Free The Taking of Libbie, SD by David Housewright Page B

here, and this guy doesn’t know diddly-squat about the Twin Cities.”
    “Does it matter?” Nina asked. “What is it you guys like to say—no harm, no foul?”
    “There was plenty of foul.”
    “Yes, but nothing lasting. ‘Living well is the best revenge.’ How many times have you quoted that at me? I thought it was your code.”
    I shrugged my reply and gnawed more corn. It seemed as if Shelby purposely waited until my mouth was full before she changed the topic.
    “So, when are you kids going to get married?” she said.
    I damn near choked to death. The expression on Bobby’s face was of pure horror—he couldn’t believe Shelby had said that.
    “That’s a good question,” Victoria said. “You guys have been sleeping together since when?”
    This time it was Shelby’s turn to be shocked. “Victoria,” she said.
    Only Nina remained calm. She flicked away Shelby’s question as if it were a bothersome fly. ’Course, she had practice. Her daughter, Erica, had asked the same question a few days earlier.
    “McKenzie asked me,” she said. “He asked a couple of times, only I keep turning him down.”
    “I don’t blame you,” Bobby said. “You could do so much better.”
    “After my last experience with marriage, I’m kinda sour on the institution.”
    “Besides, a woman doesn’t need a man to complete her life,” Victoria said.
    “Yeah,” Katie said. She usually agreed with her older sister.
    “Were we speaking to you?” Shelby asked.
    “You said ‘kids.’” Victoria pointed at herself and Katie.
    “It won’t be long,” I said, “before these two start dating.”
    Shelby and Bobby glared at me as if I’d told an off-color joke. I ate more corn.
    Between bites of the corn, grilled chicken, and shrimp and sips of wine, beer, and orange pop, we talked. We talked about the president, and the weather, which seemed cooler than it had been in past summers despite fears of global warming, and the price of gas, and the Twins, who were once again in the thick of the American League Central Division race. Finally Victoria said, “McKenzie, when are you going back?”
    “Tomorrow,” I said.
    Nina dropped her fork on her plate. Her startling silver-blue eyes became as dark as her shoulder-length black hair. She spoke very slowly.
    “Back to Libbie?” she said.
    I nodded.
    “When did you make that decision?”
    “Monday night.”
    “Give me one good reason.”
    Before I could, Victoria answered for me. “Because they broke into his house and kidnapped him and kept him in a trunk—a trunk! They kept me in a trunk, too.”
    Shelby tried to slip an arm around her shoulders, but Victoria slid off the picnic table and out of reach. I thought she might cry. There were no tears in her eyes, though. Only rage.
    “They kept him prisoner,” Victoria said. “They hurt him and they kept him prisoner and maybe it was mistaken identity like you said, but someone has to pay for that. The guy who started it all, the Imposter, he’s got to pay for that. Him and everyone who helped him. Otherwise—otherwise you’ll always wonder. You’ll always be afraid. I’m not afraid anymore because the people who hurt me, they’re dead or they’re in prison. The people who hurt McKenzie, they’re still out there and they’ll probably hurt other people, too, unless someone stops them. If McKenzie doesn’t stop them, who will?”
    No one had anything to say to that except Victoria’s younger sister, who filled the uncomfortable silence that followed with a simple declaration.
    “Listen to her,” Katie said. “She’s an honor student.”
    Nina sat on the edge of a stool in my kitchen and held the stem of a wineglass against the counter as I filled it with pinot noir.
    “What Victoria said earlier, is that why you’re going to Libbie in the morning?” she said.
    “Partly,” I said.
    “What else?”
    “Curiosity. I want to know why the Imposter picked me. Unfortunately, I won’t get the answer