“Besides, with a mug like mine, I’ll end up buried in the back pages. With you, on the other hand—”
“He’s right about that one, ma’am,” said the reporter.
“Hey!” Robert said. “Don’t go agreeing too quickly with that.”
They laughed as Robert held Claire close to his side, and the flash went off.
“Thanks a bunch,” said the reporter. “It’s a hell of a thing what that preacher did. Too bad they’ll never get justice in Tennessee for that Villanova thing. Sawed the bastard in half, ouch!”
“They’ll get justice,” said Vaughan. “He’ll be extradited and stand trial for that one, too.”
“I, I thought you heard,” said the reporter.
“Heard what?” asked Dr. Hall.
“Brother Eustice hanged himself in his cell,” the reported informed them.
“What!” Vaughan yelled.
“Yep. I guess his conscience wouldn’t let him go on.”
“He had no conscience,” said Billy. “He’s a sociopath.”
“Was a sociopath, darlin’,” Claire agreed. “Was a sociopath.”
“And a coward,” added Robert. “May he burn in hell.”
Everyone present had the same reply. “Amen.”
EPILOGUE
Purvis Johnson sat in his rocking chair, reading the newspaper in the dying light of the Alabama sun. He enjoyed sitting on the front porch of his newly built home, especially when the weather was mild, as it was on that January evening.
His house was nothing more than a shack, hastily thrown together with clapboard siding in a haphazard fashion by day workers hired piecemeal. He had employed an excavating crew in the beginning, only to stiff them on the bill and run them off his property. Then there was Willie, buried under the septic tank nearby. Purvis couldn’t decide which memory gave him more pleasure.
The old man rifled through the paper until he’d read enough. He placed the sections back in place, folded the paper, and set it on his lap. He glanced again at the photograph on the front page. Some nondescript policeman was mugging it up next to a gorgeous dame.
“I’d smile, too, if I had that piece of eye candy on my arm,” Purvis said out loud.
The story attached had been a doozey. Even by Purvis’s standards, it ranked up there. Some magician had been sawed in half and his twin daughters kidnapped, raped, dismembered, and thrown into Dead River Swamp. Although Purvis wasn’t particularly fond of the raping part—after all, he wasn’t a pervert—he did appreciate the aesthetic quality of sawing a magician in half. It was almost worthy of him. The name of the swamp was an extra bonus: Dead River Swamp. It was perfect.
The old man pulled out a Camel cigarette and lit it with one of the matches he’d collected from the Winecoff Hotel. He liked to save them for special occasions, and this one felt just right. Purvis took a deep drag of tobacco laden smoke and exhaled into the cool, evening air. He glanced at the picture again, making sure to catalogue the people it portrayed and the related story attached in his photographic memory.
Purvis remembered everything. He always had. Most people thought he was little more than an imbecile, and he played the part so as not to disappoint them. It made things so much easier for him. He’d hidden his gift of intellect his whole life, as he hid the other things. One begat the other, he reckoned. It’s why he’d been so successful at carnage and remained free to wreak havoc in an unsuspecting world. Every creature had its purpose, and he’d been exceptionally adept at his.
Thinking about the wonderful story he’d read in the newspaper, Purvis took another long drag off his cigarette and leaned his head back, exhaling the grey plume towards the spider strategically perched in its giant web overhead.
“Now, ain’t that sumthin’, Edgar?”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CLAYTON E. SPRIGGS is the author of the critically acclaimed Johnson Road mystery/thrillers. His novels include Johnson Road, Billy, and Peterson County Murders. He lives in southeast Louisiana with his lovely wife, wonderful children, and his beloved beagle, Bo. He can be contacted at:
[email protected]
THANK YOU
Dear Reader,
You may not be aware of how difficult it is for a self-published author, like myself, to get reviews. I don’t have a publicist to promote my books or a staff of marketing personnel to hustle reviews. I depend on my readers for support. I would greatly appreciate it if you would please take a few minutes to post a review where you purchased this book. What did you like about The Bone Puzzle and would you recommend it to your friends (star rating)?
Thank You.
Clayton E. Spriggs
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to thank everyone who has contributed to the successful completion of this novel. Although there are too many to name them all, special appreciation goes to Jennifer, Jesse, and Louaine for all that they’ve done and continue to do for me. I love you all. I also would like to thank Gerard and Dina for the great covers and Kit for the outstanding editing. Most of all I wish to thank my readers without whom I would never be motivated to get past the first paragraph.
JOHNSON ROAD
Book One of the
Johnson Road Saga
When Purvis Johnson fell on hard times, he agreed to sell most of his land to a real estate developer. Before long, the dirt road that once served as his makeshift driveway became a paved street. Newly constructed houses sprung up on both sides. Families moved in and the quiet neighborhood was on its journey to becoming the suburban utopia promised by the American Dream.
A girl goes missing. Detective Robert Stallworth, an Alabama State Trooper known for his ability to find missing things, is assigned the case. As Detective Stallworth and the local sheriff work together to solve the case, mysterious events continue to take place on Johnson Road.
One by one, tragedy will strike them all. By the time the dreamers realize they are trapped inside a nightmare, it’s too late. Something has gone terribly wrong inside the dream — something evil — something on Johnson Road.
Buy Johnson Road today to discover the truth about who is behind the horrifying events.
PETERSON
COUNTY
MURDERS
Book Two of the
Johnson Road Saga
They cornered a killer... and unleashed his full potential...
Detective Robert Stallworth can’t shake the horrors he witnessed that fateful day on Johnson Road. As the unexpected deaths and disappearances grow, the detective’s desire to catch the killer has morphed into a personal vendetta...
When the FBI and US Marshals take the case, the Peterson County police expect a quick arrest, but Robert isn’t so sure. Recognizing the killer’s calling cards won’t stop the murders unless the detective can find him first. As they uncover the terrifying truth about their prime suspect, Robert races against time to thwart the psychopath before he demonstrates what he’s truly capable of...
Peterson County Murders is the second book in the Johnson Road Saga, a series of thrilling mystery novels. If you like gut-wrenching twists, psychological suspense, and masterful storytelling, then you’ll love Clayton E. Spriggs’ twisted tale.
Buy Peterson County Murders today to see if one man can stop a killer from becoming a legend...
BILLY
A Tale of Terror
Hidden away in the cypress swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin, a cabin sits on pilings driven into the murky waters of Bayou Noir, home to the Cajun family known as the St. Pierres. One dark night, a newborn arrives — unwelcomed and unwanted. Over time, he grows into something to be feared, chained, and hidden away in the attic. When the rising water from Hurricane Katrina reaches Bayou Noir, the St. Pierres are forced to confront the terror that awaits them in the attic.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when a group of college kids looking for survivors in Bayou Noir disappears, Detective Nicholas Vizier and a band of local gato
r hunters are hired to search for the missing students. What they find is more than they bargained for. They find Billy.
From the cabin in the swamp, to the confines of St. Elizabeth's Institute for the Insane, to the haunted ruins of Lost Bayou Plantation, Billy will send you on a terrifying adventure. So prepare yourself for the horror that you'll encounter with every turn of the page.
Buy Billy today and discover the terror that awaits whomever is brave enough to venture into Bayou Noir.
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