Using her head as a pointer, she indicated the two boys. ‘And them? We aren’t going to actually leave them alone?’
‘Good God, no!’ I said. ‘They’ll come with us. I want all the kids there.’
‘Why?’ she asked, liberally dosing her salad with at least a half an ounce of red wine and vinegar dressing.
‘They might know more than what the boys and Janna told us. I’d think some of them, probably at least Ryan, had something to do with Clifford Dunne getting mugged.’
She nodded her head. ‘Good point,’ she said.
Heinrich had given the appropriate stewards semi-formal invites to pass out to the parents of the appropriate kids to meet in the conference room at two p.m. Me, Jean and the boys got there about one-thirty. I’d had the boys bring some toys with them and then put them in a corner while Jean and I set up. We sat at the conference table and made a list of the points I wanted to cover: when she might step in here or there, what we wanted Heinrich to say, etc. Heinrich joined us at about one forty-five, and we handed him a short little intro for him to read. He looked at it and handed it back.
‘If you don’t mind,’ he said, looking from me to my wife and back again, ‘I’ve been talking for myself for some forty-odd years now. I see no reason to change at this late date.’
Oh, crap, I thought. He’s planning on taking over. I looked at my wife and shrugged. I must have had a hangdog look about me, ’cause she patted my hand.
At about one fifty-five the people started showing up and I had the boys come sit with us – Early next to me and Johnny Mac next to his mom. First in the door were Mr and Mrs Connelly Sr, followed by Rose and her two boys, Trip and little Jacob; about a minute later Vern Weaver and his Crystal, along with a depressed-looking Ryan, Vern’s younger son, showed up, with Mike, Lucy and Janna right on their heels. At two oh five, the door opened yet again and Lyssa came in followed by a giggling Esther and Lance Turner, smiling down at his conquest. Why he was here I wasn’t sure.
After they took their seats under the steely eye of Chief Heinrich, he stood up and said, ‘I know you are all aware of the murder of Joshua Weaver. Some new information has come to light. Ferreted out by Mr Kovak, or should I say, Sheriff Kovak of Prophesy County, Oklahoma, for those of you unaware of this.’ By the looks on the faces of those assembled, the only ones not aware of this were the senior Mr and Mrs Connelly. ‘After checking Sheriff Kovak’s credentials, I’ve discovered he is much more familiar dealing with murder investigations than I am. Therefore, I will be turning this meeting over to him. Sheriff?’
You could have knocked me over with a feather. He sat down and I stood up. ‘Thank y’all for coming,’ I said. ‘The first thing I need to tell y’all, and Vern, I do apologize to you in advance, but it seems like Josh was playing some mean games with the younger ones. And it looks to me like all the kids present were involved to some extent.’
Vern just shook his head and looked down at the table. However, Baker Connelly Sr stood up. ‘My grandsons were not involved with that young man at all. They had nothing to do with this and we’re leaving.’ He practically yanked his wife up by her arm, then shouted, ‘Rose!’
Rose sighed big time. ‘I don’t think so, Dad,’ she said. ‘The boys and I will stay here. Maybe you should take Mother back to the cabin.’
‘I said now, young lady!’ Connelly shouted.
Without raising her voice, Rose simply shook her head and said, ‘No.’ Both her boys looked at her with surprise and, dare I say it? Respect.
For some reason, Lance Turner found this exchange to be very funny, laughing out loud at one point, while Esther Monte tried to shush him.
‘Linda!’ Connelly said to his wife and stormed out of the room, his wife following behind him.
‘I’m sorry for the interruption, Sheriff,’ Rose Connelly said. ‘Please continue.’
I nodded my head at her and went on. ‘In a nutshell, Josh was trying to get these kids to steal for him. I don’t know how much he got out of it, except what he got for rolling that drunk from the casino the other night. Ryan? Were you with Josh then?’
Ryan was desperately shaking his head, when his dad took his hand, kissed it and said, ‘Boy, just tell the truth. It’ll be all right.’
Tears sprang to Ryan’s eyes. He looked over at Rose’s boys then raised his head to look me in the eyes. ‘It was just me and Josh,’ he said. ‘Josh made me hit the guy in the back of the head, and when he fell on the stairs I started going through his pockets and found a lot of money. But Josh took it all.’
Rose’s youngest child, Jacob, the seven-year-old, began to cry in earnest. Rose bent over her boy. ‘Honey, what’s wrong?’ she started, but Trip, Jacob’s older brother, grabbed his arm and twisted it. Rose didn’t miss that. She grabbed Trip’s hand off the younger boy and threw it away from her. ‘What are you doing?’ she demanded.
‘Nothing!’ Trip answered.
‘Jacob, what is it?’ she asked the younger boy again.
‘Ryan didn’t do it all by him—’
‘Shut up, you little shit!’ Trip screamed.
Rose stood up and yanked her eldest up by the scruff of his neck. ‘You were involved in this?’ she demanded. ‘And you included your little brother? What is the matter with you?’
‘Just trying to have some fun on this stupid boat! I never wanted to come on this trip! I wanted to go to Disney World! But Grandpa said no! So you just did what you always do – whatever he says!’
‘And that’s your excuse for mugging a man and stealing his money? You were bored?’ She sorta screamed the last part.
Trip had the grace to hang his head, while Jacob just cried harder.
Heinrich stood up. ‘May I ask how old is Trip?’
Rose let go of her son and sat down, bringing little Jacob into her lap. ‘He’s eleven,’ she said.
‘Too young to be arrested on-board ship. I will ask, however, that you keep him sequestered in his room. We will have his meals brought to you, and when you and your younger son need to go about the ship, one of my security personnel will stand outside your door.’
Trip looked up with wide eyes. Rose looked at her son then back at Heinrich. ‘That will work out well,’ she said.
At this point my wife stood up and asked Rose to join her outside. I said, ‘I’ll keep an eye on your boys.’
‘Thank you, Sheriff Kovak,’ she said, giving Trip another look.
‘Ryan’s eleven, too,’ Vern said. His son looked at him like he’d been stabbed in the heart. ‘You did the crime, boy, you gotta do the time.’
‘The same arrangement,’ Heinrich said.
Esther Monte stood up. ‘Well, my baby wasn’t involved in any of this, so I guess we can go.’
My two boys and Janna all started staring at the table. I touched her arm and said, ‘Please sit down, Esther. There’s more.’
Esther looked at her daughter and said, ‘What the hell did you do?
‘Lyssa,’ I said, ‘it has come to my attention that you were part of the group that stole the things people left at the pool one night. Part of one of Josh’s games. Isn’t that right?’
Lyssa stared hard at Janna and the boys, but not one of ’em lifted their heads. ‘Yes, sir,’ she finally said in a small voice.
‘Lyssa! You stole something?’
‘Esther, please. It’s my turn. You can have her after I’m done,’ I said. ‘Lyssa, what did you steal?’
‘I found some sunglasses and gave them to Josh. But when y’all were in Georgetown, at that first island we stopped at, Janna told me they stole things from stores and that Ryan won because he got the most expensive thing!’
Ryan jumped up, but his dad pulled him down. ‘Take your lumps, boy,’ Vern said. ‘Better to learn it now.’
Lyssa looked at Ryan and said, ‘I’m sorry.’
Lyssa sat down and her mother said, ‘It’ll be OK, honey,’ with her arm around Lyssa’s shoulders. ‘But you and I are going to have a
long talk.’
‘Ryan?’ I said. He looked up at me.
‘Yes, sir?’ he said.
‘Do you know what Josh did with the things y’all stole? And what was it you stole?’
‘I took a souvenir shot glass. And no, sir, I don’t know what he did with most of it. He really liked the sailing ship Early stole—’
‘I didn’t steal it!’ Early said, jumping to his feet.
I used my hand to indicate he sit back down. ‘For the record, Early’s the only one who actually didn’t steal anything—’
‘But he gave Josh that neat sailboat!’ Ryan said, standing up. Vern pulled him back down.
‘Early used the money I gave him and bought that sailboat and stuck the receipt in his pocket. He gave me the receipt so I can vouch for his truthfulness. However, Janna and Johnny Mac both stole small things. As did Ryan, it seems. I don’t think Josh made a lot of money off that particular crime wave. So, Ryan, you were saying?’ I said.
‘That ship is next to his bed,’ Ryan said. ‘The other stuff he threw away, I think. I know what he did with Johnny Mac’s thing. It was a ballpoint pen and Josh ripped it out of his hand and threw it on the ground and stomped it until it broke! He liked to mess with Johnny Mac because he thought he – Johnny Mac, I mean – was a goody two-shoes.’
I saw Vern Weaver, his head down, shaking it side to side. This had to be really hard on the blustering old fool. I took a chance at looking at Crystal. She was checking her nails.
‘What about the money he got from the guy you mugged?’ I asked.
Ryan shrugged his shoulders. ‘Don’t know,’ he said. ‘I didn’t see him hide it, but he must have. It’s certainly nowhere I can see.’
‘So you looked?’ I asked.
Ryan turned red. ‘Well, not hard or anything. I mean, I just glanced around—’
Heinrich stood and left the room for a moment. Through the windows of the conference room that looked out to the lobby area of the security site, I saw him talking to two of his men who quickly went out the door. I figured they were headed for the cabin Josh and Ryan shared to look for Clifford Dunne’s $5,000. I doubted they’d find it there. I’m pretty sure Ryan tossed the room once he heard his brother was dead. Of course, he might have waited a decent interval, but I sorta doubt it. Then again, he might not have had time, as I understood he was now bunking with Vern and Crystal, as Vern didn’t want him alone right now.
Jean and Rose came back in the room and took their seats.
‘OK,’ I said. ‘I’m mostly through. I just wanted to tell y’all that these two,’ I said, indicating Johnny Mac and Early, ‘are confined to only going places where we go.’
Lucy stood up and said, ‘Sounds like a good idea.’
‘Mom!’ Janna said, aiming the baby blues at her mother.
Lucy laughed. ‘Not working!’
And Mike said, ‘Not even on your dad.’
The other parents all agreed and started filing out.
EIGHT
Meanwhile, Back In Prophesy County
Emmett headed for the sheriff’s department, thinking that now he’d finished interviewing everyone in his county that had anything to do with Darby Hunt’s late wife, maybe he should interview more of Hunt’s own family? Maybe some of them felt he was a bad influence and decided to kill him. Then Emmett sighed inwardly. With Billy Hunt dead from drunk driving and Shorty Hunt in jail out in California for whatever, who in that family would think Darby was such a bad influence? Wouldn’t hurt to call some of ’em, just in case.
Maybe he’d go by and talk to Hunt’s mama, see what she had to say. He shuddered at the thought. That mean old bat was liable to pull a gun on him before he opened his mouth. Probably blamed him anyway for her son getting shot.
Which led him to wonder if there was anyone left from the old days still in police work who would take offence at Darby Hunt getting out? He knew Milt had been around, but Milt’s alibi for the night of the shooting was pretty good; Bill Williams was still around, and the deed had been done in his county. And he was the first one to know that Darby Hunt had been let out.
He shook his head. Naw, he thought, Bill didn’t get real caught up in his cases. Most of it was like water off a duck’s back with Bill. Dead bodies were just the price of doing business when you were in law enforcement, he heard Bill say once. So unless there was something really personal about Cheryl Hunt’s murder – like she was his sister or daughter or cousin or something – he doubted Bill would get his knickers in a knot over it. But, just to be on the safe side, Emmett pulled his squad car into a parking lot and pulled out his cell phone. Another reason, he reckoned, to get one of those bluetooth things. He dialed Lisa Atkins’ number.
When she said hello, Emmett said, ‘Miz Atkins, this is Emmett Hopkins with the sheriff’s department again. Real quick: is Bill Williams, sheriff of Tejas County, any kin to y’all?’
‘Not that I know of,’ she said.
‘Ex-boyfriend of your sister’s or anything?’
‘Cheryl started going with Darby Hunt in junior high and never went out with anyone else.’ There was a slight sob on her end of the phone. ‘Never knew a gentle hand from a man. Not ever.’
‘Ma’am, I’m sorry. Thanks for the info.’ He hung up quick, not wanting to hear her cry, started the car and headed for the shop. Once there, he checked in with Holly and headed back to his – Milt’s – office. And dialed Milt’s cell phone.
‘I’m sorta busy,’ Milt said when he answered.
‘I got nothing,’ Emmett said.
‘Yeah, well I’ve got my own dead body here.’
‘No shit? But you’re not sheriff on the boat, Milt.’
‘I’m just helping out the security chief here. So, what’s up with Hunt?’
‘I talked to everybody and their brother, literally, and can’t see anyone sticking out. I mean, all the McDaniels had reason to kill him, but most of them have an alibi, and those who don’t just don’t seem the type.’
‘So you got the McDaniels and who else?’ Milt said.
‘Well, there’s a bunch of them. Including Hunt’s daughter. And then there’s Hunt’s girlfriend—’
‘He had a girlfriend?’
‘Yeah, I told you! The principal at Petal’s school!’
‘Oh, right. That sucks. I just don’t understand women who go for convicted felons. Especially ones who killed or raped women.’
‘Doesn’t make a lick of sense to me either!’ Emmett said.
‘You talk to Bill Williams? See if anybody on his end knows anything?’
‘Yeah, I guess I should do that. And speaking of Bill, did he seem unduly upset back when Cheryl Hunt got killed?’
‘Unduly? Not so I noticed. I went over there when it happened, since Bill arrested Darby on the spot and Darby was a resident of my county, but Bill just seemed relieved that nobody in Cheryl’s family had let the bastard get away. Why?’
Emmett shrugged, even though he knew Milt couldn’t see him. ‘Just a thought – you know, sometimes law enforcement gets too involved, maybe something personal—’
‘Naw, not Bill. But speaking of personal, your heart just doesn’t seem to be in this, Emmett,’ Milt said.
‘Well, now, if anybody deserved killing, it was old Darby Hunt,’ Emmett said.
‘We just uphold the laws, we don’t write ’em and we don’t get a say, you know what I mean?’
‘Yeah, I know what you mean, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy myself,’ Emmett said, said bye and hung up.
He got the papers Bill Williams had faxed over to him and got the list of Darby Hunt’s relatives. Crossing off Billy and Shorty still left a whole gob of them. Getting out a phone book, he looked up some of the names and discovered one of the Hunts, Josiah, was a preacher man, pastor of the LIOB Baptist Church, not affiliated, according to the yellow pages ad, with the Southern Baptist Church. After talking to their leader, Emmett had a feeling that would be a relief to Southern Baptists
everywhere. He called the number and Josiah himself answered. ‘LIOB,’ he said.
‘Pastor Hunt?’ Emmett asked.
‘You got him,’ the man said.
‘This is Emmett Hopkins, head deputy of the Longbranch Sheriff’s Department—’
‘You’re calling about my ne’er-do-well cousin Darby, I betcha,’ he said.
‘Yes, sir,’ Emmett said.
‘It all come from his mama’s side,’ Josiah said. ‘She’s Milsted, and them Milsteds are a bad lot. Bad to the bone.’
‘So you think it was all Darby’s fault that Billy drove drunk and got himself killed, and Shorty’s in prison in California for being stupid?’
Josiah laughed. ‘Well, now, those two were bad apples, Deputy, I ain’t gonna argue that.’
‘Why I’m calling, Pastor—’
‘Just call me Brother Josiah, Deputy.’
‘Just call me Emmett, Josiah,’ Emmett said. ‘So, I thought being a preacher you might be able to tell me about your kin and if any of ’em might want to kill old Darby.’
‘Well, now I heard somebody killed Darby. And I’m figuring it was God’s will. But as for this branch of the Hunts, I’m saying probably not. Both Billy’s daddy and Shorty’s daddy are dead, and Billy’s mama, too. Shorty’s mama’s still with us, but she’s a sweet little ol’ thing, wouldn’t hurt a fly.’
‘What about Vivica?’ Emmett asked, thinking of the female cousin Milt had mentioned who was as big as the boys but twice as mean.
‘Oh, now we don’t tolerate her kind round here,’ Josiah said. ‘Them’s that lie down with their own sex and all that, like Jesus said.’
Emmett was pretty sure Jesus never said any such thing, but he wasn’t going to argue with this dumbass bigot. ‘So where is she?’
‘Last I heard she had a cattle ranch in Montana, her and some other sinful woman. And they’re having babies too. If they lived around here, I’d take those poor children away from her, you can guarantee that!’
‘Anybody else in the family—’
‘Well, now there were four brothers, who begat eight sons. Darby was his daddy’s only child, and my daddy had two girls, and three more boys, including me. Both my older brothers died some time ago. Shorty has a brother, but he lives in Arkansas, and Billy had a brother, but he was in the car with Billy when it crashed. He didn’t die, but he might as well have. He’s been lying in his mama’s living room for almost twenty years now, on life-support. I’d pray the God Lord take him home, but I think my aunt would hold on to him so tight either he’d stay here or she’d go to heaven with him.’
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