A Crying Shame: A Jesse Watson Mystery

by Ann Mullen

  Athena and Thor finally noticed that we had company. The minute Abby extended her hand to one of the kids, Thor jump out in front and barked at her.

  “You don’t have to worry about me little doggie,” she said in a kind voice. “I’m just a harmless old lady.”

  “Don’t believe it, dog,” Frank hollered across the room, causing Randy and the chief to break out in laughter. “She’s dangerous and she’s mean. If you know what’s good for you; you’ll stay away from her.”

  Abby looked in Frank’s direction and said, “Be nice, Frank, or you’ll be walking home tonight.”

  Thor stopped barking, went over to Abby, and then licked her hand. He lay down at her feet.

  Athena, leery as always, walked over to me and just stood there. She’s always been the suspicious type and she doesn’t take to people as quickly as Thor does. Yet, Thor is the first one to act when it becomes necessary. He’ll jump on someone in a minute if he feels the need to protect the homestead…or me. Animals can be so peculiar.

  Spice Cat, after causing such a stir, was nowhere to be found.

  “Is your home like this all the time?” Isabel asked.

  “What do you mean?” I said as I walked to the refrigerator to get a drink. I pulled out a Pepsi and popped the top. “Anybody want a soda?” Nobody spoke, so I took that as a no and closed the refrigerator door. I walked to the living room and sat down on the hearth. Athena shadowed my every move.

  “There’s so much going on all the time. There’s a crisis every minute.”

  “I guess that’s what happens when you have a close family,” I replied. “When something happens to one of us; it happens to us all.”

  “It’s nice to have a close family,” Abby said as Thor continued to try to make friends with her. “I think your dog likes me now.”

  Thor followed Abby around and tried to lick her every chance he got. When she sat down in a chair by the fire, he flopped down on her foot.

  “Stop it, Thor,” I said to him.

  He looked up at me with those sad eyes, whimpered and then got up and walked over to the fireplace. He lay down and crossed his paws out in front of him. Athena, with her tail wagging, followed Thor, and then curled up beside him on the floor.

  “Oh, no,” I said. “I’ve embarrassed Thor and hurt his feelings. I’m going to pay for it later. He’ll wake me up in the middle of the night with his endless barking as payback. He’s so temperamental. And, of course, Athena’s mad at me for hurting Thor’s feelings, so she’ll join in with him. I won’t be able to sleep a wink… and they’ll do this to me on a day that I’m dead-dog-tired. They’ll torment me until I make a fuss over them big time. I’m doomed!”

  “You have a good family,” Abby said. “There’s a lot of love in this home. I can feel it. I see only good things happening for you. I see love and lots of children in your future.”

  “Is this one of those feelings you’re always having, or is this another one of your visions? How many times have you called me at the station and said something bad was going to happen? And, of course, you’re always right, because something bad always happens somewhere, every minute of the day. How could you ever go wrong?” Frank said from across the room.

  “No dinner for you, you evil man,” Abby said, chuckling. “He adores me. I know he does. If he wasn’t so crazy about my daughter, I’d think he had the hots for me.”

  “Now that’s a scary thought!” Frank said.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Abby, you’re such a trip!” I said.

  “Yeah,” Frank added. “She’s a trip all right—a bad trip!”

  “Maybe you should make Frank an honorary member of your family, Abby. He’s been in your life for so many years; I bet you can’t remember how long it’s been. He could be like the stepson you never had.”

  “Perish the thought,” she murmured under her breath. “I guess that means I’d have to let him live with me, huh? I’d rather walk across a bed of coals.”

  “We can arrange that,” I said, smiling. “You should come to one of the Blackhawk’s gatherings. You might see something like that. Hey, they’re Indians—there’s no telling what will go on at one of their shindigs. The first time I went to one of their parties, we sat around at the end of the day and smoked a peace pipe.” I looked over at Mom and said. “And it had marijuana in it!”

  “Now you listen here, Missy!” Mom said. “Shame on you for saying that. You know it’s not true. Abby, it was Indian tobacco. Jesse just said that to get me riled. She knows I would never…”

  “Chill out, Minnie,” I said. “It was just a joke. I was only kidding. Don’t get your blood pressure up.” I looked around the room. “These guys know I’m pulling your leg.”

  “You shouldn’t say stuff like that, especially not with a policeman sitting on your sofa. He could probably arrest you, couldn’t you, Frank?”

  “If we were talking to a child, I would say yes as a deterrent, Mrs. Watson, but in this case, I’m sure that your daughter knows the law well enough to know that isn’t true. I can’t arrest her for admitting to using drugs, but I can, however, follow her, harass her, and basically make her life miserable until she drops her guard and I catch her in the act.”

  “Why don’t you call me, Minnie? I think we’re past the point of being formal.”

  “If that’s what you’d like, I’d be honored. Your daughter has already decided that I’m her new best friend, so it would be nice to have an ally to protect me from her.”

  “Is she that bad?” Mom asked.

  “Oh, this conversation has really gone to the dogs,” I said as I got up from the hearth and walked back to the kitchen.

  Athena and Thor jumped up and started barking.

  I turned around to them and sternly said, “Lay back down… both of you. Do it now!”

  And they did.

  “Did you see that, Mom? They listened to me.”

  “Just like Billy told you a while back,” Mom replied. “All you have to do is show them who the boss is.”

  “I have news for you; they already know who the boss is, and it ain’t me.” I looked at Isabel and Sarah who were both helping Mom in the kitchen and said, “You’re our guest. Why don’t you go into the living room and relax? I’ll help Mom.”

  “I don’t mind, really,” Isabel said as she looked at Mom and then back to me. “From what your mother and Sarah have been telling me about your cooking skills, maybe I should be the one to help. You go sit down and rest. You need to keep up your strength. I’m sure it takes a lot of energy to get into so much trouble all the time.” She looked at Mom and Sarah. They turned their back to me and snickered.

  “Turncoats! All of you!” I spun around and went back to the living room, taking my rightful place on the hearth.

  Claire came out of the bathroom and walked over to the chair on the opposite end of the sofa and sat down.

  “Did you get your Tylenol?” Randy asked.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Now if I can just lay my head back and close my eyes for a minute, I might survive.”

  “Is there anything I can do, Claire?” I asked her.

  “If I doze off, just make sure the kids don’t get into anything. They’re a handful.”

  “Maybe I can help relieve your headache,” the chief offered.

  Claire looked at him and then back to me. “He did help you when you hurt your back, didn’t he? Yes, I remember now. You said he worked a miracle.”

  “He sure did!”

  “I’m game,” Claire said. “Just don’t kill me.”

  “He hasn’t killed anyone so far,” Sarah said and then smiled.

  “Don’t listen to that woman,” the chief said. “When I’m finished with you, you’ll feel like a butterfly ready to spread your wings and take flight. Now lay down on the floor.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Claire lay on a blanket in the middle of the floor, while Chief Sam Standing Deer worked his magic on her back. She moaned
and groaned, but when it was over, she had nothing but praises for him. “That was wonderful,” Claire exclaimed as she got up off the floor. “The pain’s gone.” She walked around in circles as we watched, and then headed back over to the chair. She sat down. “Ouch… well, maybe not all of the pain is gone, but my back sure does feel better.”

  “It will take time to heal,” the chief said. “I will be here to help you rid the pain if you need me.”

  “It’s nice to have a medicine man in the family who is also a chiropractor,” Claire said. “What else can you do?”

  “I can see another child in your future, and you are going to marry someone in this room.” He looked over at Cole and then at Randy. “Him,” the chief pointed to Randy. “You will marry this man, but there will be great conflict. You must be wise and not let fear stop you from having what you are destined to have.”

  His statement caught us all by surprise. A silence hung over us as still as a church full of people listening to a preacher. Nobody said a word.

  Finally Claire spoke. “I think you’ve made a mistake about my future husband.” She walked over to Cole and put her arm around his waist. She looked at Randy and then back to the chief. “Randy and I are friends. We’re not going to get married.”

  “I think that was a crappy thing to say,” Cole said as he looked over at the chief. “I can’t believe you would embarrass me like this. What’s gotten into you? You know that Claire and I plan to marry.”

  The silence in the room said it all. Deep in my heart I had a feeling that when Cole slapped Claire on the front porch, their relationship was over. It was doomed from that moment on, no matter how much therapy Cole sought, or how many times the doctor changed his medication. There are some actions you just can’t take back, and that slap was one of them.

  “You are very troubled, my son,” the chief replied. “You must look within your soul to find your demons if you want to rid yourself of them. Only then will you find peace and happiness. You will not find it with this woman.”

  “I’ve had enough of your craziness,” Cole said. “I’m leaving.” He looked at Claire and asked, “Are you coming with me or are you going to stay here and listen to this foolishness?”

  “Hold on a minute,” Mom said as she walked out of the kitchen and over to Cole. “Let’s calm down and have a nice dinner. It’s almost ready.”

  “The kids haven’t eaten, yet,” Claire said as she smiled up at Cole. “Can’t we stay until the kids have had their dinner?”

  Cole had a pouty look on his face, but changed his demand upon her. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll stay for dinner, but after that, I’m going home. If you want to be with me, you’ll have to leave when I do.”

  The look on her face clearly said that she wanted to appease him, but the underlying tension she felt showed in her actions. She became nervous and fidgety. She walked into the kitchen and examined the progress of dinner. She came back to Cole and said, “Dinner is almost ready.” She looked over at me. “Are we going to wait for Billy?”

  “No,” I said. “If he’s not here…”

  Maisy interrupted me with a wail from the bedroom.

  “I hear my name being called.” I excused myself and walked to the bedroom. I heard the ring of a cell phone as I entered the bedroom, but I ignored it as I closed the door. I bent down and looked at Maisy.

  “You’re such a cute little thing,” I said to her as I began the process of changing her diaper. That was the first thing I was supposed to do when she woke up, at least that’s what Mom had told me. I was to change her diaper and then check to see if her clothes or mattress was wet. I memorized every step so that I would be sure to do it right. I wasn’t used to taking care of an infant, but I was determined to learn. Poor Maisy was going to be my guinea pig. “I hope I don’t do anything wrong,” I whispered to her. “If I do, please forgive me. I’m new to this mothering thing, but I promise to be a good substitute if you give me a chance.”

  She cooed at me and melted my heart. A tear rose in my eye.

  “Now look at what you’ve done to me. You’ve turned me into a mother!” I was so delighted at the emotions I was feeling and it was all due to this little wonder that had come into our lives. Then all of a sudden, my heart sank at the thought of her leaving us. I knew this was going to happen! I would fall in love with this child and then she would be gone. I resigned myself to what had to be. “It’s okay,” I said. “You can stay with us as long as…”

  A commotion in the other room caught my attention. I heard loud voices and then I heard Claire crying. I finished up with Maisy and then put her on my shoulder. I walked out into the living room with Maisy on my shoulder and a wet, disposable diaper in my hand.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as I scanned the room.

  Mom walked up to me and took the diaper from my hand, turned and then headed for the kitchen. Sarah, Isabel and Abby were sitting at the kitchen table watching, but saying nothing. I looked over at the sofa. The chief and Randy were sitting there with Carrie, Benny, the dogs and Spice Cat. Cole, Claire and Frank were standing in the middle of the floor. Claire cried as Cole comforted her in his arms. Frank stood next to them holding his cell phone in his hand.

  “I just got a call from my captain, who said that he had just gotten a call from Sherry Lane’s attorney. It seems that she has confessed to covering up for Carl. She said that Carl was the one who killed both women. She wants to make a deal. I need to get back to the hospital and talk to her. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to leave. This can’t wait.”

  “You can’t possibly believe a word that woman says.” I looked around and then back to Frank. “She kills two people, puts the blame on Carl, and now she wants to make a deal. You can’t let that happen, Frank.”

  “My job is to interview the woman; not believe her.” Frank looked at me. “Give me some credit, Jesse. I’ll talk to the woman. I’ll even make the arrest, but the D.A.’s office will make the ultimate decision as to who they’ll prosecute.”

  Mom walked up to me and said, “I’ll take Maisy.” She looked around the room. “Dinner’s ready and nobody’s leaving this house until we’ve eaten, and that includes you, Frank. I’m sure you can spare thirty minutes. After dinner, I’ll see to it that someone takes you back to UVA Hospital. Now everybody come find a place at the table.”

  The ladies got up from the table, walked to the kitchen and then came back to the table with plates and silverware. They each went back to the kitchen and then returned with the food.

  Nobody said a word until we were all seated at the dinner table. It was a little crowded, but we managed to make room for everyone. Mom held Maisy as she said the blessing.

  “Let’s pray,” Mom said. “Thank you, Lord, for giving us this food and for watching over us. Amen.”

  I looked up and smiled at Mom. “That was short,” I said.

  “Just like my patience,” she replied. She looked down at Maisy who had fallen asleep. “I guess the noise woke her up, but she’s asleep now. I’ll go put her to bed. Y’all dig in.” Mom got up and walked to the bedroom and when she returned she had a smile on her face. “She’s a good baby.”

  Everyone started digging in. Food was passed along. Chicken, potatoes, greens and cornbread filled our plates. By the time the meal was over, we were all stuffed to the gills.

  “That was delicious,” Frank said. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time.”

  “That’s sad,” I said, looking at him. “Everyone should have a family they can sit down with and have dinner together. Anytime you want to visit, you’re welcome.”

  “I don’t know,” Frank said. “There’s too much going on with this family. I can’t keep up with you guys. By the way, where’s your husband, Jesse? He’s been gone a long time.”

  “Yes, I know. I was planning to call him soon.”

  “My son can take care of himself,” the chief said.

  “I’m sure he can, but I’d like to make
sure he’s all right. He should’ve called a while ago. He’s been gone for hours. Maybe something happened. I need to call him.” I got up from the table and walked over to the phone on the computer table. When I went to pick up the receiver, it rang. The minute it rang, Cole’s cell phone went off. At the same time, I looked up and saw headlights coming up the driveway.

  “Ah, Billy’s home,” I said. I picked up the receiver while Cole excused himself from the table to answer his call.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Jesse, this is Billy.”

  “Hi, honey. I know it’s you, silly. I was just about to…”

  “Listen to me,” he said. “I’m at Benjamin Beard’s house. The ambulance is here and they’re taking him to the hospital. Brian tried to kill him, but, fortunately, he failed. He’s run off and I think he might be headed to our house looking for me. He’s upset and unstable, so I don’t know what he’ll do. He’s been through a lot in the last couple of days. Who’s there at the house with you?”

  “Everyone’s still here. We just ate dinner.”

  “Who’s everyone?”

  “Frank, Cole, Randy, the chief, all the ladies, and the kids. Why?”

  “Put Cole on the phone.”

  “I can’t. He’s talking on his cell phone at the moment.”

  “Put Frank on the phone and lock all the doors. That’ll buy some time.”

  “Okay,” I said as I walked over and handed the phone to Frank. “Billy wants to talk to you.” I gave him the phone and then walked to the front door.

  A man I didn’t recognize got out of his car and started walking up the walkway. It was dark enough outside to have the headlights of a car on, but not too dark for me to see that the man looked disheveled. He walked with a limp and his clothes were torn and ragged looking.

  “There’s a man coming up the walkway,” I said out loud as I locked the door. I turned and looked around the room. “Frank, tell Billy someone’s here and he looks a little strange.”

  Frank jumped up from the table, walked over to me and then looked out of the window. “He’s here,” Frank said into the phone. “What do you want me to do? Okay, but hurry up.”