Quiet ruled the room as the weary group sipped and the sheriff looked. All major activity was back at Habakkuk’s house—though the homeowner was no longer there. After assuring Margaret that her son wasn’t in mortal danger, medical technicians had carted him off to the hospital under guard. The last Carrie heard from him as he disappeared inside the ambulance were loud complaints that Tracy Teal had broken every bone in his hand.
The EMTs had offered to take Carrie to the hospital along with Habakkuk, but there was no way she was going to leave this place. She proclaimed herself quite satisfied with Margaret’s ministrations and stood her ground with Henry, Tracy, and Margaret. So, after quick phone calls to Brigid and Chase and the Stacks, the five of them had come to Margaret’s home where they could talk without interruption.
Now the sheriff was just sitting there in Margaret’s rocker, looking at them.
“Well,” he said finally, “I need a good picture of what’s happened here. From what King said when he called us, things got kinda deep, didn’t they?” He smiled gently at Margaret, who had just returned the kettle to the grate and was sitting in her chair by the fire. “S’cuse me, Miz Culpeper, but how did you get hooked in with this crazy bunch of outsiders?”
He was probably just being kind, including her in his special circle, and Carrie decided she liked him for that, but Margaret took the man at his word. She began to tell her story, starting with when she first saw Carrie on the Folk Center path.
Carrie and Henry already knew most of what Margaret said, but Tracy’s wide eyes were on her grandmother’s face throughout. And Margaret didn’t hold back. She didn’t spare Micah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, or even her husband, as she told the involved tale of the family business and what she knew about the kidnapping of Dulcey and Tracy.
But she said nothing about Farel’s murder, a daughter, or Tracy’s relationship to her family.
“And thet’s hit,” Margaret finished. “I reckon ye’ll be wantin’ t’ take me away too, but Nahum’s innercent o’ all this. Oh, he knowed about the fam’ly bizness, but, shuriff, how could one man like Nahum stop hit?”
“Or one woman?” the sheriff said. “Thank you, Miz Culpeper, we’ll leave it at that. No need for you to be packin’ your bag. But, after you’ve had some rest, you might pack clothing for your sons and get a lawyer for them. If you need help with that...”
“I’ll help her,” Tracy said, breaking her long silence. “I’ll get a lawyer for my uncles.”
The sheriff’s jaw dropped. “S’cuse me, Miz Teal, but, uncles? How’s that fit? Of course you don’t need to say,” he added quickly. It had been obvious all along that Sheriff Wylie—indeed almost everyone they’d seen this night—had been awed by Tracy’s fame as a music star and very gentle and considerate of her well-being.
“Yes, my uncles,” said Tracy, going to stand by Margaret’s chair and putting her hand on her grandmother’s shoulder. Her stance was theatrical, but Carrie doubted Tracy was acting or even conscious of how she looked, nor was Margaret as she raised her hand and put it over her granddaughter’s.
Tracy looked straight at the sheriff and continued, “My birth mother was this woman’s youngest child, Elizabeth, who died just after I was born. I’m a Culpeper by birth.”
And proud of it, Tracy’s tone said plainly. Carrie wanted to leap to her feet and go hug her.
“Oh, well-uh, I’m sure Miz, uh, Culpeper... Margaret... will appreciate your help, Miz...Teal... ma’am. And, of course we know you and Mr. Mason had nothing to do with the drug business. I’m sorry to say, though, that Chief Bolen and I have suspected about those drugs for some time and were about ready to make a case. You see...” He hesitated, looked around, and stopped.
“We know Farel Teal was involved.” That was Henry, helping out.
“Yes, sir, he was. He was easier to track than the others. In fact, we’d been thinkin’ we might arrest Farel and get him to help us collect evidence on the Culpepers. I guess they must have found out about our plans and... and....”
“My sons don’t hold with killin’ fer sech a thing as that,” Margaret said, fixing her black eyes on the sheriff’s face.
“Um, yes, I’m sure, ma’am.”
The sheriff turned toward Henry and Carrie. “Now, how about you two?” he said, obviously glad to change focus.
He nodded encouragingly at Carrie, and she began her story. She was sure Henry would be eager to hear what had happened to her after they separated. He leaned toward her as she talked and finally reached out for her hand as she told about being thrown into the wall by Habakkuk.
Carrie was just as eager to learn what Henry did after he walked away from her in the woods by Nahum’s, and she was glad when her story was finished and he began to tell his.
“So, not long after I left Carrie, Margaret met me on the path. She had Dulcey with her and warned me that Habakkuk had changed places with Nahum. That’s why she didn’t dare meet us at the house. Then Margaret and I—with me carrying the child—made a large circle through the woods back to the place where I’d left Carrie. When she was gone...well, I didn’t know what to do.
“After a bit, Margaret went up to the house to see who was there. It was empty, but she did find Carrie’s denim hat on the floor.” He tugged the hat out of his pocket and showed it to Carrie but, after looking at her bandaged head, stuffed it back in his pocket. “We didn’t know that Tracy had been there
too. Margaret didn’t find out, as she said, until she went to Habakkuk’s house. I only suspected it when I got back to the Folk Center Lodge with Dulcey and learned Tracy was gone and what she’d said in her note to Eleanor.
“That’s when I called Sheriff Wylie. Sheriff, perhaps you can understand why we didn’t involve you sooner? We had the safety of the child to consider. Everything else came after that. And, you must admit we had an inside advantage, with the family name, and as two older civilians...”
The sheriff nodded and continued the story himself. “When King called, told us about the kidnapping, and asked us to stop Zephaniah, we were ready, you see. We got him in the parkin’ lot with one lunch pail still full of merchandise. That made it easy to get close to this place since we had his truck and could hide deputies lyin’ down in the back. First we parked on the road near here, listenin’ and watchin’, and when Ol’ Mad Marg...ur, Miz Culpeper, began to play her music, King said he knew right where you all were. We should just follow the music.”
He turned to Margaret. “You’re pretty sharp, ma’am, pretty sharp! And accordin’ to Ben Yokum, who had evidently caught on to the kidnapping some way, the music is what led him here too, lookin’ fer the child. He says he just came because he thought there might be a reward. He didn’t know Tracy was here either. None of us did know that for sure.”
“What about Micah now?” Henry asked.
“They’re watchin’ the highways between here and Little Rock. I’ve warned the State Police to be gentle with Nahum Culpeper, and no violence if possible. Shucks, though, Micah and his wife must be near eighty. The others...not much younger, right?” He looked at Margaret. “They’ve got to be tired of all this, and I can’t see they’ll be a problem. Now, as to Habakkuk’s wife, I’m not so sure. Accordin’ to him she was out for the evening to a bridge game, but from all accounts, she’s a wicked one.
“Thing is, the kidnapping would be enough without the drug charges. Kidnapping is serious stuff. It’s obvious Habakkuk’s wife was in on it, though Micah’s wife’s been away.”
The sheriff turned toward Carrie. “Bobby Lee Logan knew about Farel’s drug dealing, but he wouldn’t talk to anyone about it until he found out we already knew. He told us last night he burned Farel’s house to get rid of any evidence of Farel’s dealings with the Culpepers. He wanted to protect his friend’s reputation, and since he knew the murder had already been reported, he figured he didn’t have time to search the whole house and clean out evidence Farel might have left. Of course that gets him an arson char
ge.”
The sheriff paused, looking more closely at Carrie. “He heard you calling in that 911, Miz McCrite. That’s how he found out about the murder.
“We know Bobby Lee didn’t kill Farel. Never did suspect him. There are folks who saw him inside the auditorium all evening up until the time he left for Farel’s. That was after he heard you call to report the murder, of course.
“Now, Miz Teal, do you have anything to add to clearing this up? The only thing we haven’t solved yet is the murder of your cousin, Farel. Can you shed any light on that? Seems no one else here can.” He gave them all the look again. “Unless a Culpeper...”
“No!” Tracy said, stopping him. Head bowed, she stood next to her grandmother and said no more.
What can she do now? Carrie was thinking. Implicate her birth father, or break Margaret’s heart and imply that it was one of her uncles? Does she realize yet that Ben is her father? What can she do?
Heavy steps thunked on the wood porch, and a deputy beckoned to the sheriff from the doorway. After the two men had left the room, Carrie said, “Tracy, you know who killed Farel... you know it was not one of Margaret’s sons.”
Tracy raised her head to look at Carrie, then walked around to kneel in front of her grandmother, putting her hands in Margaret’s lap and looking up into her face like a small child in prayer. “It was Ben, Granny. It was Ben, but he thought he was protecting me... same as he did with Habakkuk.”
Margaret had just placed a hand on each side of Tracy’s head, cradling her face, when the sheriff came back into the room. He noticed Margaret and Tracy and looked at them thoughtfully for a moment before he said, “Well, now, that’s interesting. Ben Yokum has confessed to the murder of Farel Teal. He says they had an argument. Says Farel was threatening him, so he took the knife from Farel and just stabbed out. Didn’t mean to kill him.”
Margaret stood, pulling Tracy up with her. Together they turned to face the sheriff, meeting his gaze for a long moment of silence.
Then Tracy said, “I was the one fighting with Farel, not Ben. It was there in the dressmaker’s shop, after I learned Dulcey was gone. See, Farel had her before the Culpepers did, and he left her alone in the car, so anyone could have taken her. He and I were fighting about that when Ben saw us. He went after Farel only to protect me. He thought Farel would hurt me, maybe use the knife that was there. I can tell you all about it. Ben was just protecting me.”
Carrie sure hoped Margaret Culpeper felt proud of the strong woman she had for a granddaughter, and she hoped too that Tracy told her story quickly. It would be daylight soon. If Tracy talked very long, Carrie was going to fall asleep...and then she’d fall off her chair.
When they were finally ready to leave, Margaret walked out on the porch with Carrie, leaving Tracy, Henry, and the sheriff in a last-minute conversation.
“I’ll stay by my boys,” Margaret said as they stood together in the light that filtered through the cabin’s window. “I hope Tracy ’n’ you understand thet. They’ve done wrong, but thur still my own, no matter how much they seek punishin’. I’ll stay by my boys ’n’ not turn away from them like Robert E. did from Elizabeth when she were in trouble.”
She took hold of Carrie’s arm and looked into her face. “Ye’ll watch over Tracy fer me now?”
“I’m sure you can do that yourself,” Carrie said. “We’ll come back to visit and make plans tomorrow, er, no, this afternoon, if it’s all right, and if you don’t need to be with your boys.”
Margaret smiled, but her eyes were sad. “Oh, I reckon all three of ’em’ll be in good enough hands, ’n’ I don’t think Hab’s hurt serious. The three’ll be whur they need t’ be fer a spell, and Nahum’ll be here with me.”
Carrie wondered just how long the “spell” in prison might be for men who were already senior citizens, but she didn’t mention that to Margaret. Instead, she decided now was the right time to speak up about Nahum, because that was news full of hope—something Margaret could look forward to.
“Margaret, have you ever heard of dyslexia?”
“Dys...” She shook her head. “Niver. What’s hit?”
“Well, it’s what may be keeping Nahum from learning to read. It’s not a disease but the name we call it when people are born with brains that aren’t organized quite like yours and mine. Dyslexics see and learn things in a different way than you and I do. Doesn’t mean they’re dumb, not at all, but sometimes people with dyslexia find it very hard to read. They mix up letters. The problems it causes can vary. I suspect Nahum is dyslexic and that he can be helped. He can learn to read.”
Margaret was watching her face, looking at her as if the intent gaze would help her understand what Carrie was saying. “How do ye know ’bout this...dyslessics? Whut makes ye think Nahum...?”
“I helped teach dyslexic students back in Tulsa when I worked at the library. We had a special program for them. Watching Nahum, well, I think he shows many of the symptoms. And dyslexia is supposedly passed down in families. Since his father couldn’t read either...
“Margaret, what I’d like to do is have Nahum tested, and then we’ll know what help to get for him. Some of the tests, like one called the Irlen Syndrome Test, can be expensive, but I think Tracy will be glad to help pay for all this. She’ll be proud to be able to help you and Nahum. And, I just wanted you to know: Nahum isn’t dumb. I’m sure he’s very smart.”
Margaret lifted her chin. “Knowed thet,” she said, “’n’ we got money. Don’t need Tracy’s help. She’s got Dulcey ter tek care of. So, how’d we go about gittin’ this thing done?”
Carrie decided Margaret had no concept yet of just how wealthy her granddaughter probably was, so she let that pass and left Margaret with her pride.
“We’ll get together and talk about it more this afternoon, after Nahum’s home.”
Margaret nodded, accepting that, then changed the subject. “I reckon ye figured who Benjamin is?”
Carrie nodded.
“Wahl, fer now, I don’t see no reason t’ tell Tracy ’bout thet, they’s bin so much...”
“Umm, yes, but she may have figured it out already, Margaret. If she hasn’t, she will soon. She’s smart too, you know. I think Ben saw Farel turn off the breakers for the craft shops and followed him, simply because he was acting suspiciously. Ben didn’t like Farel anyway, and when he got to the dressmaker’s shop, I’m sure it did look to him like Farel was hurting Tracy. There was the knife there, and Ben may have thought Farel was planning to use it on Tracy. I think it happened just like Tracy says. I don’t believe he planned to kill him at all.”
“Why wur they fightin’? I didn’t quite see thet.”
“Farel had taken Dulcey to begin with. It was a scheme to get money from Tracy and Chase. Tracy can tell you all about it later—I’m so tired I don’t think I can manage to get it straight right now. But when Tracy learned Farel went off and left Dulcey alone in his unlocked car and someone had taken her, she was frightened, of course, and she was furious. It’s no wonder she flew at Farel.
“Margaret, are Zephaniah and Ben friends? Zephaniah asked Ben to put his kidnapping note in the bird house.”
“Don’t know, but Zeph has a way of gittin’ others to do fer him. He were spoiled, bein’ the youngest ’til Elizabeth come along.” She paused, then went on, “Mebbe Benjamin read Zeph’s note ’n’ thet’s why he come here—t’ save the chile.”
“There’s something else, Margaret. I think Tracy really needs you and Nahum as family right now. She’s not very happy with her career or her marriage...wants to spend more time at home with Dulcey. She doesn’t want the two of them to be performing all the time, and she says her husband doesn’t understand that. So maybe you can help her there.”
Again, Margaret lifted her chin. “Wahl, thet’s a new kind of trouble ter fix, ain’t hit! But, I’m here. I’m allus here, and now ain’t no man gonna hurt Tracy nur Dulcey. Sure, they kin come ter me. I imagine Lee Ellen’ll go away to her ’n’
Micah’s kids now, iff’n she don’t end up in jail, too. Enyways, she won’t stay in thet house alone. Tracy kin have Micah’s house, if’n she wants hit.”
“Good. That will give her some freedom, though—who knows—maybe she and Chase will work things out. Anyway, now she’s got options and can spend time close to you and Nahum. Thank you, Margaret, thank you for everything.”
“She’s my granddaughter,” Margaret reminded her. Then she smiled so deeply that her eyes vanished in wrinkles. “’N’ don’t ye fergit, Carrie, yer a Culpeper, too. Fam’lies gotter stay together.”
The two women were silent for a moment before Carrie took out a tissue, blew her nose, and began, “Margaret...,” but could say no more.
“I’m all right,” said the older woman, understanding.
There was a pause before she said, “Ye say ye’ve got chillern?”
“One son.”
“We kin pertect ’em from lots o’ things when they’s small,” Margaret said, “but when they’s growed, we sure cain’t pertect ’em from theyselves, now kin we!”
Her head dropped, and she seemed to be looking at her feet. “Wahl, I got Nahum, and, mebbe, I got Tracy.”
“You do have Tracy,” Carrie said, “and you always will.”
Chapter XXIII
At least it was still dark. Maybe she’d actually see her bed before daylight.
On the ride back to the lodge, Carrie decided she was in no mood to do anything but go to bed. Mason-Teal-Culpeper problems that needed any more sorting out could just wait about eight hours, or they could do it on their own.
During the drive Henry and Tracy were as quiet as Carrie, either lost in thought, or simply numb. On the other hand, the young sheriff’s deputy driving the car was decidedly chirpy, chattering about his own fiddle playing and occasional appearances on the Folk Center stage. He actually had the nerve to ask Tracy for her autograph as he let them out in the parking lot, and that made Carrie even grumpier. It was true. Famous people had no privacy.
Music to Die For Page 21