“I’m out, brother. Catch you later. I might head upstairs and sweettalk that Melissa chick.”
“You never quit, do you?”
“Nope. Someone has to get Uno off his ass or should I say out of that cunt’s.”
I follow him upstairs and the girls are gone. The prospect behind the bar says they went shopping. Guess there is no time better than now than to go see what the fuck Mandy wants.
I hop on my bike and take the scenic route to her mother’s farm. It’s been a while since I’ve driven out this way. Her mom doesn’t live too far off from Boogeyman. I think their properties might border one another. Mandy’s car is parked in the driveway behind her daddy’s work truck.
Bob’s an okay guy. A straight shooter who doesn’t like bullshit. He never much approved of me so I am sure he won’t be too happy to receive me now as I get ready to knock on the door at supper time.
Chapter Thirteen
—Cupid
I knock three times and her father, Bob answers. “Ryan, to what do we owe this pleasure?” The grim expression he wears is anything but pleasant.
“Mandy asked to see me.”
An irritated noise sounds in the back of his throat and he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Very well. Come in. Candace has dinner on. Chicken fried chicken and all the fixins’.”
My stomach growls at the thought of the food but I decline. I don’t think it’d be too respectful to MaryAnn if I stayed any longer than necessary. “I appreciate that, but I can’t stay long.”
“Still running with that gang, I see.” He eyes my cut as I cross over the threshold. I want to correct him but I’m not here to argue with the man. I’m here to see my bitch ex-wife and find out what the hell it is she wants.
“Mandy, his loud voice booms up the stairs. “You’ve got company.” He turns back to me. “You can wait in the sitting room.”
I shuffle forward feeling so damn awkward being back in this house. Bob moves off once I take a seat, leaving me to wait for his daughter on my own. I let out a breath and glance around the room. I bet they haven’t changed a thing since they bought the place in 1985. No wonder Mandy had bad taste. She comes by it honestly. I don’t think there is one thing she did to the house that MaryAnn has liked. I know she is eager to gut the place and make it our own. Part of me wants to sell it and start fresh. Get our own place to make our new memories in. A place not tainted by my past to raise our child in.
Mandy appears in the doorway of the room. If I didn’t know her, I might find her beautiful. Dark bob cut hair that doesn’t reach past her chin and frames her round face. Blueish grey eyes that look to be soulful. She’s dressed in a jean jacket over a little black dress paired with boots. A smile crosses her lips. “You came.”
“I did. So what is it that you want?”
“Walk with me.” Her head cocks to the side and she motions to the back door. I follow after her, I can respect she might not want them—her folks to overhear. “I’ll be back in time for supper,” she calls out as the backdoor clangs against the frame.
We walk out toward the pasture where the horses and cows are roaming together. We walk along the fence and she takes a few sugar cubes out of her pocket and gives them to one of the horses that is sticking it’s head out to be petted. I allow her the moment but am growing impatient. I’m ready to hear her out so I can get home hopefully to MaryAnn and dinner.
“You got me here. What is it that you want?” I cut to the chase.
“I know you probably have better things to be doing with your time. I hear you already moved a new woman in. Didn’t waste much time, did you?” I fall in step next to her as she walks toward the woods I suspect separates their property and Boogeyman’s. She cuts onto a path that winds through the trees.
“I didn’t come all the way out here to fight, Mandy.” I pull out a cigarette. She drives me to want to smoke.
“I know.” Her voice is soft and thoughtful. “I need to tell you something, though, I’m not sure you are gonna be so happy about it.”
I take a hard drag and prepare myself. “Whatever it is, just spit it out.”
“Did you know that this path leads straight to Boogeyman’s backyard?”
“What of it?”
“Well daddy has game cameras all over and one just happens to point at the back of the trailer. Daddy always suspected that drunkard who used to rent the place of trying to have relations with our animals. Anyway, that’s not the point. One day daddy asked me to review the footage. I saw something very interesting. I saw your friend aiming a gun at a man’s head and pulling the trigger. He killed him right there and buried him in the very hole the unsuspecting soul was digging.” She stops walking and I do to.
Fuck. Fucking Boogeyman. I bet it was Eugene. The prospect who went missing about the time Boogeyman decided to save Shelly. “You didn’t go to the police, so you must want something.”
“Not only something. I’m pregnant, Ry. That night we slept together. We made a baby. I want you to take me back. I want us to start over. It’s a sign. A sign that we belong together.” Her hand moves to the small curve of her stomach.
Sweat breaks out across my forehead and it’s dripping down my spine. She must be lying. I shake my head. “You’re lying.”