“Next let me introduce my son, T. J. Culpepper. You might remember his late grandfather, the judge? Yes, I thought you might.” Those blasted Culpeppers do come in useful sometimes, Wanda Nell admitted to herself. “And this is Hamilton Tucker, the lawyer. He’s taking a special interest in all this.”
T.J. and Tuck nodded at the men.
“What do you want?” Marty Shaw said, directing his question at Wanda Nell. “What the hell is going on here?” “I’ll let my brother tell you that,” Wanda Nell said. “Rusty is the host of this little get-together.” She walked over to where Mayrene sat and took a chair next to her. She made sure to leave plenty of elbow room between her and Mayrene, just in case her friend needed to grab hold of Old Reliable for any reason.
Rusty got up from the sofa and faced the three men. “You three and Scott Simpson gang-raped a girl,” Rusty said. “Marty lied about it and said she consented,
but you all know she didn’t. You all should’ve been hauled off to jail back then, but you got away with it because Marty’s daddy wouldn’t do a damn thing about it”
“I’m not going to sit here and listen to this crap,” Bert said. “Come on, y’all.” He got up from his chair and started moving toward the door.
“You’d best come back and sit down,” Mayrene called out. “Because if my buddy Old Reliable and me have to follow you outside, we will. You just sit yourself down and behave.”
Bert turned slowly and came back to his chair. Wanda Nell could see the fear in his eyes. She felt no pity for him.
“What’s the point of all this?” Marty said. He was doing his best to pretend he was bored by what was going on, but he was twisting his wedding ring around and around. Wanda Nell didn’t buy his cool act for a minute. He was worried.
“The point is, you bastard,” Rusty said, keeping his voice flat and unemotional, “you three are going to pay for what you did. You got away with it then, but you’re not going to get away with it any longer. One of you murdered Reggie, the poor dumb jerk, and you have to pay for that, too.”
Tony Campbell was sweating profusely now. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. Marty continued playing with his ring while Bert twitched restlessly in his chair.
“One other thing happened that night,” Rusty said. “One of you got her pregnant. You didn’t know that, did you?” He paused for a moment, and it was clear from the reactions of the three men that they hadn’t known. “Her daughter is real sick now. Her kidneys are failing, and she needs a kidney transplant. Her mama’s in no shape to donate one, and so it’s up to y’all. We’re going to find out which one of you is her daddy, and he’s going to take care of it. Plus, I think the other two ought to chip in for her medical care.”
“This is ludicrous,” Bert said. “Ain’t no way I’m putting up with this. I didn’t kill anybody, and I didn’t rape that girl.”
“Bullshit,” Rusty said.
“What kind of proof you got?” Bert said, sneering openly. “You think anybody’s gonna listen to some black tramp? Or you? Who the hell are you to tell us what we’re going to do?”
Despite the bravado, Bert was clearly uneasy. Otherwise, Wanda Nell thought, he wouldn’t be squirming so much.
“I’ve got a confession,” Rusty said, appearing unruffled by the taunts. Wanda Nell was proud of him for standing up to these three jerks. “From Reggie. He was a witness to it all, and he confessed everything. I recorded him on video, and there are several copies of it. There’s no way you can find them all and destroy them.”
None of them appeared completely surprised by the news, though Tony Campbell was starting to look like he wanted to throw up.
“You kidnapped me to try to find the video,” Rusty said in the same cool voice, “but that didn’t work. And one of you killed Reggie when you found out about it. I don’t know for sure which one of you did it, but I don’t really care. The only thing that concerns me is the girl.”
“I don’t give a shit about some bastard nigger girl,” Marty said. “How do we know that one of us is even her daddy? You’re lying about that.”
“In that case,” Wanda Nell said, deciding it was about time she chipped in, “if you’re so sure, then having a paternity test won’t matter that much. Will it?”
Marty didn’t respond. He simply stared at her with loathing.
Wanda Nell stood up. She was determined she was going to make him react because he was really pissing her off. “What kind of monster are you?” she asked. “You practically destroyed one life by what you did, and now there’s a beautiful girl who’s dying. A girl one of you could save, if you’re man enough.” She laughed derisively. “But if you were decent men, you never would have raped this poor girl’s mama in the first place.”
Tony Campbell broke into sobs at those words, and even Bert appeared shaken. Marty remained stone-faced.
The door opened, and Elmer Lee Johnson walked in, trailed by two other deputies.
“Evening, everybody,” Elmer Lee said. His eyes swept the room, lighting on Rusty. “What the hell is going on here?”
“One of these men killed Reggie Campbell,” Rusty said, pointing at Bert, Marty, and Tony. “And I can tell you why.”
“I’m not listening to any more of this,” Marty said. He turned and headed for the door. He didn’t get very far because one of Elmer Lee’s men blocked the door.
“I’d hold on there a minute if I was you,” Elmer Lee said.
Marty stopped and turned. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Are you forgetting who my father is? He’s not going to like you treating me this way.” He made as if to push by Elmer Lee.
For a moment, Wanda Nell was afraid he was going to get away with it. Beside her, Mayrene tensed, and Wanda Nell put out a restraining hand, just in case.
Elmer Lee stood his ground though. “I know damn well who your daddy is, Marty. But you’re not going anywhere until I find out what’s going on. You just sit yourself down over there, and I’ll tell you when you can leave.”
Marty didn’t move, and for a moment Wanda Nell thought he would try to make a break for it. Then suddenly he gave in and went to the chair Elmer Lee indicated. Wanda Nell breathed a shaky sigh of relief.
“What’s this all about?” Elmer Lee asked, looking pointedly at Wanda Nell.
She glanced at Rusty. He nodded.
“About twenty-four years ago,” Wanda Nell said, “Marty, Bert, and Tony Campbell, along with Scott Simpson, raped a young black girl. Rusty and Reggie Campbell were witnesses. At the time, Rusty went to our daddy and told him what happened. Daddy went to the sheriff, who was a good friend of his, and told him about it.” She paused for a moment. “The sheriff refused to do anything, because Marty told him the girl consented. That was a damn lie. My daddy was so upset by the way the sheriff behaved, and by the whole godawful mess, he ended up having a heart attack, and it killed him. All these years they’ve gotten away with it.”
She half expected Marty to utter another denial, but he didn’t say anything. He just kept his cold dead eyes fixed on her.
“One of them got the girl pregnant,” Wanda Nell said, “and the child, a girl, is now very ill with some kind of kidney disease.”
“And that’s why I came back to Tullahoma,” Rusty said. “Her mama got in touch with me and told me what the situation was. So I decided to do something about it. A few years ago, Reggie was in Nashville. He confessed the whole thing, and I recorded him doing it. I was using that confession to persuade them”—he waved a hand toward Marty, Bert, and Tony—“to take paternity tests, so one of them could donate a kidney maybe. Plus help pay her medical bills. It’s the least they could do after what they did to her mama.”
“Rusty went to Reggie and told him about the tape he’d made,” Wanda Nell said, “and that’s when they had that argument. But when Rusty left him, Reggie was still alive. Reggie must have called one of them and told them about Rusty. That’s when one of them killed Reggie.”
Elmer Lee stared back and forth between Wanda Nell and Rusty. He was about to say something when Tony Campbell forestalled him.
“Reggie called me, real upset,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I didn’t know what to do, so I called Marty right away.” He paused. “Next thing I knew, I got a call to say that Reggie was dead.”
“You asshole,” Bert said. “Why don’t you keep your mouth shut?” He started to get up from his chair.
Elmer Lee’s two deputies moved closer to the three men. Bert sat back down.
“Reggie was my brother. He was an asshole, but he was still my brother,” Tony said. “You shouldn’t have killed him.” He was facing Marty as he spoke those last few words.
Marty’s calm finally broke. He lunged at Tony, grabbing him around the throat. They went down on the floor. Marty was throttling Tony and trying to pound his head against the floor.
The two deputies went into action and separated Tony and Marty after a brief struggle.
“I think we’d better move this little show down to the sheriff’s department,” Elmer Lee said. “Cuff ’em and move ’em out, boys.”
Chapter 28
Three weeks later, on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon in October, Wanda Nell was in her kitchen singing along with Emmylou Harris on the radio as she worked. She stepped back from the counter to examine her handiwork. She had baked a chocolate cake for Miranda’s birthday, and she was pleased with the way the icing had turned out.
She set the cake to one side and rinsed the knife she had used in the sink. Drying her hands, she considered what else she needed to do. Her guests would be arriving in an hour, and just about everything was ready.
Except her, that was. She glanced down at herself and realized she had better go get changed right now in case anyone showed up early.
Twenty minutes later she was ready. Miranda had woken Lavon up from his nap and was dressing him. Juliet had finished setting out some party decorations, and Wanda Nell retrieved the presents she had bought Miranda from the closet in her bedroom. They made a nice small pile on the coffee table in the living room. There would soon be others to join them, and Wanda Nell hoped that Jack, T.J., and Tuck hadn’t gone overboard and bought Miranda expensive things.
On the other hand, she hoped that Mrs. Culpepper would bring something nice. The old woman never stinted where T.J. was concerned, but sometimes she could be a bit cheap when it came to Miranda, Juliet, or Lavon. But there was not much she could do about that, Wanda Nell knew. The old witch would always do exactly as she dam well wanted to.
Miranda appeared with Lavon toddling behind her, dragging his favorite bunny with him.
“Happy birthday, honey,” Wanda Nell said. “How does it feel to be eighteen?”
Miranda ducked her head shyly. “Okay, I guess. Not much different, really.” Lavon poked her leg and shoved his bunny up toward her. She accepted the bunny. “Thank you, sweetie.” A moment later Lavon wanted the bunny back, and Miranda and Wanda Nell laughed. He took the bunny and put him on the couch, then climbed up after him.
“You stay there for a minute, okay?” Wanda Nell hoped he might stay there for a little while, but he was at the stage where he hardly sat still unless he was eating or sleeping.
“Thanks for having a party for me, Mama,” Miranda said, eyeing the presents on the table. “I can’t wait to see what’s in those.”
“You will soon enough, honey,” Wanda Nell said.
“You sure you don’t mind that I invited Teddy?”
Wanda Nell did have a few qualms about meeting Miranda’s new boyfriend for the first time, but she was determined to be cheerful and welcoming, no matter how dreadful he might be. Given Miranda’s track record with boys, Wanda Nell wasn’t expecting much.
A knock sounded at the door, and Wanda Nell went to open it. “Come on in,” she said to Jack. She stood aside to let him enter.
He kissed her first, and she laughingly pushed him inside and shut the door. He grinned at her, then went to give Miranda a hug. “Happy Birthday, Miranda.”
“Thank you,” Miranda said, her cheeks rosy.
He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “This is for you.”
Miranda accepted it with a smile. “Thank you,” she said again. She placed it on the coffee table with the other gifts. “Would you like something to drink? Mama made some punch, or maybe you’d like a beer?”
“How about some punch?” Jack said. Miranda nodded and went to the kitchen for it.
Jack turned to Wanda Nell. “Come here, you,” he said, holding out his arms. Behind him on the couch, Lavon had started chanting “Jack” over and over. “In a minute, buddy,” Jack said, “but I’ve got something to give your grandmother first.”
Wanda Nell walked into his arms and raised her face to his. He smiled down at her as he kissed her, and they stood together for a moment, until Miranda coughed discreetly behind them.
“Here’s your punch,” she said, offering him the glass as Jack and her mother stepped apart.
“Thank you,” Jack said. He accepted the glass and took a sip. “Tasty.” He smacked his lips and arched his eyebrows at Wanda Nell. “And the punch is pretty good, too.” He went over to the couch and patted Lavon on the head. The boy smiled up at him and then resumed chattering to his rabbit
Wanda Nell laughed, watching the two of them.
“It’s good to hear you laugh like that,” Jack said, coming back over to her and putting his arm around her. “You sound completely relaxed.”
“I am,” Wanda Nell said. “For once everything is calm and not crazy.”
“There’s a lot to celebrate,” Jack said. “Miranda’s birthday, and other good news.”
“Yes, thank the Lord,” Wanda Nell said. “Come on into the kitchen with me while I check on things.” Her eye fell on her grandson. “Miranda, you’d better stop those busy little hands, or he’ll unwrap every single one of your presents.”
Miranda grabbed Lavon and started tickling him. Lavon shrieked with laughter, and Miranda sat down on the couch with him. Smiling at their antics, Jack followed Wanda Nell into the kitchen.
“Things between you and Miranda seem pretty good at the moment,” he said.
Wanda Nell added some ice to the punch bowl as she talked. “Yes, thank goodness. She’s been acting more mature lately, and I don’t know whether it’s her new job or this boy she’s been seeing.” She laughed. “If this Teddy has that kind of influence on her, then I guess I’m going to have to like him.”
“Maybe so,” Jack said. He set his empty glass on the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. “Come on and sit down a minute. Looks like everything is ready.”
Wanda Nell sat down across the table from him. “I guess so. You know me, I have a hard time sitting still if I think there’s anything to do.”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “But I’m going to make it my personal mission to teach you how to relax more.”
“I see,” Wanda Nell said. “I think I’d like to hear more about this mission of yours.”
Jack grinned. “All in good time. Who all’s coming today?”
Wanda Nell ticked the list off on her fingers. “T.J. and Tuck, of course. And Miz Culpepper and her cousin Belle are supposed to come, too. Wait till you meet Belle. Just don’t let her get you in a corner, or she’ll talk your ears off.”
“Frankly, after everything you’ve told me, I’m actually looking forward to meeting her. She sounds like a hoot.”
“She is,” Wanda Nell said. “She’s very sweet, and it’s amazing to me how she gets along with that old battle-ax. I just wish she wouldn’t go on and on sometimes about next to nothing.”
“Who else?” Jack prompted her.
“Miranda’s boyfriend, Teddy,” Wanda Nell said, resuming her count. “And Mayrene, naturally. They should all be here soon.”
“What about Rusty?”
Wanda Nell shook her head. “He had to go back to Nashville yesterday. I wi
sh he could have stayed, but he had to get back to work. He’s already taken off a lot of time.”
“How are you two getting along? You haven’t said much about him lately.”
Wanda Nell sighed. “Better, for the most part. At least he’s talking to me now and not treating me like his worst enemy. I wish he was living here, though, instead of Nashville. It would be nice to have him close by.”
“Maybe he’ll at least come to visit more often,” Jack said.
“He said he would come down for Thanksgiving and for Christmas,” Wanda Nell said. “I’ll be looking forward to that. I know Mama and Daddy would be happy that we’re acting more like family now.”
“You’ve done everything you can,” Jack said. “But Rusty has to meet you at least halfway.”
“He’s trying,” Wanda Nell said. “But he’s so worried about everything. Once the trial is done, and once Lily is finished with her treatments and her transplant surgery, I think he’ll feel a lot better.”
“I was pretty surprised when the sheriff resigned like that,” Jack said.
“Me, too,” Wanda Nell said. “You know, I saw him the other day, and he looked like he’d aged forty years. I feel sorry for him and his wife. All this mess with Marty has just about killed them.”
“I don’t feel sorry for Marty Shaw, though,” Jack said. “No, he’s getting what he deserves. What he should have got a long time ago.”
Marty was in jail waiting for the grand jury to meet to indict him for murder. His young wife, Tiffany, had publicly disavowed him, saying she never wanted to see him again. His partner at the car dealership was said to be trying to buy him out, too. No one wanted to have anything to do with him now.
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