“Fuck him,” Rosemarie said. “Except, no, Kasey, don’t actually have sex with him or anything. That’s crossing a line. He’s disgusting. If it comes down to that, walk away. There are things you can’t come back from, you know.”
“Please don’t make me puke while I’m cooking,” Ada said, getting an onion from the fridge.
“That’s probably the only thing I wouldn’t do for Caro,” Kasey said.
How could their mood be so light? How could they be cracking jokes and having such a good time when they were planning what they were planning? If they shouldn’t do this, Ada would feel something, wouldn’t she? Wouldn’t she feel bad? Wouldn’t she have a panic attack like she did the night Angie was killed?
She knew the Bible said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,” but she also knew that it said humans should love mercy, and killing Trey was showing Caro the mercy she needed. She knew God would forgive them for what they were about to do. His forgiveness was the only forgiveness that mattered. This was what had to be done, and doing it would right at least one thing in this crooked-ass world.
They got to work in the kitchen, and when both the pie and the lasagna were cooling under the window, Mimi texted:
I told Trey he shouldn’t be allowed
anywhere near Caroline, but the
police said there was nothing I
could do since the judge denied
the restraining order.
Trey said he had a right to see
his wife.
He said his lawyers would get
involved if we didn’t let him.
He’s on his way up here now.
The girls left to go meet him.
*
The girls were all genuinely surprised when they spotted Beau（！） Bramford（！） walking across the hospital parking lot. Beau Bramford, whom none of them had laid eyes on in years. Kasey said hi and hugged him before stepping away to go upstairs to catch Trey. Ada wanted to distract Beau. Had to distract Beau.
“Wow, Beau! It’s so good to see you back in Goldie! You’re here to visit Caro? She’s doing better now,” Ada said, hugging him. Kasey turned around and Ada waved at her to let her know it was okay. Rosemarie stepped forward to hug Beau too.
“Okay, good. Yeah, my aunt told me Caro was in the hospital, and I’ve been meaning to get back anyway,” Beau said. He had an unlit cigarette behind his ear. His hair was a little longer now and barely graying at the temples; his beard had some gray in it too, but not a lot. He had a pair of Wayfarers pushed on top of his head, and Ada thought of that pic of Devon that Kasey had on her phone. Devon had called twice while they were making the lasagna, and Ada had watched Kasey ignore it both times, but she texted him, promising to call soon.
“She’ll be beyond stoked to see you, Beau,” Rosemarie said.
“Honestly? One reason I came to Goldie is because I wanna kill that dude. I got a gun in the truck,” Beau said. His voice was soft, but his energy was loud. “I’m serious.” His aggressive little nod shook his sunglasses.
“Your aunt told you—” Rosemarie started.
“She said Trey’s saying Caroline fell, but no one believes that, do they?” Beau said.
“He’s up there. Trey’s up there right now,” Ada said.
“He’s here? They didn’t keep him locked up?” Beau asked. His voice got louder. He moved toward the hospital, but Ada reached for his arm and gently pulled him to her.
“Hey, Beau, come here. Come sit in my van. Let’s talk. Plus, it’s fixin’ to rain. Come on,” Ada said, looking up at the sky. Somewhere between the farmhouse and the hospital, the clouds had taken on an ominous dark gray hue; the air was warm as breath.
The three of them got in and Ada turned on the AC. She looked in the rearview, wanting to catch Kasey or Trey whenever one of them walked out.
“Married anybody in a Vegas drive-thru lately?” Rosemarie asked him, checking out the bare ring finger on his left hand.
“Nah. Actually, my ex has a kid with some guy in Colorado now,” he said.
“Oh wow. Is that weird? I’m sorry,” Ada said.
“Don’t be. It’s not weird. Good for her. Everybody ain’t meant to be together forever and that’s okay,” Beau said, like some kind of country sage. He had a soothing presence; Ada had always thought that. His voice was deep and calming; he didn’t waste words or energy. It was part of the reason Ada felt compelled to get him into her van when he started talking about killing Trey, because she’d never felt that hyped-up zappiness coming off him.
“True that,” Rosemarie said. “I like you, Beau.”
“I like you too. I’m glad I saw y’all,” Beau said and paused. “Caroline is doing a lot better already, right?” His voice hitched and for a split second, it looked like he might cry. He blinked quickly.
“Yes. And you’ll have to get in line if you want to kill Trey, because basically anyone who’s not a Foxberry or in the Foxberry pocket wants that boy dead,” Rosemarie said.
Ada wished she could tell Beau outright that they were taking care of it. Beau would be a good person to have in their inner circle. She also wished she could tell him that Caroline was pregnant—but sharing any of that right now would be really dumb, so Ada just smiled at him.
“Y’all trying to keep me in this minivan so I won’t go up there and kill him?” Beau asked, smiling back.
“Basically. Not to protect him, to protect you. Although I’m sure the boys at the penitentiary wouldn’t mind if you got twenty to life if it meant they got to eat your grilled cheese every day. Seriously! You made the cheese goo out perfectly, not too much and not too little. Still to this day the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had,” Rosemarie said. Beau laughed and leaned back. He was the anti-Trey, all sweetness and heart. Ada might not have known him super well, but she knew that.
Beau was telling them about life in Nevada and showing them some pictures of the Toiyabe Range on his phone when Ada saw Trey in the rearview mirror. He was walking toward their side of the parking lot, and Ada kept watching him, her heart like a hammer. It was raining now.
“So, like, do you go to Vegas a lot or is that not your style? I’ve only been once,” Rosemarie was saying when Ada gently nudged her arm. Rosemarie looked at her, then turned to see Trey. When they turned, Beau turned, and before the girls could say anything, he was out.
Rosemarie and Ada hopped out too. Beau already had Trey pressed against his truck. Beau’s forearm was at Trey’s throat and Trey was frozen for a second, then he shoved him off.
“Who the fu—” Trey said. “You’re…you’re the guy who used to work at the diner? Why are you here? What the hell is your problem?”
A small group of Castelow Construction guys were walking past, and once they realized what was happening, they stopped. Ada recognized two of them.
“Everything all right?” one of the guys asked.
Ada shrugged, and they came over.
“How’d you like it if I tried to kill you, you piece of shit?” Beau said to Trey. “Beating a woman like that—”
“How’d you like to get arrested for assault?” Trey asked him. One of the construction guys got in between the two men and wrapped his arms around Beau, moving him back. It started raining harder, and Kasey came out of the hospital, right into the chaos.