PREVIOUSLY…
Miller Cane has begun to look at houses, a permanent home for him and 8-year-old Carleen, in Missouri — not far from the site of America’s latest mass shooting. He and Carleen feel called to this place, to counsel and cry with survivors like Tammy and Fiona, and they have made real connections after spending months on the road together. The town is still swarming, though, with people Miller previously met working other massacres, including Heffner, whose grief and anger have found a target in Miller. And now Lizzie, Carleen’s mother, is in town, too, sprung from jail after making a deal with her estranged husband, Connor, to drop assault charges against her. They’re here to collect Carleen, and Miller’s plans for a normal life may just fall apart. Most important, though, is making sure Carleen is safe.
CHAPTER 8, PART 6
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arleen was wearing her yellow bonnet when Miller picked her up, she and Fiona shaking Mason jars of milk on the patio out back. “They’re making butter,” Tammy said. The plan was to meet Lizzie at the coffee shop in Springfield, but it was still too early. “There’s pumpkin bread in the oven,” Tammy said, “if you have time.” Encouraging words were all over the kitchen framed in needlepoint, burned into wood, spelled out with refrigerator magnets — Hope, Gratitude, Dream, Believe. Tammy stood at the counter measuring dry ingredients into a bowl. Miller imagined other words bent out of rusted
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Miller Cane: A True and Exact History, a new novel by Samuel Ligon, is being published for the first time in the pages of the Inlander. The latest installments of the book will always appear in print first, then on the web the following Wednesday MADE POSSIBLE BY and then on Spokane Public Radio, which is broadcasting audio versions of each installment. Visit MillerCane.Inlander.com for more details.
would be gone from him, that she’d fall into Lizzie’s metal — Quit, Surrender, Most Things Haven’t Worked Out, the arms and fly home, out of his life. The better plan would great Junior Kimbrough title. Maybe he wasn’t the right be the three of them driving back to Washington in the person to raise Carleen. Maybe all he was good for was motorhome, Carleen and Lizzie sharing his bed and keeping her on the road until her mom arrived worn out Miller sleeping in Carleen’s loft, almost like practicing for from jail. the future. Maybe Lizzie was right about the deal with “Carleen said you might be settling here,” Tammy Connor. But Miller would have to see him first, make a said. determination based on how desperate he seemed. Had he ever really thought that? The place was a di“Your mom sounded good,” he told Carleen, and saster, a ruin. Carleen would want to stay, but that wasn’t Carleen said, “Is she coming home?” going to happen. “Maybe,” Miller said. “Probably.” “There’s nothing left for us here,” TOAST TO MILLER CANE Carleen untied and retied her bonTammy said. She pulled the bread from The final installment of Miller Cane net strings, pulling the brim lower over the oven and placed it on a cooling will appear in next week’s issue of her eyes. “Are we going back to Mount rack. “We’re going to Wichita,” she the Inlander. And on Aug. 22, we’re Vernon?” said. “Blake’s got people there.” going to celebrate the occasion with “Maybe,” Miller said. “Is that what “Smart,” Miller said. a wrap party — with drinks, a short you want?” “I don’t know if it’s smart.” reading, a conversation between “I don’t know,” Carleen said. “I “Leaving isn’t quitting,” Miller said. Samuel Ligon and Jess Walter and thought we were supposed to be here.” “Maybe it is,” Tammy said. “It’s music by BaLonely. The free event “Maybe we’re done here,” Miller hard to know what’s best for the girls.” will be held at the Big Dipper, at 171 said. A giant wall clock ticked above S. Washington, with doors at 7, con“Or maybe Mom could come when Miller’s head, surrounded by a wooden versation at 8 and music at 9. More she gets out. She could help too.” rooster and three wooden chickens. details at Inlander.com/wrapparty. “Sure,” Miller said. Everything in Tammy’s kitchen might He parked the car and they walked have come from the same catalog. onto the square. No sign of Connor. “Carleen said you’ve done this before,” she said. “Where are we going,” Carleen said, and Miller said, “Shootings, I mean.” “To the fountain.” “Yes,” Miller said. “My nephew — ” Taking her to Lizzie felt like losing her, but maybe it The girls burst into the kitchen. didn’t have to be that way. “Try this,” Carleen said, opening the jar of butter and “I could go back to school,” she said, and Miller said, handing it to Miller. “Exactly.” “Fantastic,” he said. A woman on the bench beside them scattered crumbs “The bread’s too hot to cut,” Tammy said, but she cut for the pigeons, the birds lifting and resettling as people it anyway and they smeared it with butter and jam, then walked by. The fountain burbled behind them. Miller put Carleen gathered her things from Fiona’s room, everyone his arm around Carleen and she leaned into him. The hugging at the door. When they finally got outside it massacre was everywhere here, but would soon begin to seemed likely they’d never see Tammy and Fiona again. fade, even though so many had died close by. Marquette Miller told Carleen about her mom as they drove, would never recover. It would be best if the town were not knowing how to prepare her or if he should prepare bulldozed and buried. her. What if Connor was lurking and they had to bolt before seeing Lizzie? It didn’t seem possible that Carleen ...continued on next page
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AUGUST 8, 2019 INLANDER 31