The light bulb swayed left
and right above the table. If not for the
afternoon sun and the half-exposed windows, it would have been the only thing
keeping the kitchen alight. Trixie sat
at the edge of her seat, legs shoved together and clutching Mrs. Overdose’s
shotgun; just the sight of it made her uneasy, and the fact that she held such
a deadly instrument (and in the presence of the trouble-magnetic Hoigleheimers)
made her want to bury her head in the sand.
So she ran her eyes over the
magnets on the fridge. She counted their
number over and over, hoping that strange circumstances wouldn’t lead to a
misfire.
All three Hoigleheimers
sat at the table, with Mrs. Overdose leaning callously against the far wall --
and she’d have to get past Patton if she wanted to escape just the kitchen,
much less the entire house. JP leaned
back in his chair, hands tucked behind his head and eyes closed as if trying to
doze off. Patton rested his meaty elbows
on the table, resting his chin behind his hands and groaning ever louder. Lloyd sat in place with his arms folded, and
one leg crossed over the other. Trixie
could only see him from behind, but she caught glimpses of his hand tightening
round his arm.
She glanced aside for a
moment. Why does this scene feel so familiar?
Lloyd slammed a hand on
the table. “Treacherous skinflint! I thought we agreed to let her into the group
unconditionally!”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure
I never said that.”
“So you would have a
potential ally of love and justice be flung into the unforgiving streets? You would let her fall prey once more to
Gaston’s siren call? Imagine the
consequences, brother -- to have this kidnapping, or something worse yet,
repeated on the morrow!”
JP shot a scathing eye
at Lloyd. “And you’re assuming that just
because she starts living with us, she’ll never attack us again? And besides, do you really want to share a bathroom with someone who clubbed you in the
face at least half a dozen times?”
“An offense I’m more
than willing to forgive!” Lloyd slapped
a hand to his chest. “I pledged myself
as her servant, for as long as my body and mind will allow! I refuse to go back on my word merely because
of your unreasonable mistrust!”
“Unreasonable? I-I’m sorry, did I hear you right? Did you just say unreasonable?” JP started
shifting in his seat. “Hold on a
minute. I’m gonna go grab my old
baseball bat so I can smack some logic into you.”
“Sit down, JP,” said
Patton. “No need for you to get
violent.” But before Lloyd could start
gloating (indeed, he’d already opened his mouth wide), Patton gave him a brutal
glare. “And no need for you to get too excited. I know you’ve got good intentions, but JP has
a point. This old lady’s trouble.”
Mrs. Overdose shifted
the reed in her mouth and stared out one window.
“B-be that as it may,”
said Lloyd, “I still feel as if we’d be better off inviting her to stay, rather
than booting her into the unfamiliar nooks and crannies of Porbeagle! And besides, we’ve yet to hear her side of
the story. The events we’ve witnessed
may take on a different bearing in light of her testimony, right?”
JP grunted. “It’s thanks to her that I got shot at, and
my school almost got burned down. And
then she kidnapped me, dragged me, Dad, and Tex to some old mansion to meet
Gaston so he could use his powers on us, and then the next thing I know I’m all
tied up and waiting to get shot in the face at your school’s auditorium. Pretty sure that covers everything.”
“You’d think so,
wouldn’t you?”
All eyes turned to Mrs.
Overdose, still gazing coolly out the window.
“Yeah, I kidnapped JP and made sure the three of you got to meet that
masked freak. That was a part of the
deal. Same goes for standin’ around in
the auditorium. But I didn’t set that
school on fire, or try to shoot an arrow at you. That was all his part…or at least him doin’ his business with whoever was
around. If you ask me, I think he was
just makin’ trouble however he could.
Random stuff. In it for the
laughs, or the thrills, or whatever.”
Lloyd lowered his head
and covered his mouth. “A villain with a
grand scheme, but all too eager to indulge in the use of variables to induce
chaos…that does seem like something he’d do.”
He looked back at Mrs. Overdose.
“But suppose something were to go wrong -- if the fire at JP’s school
happened to get out of hand --”
“Who knows? I just thought I’d let you all know that I
didn’t start that fire. I may be a
bounty hunter, but I got my standards.”
JP’s glare
hardened. “Speaking of bounty hunters…”
“Yeah. Mask-boy was the one that hired me -- wanted
me to grab Daisy Duke and bring her back home.
You probably already know why.”
“Because she’s pretty
much a southern mafia princess.” Trixie
reddened and turned away; Lloyd’s eyebrows shot straight up, and he mouthed a
few words in shock. “So by the sound of
things, Gaston’s got connections to Porbeagle and Rockwood. He led her here,
the place where he’s bound to build up his army and get all his plans in
motion. And if he can mess with Tex in
her hometown, then it’s safe to guess he’s got some ties there, too.” But suddenly, he shook his head. “If that’s the case, though, why go through
all the trouble? If he could waltz right
into her house, why lead her here?”
“Maybe he just wanted
to engineer conflict,” Lloyd offered.
“It could all have been a ruse to have her family thrown into disarray,
and pay a pretty penny to see her returned safely.”
“Maybe. But you saw what happened in the auditorium
-- Gaston was throwing around stacks of money without a care in the world. If it was more
money he wanted, why go through this little game of his? And why be so loose with what he has? And why create a situation where I’m the one in the most danger, not
her?”
Lloyd didn’t answer
him, and JP didn’t bother going any further.
No one in the room spoke; they just lowered their heads in thought, or
took a few moments to stare at the walls and ceiling -- as if they held the
answers they sought.
“Guess there’s still a
lot we don’t know,” Patton said at last.
“And until we do, we’d all
better watch each others’ backs.”
“Even Lady Overdose’s?”
Patton let loose a
guttural rumble. But before he could
give an answer, Mrs. Overdose raised a hand.
“I got somethin’ to say -- that is, if you don’t mind trustin’ an old
lady’s word.”
“You’re among friends,”
said Lloyd. “What is it?”
“Ehhhhhhhhh…well, I
wasn’t gonna say anythin’ about it, but I guess I might as well. Mask-boy’s magic -- that whole ‘illusion’
shtick of his? Doesn’t work on me.”
“It doesn’t? But why?”
Mrs. Overdose pointed
to one of her eyes. “I’ve been doin’
this bounty hunter gig for a long time.
I may be gettin’ old, but all that work I’ve put in hasn’t slowed me
down at all -- especially when it comes to these eyes of mine.”
Trixie looked up at
Mrs. Overdose. “Wait a sec…ya were
sayin’ somethin’ earlier about how ya could see my muscles shiftin’ all
‘round. Is that a part o’ it?”
“Yeah. I got sharp vision -- I’m good at pickin’ up
on things that nobody else can, even at a distance. Doesn’t even matter how small a motion it is,
or how far away; you move, and I’ll see it.”
She shifted the reed from one corner of her mouth to the other. “Thing is, I think it’s because of it that
mask-boy can’t use any illusions on me; if he tries it, I just see right
through it. Like there’s nothin’ even
there.”
“I get it. So you can ignore his illusions if you’ve got
strong enough senses,” said JP. “So when
Gaston took Lloyd’s auditorium key…”
“He just walked right
up and grabbed it -- and you never would’ve known.”
“And back at the manor,
when it looked like he was about to flatten us with those sliding walls --”
“Just his
hocus-pocus. Sure was a trip, seein’ the
three of you squirm and shout like that.”
“I should’ve
known. You were right there, and you
didn’t even flinch…” JP ran a hand
through his hair. “No wonder Gaston
didn’t mind having you around -- with an advantage like that, his power is
completely useless.”
“ONE of his
powers.” Her lips tightened. “I don’t know what’d happen if he tried to
use his mind control on me -- and I hope I never find out.”
Lloyd gave her a
nod. “And if I can possibly help it,
I’ll prevent such a grim future, Lady Overdose.” He turned back to his family and leaned
across the table. “You see? She’s not only a powerful and well-informed ally,
but she’s willing to trust in us -- and be trusted in return! No one forced her to give us such details,
but because of it we have one more clue to use in the fight against Gaston! Surely you realize that adding her to our
ranks can only ensure our safety and strength?”
JP tucked his hands
behind his head and leaned back.
“Tch. Well, I guess bringing Tex
into the fold hasn’t been so bad. She
did save me from getting headshot earlier, and at least tried to get me out of
a burning building. Could have done
without the failure, though.”
“Yer welcome, pal,”
Trixie muttered.
“And Miss Walters? Do you have any objections?”
“E-wha? Ya mean I get to weigh in?”
“Of course. As I said, you’re among friends.”
Trixie blushed, and
rubbed the back of her neck.
“Uh…gee…well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to keep her around. I mean, y’all let me stay with ya, and I’ve
only known most of ya for a day.” She
stroked her cheek with one finger, unable to hold back a smile. “’Course, I already feel like I can trust
ya…weird as y’all may be. So I guess I’d
be a hypocrite if I didn’t say she could hang around.”
“Excellent. And that leaves you, Dad.”
Patton set his forearms
on the table, nearly snapping the wood in half from the sheer weight. He stared at Lloyd with his typical, yet
hardy gaze -- a stare that would have been enough to send a tiger running for
safe haven on the next continent over.
But Lloyd met his stare point for point; he couldn’t muster up as
frightening a gaze, but a certain glint seemed to dance within his eyes.
“Hmmmmm…” Patton looked up at the ceiling. “What would your mother say to this, knowing
that I let you keep two women in the
house?”
“Y-you mean --?”
“You’d better take good
care of these ladies, Lloyd. A real man
would never do anything less.”
Lloyd’s eyes started to
twinkle -- and with a shout, he jumped from his chair and shoved his fists
skyward. “Joy of joys! Truly, a great blessing has been afforded me
-- one far greater than the summation of an entire generation’s worth of
birthdays!” He leapt from his spot
towards Mrs. Overdose, and immediately seized both her hands in a hearty
handshake. “Did you hear that? You can stay!
You can stay! Oh, I can only
imagine the joy you must be feeling -- and yet, alas! It is but a fraction of the pure elation that I feel! And now, milady, I can serve you in
earnest! May I offer you a meal? A sonnet, perhaps? Or perhaps a meticulous, soothing foot rub
would -- and pardon my pun -- tickle your fancy?”
Now Mrs. Overdose’s
eyes started to twinkle. “Foot rub. Let’s go with the foot rub.”
“Thy will be done,
milady! Steel your heart, for when I
return from the bathroom to wash my hands of the day’s gathered grime, I will
give you a massage so splendid, Hermes himself could not have asked for a
better treatment!” He pranced around the
kitchen table and danced into the living room.
And then he toppled over, fell flat on his face, and started snoring.
“H-holy…! Lloyd!
Ya all right, pal?!” Trixie yelled, leaping from her chair.
“I’m never gonna get
that foot rub…” Mrs. Overdose muttered.
“Forget about
that! What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s probably tired as
all get out,” JP answered. “Though why he suddenly collapsed and I haven’t is a
mystery…”
Patton stood up and
worked his way out of the kitchen. “He’s
had a long day. We all have. So I say let him rest. I dunno everything he went through today, but
I’d bet good money that he’s been through a lot…a whole lot.”
“Then you’d lose some
good money,” JP grumbled. He walked over
to Lloyd and, with a few presses of his foot, rolled him onto his back. “Look at this guy. Collapsed out of sheer exhaustion, and he’s got
a friggin’ smile on his face…jeez, even when he’s quiet he still finds ways to
tick me off.”
“Guess he’s havin’ some
sweet dreams, huh?” Trixie asked.
“Tch. Fine.
I say let him sleep.” JP threw up
his hands and started for the hallway.
“I think I might do the same.”
And without even waiting for a “don’t let the bed bugs bite,” JP turned
the corner and vanished.
“He looks kinda
peaceful,” said Trixie. She looked back
at Patton. “So do we just leave him
here, or…?”
“Let’s at least put him
on the couch. Wouldn’t want my boy
sleeping on the floor like some kind of hobo.”
He took a few steps toward Lloyd, and stared down at his somnolent son. It was just as JP had said -- Lloyd had gone
to sleep with a smile on his face.
And for moments at a
time, it looked like that smile had gotten even wider.
TO BE HEARTINUED…
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