Between the Lies Page 10

  Hick, Adam, and Royal were discussing what to do when Dewey shook his head. “Son of a bitch. Ya’ll sure make things harder than they have to be.” With that, he grabbed Thad and threw him over his shoulder like a cotton sack. “Go ahead and make a ruckus, kid.”

  With that, Thad began to squirm and shout, “Put me down!” as Dewey walked from the shack toward the dirt road.

  The lawmen stood, dumbfounded and heard a voice in the darkness call, “What you got there, Dewey?”

  “Just another damned kid trying to get at the moonshine,” he said, carrying the still hollering Thad out toward the road.

  Royal grinned. “Hellfire and tarnation! I sure admire the way Dewey handled that.”

  Adam took Carol’s arm and led her out of the shack through the yard leaving Hick and Royal behind. They followed Adam and made their way across the yard when Royal stopped. “What the hell?” he muttered and stalked toward a young woman sitting alone on a log beside a campfire.

  “Patsy!” Royal said in a sharp voice, causing the girl to jump. “What are you doing out here?”

  Her eyes widened when she saw Royal and she hopped from the log saying, “Oh Royal! Please don’t tell my daddy!”

  “You should be switched for being out here! This ain’t no place for a good girl.”

  “I know that,” she said. “It’s just so many of my friends are here. But ... those poor roosters.” She shook her head. “There was so much blood …” Her eyes trailed toward the barn, with its riotous laughter.

  “Billy bring you out here?” Royal asked in a clipped, tense voice.

  “No. He’s at home studying to re-take his geometry test.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “A bunch of the kids were coming, and I just wanted to see it for myself. It seemed like a good night because none of us has homework and Billy’s busy.”

  Royal removed his hat and ran his hand across the back of his neck. “Why, Patsy? Why would you want to see a place like this?”

  She looked at her hands. “Everyone’s been talking about it.” She shook her head. “But it ain’t no place for me. I shouldn’t have come.”

  “You want a ride home?”

  She glanced toward the barn once more. “I need to tell my friends.”

  “They don’t seem overly worried about you right now.”

  Patsy rose. “Just let me tell them, and then I want to go home. They’ll think I’m a square, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

  Hick watched as Patsy made her way toward a group of teenagers at the barn. They paused in their laughter when she approached and then turned back to the spectacle in the barn as she walked away.

  “I’m ready,” she said to Royal. “Only promise me you won’t tell my daddy.”

  Royal rolled his eyes. “I promise. But next time I catch you at a place like this, he’ll hear about it.” Royal marched the girl toward his squad car.

  “There won’t be a next time, I swear. Thank you, Royal,” she said as they approached the car. Carol and Thad were already inside and Adam was waiting outside.

  “Where’s Dewey?” Royal asked.

  “He said he had work to do,” Adam replied.

  “Who is—” Patsy began, when Royal cut her off.

  “I don’t say a word, you don’t say a word. Deal?”

  She nodded. “Deal.”

  Adam climbed into the back seat with Carol and Thad while Royal, Hick, and Patsy got into the front.

  The drive was made in a tense silence, the girl wringing her hands, and Royal’s jaw clenched. Hick let his curiosity simmer until the squad car stopped in front of a nice, well-maintained home. Hick stepped out of the car to let the girl out.

  “Thank you,” she said to Royal, her voice breathless with relief.

  “Patsy, I ain’t never in my life ever thought I’d see a preacher’s daughter down there at that juke joint,” Royal said walking around the car and looking at her with obvious disapproval.

  Tears formed in her eyes. “You won’t find me there again, I promise. I ain’t ever going back.”

  Royal’s face was rigid with anger—and sorrow. He shook his head and looked away. “I wish I could believe that, but you done got in with the wrong crowd. Those boys are all a bunch of rounders, and your friend Billy wants to be just like them. Only reason he ain’t is ’cause of his daddy. I told you before you need to stay away from those kids, but you won’t listen to reason, and I’m done talking.” He turned back and his voice was cold and tense. “Don’t forget,” he said, “we made a deal.”

  “I won’t forget,” she said and walked up the sidewalk toward the house. She paused on the front porch and turned back, managing a small smile before she went inside.

  “You want to tell me what that was about?” Hick asked Royal as they climbed back into the car.

  Royal slammed the car in gear and headed toward the Catholic Church. “Just a girl I used to know.”

  “Your friend Willie make it a habit of selling hooch to kids?”

  Royal shrugged. “Not to my knowledge. But then again, Willie ain’t always forthcoming with his activities.”

  Royal stopped at the four way intersection and then motored through it and into the parking lot of the church where Adam’s car was parked. The lights in the church were still on and Hick told Adam, “Get them in your car. I’m going to run in and tell the preacher we got Thad so Enos can quit fretting.”

  Adam nodded and hurriedly ushered Carol and Thad into his car while Hick went into the church. Father Grant was pacing the floor, and when he saw Hick, relief flooded his face.

  “You find Thad?”

  “I did,” Hick told him.

  The door to Father Grant’s office opened and Esther, Thad’s sister, along with an older woman stepped out.

  “This is Ida Burton,” Father Grant said. “Thad’s mother.”

  Ida crossed the room and took Hick’s hands into hers. “You take care of my boy. He’s a good son. He helps out his daddy when he can and he never caused me one bit of trouble.” She paused. “He’s my little angel.” A calm, dignified strength showed in her eyes. “I don’t know what you can do for us, but keep him safe. That’s all I ask.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Hick promised. “I’m taking him and that lawyer back to Cherokee Crossing. I think they’ll be safer there. You think Enos will be okay with that?”

  “Enos will not be okay with that,” Ida Burton said with a voice that commanded respect. “But I will.”

  14

  Tuesday, July 20, 1954

  The darkness of a dreamless sleep was broken by the feeling of a presence hovering near. Startled from this half-sleep, Hick felt an arm brush across him and came to complete wakefulness, instinctively grabbing a nearby wrist and opening his eyes at the same time.

  “Jesus Christ, Hillbilly,” said Carol Quinn in a shocked voice. “I was just getting a cigarette.”

  Hick shook his head, blinked the sleep from his eyes, and released the wrist. Carol rubbed it with her other hand and regarded him strangely. “Jumpy, aren’t you?”

  “I’m sorry.” Hick rubbed his eyes.

  “I thought you were awake.”

  Hick rubbed his stiff neck and stretched his head backward, grimacing in pain. He coughed and said, “I am now. What time is it?”

  “Almost seven.”

  “Here,” Hick said, handing her the cigarette pack and lighter. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  Carol shook her head. “Just startled me. I didn’t expect you to lash out like that.”

  “Yeah, well, like I said, I’m sorry. You get any sleep?”

  “Not a wink. You?”

  Hick shook his head. “I never sleep much here.”

  “You stay here often?” She glanced around the room.

  “Every other night.” Hick rose and moved to the doorway looking in on Thad who snored peacefully on a cot. “Wonder what will happen to him.”

  Caro
l joined Hick in the doorway. “He’s a good kid,” she said. “Before they locked us up in that shed I had a few choice things to say about you, that kid deputy Adkins, and everyone else who lives south of the Mason Dixon line. He told me I shouldn’t be too hard on folks. Said they’re just doing the best they can.” She shook her head. “He’s a hell of a lot more gracious than me.”

  “So tell me … what’s your plan?” Hick asked.

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “You do have a plan, don’t you? You are a lawyer.”

  She took a long draw from the cigarette, leaned against the doorway, and closed her eyes. “I can’t actually practice down here, and I sure as hell didn’t have a clue what I was getting into.”

  “Well, what did you—” Hick began and then stopped. “Why don’t you start from the beginning? Exactly why did you come here?”

  Carol took another drag and stared at the tip a moment. “I don’t know. I guess I was desperate.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Desperate. To stand out. To make a name for myself.” Hick handed her an ashtray and she nodded her thanks. “The phone call started everything. It came in to the firm late Friday evening. After the men had already left for their club.” Her eyes hardened and met Hick’s. “They don’t have to work quite as hard as I do.”

  “I see,” Hick said.

  “No, you don’t. You don’t see anything. You don’t see me busting my ass and coming in the top three percent of my class only to be hired as a legal secretary. I passed the bar, and for what? To get the guys coffee?” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t go to law school to clerk or to bring someone their coffee. I went to be a lawyer. But women lawyers … no one takes us seriously.”

  She walked to the window and looked outside. “When I applied for my job, you know what they said? ‘You have an impressive record Miss Quinn, but a pretty girl like you will likely marry. You must see our position. Why we can’t really give you any important cases.” She stabbed the cigarette out in the ashtray. “My big brother went to law school and it took him three times to pass the bar. Three times! I passed on my first try. But he’s a Defense Attorney in New York.” She sighed. “All I am is the coffee girl.”

  “If that’s the case, why’d your firm send you down here?”

  “No one sent me down here. I volunteered. My firm in New York is watching very closely what is happening in the south. For years, Negroes up north have fought in the courts and finally are beginning to win some important cases, but down here … colored folks haven’t had much luck. My firm sat by and watched several cases to go the Supreme Court, one ending in a landmark decision. It didn’t take long for them to realize they had missed a golden opportunity and they’re making up for lost time. Cases in places like Chicago and St. Louis were just the beginning. The rumbling is beginning down here and where money and prestige are at stake, my firm can sound convincing … at times even I believe they care. They think civil rights will begin to explode across the south, and they’re trying to make their presence felt … they want in on it. Hell, in February they even got quoted in LOOK magazine regarding school desegregation in Phoenix.”

  She crossed the room and looked in on the sleeping boy. She shook her head, and snorted softly. “But, when I told them about this kid …” She shrugged her shoulders and in a whisper continued, “No one cares about this place … or Thad. He’s just a young black kid in trouble in a small town. He’s got no money, there’s nothing unique or important here, so there’s no way in hell one of those bastards would give him a minute of their time.” She shrugged. “I talked to my brother, and he said any experience is better than none so I begged for the opportunity to come down here and advise.”

  “What can you do?”

  She glanced up quickly. “Do? I hardly know where to begin. The caller never mentioned corruption or danger. Just that a young, colored boy had been unjustly accused of a crime and might be ignorant of his rights. Said there was no local lawyer he’d trust to advise the kid. My opportunities to actually do something besides clerk are so few and far between … anyway my brother said this would get me some credibility.” Her eyes traveled around the police station. “But this … I never envisioned this.”

  “And who the hell is this mystery caller?” Hick asked, running his hand through his hair.

  “I have no idea.”

  The door to the station opened and Adam entered carrying a thermos and picnic basket. “I see you’re up. Pam sent some coffee and breakfast.”

  “Thanks.” Hick took the thermos from Adam, poured a cup of coffee, handed it to Carol and, then poured one for himself. After taking a drink he asked, “You see Harrington already?”

  Adam nodded. “I saw Harrington, Coleman, and Pringle. Those bastards, whoever they are, have been all over town handing out those flyers.”

  “What flyers?” Carol asked.

  “There’s a political rally over in Broken Creek next Wednesday for Senator John Richardson. He’s running for governor and the primary is July 27,” Hick explained.

  Thad stirred in his sleep and they heard him yawn loudly.

  “What do you aim we do about him?” Adam asked. “We can’t hide these two here forever.”

  Hick glanced toward Thad. “The way I see it, we’re going to have to figure out who was driving that truck. The only thing we know is who wasn’t.”

  “Sounds like a tall order,” Adam said.

  “It is,” Hick agreed.

  Adam walked to the doorway and looked in on Thad. Turning, he said, “What happens if we don’t?”

  Hick sighed and then looked from Carol to Adam. Sadness welled in him. “If we don’t, Thad’s going to have to plead guilty.”

  “What?” Carol cried.

  Hick drew Adam and Carol away from Thad’s hearing. “Brewster’s brother is the coroner,” he whispered. “The judge is his cousin. Hell, he’s even distantly related to Senator Richardson. His mama is related by marriage to the Attorney General. I’m telling you Thad’s got about a snowball’s chance in hell of getting a fair trial. I’ve been up all night going over this and unless we can prove corruption, unless we can find out who really did this and why Brewster’s covering for them, Thad’s best option is to plead guilty. Six years in a juvenile camp is better than life in prison … or worse.”

  “I can’t believe that’s his best option,” Carol said, shaking her head.

  The phone rang, and Adam went to his desk to answer it.

  “Brewster has been trouble down here for years. When you have a man with no scruples connected to power, it just stands to reason that he will always work for what’s in his own best interest. He aims to get this case closed fast and put Thad away.”

  “But why?” Carol began, when Adam called them to the front of the station.

  Adam’s face was tense. “That was the preacher, Grant. Apparently Broken Creek had a rough night. The Missionary Baptist Church was burned to the ground, and some kids have been driving around the colored side of town shooting guns.”

  “Why all the violence?” Carol asked.

  “Hell if I know,” Hick said. “They ain’t ever had this kind of trouble in Broken Creek.”

  “And Grant says Enos wants his boy back. Now.”

  Carol bit her lip. “My firm in New York may be more interested in this case than I thought. This is more than just me advising a kid ignorant of his legal rights. It sounds like the town is getting really worked up about something and helping a poor, colored child in the face of a bigoted, angry mob is just the kind of publicity they’re looking for. They might send one of their hotshot attorneys down here to advise after all.”

  “But this was your chance,” Hick argued.

  “I’ve never tried a case, not even a preliminary hearing, so my expertise is limited. If I can convince them to send someone more experienced it will help Thad.” Carol’s eyes narrowed. “The trouble is, when that damned deputy snatched me from my motel room, I grabbed
my purse, but he didn’t give me time to get my briefcase. The arrest warrant, the coroner’s report, and the witness statement from the man whose truck was stolen all are in there. My firm will need this information before they decide if they’ll send someone to help. If this isn’t special enough, if there isn’t something unique and important going on here, they won’t waste their time. I’m going to have to talk fast and do a lot of convincing. I don’t have a minute to spare if that judge is due back tomorrow. Someone has to be on a plane today, and they need to know what they’re up against.”

  She looked at Hick and Adam with a determined face. “I need my briefcase.”

  “Getting back to your motel room in Broken Creek could be tough,” Adam answered, his eyes dark with anger. “Grant says Brewster’s looking high and low for Thad. He thinks he’s headed our way.”

  15

  July 20, 1954

  Hick tripped over a wagon in the yard and cursed silently as he rushed from the car into the house. Maggie and Mourning both stopped what they were doing and stood in stunned silence as he burst through the door.

  “Hickory!” Maggie exclaimed, her face white with shock. “What’s happened?”

  He crossed the room and took her arm, looking into her face. “Mag, I’m taking you, Mourning, and the boys to go and stay with Pam.”

  “But—”

  “Just listen to me,” he said, his voice tense. “Brewster’s on the war path and I don’t want him coming here and finding you alone.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would he come here?”