The Storycatcher (17 page)

I felt like a heel of three-day-old bread was better than me.

“A mama don’t have to make over the child closest to her heart, Shelly. You’re all I have.” Her voice broke in half.

But I was second ’cause Will left. She had to want me. I scooted the beans around on the plate. Lord, sometimes what a girl asked after was too much, way too much.

“You run rings around Miss Faith and she knows it. That’s why she treats you so sassy. She got a whole lot less than me and you.”

A grunt escaped me.

“What you thinking? You thinking something over there?”

“She got everything any girl would ever want, Nada. I can’t run rings around her or nobody else. She’s pretty, rich, and white.”

“So you think that’s what life is? You sure I raised you?”

My food sure got a lot of notice.

She shook her head and clicked her tongue. “It’s my job to stand right here and open my arms. I just hope you try and see it that way. It’s what I get paid for. There ain’t no talking about it. If we don’t have Miss Faith, we don’t have a living.” She touched my shoulder. “You think I don’t know how you feel? I know how you ache after Will and worry on losing me too. But, girl, we all lose someone. That’s all the comfort I can give. I’d be lying if I gave more.”

Silly baby tears came into my eyes.

Nada moved to the other side of the kitchen. “And don’t keep that money under the floorboard. It ain’t no good place. Find a better one. Like I said, that be your running money.”

“I ain’t running, Nada.”

“We all say that in our lifetime, child. It be the biggest lie we tell.”

I LOOKED UP
from scrubbing the clothes on the washboard and saw Faith walking in my direction.

“Shelly.”

I didn’t even bother to look at her face or make a sound.

The air turned cool, and seeing how it was hot only minutes before she came walking up, I got uneasy. Now, I’d been mad, hurt, and downright bothered with Faith, but never scared.

“You know who I am, don’t you? You done figured it out even if you ain’t admitting up to it. You came to see me and my baby, to peek in the box. You know me. We watched the sun sink into the trees together. You know me.” The sunlight hit the bottle tree just right so blue stained the grass.

My heart jumped in my chest. “You be crazy.”

She shook her head. “No, ma’am. I know just what I want. Do you know what I want?”

A dark shadow moved in behind Faith. “I think we’re disturbing Shelly’s work, Faith.” Pastor’s words were too sweet.

Faith never turned around; instead, she smiled at me like she knew something real important, a secret that could save both of us from him. “I’m talking to Shelly. Please leave us alone, Pastor.”

Pastor’s cheeks turned pink. “You need to learn your place, girl.”

“You done taught me all about place, thank you. I don’t need no more lessons.”

“You’ve gotten too high and mighty for me.” Pastor came close to her. “I can correct that problem.”

What happened next is the kind of stuff that starts a story on the mountain. Faith whipped around and looked Pastor dead in the eyes without shaking a bit. “I’ll kill you if you ever touch me again. I promise. You understand. I will.”

I held my breath ’cause I figured she was going to die. Pastor stared into her face and left. Yep, left us both right there.

Faith squatted down close to me. “You know me. I’m not Faith. I’m here to put a end to all this big bunch of a mess. And Faith is going to help me.”

“You trouble. You going to get Faith in trouble.”

“Nope. I’m going to look after her. Somebody needs to. She was hell-bent on hurting herself. But I need your help, Shelly. You can see and hear that ghost who roams the mountain. You can hear them all. You got to protect me from the living while I do what has to be done. Can you do that? Can you help me take care of Faith? Can you keep my secret?”

“Nada and Mrs. Dobbins ain’t going to see one thing Faith does wrong. She be the most special. You’ll be fine. Just don’t talk much. You sure don’t sound like her. What you going to do anyway, Arleen?”

“You got that spirit’s book. You best read it.”

A shiver ran over my back. “What you planning to do?”

“Kill. That’s what a death quilt be for, girl. Didn’t you know that?”

THAT AFTERNOON PASTOR KNOCKED
Mrs. Dobbins to the kitchen floor for no good reason. So much for him not hitting her no more. Something bad was in the air. Something was going to happen.

Mrs. Dobbins came to our cabin after it turned dark.

“Lord, Lord, he’s started hitting again, Mrs. Dobbins.”

“Yes, Amanda, I have to do something. He wants to send Faith to the state hospital. We have to do something.”

Again I was on my bed, listening like some dern old spy.

“I’m going to talk to Tyson, my brother, Amanda. The family summer house is on the Georgia coast.”

“Will Pastor look for you there?” Nada whispered.

“Maybe. He knows we have a house there, but I’m going and taking Faith. I have to do it when he’s not around.”

“You can’t drive that good,” Nada hissed.

“I have to drive us there.” She was quiet a minute. “I want you and Shelly to go too. We’re not safe.”

That woman was crazy if she thought Nada and me would go.

“I’m not going but you can take Shelly.”

I sucked in air.

“You’re stubborn, Amanda.”

“Yes, ma’am. When you leaving?” Nada asked.

“At the right time. Tell Shelly to keep her things ready. We may have only a minute’s notice.”

“I will.”

Nada was going to make me go. What was she thinking? Mrs. Dobbins didn’t even want me to eat from the dishes she ate from. How was Nada going to make me go to another state?

“What’s the name of that town where your brother live, ma’am?” Nada spoke louder.

“Darien.”

I turned sick. That little girl haint up in the lost cemetery had said something about Darien. Lord, what kind of mess was I in?

WHEN NADA GOT UP
the next morning, I was sitting at the table with my book
Mules and Men
by Zora Neale Hurston, pretending to read, calming myself as best I could.

“I know you was listening, and you got to go with them, Shelly.” The lines around Nada’s eyes fanned out.

“I ain’t leaving, Nada. Why I got to go? Let Mrs. Dobbins and that crazy girl go by themselves. Me and you could use my money and leave here.”

Nada looked out the door at the dew-covered grass. “You going. Be ready. When the time comes, there won’t be no messing around.”

“Why I got to go? Did you hear me? We can use my money.”

“A person can’t run from someone like Pastor. Mrs. Dobbins is thinking she can. Someone has to stay behind and fight him off. It ain’t going to be you. He’s got his eyes on you.” It was quiet in the room. “You smart enough to know what that means. You got to go with Mrs. Dobbins and Miss Faith. It’s what I can do to take care of you.”

“He’s mean. He might hurt you.”

Nada laughed. “I know just what he is, Shelly.” Her words didn’t have one bit of wiggle room. “You going, Shelly, so you be safe. That’s the end. I’ll use my magic on him. Don’t worry.”

“Miss Tuggle says there ain’t no spells or magic and she sure don’t believe in spirits.”

Nada puffed up. “That is a smart white woman for you. She doesn’t even know our kind of life. She gives you some old book, but what does she know? White women don’t always tell the truth. She’s lifting you way high, and sometime you going to fall down. That’s going to hurt, but we all got to fall sometime or another.” Nada sat down at
the table with me and took my book. “Have you seen any spirits lately?” She opened the book and pushed it back at me.

“Naw.”

Nada nodded at the book. “Read to me, Shelly girl. I know you love this old book. I’ve watched your face when you study in your room. Tell me what them words say.”

And that cracked me open. I took her gift. We read until the sun streamed into the kitchen, way past time to go to the main house.

Then she stood. “I love you, girl,” she whispered and left the house.

There wasn’t nothing, nothing like a mama’s whisper in a girl’s ear to help her feel at peace, even if it wasn’t real.

W
HEN SHELLY SHOWED UP
leading the way two mornings after their last visit, I was surprised. Faith held her shoulders straight and tight like she was marching into battle. Her face was void of the emotions that usually appeared, providing a window to her heart; instead she looked guarded, as if she wore a carefully crafted mask of the features—the perky nose, freckles sprinkled on her cheeks, the crease in her forehead when she was angry. Shelly was on the porch before I got the door open.

“Well, good morning, girls. It’s good to see you again so soon.”

Faith stopped at the foot of the stairs and watched me close.

“Faith here needs to speak with you today, and I’d like to gather some more chamomile for Nada.”

“Go right ahead, Shelly.” She left us standing there.

“Well, Faith, what can I do for you?” I studied the girl in front of me. “Would you like to come in?”

She looked away. “Yes, ma’am.” Her hands were pushed down in her skirt pockets.

“How have things been at home?” I walked into the front room, trying to begin the conversation.

“Different.”

This made me look at her. “Different?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is that what you came to talk about?”

“Yes, ma’am. I guess.” She stepped close to me. “I’ve always trusted you, ma’am. That’s why I talked to you.”

“I’m glad you feel free to.” A shiver went over my arms. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know.” She looked at her feet.

“Is Pastor Dobbins bothering you?” I watched her close.

“He has.”

“What has happened, Faith?”

Her eyes turned cloudy. She pulled her hand out of her pocket, grabbed my hand, and dropped something inside. “You got to watch this close. It’s part of the truth, ma’am, and I only trust you. You’ll know what to do. You’re the only one strong enough to do it.” And she left me standing in the front room.

In my hand was the tiny gold cross with the diamond in the middle. The last time I had seen it was on Arleen in her casket. I couldn’t believe Faith would steal it.

Maybe it was time for me to eat my words and go make up to Zach so we could talk about this. He’d probably think I was crazy, but he might be interested in finding out how a beautiful young woman stole a necklace off a dead girl.

“MAUDE, YOU LOOK
like a picture.” Zach Walters sat on the corner of his desk watching as if I were a snake about to strike. “When’s the last time I saw you?”

“A year ago.” The sky was blue as could be in Asheville. “We’ve had the hottest weather.”

“Don’t try to change the subject. A note, Maude. A note?”

I took a deep breath. “I didn’t come to talk about last year, Zach.”

He slapped his knee. “Well, you made it clear my pretty face didn’t bring you back here today, so what can I do for you?”

At least he was joking, maybe. “It wasn’t you, and you know that. You’d never be happy with me. You want more than a supper once a week.”

He frowned. “You don’t know what I want. But tell me why you’re here.”

“I have a dumb question.”

“I really doubt it’s dumb. I don’t think you have dumb in you.”

“I need to know about someone’s past.”

“Ask them.” He laughed.

He wasn’t going to make my visit easy. “Funny.”

“Who is the somebody?” He watched me closely, still seated on the corner of his desk.

“I want to know what brought our good pastor to Black Mountain.”

“Charles Dobbins?”

“Yes. I just want to know how he came to live here.”

“You haven’t started going to his church, have you?” He was grinning.

I would not be pulled into his warm smile. “No. I haven’t changed, Zach.”

“Then why so curious? He’s been on the mountain nineteen years.”

“He hates being there and strikes me as one of those slick city preachers. Why would he stay here that long?”

“There’s more to it than that. I know you.” He looked at me and winked.

“I think he might have done something bad, but I don’t want to talk about it until I have some proof.”

He frowned. “So you’re going to play sheriff? I don’t think so. What do you think he did?”

“Don’t ask. Please. I promise to tell you when I find something that says I might be right.” It was a low blow, but I reached out and touched his hand.

He looked at my fingers and then me. “If this were anyone else but you, I’d say no way.” Zach stared at me. “He baptized my niece, little Mary.” He nodded to the corner of his desk, where he had a framed picture of his sister and her family and one of his parents.

“How did that happen?”

“He was visiting Maggie’s church the Sunday Mary was to be baptized. He just took over. Maggie was right put out with the whole affair. The man invited himself to Maggie’s for supper. She said he was strange.”

“How so?”

“Well, she said he was oddly out of step with the rest of us. Our grandma used to call this ‘a dill pickle that was too sour.’ ”