50

Sunday, November 3
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Lisa drank some peppermint tea and went to work anyway. She didn’t have much choice. She had to pay for her apartment somehow. She hadn’t seen Keith since Halloween and wondered if he had pretty much given up on her and shifted his attention onto greener pastures.

Problem was, she was pretty sure she was pregnant. Those Cowan brothers did a good job, she realized with annoyance. If Keith had knocked her up and Garth knocked little Barb up, that was pretty good work.

John McNally came into the store looking smugger than usual. “Did ya hear ‘bout what I did?” he asked.

“What?”

“I got Matt Nygaard arrested. He’s in jail awaitin’ trial. He’s good fer fifteen years from what Sheriff Clay says!”

“I see you’re proud of yourself,” Lisa replied.

“Are ya?” he challenged.

She shrugged. “Surely, arresting someone who was just sitting there in the woods is worthy of some sort of medal,” she replied sarcastically. She wasn’t interested in massaging his ego. Surely, that was Missy’s job now anyway.

“I forgot he’s yer cousin. I’ll put in a good word fer him.”

She rolled her eyes, imagining what kind of word John might put in for Matt. “He’s a good man, John. You should pick on some real criminals – not someone who was framed – as you know...”

“No proof, no release,” he replied, then left.

Lisa flipped him off as he let the door close behind him, not even glancing back. It reminded her of when she found out that his Missy was pregnant.

“What’s Trish gonna say?” she had asked.

“I don’t believe it’s Trish’s business,” he had retorted. “Missy has to remember to be careful with her anti-depressants… St. John’s Wort is known to do more than just make the pill fail.”

Lisa worried about Missy – wondered what John had planned for her. Maybe she was wrong – maybe he actually cared about this one. At least Missy was of legal age – though not out of school. Not like Trish Cowan, the first time he’d made her pregnant. Apparently, the background checks at the police department hadn’t raised that specter yet.

Of course, the official story was considerably different than the truth… or so Trish had told her one night after the teenager had returned from a summer in a juvenile detention center… pregnant. The official story had been that a guard had had his way with her, which she insisted was the case – but he wasn’t the one who’d made her pregnant. The guard disappeared shortly thereafter and despite a hunt across half a dozen different states where he had left a track record of sex offenses, he was never found.

As if thinking brought about magic, Trish came in, her belly swollen with her fourth child. “Speak of the devil,” she said with a smile.

“What did John say ‘bout me?” she asked with a hush.

“Nothing this time, but he made me think about you.”

Her smile faded and she sighed. “Is it true dat his girlfriend is pregnant?”

Lisa nodded. “Sorry.”

She sighed again.

“How is Keith?”

“Haven’t ya seen him?”

“Not a sign. I thought maybe he’d got tired of me now that he got what he wanted.”

Trish looked at her curiously.

“Preggo,” she replied with a wince.

“It’s not all dat bad, ya’ll see,” Trish informed, a smile playing at her lips.

“It’s something I’d planned to do with someone… Do you think Keith will be a dad?”

Trish shrugged. “Honestly… not sure. Dad managed it – kind of.”

Lisa let it drop. “Did you hear that John had my cousin arrested?”

Trish´s quick look of surprise faded just as quickly. “I’m sorry ta hear dat.”

“He has a girlfriend now – and a baby on the way. I wish I knew how to prove his innocence.”

“He ran… he’s gonna do some time regardless, I tink. Dat’s what Dad said, anyway.”

“I’ve got to try. How do I prove that he wasn’t the one driving the car?”

“Ya find da one who drove an’ make him confess on tape or someteen.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“Yer gonna have ta find someone who isn’t afraid of da rose garden,” she replied.

“They wouldn’t hurt you surely!”

Her expression clouded. “I’ve gotta go,” she excused. She looked pained as she turned back. “Der is someone around here wid power he don’ deserve… an’ he’s as dangerous as my Dad ever was. I can’ tell ya more dan dat – an’ I only say dat because of yer cousin’s baby. Single moderhood sucks, but it’s bedder dan havin’ someone bad der all da time. Be careful, Lisa. Havin’ a baby doesn’t make ya exempt from retribution. Da rose garden could tell ya dat from experience.”

Lisa watched Trish leave the store, thinking.

Trish had been her friend since her mother moved them back to Ash Creek. She stayed the night at Trish’s once, but her father had come home in the night, drunk and angry. The next morning, there had been a new rose planted outside. She hadn’t asked about it, but she was too scared to ever stay there again. Trish had a standing invitation to stay at her house throughout the rest of school – any day, any time, no questions asked.

Trish’s brothers brought John home frequently. One night, after they’d given her too much beer, John had taken her virginity – and left her with twins growing in her belly.

Shortly after that, they had got her drunk again and took her with them on the foolhardy bank raid. They’d dumped her out in front of the bank as they ran, so that she was the one arrested. She had been so out of it that she didn’t know the time of day and got sent to detention for the summer – which had been a blessing, Trish had told Lisa when she got back. Except for the guard raping her whenever he could find an excuse, it had been nicer than being at home.

She ended up in a group home in Marquette shortly thereafter – until she had given birth and had a place to live back in Ash Creek.

Lisa knew that John went back to her from time to time and gave her two more children, the youngest of which would be born around Christmas.

John… Was he really capable of assisting in a robbery and framing someone else? Maybe just as capable of possibly poisoning Missy with her own medications. Lisa shuddered. She had an errand to do after work, she knew. One that had been long overdue.

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