“Is he very far away?” Jack asked.
Sandra shook her head. “He’s in Memphis, but he don’t go by his name no more. He changed it.”
Jack and Wanda Nell exchanged another glance, this time one of relief. Memphis was only about ninety miles north of Tullahoma, an easy drive.
“What’s his name now?” Jack asked.
“He calls himself Rocky Lee. He’s a mechanic at one of them big car dealerships in Memphis.”
“How often do you hear from him?” Wanda Nell kept her arm around Sandra.
“He sends me cards from time to time. I’m at home when the mail comes, and after I get them, I get rid of them so my husband never sees them.”
At that point, Wanda Nell was having a hard time holding back the tears. No woman should have to live like this. They had to find a way to help her. Maybe proving that her brother was not a murderer was the first step. Wanda Nell prayed right then that Roscoe Bates truly was innocent. His sister needed a savior, and he might be her best hope.
“Do you know which dealership it is?” Jack asked.
Sandra gave them the name of it. “I don’t know where it is. I ain’t never been to Memphis.”
“We’ll be able to find it,” Jack said. “Do you think he’ll be willing to talk to us?”
“Tell him I said he should.” Sandra fumbled in her shabby purse for a moment. “And give him this. Then he’ll know it’s okay.” She held out a small, very worn stuffed dolphin. “He won this for me once, when I was about ten. He always said he’d take me to see a real one, but we never got to go.”
“I’ll take very good care of it,” Jack said, his voice husky. “And we’ll bring it back to you.”
“Thank you. Well, I guess I’d better be going. I need to get on over to the grocery store and do my shopping.”
“Thanks for talking to us,” Wanda Nell said around the lump still lodged in her throat. “Are you going to be okay? Because of the time and everything?”
Sandra gave her a faint smile. “I’ll come up with something to tell him. He won’t be mad, so don’t worry about me.”
Jack escorted Sandra to the front door with Wanda Nell walking behind them. Once Sandra was safely in her car, Jack came back in the restaurant and sat down at the counter.
“I’d like to take a horsewhip to that husband of hers,” Jack said, his face dark with anger. “There has got to be something we can do to help her get away from that man.”
“If her brother didn’t kill that girl, and we can prove it,” Wanda Nell said, patting his hand, “then maybe he can get her to leave her husband. She can disappear along with her brother, and nobody ever needs to know about it.”
“Sounds good to me. And the sooner the better.”
“Amen to that.” Are you going to Memphis today?”
Jack glanced at his watch. “It’s just a little past ten-thirty. I could be there around noon, and hopefully he’ll be at work. If I can get him to talk to me, I could be home by four or five.”
“Do you know where this dealership is?”
“I’m pretty sure I do. We had cousins in Memphis when I was growing up, and we used to visit them a couple times a year. And I’ve been up there a few times in the last three or four years.”
“This wasn’t Lisa, was it?” Wanda Nell asked, speaking of his cousin who had been going through some rough times recently. She was doing much better now, thanks to the work of a local therapist.
“No, not Lisa’s family. These were cousins on my mother’s side. Her first cousin and his family.”
“Okay,” Wanda Nell said. “Promise me you’ll be real careful.”
“Why don’t you see if you can come with me?” Jack asked. “I’d sure rather you were there, too. He might find it easier to talk with you there. You seem to have that effect on people.”
Wanda Nell really wanted to go, but she demurred. “I don’t like asking Melvin for any more time off right now. He was so nice about giving me time for our honeymoon.”
“In all the years you’ve worked for him, you’ve never asked for hardly any time off. Come on, it can’t hurt to ask.”
“Okay,” Wanda Nell said with a sigh. “I’ll go ask him. I’ll tell him I should be back in time for the evening shift, at least.”
Jack grinned.
Wanda Nell walked through the kitchen and down the short hall to Melvin’s office. He was sitting at his desk, looking over some bills, making notes on a pad. He glanced up.
“What can I do for you, Wanda Nell? I recognize that look on your face. I know you’re about to ask me for something.”
“I guess we’ve worked together too long. You can read me too easy.”
“I reckon you want some more time off,” Melvin said. “I saw you and Jack talking to that woman. Are you mixed up in another murder? I haven’t heard about one.”
“Well, sort of. I can’t really tell you about it now, but I will later, I promise. It’s important, or I wouldn’t ask you. And I should be back in time for the evening shift.”
Melvin stared at her a moment, his craggy face stern. Then he grinned. “Aw, Wanda Nell, you know I have a hard time saying no to you.” He waved a hand at her. “Go check with Betsy and Patsy. I don’t think they’ll mind. I’ll call Ruby. She’s not taking any classes this summer, and she can use the extra money.”
Ruby Garner was going to the local community college, and she usually worked the evenings with Wanda Nell.
“Thanks, Melvin. I really owe you one. And Ruby, too.”
“Nah,” he said, pointing at the door. “Now get outta here.”
Wanda Nell grabbed her purse out of the small closet the waitresses shared, and she heard Melvin on the phone to Ruby as she headed down the hall.
She had a quick word with Patsy and Betsy, saying she had some business she needed to take care of with her husband. After assuring them that Ruby would probably be there to help through the lunch rush, she hit the bathroom before going back to where Jack sat at the counter.
“I’m ready.”
“Great. We’ll just leave your car here, okay?”
Wanda Nell nodded as she followed him out of the restaurant. Once they were headed for the highway that would take them to Memphis, she pulled out her cell phone to make a couple of calls. The first was to Juliet, to let her know where they were going, and why.
“I’ll be okay, Mama. Actually, Miranda just called a little while ago to say she and Lavon are coming over for a visit.”
“I’m glad you’ll have some company,” Wanda Nell said. “But don’t let Miranda talk you into baby-sitting just so she can go running off somewhere with one of her friends.”
“No, Mama. Y’all be careful.”
Wanda Nell shook her head as she ended the call. She knew darn well that Juliet would end up baby-sitting for Miranda. It never failed. Teddy was going to have to put his foot down about Miranda doing that, especially with her being five months’ pregnant now.
Next Wanda Nell called T.J. He listened to her rapid explanation. “Y’all be careful, Mama,” he said. “And I’ll check on Juliet in a little while. Tuck’s in Oxford this morning, and I might run over there with some lunch. Don’t you worry about her.”
“Thanks, honey, I appreciate that.”
Wanda Nell tucked her cell phone back in her purse, noting, to her surprise, that they were now on the highway, headed north.
“Everybody taken care of?” Jack asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
“Yes. You know how I am. I just can’t go off without making sure they’re all okay.”
“I know, honey.” Jack reached over to squeeze her hand. “I’m glad you called them.”
They were quiet for a while as Jack concentrated on driving. Wanda Nell watched the scenery flow by, her mind on the forthcoming meeting with Roscoe Bates, or Rocky Lee, as he called himself now. What would they do if he wasn’t at work today? Would they be able to find his home if they had to?
She decided sh
e was thinking too far ahead and coming up with problems. They would just have to see what happened when they got there. Maybe they could get Roscoe to go to lunch with them. She knew both she and Jack would be hungry by then, and maybe talking over lunch would make things a little more friendly.
She mentioned her idea to Jack, and he agreed. “I know a good place close to the dealership,” he said. “Let’s try talking to him first, and if he’ll go with us, fine. If not, we’ll just go afterward.”
Wanda Nell settled in for the rest of the ride, looking forward to seeing Memphis again. She hadn’t been there since before her mama died, a little over seven years ago. She used to go to the one of the malls there with her mother every year to do Christmas shopping. They had always had such a good time together, and thinking about it now made Wanda Nell a little sad. She missed her mother, and her daddy, too, though he had died many years ago.
The time passed quickly, and soon they had reached the outskirts of Memphis. Jack pulled off the highway to stop at a service station. “We might as well fill up the car,” he said, parking at a pump. “I also figured we could both use a bathroom break about now.”
“Thanks, honey,” Wanda Nell said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
By the time Wanda Nell returned to the car, Jack had finished at the gas pump and with the restroom. He held the door open for her, and soon they were on their way again.
From that point, the drive to the dealership took about fifteen minutes. Jack drove with confidence, and Wanda Nell was relieved they didn’t have to worry about getting directions.
At the dealership, Jack found a place to park the car near the service entrance. “We’re going to have to avoid looking like a couple who’s here to buy a car,” he said as he opened Wanda Nell’s door. “Otherwise, we’ll get waylaid.”
“Maybe back here they won’t try to sell us anything,” Wanda Nell said. “They sure do look busy, though.”
The service area was a beehive of activity, and they paused for a moment to get their bearings.
“That looks like the place to ask,” Jack said, pointing to a counter.
They had to wait a few minutes. When their turn came, Jack stepped up to the desk.
“How can I help you?” the young woman asked. She smiled brightly at them. Her name tag said Jessica.
“We need to talk to one of the mechanics,” Jack said. “His name is Rocky Lee. It’s on a personal matter.”
The young woman frowned. “Well, let me see. Rocky’s here today. They don’t really like us doing personal stuff at work, though. I’m not sure he’ll have time to talk to you.” Her hand hovered over a phone.
“He does get a lunch break, doesn’t he?” Wanda Nell asked, her tone polite but firm.
“Sure.” Jessica shrugged. “I guess it’s up to him. Let me call back there.”
Jack and Wanda Nell waited while Jessica punched in a number. When someone answered, she said, “Hey, Bobby. There’s a couple people here who need to talk to Rocky. They say it’s personal. He had his lunch yet?” She listened for a moment. “Thanks.” She hung up the phone. “He’ll be out in a minute. He was just about to go on his lunch break.”
“Thank you, Jessica,” Wanda Nell said. “We appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome.” The girl turned to the next person in line, and Wanda Nell and Jack stepped out of the way.
They waited near the door, and about two minutes later, a tall, thin man about fifty came through the door. He wore an oil-stained uniform, but his appearance overall was neat. The name tag on his shirt read Rocky. He looked around for a moment before he spotted Wanda Nell and Jack.
“Are you the folks looking for me?” His voice was soft and deep.
Jack nodded. “We are. I’m Jack Pemberton, and this is my wife, Wanda Nell.” He offered his hand, and the man took it after a brief hesitation.
“Don’t want to go getting any oil or grease on anybody.”
“That’s fine,” Jack responded. “We’d like to talk to you for a few minutes. Privately.”
Rocky frowned, looking slightly alarmed. “What is this about? Is everything okay with Judy? Nothing happened at school, did it?”
Jack was quick to reassure him. “No, we’re not from the school. Judy is your daughter?”
Rocky nodded, obviously relieved. “So what is this about?”
“Could we step outside for a moment?” Jack tilted his head toward the door.
Shrugging, Rocky agreed. He followed them outside, and Jack moved to a spot that afforded a little privacy from the people going in and out of the service area.
“We’re from Tullahoma,” Jack said, and Rocky tensed. “We need to talk to you about something that happened there.”
Rocky started backing away. “Look, you got the wrong person. I never been to this Tullahoma. I don’t even know where it is.”
“Please, Roscoe,” Wanda Nell said, deliberately using his real name. “We talked to your sister. She was the one who told us how to find you.”
Rocky stopped, staring at them uncertainly. Jack reached inside his coat and pulled out the stuffed dolphin. He held it out to Rocky. “She said we should show you this.”
Rocky took the toy into his hands, cradling it gently. He stared at it for a long moment, and when he raised his eyes to Wanda Nell and Jack, there were tears in them.
“I’ll talk to you,” he said.
Fifteen
“How about we do it over lunch?” Jack asked. “I know a good place nearby.”
“How long can you take for lunch?” Wanda Nell asked when Rocky didn’t respond. He held the toy dolphin in one hand and stroked it with the other.
“I can take an hour. Let me go tell my supervisor.” He handed the dolphin back to Jack. “You better take this back to Sandra.”
Jack accepted the toy and tucked it in his pocket as Rocky ambled off.
“You don’t think he’s going to try to skip out on us, do you?” Wanda Nell asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I believe he meant it when he said he would talk to us.”
Rocky returned in a couple of minutes. “Come on,” Jack said. “We’ll take our car.”
Rocky followed them, opening the door for Wanda Nell and closing it before getting into the backseat. Wanda Nell turned to look at him, struck by his sad expression. “We know this is going to be hard for you,” she said. “But we think maybe we can help you.”
“I didn’t kill her,” Rocky said, his eyes on her.
Wanda Nell believed him, maybe because of the simple way he had spoken. “I don’t believe you did,” she responded, and he gave her a faint, brief smile. “If we can find out who really did, we want to. She deserves justice, and so do you. Your name should be cleared.”
“Here we are,” Jack said, pulling into one of the few vacant spaces in the parking lot of a steak house. “I hope this is okay.”
“Sure,” Rocky said. “The food’s good here.” He got out and opened Wanda Nell’s door for her. Wanda Nell smiled her thanks. She already liked this gentle man. She could see the resemblance to his sister in his face, though Sandra looked quite a bit older instead of four years younger.
They had to wait about ten minutes for a table, and during that time they didn’t talk. When their turn came, the hostess showed them to a booth near a window. Wanda Nell slid into it, with Jack after her. Rocky sat down across from them.
Once the preliminaries were out of the way and their waiter had brought their drinks, Rocky stirred his tea. “I guess we’d better start. Y’all just tell me what you want to know, and I’ll tell you, if I know it.”
“Okay,” Jack said. “I guess the first thing is, what was her name? Your sister couldn’t remember it.”
“Jenna Rae Howell. They never found out who she was? Even after all this time?”
“No, not as far as we know,” Wanda Nell said. “From what we’ve been able to find out, the whole thing got hushed up as soon as you left town.”
“I know they understood,” Wanda Nell said. “They wanted you to be safe.”
Rocky nodded. “I got a friend to drive me to Greenville, and from there I caught a bus. I ended up in Oklahoma City. I knew a guy out there, he used to live in Tullahoma. He didn’t ask no questions, just helped me find a job and gave me a place to stay until I could earn some money.”
“How long did you stay there?” Jack asked.
“About eight years, I guess. Didn’t look like nobody was trying to find me, or else they just couldn’t. So I moved back closer to home. Memphis was as close I’d get, though.”
“So you’ve been here a long time?” Wanda Nell asked.
“Seventeen years. I been with the dealership for twelve now. It’s a good job.”
“And nobody has come looking for you here?” Jack asked.
Rocky shook his head. “Naw. You’re the first people, far as I know. Now that I think about it, that is kinda strange.”
“Once you disappeared,” Jack said, “we figure the Sheriff’s Department, and whoever else was behind the cover-up, used that as an excuse to ignore the case. They didn’t really try to search for you, I’m willing to bet, because your running away actually worked to their benefit.”
“They probably figured you wouldn’t come back, either,” Wanda Nell said.
“I never have. I didn’t even go back for my mama’s funeral, and that like to’ve killed me.” His right hand moved restlessly on the table.
Impulsively, Wanda Nell reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m sure your mama understood.”
Rocky shrugged. “Wasn’t nothing much I could do about it.”
“Do you have any idea who might have been behind the cover-up?” Jack asked after a brief pause.
“Naw, all I saw was the inside of the Sheriff’s Department, and him and some of his men. I never heard them talking about anybody else. They just kept me there for about eighteen hours, going over and over it all. And me telling them what I knew, and that wasn’t much.”
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