Page 36 of Sugar and Skulls

I slide the photo in my back pocket no longer able to look at it. “Where does he live?”

Donny shakes his head. “Don’t know, like I said he is one of the newer ones. I think he lives over on the east side.”

“Next time he shows up, follow him. Call me with an address when you get it.”

He nods. “I’ve wanted to rip my eyeballs out since I found it.”

“You did the right thing, Donny. I’ll take care of it.”

“Don’t forget to take care of yourself too.” He taps a finger under my chin. Donny is mid-thirties. He’s been selling in Trap county for over a decade. I kept him because he doesn’t put up with bullshit.

“Play it cool when he shows up again. He’s probably wondering where he lost this. If you do anything different he may bolt.”

When all the men take off, I crouch down beside Sylvia and throw up. The picture is burning a hole in my back pocket. I pull it out and toss it face down on the passenger seat.

Fuck!

I sit in the rod for a few minutes before calling William. He answers first ring.

“Everything okay?” he asks nervously.

“Yeah,” my voice cracks on the word when I force it out.

“I’ll turn around. What is it?”

“No. Goddammit. Don’t you dare turn around and come back to this shit hole. I…I just remembered something.”

“Jesse,” he sighs. “Are you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you alone? You have people. Lean on them. You shouldn’t be alone after what you’ve just been through.”

“What I’ve just been through?” I stare at the shiny black photo on the seat next to me.

“Yes, get your ass back to Dan’s. Let him help you.”

“Did you ever think about killing him?” I ask William.

There is a long silence that follows my question.

“Jesse, you’re scaring me. Please go to Dan’s.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m headed there now. You’re right, Jimmy is just in my head, messing with me. Call me when you guys get there?”

“We will.” He takes a breath and as he lets it out he finally answers my question. “Yes, yes I’ve thought about killing him every single day.”

“Drive safe,” I whisper before hanging up.

I head over to Samuel’s hardware store. He looks up when I walk in. “Hey, Jesse. How’s your aunt doing?” I smile and tell him she is fine. He’s always had a crush on her. But, he is too nice for her. Too good of a man. Her words not mine.

When I traded him cans of paint for her phone number I had secretly prayed that they would get together. She turned him down and blocked his number. He is an attractive man, owns his own business and is kind. He is the perfect catch, but she turned him down because she didn’t feel worthy enough to date someone like him.

He helps me lug all my paint out to Sylvia. “Whatcha working on. Any murals here in town?”

He’s always bragging to the other store owners in town how much people love the mural of the beach I did on the side of his building. He’s brought a lot of business my way.

“No, nothing right now. I’m just restocking my paints.”

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