Read The Choice for Free Online Page B

pardon me, Ma’am.”
    Marcie offered a shy smile and shoved more fries in her mouth.
    “So what’re you doing back, Sam? Last I heard you were running some high profile case, nailing some big time drug dealer.”
    Sam said nothing but leaned back and downed the rest of his beer.
    Jesse frowned. Deep lines cut around his eyes.
    Sam got up and helped himself to another beer from the fridge.
    “You know, ever since we’re boys, and I found you with that busted lip your Daddy gave you, I knew when you clammed up this tight, something bad happened. You’d get moody, didn’t want to talk. You haven’t changed.”
    “What the fuck? Are you my shrink now?”
    Marcie bit into her burger while her heart kicked up a bit, watching with large eyes, first Jesse and then Sam. So Sam was a cop too.
    “Marcie you’re looking kind of pale.” Sam wandered back, sinking down into the worn, narrow couch.
    “I’m fine, just hungry.” To prove it, she took another bite of her burger wondering why she felt so unsettled.
    “I noticed you still got her things everywhere. She’s been gone for two years. Don’t you think it’s time you got rid of everything?”  Jesse leaned back in the soft, easy chair nursing his beer. “It’s been six years, Sam, since you busted my nose for sticking it into your business. Don’t you think it’s time we cleared the air?
    Sam splayed his hands in acquiescence spilling a few drops of beer on the brown, dingy cushion.
    “I shouldn’t have called her a lying piece of whore trash before you married her.” Sam’s gaze darted so fast over to Jesse, Marcie wondered for a moment if he’d follow. Positive she must look agog, she shrunk back trying to make herself invisible. So Sam’s wife wasn’t a nice lady. Now she really wondered what happened to her.
    “Look.” Jesse jabbed an extended index finger toward Sam. “We grew up together through the worst of times. Your piece-of-shit daddy using you and your mama as punching bags, mine no better. How many days and nights did you and me camp out at Mama’s, talking up our dreams? Then in comes Elise, some perky blond bombshell of a teen, with a black eye and major attitude. Never knew why Mama Reine let her come around.”
    “Why? Because Mama was a saint of a woman who opened up her home to all us local beggars, every time and anytime we needed a safe place to hide.” Sam leaned forward and whispered the last part. “She said every child deserved a chance. But it was still our own choice how we wanted to turn out.”
    “But you tumbled head over heels in love with her, just a kid tailing her like a love-starved mangy puppy. She was wild, and what she did, she always did for Elise. And no one else mattered, whether you’ll admit it or not. How many times did she lie to you? Some fancy trinket only a rich man could afford. She showed up wearing it. Always said she found it, or was given to her. Don’t even try to deny it. You know as well as I, she’d steal anything not nailed down.” Jesse leaned forward and dumped his empty bottle on the table.
    “Why do we have to rehash this? She’s dead, okay.”
    Marcie froze and stared down at her plastic cup. His wife was a thief, a whore, and she was dead. She didn’t know what to say. So she firmed her lips tight and hoped one of them would break the silence.
    “Marcie if you’re tired, just leave all this mess and turn in. I threw one of my shirts on the bed for you to sleep in.” Sam jumped up and hastily grabbed the remnants and packaging from their feast, stuffing all in a plastic bag. “Jesse, you mind dumping this in the trash on your way out.”
    Jesse hefted his stocky frame out of the burgundy chair. “Marcie, good night to you, I’ll come by in the morning and see about finding out who you are.”
    “Thank you Jesse, for dinner. You’ve been very thoughtful. I appreciate it.” His soft, dark eyes swam with a considerate emotion before he winked. Then he moved past Sam