Nobody

No Scent of Perfume

The second of the four steps was rotted through and broken. The porch sagged dangerous as we walked across it and I heard a 2x4 crack under our weight.

I used the key Mary-Beth Brubaker had given me to unlock the padlock on the door, turned the knob, and pulled on it.

I barely got out of the way as the door fell out. Old reflexes stuttered, tried to kick in, and in a split second I got them under control, catching the door instead of kicking it away.

"Yeah, door falls off," Bo said, shrugging.

"Yup," I said, setting it against the sagging railing. I went inside and looked around, taking stock.

The roof obviously leaked in two places. In two spots the plywood floorboards were rotted out. Five windows broken. No doors were unbroken or in the frames. The lights hung down from the fixtures or the fixtures themselves hung down. The wood fireplace needed cleaned. The baseboard heaters had dried leaves and other debris in them. The faux-chrome faucets were pitted and corroded. The shower/bath, the sinks, and the toilet were stained and filthy. The stove and fridge and dishwasher, as well as the trash compacter, all needed replaced.

The big double-wide needed some care.

But I couldn't smell Pru's perfume or feel her presence in the empty bedrooms.

"You paying my aunt three-fifty a month for this, Tex?" Bo asked, spitting tobacco juice out the broken window.

"Yup," I said, standing in the dining room and looking around. The carpet needed pulled up and replaced, same with the linoleum in the bathroom and kitchen.

"Gonna go talk to her," He muttered.

"You got a truck I can borrow?" I asked, walking down the hallway and back again.

Bo nodded. "I suppose. I got your truck for collateral and you don't look like the type to head off to the hills with another man's truck. It's an old sixty-three Ford F-150 I've been trying to sell."

We went outside and I yawned, stretching again. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's old. Needs some TLC. Worst part is it shudders above 45," he told me. "I just don't have the money or the inclination to fix it up."

"Kingpins need replaced," I shrugged. "How much you want for it?"

"Body's in good condition. Bed isn't rusted. It's got a straight six in it. Say, twelve hundred?" He looked hopeful.

"Lemme take a look at it, but that sounds good," I told him.

"Cassette deck in it works, Tex," He offered.

"Well, hell, that's worth another hundred right there," I laughed. Bo opened the trunk and I got my two suitcases and two dufflebags out of his car, carrying them inside. I put them in the big master bedroom and walked out, locking the door behind me. Bo put in another lip of dip while I was in the trailer, standing there in the June sunlight with his ballcap tipped back.

Not that it would do any good if someone really wanted in.

We got back in the car and Bo threw it in reverse, almost getting the little car stuck in a pothole. He waited until we were on the road before he glanced over at me.

"Tell you what, Tex, I'll fix up your truck, then I'll fix up the other one if you want," he offered.

"If I pay up front, can you order a brush guard and winch for it?" I asked him.

He nodded, sticking his arm out the window. "Sure can. You thinking of staying longer than a month or so, Tex?"

I nodded. "I think so, Bo."