The Bone Puzzle

by Clayton E. Spriggs

  “He was gonna kill me!”

  “Are you a prophet?”

  “What? No—”

  “Then how do you know he was going to kill you? Did he say he was going to kill you?”

  “No, of course not. But he had a gun.”

  “So did you.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “But what? Did you go out there with him with the intent to murder him?”

  “No, I wouldn’t—”

  “Then why were you carrying a gun?”

  “Because, I, I had a feelin’.”

  “You had a feeling? You must be a prophet, then. You stated earlier that you knew why your father was allegedly taking you to Memphis. Oh right, you also stated that you didn’t know. It’s all so confusing. Hold on now. Didn’t you say that it was you and your brother who kidnapped the girl? Isn’t that correct?”

  “Paw told us to.”

  “Did he? So you say. But you’re the one who actually did it.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “You said that you were also the one who shot Deputy Barber. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “And you tried to murder the detective—twice?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “I’m hearing a lot of buts in there for someone who wants to stop blaming others. You also stated that it was Buck, and not Eustice Winchester, who murdered the girl.”

  “One of the girls. But not the first one.”

  “The one that you said you didn’t see killed and really have no way of knowing for sure who killed her. Is that correct, or did your miraculous talent for prophecy bestow upon you such knowledge?”

  “No. It was Paw who killed her.”

  “And you saw that happen?”

  “Well, no.”

  “So you don’t really know for sure?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Did you take part in the dismemberment and dispersion of the deceased?”

  “Yes, sir, but I didn’t want to.”

  “So you say. But you did it anyway?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “As did the others?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Did your father?”

  “No. He wouldn’t do it.”

  Jeremiah’s answer sent a wave of approval through the crowd. Whispers of “Praise be!” and “Amen!” resonated in the packed courthouse.

  “What was he doing?” asked Lee.

  “Prayin’ mostly.”

  “No doubt for your souls,” said Lee. He gave the jury a look of consternation before returning his gaze to the witness. “Is there anything you’re leaving out of your testimony?

  Vaughan felt his gut tighten, but he pretended the question was of no concern. It wasn’t time to reveal the truth about the skulls, and he didn’t want Jeremiah to inadvertently spill the beans.

  “No, I mean, I don’t think so,” said Jeremiah.

  “You admit to being a cold-blooded murderer and you accuse your own father of heinous crimes, and now you sit there and lie straight to my face. And not only to my face, you lie to the honorable judge, the fine citizens of Pickens County, and, worst of all, to our esteemed members of the jury who have taken time out of their busy lives to see that justice is done. Why are you lying?”

  “I’m not lyin’.”

  “You said earlier that all of the deacons were in on the murder and dismemberment of the first victim. You said you all went out into the swamp and disposed of the body parts.”

  “They did.”

  “They?”

  “We.”

  “All of them?”

  “Yes, all of them.”

  “Don’t you mean us?”

  “All of us.”

  “Then, how the hell did Earl Barber show up the next day with the other girl and not know anything about what happened the night before?”

  “Well, that’s because he left before—”

  “You just said that you were all there.”

  “Except for Earl, I meant.”

  “Except? There is no except. You’ve perjured yourself under oath. You sit up there and give a fine speech about doing the right thing and taking responsibility, then you lie and accuse others and make excuses for your own actions. The only thing you said that I find believable is when you confessed to first degree murder.”

  Douglas Lee turned away with a dramatic show of disgust and looked at the jury, pretending to mutter to himself, “I’ve been doing this too long to be surprised when a killer turns out to be a liar.”

  “But you’re twistin’ my words. I—”

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” Lee interrupted. “Unfortunately, I may be forced to recall this witness, with your approval.”

  “Granted,” said Judge Foley. “Mr. Vaughan, have you any more questions for the witness?”

  “No, Your Honor,” said Vaughan, feigning defeat, then adding, “The state rests.”

  Brother Eustice leaned closer to Douglas Lee, and the two exchanged a few whispers. Lee stood up and addressed the courtroom.

  “I move for a dismissal, Your Honor. The state has shown no evidence to support their scandalous and unwarranted allegations. Furthermore, I demand an apology from not only the prosecutor, but also from the state police for their vicious attack upon my client’s reputation. I—"

  “Hold it right there, Counselor,” interrupted the judge. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. You are in no position to demand anything at this point. Your client has been accused of murder, Mr. Lee. I haven’t agreed to your request for dismissal, nor shall I. We will convene here tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, and you can present your defense.”

  Lee nodded and assured his client that it was now only a matter of time before he’d be exonerated. Vaughan kept his head down and exited through a side door. In truth, he wasn’t at all convinced that Winchester wouldn’t walk. A guilty verdict was far from certain, and Vaughan would be surprised if Lee didn’t have a trick or two up his sleeve yet to play.

  The circus tent revival had infected half the county, and all it would take was one member of the jury to cause a mistrial. The surviving members of the Antioch church were scrambling to save their own hides, and their testimony was tainted. As the only man left standing with a conscience, Jeremiah was positioned to take the fall for the lot of them, and the rest would be happy to see him do it, even his own father. On the other hand, they had the skulls, they had the detective, but most of all, they had the scumbag who had created the entire mess, who was dying to run his mouth. Vaughan knew all he had to do was to let him do it.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN

  Douglas Lee started his defense by calling up character witnesses. One by one, they raved about what a fine man Eustice Winchester was. Example after example of godly devotion and charitable works by the esteemed preacher were presented in great detail by the assorted members of the community without as much as a rebuttal from the prosecutor. When the fourth witness was going to be called up to the stand, Vaughan asked for a sidebar.

  “Your Honor,” said Garland, “Mr. Lee has eight more of these witnesses slated to testify. I’m not planning on asking a single question of any of them. Can we please wrap this up so we can get on with it?”

  “Your Honor,” Lee countered, “the jury has heard terrible accusations about my client. It is imperative that I’m able to present a more accurate portrayal of his character for balance.”

  “Mr. Lee,” said Judge Foley, “you’ve done that. The prosecutor is right. There’s no point in beating a dead horse. Unless the witnesses have something pertinent to the crimes of which your client is accused, the court isn’t interested in hearing their testimony.”

  “Very well, Your Honor,” said Lee.

  Vaughan walked to his table and sat down. Lee wasted no time in calling his next witness.

  “The Defense re-calls Deputy Earl Barber to the stand.”

  The back doors of the courtroom opened and Earl en
tered. Bailiff Tyndale swore him in, and he took his place on the stand.

  “Deputy Barber,” Lee asked, “when you testified earlier in the trial, you made quite a few conflicting statements. Why is that?”

  “It’s hard to remember all of the details,” said Earl.

  “Is it? I don’t know, but if I was involved in such horrific crimes such as these, I think I would remember them.”

  “That’s the problem.”

  “I don’t understand,” said Lee.

  “I was told to say so many things, I can’t always get them straight,” explained Earl.

  “Told to say? By whom?”

  “By that detective.”

  “Objection!” shouted Vaughan.

  “Overruled,” said the judge.

  Vaughan turned and glanced at Robert and Billy. They shrugged. It had begun.

  “Which detective?” asked Lee.

  “Detective Stallworth,” said Earl.

  “Are you saying that Detective Stallworth told you to lie on the stand?”

  “Not in those words, but in effect, he did.”

  “In effect?”

  “He’s too smart to come right out and say it as such. Instead, he tries to trick you. It worked, too, except it’s hard to keep track of everythin’ sometimes, so I get mixed up.”

  “I’m sure you do,” said Lee. “So then, let’s keep it simple. Just tell us what you know for sure, and leave out all of the things you were supposed to say. Did Eustice Winchester order you to kill anyone?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did you see Eustice Winchester kill anyone?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did Eustice Winchester order you to do any of the other crimes of which he’s accused, such as theft of a truck, or rape, or dismemberment of a corpse?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Well, that is quite a change in your testimony, I must say. How did you and your fellow church members become involved in this mess in the first place?”

  “We were asked to help look for the missin’ body after the foot was found in the swamp. We volunteered because it seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “And that’s it? You unwittingly became suspects in these unspeakable crimes solely because you offered to help?”

  “Yes, sir. We didn’t know what we was gettin’ into. It just happened that we was away on retreat when these things occurred, so we had no alibis ‘cept each other. I suppose that’s why we was all brought in on it. That way, none of us could vouch for each other. Instead, we turned on each other out of fear.”

  “But why would you implicate each other in crimes you didn’t commit?”

  “We was scared. The detective confused us. He kept at it with his story until we could no longer tell what had actually happened and what he had told us.” Earl turned to the jury and added, “I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what happened. He has this way about him that makes you paint yourself into a corner. I can’t explain the rest.”

  “You don’t have to,” said Lee. “I got a taste of that myself.”

  Lee chuckled and glanced around the room before turning back to the witness. “So, you are saying now that you had nothing to do with any of this?”

  “I’m not saying anythin’ about it no more,” said Earl. “Under advice of counsel, I refuse to answer the question on grounds that I might incriminate myself.”

  “I see. So now you are recanting everything?”

  “On advice of counsel, I refuse to answer the question on grounds I might incriminate myself.”

  “Is that how you are going to answer everything I ask you?”

  “When it applies to me.”

  “And when it applies to Eustice Winchester?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Is he guilty of these crimes?” asked Lee.

  “No.”

  The gallery exploded in cheers. Judge Foley allowed a few seconds to go by before banging his gavel on the bench and calling for order.

  “You once believed that Eustice Winchester was a man of God, but you stated that you no longer believe that. What do you say now?”

  “Objection!” shouted Vaughan. “This is completely irrelevant to this trial.”

  “Overruled,” said the judge. He turned to the witness and stated, “You may answer the question, Deputy.”

  “Even Peter denied knowin’ the Christ three times,” said Earl. “It is to my great shame that I am a weak and sinful man. I pray that my sins will be forgiven.”

  “You didn’t answer the question,” prompted Lee.

  “There’s much I don’t know, but I know one thing for sure. Brother Eustice Winchester is a prophet of the Lord.”

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” said Lee. His announcement drowned out by the cries of ‘Amen!’ and ‘Hallelujah!’ from the audience.

  Vaughan declined a redirect of the deputy. Barber would just refuse to answer any questions that might hurt Winchester while reinforcing the defense’s case whenever he could. At this point, Earl was nothing more than a character witness for the preacher.

  Lee called up Buck again. As Earl had done, he recanted everything and blamed Stallworth for any previous damaging testimony. As an extra measure, Buck broke down in tears at the end, openly begging Eustice for forgiveness while proclaiming the preacher to be a prophet sent from on high. Once again, Vaughan waved off asking the witness a single question.

  Lee skipped over a return visit with Joe Bob Duncan. The last thing he’d said on the witness stand was to declare himself to be a liar, so regardless of what he’d have to say now, it wouldn’t help.

  Gospel music from the church revival outside drifted in through the windows. Every witness Lee had called so far had proclaimed Winchester to be a holy man. Not one shred of physical evidence directly linked his client to the crimes of which he was accused. Lee could smell victory, but he was wise enough to know that it was in those moments that it all could fall apart.

  “Your Honor,” Lee addressed the judge, “if it please the court, may we resume presenting our case tomorrow? It’s getting a bit late in the afternoon, and I think it would be better for everyone if we started fresh.”

  “No objections, Your Honor,” said Vaughan.

  “In that case, we will adjourn until nine a.m.,” said Foley.

  Lee was relieved. Nobody had asked who his next witness was going to be. It was perfect. The next morning, he’d blow the case wide open. He’d exact revenge on the man who had humiliated him. Most importantly, he’d all but guarantee that Eustice Winchester would once again be a free man.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN

  Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war. The melody drifted into the courtroom from the revival tent outside. Judge Foley made his entrance, and everyone present took their seats on what would hopefully be the last day of the trial.

  The local merchants would be sorry to see it end. The influx of visitors had filled their coffers substantially. Reverend Beecher’s flock numbered in the thousands, all awaiting acquittal of the most holy Brother Winchester. For the local police, the trial presented a great deal of anxiety. If Winchester was found guilty and sent to the gallows, it was almost certain that a riot would break out. No matter how many reserves they brought it, they’d be outnumbered if the going got rough. The pressure was on to set Brother Eustice free, and that pressure was felt outside the courtroom as well as inside.

  With the cross of Jesus going on before! sang the choir from the tent next door.

  “Is the defense ready to proceed?” Judge Foley asked.

  “We are, Your Honor,” said Douglas Lee. “The defense re-calls Detective Robert Stallworth.”

  A round of boos and hisses greeted the detective as he made his way to the stand. Random shouts of ‘Heathen!’ and ‘Devil!’ accompanied his taking of the oath. Robert ignored them and took his place in the witness box.

  “Mister Stallworth,” Lee began.

  “Detective,” Robe
rt corrected him.

  “Right, Detective, you testified earlier that there was no additional evidence that might lead us to believe that someone other than my client was involved in this case. Is that true?”

  “It is.”

  “And you’re sure about that?”

  “I am.”

  “I find that rather hard to believe.”

  “I’m sure you do,” said Robert.

  “You previously testified that, at one time, everyone was a suspect, up to and including Sheriff Fuller and members of the police department. Isn’t that so?”

  “Yes, at one time, everyone was a suspect until they could be eliminated.”

  “And you eliminated them all?”

  “No.”

  “No? I’m not sure I understand you,” said Lee.

  “Deputy Earl Barber was never eliminated as a suspect.”

  “But the rest of them have been.”

  “Yes.”

  “I find that rather odd, considering what you found buried behind the police station.”

  Robert remained silent.

  “You’re being awfully quiet about that, aren’t you, Detective?”

  “You didn’t ask me a question.”

  “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Well, I’ll bet you don’t think you’re so smart now.”

  “Which question should I answer? If I think I’m clever or if I don’t think I’m smart?” asked Robert. Laughter came from the jury box.

  “The defense would like to, once again, present to the jury Exhibit R, the photograph taken by the detective, otherwise known as The Bone Puzzle.”

  Bailiff Tyndale retrieved the item and handed it to Robert.

  “Do you recognize this as being the same photograph as before?” asked Lee.

  “Yes.”

  “It shows two almost complete skeletons, does is not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me, Detective, what are the most obvious parts of the skeletons that are missing?”

  “The skulls.”

  “Correct, the skulls. Why aren’t the skulls in the photograph?”

  “We didn’t have them at the time,” said Robert.

  “But you have them now, don’t you?”

  “We do.”