Red Ochre Falls (3 page)

It looked like he
gulped before he responded. Maybe he wasn’t sure if he should repeat it to her
face.

“Dread of the
Dead,” he said quietly. Her response looked like it could go either
way—rage or humor. Then she broke out laughing and hugged him. Everything
on her body jiggled.

“You know we love
you Millie, no matter what we call you. It’s just more fun to call you Dread of
the Dead sometimes. This business makes people crazy, it’s our way of dealing
with it,” he told her.

She laughed a
hearty laugh. Her whole frame shook with the effort. “You know I like you best
Garrett, just don’t tell the others.” She pretended to whisper and winked at
him.

“Not as much as me,
though,” Hank laughed. Ryder looked hurt for a moment then his green eyes were
back on me like he wanted something.

“You boys are all
my favorites,” Millie said. “Now let me get on poor Mrs. Wood, before she
crumples up and I can’t fix her face no more.”

“I worked on Mrs.
Wood, you shouldn’t have any face crumpling issues,” Garrett said. The idea of
face crumpling sounded interesting, but I wasn’t sure I could handle the truth
yet.

After the
introductions, I went back to help Zack and Tony. Garrett tagged along, not
saying much. Maybe he was worried I’d run off again.

My phone buzzed as
I carried a chair upstairs, so I hustled the rest of the way up and sat the
chair inside the kitchen to grab the call.

“Mattie,” Chloe
sounded anxious, but glad to hear my voice.

“Hi, Chloe,” I said
not knowing yet why she wanted to talk to me. “I got your text, but things have
been so crazy. Sorry I haven’t responded.”

“It’s okay. I’m
just really glad we’re talking now.” She sounded relieved, and went on to
explain she was working on a big case and needed help.

Good for you,
how can I possibly help?
I thought
sarcastically. What came out of my mouth sounded something more like, “Cool.” I
heard her take a heavy breath. Okay, so maybe she sensed my tone.

Chloe apologized
for the way we left things. She stressed her need for help, said it was
important enough the legal case was being heard at the State Supreme Court.
Chloe said my expertise could help them win, and set an important precedent.
She sounded like she needed a friend. I felt the same way. Only she was smart
enough to reach out, I just kept things bottled up. I softened and agreed to
meet her when she hit town in a couple days. She thanked me a third time and
hung up.

I sat in the chair
and wondered how I’d manage to unpack, register for classes, find a job, and
help solve Chloe’s problem. I had my work cut out for me, so I stood back up
and kept going.

We unloaded a ton
more furniture than we had space for, and worked to make everything fit. When
we’d just about finished moving stuff into the apartment Garrett found my bat.
An old Louisville Slugger. Black painted wood with frayed tape from years of
practice and pickup games. He looked it over and ran his hand over the silver
logo etched in it, part of it had smeared from repeated hits.

“Looks like you got
some use out of this.”

“It’s been around a
while.”
 

“Have you swung at
anything lately?”

“Just her ex,” Zack
laughed. He and Tony carried our mattress upstairs while Garrett and I stayed
to talk.

“Really?”

“Yup. He deserved
it.”

“That’s harsh.”

“I was angry, but I
didn’t hit him. He just happened to be standing a little too close to the fence
I did hit.”

“Remind me never to
get on your bad side.”

“Don’t get on my
bad side.” I winked at him.

“Ha ha. Maybe you
just need a release.”

“Excuse me?”

“It might do you
some good to swing at something you’re allowed to hit.”

“I’m listening.
What do you have in mind?”

“Batting cages.
Interested?”

“Very.”

“Good, let’s unload
the rest of this stuff and take a drive. I know a place.”

“I can’t tonight. I
promised to make Zack and Tony a thank you dinner for helping us. Can I take a
rain-check?” I wasn’t sure if it was a one-time offer, but I asked anyway.

“Sure.” He sounded
disappointed. I couldn’t see his reaction because bent over and lifted a box of
books. He walked them over to the steps and turned back. “Only if I get a thank
you dinner in return.” He smiled and walked away before I could answer.

As we finished, I
put a rope knot doorstop behind the door and turned to look back at our new
place. The heavy ball was a relic grandma gave me. She willed it along with a
bunch of other old stuff to me, and I haven’t been able to go anywhere without
it. It’s just so easy to leave by the door and forget about it. But, it gave me
a sense of security. As though some part of gram was still around watching over
us.

Mom came in from
the other room and hugged me. It felt good to be finished, but it was going to
take some time before anything felt like home again. I hugged her back and told
her to settle in, I’d run to the store for groceries.

When I left, Zack
and Tony were moving the couch, again. Mom wasn’t sure if it should face the
fireplace, or the TV. At least I had an excuse to take a drive.

“Oh, Garrett.” I
noticed him looking over some paperwork. “Thanks for your help. We couldn’t
have done this without you.”

 
“Anytime. Glad you’re here now.” He looked
at me for a long moment then headed back to the office.

Thankfully, the
store was close. If the car crapped out, I could walk. By the sound of the
engine when it started, that day was coming sooner, rather than later.

I shopped, and
brought back all the fixin’s for my famous spaghetti dinner. Dinner
conversation was lively. We laughed as Zack and Tony recapped the most
interesting parts of the move, like finessing the mattress around tight
corners, and moving the world’s heaviest couch a million times. I looked at the
kitchen/dining area. The cabinets, windows, and sink were new to us; but mom’s
antique china buffet had been around for years. The smell of garlic lingered as
we sat at the small table laughing together—it felt more comfortable now,
like home.
 

CHAPTER 5

The next morning, mom and I ate and cleaned the kitchen. My phone
screen showed a bright, happy-looking sun and a summer forecast of hot and
muggy. I showered, and then put on a turquoise tee, white shorts, and sandals.

The dryer came on,
and I used the roller brush to style my hair. This time of year, after a good
dose of sun, the platinum and auburn highlights showed in my sandy brown hair.
Come winter it would darken again. The idea of winter at a funeral home sounded
so dreary. Bursts of bright sun shined through the upper half of the bathroom
window. Gauzy sheers dotted with pink and green flowers covered the bottom
half. They reminded me of my butterfly sheers back home, and it was enough to
forget about colder seasons. Today was warm, a perfect day to run errands and
get the lay of the land.

I clicked off the
dryer and sat it beside the brush on the marbled laminate counter, which
actually looked nice next to the dated pink sink and backsplash. My hair looked
ready, so I added some waterproof mascara and a little sunscreen. I was good to
go. Mom planned to spend the day unpacking, learning how to operate the phones,
and promised she’d even rest a little. The Registrar’s office opened early
enough I could make it there, then the campus bookstore, and be back by lunch.
I kissed mom goodbye and locked the door on my way out.

I flew down the
stairs, but heard someone as I hit the first floor.

“Hey there,” a
balding man in a brown suit told me. “Slow down, we’re running a respectable
business here.”

This must be
Grandpa Stanley. His eyes were dark and harsh, but his comb-over distracted me
enough to give him a half-smile. He leaned over and scowled. I wondered if I
had done something wrong.

“C’mon Grandpa
Stan,” Ryder said as he walked past us with some flowers. “She’s new here.” He
gave me a smile and nudged his grandpa. I returned the smile as he passed by,
but got uncomfortable again when his grandpa just stood there. Next came
Garrett with a larger arrangement of yellow roses. He caught my eye as soon as
he came to a stop in the hallway.

“Grandpa.” Garrett
stopped near us. “Don’t you remember? This is Evelyn’s granddaughter, Mattie.”
He got Stanley’s attention long enough for me to think about how to apologize
for going too fast down the stairs. Was that it? “You know, Matilda.”

How did Garrett
know my given name? I haven’t gone by Matilda since birth. Mom told me she and
dad realized it was a big name when the nurses tried to use it. She used the nickname
Mattie. I guess it fit, because the nickname stuck.
How did he know my name?
I struggled for a minute. Just stared at the pretty flowers Garrett had set
down. My eyes lifted to his. He smiled at me and my anxiety eased. My grandma
must have used my proper name when she told them about me.

“Oh, right. Nice to
meet you,” Stanley finally moved. He placed a hand on my shoulder and extended
the other to shake. “Just remember, don’t run and don’t make too much noise.” I
think he smiled, but it was hard to tell. I smiled as best as I could and for
some reason felt the urge to bow my head, although I didn’t. Weird. I waited
for Stanley to leave before I flinched.

“Thank you,” I told
Garrett.

“I think you just
got your first speeding ticket.” We laughed and I watched as his baby blue
shirt practically split when he lifted the flowers back up. Sure, Ryder was
kind of cute, but he wasn’t the one I had flutters over. It was Garrett. There
was something about him—the way he looked and carried himself, how easily
he joked with me, and those deep blue eyes of awesomeness—everything
attracted me. I sighed as he turned to leave. He probably had the same effect
on lots of women, and our situation didn’t make it easy to find out if he felt
the same about me.

Even though the car
screeched at start-up, it ran. I turned red when Stanley peeked out the window
at me. My exit went as quickly and quietly as possible.

The car cooperated
long enough to get me to campus. Sure, I wanted to finish college, but didn’t look
forward to the late nights and homework, or the questions I might get asked
about moving. I tried to think of our situation as a reason to hit refresh and
make friends, but knew it wouldn’t be easy. Mostly because I live with my mom
above a funeral home, a fact I hadn’t even shared with my best friend. Not yet,
anyway.

Jocelyn could be
supportive, if I gave her a chance. Since we were back in the same town
together, it was time to have a talk.

I breezed through
registration—there was one spot left in the English class I wanted to
take, so I snagged it, along with a spot in a Chemistry class I needed for a
Gen. Ed. requirement—then headed to get my books.

A couple hundred
dollars later, I piled the books on the passenger seat and headed home. The car
sounded angry before it started, so I patted the dashboard to help it along.
Between the cost of living, classes, books, and the car repairs we most likely
needed done yesterday, my bank account wasn’t going to hold out for long.
Getting a day job just became my top priority. Before we moved, the job search
had been limited to online sources, and phone interviews. The net result was
zip. It was time to meet Jocelyn, and see if she had any contacts that might
help me get an interview. I’d text her to meet up tonight just as soon as I
parked Old Bessie.

The Mackenzie lot
was empty, but Davis & Sons had a packed lot. I parked at the side by the
stately Mackenzie house without incident. Just as I got in the side door to the
funeral home, I heard laughing. Hopefully, it was from humans. Being so new to
this place—not knowing much about funerals, or dead people—I felt
like anything was possible.

Thankfully, a large
dark-haired guy pushed his way through the viewing room door. His moustache
served as proof of life—hairy-faced ghosts don’t exist, right? He was a
few inches taller than me and stout. He’d rolled his sleeves up enough for me
to see “THUG” tattooed on his arm. Not a ghost, but I should still be careful
here.

“Hi.”

Before I answered
him, another guy pushed his way into the room and nearly ran the big guy over.
“What the—?” The second guy was shorter and paler than the first man. The
shorter guy stopped and looked me over. Something must have pleased him because
he started grinning. “Who’s this?” he asked the big guy.

“I dunno,” the
dark-haired brute said. “Let’s ask her.” He stood up tall and brushed his hands
down the front of his shirt leaving rust colored marks. “I’m Sledge,” he said
with a smoke-and-whiskey voice. “This here’s Manny.” He put his hand out to
shake mine.

“Hi, I’m Mattie.”
Sledge withdrew his hand when he realized there was stuff on them. He had
knobby knuckles and coarse skin, but his smile seemed welcoming.

Manny pushed his
way forward to shake my hand. “Are you the new girl?”

“That’s me.”

“We’re the dead guy
disposal team,” Manny laughed.

Sledge gave Manny a
sideways glance. “Don’t mind him, he has the manners of a goat. We’re glad to
meet you. When things are hopping, you’ll see us a lot. We’re the body guys.”

I could see him do something
that looked like he was shaking off what he just said, like he wanted a
do-over.

“I mean we’re the
removal service. We bring the deceased here for proper preparation and burial.”
It almost sounded rehearsed, maybe the work of his boss, or Grandpa Stanley.

 
“Ahem,” Manny cleared his throat and
waited.

“You may already
know this, but we get a call when a person dies,” Sledge explained. I shrugged
to indicate I didn’t know. “Then we show up at the location of the deceased and
bring them to funeral homes around town. The rest you’ll mostly learn from the
Mackenzie family.”

“Thanks, for the
heads up. I’ll try to remember.”

“You got a pickup,
just call us.” Sledge and Manny departed.

I had a lot to
learn about this business. Not sure I was psyched about it, but this work beat
life in a cardboard box. I carried the books upstairs. Mom greeted me with
lunch.

“Looks good.”

She’d placed a
couple turkey sandwiches and a salad with cucumber and tomatoes out for us. It
looked good, so we washed up and dug into the food.

“How was
registration Miss College Co-ed?”

“Fine.” I told her
and took a bite of the sandwich. It was quiet for a moment, but she kept here
eyes on me. She wanted details.

“Okay, campus is
cool, parking tough, and I picked up two classes. Thanks for the encouragement,
mom.”

She smiled at me
and enjoyed a few bites of salad. We washed our food down with some lemonade
she’d made from scratch, better than any stuff you could get from a packet or
restaurant dispenser. It hit the spot.

“Zack and Tony head
back to Louisville?”

“Yes. Zack wanted
to take you out for some fun, but he had to work. He and Tony said they’d come
back in a few weeks to check on us, and move the couch again, if needed.” Mom
laughed. Stress was noticeable around the crinkle in her forehead, but it was
such a relief to see her joking.

“How is Stanley?”

“He’s fine, but we
have a lot to discuss. I’d like to unwind a little before we get into it.” Her
smile faded and I knew she needed some rest.

We finished with a couple
wafer cookies and I helped get her set up on the living room couch with some
books and magazines. She propped her feet up on the ottoman and put on her
horn-rimmed glasses. They looked nice with her creamy skin and short reddish
bob.

The window air
conditioner kicked on and cooled the room fast. I put a lightweight blanket
over mom and headed back to the kitchen then cleared the table. Mom was zonked,
so I went ahead and balanced the checkbook, paid a couple bills, and scanned my
textbooks. I was searching jobs online when Chloe’s mom called.

“Hi Mrs. Ellis. How
are things going?”

“Hi, Mattie. I’m
doing all right. How’s your mom?”

“Doctor says she’s
doing better since surgery.” I thought about how far mom really had come the
past few months. “We’re trying to make sure she rests and keeps her stress
levels down. It seems to be working.”

“I’m glad she’s
improved. Give her my best, would you?” Her voice sounded off.

“Are you okay Mrs.
E?”

“Actually, I called
to ask about Chloe. It’s been a couple days since we spoke. Have you heard from
her lately?”

“We talked a couple
days ago,” I answered. “She sounded fine to me, just busy with work.”

“Chloe mentioned
working on a case when we talked, but I haven’t heard from her since. It’s
starting to worry me, Mattie.”

“She’s probably
just busy,” I reassured her. “We’re supposed to meet up tomorrow. I’ll see if I
can find anything out, and let her know to call you.”

“Thank you, I
really appreciate it. It’s probably nothing. Maybe I’m being an overprotective
mom, but it’s always best to check things out.”

“No problem, Mrs.
E. Take care.”

“You too. Thanks.”
She disconnected and I started to worry.

Chloe and I hadn’t
talked in a long time, but she reached out about an important case. Next, her
mom called to ask if I’ve heard from Chloe because she hasn’t talked to her in
a few days. Something about the coincidence unsettled me. Hopefully, there’d be
a good explanation for it all tomorrow. Maybe I couldn’t solve the Ellis family
problems today, but I could work on my own. It was time to talk with Jocelyn
and let off some steam.

Jos and I finalized
plans to hit a couple hot spots. I threw on my best going out clothes. I’d been
a social hermit most of the summer and wanted my debut to be a good one. I
pulled on a soft pink top dotted with sequins and a black skirt, then styled my
hair with sparkly clips and dabbed on some perfume. I sighed. It’d been a while
since I really looked at myself in the mirror. I cleaned up pretty good, but
seriously needed to relax. Tonight was the night to slip away and feel like my
old happy self again.

“Hey, girl!”
Jocelyn called from the parking lot. She wore a short denim dress and wedges.
We met at Granger’s Pub. My idea since I owed her an explanation about our new
living situation before she saw it first-hand.
 

We ordered
appetizers and drinks. I’d twisted up my napkin until it started to fall apart,
then summoned up some courage and told her where we moved. She looked at me
like I had horns coming out of my head.

“Is that why you’ve
been avoiding me?”

“Kind of. Yeah.”

“We’ve been friends
forever. Do you think I care where you live?”

I shrugged.

“Your family hit
hard times and did what was necessary. That’s smart. Besides, I’m glad you’re
there.”

“Why?”

“It means we get to
hang out again.” Jos knew just what to say.