Yoharie (part fourteen)

Yoharie

Jeremiah

(part fourteen)

That kid, Valentine.

Not just the strip razored around the back of his head, new yesterday…like chalky blue wasn’t hairdo enough. This kid worked, Hibbler knew from tracking him, but hung around the neighborhood all day, too, when Hibbler himself had to be at work.

“You’re a lot older than your…brother?”

Catching Giarma again at the trunk of her car. She always shopped, always came back from wherever with bags of stuff. Sometimes only groceries, so maybe she at least helped out…

Her face as she dropped the lid, and as the whuff of it strafed his eardrums, showed undisguised oh, Jesus…

“Oh, Jesus.” She looked abashed. “What did you want?”

“You’re a lot older than your brother.”

“I’m thirty, Mr. Hibbler. Val is twenty-one.”

“You’re kidding.”

“That is how it is.”

“Thought he was seventeen, eighteen…”

“Hey, hi!” This was Dawn, at the front door.

Giarma zipped away. Beatty seemed to bristle…dogese for God, I love this person! He whined, wagged onto his back, wriggled. Dawn dropped a trash bag, crouching, and playfully steered Beatty’s snout. “No, can’t have.” She patted his belly. He jumped and charged down the street.

“Silly.” She rose. “Boy, my knees! How’re your kids?”

Hibbler stared at the bag. “I’ll take that, if you want.”

“Um…sure.”

There was no reason. The thought had come opportunistically, and in his head he couldn’t script an excuse. He didn’t know what favor he might be offering…but Dawn seemed unsuspicious.

Beatty panted back, nosing Hibbler’s butt.

“God, jeez!” Hibbler yanked him by the collar.

Dawn winced and smiled.

14

Yoharie

Yoharie (part fifteen)

(2019, Stephanie Foster)