Redemption Mountain (15 page)

One caught Charlie's eye. It was headlined
NEW YORK TRIP
and described a bus trip to New York in November to
see the sights
and
Les Misérables.
The trip included two nights at the Milford Plaza. The total cost was $321, which seemed pretty reasonable. Anyone interested should call Ada Lowe at the Baptist Church Social Club.

“Gimme a pint of Jack, carton of Marlboros, and a six-pack of Bud tall boys.” Charlie couldn't help overhearing Eve's sister-in-law. She had a slow, gentle voice with a hint of a Southern accent. “And a can of Red Man for Woody.”

“Damn, still chawin' at his age. Surprised that man can still spit,” Eve replied.

“Not a pretty sight. Gets a lot of it on him, but he enjoys his chew, and he ain't got much else to enjoy these days.” Natty glanced out the front window and remembered that there was another car parked next to hers—an expensive car that surely didn't belong to anyone in Red Bone. “Eve, you got a customer over there?”

Eve told her sister-in-law about the handsome new boss of the power plant. With a twinkle in her eye, she offered to take her over and introduce her. Natty absentmindedly felt for the faded green bandanna that she'd used to tie back her hair.

“No, I can't now, I've got to get across the street and take care of the boys,” she said.

Charlie could hear Eve ringing up her sister-in-law's purchase. He was about to wander over to the store, when he noticed one more item on the bulletin board. A handwritten three-by-five card read:
Alva Paine's apartment for rent. Clean, furnished, spacious, porch with spectacular view of sunsets. 4th flr. Barney's Bldg., no elevator. Utilities included. Cable and phone extra. See Eve.

“Damn, Eve, thirty-two bucks for cigarettes! Every time I come in here they cost more,” Natty said. She counted her money out onto the counter while Eve bagged her purchase.

“Generics are cheaper,” Eve replied.

“You know Mr. Jacks; got to be Marlboros.” Natty curled one arm around the bag and started toward the vestibule. “Anyway, I'm stealing these pork rinds here,” she said, flashing a wide grin. Eve shrugged resignedly. As Natty turned her head back toward the front door, she almost ran into Charlie Burden.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said, looking up at the tall stranger. She immediately recognized Duncan McCord's handsome friend. For two years, she'd held the picture in her mind of the two sophisticated men at the OntAmex picnic and then her embarrassing and exhilarating moment with McCord. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she couldn't speak.

“Save a lot of money if you just quit.” Charlie tried to sound friendly, but his comment sounded like a lecture.

“Thanks a lot. That's a great idea,” Natty said, as she moved around him. He'd only gotten a quick glimpse of the woman's face, partially hidden by a shock of sandy-blond hair, but he was surprised by her angelic beauty and blue eyes. For some reason, he hadn't expected Eve Brewster's sister-in-law to be attractive. He wished he hadn't made the comment about the cigarettes. He tried to amend the situation before she got to the front door.

“Sorry,” he said to her back. “I know it's not easy. I used to smoke. I quit when I turned forty.”

Natty stopped at the door and readjusted her package. “Yeah, well, I quit when I was in high school. About the time I got pregnant, the first time. So I guess we both quit a long time ago.” Her voice was slow with a soft, easy drawl, but her irritation was clear. She went out the door and crossed the street.

Charlie watched her through the front window of the store as she entered a large dark-stone three-story building. Above the wide entryway was a black sign, its lettering almost completely faded away, which read:
POCAHONTAS HOTEL.

So, I guess we both quit a long time ago. Nice dig.
“I think I insulted your sister-in-law,” he said to Eve, with a sheepish look.

“She'll get over it,” Eve replied with a laugh. “Nothing bothers that girl for too long.”

“Does anybody buy anything but booze and cigarettes in here?” Charlie joked.

Eve laughed again. “Nat takes care of a couple old colored gentlemen, got a room cross the way. Friday afternoon, she stops in for their
medicine,
she calls it, before going up.” Eve looked out the window. “Nice men. Old coal miners. The two been together for years and years. Ain't got much time left, so Nat does what she can. Ends up paying some outta her own pocket, which she can't afford to do, but she won't say nothin', won't ask…” Eve's voice trailed off as she turned back to Charlie.

“Here, I didn't pay you for the coffee yet. That was very nice of—”

Eve cut him off as he pulled out his wallet. “No need for that. It's my treat, Mr. Burden. Besides, I already put the restaurant cash away.” Charlie protested, but Eve waved him off.

“I'll be back in tomorrow to look for some waterproof boots. Then I'll pay you for the coffee, too,” said Charlie.

“I'll just overcharge you for the boots, like we do to everybody from New York,” Eve said with a wink. “Good night, Mr. Burden.”

“Good night, Eve. Thank you.”

*   *   *

I
NSIDE THE FRONT
door of the former Pocahontas Hotel, Natty Oakes slumped against the door frame and peeked through a once-frosted window back across the street. She watched as Eve turned off the lights in the store. Natty closed her eyes and grimaced as she replayed her embarrassing encounter.
Damn! What was she thinking about? Copping an attitude with the new power-plant boss! The only person around who could give Buck a decent job finally. Maybe even save their marriage. He was just trying to be friendly. And that crack about getting pregnant—jeez, what a dope!
She shrugged resignedly and started up the stairs to the third floor. Today, she'd probably have a little glass of Jack Daniel's with the boys before she left.

*   *   *

E
VE BREWSTER'S DIRECTIONS
to Bluefield and the condo development were easy to follow. Fifty-five minutes after leaving Red Bone, Charlie found the turnoff to what was unmistakably the entrance to an upscale community. It felt suddenly familiar. He could've been in New York or Connecticut or New Jersey, where similar cookie-cutter buildings had been punched in the seventies to house the young professionals not yet ready to give up the carefree life for a heavy mortgage in the suburbs. The look and feel of the place surprised Charlie after his afternoon in Red Bone.

When he found his building, Charlie pulled in next to a new white Corvette convertible with California plates, which he knew would belong to Terry Summers. From the trunk of the Lexus, he took out a tennis duffel bag that held most of his casual clothes and his shaving kit, then locked up the car. A few units down, a group of men and women, all in their early thirties, relaxed on a second-floor deck, drinking red wine.

Inside, Charlie dropped his bag on the leather couch in the living room and tossed his keys on the credenza in the hall. Along one wall of the living room was an expansive entertainment center with a wide-screen television. The place was sumptuous and comfortable. Somewhere outside, an air-conditioning unit hummed. He went into the kitchen and pressed the red blinking button on the answering machine. There was a message from Terry Summers, telling him he'd stop by at nine on Saturday morning and drive Charlie in to take a look at the plant.

Charlie took a slow tour of the apartment, but he had known what he was going to do, even before he came through the front door. He didn't want to be in West Virginia, but if he had to be here, he wanted to experience the real McDowell County, to experience Red Bone.

He'd already gotten a taste of it—the boy at the construction site, Eve Brewster, and even her harried sister-in-law, the little woman with the blue eyes. It was a different world, which was what he needed for a while, and it felt good. In the phone book in the kitchen, he found the listing for Eve Brewster. Her address was the same as Barney's General Store, on Main Street in Red Bone. She must have an apartment in the building. Charlie looked at his watch, hoping that ten-fifteen wasn't too late to call.

After several rings she answered. “Hello, this is Eve.”

“Eve, this is Charlie Burden. I met you earlier tonight. I came into the—”

Eve Brewster chuckled as she cut him off. “Yes, Mr. Burden, I remember. It wasn't that long ago. Are you all right? You didn't drive off the mountain, did you?”

“No, I'm fine. I hope I didn't wake you up.”

“No, it's okay, Mr. Burden. I had to get up to answer the phone, anyway.”

Charlie smiled at the old joke. “Listen, Eve, that apartment you have up on the bulletin board. Is it still available?”

“What?” Eve sounded genuinely baffled.

“The apartment. The one on the fourth floor. It's advertised on the board.”

“Oh,
God
, Mr. Burden. That apartment's not for you. This is an old building. Plus it's up on the fourth floor, and there's no elevator.”

“That doesn't matter. Is it still available?”

“
Available?
Hell, that place'll be available 'til the building falls down. Ain't but a handful of people in all of Red Bone could make it up them stairs without an oxygen bottle.”

“Could I take a look at it? Tomorrow morning?”

“What happened to that place in Bluefield?”

“It's fine. It's just not what I'm looking for.”

“Well, Mr. Burden, you can sure look at it if you want to.”

“Tomorrow morning?”

“I'll be here. I'm always here. Good night, Mr. Burden.”

 

CHAPTER 10

 

B
uck Oakes's twelve-year-old pickup always had a distinctive sound as it accelerated up the steep stone-covered road to Oakes Hollow. The engine would whine as Buck spun the tires through the well-worn ruts, sending stones flying off into the woods like machine-gun fire. Buck tended to drive too fast, even when he hadn't been drinking.

The sound had become both a comforting and frightening signal to Natty. At first she would be relieved that he'd finally come home, then apprehensive about his condition. After he parked his truck, she'd listen for the telltale signs—how hard he slammed the truck's door, the sound of his boots on the deck—to determine how drunk he might be and if he'd reached that critical stage at which it was best for Natty to hunker down under the blanket and feign deep sleep.

Tonight, Natty had woken up several times to find Buck's side of the bed empty. It was almost morning when the sound of the truck accelerating up the hill, the beam of the headlights bouncing madly up and down on the window screen, awakened her once again.
Damn you, Buck! Why are you doing this to us again?

Natty pulled up the sheet, debating, as she had so many times before, whether to say anything when her husband entered the room. Usually, silence ruled. She waited with her eyes open, thinking about what Deputy Sheriff Wayne Lester had said up at Birdie Merkely's cabin about the woman in Northfork, an old high school girlfriend of Buck's. The woman that Buck had gone to live with for six months, right after Cat was born.

She could hear Buck rooting around in the refrigerator, and then in the bathroom, taking a long pee, splashing water on his face, and finally shoving open the squeaky sliding door. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and sat heavily on the bed to take his boots off.

“So, where you been, Buck?” The sound of her own voice startled her, but her husband showed no reaction, tossing his second boot loudly to the floor. Buck stood and unzipped his blue jeans. He staggered slightly, reaching out for the corner of the dresser to steady himself. Natty could smell the mixture of sweat, liquor, and perfume coming off him. Suddenly a rush of anger enveloped her, and she sat up in the middle of the bed.

“Buck, where the
fuck
have you been all night?” she demanded loudly. “Tell me. I deserve an answer.”

Her husband had turned back toward the bed with one knee on the mattress as Natty sat up. In the darkness, she couldn't see his large left hand as it snapped out and slashed across her face. The sting of Buck's high school ring caught the corner of Natty's mouth, causing her to see stars.

“Don't give me any of that shit, Natty.” Buck's voice had a cruel edge. “It's Friday night. I been out. Pourin' cement all day for forty fuckin' dollars, I deserve some time away from this dump.” Buck rolled heavily onto his back as Natty got up from the bed. Tears ran down her cheeks to mix with the blood from her upper lip.

“Goddamn you, Buck, you prick. You swore you'd never do that again.” Natty made her way around the bed, stumbling on one of Buck's boots. “I try so hard, Buck. I try so damn hard,” she said angrily as she fled the bedroom.

At first light, Natty went back into the bedroom and got her running shoes and shorts. She couldn't wait to feel the cool air of the dawn and lose herself in a long, hard run. Later, she'd take the kids and Amos into town for some of Eve's blueberry pancakes, then maybe to the mall in Bluefield. Anywhere to get away from the hollow for the day. She longed for the refuge of Redemption Mountain. But not this day. Not with a new red welt on her cheek and a cut on her lip. Natty couldn't go home today. Her mother might finally persuade her to stay.

*   *   *

E
VE SMILED AS
she saw the blue Lexus pull up in front of the store. “
Damn,
he really is serious,” Eve said to herself.

The restaurant had a different feel in the morning, filled with people who'd known each other for years. Charlie could feel all their eyes on him as he walked in.

“Morning, Mr. Burden,” Eve said, as she came over with a mug in one hand and a pot of steaming coffee in the other.