by Hebby Roman
“The judge brought all three, Bailey, Dickie, and Lester, into his chambers. I was scared to death the judge might put them on the chain gang right from his office.”
“I remember that judge,” Andrew said. “He was tough as nails and ruled with an iron fist.”
“That’s what I always heard.” Irene sipped on her glass of water, and continued, “Judge told them, with Mr. Warren Sr. sitting right there, that he was going to send them to jail for ten years. Their only other alternative was to enlist in the service and do their time in Viet Nam.”
Ben sat forward and said, “I guess he was trying to scare them straight.”
“As soon as we all got back to Dickie and Lester’s house, the boys started making plans to do something big before they left. They knew there was a good possibility they wouldn’t make it back home.”
“Did they tell you what they were going to do?”
“No, but when they kicked me out of the Hobbs’ garage, I listened outside one of the windows. I couldn’t make out too many specifics, but . . .”
“So, Moon, do you think we can pull this off?” Dickie asked.
Moon studied the drawing and the plans the three of them had come up with. “I don’t see why not. What do you think, Lester?”
“I think we’d be fools not to try it. I mean what idiot’s gonna mess with three guys carryin’ guns?”
“Dead ones, that’s who,” Dickie chimed in. He and Lester laughed and punched each other’s shoulders.
“Okay, I don’t want anyone to get hurt, we’re just goin’ to get the money and hide it until they lose interest and stop lookin’ for it. Later, we’ll divide it up between us.” Moon looked at the two brothers. “I mean it, no one gets hurt.”
“Sure, Moon, we get it,” Dickie said. “We’ll keep everything cool and under control.” Both, Dickie and Lester gave him a salute. “You know,” he continued, “It won’t be long we’ll be doing that for real. We’re gonna be respectable SOB’s, for once.”
Moon stared at his friends, and said, “Don’t place your bets, yet.”
Irene stood and walked to the edge of the patio, gazing out past the pool to the pastures beyond, she seemed deep in thought. Ben wanted to push her to continue, but was becoming familiar with her way of talking until she was done for the time being. He had to be patient.
She leaned against the corner support and said, “The next few days stretched into weeks, mostly in a blur. We were all so busy. We graduated, got summer jobs, and prepared to go to college in the fall. I didn’t see much of the three boys during that time, and I never did find out what they were planning, until the first week of July.”
“What happened then, Irene?” Ben glanced around at Dinah when she grabbed his arm. She didn’t say anything, but by her look, he could tell she was practically beside herself with wanting to share what they’d read earlier that morning.
“An armored car disappeared . . . just vanished like it never existed. The driver and guard were found tied up by the side of the road. The guard, a local fella, had been shot in the leg. The authorities came in and questioned folks, but in all their investigating, they never turned anything up. It was the mystery of the ages.”
“Did they ever ask Moon or Dickie or Lester about it?”
Ben stared Dinah down, obviously not happy at her question.
She shrugged and returned a glare of her own.
Gently, he said, “Go on, Irene.”
“Well, they did question them, but Mrs. Hobbs verified her boys’ alibis, and Bailey had gone to Dallas to visit one of his mother’s relatives.
“In August, Bailey, Lester, and Dickie left for the service.”
Andrew spoke up, “A lot of us left that August, me included. McTiernan was still a stop on the line, and we all boarded the train here at the depot.”
“Yes, I remember the whole town turned out,” she said. “Bridey, you were there, too.”
“I was.” Bridey looked over at her husband. “One of the hardest things I ever had to do was let Andrew get on that train that morning knowing I might never see him again.”
“The times were truly awful,” Irene said, “For so many boys didn’t come back . . .”
“Bailey, what if you don’t come home? What will I do?”
“Aww, Renie, don’t worry,” Bailey said, as he wiped her tears from her cheeks. “I won’t be gone that long, and when I do get back, you’re gonna live like a queen. I promise.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t want anything but to have you back home.”
Bailey pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He climbed aboard the passenger car and said, “Remember, when I get back, you’ll have everything you ever wanted and then some. I love you, Irene Canady!”
“I watched the train pull out of the station, and just like that, I knew.”
“What did you know, Irene?” Ben prodded.
“He’d done it. He and Dickie and Lester had taken that truck and all the money that was in it.” She rejoined the others. “I never figured out how they did it, but . . . they did, sure as we’re all sitting here.”
“Tell us what happened next?”
“We all got on with our lives. I went to school, Mother opened the diner in town. I wrote to Bailey, and he wrote when he could.
Then, a couple of summers later, everything changed. I was waitressing for Mother at the Dine Inn, and Otis Baker strolled in for lunch. He was charming, dashing, and employed, and I was lonely. I hadn’t heard from Bailey in over six months, so six weeks later, I married Otis.
“That same month, just before Bailey was to get out of the Army, Mr. Warren Sr. died. They found him out in the field beside the backhoe.”
“Did anyone ever know what he was doing out there by himself?” Elliott asked.
“I don’t really know, except he’d been messing around that tank that always flooded when it rained. When we bought the place, Otis surmised he was probably trying to make it deeper or something. We never went out there much, to tell the truth.”
Bridey leaned forward. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ve all been here some time, why don’t we stretch our legs? I’ll get some sandwiches together and we’ll resume our visit later, if Irene’s up to it.”
“That would be lovely. Now, Mr. Hammond, you, and Mr. Benning stay close.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ben stood and stretched his back. “Elliott? Can I see you out front?”
Elliott lit a cigarette when they reached the porch. “What’s up?”
Ben told him about the missed delivery from the hatchery, the incident with Andy at the tank, and the extra sets of tire tracks around the tank. “I’ve emailed Gene and the County, and asked for crime scene people to make casts of the tracks. I’m waiting to hear back from someone before proceeding.”
“You should hear back from Gene before too much longer, but it’s Sunday and the County may have fewer people on shift.”
“True,” he agreed. “You have to admit, though, a lot of clues are lining up, and now, we find out about the backhoe.”
He looked at Elliott and they spoke at the same time, “We have to find out what’s under the water in that tank!”
Chapter Nine
They’d just finished eating, when Ben’s phone rang. He excused himself, and took the call. “Yeah, it’s Hammond.” Walking to the patio doors, he listened as his deputy gave him an update. “Thanks, Charlie, I’ll meet you out there.”
He disconnected and turned back to the group. “That was Charlie. He’s heard from the County, and they’re on the way. I’m going to have to meet them at the ranch, here in a bit.”
He knelt beside Irene’s chair. “I’ve enjoyed our talk today.”
“So, have I,” she answered. “Ben, I know I act a little dotty sometimes, but, at least right now, I know you’re trying to find out what happened to Bailey.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m hoping to do just that.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. �
��I appreciate your efforts.”
He smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. He stood, then, and said, “Di, if you and Elliott want to come with me?”
Dinah’s face lit up. “Really? You’re letting me come along?”
“Yeah, we can use your help.”
“Yeah? Well, okay.” Grinning, she grabbed Ben by the hand and said, “Come on, Sheriff, we’ve got work to do.”
The gate was open, when they arrived at the Hard Luck Ranch, so Ben drove straight back to the tank. He was pleased Charlie had been able to get so much started before they got there.
“I thought you were only going to have them do the tire tracks,” Dinah said, as she got out of the SUV. “There’s a ton of equipment, what all are they doing?”
“They’re draining the water, so we can see what’s beneath the surface easier. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“What kind of wild-ass idea made you decide that? It’s a good thing the fish weren’t delivered, then, huh?”
Elliott asked her, “Have you never heard Bridey say, everything happens when it’s supposed to?”
“No, I guess I missed that one.” She glanced over at Ben talking to some men in overalls, and then back to Elliott. Grabbing the keys from the ignition, she said, “Tell Ben, I’ll be back in a while? I’m going to the house to look through some pictures, while there’s still daylight.”
Elliott waved to her and joined the group gathered around the perimeter of the tank.
When Ben turned to speak to him, he saw Dinah walking toward the house. “Where’s Di going?”
“Looking for some pictures, how’s it going here?”
“Going a lot faster than I expected, but then, I wasn’t expecting two pumps and four hoses, either.” He answered his phone, “Yeah, Charlie . . . Well come on, we’ll see you in a few.” Slipping his phone into his back pocket, he said, “Gene’s here, and Charlie’s bringing him out.”
* * *
The distance from the tank to the house was farther than Dinah realized. By the time she reached the porch, she’d started to perspire and really wished she had a clip to pull her hair up and off her neck. The inside of the house would be even hotter with no breeze or fans. Her desire to see what Moon and his family looked like, beat out her current need to be cool.
Once inside the house, the musty heat almost took her breath away. The interior was darker than she’d anticipated and she wished she’d thought to bring Ben’s flashlight. Since she hadn’t, though, she made her way, through the shadows, to the back closet where she’d seen a box of albums before.
Sweat trickled down her neck, between her boobs, and down to her waist by the time she reached the living room again. In her haste to get back outside, she tripped on a throw rug and catapulted toward the coffee table. The box hit the floor as two strong hands caught her, but the chest she landed against didn’t belong to Ben or Elliott. When she righted herself, she recognized her rescuer.
“Sheriff Biggars! What are you doing here?”
“I saw all the goings on, as I was driving by, and thought I’d stop and satisfy my curiosity.”
“Thank you for catching me, but I thought I was in here by myself. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Since you’re the only one in here, I guess that means the others are out in the back forty.” He walked over to the front door, opened the screen, and held it for her. “Bridey and Irene are in the car and the air conditioner’s running.”
She picked up the box and stepped onto the porch. “Thank you, that sounds like heaven.”
When Biggars headed off toward the others, Dinah climbed into the back seat beside Irene. “Wow, I’m loving the a/c. It’s like an oven inside the house.”
“We used to say it was hotter than blue blazes,” Irene said, and laughed. “I hadn’t thought of that in quite a while.” When Dinah took the lid off the box, Irene asked, “What’s in there?”
“Old photo albums. I’ve been wanting to see a picture of Moon . . . I’m sorry, I mean, Bailey,” she quickly apologized.
“That’s all right,” Irene said, “He’d be pleased to hear you call him that.”
“Anyway,” Dinah continued, “The way you described him, he sounded so handsome.”
“He was, he had great chiseled cheekbones and a strong jaw. Why, dressed as he did, he looked just like he stepped off a movie set. Put his picture in a movie magazine and no one would know he came from a little Texas town.”
“No one would argue with you on that, Irene,” Bridey agreed. “He was quite the looker. Didn’t he make it out to Hollywood at some point?”
“He might have. After his grandfather died and left him out of the will, he left the Army, and drifted from place-to-place.”
“That’s sad. Why didn’t he come back home and try to settle down?” Dinah asked. “What happened to Dickie and Lester?”
Irene reached for the edge of the box. “Let me see that album on top.” When she had it, she opened the cover and started turning pages. “Now, here he is leaning against a tree. Wasn’t he dreamy, in that jacket with his cigarette dangling from his lips, like I told you?”
Dinah didn’t like cigarettes or the foul-smelling smoke they produced, and she actually thought he did look a little like a hoodlum, but she had to admit, there was something about him. She didn’t want to hurt Irene’s feelings, so she agreed with her and said, “Sure enough.”
“Here’s me next to that same tree with Dickie. Mother laughed at us and said we looked like Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Moms,” Dinah said. “You gotta love them.” She’d wondered about something earlier and it crossed her mind again, so she asked, “What happened to Lester and Dickie? Did they move off somewhere?”
“They never made it home. Word came just before Mr. Warren Sr. passed away, that they been killed fighting in the same skirmish.”
Dinah’s breath hitched. “How awful for their parents, I’m so sorry.” The sadness and silence stretched between them, until her curiosity got the better of her. “When did Moon come back to stay?”
Irene ran her fingers over the photo of a youthful Moon, posing for the camera. “I don’t remember exactly, but Otis had been gone enough years that I was alone and lonely. I was in the beginning stages of my disease and, with the encouragement of my doctor and friends, I’d decided to sell this place and move into town.
“Bailey showed up one day, on the doorstep, looking weathered and tired, and yet so like I remembered all those years ago. I didn’t need the money from this place, Otis had left me well off, so I let him stay.”
“And he never said anything about the money from the heist?”
“No,” she paused, briefly, “He did tell me a few times, about a young man who had been coming around and bothering him, asking questions about the rumors of the missing money.
“I told him, then and there, he should just turn the money in and live out his days in peace. But he wouldn’t hear of it. Shortly after that, he disappeared.”
Dinah began to put the pieces together, and opened the car door. “Y’all wait here, I need to get Ben.”
* * *
Ben looked up from their discovery to see Neville Biggars headed his way. He stood, swiped his muddy hands on the seat of his jeans.
The ex-sheriff hauled him into a bear hug, and said, “Ben, partner! I just saw your little gal up at the house and she said you were working down here.” He surveyed the surrounding area. “Looks like that was an understatement.”
Even though, Ben had sort of eliminated the man as a suspect, based on what he’d witnessed the other day, he wasn’t quite comfortable sharing all they’d uncovered today.
“Yeah,” he said. “We’re doing a little digging.”
“Look.” Neville rested his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I understand keeping a lid on an on-going investigation. But I know about the previous case and may be able to help in this related one. Maybe I can help shed some light, and maybe not, but it sure as hell
won’t hurt to have my input.”
Ben thought over the man’s offer, and decided to go with it. He’d probably made dumber decisions in his life.
He started walking over to the first discovery. “The other day, through a series of events, I found a pair of dog tags in the tank belonging to Bailey Harper.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah, and then one-by-one, clues began to stack up. We found this a little while ago.” They reached the shallower side of the tank and he pointed to the partial body of a man. “Until we have a solid ID, I’m saying this is Moon.
“The tire tracks here, and around the far side of the tank, were just confirmed and matched to a car belonging to a man I arrested a week ago.”
“I always said you were a fine investigator,” Neville praised. “You don’t still have him in custody, do you?”
“We’re not that lucky, but I think I know why he’s nosing around and what he’s after.”
“Show me.”
Within seconds after they started for the other side of the tank, shots rang out. Ben and Neville hit the mud searching for any kind of protection. Ben reached around to his holster, at the small of his back, and fired his gun twice in the direction of the shooter. One more shot fired, and then quiet. He waited another second, and shouted, “Charlie?”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“You good?”
“Yeah! We got him.”
Knowing his deputy was all right, Ben holstered his gun, and moved to his right to find out what was digging into his ribcage. He dug into the mud and touched something that closely resembled a car’s side mirror. The day had given way to night, but even with the portable spotlights, the area where he and Neville had landed was in shadow.
“Hey,” he shouted to one of the techs, “Shine that light over here.”
Sure enough, the light reflected off metal and mirror. A little farther down, he encountered a smooth, hard surface. “Shit o’mighty.” Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, “Guys, bring your shovels and start digging over here!”
He climbed from the tank as Charlie and Elliott walked over with the shooter. The man had a face full of mud and was bitching up a storm.