Gasher Creek Part 46

Sally took a breath. "What a waste."

Liza knelt on the top step and wiped her forehead. Andy started to roll up his sleeves, seemed to think better of it, and re-covered his arms. Liza saw the cuts but said nothing. She'd seen those marks before, but never on a boy.

"That room," Sally said, nodding to the closest door.

"No," Andy said. "Jane's in there. We'll take him to the end of the hall."

"The end of the hall?" she said. "You're testing my Christian charity, Andy."

"Come on," he said. "You know my pa won't want the stink of his sick coming down the stairs."

"Then let's throw him outside and be done with it."

Andy stood and grabbed Jack's right arm. Liza crawled over his body and took the left.

"Saints help us," Sally muttered.

They pulled him to the end of the hallway. Andy pushed the door open.

Inside, a lamp was lit.

"h.e.l.lo," Cole said, sitting on the bed.

Liza took a step toward him, then stopped. She hadn't seen him in almost three days-a lifetime, really. He needed a shave, his hair wasn't brushed, and he smelled like the livery. But it didn't matter. She still wanted to hold him, to lay her head on his chest and listen to his heart. She snuck him a smile, but he didn't see it. He was staring at Sally.

"Off," Sally said to him.

Cole rolled off the bed, opened his arms, and bowed to her. He wobbled. He probably had a few nips of bourbon for the courage.

With his help, they hoisted Jack onto the bed. Liza pulled off his boots and set them on the floor. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed and his hands folded on his belly. She started to feel bad for him again.

Clapping her hands, Sally said, "It's been a joy, but I have more fools to help upstairs, so if you'll excuse me-"

"Wait," Cole said, reaching beneath the bed. He pulled out a small, brown bottle. "I've finished my new brew."

"Your s.h.i.+ne?" Andy said, a little too exuberant. He'd certainly never make it as a traveling show Romeo.

"s.h.i.+ne," Sally said. "Since when do you make s.h.i.+ne?"

"For a while now," Cole said, handing her the bottle. "I hear you know a thing or two about it."

Sally held it up to the lamplight. Squinting, she said, "I learned a little from my pa before I ran off. He used corn mash." She gave the bottle a shake. "But this looks nothing like my pa's brew. What do you use, potato skins?"

"Berries."

"Berry s.h.i.+ne? Never heard of it."

"Take a sip," Cole said.

Sally pulled out the cork, sniffed it, and wrenched her face away. The stench filled the room. Liza coughed and covered her nose. It was horrible, worse than a drowned rat.

"Oh Lord," Sally said, holding the bottle at arm's length. "I think you burned it."

"It's just strong," Andy said, picking at his trousers. "Go on."

"I'd never drink this," she said, pus.h.i.+ng the cork back in. "It smells worse than the last fella I humped." She tossed it to Andy.

Andy caught it. "She won't drink it," he said to Cole.

Liza's stomach clenched. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to drink. Cole said she'd drink and then faint and that would be that. If she didn't drink, then how could- Cole lunged at Sally and clamped a hand over her mouth. His other arm wrapped around her waist and twisted her off her feet. Together, they fell onto the bed and pinned Jack's arm beneath them. "Okay," Cole said, struggling to keep hold of her, "let's get this done."

Andy didn't move.

Sally thrashed about as Cole climbed on top her. She tried to kick him in the groin but he closed his legs and kneeled on her stomach. She landed two hard slaps to his face before he cracked her across the chin. Her arms fell limp. Pressing both hands over her mouth, he said, "Do it!"

Andy gripped the bottle to his chest. His lips trembled. "I-I don't know if-"

"It's too late to back down now."

"But-"

"Do it or I'll bash your brains in, I swear to G.o.d I will!"

Andy pulled the cork out. Sally looked at the bottle and squealed.

"Liza, hold her legs!" Cole yelled.

Liza stepped forward and grabbed Sally's ankles. She held on as tight as she could, but her entire body was trembling.

"Now!" Cole shouted.

Andy rushed forward, upended the bottle, and jammed it between Cole's fingers. The vile liquid gushed into Sally's mouth. She choked, but it was getting in there. She tried to twist her head away, but Cole was too strong. She moaned pathetically. Her hands clenched into tight, white fists.

Liza let go and backed away. She covered her mouth and stared.

It wasn't happening quickly, not like Cole had promised. It was a slow, agonizing death. She'd never watched someone die before. It was so heartless. There were no angels, no trumpets or light. It was like watching a squashed bug still wriggling its legs in a futile attempt to escape. One minute, two, and still Sally fought. Finally, after a horrible bed shaking shudder, she grew still.

"All of it," Cole said, removing his hands. "Pour all of it in there."

Andy dumped the last of the poison into Sally's mouth. The bottleneck clicked against her teeth.

Cole rolled off the bed. Wiping his forehead, he said, "That'll do just fine." He looked at Liza and held out his arms. "Come here, darling."

Liza didn't move.

Andy backed away until he touched the wall. He gripped the bottle in his hands and said, "What did we just do?"

Cole grinned. "We did good, that's what."

"Stop your smiling," Liza said. "This isn't a celebration."

Andy slid to the floor and hugged his knees. "Oh G.o.d."

Cole looked at both of them and planted his hands on his hips. "I can't believe you two. This had to be done. We needed to test our brew before trying it on Hank. Now we know it works. It works like a charm." He looked at Andy. "With your pa dead, we'll own this town and you won't have to worry about him beating on you anymore." He looked at Liza. "With Hank gone, we can finally be together. No more secret letters."

"I liked those," she said feebly.

"This was wrong," Andy said, twisting his fingers around the bottle. "This was a h.e.l.l bound act, and we-"

"Shut it, you hear me!" Cole roared. "You both keep your mouths shut. If you do as you're told, we'll be in the green. Jack here will take the drop for us and everyone will forget about it within a week."

"The boys will ask for her," Liza said.

Cole smiled. "Not after they pick their new favorite."

She looked at him. "Me?"

"Don't fret. When Delilah runs The Ram, she'll make sure you get the pick of the best ones."

"But," Liza said, "I thought we would..."

Her voice faltered.

"We would what," Cole said.

She shook her head. "Never mind."

Cole turned back to the bed. "All right," he said, "let's give her neck a smile." He pulled a knife from his pocket.

Liza shut her eyes.

She heard Cole's boots on the floor as he moved toward the bed.

She waited. The room grew silent.

Then, after a few moments, she heard him say, "What in the h.e.l.l?"

She opened her eyes.

Cole stood next to the bed, the knife still clean in his hand.

"What do you see?" Andy asked. He stood and joined him.

Liza craned her neck and slowly rose to her feet. She didn't want to look, but she had to look. She took a step closer. At first, she couldn't see what Cole was on about. Sally lay dead as nails and nothing had changed.

Then she saw them. She saw the green, brown, and blue splotches.

"Did you touch her neck?" Andy asked.

"No," Cole said.

"It must be a reaction of the poison. They look just like bruises."

"They do," Cole said. "They do look like bruises." Another hideous grin spread over his lips. "The Doc will see these marks and think Jack choked her. This is perfect!"

"No, it's not," Andy said. "This is a disaster. If these marks show up on Sally, then they're bound to show up on my pa. We won't be able to excuse his death as a failing of the heart or some other malady."

Cole's smile vanished. His eyes grew dark. Liza stepped away from him, but he didn't start yelling or stomping. Instead, he started pacing. He circled the room, his hands tucked behind his back. "How long did the poison take to work?" he asked.

"I don't know," Andy said. "Three minutes maybe?"

Cole stopped. He nodded. "Then we might still be in the green."

"How?"

"If Jack here is going to hang for Sally's death, then we might be able to hang him for your pa's death as well."

"And I ask again-how?"

"The same way with Sally."

"Finger him for two deaths in one night?" Andy said. "The sheriff will suspect something."

"He won't if we do it right," Cole said, raising a finger. "First, we get him arrested for murdering Sally. Then, when everyone thinks he's guilty, we frame him for the death of your pa. What's that old saying? A murderer once, a murderer always?"

"But you're forgetting something," Andy said. "Come morning, Jack will be locked up in jail. How do we get to him?"

"We form a lynch mob," Cole said. "That's an easy enough feat for your pa."

"He's too lazy for all that."

"I bet he'd do it for a rundown. You know how he's always jawing about the old justice."

Andy seemed to think about it for a moment. "Go on," he said.

"We break Jack out," Cole said, starting to pace again. "We spirit him to the edge of town, and let your pa have a thrill."

"But how do we get Jack to poison him?"

"Ah," Cole said, spinning around. "That's the easy part. Everyone knows how your pa hates horses. He'll want a few sips before climbing on. We get our hands on that silver flask of his, mix the poison in with his favorite whiskey, and give it to him. He'll drink, ride down on Jack, and fall over dead."

"But wouldn't Jack plead his innocence?" Andy asked.

"Not if he's trampled," Cole said. "Even someone as useless as your pa can run over a stick boy."

"And what if Devlin escapes?"

"He won't."