The Winner (12 page)

LuAnn went into the bathroom and started running water in the tub while she checked the cut on her jaw in the mirror. It was healing okay, but it would probably leave a scar. That didn’t bother her; it could have been a lot worse. She got another beer from the refrigerator and walked back into the bathroom. She slid into the hot water and took a sip of the cold beer. She figured she would need plenty of both alcohol and steamy, soothing water to get through the next couple of days.

Promptly at twelve o’clock, Charlie arrived with several bags from Bloomingdale’s and Baby Gap. During the next hour, LuAnn tried on several outfits that made her tingle all over.

“You certainly do those clothes justice. More than justice,” Charlie said admiringly.

“Thank you. Thanks for all this stuff. You got the size just right.”

“Hell, you got the height and figure of a model. They make these clothes for people like you. You ever think about doing that for a living? Modeling, that is?”

LuAnn shrugged as she put on a cream-colored jacket over a long, pleated black skirt. “Sometimes, when I was younger.”

“Younger? My God, you can’t be far out of your teens.”

“I’m twenty, but you feel older after having a baby.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“No, I ain’t cut out for modeling.”

“Why not?”

She looked at him and said simply, “I don’t like getting my picture taken, and I don’t like looking at myself.”

Charlie just shook his head. “You are definitely one strange young woman. Most girls your age, with your looks, you couldn’t drag them away from the mirror. Narcissus personified. Oh, but you need to wear those big sunglasses and keep the hat on; Jackson said to keep you under wraps. We probably shouldn’t be going out, but in a city of seven million I don’t think we’re going to have a problem.” He held up a cigarette. “You mind?”

She smiled. “Are you kidding? I work in a truck diner. They don’t even let you in unless you got your smokes and plan to use ’em. Most nights the place looks like it’s on fire.”

“Well, no more truck diners for you.”

“I guess not.” She pinned a wide-brimmed, floppy hat to her hair. “How do I look?” She posed for him.

“Better than anything in
Cosmo,
that’s for sure.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. You just wait till I dress my little girl,” she said proudly. “Now that
is
something I dream about. A lot!”

An hour later, LuAnn put Lisa, who was decked out in the latest Baby Gap fashions, in her baby carrier and hefted it. She turned to Charlie. “You ready?”

“Not just yet.” He opened the door to the suite and then looked back at her. “Why don’t you close your eyes. We might as well do the whole production.” LuAnn looked strangely at him. “Go on, just do it,” he said, grinning.

She obeyed. A few seconds later he said, “Okay, open them up.” When she did, she was staring at a brand new and very expensive baby carriage. “Oh, Charlie.”

“You keep lugging that thing around much longer,” he said, pointing at the baby carrier, “your hands are going to scrape the ground.”

LuAnn gave him a big hug, loaded Lisa in, and they were off.

S
hirley Watson was madder than hell. In seeking appropriate revenge for her humiliation at the hands of LuAnn Tyler, Shirley had taxed her ingenuity, to the extent she had any, to the maximum. She parked her pickup in an out-of-the-way spot about a quarter of a mile from the trailer and got out, a metal canister held tightly in her right hand. She looked at her watch as she made her way toward the trailer, where she was pretty certain LuAnn would be deeply sleeping after working at the diner all night. Where Duane was she didn’t really care. If he was there, then she might get a piece of him too for not defending her against the Amazon-like LuAnn.

With each step, the short, squat Shirley grew even angrier. She had gone to school with LuAnn, and had also dropped out before graduating. Also like LuAnn, she had lived in Rikersville all her life. Unlike LuAnn, however, she had no desire to leave it. Which made what LuAnn had done to her even more awful. People had seen her sneaking home, completely naked. She had never been more humiliated. She had gotten more crap than she knew how to deal with. She was going to have to live with that the rest of her life. Stories would be told again and again until she would be the laughingstock of her hometown. The abuse would continue until she was dead and buried; maybe even then it wouldn’t stop. LuAnn Tyler was going to pay for that. So she was screwing around with Duane, so what? Everybody knew Duane had no intention of marrying LuAnn. And everyone also knew that LuAnn would probably kill herself before she would ever walk down the aisle with that man. LuAnn stayed because she had nowhere else to go, or lacked the courage to make a change, Shirley knew that—at least she believed she did—for a fact. Everyone thought LuAnn was so beautiful, so capable. Shirley fumed and grew even more flushed in the face despite the cool breeze flickering across the road. Well, she was going to love to hear what people had to say about LuAnn’s looks after she got done with her.

When she drew close to the trailer, Shirley bent low and made her way from tree to tree. The big convertible was still parked in front of the trailer. Shirley could see the tire marks in the hardened mud where something had spun out. She passed the car, taking a moment to peer inside before continuing her stealthy approach. What if somebody else was there? She suddenly smiled to herself. Maybe LuAnn was getting some on the side while Duane was away. Then she could pay LuAnn back even steven. She smiled even more broadly as she envisioned a naked LuAnn running screaming from the trailer. Suddenly, everything became very quiet, very still. As if on cue, even the breeze stopped. Shirley’s smile disappeared and she looked around nervously. She gripped the canister even more firmly and reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out the hunting knife. If she missed with the battery acid she was carrying in the canister, then she most assuredly wouldn’t miss with the knife. She had been cleaning game and fish most of her life and could wield a blade with the best of them. LuAnn’s face would get the benefit of that expertise, at least in the areas the acid missed.

“Damn,” she said as she moved up to the front steps and the smell hit her right in the face. She looked around again. She hadn’t experienced such an odor even when working a brief stint at the local landfill. She slipped the knife back in her pocket, unscrewed the top to the canister, and then took a moment to cover her nose with a handkerchief. She had come too far to turn back now, smell or not. She silently moved into the trailer, and made her way down to the bedroom. Edging open the door, she looked in. Empty. She closed the door softly and turned to head down the other way. Maybe LuAnn and her beau were asleep on the couch there. The hallway was dark and she felt her way along the wall. As she drew closer, Shirley steeled herself to strike. She lurched forward and, instead, stumbled over something and fell to the floor, coming face-to-face with the decaying source of the stench. Her scream could be heard almost to the main road.

* * *

“You sure didn’t buy much, LuAnn.” Charlie surveyed the few bags on the chaise lounge in her hotel room.

LuAnn came out of the bathroom where she had changed into a pair of jeans and a white sweater, her hair done up in a French braid. “I just like looking. That was fun enough. Besides, I flat out can’t believe the prices up here. Good God!”

“But I would’ve paid for it,” Charlie protested. “I told you that a hundred times.”

“I don’t want you spending money on me, Charlie.”

Charlie sat down in a chair and stared at her. “LuAnn, it’s not
my
money. I told you that, too. I’m on an expense account. Whatever you wanted, you could have.”

“Is that what Mr. Jackson said?”

“Something like that. Let’s just call it an advance on your future winnings.” He grinned.

LuAnn sat down on the bed and played with her hands, a deep frown on her face. Lisa was still in her baby carriage playing with some toys Charlie had bought her. Her happy sounds filled the room.

“Here.” Charlie handed LuAnn a package of photos from their day in New York. “For the memory book.”

LuAnn looked at the photos and her eyes crinkled. “I never thought I’d see a horse and buggy in this city. It was lots of fun riding around that big old park. Smack dab in the middle of all them buildings, too.”

“Come on, you’d never heard of Central Park?”

“Sure I had.
Heard,
leastways. Only I just thought it was all made up.” LuAnn handed him a double photo of herself that she picked out of the pack.

“Whoops, thanks for reminding me,” said Charlie.

“That’s for my passport?”

He nodded as he slipped the photo into his jacket pocket.

“Don’t Lisa need one?”

He shook his head. “She’s not old enough. She can travel under yours.”

“Oh.”

“So I understand you want to change your name.”

LuAnn put the photos away and started fiddling with the packages. “I thought it’d be a good idea. A fresh start.”

“That’s what Jackson said you said. I guess if that’s what you want.”

LuAnn suddenly plopped down on the chaise lounge and put her head in her hands.

Charlie looked keenly at her. “Come on, LuAnn, changing your name isn’t that traumatic. What’s bothering you?”

She finally looked up. “Are you sure I’m gonna win the lottery tomorrow?”

He spoke carefully. “Let’s just wait until tomorrow, LuAnn, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

“All that money, but I don’t feel good about it, Charlie, not one bit.”

He lit a cigarette and puffed on it as he continued to watch her. “I’m gonna order up some room service. Three courses, a bottle of wine. Some hot coffee, the works. You’ll feel better after you’ve eaten.” He opened up the hotel services book and began to peruse the menu.

“Have you done this before? I mean, looked after people that . . . Mr. Jackson has met with?”

Charlie looked up from the menu. “I’ve worked with him for a while, yeah. I’ve never met him in person. We communicate solely over the phone. He’s a smart guy. A little anal for my tastes, a bit paranoid, but real sharp. He pays me well, real well. And baby-sitting people in fancy hotels and ordering room service isn’t such a bad life.” He added with a big smile, “I’ve never looked after anybody I had this much fun with, though.”

She knelt down beside the baby carriage and pulled out a gift-wrapped package from the storage bin underneath. She handed it to him.

Charlie’s mouth gaped in surprise. “What’s this?”

“I got you a present. Actually, it’s from me and Lisa. I was looking for something for you and she started pointing and squealing at it.”

“When did you do this?”

“Remember, while you were over looking at the men’s clothing.”

“LuAnn, you didn’t have to—”

“I know that,” she said quickly. “That’s why it’s called a gift, you’re not supposed to have to.” Charlie gripped the box tightly in his hands, his eyes riveted on her. “Well, go ahead and open it for gosh sakes,” she said.

While Charlie carefully pulled off the wrapping paper, LuAnn heard Lisa stir. She went over and picked up the little girl. They both watched Charlie as he took off the box top.

“Damn!” He gently lifted out the dark green fedora. It had an inch-wide leather band on the outside and a ribbon of cream-colored silk lining the inside.

“I saw you trying it on at the store. I thought you looked real nice in it, real sharp. But then you put it back. I could tell you didn’t want to.”

“LuAnn, this thing cost a lot of money.”

She waved him off. “I had some saved up. I hope you like it.”

“I love it, thank you.” He gave her a hug and then took one of Lisa’s dimpled fists in his. He gave it a gentle, formal shake. “And thank you, little lady. Excellent taste.”

“Well, try it on again. Make sure you still like it.”

He slid it over his head and checked himself out in the mirror.

“Slick, Charlie, real slick.”

He smiled. “Not bad, not bad.” He fussed with it a little until he caught the proper angle. Then he took it off and sat back down. “I’ve never gotten a gift from the people I’ve looked after. I’m usually only with them for a couple of days anyway, then Jackson takes over.”

LuAnn quickly picked up on the opening. “So how’d you come to be doing this kind of work?”

“I take it you’d like to hear my life story?”

“Sure. I’ve been bending your ear enough.”

Charlie settled back in the chair and assumed a comfortable look. He pointed to his face. “Bet you didn’t guess I used to ply my skills in the boxing ring.” He grinned. “Mostly, I was a sparring partner—a punching bag for up-and-comers. I was smart enough to get out while I still had my brains, at least some of them. After that, I took up semipro football. Let me tell you, that isn’t any easier on the body, but at least you get to wear helmets and pads. I’d always been athletic, though, and to tell you the truth I liked making my living that way.”

“You look like you’re in real good shape.”

Charlie slapped his hard stomach. “Not bad for being almost fifty-four. Anyway, after football, I coached a little, got married, floated around here and there, never finding anything that fit, you know?”

LuAnn said, “I know that feeling real good.”

“Then my career path took a big turn.” He paused to crush out his cigarette and immediately lit another.

LuAnn took the opportunity to put Lisa back in the baby carriage. “What’d you do?”

“I spent some time as a guest of the U.S. government.” LuAnn looked at him curiously, not getting his meaning. “I was in a federal prison, LuAnn.”

She looked astonished. “You don’t look the type, Charlie.”

He laughed. “I don’t know about that. Besides, there are lots of different types doing time, LuAnn, let me tell you.”

“So what’d you do?”

“Income tax evasion. Or fraud I guess they’d call it, at least the prosecutor did. And he was right. I guess I just got tired of paying it. Never seemed like there was enough to live on, let alone giving a chunk to the government.” He brushed his hair back. “That little mistake cost me three years and my marriage.”