Page 96 of Rest In Pink

I noticed that Ken had joined the group. He was dressed in worn jeans and a white hoodie that was covered in soot; he’d been in amongst all of us fighting it. I remembered that he said they were meeting Cash this evening to discuss his using the family name.

“Things will be all right,” I promised Patsy and once more I could hear Rain’s snicker at putting my ass on the line. But I wasn’t the only one who’d put it on the line. A segment of Burney had. Patsy nodded and sniffled a little.

I headed toward Liz and Peri and the new car, but then Cash pulled up in his silver BMW. He got out, dressed in black. In my head I could hear Warren Zevon sing: “and his hair was perfect”. But his lip was still swollen.

Patsy headed toward him, cutting him off from the crowd. She was shaking her head, but Cash was being insistent on something. I diverted from Liz to them.

“Patsy, it’s a great deal, especially now, with all this damage,” Cash was saying and I realized he was, once more, trying to buy the garage and land, using the damn fire as leverage. Cash looked past her at me and quickly diverted his eyes. “It’s still a good deal,” Cash said. “And now that the place is so damaged—”

His problem was, he didn’t spot Ken who came up from the side and cold-cocked him with a punch to the side of the head. It sounded like a hammer hitting a hollow bowl. Cash dropped like a stone and I added Ken to those I’d want on my side in a fight. Patsy nodded at Ken and they both turned and headed toward Will and the others. Who all began to clap. Cash wouldn’t be voted homecoming king again.

I walked to the car where Liz was sitting with Peri. She got out as I got close and Peri climbed out after her, sticking close.

“Everything’s all right,” I told them.

“No,” Liz said, “it’s not all right. But the fire is out?”

“Yeah. And so is Cash.”

Liz looked over where Cash lay next to his shiny car. He was beginning to stir, so he’d be okay, not that anyone cared. He’d have a headache to go with his lip, but I doubted the message would get through to him.

I wasn’t sure what else to say to Liz, but then a young woman with a big grin came over. She was wearing an old fire department coat and pants.

“Hey, Peri!” she said. “Want to see the fire truck?”

Peri blinked. “Crystal! Will you be with me?”

“Of course,” Crystal said. “Come on.”

She took her hand and looked back at Liz, who said, “You’re with the fire department already? Good work, Crys.”

“Mr. Blake was giving me a tour and he put me on the truck when we got the call,” she said, giddy with happiness. “It’s so great.”

“You’re a fireman?” Peri said, and Crystal said, “Maybe, some day. Come on and see the truck.”

Peri nodded and went with Crystal to see the fire truck, clinging to her hand, sticking to her side like glue, looking back at us to double check we were still there.

“I think Peri sleeps with me tonight,” Liz said, watching them go. Then she turned to me. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” I said. “This is not the way I thought the evening would go.”

She took a step closer and I did, too, and then her arms were around me. “I was scared for you. And for me. And for Peri. But once we were in this car, we were safe and I was just scared for you.”

“I am strong and brave,” I told her, flexing for her, trying to make her laugh.

“That’s why I was afraid. I was afraid you’d go after Mickey and get killed.”

I pulled her close again. “That is not part of my plan.” Then I had to ask. “Was the car a wrong thing to do?”

“No,” she said into my chest. “I love this car. Candy Apple Red is the perfect color for it.”

“It’s a little brighter than I thought it’d be,” I said. “People will see you coming.”

“Good. They should have a warning.”

“You didn’t seem sure. At first.”

She paused for about three days, and then she said, “Did you do this so I could leave in September?”

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