The Granite Heart (An Ozark Mountain Series Book 2)

by Alan Black

  LillieBeth looked the man in the eye, “Please give us a few moments alone with our friend.” They watched the man walk away. It was obvious he was angry at being dressed down by women especially when one was barely more than a young girl.

  Susanne wanted to run after him and apologize. She was hurt and upset. She did not know what to say to Reverend James at this point, but she wanted to hug him, to slap him, to talk to him, and to ignore him all together.

  LillieBeth stared at James’ retreating back. It was obvious she was livid.

  The girl turned to her. She opened the cloth in her hand, “The Braunawalls came by our house this week. Mama and I ran them off, but we took this away from them. We think it is yours.”

  Susanne gasped in surprise. It was her broach. It was a small ivory carving of her mother. “It is mine. They stole it when they…I thought it was gone forever. My parents gave this to me when I was graduated from school. It was just before they died. Thank you. I will always think of you two when I see it, never of the Braunawalls.”

  Clare said, “We are going to go talk to Art and Sheriff Grissom. We are going to tell them how they attacked LillieBeth last Sunday and how they tried to attack me.”

  Susanne was stunned. Her best friend was going to tell her secret. Then it dawned on her; the Braunawalls had attached Clare. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my Lord, are you okay?”

  Clare nodded. “I would not have been if LillieBeth had not held them off at gunpoint. With what we tell the men folk, they should have enough reason to run those two completely out of the hills. We should not need to tell what happened to you, just about LillieBeth and me.”

  LillieBeth said in agreement, “We will keep your secret. No one ever need know but us, and now Reverend James.”

  Susanne shook her head, clearing her mind and wiping her tears away. She decided to change the subject. “You said Fletcher Hoffman saved you, LillieBeth, just as you saved your mother. I will pray for him every day from now on.”

  LillieBeth nodded, “I am sure he needs all of the prayers he can get. I have spoken some of the Bible verses I know to him. He did not always listen.”

  Susanne said, “How is it going with trying to make friends with that crazy old man?”

  LillieBeth laughed without humor. “Well, he has thrown rocks at me, he has beaten me with a switch, he has had to beat up two men because of me, it was my fault he had to kill a man and now he is just ignoring me all together. Other than that, it is going good.”

  Clare said, “Well, that doesn’t sound very good to me, does it?”

  LillieBeth shook her head. “No, but I am younger than him. I will just outlast him.”

  “Would you like me to go with you when you talk to Sheriff Grissom and Art?” Susanne asked.

  LillieBeth said, “Yes, please. It would be such a comfort. I am sure I can explain their attack on me again. It seems to be a living thing in my head that I cannot get out. I need to tell Daddy. Even so, I am not sure I can describe their attack on Mama without getting mad again.”

  Susanne said without thinking, “Angry. Dogs get mad, people get angry. Oops, sorry. I guess the schoolteacher slipped out there.”

  Clare laughed, “I saw LillieBeth go after those two men when they tried to attack me. I think mad is a good as word as any. My little girl was like a rabid dog…a pretty one, but rabid.”

  LillieBeth blushed. “Well, they made me…angry. And I still get angry when I think about it. I am not sure I can tell Daddy without getting angry again. Your presence would be a blessing.”

  Susanne was not sure she could explain how the Braunawalls had forced her. She wanted to be strong, but it was hard to admit that she had been hurt. It was rock hard to admit she had kept the attack a secret for two years. The incident…the rape…played over and over in her head so often she knew every detail, but to speak it aloud would be like reliving it all over again.

  After seeing Reverend James’ reaction, she was not sure she would trust telling her woes to any man. Clare and LillieBeth were her friends. It was hard enough sharing with them. Even if Art was Clare’s husband and Clayton Grissom was a good friend, it would still be difficult to speak of the rape.

  LillieBeth shook her head as if that would rattle clear her memory. The shaking was threatening to dislodge the bun atop her head. The girl looked over to Reverend James. “At first I thought it would be a blessing to have an ordained minister near when I talk to Daddy, but right now, I am not sure I want Reverend James to hear. Do we have time before church?”

  Susanne shook her head. She looked over her shoulder at James as he talked with other church members gathering on the bald knob. He was a man, surely he had some interest in her or he would not have asked to come courting. She imagined it was a hard thing for a man to ask for permission to come call. She was sure she could never work up the courage to ask a man if he would come call on her. That was a silly thought because women did not do such things, but it was a thought she had none-the-less.

  She said, “He is just a little confused right now. Do not be too hard on him. He is trying to do right.” She was a little surprised at herself for trying to defend James. He was not very sympathetic to her plight.

  Clare said with a little laugh, “Like most men, he will learn or he won’t. We have plenty of time before church starts; it is almost an hour or more before services.”

  Susanne was not surprised Clare would find something to laugh about at a time like this. Clare had often told her that it was a big part of her Irish upbringing, laughing and drinking. Since Clare did not drink, laughter was the next best thing whatever the circumstances.

  The three women walked around to the front of the church. Clare signaled Clayton Grissom, letting him know she would like to talk.

  Grissom was a large and imposing figure. He was a head taller than most men in the area and built like one of his prized Belgian draft horses. There was not an ounce of fat on the man. He was clean-shaven, with short hair. That set him apart from most men in the Methodist congregation. Imposing or not, he was one of the gentlest, most compassionate and caring people in this part of Stone County. He was also one of the easiest people to talk to Susanne that she had ever known. All you had to do was define his role in the conversation: friend, lay minister, lawman, or a little of all three. The man would and could easily change from one roll to the next as necessary.

  Grissom shook his head and waved Clare, LillieBeth and Susanne away; obviously he was not free to speak. He climbed up on the back of a buggy and yelled for attention. It took a while for everyone to gather around him.

  Clare leaned down and whispered to LillieBeth, “Maybe we can talk to him and Daddy after this.” The whisper was loud enough for Susanne to hear, but quiet enough that few others around them would catch the words.

  LillieBeth nodded in agreement.

  Susanne was confused about whether she should be upset at the delay or thankful. She did not want to share her secret. No matter what Clare said, she might have to tell Sheriff Grissom. She would have to add the weight of her story to the scales of justice if the law would not act upon the evidence and say so of the two Hazkit women.

  She knew it would be just as hard for LillieBeth to speak, but she knew the girl would speak. It would be hard in front of such a large crowd, even if they stepped far enough away that no one in the crowd could hear. She was sure they would try to pull Sheriff Grissom off to the side to talk. She was amazed LillieBeth had such a stout heart. The young girl was positively fearless. Of course, she knew from teaching youngsters that being young made one fearless. Youngsters were all so confident of their own immortality and immunity from severe harm.

  Susanne was sure she would break down in tears no matter who could see, if or when, she had to speak of the rape. She often broke down into tears especially when there was no one to see.

  Grissom finally spoke to the crowd. “I have been asked to make an announcement as sheriff, not as your neighbor or as your fr
iend. Some of you ladies might want to take your small children away as my news is not pleasant or intended for tiny ears.” He waited a bit before continuing; few of the church members went away.

  “Many of you know or have heard of a neighbor Fletcher Marlowe Hoffman. His place is down along the ridge westward a ways. Yesterday Hoffman brought a string of horses to Oasis to sell to a broker come down from Springfield. Just before he made the sale, Trance and Dangle Braunawall attacked and killed him. Now I know Fletcher Hoffman. For the first time ever since I’ve known him, he wasn’t carrying that old Winchester of his. But, he was ready with his revolver and was faster than both of the Braunawalls put together. I do not know why, but he stopped reaching for his gun in mid-streak. He just sat atop that old mule of his and smiled as those two gunned him down.”

  He shook his head. “Those two worthless sons of the devil shot his old three-legged dog and the mule to boot. I got there just past too late. I pert near bent the barrel of my old shotgun over Dangle’s head, but I have both of them Braunawalls locked up in my jail. Tomorrow I am taking them over to the county seat in Galena to stand trial for murder and then to be hung.”

  Susanne did not know whether to be saddened at the nearby violence or to cheer that the Braunawalls were finally going to pay for their earthly sins. She wanted to shout and dance, but she knew a man had died at their hands and that was nothing to be joyful about.

  Susanne heard LillieBeth gasp. It was a shock to everyone that a murder had taken place so close. She knew it must be doubly hard on the young girl; she had been working diligently to make Hoffman her friend. Last Monday just before school started, LillieBeth had confided in her how Hoffman had saved her from the Braunawalls, beating the two young men to the ground, stripping them and forcing them to walk naked after their mules in broad daylight. She wondered if the boys had killed the old man out of vengeance or if they were concerned that he was a witness to their attempted attack on the girl.

  Grissom pointed at a bald man. She had seen the man drive up in a new maroon Cadillac with Illinois license plates. She had wondered about the stranger, but resisted gossiping about a newcomer. Cars on the roads around the bald knob were incredibly rare. This was the first one she had seen near the little church. The man and his car had generated a lot of interest. Very few of their congregation had approached the man or the car out of politeness. Other than a few brief welcoming greetings and introductions, the man had been left alone as it did not appear the man was friendly.

  Grissom said, “This gentleman is Benny Nicholetta, Hoffman’s cousin and as far as I know, Hoffman’s only living relative. He has taken immediate ownership of all property and goods owned by Hoffman.”

  The sheriff gave Nicholetta a disgusted look. It was obvious Grissom did not care for the man. It did not appear as if Nicholetta cared what Grissom thought.

  Grissom continued, “Some of you may have met him already. I do not want to know about it if you have since he is in the illegal moonshine business. He has already sold the string of horses Hoffman brought to town and pocketed the money.” He glared at Nicholetta, “Speaking of money, we will be burying Hoffman at county expense in Oasis this afternoon.”

  Nicholetta said, “I am leaving town right away, I would already be gone, but I want to dispose of my cousin’s property before I go.”

  Reverend James spoke up, “Won’t you join us for church, sir? And perhaps a picnic lunch afterwards?”

  Nicholetta laughed, “Not a chance. I have to swing around up by Springfield and pick up a guy at the hotel, so I am short on time. I need to be back in Chicago by Thursday morning. Besides, I haven’t been into a doxology factory since I was baptized as a baby into the Roman Catholic Church.”

  Grissom said, “Then get to your speechifying.”

  Nicholetta said, “I don’t have any more time to climb around rocks in these hills. I want to know how Fletch was living out there and what the land is like.”

  Sheriff Grissom looked at Elizabeth. “LillieBeth Hazkit, I think you are the only person I know who has been at Hoffman’s place in the last twenty years or so. Can you answer the questions for this man?”

  LillieBeth shrugged. It was obvious to Susanne the girl recognized Nicholetta and did not like him anymore than Clayton Grissom did. Susanne decided if Sheriff Grissom and LillieBeth Hazkit did not like the man, then she would not like him either.

  LillieBeth said, “Mr. Hoffman lived in a rough built lean-to. It only had a north wall; the other three sides were open. It had a fire pit in the middle. Our mules have a better shed than he lived in. I did not see all of his property, but most of the land I saw was trees and rocks. They are nice trees and pretty rocks, but what land was not covered in trees and rocks had more trees and rocks trying to take back any open space that was not already covered in trees and rocks.”

  Nicholetta gritted his teeth. His face turning red, he spat out his frustration. “This whole trip is just about a bust. All I’ve seen of these mountains is rocks, hills and trees. I was hoping a big house on my cousin’s place would push the price up. I have been told I got four hundred and twenty acres that will not grow much but a few stunted-looking ponies, who’re not good for racing, dog food or much more than pulling a half sized milk cart. I don’t know if there are any horses left or if my cousin was just selling them all. I will sign the deed over to the whole place for a dollar an acre to the first man who can give me cash.” He trudged back to his maroon Cadillac, waiting for the flood of buyers that would not come.

  Susanne knew along with every man and woman in the congregation that a sum of cash that large was more than most of these men would earn in six months, no matter what the type of labor. Most of these families earned far less, relying on subsistence farming and hunting to get by. She wondered about city folks who went to church with hundreds of dollars in their pockets. In the Ozark Mountains, a man went to church with little more than the tithe in his pocket. Moreover, the tithe was not his to spend on land, cattle, horses, turnips or taters. It already belonged to God.

  She thought some of these men might have that much money stashed away somewhere. Maybe in a tin can in the back yard, under their mattress or in the bank in Oasis, but they would not carry it around in their pockets. She felt certain the Schmitts had that much cash at home, probably the Howerbachs, and a few others.

  The Schmitts did very well raising and selling hogs. Rail Howerbach was a hay and straw broker. Saving cash was a necessity. The crop harvest of hogs and hay did not happen every day. Saving was necessary in the good times to cover the bad times, just as Joseph had done in Egypt, convincing Pharaoh to save during the seven good years to feed Egypt during the seven years of famine.

  The Schmitts, the Howerbachs or any others with money would certainly not carry large sums to church. The only reason for that would be to flaunt their wealth in the faces of their neighbors. She imagined that there might be a few in the church who would stoop to such bragging, but if so they were part of the cash poor membership.

  Everyone in the crowd knew good land in Stone County, Missouri sold for a hundred dollars or more an acre. Land that was all scrub trees and rock went for sixty-five to eighty dollars an acre. At a realistic price for hillside land, Hoffman’s cousin could get almost thirty to thirty-five thousand dollars. Men in the big cities might make more money, but that would be ten years earnings for any man who lived closer than St. Louis. The four hundred and twenty dollars Nicholetta was asking was outright theft.

  Susanne watched as small groups of men gathered, comparing and matching the contents of their wallets and pockets. She noticed many a man glance at his wife. Small signals passed between spouses. Each group got bigger and bigger as the men tried to combine enough cash to make the purchase.

  Most people would hesitate to buy land sight unseen. These men did not know the land itself, but everyone over the age of ten knew the true value in owning your own property, even if it meant owning it in partnership with others.
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br />   None of the groups, no matter the size, looked as if they would succeed in gathering over four hundred dollars in cash. It did not take long for everyone to realize there was not that much cash on the whole bald knob.

  Susanne knew Nicholetta was a fool, throwing away a small fortune in land. She wondered if there was more fast money in Chicago than he could get here. It would take time to sell the land here, but there must be a reason he was so anxious to get back to the city. She imagined he must be more afraid of missing something big in Chicago than he was about gaining something in the Ozarks.

  She took a quick glance at the man sitting in his fancy car. She did not stare, but he was a curiosity. Everyone looked, but no one stared. She could hear murmuring in the small congregation and she agreed. It looked as if he was ready to leave the land, cash and any stock behind and drive off to Chicago.

  Grissom brought them all back together. He said, “One last thing, LillieBeth. I have this for you.” He pulled a small wooden chest from a gunnysack at his feet. He handed it to LillieBeth. “Fletcher had this in his saddlebags. The little note says ‘Elizabeth Hazkit’. I can only say, from a legal perspective, he meant to give it to you.”

  Susanne could see the recognition in LillieBeth’s eyes. It was clear she had seen the chest before.

  LillieBeth did not explain where she had seen it. “What is in it?” the young girl asked.

  Grissom said, “I am curious myself, if you don’t mind me watching you. It wasn’t mine to open.”

  LillieBeth sat on the ground, still enough of a youth to ignore any dirt on her dress or of any unladylike action. She placed the chest in her lap.

  Susanne looked at the chest. It would have ended up in the scrap heap or in the fireplace in most homes. It did not look like it held anything of any value, but her young friend cradled the chest in her lap, lovingly caressing it’s worn and scuffed edges. LillieBeth had a puzzled expression when she smoothed out the small paper with her name on it, but the girl slipped the string and the note into her pocket. The latch to the box was open. She flipped the top up and smiled.