Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

"I remember them." he said. nodding. "You're making some mess for Mrs. Westinton," he said.

"Oh, she won't care and besides, she's not coming home tomorrow, is she? We have extra domestic help. Everyone, that girl standing there gaping at me is my daughter. Echo. Echo is deaf, so just smile at her. please.

"Besides, Trevor," she continued. "April Fool will clean up after us, won't you. April Fool? That's how she earns her room and board, cleaning up. Oh," she said, nodding at something on the other side of the coffee table, "I'm sorry, but that cup with your face on it just fell apart. You watch out when you pick up the pieces. I don't want you to cut your fingers or anything.'"

She laughed, but everyone else just looked at us, waiting for the response. Skeeter took another swig of his whiskey.

"Mrs. Westington asked me to look after things while she's away." Trevor said slowly. He took a step forward, "She don't like there being strangers in her home while she's away and she don't want no parties and messes either. You tell these people to go and take their drugs and crap with them," he said.

Rhona started to sit up, but failed. Skeeter laughed and then pushed her.

"Don't tell me what to do in my own house,' she said.

"This ain't your house. It's Mrs. Westington's house. Now you people leave quickly or I call the police, and I got no reason not to tell them what's on that table there," he said. nodding at the cocaine.

"Shit. Rhona," Billy Roche said, sitting up quickly. "You said we'd have no trouble crashing here tonight"

"Don't listen to him." Rhona said.

"Yeah, right. I'm about to explain myself to the Highway Patrol." Roche stood up.

The woman at the table started to brush the cocaine into a sheet of paper.

"What are you doing? Don't let him frighten you!" Rhona cried.

Trevor stepped up to the heavy man in Mrs. Westington's chair and glared down at him. "'That's Mrs. Westington's chair you're in, boy, and she don't like no one else sitting in it, much less putting his dirty feet on her table.-

The heavy, balding man pulled himself up quickly. "Hey, I'm getting the hell outta here. I'm on probation." he said, quickly slipping on his shoes.

"Tommy!" Rhona shouted. "Don't let him tell you what to do. He's an employee."

"You comin'. Martha?" he asked the woman at the table instead of responding to Rhona. The woman got up quickly, carefully folding the paper with the cocaine in it and putting it into her purse.

The others moved toward the living room doorway. One man wobbled a bit, but put one leg in front of the other.

"You're all just a bunch of wimps!" Rhona shouted after them.

I stood back. holding Echo's hand. Rhona looked at Trevor and then groaned and fell back against Skeeter. He took another swig on his bottle.

We heard them all leave.

"You're going to be sor

ry you did that," Rhona threatened. "I've already met with my attorney. Things are going to change very quickly here. Start thinking about leaving."

"I better not hear you made any more trouble tonight," Trevor replied.

Skeeter looked at him, but couldn't stare him down and shifted his eves quickly.

I told Echo we should go up to bed. She nodded, looked at the mess and at her mother, and then moved quickly to the stairway. I knew she was very frightened and I decided to invite her to sleep with me.

"I hate leaving you two in here with them," Trevor said. "We'll be all right, Trevor," I told him.

"You come get me if you're not,," he said. He glared at Skeeter and Rhona and then he left the house.

"Good riddance!" Rhona yelled after him.

As we went up the stairs. I heard her mumbling and crying to Skeeter.