Lousiana Hotshot

about him, but most of all, nobody wants me asking about him. Finally, I went to Corey, and you know how desperate I had to be to do that.”
    “More wine?” He poured them both a glass. She was beginning to feel better. The wine was helping, but mostly, being with Darryl was, in his peaceful, comfortable little house.
    “Darryl. This really means a lot to me.”
    He held out his glass. “I know. But don’t worry— they have AA chapters everywhere.”
    “You know what I mean.”
    He smiled at her. “Glad to be of service, ma’am.” They locked eyes for a moment. Darryl broke first. “So what’d Corey say?”
    “He told me our father is dead— even though Miz Clara told me he wasn’t. You know Miz Clara’s lying thing? How she never will lie, but if she can wiggle around the truth, she doesn’t think it’s the same thing?”
    He laughed. “No, but it sounds right for a church lady.”
    “Well, she wiggled
and
she lied. Or else Corey did. I realized it on the way over here. She says I’ve never been to a funeral; he says I was at my father’s, and that must be why I had that weird experience at Rhonda’s. She also says he’s not dead— but that’s the wiggle part. What she really said was ‘wish he was,’ or something like that.”
    Darryl considered. “Hmm,” he said finally. “Are we overanalyzing?”
    “About Miz Clara, maybe. Who knows what she’s up to? But, still, it remains clear no one wants to talk about the man.”
    “Talba, has it occurred to you that something really bad happened. Like maybe he…”
    “Molested me?” Her stomach gave a little shudder. “Yeah, I’ve thought of it. Maybe she found out and threw him out. Kind of depressing, isn’t it?”
    “How old were you?”
    “Two.”
    “Jesus.”
    “Yeah.” Once again, she inspected the ceiling. “But I just thought of something. It’s perfectly in character for Mama and Aunt Carrie to behave like this. But what about Corey? He’s a doctor. He must be aware that you’re supposed to talk about these things. Like— you know— how can you have a healthy relationship with a man if…”
    “Hey! Maybe that’s why he wants to meet me.”
    “What?”
    “You know. To vet me. Make sure I’m not a pervert. See if we really do seem healthy.”
    Talba sat up, suddenly amused. “Oh, man. What an opportunity. You got a dog collar I could wear? Something with spikes, maybe. And I could get a nice latex dress…”
    “See? You’re better. All you needed was a drink with Uncle Darryl.”
    “That’s not
all,
Uncle Darryl.”
    “Well, it’s all you’re getting. School night, remember?”
    “Never stopped you before.”
    “Okay, Your Grace. Anything you like.”
    She shook her head. “No, I’m kidding. To tell the truth, tonight a good long cuddle’s more to the point.”
    “That’s what I thought.”
    “Listen, I want to ask you something. You know that poem, ‘Queen of the May’? You said you’d like to be a father like that.”
    “Uh-huh. I would.”
    “Well, I was wondering— what kind of father are you?” She paused, but he didn’t answer. “I mean— how come you never talk about your kid?”
    “Oh, man. Let’s don’t get into that.”
    She looked at him hard. “More secrets?”
    “Raisa’s a great kid. I wish I could see more of her.” He stared at the old-fashioned ottoman with his Nike-clad feet on it. When he looked up at her, he was clearly so miserable she wished she could withdraw the question. “What made you ask?” he said.
    “Nothing. I didn’t realize it was such a sensitive subject.”
    “It’s not. Really.” He gave her a smile so forced it looked squeezed out of a toothpaste tube. “What brought it up?”
    “I just thought… with Corey suddenly asking to meet you… I was wondering why I’ve never met Raisa.”
    “Oh.” He sat back in his chair and blew out his breath. “Good question.”
    “Maybe for another occasion?”
    “Almost certainly for another occasion. Are you staying here tonight?”
    “If I may.”
    “I insist.”
    She couldn’t imagine Darryl having a secret. And yet, he hardly ever talked about his daughter. Never, in fact, except to mention her in passing.
    Hours later, she blinked awake, terrified, Darryl touching her face. “Talba. What is it?”
    “Whooo. Nightmare.”
    “You’re soaking wet. You were moaning.”
    “There was all this blood… a horrible noise, and then people split open, and blood poured out of them. Rivers,