Ghost in the Pine by MT Clark

Author:MT Clark [Clark, MT]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shaved Dog Book Press
Published: 2022-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

MANHATTAN

DAY THREE — EARLY EVENING

“I don’t really remember,” said Kaylee. Kat and Kaylee were sitting across from each other on a couch in a decrepit office cafeteria. The table was cleared and despite the lateness of the day, Kat was enjoying more coffee, cradling the Styrofoam cup to keep her hands warm.

Kaylee continued. “I think I was six because I had just started kindergarten. Uncle would drill me every day before school. What does my father do? He’s a mechanic. What is his name? Frankie Soldatto. What is my name? Kaylee Soldatto. Every morning.”

Kaylee smiled and rolled her eyes. “But he knew I wouldn’t mess up.”

“How is that?” asked Kat.

“Early on, he found out that I was listening in on their ‘adult’ conversations. One of the capos wanted to give a job to a boy I knew and I laughed. This boy, Ricky, was my cousin and we all knew he was inept. A six-year-old girl, laughing at some stupid suggestion to my father. Right in front of everyone.”

“Oh my,” said Kat.

“Must have been half a dozen men and I was sitting on a couch in the corner playing with an old Game Boy. A few goons came in to give an update. I tried to pretend that I was laughing at something in the game, but Uncle smelled a rat.”

“What did he do?” asked Kat.

“He joined in the laugh. And then it was one of those things where seeing someone else laughing makes the moment funnier. We couldn’t stop laughing; tears and everything. The visitors stood there staring. When things quieted down, he gave me a wink and pulled out his gun and shot the idiot in the face.”

Kat gasped.

“It’s not like I hadn’t seen a man killed before. But this one…” Kaylee took a sip of her coffee. Her eyes darkened. “It was the first time that I had killed someone. Or caused someone to be killed. If I hadn’t laughed, he would not have died.”

“It was an adrenaline rush. Without me lifting a finger, a man was lying on the floor with a blood halo. A six-year-old should never feel that kind of power. I was a god.”

Kat stared. She didn’t know if she was horrified or sympathetic.

“Needless to say, no one in kindergarten messed with me. I carried a destructive swagger and I backed it up. After a few incidents, everyone fell in line. Even the teachers. Sure, I lied about what my name was, but everyone knew. Eventually, I convinced Uncle to drop me off at school just a few minutes late every day. Everyone would be in their classrooms, getting their day started. I could see the class happily chatting through the pane of glass in the door. When I opened the door, the room would quiet, all eyes on me.”

“I’d saunter to my desk. I could sense the teacher trying to suss out my mood for the day. If I sat and smiled, everyone would carry on.”

“What if you were in a bad mood?”

Kaylee rose and motioned for Kat’s cup.

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