A loud screech sounded from outside. Another promptly following fast. Only this time, the racket went on and on. It might have been an animal, except there were words contained within the furious caterwauling.
“Is that a woman?” I asked, cringing.
“What the hell?” Mal rushed to his feet, passing the puppy off to Anne.
Mal and David ran for the door, Ev and I close behind them. Outside, cold air slapped me in the face after the warmth of the house. It was the strangest, most disturbing damn scene. Beneath the limbs of a maple tree, a lone woman was busy shrieking at Jimmy.
What the hell, indeed.
David ran toward them. “Mom. What are you doing here?”
“You ungrateful fuck,” the older woman cried, ignoring her youngest son completely. “You think I won’t tell them everything?”
Jimmy didn’t even blink. “Go for it. I’m not giving you any more money. Already told you that this morning. What the hell did you think you were going to achieve showing up here?”
She had long dark hair and cheekbones you could cut yourself on. The family resemblance was obvious, only her skin was sunken and her hair hung in knotted strands down her back.
“Your threats don’t scare me,” she sneered.
“Mom, this is a funeral. Get out of here,” said David, taking a stand beside his brother.
“Davie, you were always sweeter to me than he was. You’ll help your poor old mom out, won’t you?” Her voice was noxious, falsely sweet. “Just a loan, baby. I just need a little help getting back on my feet.”
The man’s shoulders straightened. “From what I hear Jim’s loaned you more than enough money and you’ve flushed it all down the toilet. Haven’t you?”
“I need my medicine.”
“Your medicine, what bullshit,” sneered Jimmy. “What you need is to get your ass out of here before we call the cops.”
“Leave, Mom,” said David. “This isn’t right. We’re here to say goodbye to Lori. Have a little respect, huh?”
People were gathering on the front doorstep behind us, watching the horrible scene with their eyes wide and faces curious. The bitch just carried right on with her banshee imitation, regardless. How any mother could be so mean was beyond me, but what this must be doing to Jimmy was the real concern. God, this was the last thing he should be dealing with today.
I quietly moved behind him, getting closer in case he needed me. The moment I got a chance to put an end to this shit, I was taking it.
Their mother cackled. “What did that uptight judgmental cunt ever do but turn my boys against me, huh?”
“C’mon, Mom. Give yourself some credit,” said Jimmy, his voice cutting. “You did that all on your own years before we ever met Lori.”
The woman snarled at him, actually raising the side of her lip like a rabid animal. If she’d started frothing at the mouth it wouldn’t have surprised me one bit. A potent mix of hate and lunacy filled her eyes. Little wonder Jimmy had his issues. I couldn’t imagine being subjected to this from a young age.
“You are nothing but a user,” he said, getting in her face, taunting her. “A scum-sucking nasty piece of shit that we have the very bad luck to be related to. Now get the hell out of here before we call the cops on you. Tell the media what you want because like fucking hell I’m giving you another dollar to buy drugs with. And if you think there’s any chance I’m letting you try the same shit on Dave, you’re out of whatever’s left of your mind.”
Her face turned purple like she was having a seizure.
“Get out of here.”
Mouth contorted, she launched herself at him. Dirty nails raked his face, leaving raw jagged lines. Without thinking, I surged forward, jostling him. But Jimmy was too busy grabbing the woman’s arms, trying to hold her back to bother with me. His brother just looked on, mouth agape. Insane with anger, the woman went at Jimmy again, teeth snapping.
Blood fell from Jimmy’s face and I’d long since seen red. Anger thundered through me, heating me despite the cold.
The two brothers stood close together. Never mind. I pushed forward, wedging my body between them. Then I shoved the bitch hard in the middle of her chest. Jimmy obviously hadn’t been expecting it. His hold on her faltered and the woman went sprawling back onto the cold, hard ground. Her thread-bare green coat fell open, revealing a faded summer dress. Her limbs were emaciated, littered with angry red sores. Good god, how was this woman even still alive?
“I’ll sue you!” she howled at me. “That’s assault. You think I don’t know shit?”
Yeah, right. Little did she know, I didn’t have anything worth suing for.
“Don’t even try it, Mom.” Jimmy ever so gently elbowed me back behind him. “I’m dripping blood here. Unprovoked attack. Lena just defended me. Cops’ll laugh at you if you try.”
“We’ll see.” The thin features of her face twisted with malice. Slowly, Mrs. Ferris climbed back up onto her feet, wrapping her coat tight around her body.
Neither of her sons said a thing.
“Stupid slut.” She spat at me, then stumbled off across the lawn, onto the street. I’d never been so glad to see the back of someone before.
“So there’s no chance I’m going to go to jail, right?” I asked, just curious. All right, maybe the tiniest bit scared of the mad woman’s threats.
“Course you’re not.” Jimmy looked back over his shoulder at me. Three bloody lines were etched into his cheek.
The sight brought the cold rushing back in. “We need to get your face cleaned up. Let’s get inside.”
“You knew she was in town? Last I heard she was still in LA.” David watched the retreating form of his mother, her long dark hair flying wild in the wind.
“She tracked me down to the hotel, rang this morning.”
David’s lips flat-lined. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Got enough going on without worrying about her,” said Jimmy.
“Fuck’s sake, man. She’s my mother.”
“Yeah, mine too.”
His brother’s forehead went all wrinkled. It must be a Ferris thing, they both did it at times of stress, bewilderment or just about any other emotion. Meanwhile, Jimmy hadn’t moved an inch. He just stood there, bleeding.
“It’s cold,” said David.
Jimmy turned, giving their mom one last look. To all the world, his gaze must have looked bored, irritated. But the fingers fussing at the bottom of his jacket gave him away, to me at least. He wasn’t nearly as unaffected as he’d wish everyone to believe. “What do you wanna do, put her in a shelter? She won’t stay. Should we buy her some warmer clothes? She’ll have them traded for booze and drugs in under a minute. It’s all she cares about and all she wants.”
“Yeah, but …”
“But what?” asked Jimmy, blood slowly dripping from his face.
“Shit.” His brother shoved a hand through his shoulder length hair. They really were similar in so many ways. “Is it really that easy for you to just turn away?”
“I know it’s cold, Davie. I know.”
“Fuck man, you okay?” Mal asked.
Jimmy flinched as if receiving the wound anew. “Yeah. I’m real sorry about that, her turning up here and everything …”
“Boys, this was not your fault.” Everyone should have a dad like Mal’s. His voice was absolute, brooking no bullshit. Jimmy’s mouth opened to protest and Mr. Ericson held up a hand. “No, son. That’s enough. Why don’t we all go back inside now, get out of this wind.”
With the show over, the spectators on the front steps started moving back inside. Jimmy nodded and likewise did as he was told. I followed him and Mal into the downstairs bathroom, every part of me wound tight with agitation. I wasn’t normally a violent person. What I wouldn’t give to take another shot at the woman, however.