Crime & Clutter by Cyndy Salzmann

Author:Cyndy Salzmann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Ebooks
Published: 2007-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

“Al, you know we don’t have the bread for a bus ticket.”

Denny leaned back on a large floor pillow in the back of the van and watched as Maya stacked some blocks he had made for her while Ali packed. He’d never seen his wife like this before. Her demeanor was in sharp contrast to the mellow tune by the Rascals playing on the radio. Ali certainly wasn’t “Groovin’.” Her movements were stiff—almost robotic. Mouth was set in a firm line. Ice hardened her green eyes.

It was the eyes that really scared him. He leaned forward. “Ali, did you hear me? I said I barely have enough gas money to get Camille up to Chicago.”

“Don’t worry.” Ali continued to stuff clothing and other belongings into a rucksack. “I’ve got the bus fare covered.”

“Where’d you get the money?” Denny tickled his wife’s nose with the end of her long, blond braid. “You been holdin’ out on me, baby?”

Ali glanced up from the T-shirt she was folding to meet her husband’s eyes. “My dad bought the ticket.”

Denny dropped the braid. “When did you talk to your old man?”

A flash of anger lit Ali’s eyes. “I didn’t talk to him. Have you forgotten we don’t have a phone out here? Or a toilet?”

Denny looked away. Nothing was ever good enough for Ali. Some Earth Mother this chick had turned out to be.

Ali took a deep breath. “In the birthday card my parents sent last spring, Dad wrote that the door is always open for us back in Rock Port. He said there’s a ticket waiting for me at the Greyhound counter in St. Louis if I ever need it. He has one for you, too, Denny.”

“So your old man thinks I’m some kind of charity case who can’t take care of my family.” Denny slammed the door of the van with his fist.

Jolted by the sound, Maya began to cry.

“Now look what you’ve done.” Ali picked up the baby. “Denny, why can’t you control yourself?”

He raked his fingers through his long hair. “I’m sorry, Ali. I didn’t mean to upset the baby. But I want to know what you told your dad about us.”

Ali put Maya back on the floor of the van. “You know things haven’t been cool between us…ever since you and—”

“Al, you know that didn’t mean anything.”

A tear leaked from the corner of her eye as she folded a stack of cotton diapers. He instinctively reached out to catch it with his fingertip before it slid down her cheek.

“Come on, babe. I said I was sorry.”

Ali didn’t reply. Instead she stood and tugged open a wooden cupboard Denny had built in the van last summer and removed a stack of photos. She rifled through the pile, pulled out a few to shove in the sack, and put the rest back in the cabinet.

“You’re not going to need all this stuff,” Denny said. “I’ll only be gone for two weeks. Probably less.”

Ali tightened the straps on the rucksack. “I have to feed Maya now.

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