Dark Waters

by Susan Rogers Cooper

  ‘Yeah,’ Early echoed, ‘what an asswipe!’

  There was a knock on the door. The two boys looked at each other, then went together to open it. Janna and Lyssa stood there. ‘I saw your parents with mine,’ Janna said. ‘So let’s go party!’ She grinned big time at Johnny Mac.

  ‘We have to get dressed,’ Johnny Mac said.

  ‘Is Josh gonna be there?’ Early asked.

  ‘God, I hope not!’ Janna said.

  The boys got dressed, then the girls showed them how to stick something between the door latch and the door jamb to keep it from locking. ‘This way,’ Janna said, ‘you won’t risk getting caught.’

  Milt – Day Three

  We ran into Mike and Lucy as we headed to the small auditorium where the country singer was going to perform.

  ‘Hey!’ Mike had shouted and we couldn’t do anything but stop and say ‘hey.’

  ‘Where y’all headed?’ Lucy asked.

  So we told her. ‘Oh, I love country music!’ Lucy said.

  ‘Me not so much,’ Mike said. ‘But I like to humor her.’

  ‘As does my wife me,’ I said. ‘Y’all can make fun of me and Lucy while we listen, OK?’

  So we headed to the music.

  Johnny Mac – Day Three

  That night the four, Johnny Mac, Early, Janna and Lyssa stayed away from spots they thought might contain Josh Weaver. ‘He’s just a big bully,’ Janna told them. ‘I never have liked him. Ryan’s not much better.’

  ‘It’s too bad you have to spend so much time with them,’ Johnny Mac said.

  ‘Tell me about it. We go over to their house almost every Sunday for bar-be-que – well, at least we did, before Mr and Mrs Weaver got a divorce. The first Mrs Weaver, I mean. I call her Aunt Lois. She’s really nice and down to earth, my mom says. Not at all like Crystal. But Dad says we have to hang out with Mr Weaver and Crystal now because Dad and Mr Weaver are partners.’

  They sat on deck chairs pulled up close to the rails of the top deck of the ship. They would occasionally lean down and spit in the ocean. ‘That sucks,’ Johnny Mac said.

  ‘Yeah. But, and don’t tell anybody this,’ Janna said, looking around, but Early and Lyssa had made their way to the bow of the ship and were leaning over, staring at something. ‘My mom talks to Aunt Lois all the time – at least once a day. And she’s even called her from here! Last night I heard her telling Aunt Lois all about the stuff Crystal bought when we were in Georgetown.’

  ‘What did she buy?’ Johnny Mac asked.

  ‘Mom said she bought a solitaire diamond that was like four carrots.’

  ‘What does that mean? Like big as a carrot?’ Johnny Mac asked.

  Janna shrugged. ‘I dunno. But the way she talked it must have been pretty big. And she said she bought a lot of other stuff – mostly diamonds – and maxed out the credit card she had!’

  Johnny Mac just shook his head. He knew ladies liked diamonds a lot, although his mother wasn’t like that. She had a small diamond in her engagement ring, and that was all. But his Aunt Jewel, his dad’s sister, she had loads of them! Rings and necklaces and bracelets and earrings! His dad told his mom one time that Aunt Jewel had so many diamonds he hoped he never saw her when the sun shone directly on her – it could put out his eyes. Johnny Mac was pretty sure he was joking, but was still careful not to look directly at his aunt when they were outside.

  ‘Did you really steal something today?’ Johnny Mac asked Janna.

  She shrugged. ‘Sorta,’ she said. Not looking into Johnny Mac’s eyes, she continued, ‘Some kid knocked this toy to the floor in the store I was in and it was close to the door. I just kinda kicked it out.’

  Johnny Mac didn’t say anything.

  ‘I never stole anything before,’ Janna said in a weak voice.

  ‘I don’t think I like these games Josh wants to play. Did he take that toy back to the store?’ Johnny Mac asked.

  Janna shrugged again. ‘I dunno.’

  Johnny Mac patted Janna on the shoulder. ‘It’s OK, Janna. It’s not your fault. Josh is a bully.’

  Janna started to cry and put her head on Johnny Mac’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure what to do or where to put his arm or anything; all he knew was he liked her head on his shoulder a lot. So he just said, ‘There, there.’

  After a minute Janna raised her head and said, ‘What time is it?’

  Johnny Mac checked his watch. It was almost midnight. ‘Time to head back, if it’s not too late already!’

  He helped Janna up and they walked back. After dropping the girls off at their cabins, Johnny Mac and Early went to the suite they shared with Johnny Mac’s parents. As he opened the unlatched door, Johnny Mac spied an envelope on the floor. He picked it up and saw ‘J.M.’ on the outside, so opened it and read:

  ‘You breathe a word about today and you’ll be sorry. Sure would be a shame if your mom had an accident! Don’t tell anyone about this note or anything else, or oops, SHE FELL DOWN THE STAIRS, OFFICER.’

  Meanwhile, Back In Prophesy County

  The day before, after leaving Reba Sinclair’s office, Emmett had found his daughter Petal waiting by his squad car.

  ‘Daddy!’ she said on seeing him, tears in her eyes. ‘I was so worried!’ She ran up and threw her arms around him.

  He knelt down to hold her. ‘Oh, baby, I’m sorry! I forgot it was my day. I was talking to your principal about some county business. You OK, Petal?’

  She nodded her head against his chest and gulped. ‘Yes, sir.’

  He’d hustled her into the car and on home, so hadn’t had the chance to interview Beth Atkins or her cousin, Dave McDaniel’s pinko liberal son Grady.

  He had, however, received a call at home from Dalton Pettigrew telling him, in great detail, about Inez Walker and her two grandsons.

  ‘Well, you lucked out this time, Dalton,’ Emmett said.

  ‘Yes, sir, sure did.’

  ‘Are you gonna tell me what you were doing that you had to leave your service revolver in the glove box in the first place?’ Emmett demanded.

  ‘Not ready to talk about that part yet, Emmett. Sorry.’

  ‘Whatever,’ he said, wondering what the hell Dalton Pettigrew was up to, thinking it couldn’t be anything too elaborate or even all that interesting. ‘Just get the car fixed. We use Dave McDaniel’s shop?’ Emmett asked.

  ‘No, sir, they got the city contract. We use Jasper Paint and Body in Jasper,’ Dalton said.

  ‘OK, well, get it over there. Have someone from the office follow you and drive you back to my house, pick up my squad car and take it for the day, OK?’ Emmett said and rang off, hoping Dalton had got all that. He’d tried to be specific. Milt said that’s how you had to be with Dalton – tell him all the parts.

  When Emmett got into the shop early that morning, Holly met him with two emergencies. ‘Accident on FM4712, gave it to Dalton,’ she said. ‘And an overnight burglary at Sylvia’s Gifts. Gave that to Nita.’

  ‘Great,’ he said, taking the two incident reports out of her hands and walking to his office. ‘Dalton get that squad car fixed yet?’ he said over his shoulder.

  ‘No, sir, he had to take that call first. He used Anthony’s. Anthony left his here last night.’

  ‘Just make sure Dalton takes care of that, you hear me?’

  ‘Loud and clear,’ she said.

  ‘I’m just checking in,’ he told her as he sat down at his – or Milt’s – desk. ‘I need to head out and interview a couple more people. You know what time class starts at the high school?’ he asked her.

  ‘No, but I’ll find out,’ Holly said and picked up his phone. Dialing out, she said, ‘What time does Mercy go to school?’ She listened, thanked the person on the other end of the line and turned back to Emmett. ‘That was the lady who has the other side of my duplex,’ she explained. ‘Her daughter’s a sophomore. Nine a.m.’

  Emmett looked at his watch. Ten after eight. He had plenty of time to get to the high school and inter
view Beth Atkins if he left right that minute. ‘I’m outta here,’ he said, as Holly waved goodbye.

  The new high school was in a recently incorporated section of Longbranch on the west side. It looked like a college campus: three two-story buildings, one long one-story building and a gymnasium, circled around a courtyard with trees and tables with umbrellas. Emmett wasn’t sure he liked the idea of his tax dollars going to buy umbrellas, but figured it was better than the brats getting skin cancer and his tax dollars paying for their care later. The one-story building housed administration, the cafeteria and the theatre, yeah, with an ‘re’ instead of an ‘er’. That’s what the sign said.

  Emmett went into the one-story building, to the administration office and asked to see Beth Atkins, either there or in her classroom. He showed all the right credentials. He was told to wait there and Ms Atkins would come to him.

  Beth Atkins showed up less than five minutes later. He figured she must have been in the one-story building all along. She was a short, squat young woman, wearing trousers, a button-down shirt, Bass loafers, and had a very short haircut. She also had a pretty face, and Emmett felt the usual stab of jealousy whenever he saw a pretty woman obviously batting for the other team.

  ‘Ms Atkins?’ he said, holding out his hand.

  She took it and gave it a firm shake. ‘I expect you’re the acting sheriff I’ve been hearing about from my relatives.’

  He nodded and smiled. ‘Yes, ma’am, that’d be me – Emmett Hopkins. Is there some place we can talk private?’ he asked.

  ‘Sure,’ she said, then looked over at the school secretary who was obviously listening to every word. ‘Wanda, can we have the counselor’s office?’

  Wanda nodded her head and Beth Atkins led the way down a hall laden with offices. Opening a door marked ‘Counselor,’ she went in and sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. ‘The counselor only comes in twice a week, and this isn’t one of her days,’ she said.

  ‘Then we shouldn’t be interrupted,’ Emmett said. She nodded her head, and Emmett began. ‘I take it you’ve heard about your father’s death.’

  ‘No, sir, my father is very much alive. His name is Roger Atkins. If you’re referring to Darby Hunt, yes, I did hear that he was shot. Someone did the world a favor.’

  ‘May I ask where you were the night before last, Ms Atkins?’

  ‘Please, call me Beth. And yes, you may ask. Actually, I was with several of my students at a showing of Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet at the Beanery last night from six until ten.’

  ‘Long movie,’ Emmett remarked.

  ‘There was eating involved. And a lot of talking, both before and after the showing.’

  ‘I haven’t been to the Beanery. Any good?’ Emmett asked.

  Beth laughed. ‘If I say it’s great and you go there and decide it’s not great, will you assume I was lying when I said it was? Or vice versa, for that matter.’

  Emmett smiled. ‘No, ma’am. Just wondered. My daughter gets tired of me and my wife always dragging her to the Longbranch Inn whenever we go out to dinner.’

  Beth cocked her head. ‘Well, I doubt if it’s going to last long around here. It’s vegetarian, but the food’s very good. I’m not a vegetarian myself, but I don’t mind occasionally getting my protein from sources that don’t have faces.’

  Emmett grimaced. ‘I dunno about that. No meat, huh?’

  ‘Egg dishes, cheese, tofu. I had the Portobello mushroom burger. Better than the real thing.’

  ‘Maybe once,’ he conceded. ‘Anyway, back to business. Had you seen your— Darby Hunt since he got out?’

  She shook her head. ‘I haven’t seen that man since I was four years old and he eviscerated my mother.’

  ‘And your gran— Darby Hunt’s mother?’

  ‘She tried to get custody of me when my mother was killed, but the judge wouldn’t hear of it. She tried several times after that to get visitation, but she’d always do something stupid and get shut down. Evil and stupid – not a good combination,’ Beth said.

  ‘I’d like you to try to answer this truthfully, Beth. Have you heard any of your relatives threaten Darby Hunt since he got out of prison?’

  ‘You mean to him or just in general?’

  ‘Either.’

  ‘Well, I don’t know that anybody actually saw or spoke to him. But if you’re asking if threats have been made in general and by whom, I’d have to say everybody, including myself. He was not well liked,’ she said with an ironic grin.

  ‘Have you seen your cousin Steve in town since Hunt got out?’

  She shook her head. ‘No, Deputy. Steve’s got bigger fish to fry in the city.’

  Emmett glanced at his watch. It was getting close to nine a.m. ‘What course do you teach?’ he asked.

  ‘English lit, sophomore level, and American lit, junior level.’

  ‘So you were out with the sophomores the night before last?’

  Beth laughed. ‘And a few juniors tagged along. You want a list of their names and numbers?’

  ‘No, ma’am,’ Emmett said, standing up. He held out his hand. ‘Thanks for your time, Beth.’

  She took his outstretched hand and shook it. ‘It was my pleasure, Deputy. And don’t mind us – the McDaniel brood. We can’t help being happy that the SOB is dead.’

  Emmett nodded and left, this time leaving behind a happy camper.

  SIX

  Milt – Day Four

  When we woke up on the fourth day aboard ship, we were already docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Standing on our balcony, Jean and I could see everything: the sea and sky, both the same shade of turquoise blue, the green and white of the island, touches of red and yellow flowers sprouting everywhere. This beat the hell out of a March in Longbranch where the grass was still winter brown and nothing was even thinking about blooming.

  Jean turned to me and her eyes were shining with excitement. ‘What’s on the agenda for today?’

  ‘I let them keep the deposit I gave ’em when we took the scooter off the ship in Georgetown, so we don’t have to do anything but get off.’ We went back into the suite and grabbed the menu of things to do in San Juan. ‘Maybe some snorkeling?’ I suggested.

  ‘That would be great for you and the boys. I think I might lie on the beach and work on a sunscreen-challenged tan,’ my wife said.

  ‘But first, like we did in Georgetown, maybe we can find a car and driver to take us to see the sights. And, oh, look, they’ve got canoes to rent. That could be fun. Check out the shore line?’

  She smiled. ‘Let’s just wing it,’ she said. ‘I’m up for anything!’

  And so we grabbed the boys and deboated. Probably not a word, but, hey, if you can deplane, why not deboat? Or would that be deshipped? None of the taxis waiting at the gate had a trailer for Jean’s scooter, so we got one of the ship’s people to take the scooter back and we got on two bicycle-driven cabs – Johnny Mac and Early in one (since they seemed to be friends again this morning), and me and Jean in the other, with strict instructions to the two operators not to get separated. And off we went with a running monologue from our driver with all sorts of trivia – like did you know San Juan is the oldest city under US rule? I didn’t. Or that Puerto Rico has its own rainforest? We left the more modern area around the docks and headed into old San Juan with its blue cobble-stoned streets and candy-colored houses. And Jean and I, of course, discussed retiring to San Juan and becoming beach bums who lived in a candy-colored house. This time Johnny Mac didn’t hear us and get disappointed that we were only joking.

  By the time we got through snorkeling, we were all slightly sunburned – Jean a little more so – and ready to get back to the ship. We would take off again during dinner and head straight back to Galveston with no more stops. We were on the downside of the trip and I was a little bummed. I was going to have to start getting used to my wife’s cooking all over again.

  Back at the ship we rescued Jean’s scooter and got ready for dinner. I took th
e boys down to the buffet, with a stipulation that they were to go straight to the children’s pavilion after they ate and to call me when they got there, then I headed to the dining room to meet Jean.

  It may have been the back end of the trip but the food sure didn’t suffer. I had fresh mozzarella with prosciutto and melon for an appetizer, a wedge salad with bacon, blue cheese crumbles and cranberries, and a Cornish game hen stuffed with dates, wild rice and feta cheese, with a spinach soufflé. For dessert Jean and I shared a chocolate soufflé. After I just leaned back and wished I smoked. It was that good.

  Johnny Mac called me during the main course, saying they were heading for the children’s pavilion. Jean reached for the phone and gave a few thousand instructions, and then we finished eating. After, we headed to a large room off the casino where they were calling bingo. It wasn’t Jean’s idea of a good time, but I’m damned good at bingo. I got my way when I mentioned there was a good chance I could win the big prize – a three-hour massage and facial package at the ship’s spa.

  Johnny Mac – Day Four

  Janna was dropped off to sit with Johnny Mac and Early by her parents, with instructions to go straight to the children’s pavilion after eating. Lyssa joined them a little after that.

  ‘What all do they have to do in the children’s pavilion anyway?’ Early asked. During the short time the kids had been at the pavilion the first night Johnny Mac and Early had joined the girls and Ryan Weaver, they’d barely had time to check out the trikes and push-toys in the open-area section.

  Janna shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I’ve only been there that once with y’all,’ she said.

  ‘Me, too,’ Lyssa said and laughed. ‘Maybe we should go check it out for real, just in case one of the parents asks us!’

  The four hopped up and headed to the pavilion at the end of the large food court area.

  They signed themselves in and checked the place out. There were a few kids there, little ones, like five or something. They were definitely the oldest in attendance. Checking out the shelves of toys, Johnny Mac and Early found a box of Lego and a bag of toy soldiers. The girls discovered a Barbie Dream House and a whole bag of Barbies and her clothes. And all four got very busy.