Bad Day for a Killing (Book Three of the Western Serial Killer Series)
Page 22
"Shore. If it hadn't been for her, we would've starved." One man said from the back.
"She never charged you a dime?"
"Not once." Leroy defended her.
"Ever asked yourself why she never charged for it?"
The people looked stunned. "Guess we didn't."
"And who got the meat for her?" Tom asked.
"Her brother, Elmer…why?" Leroy answered him, folding his arms over his chest as though he'd made up his mind about this trouble-maker.
"Do you know how he got it?" Tom asked as though he had swallowed the fatted calf.
"Mister.…" Pop Ferguson finally made everyone turn around and look at the old man who came walking slowly up to Tom. "If you got somethin' to say…then say it. Otherwise, I'm goin' home. I don't know you, and I don't trust you either. I don't know why everyone thinks this man knows so much either."
"Oh I got plenty to say old man. Elmer stole the beef from ranchers. He got caught a few times and he killed the ranchers for that beef. I'll bet none of you here knew that, did ya?"
Everyone began murmuring.
"But that ain't the worst of it. No sir, that ain't the worst of it. Your Saint Sadie, she cooked the meat he brought home. Only, it wasn't beef." Tom let that information soak in before going on.
"So?" Leroy frowned.
"Some of the meat he brought back was human meat, from the arms and legs of people he'd kilt." Tom announced, his eyes wide with menace.
"How do you know this?" Leroy asked.
"The town council of Melville knows. They told the people there. The Sheriff has been waitin' to see if Elmer was comin' back. It seems Elmer Martin had a real flair for killin'. He not only knocked a hole in their head with a butcher hook, he cut off their arms and legs, drained their blood and hung them on a scarecrow cross so they wouldn't be discovered until the birds ate them. Then he dressed the meat out and took it back to Sadie to cook, for the likes of you. Hung it right out there in that old smokehouse behind the place. And none of you even guessed what he was up to."
"Human!"
"That's what I said. You folks ate that meat. That human meat…"
There was a loud ruckus of talk then. Everyone's anger was spilling over into that little store.
"I don't believe it…" Pop said lowly.
"Well now…wait a minute. Why did Elmer leave? Someone got wise to him. They had to. But I cain't figure why Sadie didn't go with him." Leroy mumbled.
"She's a witch," Tom murmured loud enough for some to hear. "That's why. She's the one responsible for all this. She ain't scared of anyone."
"A witch?" they all whispered.
"Sure…she bewitched Elmer into getting that meat for her. She bewitched y'all when she fed ya. Now…if I was you. I'd burn her at the stake. I'd drive a wooden plank into her heart and make sure she was dead. Don't you realize what she did to you all?" Tom screamed now.
Everyone began to mutter foul words and the chant to kill got louder and louder.
"You cain't just sit here and let her get by with this." Tom accused.
"He's right. Let's go get her." One man cried.
"If she's really a witch, can we get her?" Someone asked.
"Oh she's a witch alright. They buried her in Melville and we dug up the grave. She weren't there. Talk has it, she's come home." Tom said.
"How do you know this?" Pop Ferguson asked.
"I was there. I helped dig the grave up." Tom said.
"You are makin' this up…your just here to stir up trouble." Pop Ferguson said. "Why don't you mind your own business and go your own way?"
"Did you eat the meat she cooked?" Tom accused.
"No…I didn't…" the old man shot him an acid glance. "Anyone that believes this man, is crazy. Why he's a stranger, he don't belong here. You shouldn't be listenin' to him."
Frank Myers stepped forward. "I did. I ate the meat. Regular like. I always did wonder where she got her food. And Elmer runnin' off makes him look mighty guilty. It could all be true. If it is…we do need to do something."
"Do somethin'. You gotta do more than that. You gotta get rid of her once and for all."
"She ever done you no harm Mister?" A woman came forward to ask.
"No…but the whole town of Melville knows about what happened here. I'm just a little surprised none of you figured it out." Tom looked perplexed. "And that's not all. She bedded her brother and had a child by him. We don't know where the kid is. Some say it's dead too. We can only hope and pray it is."
"Look mister, we aren't monsters, we don't burn people alive." The woman said. "And the other…that ain't none of our business. Nor yours."
"She ain't people. I tell ya. She's a witch." Tom scathed.
It took a lot of talking but Tom finally had the people worked up enough to do something about it. Everyone but Pop Ferguson. He stood in the background, rubbing his chin, and looking down at the floor. His eyes stared, but he didn't see.
"It ain't right…it just ain't right…" He mumbled to himself.
Making torches and getting liquored up helped. The more Tom talked, the more everyone agreed with him.
Two hours later they marched toward what used to be Sadie's Haven.
Sadie was asleep, but she heard the crowd outside and got up to see about the ruckus. They crowded around her porch.
"What's going on out here? Don't you know what time it is?" She asked when she flung her door open and saw all the angry faces staring at her, their torches held high.
The woman came forward. "You fed us…human remains, Sadie…how could you do that?"
Sadie wiped her eyes and glanced at them bewildered. "What are you talkin' about."
"All those years of feedin' us. You fed us human remains. You fed us what Elmer killed. You are a witch Sadie Martin, a witch." The woman pronounced, as the men began to shout.
"Torch the place," Tom insisted. "Let's not waste any more time. Anyone can see this woman is guilty."
Two men threw torches on the roof, as Sadie screamed. "Now you look here. I kept you alive all those years, feedin' you what Elmer brought back from huntin' that's all there was to it. You've all gone loco…"
She went inside, slammed the door, and locked it. But the house was already filling with smoke. She got down on the floor and crawled toward the back of the house. Panic spread through her like wildfire. What were they talking about, human remains? Lies, lies, that's what it was, all lies. Elmer would never do that…
She began to cough. The smoke hurt her eyes, she couldn't see for the tears. She would never believe what they were saying. How could they believe it.
In the kitchen, she wet a rag, she put it over her face, and ran out the back door. But they were waiting for her.
"Hang her…" Someone said.
"Get a rope…" Another said.
"You gone crazy!" Sadie screamed. "I hepped ya…you know I did…" She cried as the tears blinded her. The crowd overtook her, pushing her this way and that. Spitting on her, cursing her.
"Nobody heps us for ten years fer nothin' we should have known better." The woman cried.
"Ellen…I hepped you pick your garden when you was sick. I hepped bring your younin' into the world…how can you think such a vile thing…."
"Elmer killed ranchers fer that beef, then he cut them up and brought them back to you. You had to have known." One man said. "Nobody could be that innocent."
Frank Myers threw the rope into the tree. Then everyone stood around as they bound Sadie's hands and put the rope around her neck. She cried out, but it did no good.
"You got anything to say to your maker before we kill you?" Frank asked.
"God forgive you!" Sadie cried aloud. "God forgive us all…" she cried and looked around at all their faces, her tears blinding her at times. All those years of struggling to help others, what had it gotten her? She only wished one thing, to see Elmer once more. Just one more time. She wanted to see he made good, made a life for himself, then it would all be worth
it.
In seconds they yanked on the rope and tied it so she swung off the ground. She tried to scream, tried to wiggle free, but nothing happened. Her feet jiggled in the black of night. A void overtook her. Something snapped.
But the crowd wasn't appeased, so they took their torches and the men came up to her swinging body…"Sadie Martin, may you rot in hell, fer what you done…"
In a blink of an eye, they set her on fire and watched as her body slowly burn to a blackened waste. As the flames grew, and the stench strengthened, the people covered their own gasps as they watched. It got very quiet in the crowd as they watched her burn. The smell repelled them. Some covered their noses. The minute the torch hit her and lit up the sky with fire, something changed in the air they breathed.
Someone's frail voice cried out, "What have we done?"
And eerie quiet settled over the land as the blaze flamed in the sky. Everyone stared at what used to be Sadie Martin. No one looked at anyone else. The guilt was already eating them away.
They realized they were the living dead.
"Now we got to drive a stake through her heart." Tom encouraged, happy that he had finally succeeded.
"Who are you?" Someone asked.
Tom didn't answer, he was bent on driving the stake through her heart. Everyone watched, mouths hung open, eyes widened in pure terror, as no one lifted a finger to stop him.
The woman looked upon her and tears rolled down her cheek. "Ain't she suffered enough?"
"No ma'am. She's a witch. We got to do this." Tom said. "It's the only way to rid yourselves of the witch, don't you see?" His eyes widened and an evil smile danced across his face.
But this time the men all backed away and watched as Tom made the stake, then lowered her body and drove it into her heart. The stench and smoke made them all sick.
When he was through, he was blackened by the embers himself. The stench wouldn't go away but lingered.
The quiet of night brought a strange peace to the valley.
It was very quiet now. No one said a word. In less than a couple of hours, this man had talked them into killing Sadie Martin like a witch. And her body lay on the ground for all to see, with the stake sticking out of her heart.
The smell became unforgettable. The site of her would live in their dreams. As though coming out of a trance the people moved back, away from the scene, and stared stone silent at the mess they created.
An unknown had come to their town and destroyed them all.
The crowd dispersed and slowly everyone went home, with their heads hung, their bodies lifeless with the burden of guilt.
They didn't bother burying her. They left her there in the dirt, afraid to go near her. No longer were they afraid of the witch, but of what God himself might do to them….
Old Pop Ferguson stood over her now, his head shaking, tears streaming down his face, he glanced at the crowd as they walked away, some looking over their shoulder at him.
"Sadie…" he began, his voice shaking and full of shame. "I don't know how I let this happen to you. For that I am sorry. This should have never happened. You deserved better girl. I'm an old man, and I know you deserved better than this. Forgive me…and may God hold you in his arms this very day."
Then Pop sat down beside her and cried like a baby.
Sadie Martin was dead!
~*~
Back in Melville, Jim and Smitty were having breakfast at Jim house when Vivian ran inside without knocking.
"Jim…Smitty," She nearly doubled over from her long run down the middle of town.
"What's wrong?"
"An old man just rode into town on a mule. He said….he said…Sadie's dead!" Vivian cried aloud.
"What?" Jim jumped to his feet.
"Pop Ferguson from over at Cross Timbers…"
"What happened?" Smitty was just as anxious.
"You better let him tell it…I got a little ill when I heard the story…" Vivian cried.
Ruby heard from the kitchen and stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Oh…Vivian…" She cried out.
"Where is he?" The men both asked.
"Over at my office. He's watching Angelica for me…"
Jim and Smitty, put their guns on and marched over to Vivian's office.
When they walked in the old man turned to stare at them with hollow eyes. In his eyes they could see the ghost of Sadie staring back at them.
"Pop? What can you tell us?"
"Plenty…." The old man replied. "None of it good. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe them capable of doing such a vile thing."
"Sit down Pop, before you fall down." Jim instructed. "Now, take a deep breath and tell us what happened.
"This fella named Tom came to town, a shifty eyed gunslinger if you ask me. He told Leroy he had a tale to tell to gather the people. Leroy done what he said. He said Elmer killed the ranchers over here and took their bodies back for Sadie to cook."
The old man's face turned white and Jim grabbed him. "Take it easy now. Just go ahead and tell us…Pop."
"He rallied them like an officer rallies his troops. And they went like the undead and killed Sadie. I never seen anyone get under the skin like he did. He had them hypnotized."
"Killed her? Who did this?"
Pop looked at them both and shook his head. "Everyone that was left in Cross Timbers, save me. I was there. I couldn't stop nobody. I didn't think they'd do it. He claimed she was a witch. So they burned her place down, then hung her. Then…" He stopped and hung his head.
Jim realized the old man was crying. "It's okay, old fella. Tell us the rest if you can…"
"Well sir," he began again, his eyes searching Jim and Smitty for some sign of emotion. "This Tom fella he said you had to burn a witch, so Frank Myers lit her dress, and they burned her."
"My God…"Smitty nearly puked.
"That ain't all…" Pop cried. "After that, this Tom fella, he made a wooden stake and drove it through her heart. Then he left her there on the ground, just lying there. Oh…I could tell that when it was over, some of them regretted what they done, but not that Tom fella. He took pleasure in driving that stake through her. I think he was the devil himself, the way he took everyone over and convinced them."
"Where is her body now?"
"That's the thing…I didn't have the strength to bury her…so I brought her in the back of the wagon out there. I hitched her mule to the wagon and put her in it. No one came around the place after that."
"Are they all still there?" Jim asked.
"Most of them. Most of them can't afford to go anywhere. Got no place to go." Pop said. "they are all ashamed of what happened. No one talks of it now, they dare not. They hide themselves away, afraid of their shadows."
"You did good, Pop. We'll take care of her now…thanks for bringing her body to us."
"I'm sorry I couldn't do nothin'. It just got so out of hand, I couldn't talk to nobody. Nobody would listen. Least ways, not 'til it was over. You can tell who was there, all you gotta do is look into their faces. It's plain as can be. They killed old Sadie Martin, called her a witch and walked away as though nothing had happened. Only they knew it had. They knew what they done was wrong."
Jim and Smitty got very quiet for a minute and old Pop stared at them. "Was Sadie a friend of yours?"
"Yes, Pop, she was." Jim answered. "Tell me…which way did Tom go?"
"He hung around for a day or two, then he lit out going west." Pop said.
"Thanks. I appreciate what you've done and what you've told us. You come with us and my wife will fix you something to eat."
"Mighty kind of you…." He said, his voice shaking now. "I didn't want her to die like that. Not after all she done for everybody. I never thought people could turn on you that fast. But that Tom fella was a fast talker. Did he know Sadie?"
"No…Pop…he didn't know her."
"Sadie deserves some pretty words spoke over her…" Pop said. "She and Elmer�
��they lived a lonely life in Cross Timbers. A lonely life…"
"We'll see to that too. Don't you fret. We'll get you taken care of and light out after Tom." Jim explained.
"Where did Elmer get off to? He should be told…they was twins you know."
"Really, we didn't know that." Smitty remarked.
"Yeah, I knew their mother. She was a mean one. Poor Elmer, he had to grow up fast. I don't much blame him for leavin'. There never was nothin' here for Elmer."
"I guess maybe he had reason enough to leave…"
Pop shook his head.
Jim and Smitty vowed they would find Tom and bring him to justice. As for the town, they probably would pay for the rest of their lives for what they done. Jim reasoned he couldn't arrest a town.
"We gonna bring what's left of them people back here for trial?" Smitty asked.
Jim went to see the body, his face turned almost green. "No…we're going after Tom Mueller. And I don't much care if we bring him back alive or not. Not after this…"
Smitty nodded. He saw the wrapped body, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Jim's face was testimony enough.
"I guess you can't arrest a whole town…" Smitty acknowledged.
"We don't have to. The real witch was Tom, and he put them under a spell. They just reacted. I knew if they found out the truth that they might react this way. In some respects I can understand that reaction. However, Sadie was innocent. She knew nothing about the meat except that Elmer brought it to her. But Smitty, when good people turn toward evil, there is a pay back of sorts. They gotta live with what they done. That town was dead long ago, and the people in it." Jim announced. "Besides, when a mob attacks it is hard to pinpoint the real culprit. Except for the fact that Tom has a big mouth and he was the one we wanted. He started it all."
"I think you are right, Jim." Smitty agreed, he glanced once more at the still form in the wagon. "May God be with you, Sadie."