Save the Child

by Jimmy Craig Porter

  “Please!” begged Rick.

  “Okay, give me some time, but if you come up with something, let me know.”

  “Now, let’s have a drink and relax. We’re off the clock. Who knows who may come in?”

  “I don’t like your tone.”

  The door opened, and Joe Cooper walked in. Marjorie looked at Rick. “Hey, I’m as surprised as you.”

  “You didn’t plan it, but you’re not surprised.”

  “Joe, have a seat. Marjorie is buying drinks. Pam, more drinks.”

  Joe sat down and looked at Pam, who wasn’t smiling.

  “Hey, Pam, what’s going on?” Joe was at a loss for words.

  “Just working. Beer or cocktail?”

  “Beer, I guess.”

  “No more Bloody Marys?” asked Rick.

  “No!”

  Pam went to retrieve drinks. She was confused, but she knew Rick and Marjorie were working on a case that involved Joe. She needed to be more patient. She looked back at Joe and smiled. He returned it briefly.

  “Marjorie, I’m glad you’re here. Rick is killing me. I need to go back to work to rest.”

  Rick kicked Marjorie under the table. She got the message, but she wasn’t sure of the total intent. “Rick has just been hogging you. He leaves us girls lonesome.”

  “Well, we will have to correct that,” said Joe.

  “Promises, promises.”

  “So what have you been up to?”

  “Losing cases, thanks to your friend.”

  “What did Rick do?”

  “Nothing really, but we dropped the charges on Junior Brown.”

  “Why?” Joe was visibly shocked.

  “Not enough evidence. Judy would turn everything into a circus.”

  “If he wasn’t involved, who was?”

  “We’re back to square one, I guess.”

  “That’s absurd,” said Joe trying to plan his next move. “I thought you had him nailed.”

  “Not with Judy defending him.”

  “Publicity,” said Marjorie.

  “I wish all this would just go away.”

  “Why do you care, Joe? You’re pretty much out of the picture,” said Marjorie.

  Joe attempted to regain his composure. “You’re right. I need to get back to work and forget all this.”

  “You won’t forget, but life does go on. Unfortunately, Marj and I still have to pursue it. Nevertheless, we will get to the bottom of it. Did your mom get in?”

  “Not that I know of,” Joe lied, and Rick knew it.

  Pam brought another round of drinks, just as the front door opened. Ginger walked in. “Don’t any of you people ever work?”

  “What are you doing here?” Rick snapped back.

  “I thought Pam might want some money. However, I will join you guys for a few. Thanks for asking.” He gave Pam a check.

  “Thanks, Ginger. Any time you need extra help, call me.”

  “I sure will. Dot said we made more money with you there and me gone.”

  “Now, I doubt that.”

  “Marjorie, it’s a pleasure.”

  “Good to see you,” Marjorie smiled.

  “You guys know I have a bar. I could use the business.”

  “Excluding Marjorie, Joe and I have seen enough of you.”

  “Well, I’ll remember that next time you want to go hunting.”

  “How about this weekend?”

  “We’ll leave you here and take Marjorie,” Ginger said.

  “As long as I’m waited on, and not doing the waiting.”

  “That’s no different than going with Rick,” said Joe.

  “Thanks, Joe. You’re getting as bad as they are.” Marjorie knew Rick and Ginger were baiting Joe for some reason, but she wasn’t sure where they were going. She just played along.

  Pam stayed in the background but wasn’t very happy. She wasn’t going to work all weekend while Joe went off to Ginger’s with Marjorie. She felt excluded and disappointed. Joe seemed to be hiding their relationship. She did not understand. He wasn’t like that around the regular crowd.

  “Pam, you’re getting off work. Aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Join us.

  “Thank you, Ginger. I will.”

  Pam returned shortly and took a seat between Ginger and Rick. The two women looked at each other and gave a polite smile. Pam felt resentment and jealousy. Marjorie suddenly felt a deep sense of sympathy. It was obvious Pam cared about Joe. If Rick and Ginger’s hunches were right, she would be crushed. She looked at Joe. He seemed concerned, if not agitated. She hoped Pam would be okay. She definitely would not want to be alone with Joe.

  “Pam, you let your hair grow out. It looks great. Who do you use?”

  “Delores, at Great Cuts.”

  “I thought she moved.”

  “She’s back.”

  “Well, I’ll have to try her out. I really like your hair.”

  “Thank you, Marjorie. It’s nice of you to notice.”

  “Well, guys, I have to go home and tell Linda about Delores,” said Rick, standing to leave.

  “You’re real funny. Go home and torture Linda instead of Pam and me.”

  Pam smiled.

  Rick drove off a few blocks, then called Marjorie.

  “Don’t say it’s me. Pretend it’s Judy trying to find out who our new suspect is. You don’t know. Just watch Joe’s reaction. This is asking a lot, but talk about Ginger and you, and Pam and Ginger. He knows what I’m doing. Just use your feminine skills and make Joe jealous of Ginger. The more he shows his emotions, the quicker he will give himself away. Okay?”

  “I’ll see what I can find out, Judy. Talk to you later.”

  “Judy called you and you actually talked to her?” Ginger asked.

  “Business. She wanted to know who the new suspect is.”

  “I thought it was Junior Brown.”

  “No. We dropped that this morning. That was just Judy reminding me she got the charges dropped and trying to steal a little information, which she isn’t getting.” Marjorie almost believed herself. “I cannot stand that bitch. Mostly because of you, Ginger. What does she have that Pam and I don’t have?”

  Ginger understood the game, but Marjorie did seem believable. Pam was flattered, but worried how Joe might take it. Still, she hoped he was jealous. Joe was taken aback, suddenly not feeling part of everything. He had started to like Ginger but not anymore.

  “Pam, if I had your hair and that bitch’s money, maybe things would have been different.”

  Pam didn’t know what to say, nor did the others.

  Marjorie continued. “What do you see in this Beverly girl everybody seems so fond of? I’m sorry. I’ve got to go. Pam, I don’t mean to desert you.”

  “That’s all right, Marj. Come by in a few days. We’ll visit,” said Pam. She actually felt close to Marjorie. Marjorie grabbed her purse and stormed out the door.

  “I had better check on her. Hold my tab until tomorrow?” asked Ginger.

  “Sure. No problem, Ginger.”

  Ginger pursued Marjorie. Outside he caught up with her. “Marj, are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, Ginger. I was just following Rick’s instructions.”

  “Well, you were believable.”

  “I have a few past experiences to draw on.”

  “I’m sure you do. What do think about Joe?”

  “Something is there, but I don’t know what. But please protect Pam.”

  “We will. Rick has things under control. Just trust him and Dave.”

  “I do. Do you think Joe is guilty of all these hideous crimes?”

  “I’m sorry, Marjorie, but I really do.”

  “I thought you were just jealous.”

  “I was.”

  “Really?”

  “Really!”

  “I’ve got to go.” She opened her car door. Ginger started to walk away.

  “Ginger, I do miss you.”

 
“I miss you too, Marjorie.”

  Marjorie drove off and Ginger walked to his truck. He would go back to his own bar and wait for Rick’s call. It would be a long night.

  CHAPTER 38

  Joe and Pam sat across from each other, each with questions and trying to avoid giving any answers. Joe was jealous that Pam had been with Ginger, not that he cared that much. Pam simply wanted Joe to love her. She didn’t want any arguments. Joe knew it wasn’t time for any scenes, and he knew he shouldn’t stay with Pam overnight. He needed to calm down and prepare for the funeral.

  “Pam, let’s have a few more drinks and then I have to leave.”

  “You’re not coming over?”

  “I want to, but my mother is in town and I’m already several hours late to meet her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted to come by and see you.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, of course. Why do you think I’m here?”

  “I just thought you were meeting your friends.”

  “No, I didn’t have any idea they would even be here.”

  “So you came to see me. “

  “That’s the only reason.” Joe wasn’t lying about that. However, his motives were not totally what Pam was being led to think.

  “Why is your mother coming into town?”

  “Her mother died.”

  “Your grandmother?”

  “It wasn’t a close family.”

  “So you have two funerals to go to?”

  “I guess so. I’ll find out when I see my mother. I have no idea what her plans are.”

  “Can I do anything to help?”

  “No, I appreciate it, but I’m not even sure what I’m going to do.”

  “Well, you just do what you need to do. I’ll be here.”

  Pam moved next to him. They held hands, kissed, and talked. They had a few more drinks and Joe left.

  Pam went home to dream and plan a future.

  Joe pulled in front of the house on Clyde Street. The lights were on. He knocked on the door this time.

  “Joey, where have you been? I waited all day. I didn’t have any money, so I came over here. Why didn’t you get me a room? This place is awful.”

  “I know. I spent most of my life here.”

  “You still should have taken care of your mother.”

  “Like you took care of me?”

  “Don’t talk to your mother like that. I brought you into this world.”

  “I know, and you could have had me aborted.”

  “But I didn’t.”

  “And why not?”

  “I met a lady who convinced me it wouldn’t be right.”

  “Do you regret it, Mother?”

  “Of course not. You’re my son. I love you.”

  “Are you still active in the pro-life movement?”

  “I try to do my best, but I have such little time.”

  “Go to the funeral with me tomorrow. I’m a pallbearer and the lady has her own organization, called Save the Child. It’s statewide. She wants me to become active. Maybe she could give you a job. You might even manage a place in Houston for her.”

  “Do you think so, Joey? That would be great. I could do a good job. I’m good with people. Let’s talk with her tomorrow.”

  “It’s her son’s funeral.”

  “Well, you can still introduce me.”

  “We’ll see how it goes.”

  “But you’ll try?”

  “I’ll go out of my way. Okay?”

  “That’s fine, Joey. I don’t have anything nice to wear tomorrow.”

  “Just make do. It’s too late now to get anything. I’ll pick you up at nine in the morning. Be ready or I’ll leave you behind and you won’t meet Mrs. Worthy.”

  “I’ll be ready, Joey. I promise. Just don’t forget me.”

  “I won’t, Mom.”

  “I love you, son.”

  Joe knew he needed to go to bed and sleep, but he drove around instead. First, he drove by Judy’s house. There was only one light on, but there was a car in the drive. It was a Mercedes, just like the one Davis Wilson drove.

  “The bitch!” he murmured to himself. If she hadn’t butted in, his problems would be over. There was only one reason he wanted to be with her now and it wasn’t sex. A cop drove by, so he left.

  Joe then drove to the Hilton, stopped, and went into the bar. Cynita wasn’t there, but he had a drink anyway. The bartender was a male, so he left.

  Pam would be pleasantly surprised to see him. He drove by, only to find Ginger’s truck parked outside her apartment. Why would Pam do this to him? Perhaps the truck wasn’t Ginger’s. He drove by the Whiskey Trough. Pam’s car was still there. He pulled into the parking lot and walked in. Pam was nowhere to be seen. He left.

  Joe was furious, but his vengeance would have to wait. There were too many things to take care of first.

  Sleep would not come easy, and the dawning of a new day held little hope. He felt alone, betrayed, and lost.

  CHAPTER 39

  Rick and Ginger sat at a table, sipping their beer.

  “Well, Dave just checked in. Joe made his rounds without any confrontations. He saw your truck at Pam’s, drove by the bars, and circled Judy’s house.”

  “So now what?”

  “We’ve got to catch him before he goes off. He’s angry and ready to kill. It’s in his blood now. I just wish we knew what set him off to start with.”

  “It has to be deeply rooted for him to kill his grandmother. What about his mother?”

  “She’s at the house on Clyde Street. Joe stopped by for a few minutes, then left. There was no violence.”

  “Not yet,” said Ginger.

  “While we go to the funeral, Dave will check Joe’s truck again. If the watch is still there, Marjorie will get us a search warrant.”

  “So the serial number matches?”

  “Absolutely. All we need is the warrant and Joe’s fingerprints on the watch.”

  “I hope it goes that easily. You can’t keep him under surveillance forever.”

  “That’s true. Since he saw your truck at Pam’s, you’re probably number one on his hit list.”

  “Thanks a lot, old buddy.”

  “When this is over, provided you’re still with us, I’ll buy you a beer.” Rick smiled.

  “That makes everything worthwhile.”

  “Until then, you can buy us another round.”

  “Have you talked to John?”

  “No. I was afraid it would disrupt our plans.”

  “You do know he won’t be happy with either of us, finding out the killer of his son is a pallbearer.”

  “I know, but if we tell him now, he could go off and the entire case would be blown. Remember, we don’t have any real evidence yet. Have you talked with him?”

  “I took his shotgun by. He wanted to clean it. Probably to give it to Joe. That’s eerie.”

  “You said it. I’ll be glad when this is over!”

  “Drink your beer.”

  CHAPTER 40

  The funeral was like most: too long. The reception was at the Worthy’s house. Rick and Ginger stayed close to John, but kept an eye on Joe, dressed in his new suit. Rick’s cell phone vibrated. It was a text from Dave. The watch was gone. He looked at Ginger and shook his head. John excused himself and went to his study.

  Joe, his mom, and Mrs. Jane Worthy were on the patio. Most everyone else had left.

  “Mrs. Cooper, I have the distinct feeling we have met. Not recently, but in the past, when we were much younger. Maybe even before I married.”

  “Mom, Mrs. Worthy founded Save the Child. It’s a pro-life organization.”

  “Yes, I’m familiar with your cause and I support it highly. I do some volunteer work in the Houston area.”

  “What brings you to Lindville?”

  “I was raised here. Joey was born here. However, the reason I’m here is my mother, Joey’s grandmother, passed away. I’m here to set
tle her estate and arrange the funeral.”

  “I’m so sorry, hon. Why didn’t you tell me, Joe?”

  “You’ve had enough to worry about.”

  “Joey wanted me to come with him, so I wouldn’t be alone. In addition, he wanted me to meet you. He’s quite fond of you.”

  “And I’m very fond of your Joey.”

  “Well, thank you. I’ve always tried to bring him up in a Christian environment.”

  “You know, Mrs. Cooper…”

  “Call me Susan.”

  “…Susan, my organization is considering opening a clinic in your area. Maybe you would be interested in working for me?”

  “I think that would be wonderful.”

  Rick and Ginger joined Joe, his mother, and Jane Worthy on the patio.

  “May we join you?” Rick asked.

  “Certainly,” answered Jane Worthy, a little put off.

  “So, this is your mom?” Ginger asked. “I’m Ginger, a friend of Joe’s. And this is Sergeant Hopkins.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you boys.”

  “The pleasure is ours,” Rick said.

  “Mrs. Worthy, we are so sorry about your loss,” Rick added.

  “Thank you, but if our law enforcement had done their job, protect and serve, my son might still be alive.”

  “I agree, ma’am. We should do a better job.”

  “I agree with Jane,” said Susan Cooper. “My parents might still be alive, as well.”

  “Your parents were the elderly couple murdered? After my son was?”

  “Yes.”

  The two women reached for each other’s hands and started to cry.

  “The house was on Clyde Street, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “How old is Joe?”

  “I’m thirty-six,” said Joe.

  “Susan, we met more than thirty years ago. Remember, at the anti-abortion march?”

  “Jane! Oh my God, it is you! All these years! Joey. If it hadn’t been for Jane’s counseling, you might not have been born.”

  The women hugged. Then Jane hugged Joe, who thought how ironic the whole situation was. As he was returning Jane’s hug, his coat sleeve raised just a little, exposing a beautiful Rolex watch. Ginger nudged Rick.

  The emotions quieted down as John Worthy walked their way. He had a shotgun and a box full of shells with him.

  “Ginger, what time is it?” asked Rick.