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Reading books MYSTERY & CRIMEHowever, all readers - sooner or later - find for themselves a literary genre that is fundamentally different from all others.
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Read books online Ā» Mystery & Crime Ā» A Life for a Life by Lynda McDaniel (best selling autobiographies .txt) šŸ“–

Book online Ā«A Life for a Life by Lynda McDaniel (best selling autobiographies .txt) šŸ“–Ā». Author Lynda McDaniel



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it was funny the way she tried not to use swear words round meā€”like I didnā€™t hear all that stuff, especially if I were sitting at the store when sheā€™d locked up early and some motorcycle guy rode up for his Pabst and Slim Jims. But I liked it when she changed them, ā€˜cause I knew she was trying to do right by me. Daddy or Mama acted all high and mighty and got all fussy about me hearing a bad word, but that just made me want to use swear words.

We rode along, me riding shotgun, Jake in the middle, Della driving. I started thinking that I could really help out someday if sheā€™d teach me to drive. Daddy wouldnā€™t teach meā€”said I werenā€™t smart enough. But the way I saw it, if Willie Westfield and Eustace Smith could drive (with a half-empty twelve-pack on the front seat and not a lick of sense between ā€˜em), I knew I could learn to drive, too. I asked my Cousin Ned to get ahold of one of them driving rule books for me, and I hoped heā€™d bring it on Sunday when he came for dinner.

Della and I talked mostly about the store and the supplies we needed. I was dying to ask about Lucy and what Browerā€™d said, but I could tell she was trying to leave that behind, for one day, anyways. I wanted to ask her about Alex, too, but I reckoned that was none of my business. Maybe I didnā€™t have book smarts, but I knew a thing or two.

After I loaded up the supplies, I wudnā€™t looking forward to just turning round and heading home, but I knew Della had the store to worry about.

ā€œHow about an ice cream, Mister?ā€

Well, that was the best idea sheā€™d had in a while. We stopped at the drugstore where theyā€™d added an ice cream counter to make a little money offa tourists. Over the years, Iā€™d heard folks talking bad about tourists and newcomers, but if they brought mint chocolate chip ice cream with them, they was fine by me. Della had a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. Jake got to lick the bottom of both our cones and eat the crunchy bits. We sat out front of the shop and took our time. So much for the thirty-minute trip! 

Seems Della wasnā€™t dying to get back to the store either, ā€˜cause as we headed home, she said, ā€œWeā€™re out of honey. Letā€™s stop at Elbert Totherowā€™s on the way.ā€ Iā€™dā€™ve agreed to stopping by Sheriff Browerā€™s just to stay out. And I liked Elbertā€™s daughter Annie, who might have been home from school at this hour. She was always pretty nice to me, not stuck up like some of the girls. And he had a little black feist that I figured Jake would like to play with.

Weā€™d just pulled into his driveway when Elbert popped out the door and waved at us. He looked huge standing on his porch, at least three or four inches taller than me. And that porch! It went all the way round his house, and there werenā€™t one square foot that didnā€™t have something piled on it.

ā€œCome on in,ā€ Elbert said with a voice that could compete against a bullhorn. ā€œI know it looks like weā€™re moving, but weā€™re not. Weā€™re here to stay.ā€

Della was chuckling when she looked at me and said, ā€œHe says that every time.ā€

As we came up his front steps and walked past stacks of stuff, I noticed a lantern and an old metal canister Daddyā€™d taken to the dump just that week. I was surprised anything was left in the dump after folks combed through it, regular-like.

Ends up, Annie wudnā€™t home from schoolā€”sheā€™d stayed late for band practice, Elbert saidā€”but Jake played with Muppet, the feist, and Della got a couple of cases of honey, which I loaded into the back of the truck. I hoped we wouldnā€™t stay longā€”it was so damned hot inside their house. Elbertā€™s mama, who had to be close to a hundred, sat right next to the woodstove, which was belching out heat like it were December! I know old folks get cold a lot easier, but I was sweating like a pig. Elbert asked us to stay awhile, and Della, being the nice person she was, said yes.

We made small talk what felt like forever. Before I thought Iā€™d explode from the heat, I excused myself to use the bathroom, just to get away from the stove. As I walked down the hallway, I passed Annieā€™s room, pink and girlie, in a nice way. I smelled something like her perfume or shampoo, and thought about how much Iā€™dā€™ve liked to see her again.

When I got back, thank heavens Della had stood up. She told them she hated to leave, but we had to get back to the store. It still took a while, because they started gathering up jars of put-up blackberries and dilly beans and such.

Back in the truck, I rolled the windows all the way down and turned the fan as high as it would go. I wanted to hang out the window like Jake did sometimes, but I had on a new shirt, so I sat tight. Whew! That shirt was going to need a good washing.

As we were driving back to the store, I shouted: ā€œTurn right here!ā€ Della jumped and the truck kind of swerved, but she got it under control and did what I asked. We headed down Cane Creek Road a ways, and then Della pulled over across from the schoolyard. ā€œHowā€™d you know?ā€ I asked. She just smiled and cut the engine.

I could see into the school, where the little kids had their classes, with bright pictures of dogs and suns and such on the walls. I looked hard for Annie practicing with the band. Iā€™d hoped they were marching round the field, but I couldnā€™t see nothinā€™ other than the kids playing softball. I remembered some good times. Of course, some not-so-good ones, too, like mean old Bobby McKeever. And another really bad one. ā€œWhen I went here, one day lightning struck the school,ā€ I said, my voice breaking a little.

ā€œWere you hurt?ā€ Della asked.

ā€œI wudnā€™t. Lilly Cunningham was. She sat next to me, and she got a funny look on her face. I leaned over to check on her, and when I held her wrist I ...ā€ Dammit. I started to blubber. That happened five year ago, but it never got any easier to tell.

ā€œWhat happened, Abit?ā€ Della patted my back and looked so sad I really started bawling. When I got it out of my system, I told her.

ā€œI reached over to touch her arm, and my fingers and thumb touched each other. Through her wrist. Werenā€™t nothinā€™ there keeping my fingers apart, just a little skin and guts.ā€ I blew my nose on the tissues Della pulled from her purse.

ā€œOh, honey. What a terrible thing for anyone to experience, but especially a kid.ā€

ā€œI was almost eleven,ā€ I said.

She gave me a hug. We sat there together for a while, then she asked, ā€œYou ready?ā€ I nodded, though I couldā€™ve sat there all day.

When I was out of the truck, Della handed me a five-dollar bill and said more was cominā€™. I still couldnā€™t believe I had my own money! I used to overhear Daddy say Iā€™d never get a job, but Iā€™d showed him.

A few year ago, I was trying to think how to make some money, and I asked Daddy if we could sell some of them old signs heā€™d stashed back of the house. He had a lot of junk back there, and some good stuff mixed in. I knew I could set them out front during tourist season and sell ā€˜em fast. I told him we could put the money in a kitty for the family, and we could all do something fun with it.

ā€œAnd what kind of fun would that be?ā€ he grunted behind his newspaper.

ā€œI dunno. Go to a show at the Hen Theater or out to dinner oncet in a while. Iā€™ve never been to that place overlooking the falls.ā€

ā€œYou can see the falls anytime you want for free.ā€

ā€œI just thought we could do something together, like a real family.ā€

Daddy lowered the paper and looked at me funny. ā€œWeā€™ll think about it.ā€

We never did sell them signs, but oncet I had my job helping Della, I didnā€™t think so much about them. Iā€™d growed tall and strong, and Della needed my help and was happy to pay for it, which helped me out. Thatā€™s what I meant about acting like a family.

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The sound of flying gravel and a slammed car door brought me to the front window. The bell on the door clanged as Cleva ran in, nearly colliding with me.

ā€œHoney, you need to get over to Blancheā€™s. Sheā€™s got the girlā€™s clothes. Maybe you could find something.ā€ Cleva placed her hand on her chest as she stopped to catch her breath.

ā€œLetā€™s sit over there, Cleva. Iā€™m not with you yet.ā€ We sat behind the counter, near the register.

ā€œOkay, I had to go into the laundromat early this morning to wash that big rug of mine. The one in the living room? Anyway, Blanche Scoggins came over to me while it was in the dryer, making an awful kerthump every time it went around. You know how picky she is about her machines. Sheā€™s like a librarian who gets all the books nice and tidy and doesnā€™t want anyone to check them out. So she was all out of whack because of the noise and said to me, ā€˜Youā€™re making as much racket as that dead girl did.ā€™ She is so coarse, I canā€™t stand herā€”but I couldnā€™t stand the rug one more minute. It was so dirty that ...ā€

ā€œWhat about Lucy, Cleva? I honestly donā€™t see how I can do anything else to help. Brower shouts down everything I bring to him. Iā€™ve done all I can.ā€

ā€œOh, donā€™t stop now, please. At least take a look at her things before you give up.ā€

I nodded as Cleva continued. ā€œBlanche showed me a bundle wrapped in brown paperā€”the girlā€™s clothes and such. I guess Lucy had a blanket that made the machine get out of balance and made that racket like mine was doing. Blanche said it was getting late, so she told Lucy to run on, sheā€™d finish up. But Blanche told me that it was really because she didnā€™t want ā€˜that trampā€™ in her establishment. Did they ever give any reason to call her that? Tramp?ā€

ā€œNo, thatā€™s just Blanche. Go on.ā€

ā€œThat was the day Lucy died, so she never picked up her laundry. Can you believe Blanche was mad about that too? She said she was out $3 on the dryer. That woman is so harsh.ā€

ā€œWhy didnā€™t she tell Brower she had those things?ā€

ā€œI asked the same thing. She said because he was a lying SOB and because she didnā€™t want the cops to come in and bust up her place looking for clues. Sheā€™s been watching some crazy preacher on TV who has all these conspiracy theories. Iā€™m going to

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