It’s nearly impossible to keep my eyes open in the passenger side of Marshall’s car. I had to spend the night in lockup and made bail this morning. Marshall then took me to the ER to have the bump on my head examined. There, he talked to the doctor behind the curtain. I didn’t pay much attention as my thoughts were swamped by Scarlett.
Now, he’s taking me to his house. Not my first choice, but he’s my guardian and doesn’t think going home is in my best interest. But there’s a nagging in my gut to confirm that Scarlett is safe. It’s so strong that a part of me wants to open the car door, even though Marshall’s speeding down the road, jump out, run toward home and hold Scarlett in my arms.
“Can we at least swing by my house? Maybe pick up some stuff?” Give me a few minutes to sneak across the road, climb up the tree and check on Scarlett?
“Scarlett’s father was on the warpath last night,” Marshall says as if he’s reading my mind. Maybe he’s now psychic. “I hate to admit it, but he has some major connections at the police department. The last thing you need is a confrontation with him, and being across the road is begging for one.”
“Did you see Scarlett?” I ask. “Was she okay?”
Marshall shakes his head, and I’m so damn edgy I swear my skin is molting.
“I heard someone say that the police took her home. Scarlett’s father came to the station to talk to the chief. A friend of mine said the meeting wasn’t pretty. Mr. Copeland was mad it took so long to find her, and then he was angry with what happened when they did. He wasn’t happy to hear his daughter was manhandled. I’m hoping the last part will work in our favor.”
“Is there any way you can check on Scarlett?”
“Is there something you want to tell me? Maybe the big something I feel you’ve been leaving out?”
I’m silent as I don’t know what to tell him. At least not without possibly upsetting Scarlett because I betrayed her secret.
“I’ll see if anyone has seen her since the arrest.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m forgetting the question. I’m just allowing you some time to get your thoughts together.”
I check my cell again, and besides a few texts from V, Leo and Nazareth, there’s nothing from Scarlett and nothing from Glory. Silence from Scarlett is disappointing yet expected. We’ve never reached out to each other via cell. The silence from Glory, though, hits me hard. It’s sad to admit, but I had started to believe Glory had a gift and that she cared.
“I called in every favor I have,” Marshall continues. “And even called in a few favors that aren’t owed to me.”
I can’t explain how grateful I am for him. I’d hate to think what would happen to someone who didn’t have an Uncle Marshall in their corner.
“Even if this goes in front of a judge,” he continues, “we have a good chance of getting this thrown out. Your initial arrest for kidnapping was an unlawful arrest, which means you have a justification to resist within reasonable limits. If that doesn’t work, we can use the case of self-defense. That nice bump on your forehead will be the proof we need.”
That explains the photos he had the doctor take. “I didn’t think you did criminal law.”
“I don’t, but I did stay up most of the night reading.”
“Thank you.” Probably the most sincere thing I’ve said to him.
“Regardless of what you think, I care, Jesse. I always have.”
I believe him, but I’m too drained to deal with much. “I don’t get it. Why is Scarlett’s father one of the people voting?”
“A few years ago, he began checking up on your grandmother at least twice a week. He paid for some of the repairs on the trailer. Mrs. Copeland would come over, too, and visit with her. You were either at school or working the land. This isn’t a slap in the face to you, but your grandmother was lonely.”
Heavy with exhaustion, I’m slow looking over at him. “I never knew.”
Marshall looks as exhausted as me. Black circles under his eyes, his white dress shirt wrinkled. He stops at a red light and rubs his eyes. “Suzanne didn’t want you to know. She thought it would upset you that she had become close with Scarlett’s parents after you and Scarlett had stopped being friends.”
It doesn’t make sense. Maybe it’s because I’m tired. Maybe it’s because there’s no straight process to understand. “He’s not a good man.”
Marshall glances over at me with sharp eyes. “Do you want to elaborate on that?”
“You already granted me a delay on that subject.”
Marshall swears under his breath. “How deep is this rabbit hole?
“Deep.” But I switch the subject back to Gran. “I don’t believe Mr. Copeland was checking on and helping Gran out of the kindness of his heart.”
“He was a sweet talker to your gran, and I didn’t see anything wrong with it as the whole community thinks the man is a god. Your grandmother was a force of nature, but she was old, and as I said, she could get lonely.
“The day before her death, I had heard through friends that Mr. Copeland was asking around how much the land would be worth and if he would have any competition on buying it. That didn’t sit right with me so I had planned on going over the next day and convincing your gran to change the vote from him to Glory, but I was too late. If you want to be mad at me for that, I don’t blame you, but don’t be mad at your gran. Even the best of us can be conned.”
“Does he know he’s one of the votes on the tribunal?”
“Yes.”
Glory lied to me the entire time. “I’m going to lose the land, aren’t I?”
The light turns green, and Marshall presses on the gas. “I know this is tough on you, but I can’t give you the land. Seeing how hard you’ve worked over the past few months has impressed me, but the maturity aspect is only a portion. If you stay here you’ll be fighting a legacy you have nothing to do with. What happened last night should be proof. Everyone will always think the worst of you because of your last name.”
“I can prove them wrong,” I say.
“If you stay here, you’ll become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
My head hits the back of the seat, and I close my eyes. It’s a surreal moment of sinking. Forty-eight hours ago, I had it all—possibly two votes to keep my land and the girl I loved in my arms. For a brief moment, I was happy. My throat constricts as I realize my mom was wrong and the world was right. The original curse is real, the land didn’t protect me and I’ve lost everything I love.
We pull into the driveway, Marshall turns off the car and there’s a few moments of silence.
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” he says. “But I promise you’ll get good money for the land. I’ll invest it well for you, and it will give you plenty of time to figure out what you’d like to do with your life. And I promise you, you’ll build a good life, a great life, and you’ll look back on all of this as a bad dream. But in order for you to have a decent future, you have to learn how to let this life and this town go.”
He stares at me, waiting for a response, but what do you say when you’ve lost it all? What do you say when all that you’ve loved has died?
“Gena made up the spare bedroom for you, and she took the kids to her mom’s so we could get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. We’ll tackle the rest later, okay?”
I’m grateful that his wife and children are gone. They’re innocent, and I don’t need to curse anyone else.