thought,
embarrassed that her focus could slip so easily.
She stood and
twisted the knob all the way to the left. Jets of icy water prickled her flesh,
and she fought the urge to cry out as the water shocked her system.
She counted to
sixty in the frigid water, thinking only of Vivian and Miguel and Sheldon and
Mike and Erin, then shut the water off and stepped out to towel herself off.
She dressed quickly and stepped into the room, toweling her hair in the
humidity.
Chaco hadn’t
returned yet.
She sat on the
bed, opening her duffle and pulling out the manila folder. There was just
enough time to go through her notes again before dinner.
***
Chaco returned
with three cartons and a bottle of wine. They ate on the terrace, dining on
grilled skirt steak, plantains, beans and rice. The wine was tasty, and Terri
ate two helpings of everything.
“Jeez, Chaco.
Sorry about the pig out. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”
He laughed. “Oh,
I’m plenty full. It’s refreshing to see a lady that will still eat a real meal.
You, uh…you have quite the day ahead of you tomorrow, don’t you?”
Terri sipped her
wine. She sighed. “I don’t know. Yes, I mean. But now that I’m here, I just…I’m
kind of confused, to be honest with you. I came here because I wanted to hurt
somebody—I wanted to hurt somebody as bad as she hurt me. But now I’m not so
sure.”
Chaco’s eyebrows
spiked. “Why the uncertainty?”
“Well, I know
where they are—I mean, his house is plotted on my GPS. I have the things I
need. All that’s left is to rent a car, and I even made arrangements to take
care of that.”
“So what’s the
issue, Terri?”
“I’m not sure
that I’m strong enough to go through with it. I’m still furious, and when I
think of her…I just, my vision goes red. You ever get like that? My children,
Chaco! She hurt my children .”
“Then it sounds
like you have serious justification for being here. A mother’s love is a
powerful force.”
Terri stared at
her hands. “Maybe. Maybe not. Can I…can I talk to you about what happened?
Maybe ask for a little advice?”
He nodded, and
Terri launched into her tale. By the time she’d told him about Devil’s Head
Campground, and the frostbite, and the amputations, and Sheldon’s funeral, the
wine had been long gone and her fury had returned in full.
“Just talking
about it makes me feel like I’m supposed to be here. Like I’m—like I’m
the one that’s setting things back in balance.”
“But, Terri…you
said your husband killed her daughter. Can’t you, and forgive me if I’m
speaking out of turn here, but can’t you understand the nature of this woman’s
grief? I’m not saying what she did was okay, but can you also understand her anger and sadness?”
“Of course I
can, Chaco. She took my husband! Sheldon was a major league shit, but he was
also the father of my children. He was a pretty damned fine father at that. And
now, looking back, I know that I would have divorced him. When I reflect on our
life together, I really doubt that bitch Vivian was the first time he stepped
out on me. And that just breaks my heart, Chaco. It breaks my heart.
“But I should
have been able to divorce him. He should still be able to see
Erin and Mike. He was an ass, but he didn’t deserve to die any more than my
little girl deserved to have her fingers amputated.”
Chaco sighed.
They were quiet for a long time—the distant revelry lilting faintly on the
still night air. Kids lit bottle rockets in the hotel courtyard.
“Can I help
you?” he finally volunteered. “I mean, if you don’t mean to take this all the
way, that is. I won’t be a party to a murder, Terri. But I’d like to help…that
is, if you’ll let me.”
Her eyes
shimmered with gratitude. She reached over and slipped her hand into his, and
he gave it a squeeze.
“Thank you,
Chaco. It’s a lot to ask, I know, but I really appreciate the help. I’m—I’m in
over my head
embarrassed that her focus could slip so easily.
She stood and
twisted the knob all the way to the left. Jets of icy water prickled her flesh,
and she fought the urge to cry out as the water shocked her system.
She counted to
sixty in the frigid water, thinking only of Vivian and Miguel and Sheldon and
Mike and Erin, then shut the water off and stepped out to towel herself off.
She dressed quickly and stepped into the room, toweling her hair in the
humidity.
Chaco hadn’t
returned yet.
She sat on the
bed, opening her duffle and pulling out the manila folder. There was just
enough time to go through her notes again before dinner.
***
Chaco returned
with three cartons and a bottle of wine. They ate on the terrace, dining on
grilled skirt steak, plantains, beans and rice. The wine was tasty, and Terri
ate two helpings of everything.
“Jeez, Chaco.
Sorry about the pig out. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”
He laughed. “Oh,
I’m plenty full. It’s refreshing to see a lady that will still eat a real meal.
You, uh…you have quite the day ahead of you tomorrow, don’t you?”
Terri sipped her
wine. She sighed. “I don’t know. Yes, I mean. But now that I’m here, I just…I’m
kind of confused, to be honest with you. I came here because I wanted to hurt
somebody—I wanted to hurt somebody as bad as she hurt me. But now I’m not so
sure.”
Chaco’s eyebrows
spiked. “Why the uncertainty?”
“Well, I know
where they are—I mean, his house is plotted on my GPS. I have the things I
need. All that’s left is to rent a car, and I even made arrangements to take
care of that.”
“So what’s the
issue, Terri?”
“I’m not sure
that I’m strong enough to go through with it. I’m still furious, and when I
think of her…I just, my vision goes red. You ever get like that? My children,
Chaco! She hurt my children .”
“Then it sounds
like you have serious justification for being here. A mother’s love is a
powerful force.”
Terri stared at
her hands. “Maybe. Maybe not. Can I…can I talk to you about what happened?
Maybe ask for a little advice?”
He nodded, and
Terri launched into her tale. By the time she’d told him about Devil’s Head
Campground, and the frostbite, and the amputations, and Sheldon’s funeral, the
wine had been long gone and her fury had returned in full.
“Just talking
about it makes me feel like I’m supposed to be here. Like I’m—like I’m
the one that’s setting things back in balance.”
“But, Terri…you
said your husband killed her daughter. Can’t you, and forgive me if I’m
speaking out of turn here, but can’t you understand the nature of this woman’s
grief? I’m not saying what she did was okay, but can you also understand her anger and sadness?”
“Of course I
can, Chaco. She took my husband! Sheldon was a major league shit, but he was
also the father of my children. He was a pretty damned fine father at that. And
now, looking back, I know that I would have divorced him. When I reflect on our
life together, I really doubt that bitch Vivian was the first time he stepped
out on me. And that just breaks my heart, Chaco. It breaks my heart.
“But I should
have been able to divorce him. He should still be able to see
Erin and Mike. He was an ass, but he didn’t deserve to die any more than my
little girl deserved to have her fingers amputated.”
Chaco sighed.
They were quiet for a long time—the distant revelry lilting faintly on the
still night air. Kids lit bottle rockets in the hotel courtyard.
“Can I help
you?” he finally volunteered. “I mean, if you don’t mean to take this all the
way, that is. I won’t be a party to a murder, Terri. But I’d like to help…that
is, if you’ll let me.”
Her eyes
shimmered with gratitude. She reached over and slipped her hand into his, and
he gave it a squeeze.
“Thank you,
Chaco. It’s a lot to ask, I know, but I really appreciate the help. I’m—I’m in
over my head
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