Hope For Garbage (9 page)

CHAPTER
20

The antique light fixture was probably valuable, and definitely fixable.  That’s what
Mr.T said anyway.  Trevor examined the tarnished brass base under the lights of his workstation.  Electrical wiring was not his specialty, and definitely not old electrical wiring.  He started searching through his screwdriver drawer for a large Philips head.  If he could get it fixed, maybe Uncle Gary could sell it off to someone, and get off his case for a while. 

Other than that pain in the ass, things were definitely looking up.  Trevor really thought him and Bea might have a chance.  After their talk in the park yesterday, she took him home and they kissed each other goodbye.  Trevor invited her into the Box, but she said she had to get up really early.  He didn’t know if she was blowing him off or
not, but he was okay with taking things slow.  The last thing he wanted to do was screw things up with Bea again.

It was Saturday night and she was busy with the family thing, so he decided to hang out in the Box. 
Mr.T had taken Carol out to dinner.  Those two were quite the item; Trevor was happy for him.

He carefully unscrewed the bottom of the light fixture and looked at the web of old wires.  Maybe he would
just work on this tomorrow when Mr.T could help.

Just then Jip started barking. 
He heard a car pulling into the gravel driveway.  Maybe Uncle Gary decided he’d had enough of the Barley Tavern scene.  That was doubtful though.  It was only around eight, and he never came home before midnight on a Saturday.

Trevor opened the door to the Box and peeked out.  It was dark and he had to look twice—but there was no mistaking it.  Parked in his driveway was a silver Mercedes. 
Shit.

He closed the door quickly and
stood with his back to the wall.  He turned the dead bolt and tried to stay as quiet as possible.  But when the car door slammed shut, Jip started barking again.

“Quiet Jip!”  He whispered in his harshest tone, but it was no
use.  With Jip’s barking and the lights shining inside the Box, she had to know he was in there.

Trevor crouched down and almost crawled over to the tiny window.  Very slowly he lifted his head and peeked out into the backyard.

Like a ghost in the night, Evelyn Stewart, draped in white from head to toe, was coming toward the Box.  As she got closer, Trevor’s mind started racing.  He put his head in his hands. 
What was this lady’s problem?

He stayed down on the floor and tried not to make a sound.
 
Maybe she would just look around and leave…

But as soon as the hopeful thought entered his mind, Evelyn started banging on the door.  “Trevor!  Are you in there?”
Bang, bang, bang.

She slurred her words, “Trevor, it’s me, Evelyn, will you please talk to me?”  She sounded wasted.

Trevor debated about what to do next.  The sad thing was, she probably wasn’t going to leave unless he talked to her. 
Bang, bang, bang.

“Alright!”
  He slowly opened the door.

Evil Lyn
stood there, wide-eyed, with a crazed smile on her face.  Her hair was all messed up and she had black shit streaming down her cheeks once again.  She could barely hold herself up, swaying from side to side.  And she didn’t smell like roses.  She smelled more like Uncle Gary after a hard night at the tavern.  “Hello Trevor.” She fell forward into his arms.

“Whoa!” 
He caught her just before she landed on her face.  He grabbed under her arms and pulled her into the Box.  “Evelyn, what are you doing here?”  He sat her down on an old garden bench he had been working on.

She could barely keep her head up, “I think I have a drinking problem Trevor.  What do you think?”  She began laughing hysterically.

Jesus. 
Trevor looked down at Jip as if he might be able to help.  “You know what Jip?  In my next life, I want to come back as a dog.  Not have to deal with all this bullshit.”

Evelyn’s laughter immediately turned to tears, “I’m sorry… I came here
.  I’m sorry…,” she wailed between muffled sobs.

He was at a loss and didn’t know what the hell to say.  She was so drunk, she probably wouldn’t remember anything he said anyway.  “Mrs. Stewart—I mean Evelyn,” he kneeled down to her level and tried to look her in the face, “You have to leave me alone, okay?”

She lifted her head up slowly, looking at Trevor with glossy bloodshot eyes, “I just didn’t know where else to go.  I can’t face anyone.  You like me don’t you Trevor?”

He reached over
, took hold of her arm, and lifted her up by the elbow, “Nope, we’re not going through this again.  I’m taking you home.  You need to go lie down and sober up.  I’ll take you.  There’s no way I’m letting you drive.”  Then he suddenly thought of Bea, “Is your family at home?”

Evelyn h
eld on to the wall, “No.  Bill took Bea out to dinner for some father-daughter time.  Hah, what a joke that is.  She’ll be at home one more year and he decides he wants to be a father now.  Typical.”

“Okay, let’s go then,” He did his best to lead her to the car and put her in
to the passenger side.  He threw his bike in the trunk.

H
e was not looking forward to riding back to Westwood this late, but he didn’t have a choice.  He had to get her out of there.  If Uncle Gary did decide to come home early, Trevor would have a hard time explaining this one.

***

The drive to the Stewart’s seemed much longer than twenty minutes.  Evelyn passed out almost immediately, and in the silence Trevor had nothing to do but think.  What was he going to do with this lady?  He had just gotten things back on track with Bea, and now Evil Lyn was threatening it all.  He had to think of some way to fix this, and soon.

As they approached the house, Trevor slowed down and shut off the headlights.  They came to a stop at the end of the driveway—exactly where he and Bea first met.  God, it seemed like years ago, not weeks.

Everything seemed quiet; no lights on and no cars in the driveway.  He pulled up and killed the engine.

“Okay Eve
lyn.  We’re here.”  No response.  “Wake up.”  He repeated it a little louder and shook her shoulder.

She finally
opened her eyes and sat up, “Where am I?”  She looked at Trevor with alarm on her face, obviously not having a clue where she was.

The last thing Trevor needed was Evelyn causing a scene.  He said in his calmest voice possible, “You’re at home.  I drove you here.  Do you need help getting into the house?”

She looked over at the house and realization seemed to set in.  “Oh.”  She started pulling at the car door handle and couldn’t get it open.

“Do you need some help?” he asked.

“No, no…I’m fine.”  Suddenly the door swung open, and she fell out, right onto the pavement.  If the whole situation wasn’t so serious, he would be laughing his ass off. 
Mr.T, if you could only see me now
.

Trevor ran around to the other side of the car and helped her off the ground as quietly as possible.  Both of her ar
ms were wrapped around his neck, the smell of her booze breath all over him.

“All right Evelyn, let’s go.”  He slowly began leading her up the driveway.  She probably only weighed ninety pounds but it felt like much more.  The entire way, she pulled down on his sweatshirt and dragged her feet
while rambling off garbled apologies.

They finally made it to the front door and he pulled out her keys.  The second key he tried worked
and the lock clicked.

He just had to get her in the house and this nightmare would be over.  But what Trevor didn’t realize, as he pushed open the heavy front door, was that the biggest nightmare awaited him on the other side.

CHAPTER
21

Lorene wished that man would just shut up and have a drink already.  Bill Stewart had been pacing like a caged animal, mumbling under his breath for the last twenty minutes.  Lorene wasn’t sure where Mrs. Stewart was, but she hoped for the sake of everyone there that she showed up soon.

Lorene had called the salon and they told her that Mrs. Stewart had left at five-thirty, over three hours ago.  She should’ve been home by now.

Bea had purposely told her mom that she and dear old dad were going out to dinner.  That way, Mrs. Stewart would think she had the house to herself.  That woman loved her evenings home alone and it wasn’t a secret.  Lorene and Bea figured she would probably be home by seven at the latest.  They were wrong.

They had been planning the surprise 40
th
birthday party for the last couple of weeks.  Lorene thought maybe working on a party would be a good distraction for Bea.  The girl had been so down-in-the-dumps lately.  And because it was a full month before Mrs. Stewart’s real birthday, they knew she wouldn’t suspect anything.

It was a little last minute, but it was amazing what money could do.   Bill Stewart’s involvement was purely financial.  To no one’s surprise, he simply wrote a bla
nk check and said “Tell me when and where.”  That was fine by Lorene and she took full advantage.

Bea made sure all of her mom’s favorite things were incorporated into the party.  Fresh Cymbidium orchids
, Mrs. Stewart’s favorite, adorned the tabletops.  Overhead, thousands of white twinkle lights wrapped in tulle draping illuminated the room.  An enormous swan ice sculpture sat in the middle of the buffet table.  Mrs. Stewart loved swans.

With over one hundred guests, there was enough gourm
et food to feed a small country and a full staff to wait on them.  They had hired a harpist to play during dinner—Mrs. Stewart’s favorite instrument.

No expense was spared for this party
, much to Bill Stewart’s dismay.  Lorene had even rented a shuttle bus to transport guests from a nearby parking lot.  That way, there wouldn’t be any cars parked out front to tip off the party.  They had gone to great lengths to make sure Mrs. Stewart was completely shocked.

Just then Bea came running from the front foyer, “Kill the lights!  She just pulled in!  Quick, everyone hide!  Hide!  Shhh!”

Lorene fumbled in the dark, holding Reggie’s hand and pulling him down beside her.  They were crouched behind a giant potted fern in the corner of the great room.

Only the front entryway was dimly lit and Lorene had a perfect view of it.  She wasn’t sure what Mrs. Stewart’s reaction would be, but she hoped it would be a happy one.

CLICK

The door lock echoed through the silent room.  The massive front door pushed open into the darkness.  Lorene could only see a shadow.  She shifted her footing, trying to get a better view of Mrs. Stewart.  There was a scuffling sound and then the flick of the light switch.

All of the guests jumped to their feet and yelled “Surprise!” in a deafening roar. 

Silence settled in immediately and a collective hush fell over the vast room.  Lorene stared in astonishment at the scene before her.  And then, in a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose.

***

Scared shitless—that was the term that came to mind as Trevor faced the crowd in front of him.  A sea of wide eyes and gaping mouths stared back in horror.  Hot, nauseating waves of panic surged through him and his grip on Evelyn’s arm suddenly gave way.  She fell to the floor in a drunken heap. 
This can’t be happening.

In seconds, Bill Stewart was at her side, lifting her up and carrying her like a baby over to the couch.  He laid her
down and covered her with a blanket.  The partygoers all looked at each other with bewilderment and confusion.

Trevor was frozen
.  His feet seemed to be cemented to the ground. 
Oh God…
  He would give anything for a giant black hole to open beneath him and swallow him—right then, right there.

Bill Stewart slowly turned to Trevor.  His eyes were filled with rage, his fists clenched at his side.  The man looked like he was about to go postal.  Another term q
uickly came to mind—dead meat.

“Who in the hell are you and what have you done to my wife?!” he shouted at Trevor, his spit spraying in the air.

As Trevor’s mind raced, his eyes darted across the room and that’s when he saw Bea.  She was standing in the middle of the room, staring at him like everyone else.

But unlike everyone else, she looked like she was about to cry.  He wanted to reach out to her and start explaining.  He wanted to plead with her and tell her it wasn’t his fault.  But his lips wouldn’t move—nothing would move.

“Well!?” Bill Stewart was in front of him now, his face just inches from Trevor’s, “I asked you a question!”

“I…I just…” the words wouldn’t come.

“Mr. Stewart!  Hold on Mr. Stewart!”  A familiar voice rose up from the back of the room.  All heads turned in that direction.  Lorene was working her way through the crowd, “Hold on, I can explain this.  Let me explain!”

Trevor had no clue where she was going with this, but he didn’t care.  Thank God for Lorene.

“This is my friend, Trevor.”  Lorene stood at his side and put her hand on his shoulder.  “He rides the bus into town with me sometimes.  He works at one of the restaurants here.”

Trevor couldn’t believe his ears.  “See when Mrs. Stewart was running late, I called Trevor here and asked him if he would do a big favor for me.  I asked him to go around town to some of the local establishments and see if he might be able to find her.”  Lorene was putting on a great performance, “Unfortunately, I failed to mention the party to him.  It’s my fault, not his.”

Mr. Stewart actually seemed to be buying it, his red face slowly fading to pink.  He glared at Trevor for only a few seconds more and then turned to the stunned spectators, “Well everyone, I don’t think my wife is in the mood for a party and I don’t think I am either.  I sincerely apologize, and I thank you all for coming.”

The guests slowly began filing out the front door.  Trevor co
uld hear their rumblings of disapproval as they gawked at him on their way out.

When the house finally emptied, only a handful of people remained: Lorene and her husband Reggie, Evelyn and Bill Stewart, and Bea, sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.

The look of hurt on her face felt like a punch in Trevor’s gut.  He had never seen her like that before.  He wanted to run to her and tell her it was all a big mistake.  But he was frozen, just like in a dream.  He kept his eyes on the floor and just prayed the nightmare would be over soon.  He just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Suddenly Evelyn sat up on the couch, her head swaying from side to side.  She tried to stand up, but Mr. Stewart promptly sat her back down, “Evelyn, I demand to know what’s going on!  This behavior is ridiculous!  For God’s sakes, what has gotten into you?”

She fell over onto her side and buried her head in a pillow, “You!  You bastard!  You are what’s gotten into me!  I hate you!”

Mr. Stewart looked dumbfounded, but Evelyn wasn’t finished.  She looked up at him with her crazy eyes, “Do you hear me?  I hate you!”

Trevor began back-stepping.  He needed to get out of there—now.

“Only Trevor understands me!” she screamed.

Oh no.
  He stopped dead in his tracks.  All eyes were on him in an instant.

Evelyn stood up
and pointed her finger directly at Trevor.  She smiled, “He’s sweet and kind…and he definitely knows how to please a woman.”

Shit. 
Trevor immediately looked over at Bea but she was already running from the room.

Bill Stewart’s face turned purple, “What!?  What in the hell are you talking about?”  He looked at Trevor, his face full of fury.  “What is she talking about?”

Evelyn broke out into hysterical laughter and shrieked, “Tell them Trevor!  Tell them about our night in the Mercedes!”

His heart was beating out of his chest.  He held his hands up in front of him, “Look, I don’t know what she’s talking about.  This lady’s crazy.  I never—.”

“You son-of-a-bitch!”  Bill Stewart screamed and lunged toward him at full force.

In a flash, Trevor turn
ed on his heel and bolted to the front door.  As he tried to get it open, Bill Stewart grabbed him from behind.  Trevor pulled away with every ounce of strength that he had, tearing his sweatshirt at the seams.

He
felt himself break free, out the front door.  He sprinted into the night air, his legs carrying him faster than they ever had before.  He ran in the dark, through the perfectly manicured lawns, his thoughts focused only on one thing.

He had to get far away,
and he had to find somewhere to hide.