Rodney bounded up onto the porch. “You got that right. Lora's an idiot. No wonder her husband left without her."
"Zip it,” Sadie bit back. “I've had more than I can handle for one day. Go find someone else to bother."
"No can do,” Rodney said. He wrangled his way onto the swing between Lora and Sadie and put an arm around each of them.
"Then I'll go,” Sadie said, pulling herself from the swing.
"Me too,” Lora said.
Rodney reached across the swing and grabbed the wooden arm, thwarting Lora's attempt. “You're not going anywhere.” He ran his finger across the back of her neck and grinned. “When you gonna realize I might be a good catch? You know I've been thinking about you."
Slapping at his hand, she tried once again to get out of the swing. “Leave me alone. I don't want to have anything to do with you."
"Now there you go hurting my feelings again. A loser like you shouldn't be so fussy."
Lora crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the cabin next door.
"You can ignore me all you want. But I'm still taking you with me. I need somebody to take care of the mansion I'm going to build in the parallel world."
Lora squeezed her arms tighter. “Mansion? Just how do you think you're going to do that?"
"It's a secret.” He shifted his weight, leaned closer to Lora and buried his lips in her hair. “If you're nice, I might tell you."
"Do you spend all your time cooking up ways to make others miserable?” Lora leaned further into the wooden arm.
"I'm trying to get ahead in life."
"Life?” Lora said exaggerating the word. “Will you be alive in the parallel world? Will anyone?"
"Sadie thinks so. You heard her say there'll be some sort of life there. That's why we're given a second chance to better ourselves."
"So you think you're going to be rich if you go there? How do you intend to pull that off? You've never worked a day in your life. You were still living with your parents."
"Whoa, aren't you getting feisty. Full of piss and vinegar like my old lady.” Rodney grinned. “I like that in my women.” He set his heel firm against the porch floor forcing the swing to stop. “When I get my hands on what Theo's been trying to hide, I'm going to be rich."
"What does Theo have to do with it?"
"None of your damn business. But if you agree to go with me, I'll see to it you have everything you've ever wanted. Hell, I'll even let your brat live with us."
Lora turned toward Rodney and stared into his eyes. “How do I know I can trust you?"
"You'll have to wait and see."
He pulled a wad of fishing line from his pocket and held it under her chin. “I'm getting ready to go, so you'll have to make up your mind."
Lora took the fishing line and moved it around in her hands before looking at Rodney.
"Remember that dog I was going to put out of its misery? I've figured out a way to do it without using the rifle. It won't draw as much attention and will give me time to step into the light first. If I go first, I determine the path. I don't want to risk someone else choosing the alternative. Someone like you or Tim."
"I have no intention of following you into the light. Neither does Tim."
"We'll see,” Rodney said, dangling the wad of fishing line in front of Lora.
"What are you going to do, choke Sadie?” Lora said.
"No. And keep your voice down. She might hear you.” He looked toward the screen door. “That would attract too much attention, too. She'd put up a fuss and everyone would come running."
He rose from the swing and sat on the top porch step. Untangling the wad of fishing line, he stretched it out across the wooden decking. After folding the line in half to increase its strength, he tied one end around the bottom of the newel post and tugged on it to test the knot. “See? If I pull this tight, it's going to hit Sadie about ankle level. It'll trip her when she goes down the stairs.” Pointing toward the ground, he said, “If I calculated right, she'll take a header into the concrete."
"There's no guarantee it'll kill her. Plus she'll see you when you pull the fishing line. She's not blind, you know."
"Not if I'm under the porch,” Rodney said. “I've been under there experimenting with my timing and I think I've got it figured out. The line's transparent, so she shouldn't see it.” Holding up a pocket knife, he said, “Whether she dies or not, the line's going to disappear. If she doesn't die, I've got the rifle under the porch. And won't everyone be surprised to find out that the shot that killed Sadie came from that deputy's rifle?"
Rodney wrapped the transparent line once more around the post before tucking it under the step. He rejoined Lora on the swing. “Soon. It's going to happen soon."
30
"Do you really think Carl will go along with it?” Jane said.
"It's worth a try,” Mr. Bakke said. “With the new evidence Sadie's got, he can't afford not to. If the man wants to win the election, he'll do it."
Sadie double-parked in front of the city's municipal building and opened the van door. She leaned back in the driver's seat and held her palm against the horn.
Looking up from a pile of overdue reports, Carl shouted, “What the hell is that racket?” When no one responded, he again raised his voice. “Angie? What the hell is going on out there?"
The dispatcher shielded the sun from her eyes and looked through the glass pane. “It looks like that weird lady from the resort. She's holding her hand on the horn."
Grabbing his cap from a hook near the door, Carl snugged it down over his head and raced from the building.
Sadie saw Carl coming toward the van and lifted her hand off the horn. As he walked in front of the car she had hemmed in by double-parking, she pressed down, holding the horn in place with her thumb.
"Are you completely out of your mind?” Carl shouted, covering his left ear with his hand. Carl pulled the door open, climbed up into the van, and yanked her hand from the steering wheel.
"You're a flipping weirdo.” His voice rose two notches higher and cracked as he lost control. “You should be locked up in the nut house.” His nostrils curled with the spiteful words rolling off his tongue. “My mother told me you were trouble. She'll be right there celebrating when I get the deed to the resort."
Tipping her head in thought, Sadie said, “I really don't think that's going to happen. But speaking of your mother, how is Oink Etta the Wonder Pig? I haven't seen her for quite some time."
"Leave my mother out of this,” Carl shouted. “This conversation is about you disturbing the peace."
Sadie displayed a toothy grin. “Well Carl, if you're in the mood to talk…” She rammed the door lever into the locked position and turned the key in the ignition.
"What the hell are you doing?” Sadie's foot slammed against the gas pedal. Carl grabbed the door post to brace himself.
"Taking you for a nice, long ride."
"The hell you are,” he said, dropping down into the stairwell and attempting to insert his fingers into the seal surrounding the door.
Sadie turned the steering wheel sharply, causing Carl to drop onto the top step. “Calm down, Carl. I'm not kidnapping you. I just want to talk to you. I don't want anyone to hear what I have to say."
"Let me out right now,” Carl said, “or I'll break this door with my foot."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. After you hear what I've got to say, I think you'll be singing a different ditty."
Sadie parked the van under a pine tree at Nordeen Point and opened the door. “Feel free to escape if you want. But if you do, I'll go to the newspaper about Richard's murder."
"Murder?” Carl said. “Murder? Richard wasn't murdered. He died when his car went off the road."