Page 14 (1/1)

I glanced to e that led to a sht opened onto a bathrooed hole in the here a basin had once been attached, and a length of pipe sticking out above a shower pan filled with rags The bedrooether and left in a wad So here and I didn’t think it was Irene Gersh’s h the , but all I saw outside was a buff-colored stretch of desert with a low range of mountains ten or fifteen miles away Distances are deceptive out here because there aren’t any reference points

I pickedthe trailer Around the corner, a bucket lined with a plastic bag served as a s like it, tied at the top and tossed together in a pile, a black flyplant Across the road, there was a concrete pad where a Winnebago was moored Beside the RV, there was a pickup truck mounted with a ca up through the crevices A Weber grill had been set out and the s briquettes drifted across the road totable surrounded by ed fro a tray loaded with a foil-covered plate, condi, weathered face No makeup, salt-and-pepper hair cropped short She wore blue jeans and a flannel shirt, both faded to a pale gray She went about her business, ignoring er patties on the grill She an to set it with forks and paper plates

"Excuse me," I said "Do you know the woman who lives over there?"

"You related?"

"I’m a friend of the family"

"About time sooing on over there is a lon disgrace"

"What is going on over there?"

"Kids moved in You can see they trashed the place Loud parties, loud argu out We all make it a point to mind our own business out here, but there’s lines? What happened to her? Surely, she’s not still living there"

The woo "Marcus? You want to co about Old Mao opened and a ht, sins His hair was dark, coht, his lips very full His dark eyes were fringed with black lashes He looked like a male model in an Italian menswear ad He stared at me for a moment, his expression neutral

"Who’re you?" he asked No accent He wore pleated pants and the sort of ribbed undershirt old hter asked me to drive out here and check on her Do you have any idea where she is?"

He surprisedout his hand to introduce hirip firm

"I’m Marcus This istune Like, ot sick, but I don’t know for sure Hospital in Brawley You ht see if she’s there"

"Wouldn’t somebody have notified her relatives?"

Marcus stuck his hands in his pockets with a shrug "She ht not’ve told them This’s the first I knew she had family She’s a real private person Like a recluse al as you hter live?"

"Santa Teresa She’s been worried about Agnes but she didn’t have a way to get in touch"

Neither of them seemed ied the subject, looking back at the trailer across the road "Who’s the little gre on the front step?"

Faye spoke up, her tone sour "There’s two of theo and staked the place out They must have heard it was empty because they moved in pretty quick Runaways Don’t kno they survive Probably stealing or whoring, whichever coe, but of course they don’t"

Clearly, seas a euphee "The kid I saw couldn’t have been twelve years old," I said

Faye answered "They’re fifteen Boy is, at any rate They act like wild ani through our garbage, looking for food Sometimes, other kids come by and camp out with them Word must be out they have a place to crash"