The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady - Elizabeth Stuckey-French [102]
Driving all the way home just to leave again was unreasonable, but this thought pleased him. He could be unreasonable all by himself. He didn’t need Gigi for that. Most people would say that rooting for a hurricane to hit Tallahassee was unreasonable as well. Why did they all expect him to be the reasonable one? Screw all of them. Fuck all of them.
“I love you, too, Dad,” Otis tossed over his shoulder.
Not having any idea where he was going, Vic cranked up the Volvo and backed out of the driveway like hellhounds were after him, a very unreasonable way to drive.
Caroline had not been able to have a decent conversation with Suzi. Suzi was avoiding her, staying over at Nance’s house, and she’d come back home this evening, only, she informed her mother, to get some clean clothes. In the past Suzi had been something of a home girl—didn’t really like being away from home. So what was up? Suzi clammed up whenever Caroline asked her what was going on. Was she angry at Caroline for something? But Caroline knew better than to get aggressive about asking what was wrong. That would just drive Suzi farther away. She resolved to be patient.
That evening Vic must’ve been working late although he hadn’t called, her father was watching Antiques Roadshow in his lair, and Otis was working at … Wendy’s? Caroline was carrying a basket of clean clothing into Suzi’s room and noticed that the door to Ava’s room was closed and there were voices inside. Suzi was in there, talking to Ava! That in itself was something of a miracle. The two of them used to hang out together in Ava’s room all the time. When they were little they played games with their dolls and stuffed animals, and when they were older they read aloud or made up clubs or businesses or TV shows in which they’d star as two sisters who rescued animals. But lately, when they weren’t fighting, they steered clear of each other. Caroline was so glad they were talking that she nearly swooned. She stepped closer to the door so she could hear what they were saying. She’d never been above snooping, spying, rifling through drawers. Whatever went on in her home was her business.
She heard Suzi say, “He posed me.”
“Naked?” Ava said.
Caroline’s body stiffened. She strained to listen with everything in her being.
“He posed me like this.” Some rustling and thumping noises. “And like this.”
More rustling and thumping. Then the two of them snickered.
“That’s nasty,” Ava said. “Then what?”
Caroline’s hand went to the doorknob and she fought the urge to burst through the door and demand details. She knew she’d find out more if she could make herself stand there and listen as long as she could stand it.
“Then,” Suzi said, “he put his, you know, his thing in my mouth.”
“I’ve never even done that.”
Oh. My. God.
“He wants to see me again,” Suzi said. “He needs me to do this stuff with him because his wife won’t. Don’t you think he’s cute?”
Holy shit. Wife?
“He’s okay,” Ava said.
Silence. Keep talking, Caroline thought. Keep talking, or I’ll beat it out of you.
“He’s so old,” Ava added.
There was some rustling and low talking Caroline couldn’t hear.
Ava said something that sounded like, “Are you going to?”
Suzi spoke a little more loudly. “Nance won’t let me. She said that if I don’t tell she’ll call the police and Paula and make me tell Mom and Dad.”
Paula? Nance? Police? Caroline took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Don’t yell, she told herself. Don’t scare the poor child. But she was shaking so badly she felt like she was going to fly apart.
She opened the door slowly and went in. She must’ve set the laundry basket down, because she wasn’t carrying it anymore. Both girls looked startled but quickly composed themselves. They were both sitting on Ava’s bed.
Caroline opened her mouth and words came out. “I heard what you were saying. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Nothing!” Suzi said, and actually smiled. She scooted