B.J. Daniels - Dead Ringer

Abby braced herself on the open door and took the first step, then another. The steps were solid. Also she could hear voices below her that would drown out any noise she made. They wouldn’t hear her coming. She thought she might hear them arguing, but as she got closer, she realized there was only a low murmur rising up to meet her as if they were speaking in a conversational tone.

That alone should have warned her.

It wasn’t until she reached the bottom step that she saw she’d been wrong about a lot of things. The man with her mother wasn’t Wade. Nor was her mother down here cleaning.

Abby froze as she took in the sight. Black lights hung from makeshift frames along the earth ceiling. Under them green plants grew as far back into the root cellar as she could see.

Her mother and her visitor had frozen when they’d seen her. Deputy Sheriff Huck Pierce had a plastic bag filled with what looked like dried plants in his hand. Her mother had a wad of cash. Both quickly hid what was in their hands.

“What are you doing here?” her mother demanded. “You never stop by and tonight you decide to pay me a visit?”

Realization was like a bright white noise that buzzed in her aching brain. She stood stock-still. This, she realized, was why her mother had pushed her to marry Wade. It had nothing to do with him being her best choice. No, it was all about his father and the drug business her mother had been secretly running in her root cellar.

“Abby,” Huck said casually. “I thought you’d be home in bed.”

“I’m sure you did,” she said and looked to her mother.

A mix of emotions crossed Nan’s face before ending with resignation. “So now you know,” she said.

Yes, now she knew why her mother had berated her for not being a better wife to Wade. Even when Abby had told her how Wade hurt her, she hadn’t said, “Leave the bastard.” No, she’d told Abby that it was her fault. That she needed to treat him better. That she needed to put up with it. Otherwise, she would be a divorcée, and look how that had turned out for her mother after Abby’s father had died and she’d quickly remarried twice more and was now divorced again.

“I’ll let you handle this,” Huck said as he moved to leave. He tipped his hat as he edged past Abby as if she was a rattlesnake that couldn’t be trusted not to strike.

But it wasn’t Huck who she wanted to sink her venom into. It was her mother. All she’d wanted was her mother’s love, she realized now. But the woman was incapable of real love. Why hadn’t she seen that before?

“Don’t be giving me that look,” her mother snapped as she put away the empty jar that had held the dried marijuana the deputy had just bought. “I have to make a living. That’s all this is. You have no idea what it’s like being a single woman at my age. Anyway, it should be legal in this state. Will be one day and then I’ll be out of business. But until then...”

She thought of all the things she wanted to say to her mother and was surprised when the only words that came out were “I’m divorcing Wade.”

“You don’t want to do that.”

“You don’t want me to do that, you mean. Or is it Huck who wants me to stay with his son?”

“Huck and I agree that the two of you need to work some things out. You two married just keeps things...simple.”

“Simple for you since you’re apparently in business with his father.”

Her mother took a step toward her. “I won’t hear any more about this. What are you doin’ here, anyway? You should be home waiting for your husband. No wonder he has to take a hand to you.”

Abby heard herself laugh, an odd sound down in the root cellar. “It’s not going to work, Mother. All I’ve ever wanted was you to like me if not love me. I tried to do what you asked of me, thinking that one day...” She shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to turn in your little...operation or snitch on the deputy. Knowing Huck, he’d wiggle out of it and let you fry. But as for you and me?” She shook her head again and turned to leave.

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