Текст книги "Blue Moon Rising"

Автор книги: Lilian Francken

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 7 страниц)

CHAPTER 2

Dan pulled onto the highway. He tapped his finger to the beat of the music. He liked old time rock ‘n’ roll. It always had a beat you could dance to. He used to take Kay dancing on Saturday night for their date night. He sure missed those date nights. He also missed the time they had together. As much as the women in the county pursued him, there was no one around who came near to replacing her.

In the distance Dan saw Junior Youngblood, a simple-minded Indian boy in his late teens, walking along the shoulder of the road. Junior turned as the squad car approached and then he started running and veered awkwardly onto the roadway. His behavior was not normal and caused Dan to step on the gas and take chase, but when Junior veered into the brush, Dan quickly stopped the squad and took chase on foot.

Dan almost caught Junior when he tripped and fell, angering himself. Dan quickly got up and brushed off his pants. He continued his pursuit. Junior zigzagged through the open field allowing Dan to catch up to him. He was about to grab Junior when Junior suddenly stopped and turned around, taking a wild swing at Dan, which caught him broadside, sending Dan to the ground. But being simple-minded, Junior just stood there for the longest time not doing anything more. It was when Dan started to get up that Junior took off running again. He ran into the thicket of thorns causing his shirt to get torn. Dan reached for Junior and grabbed him by the collar. Once he had hold of him Dan swung him off balance and Junior tumbled to the ground. Dan quickly straddled Junior, grabbing his hands and then cuffed them in back.

Dan stood up, trying to catch his breath. He bent down for a moment and just stared at Junior on the ground. It was then he saw the red stains on Junior’s shirt, it definitely looked like blood not paint, but whose blood was the question now.

Dan searched Junior closely, looking for a cut that would explain the blood.

“You hurt yourself, Junior?” Dan asked.

“Don’t know what you mean,” Junior replied.

“You’re a mess,” Dan said, looking Junior over more thoroughly.

Dan was still panting hard. It was hot out and a morning run was definitely something he did not need. Dan always managed to stay fit but running was never his cup of tea.

“I didn’t do nothin’.”

“No one said you did.”

Dan touched Junior’s shirt. It was soaked through to the skin with blood. Dan wiped his face with the back of his hand where Junior struck him to see if there was blood, but looking at his hand, Dan could see none that would account for what was on Junior’s shirt. Dan was puzzled as he reached down to help Junior up.

“Where have you been?” Dan asked.

Junior struggled with Dan. “You can’t pin it on me. I didn’t do it.”

“That isn’t what I asked.” Dan paused as he looked at Junior’s shirt again. “You got a lot of blood on that shirt of yours. Want to tell me what happened?”

“It wasn’t right,” Junior said.

Junior quickly head-butted Dan, catching him off guard. He attempted to run, but Dan recovered too fast and tripped Junior, causing him to fall into the thick underbrush scratching his face and neck.

Dan always felt sorry for Junior. He was a year older than Kelly, so he was able to watch him grow up through the years. Other kids picked on him because he was slow and seemed to tower over the other kids his age. From a young age on, one could tell Junior was a few cards short of a full deck. But he was harmless. No matter how much the other kids teased him, he never lost his temper. But it always concerned Dan that when he got older maybe the boy would come to realize he was the butt of many jokes and finally would stand up to the bullies.

Dan guided Junior down the ditch back to where the squad was parked. Junior tripped a few times, but Dan caught him and steadied his footing.

“You got some explaining to do.”

“I didn’t do it! Honest, Sheriff, you got to believe me.”

Dan took a deep breath. “Would you just shut up?”

Dan spun Junior around so they were face-to-face. “You got blood on your shirt.” Dan pointed to Junior’s chest. Junior looked down as if not knowing what Dan was talking about.

“What do you mean,” he said with a puzzled look on his face.

Dan grabbed Junior’s shirt and yanked his shirt up so Junior could see what he was talking about. They stood there along the side of the road next to the squad as cars sped by.

“This blood. God damn it!” Dan snapped. He did not care how slow Junior was. There was no way he could not know where the blood came from.

Junior froze when he saw the blood. In fact he appeared frightened once he saw the red stain. Junior shrunk from Dan as if shielding himself.

“Please don’t hurt me. I be good.”

Dan just shook his head and then grabbed hold of Junior by the arm and dragged the protesting youth to the squad car. Dan opened the back door and shoved Junior into the backseat.

Dan struggled to keep in mind that he could not wear a father’s hat in this situation. He was the sheriff. Right now, he had a murder to solve where the victim had lost a lot of blood, and now he had a young man in his squad with a lot of blood on his shirt that he could not explain. For him, Junior was his prime suspect. No matter how simple-minded he was. That did not mean he did not have the wherewithal to pull this off. There had to be a point where any human being fights back after years of being put down. Now he had to find out Junior’s relationship with Jason.

Dan glanced at Junior cringing in the backseat. It was hard for him to envision Junior doing that to Jason though. Maybe it could have happened in the heat of the moment, but he did not think Junior had that kind of anger in him.

Junior cowered on the other side of the backseat. He looked like a caged animal and Dan’s heart went out to him in that moment. But Junior was not going to make it easy for Dan.

“I’m not talking to you. You’re mean to me.”

Dan shook his head. “Junior, pipe down. You’re giving me a headache.”

Dan climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and quickly spun off down the road.

CHAPTER 3

Dan pulled up to the Sheriff’s office with its adjacent jailhouse. It had been built a century ago, and given the low crime rate in the county it was hard to justify building a new jail. There were four cells in the back and the majority of the time they were empty except for the day after payday at the mill when his men picked up a few drunks who did not have enough brains to stop drinking when they had had enough.

Dan got out of the squad and then opened the back door. Junior was still cowering in the opposite corner causing Dan to have to go in after him. Junior decided to be difficult and started kicking at Dan. His feet thrashed around, hitting their mark a few times until finally Dan managed to grab hold of Junior’s pants’ cuff and then dragged him out of the squad onto the pavement.

“You ain’t making this easy on yourself,” Dan snapped.

“Mean man,” Junior said, trying to roll away.

“You are a piece of work.”

Dan grabbed hold of Junior by his arms that were still cuffed behind him. “Now get up and stop fighting me.”

“You mean!”

Dan shook his head—because if Junior really wanted to see his mean side he could show it to him. As it was, Dan was handling Junior with kid gloves. Under normal circumstances, Dan would not have had as much patience. But he felt sorry for Junior. He honestly did not think Junior had the mental capacity to kill a fellow human being, let alone a fly. Not the way Richie was killed. Moreover, how would he get the body to the tall pines? Dan did not think Junior had a driver’s license, he always saw the boy walking to places. Then there was also the way Richie was tied up. Richie had knife wounds, but the fact he was tied the way he was, gave Dan the impression that Richie was still alive when he was left in that swamp. The more he struggled to free himself the more the noose around his neck tightened, causing his airway to be cut off. Not a pretty way to go. Whoever did that wanted the boy to suffer.

Dan guided Junior into the Sheriff’s office. Mac was sitting at the radio, where he always seemed to be. Mac Freeman was in his late sixties and well past retirement age, but refused to quit. Besides the pittance the county paid him no one was complaining because no one would take the job for the wages offered if Mac did give it up. Mac had become a fixture. He glanced up from the magazine he was reading and just stared at Dan and Junior as they walked in.

“It’s going to be another hot one,” Mac said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

“Tell me about it.”

“How was the vacation?”

“Not long enough,” Dan shrugged.

Dan shoved Junior over to the rack where the keys were on the pegboard. He reached up and took the cellblock key and stuck it into his shirt pocket.

“County womenfolk missed you.”

“Not you, too.”

“No shit, all of a sudden there weren’t any calls from the single women in town. It’s like all was right in the world. No loose geese on the run, no strange noises in the night. You got to go on vacation more often to give us guys a rest.”

“Very funny,” was all Dan could muster up to say.

Dan glanced over at Mac as he quickly hid the girlie magazine he had been reading. Dan raised his eyebrows and laughed to himself.

“Get Junior a shirt,” Dan said, motioning to Junior.

Mac opened his bottom drawer and pulled out an old T-shirt he kept there for when he watched the drunks on Saturday night. They never seemed to care on who or where they heaved. Mac handed Dan the T-shirt.

“Good, I want the one he was wearing checked for DNA at the crime lab.”

“You think he’s involved in the murder of that Ames boy?”

Dan shook his head. “He’s too simple-minded to do something that gruesome.”

“Then why bother?”

“If that’s Richie’s blood, Junior may know who did it. I want to make sure all the bases are covered.”

Dan held up the T-shirt. “Yeah, should fit.”

“Oh, before I forget, there’s a bunch of messages for you.” Mac handed Dan the pad.

Dan took the pad and flipped through it quickly and laughed. He then tossed all of them into the wastebasket.

“Mabel wasn’t happy with Conroy,” Mac added quickly.

“I thought it was her geese she wanted.”

“You know what she wanted. Conroy is married with three kids and a fourth one on the way.”

“Did Conroy find her geese for her?”

“Yeah, but now she claims they’re traumatized by the experience.”

Dan rolled his eyes while shaking his head. He took the shirt, pulled the key out of his pocket, and guided Junior through the door that led to the cellblock.

“You got your pick, Junior.”

“I want my daddy,” Junior responded, almost crying.

“Mac will call him for you.”

“Me don’t like you.”

“Junior you know me. I’m Kelly’s father. You went to school with her.”

“I like her. She my friend. You not my friend.”

Dan shoved Junior along, as he was reluctant to enter the cell.

“I be good.”

“It’s not a matter of being good. Right now I want to keep you safe until I can sort things out.”

“I go home,” Junior said as he tried to slip away, but Dan grabbed him from behind and pulled him along.

Dan uncuffed Junior and then quickly opened the cell door. But Junior grabbed onto the bars and hung onto the outside of the cell. Dan struggled with him to release his fingers.

“Junior, let go.”

“I go home. I no like it here.”

Dan finally loosened Junior’s fingers and shoved him into the cell.

“Now give me your shirt.”

“My shirt?” Junior hugged his shirt.

“It’s ripped and dirty, Junior. I want to send it out to get cleaned.”

When Junior glanced down he saw the holes and the blood. He quickly pulled the shirt over his head and handed it to Dan.

“Shirt dirty. Need it cleaned,” he remarked. “Daddy going to be mad, my shirt has a hole in it.”

“I’ll give it to Mac to have it cleaned, maybe we can have the holes mended.”

“Mac fix my shirt? Daddy won’t be mad.”

Junior quickly put on the clean shirt. He looked at Dan and then smiled.

“Daddy won’t be mad at me for getting my shirt dirty now?”

“How did you get it dirty?”

Junior walked over to the bunk and huddled into the corner. “I don’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t my fault.” He started rocking and mumbling incoherently.

Dan shook his head, not wanting to deal with Junior any longer. Maybe later after a few aspirins he could deal with him, but not right now. He walked out of the cellblock and back to the office. Mac was on the radio and when he saw Dan he quickly cut off. Dan walked over to the desk and looked at the stack of mail. He finally turned to Mac.

“Do you know anything about the new medical examiner?”

“Wondered when you’d get around to her.”

“It isn’t what you think.”

“Billy Bob says she’s pretty.”

“I only saw her the one time and there was a dead body on the ground.” Dan hesitated a moment, pretending to read a memo lying on the desk. “I hardly took notice of what she looked like.”

“She’s not married, if that’s what you want to know?”

Dan quickly looked up as he was definitely interested in that little tidbit of information. It was the sign that Mac was waiting for.

“Not anymore at least.”

“You sure about that?” Dan asked. As much as he did not want to appear interested, he wanted to know more about her and Mac was the one person who always knew the latest town gossip.

“She was married to some high-powered lawyer in Little Rock.” Mac laughed before continuing. “Turns out he was providing more than legal services to his clients. If you know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t know what you mean?” Dan asked, trying to look ignorant as to what Mac was saying.

“Well, word has it he went both ways. He wasn’t choosy about who he bedded down with.”

“How long?” Dan asked.

“How long has he been screwing the clientele?” Mac asked, looking puzzled for a moment. “How in the hell should I know?”

“No! How long has she been divorced?”

“Not long enough to make her forget what jerks some men can be.”

“Explains her attitude.”

“Billy Bob said she took a liking to you.”

“You two gossiping old women.”

“You should hear what they’re saying about her over at the hardware store,” Mac laughed, and could tell Dan was interested in hearing more.

“Whom did she tangle with?”

“Mind you, this is only rumor,” Mac motioned Dan to come closer. “Jackson over at the bank made some remark to her the other day. The way I hear it, she chewed him a new asshole.”

Dan laughed. “Jackson was always crude when it came to the ladies.”

“You going to try your luck?”

Dan shook his head. “I like my life just fine the way it is. Kelly and I manage.”

“Kelly ain’t going to be around forever.”

“She has three years till college and right now I have my hands full.”

“Kay has been gone two years now. It’s about time you start living again.”

“It’s been eighteen months.”

“Well almost two years. Besides, it was an accident, nothing you could have done to prevent it. I don’t think she’d want you living like a hermit.”

Dan ignored Mac for a moment and walked over to the desk. “Don’t forget the shirt.”

“You want me to have her pick it up?” Mac asked with a big grin on his face.

“No! On your way out for lunch you can drop it off. Tell Ms. Davie I’ll stop by to get the report on Richie Ames later today.”

Without saying another word, Dan got up and then walked over to the door and hurried out. He didn’t want to sit and listen to Mac talk about Nancy any longer. The less he knew about her situation, the better he liked it.

CHAPTER 4

Dan pulled up to his house and parked the squad in front of the garage. For the longest time he just sat there looking at the comfortable raised ranch that he called home. He remembered a time when he looked forward to entering those walls, but lately as the time grew longer he was having a hard time remembering what it was like when Kay was alive. So much he took for granted back then. Kelly tried to fill that gap, but it was hard for Dan to explain to Kelly how much her mother meant to him.

Slowly he got out of the squad and strolled up the walk. Kelly had planted the same flowers as her mother, but it just was not the same. Nothing was. Dan opened the front door. He took off his gun belt and his hat and put them on the hat hook behind the door and then took off his shoes and set them on the rubber mat next to Kelly’s flip-flops. Kay didn’t like anyone walking around the house with his or her shoes on, something about tracking the dirt in. Even after all this time he still abided by her wishes even though he never bought into it while she was alive. There were so many little things that he still did that pleased her. Hoping above all else that maybe it had all been a mistake and the call that she was dead was never made.

Dan walked into the living room. He glanced over at the fireplace and the array of photos on the mantel. The pictures were of happier times in Dan’s life. There had not been any new pictures added since Kay’s death. God, he missed her, and he hated this funky mood when it hit and wondered if it would ever get better.

Dan walked past the mantel and headed for the kitchen. He went to the fridge and opened the door. Dan grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and drank from the pitcher. He turned at the sound of footsteps behind him.

Kelly looked at her father with disgust. “I’m not drinking any of that now,” she snapped.

Dan stopped drinking the lemonade. “Didn’t think you were home,” Dan said finally.

“Where would I be?”

“Swimming?”

“Pool doesn’t open until one,” Kelly said rolling her eyes. She reached in the fridge for the casserole dish. “Ms. Witherspoon dropped this off. It was to welcome us back from our vacation.”

Dan turned his nose up and pretended he would throw up. “That’s the third one this month.”

“Well, she thinks you like it,” Kelly laughed mockingly.

“The garbage men are threatening to boycott our place, the stuff reeks so bad.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t throw it out. Did you ever think of trying it?”

“That was one thing I never let your mother make me. I hate tuna,” Dan said and then turned to Kelly. “Did you ever read a consumer report telling you the allowable percentage of rat droppings found in tuna?”

“Oh, that’s disgusting.”

“My point exactly!” Dan snapped. “I just won’t touch the stuff. Give me a T-Bone any day.”

“Why don’t you talk to her?” Kelly asked.

“Don’t think I haven’t tried. It only encourages her to do more.” Dan shook his head with innocent eyes. “Why do you think she makes me this crap anyway?”

Kelly looked up at her father and grinned. “She’s nice. Besides, what are you going to do once I’m gone?”

“I’ll think of something. Maybe I’ll take up bowling. In the meantime I don’t need another woman in my life complicating things.”

“Oh, that reminds me, a Nancy Davie called. She said something about setting up a time to talk.”

Dan perked up. It did not go unnoticed by Kelly, who shook her head, smiling.

“It isn’t what you think,” Dan said quickly.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Did she leave a number?”

“Yeah, it’s on the fridge.” Kelly walked out, smiling at her father. “You won’t hurt my feelings if you start dating.”

“Not you, too.”

Dan turned to the door, but Kelly had already disappeared. He turned around and pulled the note off the fridge. Dan smiled at the note. Kelly suddenly peeked around the corner.

“Well, Martha’s more than willing to take care of you.”

Dan pointed at her mockingly. “Nothing, is better than ol’ Martha.” Dan hesitated a moment. “Besides, I’ve got Mac to take care of me.”

“That old pooh! You need a woman to keep you in line.”

Kelly quickly vanished. Dan turned back to the message and walked over to the phone.

CHAPTER 5

Dan drove back to the office after lunch. When he walked in, Mac had his back to the door while he busily thumbed through a girlie magazine unaware of Dan’s presence.

“Any good pictures in there?” Dan asked.

Mac practically jumped out of his chair. “Don’t do that,” he said quickly, putting the magazine in the drawer. He turned to the desk and grabbed the message pad. “The medical examiner was looking for you earlier.”

“She left a message for me at home. I talked to her already.”

“What did she want?”

Mac was like an old woman who had to know everything. But the sad fact was everything he knew, he passed on. So Dan had to be careful in what he shared with Mac. In the old days, it did not matter but given the current state of affairs with privacy laws and all, it was not wise to share sensitive information with the town gossip.

“It was business.”

“You ain’t going to tell me?”

“In time you will know.”

Mac tossed the notepad to Dan. “Murphy called again. He wasn’t happy with what you told him.”

“So what’s new?” Dan shrugged. “Give me some good news.”

Mac hesitated for a moment while scratching his head.

“I dropped Junior’s shirt off.”

“How long will it take?” Dan asked.

“I told them you needed it yesterday.”

Dan walked over to the desk. He picked up the paper, but then turned back to Mac.

“You keep on them until I have the results.”

“Jake isn’t going to like me pestering him.”

Mac looked up as if a light bulb went off. “That reminds me. Junior’s papa is on his way in.”

“Might have known he’d be stopping by when he got wind of where Junior is.”

“Says he is bringing a lawyer. Claims he has a witness that says you beat-up on Junior before bringing him in.”

“I never touched the boy.”

Mac held up his hands. “Only repeating what they tells me.”

Dan took off his hat and then slammed it on the desk. “That’s just great.”

“You know how people are.”

Dan plopped down on the chair. He picked up the paper and searched for Kay’s article but then remembered he would never read an article written by her again. It was hard on him when he was under stress. He tended to think of her more because she had been his tranquilizer. No matter how much the job threw at him, she was there at the end of the day to help him unwind. She never let her job at the paper interfere with being there for him. But that was no more and it was times like this that he desperately missed her.

* * *

Dan had a pen in hand doing paperwork when the door suddenly swung open. John Youngblood, a tall nicely dressed Native American in a business suit walked in with Albert Ruben, a short, typical-looking attorney. Ruben was as round as he was tall. Dan set the pen down and stood up. He had been waiting for Junior’s father and now, seeing Albert Ruben, he knew why he had not been there sooner. Ruben was a bottom-feeder and Dan wondered how many attorneys John called before he found one who would take the case.

Dan offered John his hand, but John just stood in front of the desk with arms crossed.

“Sorry you feel that way,” Dan said.

“You beat up on my boy. Then hold him in custody on some trumped-up charges and you can’t understand why I feel this way?”

Dan looked at John. “This is serious business.”

John stepped closer to Dan, but Albert stopped him. “John maybe you should let me do the talking.”

Dan quickly held up his hands. “I never touched the boy,” Dan argued as he stepped away from his desk and then turned to John. “I don’t care what that motorist thought he saw.”

“Did you read him his rights?” Albert asked, as only a lawyer would think to ask that at a time like this.

“I haven’t charged him with anything yet,” Dan snapped.

“Why is he here then?”

“His shirt was covered in blood. We’re having it checked out right now.”

“Whatever you find will be inadmissible in a court without Miranda,” Albert said mockingly.

“That’s only a formality,” Dan said, realizing his mistake. He was angry with himself for an instant.

Albert stepped forward. “It’s the law. That’s what protects the innocent.”

“Innocent, my ass!” Dan snapped. “It was a good call,” he stammered as his jaw muscles tightened.

Albert laughed when he realized the screw-up. “If you don’t release Junior immediately, I’ll go to the press,” Albert argued, while moving around the room as if giving a summation. He stopped and raised his hand and then shouted out. “Police brutality,” he said turning to Dan before continuing. “And on top of that, trumped-up murder charges to cover up your wrong doing.”

John stepped between Albert and Dan as the situation seemed to be getting tense. He turned to Dan finally.

“Look, Dan, Junior wasn’t involved in this murder. Christ, you saw the boy.” He pointed to the cellblock door. “He wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

“It’s not my call,” Dan said.

“Can’t we work out something?”

“You’re right about the boy. I don’t think he did it. But I’m sure he knows something.”

“I can’t let you keep him.”

“Can you protect him?” Dan asked in a voice only a father could muster up.

“What do you mean?”

Dan did not answer right away. He let John think about it for a moment. Albert appeared speechless for an instant.

“Just what I said,” Dan finally responded. “If Junior didn’t do it, and knows something, do you think the killer is going to want him walking around talking about it?”

“I didn’t…” John said, but then paused.

Albert cut John off. “The fact remains. You can’t hold him.”

John motioned for Albert to be still. John thought hard about what Dan had just said because it did make sense.

“Albert, maybe for Junior’s sake we should leave him here. I can’t be with him every minute of the day,” John said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Damn, I didn’t even know he was out of the house last night until I got the call this morning.”

Dan watched John closely and then turned to Albert for his reaction. “You saying what I think you’re saying?” Dan ased.

“Maybe you’re right. This is the safest place for him. You can’t charge him with the evidence you have.”

Dan’s eyes narrowed somewhat. He did not appreciate the reminder that he screwed up, but at the time Junior was not a suspect.

“That doesn’t mean something else might not come up. I’ll read him Miranda until I’m blue in the face.”

John shrugged. “Let the chips fall where they may. I want him safe for now.”

Albert glanced up at John and shook his head. “I don’t advise this, John.”

“I can’t afford to hire someone to watch him,” John turned to Dan. “How bad was it with the Ames boy?”

Dan quickly glanced at the cellblock door and then turned back around to John. “You don’t want something like that happening to your boy.”

John looked at Albert. “Then it’s settled.”

Albert shook his head in disagreement. He walked over to the door and opened it. “This is totally against my advice,” he mumbled as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

“He does have a temper for such a little guy,” John said and then turned back to Dan.

Dan pointed to Mac at the radio. “Mac here,” Dan said quickly as Mac looked up innocently, “will see to it that Junior is taken care of. If you want to see the boy, you are more than welcome to come by any time.”

John shook his head while Dan took the key off the rack and walked over to the cellblock door.

“Just remember, I didn’t lay a finger on him.”

“You made your point,” John snapped.

The two disappeared through the cellblock door as Mac picked up his magazine and continued to look at the pictures.

* * *

Dan was at the computer inputting information. As much as he liked law enforcement and being sheriff of Jefferson County, the reports that were never-ending were always a chore to do. But given that half the county board was in favor of disbanding the police force, he diligently worked on his reports so as not to give them cause to reconsider.

Ester Cratchet, the owner of a local café, walked into the jail carrying a tray of food. Mac looked up while Ester pretended not to see him.

“Morning, Sheriff,” Ester said holding up the tray. “Brought the prisoner his lunch.”

Dan took a quick glance at Mac and then turned to Ester and smiled. When Mac made no attempt to get up, Dan got up and walked over to the key rack. He peeked under the lid that covered the plates.

“Smells good, Ester,” Dan said politely.

Dan tried to be polite. Under normal circumstances it would have been Mac who walked Ester into the cellblock. But Mac was making no attempt to get up. Dan figured it had something to do with what Billy Bob said earlier that morning.

“Just chicken soup and a ham sandwich, same as I always bring them for lunch,” Ester responded, taking a quick look at Mac.

Dan turned to Mac, who pretended to be busy at the radio. Dan just opened the door for Ester and followed her into the cellblock.

Junior was still sitting on the bunk, rocking back and forth while mumbling to himself.

“Hey, Junior, look what Ms. Cratchet brought you.”

Junior did not look up. He just continued rocking back and forth while hitting his head on the brick wall.

“Is he okay?” Ester asked with concern in her voice.

“Yeah. He’s just not happy about being here,” was all Dan mustered up to say.

Ester glanced around and stared at the walls that had years of dirt and grime built up.

“Can you blame him?” she said. “Place needs a good cleaning.”

Dan glanced around and appeared surprised for an instant. It was as if for the first time he saw the years of grime that had accumulated on the walls.

“County doesn’t give me much for upkeep on the place,” Dan said as he turned back to Ester. “Maybe you know someone who could clean the place on a Saturday?” Dan hesitated a moment and then quickly added, “Reasonable, that is.”

“Take more than a Saturday.”

Dan opened the cell door. He took the tray from Ester and then set it on the table for Junior.

“Junior, you enjoy. Ms. Cratchet here is the best cook west of the Mississippi.” Dan turned to Ester. “We’re lucky to have her.”

Junior just continued to rock back and forth. Dan turned to Ester and smiled. “Not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

“Poor boy. Is he the one who killed the Ames boy?” Ester asked.

“Where did you get that notion?”

“Everyone’s been talking about it.”

“No. Junior didn’t do it. I’m almost positive of that. I just have him here to keep him safe.”

“Whatever you say, Sheriff,” Ester said with a wink as if she would keep that secret.

Dan was taken aback for a moment but did not really want to set the record straight. He looked at Ester. “I’ll have Mac bring over the dishes later.”

Ester cleared her throat. “No need to bother. I can stop by on my way home this evening.”