Mrs. Merker put beer and crackers on top of a newspaper pile and began wandering the living room, peering at the white edges of various newspaper stacks. “I scribbled it down someplace, so I could tell Gary when he called. He calls me every couple of days. He don’t get home much, but he cares about his mother. I hope you call your mother regular.”

I smiled sadly to myself. “I would if I could,” I said. “But I’m in touch with my dad more these days.”

Mrs. Merker scoffed at that. “Gary’s fucking father, I hope the son of a bitch is dead someplace and has been for a long time. He was a no-good cocksucking bast—Hang on, here it is, I think.” She pushed her glasses higher up on her nose. “Yeah, this friend phoned and said to tell Gary that cunt was in Oakwood.”

“Oh yeah,” I said.

“I guess he lives down that way, saw her picture in the paper, remembered Gary was looking for her.”

“Well, that’s great,” I said. “Guess I made this trip here for nothing. I was going to pass on the same information.”

“No harm done,” she said, taking a seat on the small clear spot on the couch. She pointed to the television. “That crickets they’re eating?”

I looked. “Maybe.” She cackled. I asked, “So what’s Gary been looking for Candace for, anyway? He kind of got a thing for her?”

She let out a laugh. “Ha! I don’t think he’ll be dipping his dick in that pussy!”

“Then why does he want to find her?”

“Well, if some bitch stole something from you, wouldn’t you want it back?” She looked at me like I was some sort of an idiot.

“So that’s why he wants to find her?” I said. “Because she stole something? Not because, I don’t know, for revenge?”

“Revenge?” The old woman cocked her head at an odd angle. “I suppose. If you stole something from me, I guess I’d want revenge. That what you gettin’ at?”

“I was just thinking back to that time. When Gary’s three friends got shot.”

“Oh, that,” she said, and waved dismissively. “He got over that. Only real friend Gary’s ever had is that retard Leo.” She turned her attention to the TV, where contestants were working up the nerve to swallow tiny wiggling things. “For fifty thousand dollars, I’d put anything in my mouth,” she said, and laughed.

She barely noticed as I slipped out the front door and walked down the sidewalk to Cherry’s truck. I felt, in some small measure, slightly relieved about what I’d learned.

“Well?” Cherry said as I pulled the door shut.