I got a present from Rich—ten grams of heroin. Purer than any shit I’d ever had before.”
