By the time Misty Keaton had walked into Carnal Spa that day I met her, she’d spent five years living with a man who could barely stand the sight of her, didn’t hide that and cheated on her repeatedly and blatantly. Salon buzz said that, as year slid into year and Chace didn’t come to heel, Misty became more and more beaten. Salon buzz said that, even though she was what she was and did what she did, she actually loved her husband and his continued hatred of her was wearing her down. Salon buzz said that even before Ty was released, Misty was rethinking her actions. Salon buzz said that Misty was coming to the conclusion that Chace’s Daddy’s millions weren’t worth that. And salon buzz said that Misty bought it because the authority knew this and needed to assure she didn’t do something they wouldn’t like much.
And salon buzz said that Rowdy was set up to take the fall mostly because he was an asshole. In a long line of local cops that people did not like or trust, Rowdy stood out prominent because he was not only the dick I knew him to be but a serious dick. He used the authority his position provided him as a weapon, his badge and uniform as a shield. He regularly and randomly fucked with citizens of Carnal and he did this for shits and giggles.
Although no one believed Rowdy took Misty Keaton to Harker’s Wood, shot her and left his weapon, primarily because he had no motive to do this and wasn’t stupid enough to leave that kind of evidence seeing as he was a cop, just a dirty one, still, no one really cared if he went down for it.
“What comes around, goes around,” Avril stated, smiling gleefully and leaning against the high front of my reception desk, in for a mani/pedi and also gossip.
But underneath all this gossip and speculation, there was fear. A woman was dead. No one liked her much but that was pretty extreme. Whoever was spooked was seriously spooked and the citizens of Carnal were worried about what was next.
As for me, it was difficult to admit, but I felt a sense of calm settle over me as all this gossip filtered into my brain.
While my husband was serving a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit and, to that day, after I went to sleep, he got up and jacked up the AC so high I woke up with a frozen nose every morning and he did this because the heat, stench and feel of that place had beat into his bones and he needed that cool, clean air to beat it back, I liked knowing that Misty wasn’t living the dream she’d lied her way into.
Sure, I couldn’t say I wanted her dead. But I could say I felt that maybe there was justice at work out there in the universe knowing she’d lived her own version of five years of hell.
And it made me feel better that, if she’d lived, she wouldn’t have what Ty and I had.
So she’d betrayed him and used him and when he was down, she stepped right on him to haul herself up to what she thought was the next level of life and bought herself misery, heartbreak and, eventually, being dragged to a wood in the middle of the night and shot to death.
She definitely deserved misery and heartbreak, if not being murdered, so I felt that yes, maybe there was justice at work out there.
And I just hoped it kept working so my man could eventually really breathe free and live with a clear name.
I left the tees where they lay and headed out to the mailbox thinking about what I was going to do the rest of my day. It was late morning and considering I got up at an ungodly hour to shower with Ty, after he left, I’d cleaned the house and done the laundry. Then I’d gussied up to go into town. We needed some groceries. I wanted to stop by La-La Land to get a latte and maybe something for dessert because Shambles made the best of everything sweet, Ty had a sweet tooth and he’d told me the day before that he’d been home now for months but had yet to wander into La-La Land and I felt it a moral imperative to introduce him to their goods which were good. I was also thinking of going to the mall and getting some fabric to make curtains for the guest bedroom. There were horizontal blinds in there but the room needed color, the walls were an eggshell white but it was utilitarian. Maybe I’d head to the hardware store and get some paint chips. In fact, Ty and my room could use some work. I’d get some paint chips for that room too.
I was thinking all this as I got the mail and brought it back. When I started sifting through and opening mail, my head was filled with possible colors, color combos, maybe a new comforter cover and sheets for Ty and my bed, not to mention, looking into filling our room a bit by setting up a reading area because winter would be on the mountains soon and I’d need it when I lost my deck.
So I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing until I slid my finger into the side of an envelope, tore it open, pulled out and unfolded a tri-folded sheet of paper, turned it over, saw it was handwritten, looked at the salutation then the closing signature and went still.
I realized my error right away. I’d opened Ty’s mail accidentally.
But I couldn’t stop myself from reading it.
Ty,
I did wrong, I did bad and I know I’m going to pay.
But before I do, I have to do right.
I sent this to a girlfriend of mine in Maryland. I told her, if anything happens to me, to put it in the mail to you. I also sent her some other things. They’ll go to other people.
And they say that I lied about not being with you that weekend. They explain that Arnie came to me asking me for a favor and that I’d be compensated. I won’t say how and the other stuff won’t say how either. That doesn’t matter and it would hurt another good man who got caught in the net.