A Thousand Falling Crows
Page 24
Pete Jorgenson shook his head in disgust. “I never was comfortable around Hugh Beaverwood, but I always suspected that it was because he smelled like death, because of what he did for a livin’. But I guess all those tales about him was true after all. He was a bad man. Hurt more than he helped.”
“More will come out, I suppose,” Sonny said. “But I saw enough, know enough. I’m happy to leave all that to Jesse, now. He can handle it.”
“I think he can,” Pete offered with a smile, reaching out to tap Sonny’s right shoulder like he would any old friend. He stopped as soon as he realized what he had done. A stricken look crossed Pete’s face, replacing the ease and comfort that had been there seconds before.
“It’s okay, Pete,” Sonny said, raising the hook. “I don’t feel much pain anymore, and I‘m getting used to it more and more every day. Why, just this morning, I tied my shoes with it.” He looked down at his feet, proud of himself.
Pete smiled. “I‘m glad to hear it.”
“Well,” Sonny said, “I best get Aldo back home. I suppose you’ve got work to do.”
“Always that,” Pete said. He reached down and picked up the suitcase.
Sonny whistled for Blue, and in a matter of seconds the dog came running out the door. “I‘ll be seeing you, Pete,” he said, stepping off the porch, heading to the truck.
“Stop by any time, Sonny. There’s always a cup of coffee for you here.”
Sonny waved and walked to the truck, then opened the door for Blue to jump in. The dog dove straight inside the cab and settled into his spot by the passenger window. Sonny slid into the driver’s seat and started the truck like he’d been doing it all his life.
He smiled as he drove away from the Jorgensons’. It was the first time he could ever remember Pete calling him anything but Ranger Burton.
The crows watched and waited, hoping for another two-legged one to walk the world. The other one had vanished, but they knew it would only be a matter of time before another one would come along, leading them in the darkness to blood, to opportunity, to a silent festival of crows.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s visit to Wellington, Texas, is based on actual events, but it has been shaped to fit the fictional narrative of this novel by the author. People, places, and timelines have been eliminated, meshed, and moved for the sole purpose of storytelling, not to rewrite history. Any mistakes are my own.
Readers interested in the Texas Rangers and Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s should look to these books for further reading: Lone Star Lawmen: The Second Century of the Texas Rangers (Berkley, 2008) by Robert M. Utley, Time of the Rangers: Texas Rangers: From 1900 to the Present (Forge, 2010) by Mike Cox, and Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde (Simon & Shuster, 2009) by Jeff Guinn.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This novel wouldn’t have been possible without the encouragement of Matthew P. Mayo and David Cranmer. They selected my short story, “Shadow of the Crow,” for an anthology they edited, Beat to a Pulp: Round Two, giving me the belief and encouragement that there was more to Sonny Burton’s story to tell. Thank you both.
Luckily, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to spend quality time around American crows. Liz and Chris Hatton rehab injured wild birds and also use them to educate the general public about their existence and why the birds are so important to us all. It is a privilege to be in the company of a wild animal, and I‘m grateful for the opportunity and the lessons I have learned. Thank you, Liz and Chris, this book wouldn’t have been the same without spending time with you and the crows.
Special thanks goes to Dan Mayer, for your enthusiasm for this story, and to the entire Seventh Street Books team that sees my books to the shelves. Also, to my longtime agent, Cherry Weiner, who believed in this book from start and never gave up on it (a recurring theme).
Finally, thank you to my wife, Rose. You constantly amaze me with your wit, intelligence, and genuine heart. I am able to do what I do because of your continued belief and encouragement. Thank you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Larry D. Sweazy (www.larrydsweazy.com) is a two-time WWA (Western Writers of America) Spur Award winner, a two-time, back-to-back, winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award, a Best Books of Indiana award winner, and the inaugural winner of the 2013 Elmer Kelton Book Award. He was also nominated for a Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS) Derringer award in 2007 (for the short story, “See Also Murder”). Larry has published over sixty nonfiction articles and short stories and is the author of ten novels, including six novels in the Josiah Wolfe western series (Berkley), two novels in the Lucas Fume western series (Berkley), The Devil’s Bones, a thriller set in Indiana (Five Star), and one novel (See Also Murder) in the Marjorie Trumaine Mystery series (Seventh Street Books), with two more planned for the future. He currently lives in Indiana with his wife, Rose.