by Jay Heavner
“I understand. It’s like eating and bathing. Got to put good stuff in and wash the bad stuff that builds up away daily.” “Good point, Pastor. I must go.”
“Stop in anytime. You’re welcome here, Roger.” “Then it’s till next time.”
“Any time, Roger. Any time. My door’s always open to those truly in need. Remember, Roger, there’s none so damaged that he cannot be fixed by the hand of Almighty God. God loves you. His love for us imperfect and fault-filled people is matchless and too big to be measured. It lasts a lifetime and beyond that. You’re His one of a kind wonderful masterpiece that cannot be replaced. He always has His eye on you.
“And one last thought for you, Roger. There’s a reason the rearview mirror is so small, and your car’s windshield is so big. Where you’re going is a lot more important than where you’ve been. Cherish the old memories, but you have so much opportunity to make new ones. Think about it.”
Roger acknowledged the profound statement with a little smile that turned into a small grin. “Thanks, Pastor. I will. I appreciate your kind words and encouragement.”
He walked out of the room, down the hall, and passed the empty secretary’s desk and chair. He guessed she was away on church business or in the bathroom. Either way, he let himself out and walked to his vehicle. He heard the roar from US 1 and could smell the exhaust from the vehicles, both diesel and gasoline. The steering wheel was hot to the touch. He rolled the windows down and sat thinking. Sweat quickly appeared on his face. A frank talk with a man of the cloth always left him with much to think about. And then there was ODESSA. How he hoped he’d never hear that name again. He needed to talk with several people, and one was a murder suspect.
CHAPTER 24
Sweat rolled down Roger’s face and back in beads as he waited for Bill to open his door to his house. A trash can full of garbage not having a lid reeked foul odors, and some flies had managed to get inside the screened porch and buzzed around the putrid banquet.
Roger pounded on the door again. “Come on Bill. Open the door.” Roger wiped his brow and swatted at a pesky fly. He saw Bill’s face at a nearby window for an instance and then it disappeared.
The door opened, and Bill said, “Well, look what the cat drug in. Come on in, Roger. No point in spending more time out in the heat than what you have to. Come on in. What do I owe the pleasure of your company here today?”
“Give me a beer, you big lug, and I’ll start the spiel.”
“Okay, don’t get testy. I shoulda known this wasn’t a social visit.”
Bill grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and handed one to Roger. Two psshhhhh sounds followed as the boys cracked the cans. “Ahh, good stuff,” Roger said as he wiped the foam from his overgrown mustache. “Yup. It is. Hits the spot on a hot Florida day which is about every day.” He looked at Roger. “You quit shaving? Your mustache gets any longer, and you’ll look like a sad walrus. Becoming a filter feeder like some of those whales?”
“You really know how to make a guy feel welcome.”
“And what woman in her right mind would want to kiss that?” Bill said.
Roger said, “Got a date with Marsha. Hey, it’s worth a walk through the forest to get to the picnic. Some welcome I’m getting’ here.”
“I did get you a beer without complaining about your showing up unannounced, you know.” “I guess you did. You’re a good one to talk though. This place is a pig pen. Don’t you ever clean up? I thought the flies on the garbage can outside were going to carry me away.”
Bill grunted. “No, I told you before I wasn’t much of a housekeeper. Lester’s wife used to clean up this place for me and my dad when she was alive. When she got sick and died, his sister took over that job and has been doing it ever since. She’s been feeling poorly lately, and the cleanup job ain’t been getting done on a timely basis. It’s hit or miss with her now.”
“There’s dust everywhere.”
“Roger, you are dust and will return to dust. That’s why I don’t dust. It could be someone I know.”
“What about Lester’s sister? Doesn’t she have a problem possibly dusting someone up?”
“I guess not. Don’t think she knows ‘em.” Roger grunted and shook his head. “They’d have to fumigate this place before they burned it for sanitary reasons. Looks like a breeding ground for the plague.”
“You’re a good one to talk. Now, what do you want? I’ve got places to go and things to do like saving this little town from all kinds of villains.” Roger took another sip and slapped his knee. “Like arrest a couple little boys taking key chains from Miller’s store?”
“They were ten and should have known better. Mrs. Miller saw one of the smaller boys take some. She reported it to me. I know the boy’s family. Good people. I confronted little Johnnie. His mommy was standing right next to him. He blurted out and confessed he had taken two after seeing the older boys take a handful. Well now, we had a major crime wave going on in Canaveral Flats to deal with.”
“I bet,” Roger chided. “I found the older boys, two brothers, and after a little probing, they confessed too. Promised never to do it again. Got about half of the key chains back. They sold the rest to friends at school. Mrs. Miller didn’t want to press charges, but wanted something done to make up for the trouble they caused, so the boys are doing some painting and weeding and grass mowing for her.”
“Sounds like you have it all under control. All’s well that ends well here in Mayberry, right Sheriff Andy?”
“It worked out to everyone’s satisfaction ‘cept maybe the boys who had to work off their dirty deeds.”
Roger said, “Guess so. Crime doesn’t pay. Kids need to learn that at an early age.”
“I think their daddies whipped their butts too. That’ll leave an impression on you.” Roger said, “I remember a few I got. Probably should have got more. Only one I didn’t deserve was when my sister got mad at me and lied to our parents about how I broke something she actually broke. They believed the sweet little girl over the big nasty boy. Can you believe that?”
“I can. The female of the species doesn’t usually lie as much as men. Men tend to tell lots of little lies, but when females lie, they tend to be bigger and more hurtful. As a cop, I’d say about a quarter of the rape, and domestic accusations were nothing more than a vengeful, lying woman trying to hurt a man badly. They play up the poor little woman thing against the evil big man. ”
“The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
Rudyard Kipling said that too.”
“So he did.”
“Just the same and in all fairness to my sister,” Roger said, “I did get away with a bunch and tormented her a lot, so overall, I can’t complain too much about my parent’s fairness, or lack of it.”
Bill asked, “So what was it you came over here for? Certainly not to play health inspector and complain about my housekeeping or lack of, or the latest crime spree in town, the battle of the sexes, and definitely not to confess for your childhood sins. Why are you here?”
“I have some questions.”
“Spit ‘em out, or forever hold your peace and go away.”
Roger looked Bill directly in the eye. “Did you kill Missy McCoy?”
CHAPTER 25
“Did I kill Missy McCoy? I’d have thought you’d know the answer to that question by now,” Bill said. “Quit evading my question and answer it. And why no alibi? This would be so much easier for you if you’d tell me where you were the night she died.”
Bill’s eyes stared right through Roger. “FYI, I did not kill Missy. And the alibi? As I told you, I have my reasons. You’ll figure it out eventually.” The two men looked at each other like two alley cats ready to fight. Grad - ually, Roger’s face softened, and he sucked out the last of his beer. “Got any more?”
“You know where they are. Get one for me, too.”
Bill slipped into a chair as Roger went into the kitchen and returned with the beers. He gave on
e to Bill. “Thanks,” he said.
Roger took a seat opposite Bill and said, “Now we have that out of the way, what’s new that I need to know about?” “I got a call from the governor’s office. There’s been some opposition to the governor’s request for money for a professional dig at the Windover site. Some of it’s the usual. You know, there’re some people in the legislature that hate the governor and will oppose anything he proposes even if it benefits the state and them.”
“Think we have some jerks like that in every organization,” Roger said. “Very true. I think sometimes he rattles their cages just to hear them howl like rabid dogs. I believe he enjoys it, but the real sticking point is the bones and carbine you, me, and Tom Kenney found before the pump broke over at the Windover Dig.”
“How so, Bill?” “That requires some Florida history. The Civil War may have officially ended in 1865, but the hard feeling and fighting didn’t. There were two powerful families in this area, both had land and cattle. It was all open range at that time. One family was pro-Union, and one had supported the Confederacy. Both families were involved in politics in the area and had influence. One family claimed the other owed taxes on cows to their coun- ty and took some of the other family’s cows as payment.
Threats were made, and the sheriff of the county who was a member of the first family was ambushed and killed. A feud broke out.”
“Kinda like the Hatfields and McCoys up in the Appalachian Mountains?” “You got the picture. The feud escalated into what we know today as the Florida Range Wars. Over 22 men died before it was over.” Roger said, “Yeah, up till recently, I thought the range wars were all out West like in Texas or Lincoln County, New Mexico.” “Most people know very little about the history of this state, especially that time period, Roger.”
“So what’s this forgotten piece of history got to do with us today?” Bill said, “Those two families are still involved in state politics big time and aren’t really interested in having old wounds opened. Better to forget and move on. Governor’s trying to convince them it would be better to officially bury the hatchet and support this dig, use it as a teaching lesson on the state’s history going all the way back to ancient times.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to do it?” Roger asked.
“I do. He’s a pretty slick operator. If he can’t win you over with his goodwill and a smile, he’s been known to do some serious arm twisting.”
“I see, and he knows where the skeletons are buried. Pun intended.” “He does, and Roger, he mentioned he’s interested in having you as a part of this project. Maybe even head it up. He’s got some people at the state universities interested in being a part of this, and they may fight to do it all. He thinks because you were there from the beginning and are an expert in the field, he can see you have a big part in this, if you’re interested.”
“Does day follow night?” Roger said. “Of course I’m interested. You tell him that. I could call him and tell him so.” “I’ll call his office and let them know. If you know how complicated Flor - ida politics can be involving the locals and people from up north, it would be best if I handle this.”
Roger said, “I’ll agree with you on that. I was at a local roadhouse and bar having two or a few and two guys got into a fight. I only heard their con- versation when it got loud. One said, ‘This is how we did it up north.’ The other yelled, ‘I don’t care how you did it up north,’ and the fight was on.”
“I can believe it.”
“By the way Bill, Big Red’s back in town.”
Bill showed surprise. “Big Red? Can’t be. No one from the Sheriff’s De - partment has called about any disturbances and for me to come and arrest him.”
“They won’t be calling.” “How do you know this?” Roger gave Bill a pompous smile and said, “I’m kind of a detective, you know and besides, I talked to him after the fight. He’s the bouncer at the place now. After they got in a few punches on each other, he grabbed both of them and threw ‘em both out in the parking lot. Told ‘em to finish it up outside if they wanted, but they looked at Big Red, decided it was a bad idea and shook hands. When they tried to go back in, Red told ‘em no, maybe next week, but not tonight. They got in their cars and left. After the place settled down, I ended up next to him at the bar, and we had a good old conversation and time.” “Go on. I’m all ears, Roger.”
“He told me the bar got tired of him getting in fights with the customers, and they worked out a deal. The only fights he would be in would be as bar bouncer, and he could drink all the beer he wanted for free. He said they’d been better off paying him by the hour.”
Bill nodded in agreement. “He can drink a lot of beer. Did my name come up?” “It did. He asked me if I was a friend of yours. I wasn’t sure it’d be a good idea to admit to that, so I said you were an acquaintance. He smiled knowingly and told me about the history between the two of you. He said he’d cleaned up his act since he found a steady girlfriend. Said before they all got tired of him, but this one won’t leave and is working on rounding off his hard corners.”
“Well, good for him. And her. The right woman can do that to a man. I wish him luck.” “He said he wants to talk to you,” Roger said. “What about?” “He didn’t say, but it did seem imperative.” “Nothing more?” “Nope, nothing more. Guess you’d find out when you see him.”
A puzzled look came to Bill’s face, and Roger could tell he was thinking of the possibilities. He looked at Roger. “Hernandez has been calling you. Says you never answer your phone. Told me to tell you to call her pronto.”
“Hmm. Ain’t had any calls for a day or two. Maybe the phone’s got problems. I’d better check and then call her.”
“She seemed pissed. I’d do it real soon.”
“Okay, will do. And one more thing, I found a rattlesnake in my mailbox today. You know anything about how it got there?” Bill’s eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose. “I didn’t till now, but I once found a turtle on a fence post. I think the turtle and snake both had help getting there. Give me all the details. Did you look for evidence on who put it in there?”
“Of course I did, Bill. No unusual tracks, car or human in the washboard sand of the road or nearby. And I don’t think we’ll find any unusual fin- gerprints on the mailbox. Check with the mail carrier on when she last put mail in the box.”
“Can do. Start in the beginning.” Bill said.
“Well, I went up to check on the mail, something I don’t do every day. When we, the dog and me, got to the box, she began to growl and bark at the box. I thought I heard a buzzing sound inside, so I took a stick and opened it. The snake came flying out of it like a jack in the box. It flew through the air, landed on the road, took off for the nearest ditch, and that was the last I saw of the old unhappy snake. I’m glad K9 was around. She saved my bacon again.”
“Seems she did. Were there any other witnesses?”
“No. Hey, you’re not insinuating I made this up, are you?” Roger said.
“Well, let’s look at this story, no collaborating witnesses except a dog and no snake. What would you think Mr.
Gottahaveproof?”
“I see your point. Just the same, Bill, someone put a snake in my mailbox and tried to cause me bodily harm.” “If the snake bit you, it would have probably gotten drunk and then died.” “Ain’t funny, Bill.”
“Okay, I believe you. Never known you to lie to me. Who would want to do something like this to you?”
“Well, I guess it could have been some kids.” Roger said. “Could have, but they usually destroy the mailboxes with ball bats or cherry bombs. That kinda died out when a boy blew his hand off some time ago. Probably not kids. You could have made some enemies or someone is trying to send you a message or both.”
“That’s my thinking, but who and why?”
“Let’s think on it and see what we come up with. Do you want to file a police report, Roger?”
“No. I’d rather keep it quiet for now. I th
ink it’s best if I don’t and only you and me know.”
“Whatever you say.”
“And one more thing before I go. I think it best if you don’t leave town till I get this wrapped up.
Bill rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, old buddy. Might be good for you to stay close also. I’ll see you later. Don’t let the door hit your backside on the way.”
Roger grunted, “Think I better be watching my backside. See ya.” Bill nodded, “Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. Take care, ole buddy.” Roger grunted again and left. Bill looked out his dirty windows at the departing Roger. K9 sat in the truck with the windows rolled down. She yelped happily when Roger got in. Her eyes saw Bill peering out at them, and she showed her teeth.
Roger’s eyes followed her gaze, and he saw Bill. A curt smile came to his face followed by a scowl. The truck turned and disappeared from view. Bill put his hand to his jaw and stroked it several time. Things were getting interesting.
CHAPTER 26
Roger drove his vehicle up the street where Jim Odom lived. It was an older section of town where the wealthy had once lived, and it seemed many still did. The street was wide and had many large stately oaks growing along it. Their limbs often touched in the middle of the road. He parked beneath one covered in green resurrection ferns. Recent rains had brought them back to life.
He shut off the engine and studied the house. Not one you would expect a killer to live in, but what did your typical murderer’s house look like? It was made out of wood and painted mostly white, but the gingerbread trim was decorated in a contrasting color that complimented the house. The finishing boards were all done in an old-fashioned time and labor-intensive way. The windows were painted in a third color that gave the house excellent eye appeal. Someone knew their colors and how they accented each other. He noted a more modern looking barn-like structure behind the house. A marshy area was in back of it. Roger wasn’t sure if it was a part of a swamp or somehow connected to the nearby Indian River.