Chief of Police John Long called a meeting the same day as the discovery of the bodies down at Big Hole; the double murder it turned out to be. John was beyond concerned with these recent events and wanted to have a "sit down" with his employees to all get on the same page.
"Ok quiet down ever'body ? quiet down now ? shut up ya'll!" John supplied the coffee and doughnuts so he figured they should all keep their mouths closed at least. Silence fell in the room ? eventually.
"Alright now troops listen up. I don't have to tell you just how serious things have gotten now. Not a murder in this town in over 50 years," John paced the floor, "now three in a row; and a double homicide ta' boot. Things have gotten right on out of hand haven't they ? well haven't they!" John blurted out, just under a yell really.
John's employees all shook their heads in silence; except for Jenni. She said "yes" in a muffled way with a mouth full of bear claw. When she realized she was the only one that spoke she kind of looked side to side and then down at the floor ? hoping John didn't single her out as doin' something wrong. It ran through her mind just how oppressed John made her feel at times. She was lucky ? this time. John let it go.
"Has anyone made any progress yet? Any word about town on who might have done this double homicide?" John knew his employees couldn't know anything as they'd just come from the double homicide crime scene down at Big Hole. He was just setting them up for a tongue lashing really. The room remained silent for a long moment as everyone looked at the floor; even John started examining the floor after a while.
"What the hell is down here?" John pointed to the floor. "What is it that ya'll are staring at anyways?" John laughed loudly. "I'll take your silence as a ? duh I don't know!" John was clearly mocking them.
"Well now John we just came from the crime scene, how could we ? " John didn't let Jerry finish.
"There's Jerry Taylor always quick with an excuse of why work isn't gettin' done. So you just came from the crime scene huh, and that's why you couldn't know nothin', huh?" John paced back and forth, not providing eye contact to anyone in the room.
"Well yeah John, we haven't had the time yet," replied Jerry softly.
"I suppose that's why you haven't made any progress in the first murder too huh?"
"Well no John, I mean that one's got ever'body stumped though doesn't it?" Jerry sounded quite unsure of himself. He wished he'd not spoken up now.
"Well I guess if ever'body's stumped then we otta just finish our doughnuts and head on home ? maybe even schedule some vacation time ? you know get some fishin' in, Lord knows I've been missin' out on a lot a fishin' lately." John had stopped pacing but still wasn't looking directly at Jerry.
"That's not what I meant John," replied Jerry squirming just a little in his chair.
"That's ok Jerry ? that's ok ? I think I know exactly what you meant," John could not have sounded more condescending in his tone.
"Now ya'll hear me and hear me good. We are at risk here." Everyone in the room initially thought John was referring to the risk of a serial killer in our midst; in Barnsdall. But John quickly clarified what his real concern was.
"We are at risk to have some county or state police force come in here and take over this investigation. And let me tell ya'll right now ? I ain't havin' it. No I ain't ? not in my town." John sounded prideful.
Under his breath Cecil whispered: "Might be for the best".
"What was that Cecil ? you have somethin' insightful to add?" Even though Cecil didn't intend for John to hear him, he did. John understood what Cecil was saying and didn't appreciate it at all.
"Umm ? well ? umm no ? no John I don't have nuttin' to say," replied Cecil with eyes affixed firmly to the floor.
"That's what I thought!" John was getting revved up now.
"Anybody else got somethin' smart to say? How 'bout you Jerry ? any more choice words of wisdom outa you?" John stared right at Jerry now.
"Well John," replied Jerry softly as he looked up into John's cold stare. "Isn't the most important thing here to protect the folks a Barnsdall? I mean maybe we ought to welcome some outside help. Maybe we should hope someone with some experience in things like this comes forward and offers to help."
"That's just great Jerry ? that's just great! If it were up to you, when there's a serious crime in our town we'd just hand it over to some outsider and let them figure it all out. That's just great! What the hell do you think we're here for anyway? Just writing parking tickets or sittin' up at the damn school to make sure no one speeds in the school zones? Is that what you think Jerry? 'cause if it is then we might as well just pack it in right now. Is that what you think son?"
"Well no John, that's not what I think, but this is a pretty big deal here now with three murders on our hands. Hell we could have a serial killer out there and I for one think we should welcome all the help we can get." Jerry looked around the room after he spoke, hoping to see bobbing heads in agreement; he didn't see them.
"I'll tell ya one thing right now Jerry ? we ain't gonna hand off our work to outsiders or insiders or to anyone else; you hear? Well do ya Jerry!"
"I hear ya John."
"Good, then you can just make your decision right now Jerry Taylor. You can either decide to be on board or off; 'cause if you want off there's the door and if you choose to stay on this ship then if you bring up that crap again I'll see you walk the plank. You got me Jerry?"
"Yes sir," Jerry snapped off a military understanding of an order to be followed ? and not questioned.
"Ok then Jerry ? on board or off?" John required positive confirmation here. He didn't want to have this conversation again; with any of his troops.
"On board John ? I'm on board," Jerry's voice sounded weary.
"Alright then ? moving on," said John with a slight grin. "To put it plainly; we need a plan to resolve, solve and capture this killer or killers that have put our town of Barnsdall on the map as the murder capital of Oklahoma. Let's hear some ideas." John stepped back and sat down in a chair, leaning it back against the wall and crossing his arms.
At first it was silent ? for a long while ? then Jenni spoke up.
"Well this town ain't that big, I suppose we could start goin' up and down the streets knocking on doors and askin' folks if they seen or heard anything ? you know 'bout the killin's." Jenni took a nervous sip of her coffee.
"That's a start, thanks Jenni," John said without changing his expression or posture. "Let's hear more ? Eli what do you think?"
Eli nearly jumped out of his seat. It's not often that Chief of Police John Long asked his opinion, bein' a part-time officer and all, in fact Eli couldn't ever remember a time when Big John asked for his thoughts.
"Ah umm, well ? now let me think for a second John," Eli stammered as he tried to wrap his mind around the question.
"That's ok Eli ? take your time ? Cecil what about you? Any thoughts you'd like to speak out loud so ever'one can hear?" Cecil looked up at John.
"Well ? ah ? John, I suppose we could make a list of the folks we know are ? well folks we know are ? bad ya know. Then go talk to 'em?" Cecil's voice trailed off at the end of his statement.
"You suppose you could make a list," goaded John with a smartass grin?
"Well ? n-n-no, we could make a list."
"Could?" Again John just wasn't letting poor ole' Cecil off the hook.
"Well yes we should," replied Cecil with more confidence in his tone now. John just stared coldly at Cecil. It was clear John was still pushing him.
"Will! We will make a list and get to talkin' to those folks," replied Cecil now with vigor in his voice.
"Good, now back to you Eli," John pointed a big index finger right at Eli.
"We can work to figure out exactly how all this happened ? you know if there's more than one killer ? motive and such ? stuff like that." Eli looked back at the floor quickly hoping against hope that John would accept his thoughts.
"Good idea El
i! Thank you," replied John politely. Eli breathed a sigh of relief that could be heard throughout the small room.
"Jerry we already know what you think, so why don't you just start beating the streets as Jenni mentioned and she'll man, or should I say wo-man, the phones." John winked at Jenni and clapped his hands together loudly. "Now let's get to it!"
With that everyone scrambled to their feet and headed out of police station, leaving only Big John and Jenni there. Jenni put her telephone head set on and situated herself at her desk with a full cup of coffee as a companion.
"Ya know Jenni ? sometimes I wonder if there's a brain one in those guys ? know what I mean?"
"It ain't just them John, its all men ? present company excluded of course," Jenni smiled big.
"Of course," replied John with a grin in return.
"Well they seemed to come 'round with some nudgin' though didn't they?" John leaned against the front door frame; which he nearly filled up to the roof.
"Yeah they sure did. Sometime's you gotta push 'em a bit. Guess this was one of those times. That's what the Chief is for right?" Jenni had a pleasant tone of voice.
"Yes, yes that's true ? that's true," John sounded bored.
"This wearin' on ya John?" Jenni hoped John didn't take her question wrong; she was genuinely concerned about her boss.
"Oh I'm fine Jenni ? I'm fine." John said this softly and just turned and walked out the front door. Jenni thought nothing of it and returned to her work of waiting on a call and drinkin' her coffee.
As John walked to his police cruiser he couldn't help but wonder if his police officer's really did get where he was coming from. Did they understand that he wanted to take care of this himself? Did they understand that if it was proven it takes an outside police force to resolve crime in Barnsdall, OK then folks might figure out they're paying all of them for no good reason? Did any of them really want to put in the time and effort to catch whoever was doing these crimes? Did they really get it? Big John wondered.
Crazy As Spit
Well the word today at school was that Suzy and Sam Ingles were havin' a good ole' time on the way home from school yesterday. It's not to say that Suzy and Sam necessarily get along. I mean they're brother and sister only about a year apart in age, so they're bound to fight ever' now and then. Right?
Anyways, they were just skippin' along and bein' kids and all when, hear tell, they started spitting on the sidewalk. Well, they weren't really spittin' on the sidewalk on purpose they were spittin' at each other; see on this day they weren't getting along very well at all ? not at all ? seemed to have some nasty competition goin' I guess. Sometimes, they really just don't get along at all.
That's a nasty crime ya know, spittin' on the sidewalk and all. I know 'cause my Daddy told me he hates it and really enforces the law on that one; although I've seen him spit his snuff plenty of times in public. Although Daddy usually spits into the grass, not on the sidewalk; I guess that makes a difference in the law or something. I think I'll ask him about that sometime.
Way I heard it from Jenny Thompson is that Suzy and Sam headed out on their walk home from school gettin' along pretty good. Just skippin' along and enjoying the day. But somewhere along the way they started bickerin'. Seems Suzy, accidentally, gave Sam a flat tire. You know when some one steps on your shoe from behind, right on the heel, and the back of your shoe ends up comin' off ? you know a flat tire.
Well apparently a flat tire is what started it all. See Sam turned around and asked Suzy what she did that for. She replied she didn't do it on purpose "GOSH!". I guess Sam called her a liar of somethin' and off they were in a big argument. Yellin' at each other on Main Street, screamin' really, not caring who heard.
Sam called Suzy a liar. Suzy called Sam a baby. Sam called Suzy stupid. Suzy called Sam a Momma's boy. Well you get the gist of it right?
Wasn't long when words turned to blows; or maybe we should call them slaps. When Sam called his sister a "skunkazoid" and held his nose between his thumb and index finger ? well she slapped him but good.
Not sure if Sam really deserved that for his choice of words and antics, but he sure got it; a good slap right across the check and a little bit of the ear. His face immediately turned red showing a hand print, fingers and all. Then his whole face got red as his anger boiled up and tears shot into his eyes.
Now Sam's been taught by his Daddy, Sam Senior, not to hit girls. That said, Sam almost did hit his sister back ? he sure thought about it good and hard. But he chose not to hit her. Instead he chose a well placed "loogie".
There stood Sam with a red face and his hands clinched at his side; right there on Main Street. And there stood Suzy with a big "loogie" hanging off her nose all nasty and all. I tell ya, even a little bit of that loggie went right in her half opened mouth! Yuk!
Didn't take long after that for the spit fight to break out in full bloom. I mean it's just human nature right? If someone spits on you, you gotta spit back. Right? I mean I sure would ? yes I would. And so did Suzy.
Suzy reached way down deep with a snort and a grunt, summoning up some nasty stuff from down deep. Sam recognized what was comin' and turned to run, but he still had a flat tire so he tripped and ended up on the ground. Not hurt too bad though, just a skinned knee. But this little trip left Suzy with just enough time to get Sam good ? real good. She managed to spit right on the back of her brother's neck. Some of it went in his hair and the rest of it quickly ran right down under his t-shirt collar and onto his back. You know 'cause the loogie was all snotty and all it just squirmed right down in there. That musta been somethin' awful!
With a disgusted look on his face, Sam managed to get back to his feet and conjured up his own snot filled mess while Suzy tried to run by him to get away. She didn't get far as Sam tripped her. As Suzy tried to get back to her feet, Sam fixed his flat tire and jumped on top of her.
He didn't quite have her pinned down, but that didn't stop him from planting a loogie right between his sister's eyes. She squealed a little bit and reached up and grabbed Sam's hair. With a big tug Sam rolled off to the side and Suzy jumped to her feet. She spat at Sam and managed to get one right in his eye. She saw her chance and started headin' for home at a break neck pace.
Wasn't long until Sam was in toe and makin' good time ? catchin' up he was. As he caught Suzy she kind of peaked over her shoulder and saw him comin'. As Sam reached out to grab her by the collar of her shirt, she ducked under his hand and came to a complete stop right on the edge of the sidewalk where Main Street intersects with Highway 11.
Sam didn't manage to stop and found himself runnin' right out in front of a car that was crossin' the intersection. Now he was in the crosswalk and all, but he still ran right out in front of the car! The car came to a screachin' hault and the driver behind the wheel made an expression that said: "you dumb kid, get out of the road!" Sam just ran back onto the side walk after his sister.
Suzy was quite stunned by seeing her brother nearly get run over by a car, so she was just kinda frozen there. Sam took his chance and tackled Suzy. This time he managed to pin her down pretty good; he had his knees on both of Suzy's shoulders and was sitting on her chest. She could hardly breathe, let alone move to get away.
"Ha! Got you now Sis," said Sam with great pleasure.
"Ge ? ge ? get off me," muttered Suzy as she tried to speak with short breaths. Her face was beginning to turn red as she struggled to get her brother off her chest so she could catch her breath.
Sam was having none of it though, he had her pinned down good and he was raining down spit all over her face.
A passerby, don't know who it was really, thought this little spit fight had gone on long enough and pulled Sam off his sister ? but that was not the end of it ? no not by far.
When Suzy got to her feet she spat hard at her brother, nearly hitting the passerby in the process. That quickly got rid of that guy.
On
and on it went ? with the spitting and all. Before you knew it Suzy and Sam were covered from head to toe in nasty spit. They musta lost ten pounds each from all the liquid they managed to spit out. There was spit drippin' from their ears and hair. There was spit soaked through their clothes; heck, there was even spit on their shoes if you can believe that.
Well, about this time the law showed up. Apparently it was my Daddy that came on the scene of one of the worst spit fights in history. I bet he was thrilled! Jenny said he really gave them that what for.
"Hold it right there ? what's goin' on here," said Daddy half way out of his police cruiser?
Suzy and Sam were too enthralled with their spit fight; they didn't even hear him.
"Ya'll stop it now ? right now," said Daddy as he quickly approached them.
That's when it happened. Sam accidentally spit right on Daddy. Spit right on his arm as Daddy was reaching to pull Sam away from his sister.
Sam seen what he'd done and his jaw dropped nearly to the ground. Fear ran across his face as he tried to mutter somethin' 'bout "she s-s-started it". He was frozen, knees locked and lookin' like he'd just lost his last quarter.
"Ok that's it! Stop right now!" Daddy wasn't kiddin' around.
"I didn't start it! He did," said Suzy with tears in her eyes; that and a lot of spit too.
"Kids!" Daddy started to yell, but then lowered his voice to a calm tone. "Kids ? I don't care who started it, but this is gonna stop right now ? you got me?" Daddy had started to grasp both of them by the collar but thought better of it when he saw all that spit on there.
"Y-y-yes," replied Suzy and Sam together, almost as a duet.
"Yes what?" Daddy demanded his respect as a lawman.
"Yes sir," they replied again in unison.
"Just what the hell do you think you kids are doin' anyways?" Daddy wanted a quick concise answer, but both Suzy and Sam were so upset he wasn't gonna get one.
"He, he, he started it! He's a bully ? a real meany I tell ya! I think ?" Daddy broke in.
"What's ya'll's names?" Daddy pulled out a pad and pen and started to write.
"Umm, well a ? she's Suzy and I'm Sam," replied Sam in a high pitched nervous tone.
"Mmm, I see ? and last name?" Daddy was writing intently, more than just names.
"Ingles," replied Suzy looking at her brother with contempt. She was angrier about getting into trouble with the law than all that spit now.
"Your parents know you act like this when you're out of the nest?"
"Well, I a ? I'm ? well," stammered Sam.
"Well do they or don't they," Daddy looked up from his pad of paper and glared at first Suzy and then Sam.
"I s'pose not Sir," replied Sam averting his eyes from Daddy's strong stare.
"And what about you little Suzy Ingles?"
"No Sir," replied Suzy with a tired tone.
"Think they'd like it much?"
Suzy thought quickly before she answered. She thought about how grown up folk talk; about how they have these long drawn out conversations tryin' to teach kids things. She knew this lawman already knew the answers to these questions, but figured she was in for a tongue lashing and this was just the tip of the iceberg. Suzy resigned herself to this with the answer: "No Sir".
Daddy didn't have to ask Sam, he just looked over at him and raised his eyebrows. This was enough to elicit a response: "No Sir".
"Ya'll realize spittin' on the sidewalk's a crime?"
"No," replied both Suzy and Sam together. They eyed each other with befuddled looks on their faces. It truly appeared they didn't know they were committing any crime. Didn't matter to Daddy though; ignorance of the law's no excuse.
"Well it is ? and a damn nasty one as well," Daddy looked them both up and down. "Just look at yourselves ? ya'll outa be 'shamed of yourselves." Suzy and Sam lowered their heads and stared at the sidewalk.
"I didn't get much spit on the sidewalk really, got most of it on her ? that a crime?" Sam asked this question with innocent intent really, but it sounded sarcastic to Daddy.
"Come again Son."
"I was askin' if it was a crime to ?" Daddy didn't let him finish.
"Why you little smart ass, you just watch your tone with me boy or you'll find more trouble than you want ? you got me boy!" Daddy glared down at Sam from his high perch.
Sam took a step back like he'd been punched. Indeed he thought he was going to be; that was the look he was receiving from this big lawman.
"You got me boy!" Yelled Daddy again.
"Ye ye yes Sir," replied Sam while quickly looking back at the sidewalk.
"Now ? I'm not going to put you messy kids in my police cruiser," again Daddy looked Sam and Suzy up and down, frowning. "What I'm gonna do is send you kids home to your Momma and give you a couple of hours to tell her what you've been doin'; although it will be pretty obvious to her when she sees those clothes."
Suzy and Sam were looking at each other. They seemed to have hope in their eyes; that is until Daddy said:
"And just to make sure your stories don't get off track, I'm gonna swing by your house in a few hours to chat with your Momma; you know make sure she fully understands. So where do you live ? and don't think of givin' me a false address either 'cause it really ain't that hard to find out where folks live in Barnsdall and that'll only make things worse for ya." Daddy had all his bases covered.
Suzy explained to Daddy where they lived and Daddy dismissed them to go home. Come to find out later Daddy never did swing by their house to talk to their mother. Guess he figured they'd tell truth with just the threat of him stoppin' by and talking to her? Either way they did tell the truth to their Momma; and she was none too happy.
Well that's the basic story Jenny Thompson told me. Isn't that gross? I mean a spit fight like that ? yuk!
Now that spit fight happened yesterday. I didn't see either Sam or Suzy in school today. They musta got in some pretty big trouble for what they did, but surely they weren't grounded from school; that wouldn't make any sense?
I spent quite some time askin' 'round about them but no one had seen them. I can't wait till they come back so I can find out what happened from the horse's mouth. 'course they'll probably just be mad at me 'cause of what my Daddy put them through. He was just doin' his job, but that probably won't matter to them. It rarely matters to anyone; just seems folks blame me for what my Daddy does. Daddy didn't do anything wrong this time; I guess I'm just feelin' a little sorry for myself that's all.
Hanging Out At Midnight
As I overhead folks talkin' at the cash register down to the Barnsdall Market
It was late on a Thursday night, and the day after Suzy and Sam's little spit fight. Everything seemed fine down town, hardly a car to be seen. The one stop light was right in time. It's not a normal stop light though; not one of those red, yellow, greeners. No, it's a simple blinking red light; blinks on a timer. It hangs down from a wire that stretches diagonally across the main intersection in town. Blink, blink, blink.
It was about as quiet as can be and a clear night as well; not too cold, not too hot. By all accounts it was just another boring small town weeknight in Oklahoma.
That is until Tom and Mary Scroggins happened upon it. They were making their way home from a late visit to the hospital; seeing Mary's ailing mother.
"You Ok Mary?" Tom noticed sadness in his wife of nearly forty years.
"Oh I'm alright Tom ? just tired's all," Mary reached over and touched her husband's hand.
"I know it's tough to see your mother like that hon ? you wanta talk about it a bit?" Tom thought letting Mary vent some might help her relax.
"No ? no I just wanta get on home and get to bed ? Alzheimer's is a terrible thing ain't it?" Mary's voice sounded drained of all energy.
"It sure is hon ? it sure is," replied Tom while taking his wife's hand in his own. He squeezed her hand firmly and smiled over at her. "We're getti
n' near to town now; won't be long.
Mary glanced over at the speedometer and said: "Not at this pace, that's for sure". Tom smiled again and took his foot off the accelerator, slowing to the speed limit; well almost anyways.
When Tom and Mary reached the bridge crossing Bird Creek, Tom did indeed slow to the speed limit; slowly making their way around the corner by the wax plant toward Main Street. Tom noticed there was no one around, no cars on the road; he didn't really expect to see any either. What he did see though was well beyond his expectations.
By Day or By Night Page 5