The Bone Puzzle

by Clayton E. Spriggs

  “But why choose you?”

  “Because we helped in searchin’ for the girls,” Joe Bob explained. “He ain’t from ‘round here. He don’t know no one. All he had was the old man who found the first bones, the sheriff, and us. The old man is a nigger, but he’s too old. Besides, everybody knows Lucius ain’t that sort. Then he went after the sheriff and his men. When the judge threw that out the window, he come at us. And he kept comin’. It kept gettin’ worse and worse. Junior turned up dead. Earl freaked out and tried to kill us all, puttin’ poor ol’ Cooter and Charles Ray in their graves. They trapped Buck in a seedy hotel and hauled him in. If someone didn’t do somethin’, there ain’t no tellin’ where it would’ve stopped. So I did what I had to do.”

  “You did what you had to do?”

  “I turned myself in. Some other detective started questionin’ me, but I could see the writin’ on the wall. I asked for Stallworth, and I told him everythin’ he wanted to hear. He ate it up with a spoon, too, ‘specially the sick parts. That’s what he really wanted anyway. I think it turns him on.”

  “Objection!” Vaughan shouted. “Your Honor, please, this is outrageous.”

  “Overruled,” Judge Foley announced.

  Robert and Billy looked at each other. Trouble was brewing on the horizon.

  “That’s quite an accusation, Mr. Duncan,” said Lee. “Why would you say something like that?”

  “Because of that picture he keeps showin’ everyone,” said Joe Bob.

  “Picture? What picture?”

  “Not long after he showed up, we kept hearin’ rumors ‘bout him. They said that he kept the body parts they fished out of the swamp in a special room over at the coroner’s. But not covered up, or put in containers, or anything. No, the stories said that he had them displayed, lyin’ on a tarp on the floor, in the middle of the room.”

  Muffled groans drifted from the crowd.

  “Well, let me tell you, them rumors were true. He took pictures. He loved to show them to us, too. He liked to see our reaction when he shoved his favorite one in our faces. He even has a name for it.”

  “A name? That is disturbing,” Lee said with disgust. “Why would he do that?”

  “I told you. There’s somethin’ wrong with him.”

  “So you say. What does he call it?”

  “The Bone Puzzle.”

  The room erupted in an audible display of revulsion. A large woman in the back row fainted and was quickly attended to by those around her. An elderly man in overalls escorted his wife outside before she could empty her stomach on the tile floor. Judge Foley half-heartedly tapped his gavel for show, exhibiting no genuine effort to silence the courtroom. Robert ignored the whispered insults that drifted his way and stared nonchalantly at the front of the room, fighting the urge to wink at Bailiff Tyndale, who glared at him.

  The crowd settled down after a few minutes, and the judge ordered a fifteen minute recess before letting the cross-examination continue. That was fine with Lee. The longer the jury had to process Joe Bob’s testimony, the better it was for his client. Vaughan saw no reason to protest. The audience wasn’t going to like it any better when it was his turn to redirect the lying SOB, so there was little cause to hurry.

  Robert and Billy kept their seats as the room emptied. Neither had any wish to mingle with the local hillbillies, who were known to lynch undesirables on occasion.

  “I see you made quite an impression in the short time you’ve been here,” said Billy.

  “It’s a gift,” Robert answered.

  “Were you as popular in Germany as you are in Alabama?”

  “Almost, but I don’t live in Germany.”

  “So, what do you think?” asked Billy.

  “I think I need to change that title.”

  CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

  Stepping out of the side room wearing his shackles, Joe Bob was escorted by the guard back to the stand after a short recess. Douglas Lee had no more questions, preferring to quit while ahead. Garland Vaughan had no choice but to redirect the witness, even though he knew it would do little to help his case. Unless—

  “Mr. Duncan,” Vaughan said, “to summarize your testimony to this point, you originally told the police you knew nothing pertaining to the investigation. Then you not only told them that you were involved, but you went into great detail about the horrendous events, and you specifically named those in your group and spelled out the actions each took. Now you’re claiming, once again, that you have no idea what this trial is even about. Is this an accurate account?”

  “I, I don’t know how to answer that,” stammered Joe Bob.

  “It either is or it isn’t,” said Vaughan. “Yes or no?”

  “Which part?”

  “Right. That’s my point. Which part is correct, and which part is a lie? You’re under oath in a capital murder case involving the rape, murder, and dismemberment of children. So, to simplify my question, are you a liar?”

  “Objection!” shouted Lee.

  “Overruled,” Judge Foley stated.

  “I, I ain’t lyin’,” Joe Bob explained.

  “You have to be,” said Vaughan. “You’ve given nothing but conflicting statements from the beginning. They are diametrically opposed.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means you are a liar.”

  “Objection!”

  “Overruled.”

  “I ain’t a liar. I was just scared is all. That detective—”

  “You’re scared of the detective? I thought you were a Marine.”

  “I was.”

  “Oh, so you were a Marine. I didn’t know that was possible. I was told that once a Marine, always a Marine. But I may be wrong. How does the Marine Corps feel about lying, Mr. Duncan?”

  “Objection!” shouted Lee.

  “Overruled,” Judge Foley spat. Lee winced at the tone of the judge’s voice. He clearly didn’t appreciate one of his fellow servicemen obviously perjuring himself.

  Joe Bob stuck to his newest story. “I was just sayin’ what he wanted to hear.”

  “He wanted to hear the truth. Isn’t that what he told you?”

  “Yes. I mean, he said that, but—”

  “So you told him the truth. Isn’t that right?”

  “Yes. I mean, no. I, I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean yes, no, I don’t know? Did you or did you not tell him the truth?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Sometimes?” Vaughan asked incredulously. “So, if you were only telling the police the truth sometimes, what were you doing the rest of the time?”

  Vaughan waited. Joe Bob didn’t answer. He glanced about the room, hoping Winchester’s lawyer would object, or that the judge would bang his gavel on the bench and rescue him. But no relief came. The room grew silent. The audience was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the shameful words to come out his mouth.

  “Lyin’,” Joe Bob replied, his voice a whisper.

  The crowd erupted with sneers and groans.

  Judge Foley tapped his gavel several times. “Order! Order in the court!”

  “What do we call someone who lies, Mr. Duncan?”

  “A liar.”

  “Are you a liar, Mr. Duncan?”

  Joe Bob nodded his head, keeping his eyes down.

  “We can’t hear you.”

  “Will the witness please answer so that the court reporter can hear,” instructed the judge.

  “Yes,” said Joe Bob forcefully. “I’m a liar. Is that loud enough for you?”

  “I’m warning you, Mr. Duncan,” Judge Foley said angrily. “I’ll hold you in contempt of court if you speak to me in such a manner again.”

  “Are you lying to us right now?” asked Vaughan.

  Joe Bob found himself back where he’d started. His cellmate had convinced him that, if he’d just stick to his story, everything would work out. For awhile there, he’d almost believed that it had. He’d snookered the district
attorney the first time around, and Winchester’s lawyer paved the rest of the way. But then they took a break, and when they came back, everything had gone to hell. Either the district attorney suddenly got his shit together or that damn detective put a word in his ear. No matter now, he was screwed.

  Luckily, his cellmate told him of a Plan B, just in case. It was the only card he had left, and he played it.

  “I refuse to answer on the grounds it might incriminate me.”

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” said Vaughan. He strutted back to his desk, giving Lee a sly smile on the way. Before he sat down, Vaughan glanced at where the detective had been sitting, but Stallworth was gone. He wondered what could’ve dragged Robert away from such a pivotal moment in the trial. There was an infinite number of possible scenarios, though only two outcomes. Either it was going to be very good, or very bad.

  CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

  The trial was set to resume at nine o’clock the following morning. Vaughan knew he’d be up most of the night in his office preparing, but he made the time to grab a quick bite and head over to Dr. Hall’s office. Stallworth was up to something, and Vaughan was determined to find out what it was.

  “It’s good to see you again, Garland.” The medical examiner greeted him and escorted him toward the back office. “I hear it was a rough one today.”

  “I’ve had worse, but just barely,” Vaughan replied.

  “Tomorrow you’ll have another shot at it,” quipped the doctor.

  They walked past the big coolers and down a long hallway until they got to the detective’s unofficial space. Dr. Hall unlocked the metal door and waved the prosecutor in. Vaughan took a deep breath and steadied himself before entering.

  Billy looked up and smiled when the men entered. Robert’s expression never wavered, his only acknowledgement that the visitor had arrived was a subtle nod. His attention was riveted on the grisly display lying on the tarp in the middle of the floor.

  “Good God!” exclaimed Vaughan. “Is this necessary? Don’t you think it’s time we put these girls to rest?”

  “It is now,” said Robert.

  Vaughan looked at the pile of bones and saw that they were now complete. The skulls had been placed at the apex of the skeletal remains. “How? Where did you find them?”

  “We’ve released Brandine without charges,” Robert stated. “For the time being. I thought you’d want to know. You’ll have to amend your witness list. She’s not going to testify.”

  “Excuse me?” Vaughan was outraged. “You have no authority to do such a thing.”

  “Judge Parker signed the order,” said Robert. “She’s gone.”

  “What? Why would you do that?”

  “Lacey and Laura are going to be buried whole, just like I said they would.”

  “Even if that means the killers walk free?”

  “If you do your job, that won’t happen.”

  Vaughan was furious. “If I do my job? What about yours? Where’s my evidence? You bring me this case full of holes and beg me to take it on, then hamstring me at every turn. That isn’t the way it works, Detective.”

  “You need to take a deep breath, counselor,” Robert replied in a steady tone, “before you forget yourself. We’re only one day into the trial. Things are just getting interesting.”

  “Interesting? Is that what you call it? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but our case is falling apart. The only thing we’ve established with our first two witnesses is that nobody can believe a word they say. Oh, that and that you’re the reincarnation of Satan. Did you have a look at the people seated around you, by any chance? They’re ready to acquit Winchester already. Hell, half of them are probably joining his church. How the crowd goes is often how the jury goes. What do we have left? A disgraced deputy? These country people aren’t going to understand a word Dr. Hall says, and they’ll dismiss it outright. Your testimony is only going to make Winchester look like a martyr. Lee has already set up his defense against your pile of bones here to make you look like the sicko. What do we have left? Jeremiah Winchester? He’s not going to testify against his daddy, even if you let his wife go.”

  “What do you think you were going to get out of Brandine?” asked Robert. “She’s not going to testify against her husband, and we can’t make her. Lee will play up the fact that she’s expecting, and we’ll look like bigger assholes for locking her up. We had to let her go. At least, for now.”

  “Damn it, Robert, the woman set you up to have you murdered.”

  “She wasn’t the first, and she won’t be the last.”

  “Is that all you have to say? That’s rather flippant, considering the circumstances.”

  “You’re going to be just fine, Garland. I have faith in your abilities.”

  “Gentlemen,” Billy interrupted, “please. This is getting us nowhere. We’re all on the same side.”

  “I thought we were,” said Vaughan.

  Robert ignored the comment.

  “Where were the skulls found?” asked Vaughan.

  “On Junior’s property,” said Robert.

  “How did you find them?”

  “Jeremiah.”

  “Fuck. When Lee finds out, he’s going to use it to cast suspicion on Winchester’s kids; first, the dead one, and if that doesn’t do it, then, the youngest one. By that time, JT will have sworn that his father’s innocent in regards to the two girls. He’ll cave when it comes to the shooting of his brother and the deputy, or take the Fifth. Either way, he’ll be a killer in the eyes of the jury. Eustice will be sitting pretty. We already know he’s more than willing to let the rest of the men burn to save his own skin—kin or no kin. You released Brandine for naught. Jeremiah is going to be a better witness for the defense than he will be for us.”

  “Will he?” asked Robert. “I think you’ve misjudged the boy. Call him to the stand, but leave questions about the skulls out of it, for the moment. Let Lee bring those up when he’s ready. The later, the better.”

  “We have to let him know,” said Vaughan. “It’s evidence.”

  “You submitted the evidence. My now famous photograph. We didn’t hide anything. It was everything we had at the time, and we submitted it. Has Lee asked for an updated list?”

  “No.”

  “And he’s not going to. Because a new one doesn’t have that name attached.”

  Vaughan smiled. “The Bone Puzzle.”

  “Unless Jeremiah mentions it, which is a very real possibility, Lee is waiting to use the skulls we found behind the sheriff’s office,” said Robert. “So we save Jeremiah’s testimony for last.”

  “But if he defends his old man and takes the heat himself, we’ll be closing on a bad witness.”

  “What’s our choice? Me?” said Robert.

  The men laughed.

  “Jeremiah will make his choice, and we’ll have to make due,” said Robert. “And what’s Lee going to do?”

  “He’ll ask for a dismissal for lack of evidence.”

  “And Judge Foley?”

  “Denied.”

  “And Lee has his turn,” said Robert. “He’ll bring up the skulls. Ouch! He can’t bring back any of our witnesses. They’re all liars. Remember?”

  “Except for you,” noted Vaughan.

  “Oh, he’ll be done with me after the first pass. I wouldn’t worry too much about that.”

  “I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you,” said Vaughan. “He’s a shark in the courtroom. He’s practically drooling on himself to have a go at you. I doubt once will be enough.”

  “That’s what Waldemar Hoven thought,” Robert said.

  “Who?” asked Dr. Hall.

  “Never mind. It's not important,” said Robert. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine. So what’s that leave him?”

  “Jeremiah,” said Billy. “That doesn’t instill me with confidence.”

  “You’re forgetting the other Winchester,” said Robert.

  “If Lee lets him testify
,” said Vaughan.

  “I can’t see how he can stop him,” said Robert.

  “If they’re on the edge of acquittal, he’d be stupid to take the stand,” said Vaughan.

  “Unless—” said Dr. Hall.

  “Unless what?” Vaughan asked.

  The group turned towards the medical examiner. What did he know that the rest of them didn’t?

  “Did you see the commotion on the picnic grounds across from the courthouse, by any chance?” Dr. Hall asked.

  “Yeah, I was going to ask you about that,” said Billy. “What’s that all about?”

  “They’re putting up one of those giant circus tents.”

  “Circus tents?” asked Vaughan. “You have to be kidding me. The circus is coming to town right next to the courthouse during the trial?”

  “No, not the circus,” Dr. Hall explained. “It’s even better than that. There’s going to be an old fashioned Christian revival.”

  “Good Lord,” said Billy.

  “Something like that,” said Dr. Hall.

  “That’ll do it,” said Robert. “The old windbag won’t be able to resist his captive audience. He’ll testify, alright.”

  “I’m not sure that’ll be a good thing,” said Vaughan. “The jury might be compromised by the revival. It might work against us.”

  Robert indicated the tarp at their feet. “They’ll have to ignore this.”

  Garland Vaughan wasn’t at all convinced that wouldn’t happen.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED

  Earl had been fantasizing about his dramatic entrance into the Pickens County courthouse for weeks. When the time came, he could barely contain his enthusiasm. He’d hear the bailiff call his name, then he’d slowly enter through the double doors at the back of the room. Wearing his dress blues, with his newly won Medal of Valor pinned on his chest, Earl would limp up to the podium as the crowd looked on with awe. He was a hero, wounded in the line of duty, here to secure justice for the victims.