Page 46 of With Stars in Her Eyes
“I’ve never thought it was very expedient to pretend much of anything.”
“That’s fair.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t want to dump my problems on you. Everything’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
Jeannie didn’t answer that. She stared back at me with a look that was impossible to misinterpret.
“My stuff got kicked out of my grandfather’s house earlier than I expected it would.”
“What’d you do to piss off the old man?”
“He’s been dead for ten years, so nothing. My brother however…” I shook my head. “My grandfather left me a lot of photography stuff. It’s hard to explain. It’s special. He always said that collection was his life’s work. The rest of my family never really understood. They don’t really understand me at all actually. I’m not like my brother or sisters. I’m… I’m kind of like the family fuckup. I quit things. Alotof things. But photography is the one thing I haven’t—and… anyway, basically it’s a literal truckload of stuff. I promised my family I would rent a space for it here, and then I promptly forgot about it like an asshole because I started the job at Squid quicker than expected. It can’t be stored just anywhere. There are antiques and stuff I haven’t even gone through yet, so it has to be somewhat temperature controlled. Know any good storage units or studios that rent out space?”
“Not off the top of my head… but…” Jeannie pushed her glasses up her nose. “Well, when I kick the bucket, I hope whoever I leave my life’s work to cares half as much as you do about his things.” She grabbed a pitchfork and stabbed it into the ground. Just like on the night of the snowstorm, I was struck again by her face. I was absolutely certain she had been utterly stunning as a young woman. Every sunspot and wrinkle on her face seemed to tell a story. I felt a prickle in my fingers like I always did when I saw something beautiful—a craving to capture the moment.
Jeannie’s face lit up. “I’ve got an idea.”
“About what?”
“About your predicament. Give me until tomorrow morning.”
“Until tomorrow morning for what?” I rubbed my hands together. The wind was picking up, but Jeannie didn’t seem to notice.
“See you tomorrow morning right here.” The older woman checked her watch. “Same time, okay? Good.” Without waiting for an answer, she pushed her wheelbarrow off down a path that seemed to lead to the back of the church building.
“Ms. Gallagher-Keegan, I—”
“Call me, Jeannie. Ms. Jeannie. Either.” Jeannie waved over her shoulder. “And see you tomorrow.” She slipped her phone out of her pocket. Her voice carried in the quiet. “I believe, kiddo, that I did you a favor out of the blue once, and it’s about time I called in my chit.”
CHAPTER 15Thea
Before leaving the condo, I checked on the living room couch where Marshall had been camped out for weeks now. He was snoring, and the beer on his breath carried all the way down the hall. I would have to figure out what to do with him soon. But not today.
On the way to St. Clare Circle, I stopped for several coffees and a large pink box of doughnuts. My mother had her issues, but she had taught me the best way to demonstrate gratitude was through copious amounts of expertly brewed caffeine and sugar.
I sat on a bench beneath that enormous tree my rock targeted yesterday and pulled one of Courtney’s loaned books from my pocket.
After I’d read several pages, a voice called out a good morning from a foot away from me.Jeannie.
I clutched at my chest and steadied the coffees in the carrier. “You move really quietly.”
“For an old bat you mean.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Jeannie chuckled. “I think it was implied. Now grab your things and head around to the alley behind the old school building.”
“Am I going to be blindfolded and thrown in a van or something?”
“Guess you’ll have to take that chance.” Her tone did nothing to assuage my wariness.
Despite this, I grabbed the coffees and box of doughnuts and followed her to the old brick school building anyway. I wasn’tsure what Ihadexpected to find there, but it wasn’t Courtney and Samantha both bundled in jackets, standing in front of a large tow trailer painted with an angry-looking plant hitched to an enormous extended-cab truck. Jeannie told me to wait here and then hustled into a door just beyond where the truck was parked.
“Coffee, thank god.” Samantha stepped forward to take a cup off my carrier.
“What are y’all doing here?”
