Дэвид Балдаччи - One Good Deed

“You sure?”

“What, do you think I go around ruining people? Hank did that, not me.”

“Which means there are a lot of folks who might have wanted to kill him.”

She shivered. “I woke up and saw that awful man hovering over me with a knife.”

“Dickie Dill standing over anybody, man or woman, would have been a disturbing sight.” He paused. “He, um, he didn’t do anything to you before he tried to kill you, did he?”

“No, but—” Jackie started to weep and reached out to him.

Archer took the woman into his arms. “It’s okay, Jackie, that man’s not going to hurt anyone ever again.”

She gently touched his damaged face. “Does it hurt?”

“Not compared to being dead, no.”

She composed herself and sat up. “But why would they want to kill me?”

“You mentioned it yourself the other night. They maybe thought you knew something that they were afraid of. Did they ask you anything? I mean, about Hank or such?”

“No. I just heard a noise, woke up, and there he was. I started screaming.”

“Lucky we were outside and heard it.”

“How is Shaw?”

“He’s fine. Tough man.”

“It was sweet of Ernestine to let me stay here.”

“Once you two get to know each other, I think you’ll be friends.”

“She’s very nice.”

“So, did you two gals talk about me?” He said this in a joking way, but underneath, a nervous Archer wanted some genuine answers.

“Talk about you? How do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I guess how gals talk about guys.”

She sat up straighter, pursed her lips, and said in a disapproving tone, “What, like comparing performances in the sack?”

“I never slept with Ernestine.”

“Says you.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Well, it’s not like I would care, Archer. We’re not married.”

“Okay,” he said, feeling a bit disappointed by her response.

“She thinks you’re nice. And you saved my life, so you’re okay in my book, too.”

“You’re a funny gal, Jackie.”

“No, I’m just not what you’re used to encountering in a ‘gal.’”

“You speak the truth there,” he said.

This seemed to defuse her standoffishness and she curled up next to him and said, “What about the debt that my father owes Marjorie Pittleman?”

“What about it?”

“In case you forgot, you were supposed to go out there again and get it paid.”

“Hell, I had pretty much forgot about that.”

“I don’t see how you can afford to do that. It’s a lot of money, Archer. Unless you want to keep butchering hogs.”

He mulled this over. “Well, the fact you’re no longer with Pittleman is a good thing. Your daddy might pay based on that. Hell, Marjorie might need the money now.”

“Five thousand plus interest,” she said. “That would come in handy.”

“You been giving this some thought, I see.”

“What else do I have to do?” she shot back, but then smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“But your daddy made it pretty clear that the only way he’ll pay the debt, and me, is if you come back home, Jackie. And you’ve made it just as clear that you’re not gonna do that.”

She fingered his lapel. “But what if I agreed to... to meet with him?”

Archer glanced sharply at her. “Why would you do that?”

“He is my father. And you do need the money.”

He held her at arm’s length. “Jackie, don’t base this on me getting paid.”

“But I could meet with him. In fact, it might be best.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t know, Archer, but I think I have to try. Me almost getting killed? Well, it makes a person think, you know.”

“Look, you don’t have to worry about it now. You just need to stay here and rest and, well, just get right in the head. Somebody trying to kill you takes time to get over.”

“No, I think I need to get this resolved, Archer.”

“Okay, but how? Would you go out there to meet with him?”

He saw her perceptibly shudder.

“No, I can’t go out there. But... but you could tell him that I can meet him at my house.”

“You sure about that?”

“I am. Can you go tomorrow and tell him?”

“If that’s what you want. What time do you want him to meet you?”

“Say around nine o’clock tomorrow night.”

“Fine. I’ll be right there with you.”

“No, Archer, I don’t want you there.”

“But why? Why meet with the man alone?”

“I won’t have to. Ernestine can come with me.”

“But she doesn’t know anything about this.”

“Which is why I think she’s the right person to be there. She won’t have to be with us while we’re meeting, just in the house.”

Archer thought about Ernestine’s skill with a gun, which might come in handy. But if Tuttle brought his shotgun...

“Look, if he has his shotgun, you don’t let him in.”

“He won’t have his shotgun, Archer. Good Lord, he’s my father.”

Archer studied her for a moment. “Look, you’re not thinking of doing anything to him, are you?”

She suddenly glared at him. “Why do you ask that?” she snapped.

“No... no reason.”

“You do have a reason. What else did he tell you when you were in the car with him?”

“I already told you.”

“Not everything.”

“Jackie, you don’t need to hear this now.”

“Yes, I do,” she snapped. “I’m tired of you keeping things from me, Archer.”

“He said that you and your ma were a lot alike. Beautiful, but...”

“But what?”

“I guess you two butted heads a lot.”

“We didn’t see eye to eye on everything. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“No, sure there’s not.”

“What else did he say?”

“Look, Jackie, I’m not...”

“Did he say we were unstable?” She grabbed his jacket. “Did he?”

He looked at her, searching the woman’s eyes for what was really inside her head right now. What he saw was a person who was starting to unsettle him. “He didn’t use that word. But, like you just said, he told me you were both strong women. And that he was—”

“He said we were violent, didn’t he? That he was afraid of us?”

“Look here, Jackie, won’t you tell me how your mother died? Desiree said it was an accident, but she wouldn’t say how.”

“Did my father talk about it?”

“Yeah, a little.”

“What did he say?”

“That... that maybe it wasn’t an accident.”

“Tell me exactly what he said. Now!”

Archer blurted out, “He said something about the truth destroying people and maybe it was better not knowing it, something like that.”

“And what did you say to that?”

“I guess I come down on the side of knowing the truth is better than not knowing it.”

Jackie said nothing for several long moments. She simply stared off.

“She fell.”

“Fell? How?”

“From the barn, the second story where they winch the bales up to the hayloft. She died from the fall.”

“Good Lord.”

“I found her,” said Jackie quietly. “I found her body.”

Archer held her tight. “I’m really sorry, Jackie.”

She abruptly pushed away from him. “I’ve gotten over it.”

“I doubt you ever get over something like that.”

“You’re wrong, because I have. I’m... I’m going to lie down now. I’m tired.” She rose, picked up her purse from the side table, and tossed him a set of keys. “For the Nash. Just leave them in the glove box when you’re done.”

He caught the keys and looked up at her. “Okay, Jackie.”

She disappeared into the bedroom.