The Shut Mouth Society

by James D. Best

  Evarts decided that Greene needed a reminder, so he smacked his wound with the butt of his gun. He made no attempt to stifle Greene’s scream. Evarts relied on their description of the floor as nearly empty and on the industrial sounding between the lofts. Mostly, he wanted Greene to see him as desperate and crazed.

  When Greene recovered some composure, Evarts asked again, “Who was the fourth member of the Mute Circle?”

  “Jennifer Hathaway.”

  “Dead?”

  “Yes. Virginia.”

  “How did the union expect to find the documents if they killed everybody?”

  “The Baldwins were the only ones that knew the hiding place. The union didn’t kill them. It was a real accident.”

  He remembered that Baldwin said her parents always traveled separately but evidently not by car. That had proved to be a mistake. Evarts put his hand lightly on the wounded leg. He saw the fear in Greene’s eyes. “Tell me what the union is after.”

  “Your great grandfather’s documents. The ones the Keeper protects.”

  “Where are they?”

  The old man shook his head back and forth, and his fear became terror, confirming for Evarts that he didn’t know. He squeezed the leg ever so slightly. “What are they?”

  Relief suffused Greene’s face and the words tumbled out. “Evidence. Proof that the union plundered the South after the Civil War. They stole millions, tens of millions. Shut Mouth estimated it could have been as much as sixty to a hundred million. Now, nearly a hundred and fifty years later, we estimate their assets at over two hundred billion dollars. Your great grandfather put some of the evidence together during the Johnson impeachment. He wanted to use it against the Radical Republicans. He collected more when Johnson made him attorney general. The Keepers have it all: criminal investigations, affidavits, and confessions from bribed officials.”

  “Who comprised the union?”

  “Prior to the Civil War, New York City business interests had loaned over two hundred million dollars to the South, a good part of it collateralized with slaves. Lincoln never won an election in New York, and moneyed interests in the city never supported the war because of their investments in the South. After the war, a few New York titans teamed up with some members of the Southern plantation class to recover their money. They took everything not nailed down.” The old man actually chuckled. “At the time, one of the robber barons actually said that whatever is not nailed down is mine, and whatever I can pry loose is not nailed down.”

  Shock seemed to have alleviated Greene’s pain, but Evarts got him a glass of water and four aspirin. When he sat back down, he said, “And they continue to exist to this day?”

  “In an altered state. At first, it was only about money, but somehow the Southerners grabbed control. Since then it’s been about empire.”

  “Why didn’t Evarts stop them with his documentation?”

  “Remember—they were all Republicans, but the Radical Republicans controlled Congress and much of the media. The Radical Republicans, as they were called in their day, wanted the South treated as conquered territory, and they wanted enfranchisement of the freed slaves. Several influential Radicals conspired with the men who eventually became the union. Exposure of the scandal would’ve ruined not just the Radical Republicans, but all Republicans, so Evarts cut a deal with them during the Johnson administration: The plunderers would cease and desist, and he would destroy the evidence. They reneged, of course, and went underground.”

  “Evarts evidently reneged as well.”

  “The man was no fool.”

  “When he saw they continued to plunder, why didn’t he bring forward his evidence?”

  “At about that time, Hoyt Sherman left the capital for Des Moines, and Evarts gave the documents to him for safekeeping. When the looting accelerated under Grant, Hoyt refused to return the evidence. His older brothers, especially General Sherman, remained unquestionably loyal to Grant and didn’t want to embarrass him. When Grant left office, Hoyt returned the documents, and after a family reconciliation of sorts, the key principals recommitted themselves to opposing the union. It was during that period that the Shut Mouth Society was formed to use and protect the documents. They managed to get Reconstruction under control, and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act put manacles on the New York robber barons.”

  “Is that when the leadership transitioned to Southerners?”

  “That would be my guess.”

  “Why the assault on the Shut Mouth Society now? What’s changed?”

  “The union is about to gain control of the government of Mexico.”

  Chapter 35

  Evarts glanced at his watch as he undressed Baldwin. He only had about a half hour to revive her, maybe a little more if he abandoned a safety margin. Earlier, he had thoroughly washed the coffee pot and brewed an extra-strong new batch. Once he had her undressed, he stripped himself, and then carried her to the bathroom.

  Consistent with the rest of the trendy condominium, the shower had five showerheads pointing in every direction. He turned on the cold water, lifted her under both arms, and walked her into the freezing maelstrom of sprays. He recoiled when the water hit him, but she initially remained lifeless. Finally, she made a soft yelp and wrapped her own arms around her body. Evarts gently took her head and leaned it forward until the main spray hit her full force in the back of the neck. He turned her to face him, but when her eyes opened he saw little recognition.

  After about three minutes, he turned on the hot-water tap and leaned her against the shower stall wall. Reaching out, he grabbed a biscuit he had found in the kitchen and forced her to eat. After two more soggy biscuits, he turned the water on full cold again. She started to revive but remained groggy.

  When he helped her out of the shower, her entire body shivered spasmodically. Good. He needed her body’s survival instincts to kick in. Soaking wet, he walked her back and forth in the small bathroom for about five minutes and then led her back into the cold shower, which he had not turned off. Gratefully, he heard her curse in anger this time. When he took her out to walk again, she needed him only to guide her, not support her. After he determined that she had enough control, he held the coffee in front of her mouth. At first, she sipped gingerly and then greedily drank the hot liquid. He looked at his watch. Less than ten minutes. Damn.

  Just as he considered leaving her alone, so he could set some kind of trap for the union men, she spoke her first words. “Can I have a towel?”

  He handed her a towel and helped her dry off. Then he sat her on the edge of the tub with more coffee and raced into the living area. In a moment, he returned with her clothing. “Can you dress?”

  “I think so. What’s happened?”

  “Not now. We’re in danger. Try to dress.”

  Instead of helping, Evarts watched to see how much control she had of her body. She staggered when she first stood but managed to stay on her feet and step into her panties.

  “How’s your head?” he asked.

  “Pounding. They drugged us, didn’t they?”

  Evarts took it as a very good sign that she had started to regain cognitive capabilities. “Yes and people are on their way to kill us.” He handed her aspirin and a glass of water. “I’m sorry, but we need to move.”

  “You’re naked.”

  Shit. He ran into the great room and threw on his clothes. After a quick check of the monitor, he raced back into the bathroom to find Baldwin dressed but slumped against the tub holding the coffee cup with both palms. “Gotta go. Can you make it?”

  “Have to.” She stood, a bit less wobbly, and walked toward Evarts. He helped her out of the bathroom and toward the front door. She saw the Greenes. “What did you do?”

  “What was necessary.”

  He checked the monitor and his watch. He didn’t feel confident she could handle the stairs, so he decided to chance the elevator. If they showed up in the next few minutes, they would be unarmed, unless someone had met them at the a
irport. The lift ride seemed to take forever, but he used the time to walk Baldwin back and forth across the oversized freight elevator.

  When they reached the ground floor, Evarts leaned Baldwin in the corner and kept a hand on his gun as he pulled the strap to open the horizontal wood doors. The lobby looked clear.

  He raced her out of the building and across the street. Now what? He had parked the car four blocks away, and Baldwin’s breath already came in sharp bursts. He didn’t want to be caught on the street and had no idea from which direction someone would come from the airport. He spotted a deli with high chairs facing a counter that ran along the front window. He glanced at the sky. Another hour until dark. He decided.

  He helped her onto a tall chair in the corner of the deli facing the window and then went to the counter to get food. Evarts realized he felt much better. The cold shower had helped him as well. He returned with turkey club sandwiches, chips, and steaming coffee. Baldwin immediately opened the sandwich and started eating the turkey and cheese with gusto. Evarts took a bite and peered out the window. “Did you happen to see anyone enter the building?”

  “No … and I watched. What are we doing here?”

  “We’ll wait until they enter the building and then make our break. Feeling better?”

  “A little. I can make it to the car.”

  “Good.” He took another bite and washed it down with coffee. “You know, this is the third time we’ve had to run.”

  “One time we might not make our escape.”

  “Exactly.”

  She looked at him. “Meaning?”

  “We need to go on the offensive.”

  Her expression changed from confused to anxious. “What are you thinking?”

  “Taking these guys.”

  “Greg!”

  “I’ll only do it if it looks like I have an advantage.”

  “What did you do to the Greenes?”

  “Later. After we’re out of here.”

  “How did you know about them?”

  “No one else knew we were on the East Coast. They knew about the Omaha safe house, and I guessed they knew about the one in Boston. Besides, her running away when she saw us at the Roger Sherman Inn made no sense.”

  “They were my parents’ friends.”

  “No they weren’t.”

  He saw two cars pull up in front of the building and discharge four men before the drivers pulled away. Evarts sensed they were armed. He realized the drug had addled his brain. After Boston, they wouldn’t waltz in unprepared despite any assurances from Benjamin Greene. Time to go.

  Evarts took Baldwin by the elbow and led her to the back of the deli. Earlier he had spotted a back door that probably led to an alley. He found it unlocked, and they ran stiffly through the alley to the street and then walked as fast as possible without drawing attention. The extra time and food helped, and they reached the car without incident. After paying the parking fee, he drove in the opposite direction from the condominium. He had no idea where he was heading.

  He found Interstate 80 but drove under it to remain on surface streets and continued to head north.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m on the ‘away from here’ agenda again.”

  She sat quiet and rubbed her forehead for a while. “The cops are looking for us in California and Massachusetts. When they find the Greenes, they’ll be after us in Nebraska. I’m beginning to feel like Bonnie and Clyde.”

  “They won’t find the Greenes. Those men will remove the bodies.”

  “Bodies? You mean you killed them? Why?”

  “I killed her by accident. I left him alive, but he won’t be for long.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I left a note on the kitchen counter. It read, ‘He told us everything.’”

  Chapter 36

  As they drove north into South Dakota, Evarts told Baldwin everything that had happened with the Greenes and everything he had learned.

  After he relayed all the new information, she seemed to puzzle over it awhile and then said, “It makes sense. The real conflict after the Civil War revolved around whether to treat the South as conquered territory, with all the spoils that entailed, or as recalcitrant states that should be blended back into the Union with restrained retribution.”

  “Lincoln favored the second approach, right?”

  “Yes. After they conquered some of the western states, he implemented a policy of allowing them back into the Union after only ten percent of the voters signed a loyalty pledge—with full representation in the House and Senate. Congress balked, but while the war raged, they couldn’t override him. He wanted the same policy after the war for the Deep South.”

  “Johnson?”

  “At first, he appeared to endorse Lincoln’s leniency, but the Radical Republicans soon saw that he actually leaned heavily toward the South.” She rubbed her forehead again.

  “Still hurts?”

  “Not as much as the Greenes’ disloyalty. Do you believe my parents’ death was an accident?”

  “Yes, but I suspect they were being chased. The union needed information from them.”

  “Damn the Greenes. How could my parents have been so wrong?”

  When he told her he had accidentally killed Nancy Greene, she had shown no emotion. Perhaps death had become commonplace for her. Evarts hated that prissy bastard with the smug expression, but he felt bad about the woman. The union had forced him to do things that his parents had tried to protect him against, and the sudden deaths, relentless running, and unanswered questions made him feel sick at heart and fatigued beyond endurance. He was ready to stop for the night and began to look for a motel.

  Baldwin turned from the side window that had seemingly held her attention for miles. “I’m beginning to think that the Lincoln assassination, Johnson’s impeachment, and the Grant election are all related. In each case, the Radicals benefited.”

  Evarts sighed. He could see nothing but empty road in front of him. Partly to pass the time he asked, “What were the grounds for Johnson’s impeachment?”

  “The grounds are easy to explain, the cause more difficult. All Republicans, Radicals and mainstream, feared the Southern states rejoining the Union. They were heavily Democratic, and the Republicans might have lost control of Congress and the executive branch. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, but the Republicans wanted to go further; they wanted to enfranchise blacks and disenfranchise CSA white leaders in order to weaken the Democrats. Johnson vetoed their bills.”

  Baldwin turned in her seat and faced more toward Evarts. “I got ahead of myself. When Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, the war was going bad for the North, so he jettisoned his vice president and ran on a ticket with Johnson. Johnson was a Southern Democrat, but he was an antislavery Democrat. After Lincoln’s assassination, the Republicans never trusted Johnson and feared that he would try to restore the Democratic Party to prominence. The Radicals passed a law that said the president couldn’t fire a cabinet member without the advice and consent of the Senate. They meant it as a trap, and Johnson leaped into it. He fired Edwin Stanton, the secretary of war and the last remaining Radical Republican in the cabinet. Technically, they impeached him for violating this law, but they really impeached him to maintain Republican dominance of Congress.” She paused and as an afterthought added, “Much later the law was deemed unconstitutional.”

  “And my great great grandfather defended him.”

  “Very ably.”

  “So he might have assembled a dossier on the misdoings of the Radicals?”

  “Very likely. Today we call it opponent research, but digging up dirt on an opponent has a long and ugly history in this country.”

  “We have to get on the offensive.”

  “What?”

  “Sorry, my mind’s somewhere else.” He drove for a while. “I’m tired, Trish. I’m tired of all these narrow escapes, I’m tired of being on the defensive, and I’m tired of someo
ne else setting the agenda. We need to take the battle to them—to the head of the union.”

  “How?”

  “With the only weapon they fear—the William Evarts doc­uments.”

  “But we don’t know where they are.”

  “Your parents would’ve given you a clue. I don’t believe they ever gave up on you joining their cause. I’m not asking you to think about it now. We need sleep and fresh minds.” He slapped the steering wheel with his palm. “Damn it, are there no motels on this godforsaken road?”

  “In South Dakota? We’re off the beaten track. We need to head toward the next town.”

  Almost as she said it, a signpost indicated a town eight miles to the right. Evarts took the turn. In about ten minutes, they came to a small farming community, and Evarts gratefully saw a seedy motel. They rented a room from an equally seedy desk clerk, and after dropping their sole bag on the floor; Evarts collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.

  Chapter 37

  Evarts woke disoriented. The drug and stress had sapped all his energy. When he rolled over, he found Baldwin fully dressed and sound asleep. He stayed still as long as possible, because he feared any movement would wake her. Finally, he had to relieve himself too badly to wait any longer. He tried to keep his movements even, but she rolled over and looked at him with wide-awake eyes. She had been playing possum so he could sleep.

  “Good morning. How long have you been awake?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve been fading in and out for awhile.”

  He heard the last as he closed the bathroom door. He couldn’t let her sneak in first this time.

  When he came out, she sat on the edge of the bed looking disheveled. “Do you feel better?” she asked him.