The Truck Comes on Thursday

by Sue Hardesty

  That tells me a lot, Loni grumped to herself, shaking her head at another one of Bobby's directions. Winding her way through the foothills, Loni dreaded what she would find ahead, another child lost. She rounded a sharp turn on a hill and dropped down onto a half circle of car headlights around a large bonfire off the road. She parked on the edge of the road and walked toward the lights. A silhouette pointed into the dark.

  Loni followed car tracks to a boy who lay crumpled on the ground. He looked like he had been mauled by a bear, and the bent position of his head showed a broken neck. The front part of his shirt was torn away, and ribs stuck up through the lacerations. Probably broken legs and arms, but his untouched face was peaceful. Oh, god! It was Jimmy, Todd's brother, Bill and Janine Barclay's second son. She'd seen him less than a week ago at his brother's funeral.

  She looked intently at the tire treads over Jimmy and knelt, checking the back tires of a GMC pickup. They matched.

  Loni walked back to the group of kids huddled on the ground next to the bonfire. Flames reflected horror and anguish on their faces. A dark haired girl held a sobbing boy, rubbing his back as they rocked back and forth. Others sniffed and swatted at tears. Loni needed answers. She squatted down in front of the girl. "Tell me what happened."

  A tall kid with crossed arms stood apart from them and pointed at the boy in her arms. "Paddy ran right over him. I had nothin' to do with it."

  "God, Billy Joe. You're such a lying asshole!" the girl rocking Paddy flared out.

  "Well, I didn't!" Billy Joe was belligerent.

  "Who crowded Paddy off the road?"

  "Shut up, Joy. Did I know Jimmy was there?"

  "Did you care?"

  Loni interrupted the hostile exchange. "Joy, tell me what happened."

  "Billy Joe said he was going back to town to get more beer." She hesitated, rocking the boy in her arms. "Next thing I see, he's driving my truck without asking me. I didn't even know he got in it until I heard it start." She stared at Billy Joe again. "You fuck! Why didn't you drive your own car?"

  "You weren't using yours!" Billy Joe sneered.

  "Billy Joe," Loni warned him, "I'll get to you."

  "We were in Paddy's car. We tried to stop him. I didn't want him driving my pickup. He started screwing around with us, driving in circles, then driving close and threatening to ram us. Jimmy ran out to stop him." Joy's voice quivered. "He only wanted to stop him."

  "Wait a minute," Billy Joe interrupted. "I was barely off the road."

  Loni squatted down in front of the two. "Paddy? Can you hear me?"

  The sobbing boy nodded.

  "Is that how you remember it?"

  "Noooo." Paddy stretched it out between sobs. "He pushed me off the road. I was trying to get away from him, and I didn't see Jimmy!" He ended the name in a wail.

  "You wouldn't drive that way in your fancy red car!" Joy screamed at Billy Joe.

  Loni stood. "Anyone else see what happened?"

  The group glanced around at each other. Finally a voice came out of the crowd. "None of us did. We were sitting around the fire."

  Billy Joe started defending himself again as Loni photographed the ground and measured the tracks. She clearly heard his whiny voice as she traced where the pickup and car had swerved off the road. The tracks stopped just beyond the boy. EMTs were picking up the boy as she reached them to take more pictures.

  The teenagers cried and argued as she wandered around the cars until she saw the Lamborghini. A fancy red-car, the girl said. She had heard about this car a little too often. Loni got names and phone numbers, one by one, before she called the parents to come get their kids. She called Chief to notify Jimmy's parents.

  "Goddamn, girly. Can't you get anything right?"

  The dark night was thick with fear and grief as the coroner and the ambulance slowly disappeared into the dark. Loni watched the parents gather their children. Only Dorothea seemed indifferent when she picked up Billy Joe. She impassively waited for him to get in her car and then drove off.

  Loni made one more careful pass around the crime scene, searching through the cars before she let the parents pick them up.

  * * *

  As the last car rolled away, Bobby's voice broke into her thoughts again. "Dove hunters claim there's a dead body under Gimsom Bridge."

  "Serious?"

  "Here's the thing though. Sounds like one a Sly's whoppers. Said a one handed man on a horse was running straight out. They tried to stop him to ask where good hunting was. He told them he didn't have time to stop and chat. There was a dead man back under a bridge and he had to report it."

  In a reaction to the horror surrounding her, Loni started laughing. "I know, I know," Bobby tried to shut her up. "But they don't believe me."

  "What exactly did Sly say?" Loni listened to Bobby's voice murmur as he talked to someone in the background.

  "I just told you. Said the guy told them he found a dead man under the bridge and had to go get help."

  "Then what happened?" She heard more murmuring in the background.

  "They said they turned around and went looking for the body but couldn't find anything. They think we should go see."

  As soon as Loni could stop laughing, she said. "Tell them we'll take care of it. Any bars open this time of morning?"

  "Just Billy the Kid. Open all night if you use the back door. Just don't tell Chief."

  Grateful for the diversion, Loni drove to the back of the bar. Sure enough, a buckskin horse was tied to a sad looking mesquite tree. The saddle leaned against the wall's shadow next to the tree.

  Opening the back door, Loni smelled the stale beer and piss. She sat on a bar stool beside Sly. He smelled more than a little horsey, and she moved down one stool before she spoke to him. "Heard from some dove hunters about a dead man under a bridge. That one of your lies?"

  Sly said, "Yeah. Good one, huh?"

  "They didn't think so. Said they looked a long time."

  "So? Maybe they won't come hunting here again."

  The barkeep puffed up. "We can open this early."

  "I'm here to see Sly, that's all." Loni got off her stool and started walking away. There was nothing else to do.

  "Buy me a beer?" he said to her back.

  "Maybe another time." She kept on walking.

  * * *

  By the time Loni walked into the station, the others were gathering for the task force. As she sat down beside Tully, she thanked him for his research on the ricin. "You're sure Carl's renters are selling castor bean seedlings?"

  "I'm a cop, aren't I?" Tully muttered out of the side of his mouth as James came in.

  Carl walked in behind James and started the meeting. He appeared tired and drawn, and his wrinkled brown suit showed signs of neglect. Loni watched him fidget with a pen. "Chui, let's start with you. Did you find Teag? Or the Hummer?"

  "No. Found the boss who said the Hummer belonged to him. Said Teag quit and left. Didn't know where he went," Chui continued. "Said he hoped he went straight to hell. Took things that didn't belong to him."

  "Did he press charges? We could get a BOLO on him for theft."

  "Nope."

  Loni watched Carl's temper flare. "Well, shit, Chui, go get it!"

  "I tried. He said he just wanted to forget it." Chui leaned back in his chair. "He offered me the guy's job. Pays more than this one."

  Carl frowned. "If you don't find Teag soon, maybe you should take it." He looked down at his notes. "Rosie talking yet?"

  "No." Chui sounded sullen

  Carl studied Chui for a minute and turned to James. "James? Any connections to the couple yet?"

  "No more than yesterday." James shifted in his chair and shoved a boot into Loni's ankle.

  Sighing, Carl closed his notebook and stood. "Call me if anything breaks. Otherwise, see you all Monday."

  After everyone scattered, Loni sat down behind the booking desk with Lola as she said sweet things to Coco. The brown fuzzy ball on the end of the dog's
stubby tail swept the floor in short half circles, and her head rested on Lola's knee as she stared up with adoring eyes. Coco totally ignored Loni, and Loni ignored her back as she leaned back in her chair and relaxed. "It's nice around here with the boys gone."

  "Cops do tend to be heavy on the testosterone."

  "Hey, Lola. I heard that you work with Habitat for Humanity."

  "Whenever I get some time off. It's fun."

  "So you can really use a saw and hammer?" Loni had to grin at the image.

  A flash of anger sparked in Lola's eyes. "You got something against girls in construction?" she snapped.

  Loni laughed at her reaction. "God no! I think it's great!" She paused. "You doing anything Sunday morning?"

  "Who's asking?"

  "I am. Wondered if you were up to an adventure."

  "Depends on the adventure." Lola sounded flirtatious.

  "Pick you up about eight?"

  "Is this a date?"

  Loni blushed, too stunned to react.

  Laughing at Loni's red face, Lola nodded and reached for a telephone message slip. With a quizzical look, she handed Loni the paper. "Third time she's called. Sure you don't have a new girlfriend?"

  "What? Two-time you? Am I crazy?" Loni snickered, taking the paper. "God, I hope it's not another rape."

  "You and me both." Loni was quiet a minute, watching Lola with Coco. "Can I ask a personal question?"

  "No." Lola frowned at her.

  "How come you're not married?"

  "How come you're not?" Lola countered.

  "Not legal yet?"

  "That's true." Lola sighed. "What else you doing about the rapes?"

  Loni hesitated. "I was told Chief was handling them. They've got nothing to do with our case."

  Lola stared at Loni a minute. "That's it?"

  Loni glanced around to see if she could be overheard. "Well, I could use your help, but it could get you in trouble."

  Lola gave her famous "remember who you're talking to" stare and waited.

  "Lab said last week they sent Chief the results of the first rape. Can you get it?"

  Lola thought a minute. "That's weird. Must be in the locked drawer in his desk. I haven't seen it. I would have known, too, because it was Chickie." She nodded to Loni. "Soon as he goes to lunch, I'll find it."

  "You've got a key?"

  She got that look again.

  "Got it. One other thing? Would you push the lab for Billy Joe's DNA test results?"

  "I have been. You think he's the rapist, don't you."

  Loni waited and then nodded.

  "Can't you bring him in now?"

  "No proof. No sure witnesses." She grimaced. "When I do, I'll let you book him." Standing up, Loni sighed. "I need to get home."

  "I heard about Jimmy. I'm really sorry for the Barclays. I couldn't live with losing two children so soon."

  "You want children?"

  Lola gave her a cross-eyed look, waving her away as she laughed at Loni's perplexed expression.

  Nodding goodbye as she pushed open the heavy doors to the outside, Loni walked into the wall of heat. Opening the door to let Coco into her truck, Loni let the door hang as she leaned against the side of her truck and called Jenny. It's too hot to get in and call, she thought as she rubbed Coco, listening to her pant.

  "Aren't you ever going to ask me out?" Jenny said before Loni had a chance to say anything.

  Dumbfounded, Loni forgot to close her mouth.

  "Well?"

  "I guess," Loni stuttered. "When and where?"

  "How about tomorrow night? You don't have to work then, right?"

  "Right."

  "Good. See you at six. I'm cooking."

  Loni heard the phone go dead. She got in her truck and drove in a daze back to the ranch.

  * * *

  Sundown found Loni back in town with her grandparents to shop. Everybody went to town on Saturday night payday. People visited, laughed, and bought their kids ice cream. Some of the women pulled their men out of the bars before the wages were gone.

  Loni and Shiichoo meandered along the sidewalks following Bahb in and out of stores, stopping to hug and promising to drop by. "Hey, old man. You're not too old to carry," said Loni, joking about the sacks that they had piled in her arms.

  "Been on earth much longer than you."

  "So?"

  "Stop it," Shiichoo told her. "You are too old to tease him."

  "Well, crap, you buy heavy stuff." After years of teasing from white kids, Loni no longer felt ashamed to walk behind Bahb.

  "Stop saying that word! How can you put that stuff in your mouth, child?"

  Still, she wanted to whine for the hell of it. "If I have to stay behind him, he can at least help carry." Loni could see the sly smile on her granddad's face.

  "How many times have I told you he walks ahead to protect us. I'm tired of saying it."

  "But I'm the one with the gun, Shiichoo."

  "And God help us," she said, "when they give girls guns."

  "Shiichoo! You're a chauvinist!"

  "Not either. You know I'm Apache."

  Exasperated, Loni saw her granddad's grin get bigger. She knew they were both putting her on.

  Loni watched Bahb stop and speak softly to a homeless man. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill in his box as he petted a tan, medium-sized, nondescript looking dog. It licked his hand in return. The transient appeared to be a young Navajo. He was dressed in reservation homemade clothes with sleeveless cotton shirt, blue pants, and hiking boots, and his knees and elbows were swollen and crooked. Maybe a bone disease.

  After two more stores, Loni found another transient curled up asleep in the shade of the general store's overhang. This one was a gringo with long gray hair and beard. He clutched an old tin dipper cup. Loni couldn't remember the last time she had seen one like it. Wondering if she should drag his ass to jail, she watched her grandfather drop another fifty in his cup. "Hey," Loni told Bahb, following him in the store. "That won't help him. He'll just use it to get drunk."

  Bahb looked at her. "What you see?"

  Loni glanced around her. "The same things you see."

  "Ni. You no look."

  "So? Dropping a few bucks in his cup makes you a good Indian?"

  "Good not what I give. That make me feel better. Good is I don't take." What the hell does that mean? Loni wondered as she followed him into the store.

  At the meat counter, she watched Pat talk to a short, plump woman as he wrapped hamburger for her. Loni hoped his son Paddy was better after last night's ordeal. She watched a tall, skinny white woman with a tight salt-and-pepper bun on her head push in front of her. Loni waved to Pat that it was all right. Loni remembered her from last week. She was the Baptist preacher's wife, who had complained about an Indian passed out on the sidewalk. Said it was her duty to help keep the town clean.

  "Just look down there." The woman had pointed to the south wall of the Last Chance bar where a pair of boots stuck out onto the sidewalk. "Look at those boots!" Loni remembered walking to the corner of the building and peeking around it to see a young Indian asleep in the sun. Loni had kicked his scuffed boots, saying, "Do you know where you are?"

  The Indian finally sat up, lifting his head to look around. "Hell. Ain't I in Caliente?"

  Loni had turned back to the woman. "Sounds sober to me." The woman harrumphed off as Loni helped the young man up. "Listen." She had pointed down the side road. "Go down to that corner. You can get a meal and a bed." Grimacing, she had added, "You could use a shower, too."

  "Know where I can get a job?"

  "Where you from?"

  "Sacaton. And no, I ain't related to Ira Hayes."

  Loni had laughed. "What kind of work do you do?"

  "Know how to weld."

  "Heard the blacksmith shop was looking for somebody to work on windmills. Go on and clean up. Jessie will tell you where the shop is."

  "Thanks." He had ambled off.

  As Loni left her recol
lections, she got even more pissed watching the woman push a young Mexican woman out of her way.