“You have seen the video?” I said.
He nodded, “Yes, Mr. Jackson. As I said, I think the whole town has seen it.”
“Do you know the two men that were on it?”
He shook his head. “Why would I know them?”
“I don’t know about the one that was covered up, but I met the other guy right here in Cottonwood.”
“He’s from here?” Taggart was surprised.
“Not just that,” I said. “But he’s Dick Mooney’s cousin.”
Taggart’s eyebrows went up.
“Do you realize the implications of this to the case against Mr. Bragg’s nephew?” Pete said.
Taggart picked up a pen and tapped it on the desktop.
Taggart looked thoughtful. “Mr. Dunn, just because I practice in a small town, doesn’t make me some kind of backward yokel. Of course I understand. In fact, I have an appointment in front of Judge Brown at two-thirty this afternoon on another matter.”
He looked hard at me. “You are sure about this?”
“His name is Calvin. Not sure about the last name, maybe Mooney, but the bartender at the Sunset Corral would know. Shouldn’t be hard for someone local to identify him.”
He nodded. “Okay, I’m going to have to verify that. I’ll get a deposition from the bartender before I meet with Judge Brown.”
“I’ll go with you,” Pete said.
Taggart looked at him, “As you wish. If this comes together I’m going to request that, due to the new circumstances, Billy be released on his own recognizance.”
“We can get Billy out?” Eddie said.
“That’s up to Judge Brown, but I think we have a good chance.”
Pete looked at me. “That was easy.”
Taggart looked reprovingly at me. “Mr. Jackson, did you think I would be an obstacle?”
“Never crossed my mind,” I said, standing.
Outside in the parking lot the air was crisp, bright and cold.
“It may be a day or two for the wheels to turn,” Pete said.
“Before Billy can get out?” Eddie said.
Pete nodded.
Eddie looked at me. “You gonna stick around?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
Eddie looked at Pete. “I’ll stick with you. I want to make sure Taggart will do this.”
“He’ll do it. He could lose his license if he doesn’t.” He turned to me. “What are you going to do?”
“I think I’ll go to the library,” I said.
59
The parking lot at the library was filled. Half of it had been roped off and there were a dozen tables set up, piled high with books. The sign in front had declared the Cottonwood Book Fair. It was a success; there were a lot of people milling about.
I couldn’t find a spot, so I pulled across the street to the police station and parked in that lot. I thought about Billy Bragg in his cell inside. I thought about him not knowing that there was a possibility he would be out soon. The thought cheered me.
I crossed the street mid-block. What a rebel. Blatantly jaywalking right in front of the police station. It took a couple of minutes to find Dahlia. I finally spotted her manning a pay point at the far corner of the lot. She had a half dozen people in line. I stood and watched her. She wore a brilliantly white Angora sweater that glowed in the sunlight. The sweater hugged her breasts and came down over her hips. Her jeans, below the sweater, looked as if they had been painted on. She kept pulling her hair back behind her ears. Sometimes she used a pencil to do it. She gave a bright smile to each customer, and had something to say about their purchase with each one.
I browsed around, waiting for her line to diminish. I found a paperback of John D. MacDonald’s that I hadn’t read. All the paperbacks were fifty cents. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I picked up an Elmore Leonard western and a Donald Westlake, writing as Richard Stark. Finally, when her line was down to three, I carried my plunder over. She didn’t notice me until I was in front of her.
“Thank you so much,” she said to the lady in front of me. She turned her eyes to me, and her smile got even larger.
“Well, there you are,” she said.
I lay the books on the table, “Here to do my part, ma’am.”
“Glad to see it,” she said. She had a ten key with a roll of paper and a cash register drawer sitting open next to her. She ran the three books up on the ten key. “That is one dollar fifty cents,” she said. She looked at each of the books. “Interesting choice.”
“I try to stick with the classics,” I said. I dug in my pocket and extracted the exact change.
“There you go. Any chance of you getting a break anytime soon?”
She looked at the silver watch on her slender arm, “Half an hour, I get a lunch break.”
“Can I buy you lunch?”
She tilted her head. A lock of dark hair fell across her forehead. Her eyes were mischievous. “You can buy me lunch and dinner,” she said.
I suddenly felt like the fifteen year-old boy who had been asked to dance by the prom queen. “Excellent,” I managed.
She kept smiling at me. When I didn’t move, she looked past me to the person behind me, “All set?” she said.
I gathered my books and stepped away, slightly flustered. I wandered around picking up random books, trying not to look at my watch. I was deep into a hard-back copy of Shel Silverstein’s book of nonsensical poems A Light in the Attic when suddenly, Dahlia was standing next to me. She took the book from my hands and looked at it. She handed it back.
“I used to read these to Megan when she was little,” she said.
“I discovered it in the barrack’s library when I was in boot camp,” I said.
She smiled at me, shaking her head. “That sounds about right, for you.” She took my arm and I set the book back on the table. “Not going to buy it?” she said.
“Already have it,” I said.
She pulled on me. “Come on, you can take me to Mimi’s.”
Mimi’s was down the road a bit. Unlike the breakfast place that was elevated, Mimi’s was lower than the road. We had jaywalked back to the Mustang, and I drove us to the restaurant. I pulled down the decline to the parking area, and parked in the first parking spot.
This was a true small town lunch place. The breakfast and lunch specials were listed on a chalkboard next to the door. Dahlia led the way to the back where she chose a booth. The booth was red, and the vinyl on the seat was cracked and repaired with red tape. All the help were young girls, not much older than Megan. One of them came over with menus, and took our drink order. I had water, Dahlia ordered iced tea.
I looked at the menu. No kiwi fruit or spinach greens to be found. Good. Heavy on mac and cheese, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and thick brown gravy, chicken fried chicken and today’s ham loaf special.
I looked up at Dahlia and she was watching me.
“Ham loaf?” I said.
She laughed. “The hamburgers are good.”
“When in doubt,” I said.
The waitress came and Dahlia ordered a dinner salad with French on the side. I went with the burger and fries, and made it the all American lunch by asking for my very own Coke.
We sat in silence as the waitress gathered the menus, and took our order toward the kitchen.
Dahlia had her chin on her hand, “What brings you up here?”
“Would you believe me if I said, you?”
She shook her head with a laugh, “No.”
“Really?”
“Let’s try to keep this an honest relationship.”
“Well, let’s say you are the cherry on top, but I came up with Eddie and Pete Dunn to see if we can get Billy out of jail.”
“Because of that video on the news?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Pete’s an attorney and he thinks we can make a case to get Billy out.”
“I thought Pete was a TV writer.”
“That too.”
“I hope you get him out. Bil
ly didn’t do anything to Dick Mooney except threaten him. And there was a long line of guys doing that.”
“We went to see Billy’s attorney this morning and he’s supposed to meet with a judge this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed.”
The waitress brought our drinks. I peeled the straw and poked it down into the Coke and took a sip.
“How’s Megan?”
“Megan’s great. Grades are good. Happy, happy.”
“Great time of life for most.”
“Most?”
“Yeah, most. It would go against our honest relationship if I said all teenagers are happy, happy.”
She nodded, drinking from her straw.
“What’s Megan’s biggest problem?” I said to make conversation.
“Why do you think she has a problem?”
“All teens have problems. Usually, they are mundane, but to the teenager the problems are gigantic. To us they are just a part of growing up.”
She looked out across the room for a moment.
“Boys,” she said.
“I’m shocked.”
“Thought you would be. She’s got this football player that likes her, and he’s popular around the school, so all her friends want her to go with him.”
“But?”
“But there is this boy in her art class that paints funny little abstracts, and she likes him. Says he has a poetic soul, and she says she is drawn to that.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “The poet will go on to be a powerful writer whose books will change the world, and the jock will end up selling insurance and growing a pot belly.”
“God, you are awful.”
I looked across the room, and the waitress was bringing our food. Right behind her was Joe Whitney. In uniform. The waitress carefully arranged our food in front of us.
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked.
I looked at Dahlia. “No, thanks,” she said.
The waitress looked at Joe. “Hey, Joe. Can I get you anything?”
“No thanks, Brenda,” he said and the girl moved away.
Dahlia scooted over and Joe slid into the booth next to her.
“Saw your car out front,” he said.
“Glad you stopped,” I said.
“What brings you up?”
I repeated what I had told Dahlia.
He nodded. “The chief and I were talking about that this morning. I think he’ll be glad.”
“Glad?”
“Sure. He likes Billy. I don’t think he believes Billy did this thing, but once someone’s in the jail it’s not up to him anymore. Once an arrest warrant is executed it’s up to the courts and lawyers.”
“Has anyone seen more of that video, other than what’s been showing on the news?”
He shook his head, “We haven’t. As yet, no one has confirmed that Calvin is dead or alive.”
“Why did they pick on poor Calvin?” Dahlia said.
Joe shook his head again, “We don’t know. Calvin was a dipshit. He is Dick Mooney’s cousin and I don’t know, by association I guess, he was involved with the militia.”
“Which is really a terrorist cell.”
“Don’t have a comment on that. Not while I’m in uniform, anyway.”
“Homeland Security people have witnesses that put Atef and Dwyer at a bomb making factory in Phoenix,” I said. “And it was Atef on that video.”
“Atef?” Dahlia said.
“He was known here as Ramirez.”
Joe nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Now that you say it. That was Ramirez.”
“I watched the video several times,” I said. “Something about the location that makes me itch.”
“Desert,” Joe said. “Lots of desert in Arizona.”
I nodded.
He stood. “Just wanted to say hi.” He looked at Dahlia. “See you later.”
“Good to see you,” I said. We both watched him walk away.
After a moment, I looked back at Dahlia. “So where are we going to dinner?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I’m not going to hold you to that.”
“Yes, you are.”
60
We made arrangements for me to pick her up at 6. I got a room at the same motel Eddie and I had used before. I sent a text to Pete telling him the room number, and asking if there were any developments. I took a long walk to kill time, and then took a shower. No reply from Pete.
I was at Dahlia’s door at 6 on the dot, and Lucy answered the door.
“Oh, great,” she said with a big smile. “This is perfect.”
“Hard to achieve,” I said, a little bewildered. Dahlia came into the room behind Lucy.
“Hi,” I said to Dahlia.
“Billy’s out,” she said.
“Good,” I said.
Lucy pulled me inside, and Dahlia came over and gave me a small hug.
“Lucy has talked to Billy and they want us all to get together at the Sunset. Kind of a celebration.” She was turned away from Lucy and mouthed the word sorry.
“Wonderful,” I said.
“I want to go,” Megan’s voice floated in from the back.
“There, it’s unanimous,” Lucy said.
“You’re supposed to go to your Aunt Betty’s to spend the night,” Dahlia said.
Megan came out from the back. “I can still go. I want to see Billy, you can take me after.”
Dahlia shook her head, smiling. She took my arm. “Come in and sit down, while we get ready. Can I get you a drink?”
“No thanks, I’ll get one when we get to the bar,” I said.
They all went to the back to get ready. They looked ready to me, but a woman isn’t ready until she says she’s ready. After fifteen minutes I went to the kitchen and fixed a drink. A little scotch and a lot of ice.
Two drinks and an hour later they were ready.
Megan insisted on riding with me. The sisters led the way with Lucy’s ten-year old sedan. Megan insisted I put the top down.
“It’s too cold,” I said.
“Don’t be an old fud,” she said with a challenging look.
I put the top down, raised the windows and put the heater on high. The sun was down and so was the temperature. Megan begged me to take the long way around. Her eyes were bright as she scanned the street hoping to see someone she knew. Hard to be the coolest girl in school if no one knew it. It was cold. There was no one out.
The parking lot at the Sunset Corral was full, and I had to park on the outer edge of the lot. I put the top up and slid out, locking the car. Megan was waiting for me. She took my arm and we walked to the door. I held the door and she went in.
It was a wall of noise. A hundred conversations at once, each raising the decibel over the one next to them. I saw Billy and Eddie seated at a table at the back. It was actually four tables all pushed together to make one big one. Just about everyone I had met in Cottonwood was there. After the dark outside, the lights in the large bar were warm and yellow, giving everyone a golden cast.
Dahlia and Lucy were sitting across from Billy and Eddie. Joe Whitney, out of uniform, was sitting at the end next to Pete Dunn. There were two other couples next to Joe. I had not seen them before. The men had that same young, crew-cut, cop look that Joe had. There were two large pitchers of beer on the table. Actually, mostly empty pitchers. Janine, the waitress, was carrying two more pitchers from the bar to the table. She carefully set them down. Dahlia and Lucy slid over, making room for Megan. I snagged an empty chair across the room and carried it over. Eddie slid over and made room for me. Billy was beaming. He appeared to have been celebrating a while. He thrust his hand out to me, and I shook it.
“Congratulations,” I shouted.
He grinned at me, and said something in return, but it was lost in the din. I could watch Dahlia and Lucy talk but they were far enough away that I couldn’t hear them. Dahlia listened to Lucy but was looking at me. I winked at her, and she grinned.
Janine brought a chille
d glass, and set it in front of me. Eddie filled it with beer. I took a small drink and leaned back and watched Billy celebrate. Janine had a Coke for Megan. Pete was engaged in a deep conversation with one of the young cops. Lucy was talking to Dahlia, but kept looking at Billy. Billy kept emptying his glass and Eddie, happily, kept filling it.
I sipped the beer.
About an hour had passed when Dahlia leaned over and said something to Megan. They stood up. Dahlia looked over at me. I stood and moved around the table.
I leaned into Dahlia. “Leaving?”
“I have to take Megan to Aunt Betty’s.”
“Sedona?”
“I’ll be about forty minutes.”
“You stay here with your sister. I’ll take her.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
I looked at Megan. “My pleasure. I’ll be right back. Maybe we can make that dinner date after all.”
Megan was listening.
“You guys have a date?”
“You are too nosy,” Dahlia said.
“Come on, kid,” I said. “Let’s go see Aunt Betty.”
I took Megan’s arm and tugged on it. “Come on, kid.”
Megan was grinning at her mom. She followed me out, grinning at me.
“You guys have a date?”
61
“You guys have a date?” she repeated as we reached the Mustang.
I laughed. “You are just too nosy.”
I held her door for her and she slid in.
“Put your seatbelt on,” I said.
The highway to Sedona was on the opposite side of town. I drove carefully through the sleepy town. There was no traffic. There was a stoplight at the intersection with the highway. There was no traffic there either. The stoplight cast a glow inside the car. I glanced at Megan. She was grinning at me.
“What?”
“You guys have a date. I can’t remember the last time my mom had a date.”
“Hard to believe,” I said, turning onto the highway as the light changed. “Your mom is a very attractive woman.”
She was hooked around, looking at me.
“Do you like her?”
“That’s a silly question. Would I take her on a date if I didn’t?”
“No, I mean really like her?
The Librarian Her Daughter and the Man Who Lost His Head Page 22
