of refinement about her, too.” Landry made a spiraling motion with his hand. “I can’t picture her going to that ratty roadhouse for any reason other than it having something to do with her father-in-law getting shot.”
“You’re well informed, Landry.”
“Small-town scuttlebutt,” he said. “I couldn’t go anywhere today without hearing about the raid and the fallout from it. It’s all anyone was talking about.”
Thatcher remained noncommittal and tried to look bored with the subject. He covered a yawn with his hand. “Sorry. As I said, I was off to bed.”
Landry gave him a little bow. “Then don’t let me detain you any longer. Good night.”
“Good night.”
“Sleep tight.”
Landry’s mocking lilt set Thatcher’s teeth on edge. He went into his room, but not to sleep.
* * *
Laurel led the O’Connors down the steps into the cellar and set the lantern on the dirt floor. She gestured toward the stacked wooden crates. “The theft hurt us. That’s our stockpile.”
“That’s it? No jugs?” Davy asked.
“As you see,” she said. “Ernie had hidden ten crates of jars. Even those would barely have covered our orders. Now, they’re gone.”
“Thieving bastards,” Davy muttered.
She had gauged the brothers’ furious reaction to the news of the theft and didn’t believe they would have stolen from her even if they’d known where the crates had been buried. They seemed to understand and appreciate that their enterprise was in dire straits due to the loss of product simultaneous with Irv’s being incapable of working to replace it.
“Ernie is doing a double run tonight,” she said. “In the meantime, this is the supply we have on hand.”
Mike did a quick calculation. “Seventy-two jars. Those roughnecks will have that drunk before we get halfway back from delivering them.”
“I can’t help it, Mike. Nobody counted on these setbacks.”
Davy sighed. “Let’s get the haul into the car, brother, and make the best of it.”
“When you have everything loaded, join me inside. There’s another development to tell you about.”
A few minutes later the two came inside. Davy was about to speak when Laurel put her index finger to her lips. “Softly, please. Irv was restless and grumpy all afternoon. I know he’s in pain, but he’s also fretting over our situation. I let him drink enough to tranquilize him. He’s asleep, and I hope he’ll stay that way till morning.”
They carried cups of coffee into the dining room and gathered around the table. She served the twins slices of cherry pie. “None for you?” Davy asked.
“I was up all night last night. I’ve been baking since I returned from the still.” While there, she’d made the trek over the hill twice, but she didn’t tell them that. “My feet are tired, my back is aching, and the last thing I want to see is a piece of pie.”
They looked at her with sympathy but dug into theirs.
As she watched them shovel in bites, humming enjoyment, she pushed her fingers into her hair and held her head. “It’s just occurred to me that I should be putting up jars of pie filling while fresh fruit is in season.” It was an exhausting thought, but their moonshining business was reliant on her pie trade as a cover. “But that’s a worry for another day.”
Lowering her hands, she met the twins’ expectant gazes. “You don’t have to tell me how you know her, but are you acquainted with a girl named Corrine who worked at Lefty’s?”
“The whore?” Mike said.
Davy kicked his brother beneath the table. Mike drew back his fist.
Laurel held up her hands. “Stop it! We don’t have time for that, but don’t ever refer to Corrine that way again. Within or outside of my hearing.”
Davy said, “We know she’s the poor girl Wally Johnson beat up.”
“That’s right, and she’s still suffering the effects. By a set of bizarre circumstances, she’s now a member of our group.”
The twins gaped at her with identical expressions of incredulity.
“Never mind how it came about. She arrived here last night with Irv. She proved herself helpful in any number of ways, and that gave Irv an idea.” She went on to tell them about the present arrangement at the stills. “Ernie will teach her how to do the simpler tasks, and I trust her to work hard so that our shortfall will be made up for soon. And—”
“Jesus,” Mike said. “There’s an and?”
Laurel gave him a look. “And, I went to Lefty’s today to renegotiate terms.”