Doing Time In Texas, Book 3

by James E Ferrell

  "This exhibit is addressed to Mr. Cruise the Texas Ranger:

  ‘It is my hope that you can use this information to cleanup my affairs. I have retained Lawyer George Ford and the two of you must work together to handle this business.’

  ‘If you are reading this letter, I am dead. These are the facts clearly and accurately. What I am about to say comes hard for me and through much grief I do so. The clock cannot be turned back. Once a heart has stopped beating there is no starting it again and life is over. This was not supposed to have turned out the way it has. Thomas Taylor is dead because my instructions were not followed, and I deeply regret that.’ "

  Judge Stewart had made a special place for Betty Taylor on one side of the courtroom. She sat toying with the handkerchief in her hands. This was the first time she had seen Willy and his wife. Across the room Bonnie scanned the courtroom seeking her out. Their eyes met; tears welled up in their eyes. Bonnie did not receive a look of hate as she expected, but instead a look of compassion from one that had dealt with years of grief and forgiveness. Betty saw in the beautiful face across the room all the hope and need she once had in her youth. No one noticed the two women but Nate Mueller. Leaning on the arm rest of the chair, he took off his spectacles and rubbed the tears from his eyes. Doctor Mueller had made a life of caring for each and every person he attended along the road of life. ‘I know I love my calling but caring for people sure made for a lot of heartache’, he thought.

  The prosecutor adjusted his glasses and picked up the letter once again saying, “I know this letter will be painful for some in this room and for that I am truly sorry.” He also was a good friend of Betty Taylor. After adjusting his bifocals, he began reading again.

  ‘Taylor’s life was in danger for several reasons. We had devised a plan to save Thomas Taylor and every means to do so was covered. What happened to him was not expected. Three weeks ago, I took three men whom I had recruited on a night raid. We hijacked two trucks that were heavy-laden with stolen goods from Europe. My intentions were motivated by revenge and I was stealing from a man who did me great harm. The theft could not be reported to the police, so my recruits were interested in this proposition. Only I was supposed to be put at risk. I was the inside man and the only one that knew where the trucks were hidden. No one was supposed to be armed and all the risk taken was on my part.’

  ‘I had worked my way into the Chicago underworld. The mobster I worked for trusted me and my money-making schemes. The contraband from Europe was my idea and the guarded trucks were hidden at a farm I had used before in a smuggling operation. After the guards were asleep, I was able to lock the door to their sleeping quarters. When we started the trucks, gun fire erupted from inside the shed. The men locked in the shed tried to shoot their way out. One of the men I had brought with me produced a gun and began to fire at the door intending to discourage the attempt. The door was secure and would have held, but the lock mechanism was shot away allowing the men in the shed to break out.’

  ‘The second truck, which I was in, took all the fire from the men escaping the shed. One single shot hit its mark and Taylor, the driver of my truck, was mortally wounded. In the last few minutes of his life I found the dark secrets that were driving him. First, I must tell you that Thomas Taylor was not there of his own accord; he was being blackmailed. I found this out after it was too late. After he was shot, he made me promise I would talk to his grandmother. I dreaded to do so and now the responsibility must be passed on to you. Thomas never fit with the other two men; they were evil, he was not. Unlike the other two, he was not driven by greed...wanting something for nothing. I found in the last few minutes of his life a different person hid deep in Thomas. He had a depth in him his grandmother and God had cultivated, and this one thing has simply amazed me. It was super natural in what it produced in the dying moments of Thomas’s life. I am afraid I do not understand it and it has caused me much consternation. At his last breath I envied him. Thomas wanted desperately to correct the wrong he had done in his short life. He realized the direction his grandmother had given him had been out of a pure love that he didn’t want to accept. In the final moments of his life he made peace with his maker and resolved all conflicts in his soul. The hidden thing that drove him was resolved and he faced death with confidence. I brought Thomas back to Huntsville and buried him in the cemetery out west of Huntsville where the men were killed. I found it necessary to do so until this time. I had a stone engraved and set for him and I left money in the funeral home for the casket he is buried in. It is up to you to relate this to his grandmother.’

  ‘The man that shot Thomas was a gangster by the name of Chubby Hawkins. He is probably running for his life because he lost the trucks he was assigned to guard.’

  ‘I guess I will leave it at this. More can be added by the Medicine Man if he chooses to do so. I don’t blame him if he keeps silent. His testimony will incriminate him in a mess of my making.’

  The courtroom was suddenly a buzz and the judge’s gavel sounded loudly through the courtroom. “I will have the courtroom cleared if there are any more outbursts. Continue counselor with your presentation,” the judge said.

  Laying the letter back on the table and picking up the death certificate of Shane Thomas Taylor, the prosecutor said, “Your Honor, I would like to call Dr. Nathan Mueller to the stand.” Rising from the front row, Doc made his way to the witness stand and was sworn in.

  “Doctor Mueller, did you examine the remains of Thomas Taylor and fill out this death certificate?” asked the prosecutor.

  “I did,” Doc Mueller stated.

  “Will you tell the court what you found and the cause of death?” the prosecutor asked.

  Looking over at Betty seated on the side of the court room he twitched nervously and said, “I positively identified the remains to be that of Shane Thomas Taylor. His death was caused by a single shot that struck him in the lower left side. It entered his mid-section and exited through his abdomen striking his belt buckle.”

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” the prosecutor stated.

  Judge Stewart looked over at Doc who had not moved. “Well, Doc, are you going to get out of the witness chair or not?” he said teasingly.

  Nate Mueller shifted in the witness stand and looked at the judge and said, “Your Honor, I need to tell you that I’m more involved in this than you know. I am the Medicine Man that is spoken of in the letter,” Nate said looking at the judge.

  “Doctor Mueller, that sounds like you are implicated in this case with Mr. Baker,” the prosecutor stated.

  Looking over at Betty Taylor the doc said, “I have never spoken to Baker personally, but yes I am,” the doctor said.

  “Well now, Nate, do you think you need counsel?” the judge asked.

  “No, I just want to get this off my chest. I prefer it not be made public until Your Honor has heard what I have to say; then if you deem it necessary you can do so. It may be necessary to charge me in some unethical crime that goes against my Hippocratic Oath,” Doc said.

  “Bailiff, clear the courtroom of all spectators and reporters. This will be a closed discussion. Court will reconvene at one o’clock this afternoon,” Judge Stewart said. The judge looked at Doc Mueller quizzically until the room was cleared and then said, “Okay, Nate, consider yourself under oath. If I see you need counsel, I will halt this closed-door discussion and appoint one with or without your consent. You have our undivided attention, speak as you wish.”

  Nate Mueller turned to look at his wife sitting across the empty courtroom and said, ‘I was in my study late one afternoon just before Thomas went missing. There was a slight knock at the door and a middle-aged couple appeared there.’

  ‘Good evening, Doctor Mueller! Can we have a few minutes of your time?’ the male stranger asked.

  ‘You may! Come in and join me. My staff have all left for the evening and I have clinical duty tonight, so I have plenty of time to talk. You know my name, but I don’t know you
rs,’ I said.

  ‘We could give you names but they would be made up. I say that to impress you with the secretive nature of our visit,’ the stranger said.

  ‘You have my attention. I will sit and hear what you have to say,’ I said.

  ‘Dr. Mueller, you have a step-son, Shane Thomas Taylor who is in grave danger. A person who knows him is very concerned. He has asked us to devise a means to keep Thomas from this danger. Thomas has seen and done some things that have made him a target of the Chicago mob. They have sent contract killers to kill him. We believe with your help we will be able to give Thomas back his life and rid him of all the problems that keep him in anguish and distress,’ the man said.

  I looked at the two for a long time then asked, ‘What has Thomas done that would get him killed?’

  ‘Thomas has been driving moonshine cars for several years. He is a superb driver and has driven through most of the southern and western states. His abilities behind the wheel have made a lot of money for some unscrupulous people. For one Judd Smith,’ the stranger stated.

  My breath caught and I was flabbergasted. ‘I find this hard to believe,’ I said.

  ‘It’s true. Thomas has been working for Judd Smith and a man called Harlan Williams. These men were buying shine in bulk and after bottling it, selling it in Cuba. The mob got wind of the money that was being made from moonshine, especially from West Virginia, and decided to take over the business. They figured out Judd Smith was dealing shine from their contacts in Cuba. From that they located a shine driver working for Smith. It was he who gave them the information they needed to go after the shine business. Judd Smith found out they were using one of his drivers and had a mob man take him out in New Orleans. Thomas was making a haul and two mobsters went after him. Judd Smith killed both of the gangsters. The mob only knew their men had been after the driver and assumed he had done the killing. Thomas never killed anyone. You can rest assured of that, but he had seen the killings of the mobsters by Smith. After that he only wanted out but that was not likely. He was the goose that laid the golden egg to Smith. Through the years young Thomas’s driving skills developed a reputation that he did not want,’ the man said.

  ‘I’m not sure I believe any of this. What reputation has Thomas developed?’ I questioned.

  ‘You have read the papers concerning the wild chases the Shine Ghost led troopers on across state after state. That was none other than your Thomas Taylor. Shane Thomas Taylor is the Shine Ghost; the moonshine runner. Surely you have read of his exploits!’ the man said.

  I gasped! ‘Thomas…the Shine Ghost? I don’t believe it! If that were so, he would have been driving shine when he was fifteen years old. I knew Harlan Williams and he was a well thought of business man who was killed in a plane crash recently. This is the first time I have heard anything derogatory about him,’ I said in amazement.

  “It’s true, Dr. Mueller! Now you know why Thomas had so many issues and always seemed to be stressed out. His driving put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you want a source that has seen him face to face and raced him car to car, J.T. King is an Oklahoma State Trooper who has seen the Shine Ghost face to face. He and his wife can verify the identity of the Ghost by a photo. Mr. Baker thinks Thomas has seen other things he will not admit to just yet. Things that could get him killed. He is being blackmailed by others because he knows too much,’ the woman said.

  ‘So, what do you have in mind?’ I asked.

  ‘With your help, we think we can fake his death which would give him a new lease on life under a new name,’ the man said.

  ‘I asked the couple what I would be required to do. They indicated I would need to get a male cadaver for them and then write out a death certificate when the time came stating that it was Shane Thomas Taylor. They would stage his death and he would disappear. His grandmother will have to be told at the last minute of our plan so she would not be alarmed and you both can join him later. They had the means of giving him a new identity and a new lease on life. I had the cadaver so that made the whole process easy,’ I said.

  Judge Stewart looked over at Doc with a questioning look and asked, “Nate, you have a cadaver, you say? You don’t mean you were going to use Pinky Jacks in this little scheme, do you?”

  “We were going to fake a fiery car crash. Loaded with shine and before the fiery part we were going to put Pinky Jacks behind the wheel,” Doc said.

  “Doc, would you really do that?” Stewart asked.

  ‘I fully intended to, Your Honor. Right now, I wish it were possible. Mr. Baker and the strangers had it all worked out. All I had to do was provide Pinky and a death certificate. I never told Betty about the plan. I wish it had worked out so I could have,” Doc said.

  “So, your plan never came to fruition. I don’t want to try and unravel the legal ramifications because it’s not necessary. We will just dismiss it and keep it out of these proceedings. Pinky Jacks hum…it might have worked.” The judge suddenly cleared his throat and straightened up. “Nate, I would like to know more about these people that were working with Baker,” the judge said.

  “You know what I know about them, Judge,” Doc said.

  George Ford sat tapping his pencil against his hand and stated, “Your Honor, this is a development we were not expecting. I have no questions at this time but would like to reserve the right to recall Doc later if I see the need.”

  For a long time, Judge Stewart looked at Doc Mueller. “We will reconvene after lunch,” the Judgejudge said.

  At one sharp, the judge entered the court room and the proceedings began anew. “Your Honor, I submit that Mr. Baker is guilty of involving Mr. Taylor in his scheme; therefore, must bear the responsibility of his death,” the prosecutor said.

  “Objection, Your Honor. Mr. Taylor was a grown man and responsible for his own involvement. The fact that Thomas Taylor refused any part of the money indicates he was not there of Mr. Baker’s persuasion,” George Ford said.

  “Your Honor, Mr. Baker’s letter admits to the theft of a casket,” the prosecutor said.

  “Objection, Your Honor! He left more money than the casket's value!” George interjected.

  “Your Honor, the funeral home director said no money was found. I conclude that the owner of the mortuary is rather to be believed than an admitted thief,” the prosecutor stated.

  “Objection, the prosecutor has no evidence that the money was not left. If Mr. Baker cannot be believed that he left the money, why should we believe that he is telling the truth about stealing the trucks?” George asked. With that statement the courtroom broke into laughter.

  “Order in the court,” the Judgejudge said while giving George Ford an approving eye.

  “Your Honor, after Mr. Taylor’s body was found, the Texas Rangers began to look for a vehicle that might have been used in the robbery. They found the cab section of a panel truck with the back seat missing in a junk yard in Navasota. A blood-stained shirt was found stuffed under the front seat. Taylor’s grandmother identified the shirt as belonging to her grandson. Further investigation by the rangers led us to find that the vehicle was sold as scrap by Ed Weeks shortly after the time that Thomas was killed,” the prosecutor said.

  A murmur arose from the courtroom and the judge addressed the room saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen, one more outburst and I will clear the court. The prosecution may continue,” Judge Stewart ordered.

  “Mr. Weeks was questioned and will be called to the stand in the next few days. He owns a local mechanic shop and buys old cars for parts or demolition. There are several old cars lined up behind his establishment at this time for this purpose. We see no reason not to believe his story. The prosecution will try and prove the attempt on the Bakers was because Judd Smith found out that Mr. Baker was involved in the murders of his next of kin and decided on revenge.”

  “That is pure speculation and cannot be substantiated, Your Honor. The Chicago mob plays into this and the attempt on the Baker’s lives were over stol
en trucks,” George Ford said.

  “Your Honor, when Mr. Smith was killed, a search of his residence produced a rifle. It was determined to be the very rifle that was used to shoot Mr. Baker and ballistics have linked the very same rifle with the killing of a Texas Ranger four years back,” the prosecutor said.

  With that announcement the courthouse became a madhouse as reporters bolted for the doors trying to get to a phone. Sounding the gavel, the Judgejudge recessed the court until the following morning. “The prosecutor and defense lawyer will meet me in my chambers in five minutes,” the judge said.

  C30 - Sitting in The Darkness

  The first day had been a bad day in court for the Bakers. George Ford sat in the room above the diner looking at the pair and said, “You both look like you have been run over by a train. This is going to get nothing but worse unless Willy recalls what happened. Willy, you are being made out to be a cold-blooded killer and if you don’t start remembering what you have forgotten, you are going back to prison for the rest of your life or worse.”

  “I’m trying to remember! I want this to be over one way or the other! I fear for Bonnie and the baby! I just can’t get past the wall in my mind!” Willy exclaimed.

  “Didn’t the letter bring anything back to you?” George said.

  “No, not even the Doc’s involvement. I wish I could remember, good or bad! This has to end!” Willy stated emphatically.

  George took a deep breath and said, “Well now, Doc Mueller has to have a lawyer before he can be recalled to the stand. Your supper will be here shortly. I’m going to go to my office and look through some case studies.” Standing, George Ford looked at the two of them sitting together and said, “You know that the papers are comparing you two to Bonnie and Clyde. We did not fare well today. I will see you in the morning.”