“Here’s my assumption – Abel bought the five gun set and gave a gun to Lucinda sometime during their affair, for whatever reason. Maybe that’s a question worth finding the answer to. If you like guns, it was a good gift. Expensive gift, perhaps. And he broke up a set like that, a valuable set, in order to give one to her.”
“Okay, what else?” I said.
“Somehow Cain got possession of one of the guns. Don’t have a notion on how that came to pass. He could have stolen it, or Abel could have given it to him, but it does make me wonder why Cain would lie about it. People lie, for sure, but unless he is a pathological liar, there is a reason.”
“So, aside from the murder weapon, where are the other two guns?”
“Again, let’s make some assumptions here. If he gave a gun to Lucinda, then it is likely he might have given a gun to Betty Jo.”
“Okay.”
“That’s four down, one to go. What if he kept one?”
“Okay, that would account for all the guns, except leave us with the sticky missing detail of who fired the murder weapon,” I said.
“Let’s trail the guns and see what turns up,” Starnes suggested.
“Sounds like a plan.”
We drove to Adam and Evelyn Gosnell’s home in Spillcorn near the other edge of the world. It was the first time we had been back there since our visit several weeks back. Spillcorn is not a place one accidentally drives by on the way to some place else. There has to be serious intention for a person to go there.
Starnes insisted on two things for this trip to see the Gosnells. First, we had to take my Jeep because of the terrain of the last stretch in the drive. Despite the fact that she owned a pickup, it had some age on it and she said she was trying to make it last as long as possible. Second, we had to take Sam to ward off the presence of Bolt, the killer white dog that the Gosnells owned. I think Starnes feared for our lives without Sam’s placating presence. I also was beginning to believe that some bond was forming between Starnes and Sam, one that she would not readily admit to having. Starnes was not usually given to the touchy feely stuff of life. At any rate, she would not be admitting such anytime soon.
Walking up the valley along the wagon wheel tracks, I noticed that despite the sunshine of the late afternoon, it was nearly as cold as it was last night when we visited Jo Starling. It might have been even colder. Let’s just say for the record that it was colder. I was certainly colder. Starnes has, I think, a built-in furnace. I was walking and shivering simultaneously.
Sam bounded on ahead of us as if he had an engagement with Bolt, the killer dog. Starnes and I lumbered along the ruts in the road pulling our coat collars up to brace ourselves against the wind blowing down from the mountaintops that surrounded us. I had a renewed appreciation for fire along this particular winter of my life.
Adam Gosnell was waiting on the front porch as we approached.
“Come inside you two. You must be chilled to the bone.”
“Accurate expression,” I said and hurried past him as he held open the door. Starnes followed. Sam stayed outside and played around with Bolt, the killer. If you are a careful observer concerning dogs and their expressions, then you know that some dogs have a rather pleasant look about them. Some even seem to be smiling, or at least one might think a particular dog to be smiling. That would be Sam. Pleasant and smiling. On the other hand, Bolt had the look of death about him as if he carried in his face anger not easily appeased.
Adam came into the house, closed the door, and shook his head in amazement.
“Still can’t believe that Bolt likes that dog. You just don’t know how amazing that is. I don’t think Bolt has ever allowed another dog on the premises. He’s been protecting this place for nigh on to ten years. No dog. Not even a mongrel stray would dare come up here. I’ve seen him kill dogs. Yessirree, I have actually seen that dog grab another dog by the throat and refuse to let go until the other animal stopped moving. Then a’ course the animal was dead.”
He looked out the front window again and shook his head. Then he sat down.
“And the other thing,” he said.
“What other thing?” I bit.
“He don’t allow too many people to come walking up that road without a commotion.”
“A commotion?” I said.
“Yeah, you know … barking, snarling … attacking, unless Mother and I get to the door quick enough to stop him.”
“Your quickness is likely much appreciated,” I said with great feeling.
“What you got, sheriff?” he said.
“Questions,” Starnes said.
“Fire away. I may have some answers,” Adam said. He seemed to be more alive than on our previous visits.
Evelyn came into the room and sat down without speaking. She smiled at us as she folded her hands in her lap. She had on her apron, so I guessed that she was in the kitchen fixing something. I could imagine that Evelyn spent most of her time in the kitchen fixing something.
“I have some follow-up questions about Abel?”
“What do you need to know?” Adam said.
“He seemed to have a lot of relationships ongoing,” Starnes said, attempting to be diplomatic in regards to where she was heading.
“You mean with women, don’t you,” he said.
Adam turned towards Evelyn, gave her a long look which obviously had some message attached to it, and she abruptly stood up.
“I’ve got stew on the stove that needs tendin’. Yall’la have to excuse me,” she said and walked back into the kitchen. Message received.
Adam waited until she had disappeared from the living room before he began speaking.
“Mother don’t like it when I talk about Abel’s women. He has had several in his life.”
“We’re more interested in the ones of late, say, the last two to three years,” Starnes said.
“Yeah, I thought that’s where you was headed. He was seeing that Mina Beth Cody over in Madison for a long while. Then it seems they had a disagreement or something, but … well, about the time they parted ways, … I think it was the same time that Lucinda was having issues with Cain … no, maybe it was earlier … I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. All I do recall is that Lucinda was next after that Cody girl. Abel was seeing her … I don’t cotton to none of that, mind you. I don’t think that’s a good thing when a person is married to this one and starts seeing someone whilst they’re still married. Ain’t right.”
“Different generation maybe,” Starnes said.
“You can say that again,” Adam added. “Anyhow, Abel and Lucinda got thick for a good while. I hated that for Cain’s sake. And I honestly thought that Abel would marry Lucinda as soon as the divorce ‘came final. It was like as soon as she was unfettered, he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Forbidden fruit tastes good whilst it’s forbidden. Then all of a sudden there was this other woman, what’s her name? I can’t remember….”
“Betty Jo Gentry?” Starnes offered as a question.
“Yeah, that’s the one. They were seeing each other, although he never would bring her around the house even though he lived here. They would spend most of their time over in Tennessee, I reckon.”
“Did you think that he would marry Betty Jo?” Starnes asked.
“I didn’t know. He was so … oh, hell, I don’t exactly know how to phrase it. Couldn’t make up his mind. Going from one to another. I jest didn’t get it. Still don’t. Said he loved her, that Betty Jo person, but then, he said that about Luci as well. At least he once told me that. But then Mina Beth came back into the picture,” Adam said.
“When did that occur?”
“Oh, gosh, I can’t say for sure. Let me think here a moment. Sometime during the summer, I think. But you know, now that I think about it, it seems that he was still making frequent trips to Tennessee …,” Adam stopped his thought when Evelyn appeared in the doorway to the living room.
“He was going every other Friday night to Tennessee,”
Evelyn spoke from the doorway. “When he didn’t go there, he would be seeing Mina Beth. If you ask me, he was stringing those two women along for the ride. He just could not for the life of him make up his mind about which one. Or, maybe he was just wanting to have his cake and eat it too.”
When she finished her point, she turned and went back into the kitchen.
Adam stared at the space Evelyn had vacated as if he were pondering her words, then looked back at us.
“I had no idea that she was payin’ any attention to what Abel was doin’. I guess that shows what a man notices. Evelyn don’t talk much about the boys anymore. Says it’s too hard.”
“Yeah,” Starnes said.
“May we see his room?” I said to Adam.
“Why, yes.”
He stood up and motioned for us to follow. As he was leaving the living room, he suddenly stopped, turned back towards the front window and looked out. It was dusk, but you could still see shadows outside even after the sun had set. The two dogs were sitting down facing each other, communing no doubt on some level beyond the scope of human understanding. Adam shook his head once again.
“Damnest thing I ever seen,” he said and headed down the hallway. Starnes and I followed.
He paused in the doorway of a room, flipped on the light switch, and then stepped back to allow us to pass in front of him.
“I’ll be in the living room when you finish up,” he said.
Chapter Forty
The room did not look like the room of a thirty-year-old man living at home with his parents. But then, I have limited experience entering such rooms. He had a poster on one wall of Junior Johnson. On another wall he had a poster of Paris Hilton. She was almost wearing enough clothes to cover her body. The third and final poster on yet another wall was of Angelina Jolie advertising one of her movies in which she plays a comic book heroine. She had on sufficient clothing to cover her body, but it fit her as if it appreciated the opportunity of being attached to her. She had two guns that fit rather nicely on both sides of her hips. My gun never fit either of my hips like that. Nor did my clothes act like they appreciated the opportunity I gave them.
There were no books on either of the two bookshelves. Instead of books, the shelves were heavy with model cars that presumably Abel had built as a young boy. I did see a stack of comic books, so at least there were some reading materials. The desk was neat with nothing out of place. That is to say, there was nothing of note on the desk except one small photograph in a cheap, gold-colored frame. It was a photo of Mina Beth Cody standing next to a tree near the river. She was naked except for one thing. She had a Luger in her hand aiming it at the person who took the photograph. Wow. I doubt if most people who gazed at the photo noticed the Luger.
Our diligent search paid off and we found two additional items of importance. In the singular desk drawer, I found a bill of sale for the set of five German Luger 9mm pistols. On the paper was the fact that the guns dated back to circa 1908. The amount paid for the purchase of said Lugers was $6,000. In his small closet Starnes found two lined box cases stacked in Abel’s closest that were the carrying cases for two of the Lugers. One case was empty. The other case contained a Luger.
The empty case had a note inside the box which had a name written on it and a date. It read Betty Jo Gentry, August 13th.
We went back to the living room after turning off the light.
“Did you know your son bought five German Lugers a few years ago?” Starnes said to Adam who was sitting in his chair by the front window reading a newspaper.
“Yes, I did. Spent a lot of money on those guns, as I recall.”
“Would you happen to know where the other four guns are?” Sometimes we sleuths will actually ask questions to which we already know some part of the answer. It’s a test to see what the person being asked might know. It’s also a test to see if the person being asked might lie.
“The other four?” he asked.
“Yes, there is one in his closest still in the original case. There’s also an empty case in the closet. The other three cases are gone. I can only assume that each gun came with its own carrying case,” Starnes said.
“Well, as a matter of fact, those guns all came in one large case. It was Abel that went out and bought those little individual cases. I reckon he did that because he was plannin’ to give ‘em away, you know, each gun was a gift. I don’t really know what happened to that first case. It’s round here somewhere, I reckon. I just know that’s what he done,” Adam explained.
“Do you know who received them?” I said.
“Those women in his life,” he said.
“Let’s see, that explains two of the weapons… Lucinda and Betty Jo. There’s a note in an empty case in his closet with Betty Jo’s name and a date. Then there’s the gun that Cain had. That’s three. What about the last two guns?”
“You didn’t see that photo on his desk of that Cody girl holding the gun?” Adam said.
“I noticed it,” I said.
“I ‘spect she got one of the guns,” Adam said.
“She could’ve been holding Abel’s gun for that photo,” I said.
“Yeah, maybe. But since he gave those other women one, might as well give her one, too. You could assume that, I guess. And, I think the other gun was stolen.”
“It wasn’t stolen,” Evelyn spoke again from her position by the entrance to the living area when coming from the kitchen. “That gun that Cain had was one that I took from the closet and gave to him.”
“Mother!” Adam said. “What on earth?”
“He should’ve given Cain a gun. Those women didn’t need the guns. His brother was a hunter and he could use the gun. So, I gave him one. It was just one, what harm could it do?”
“You stole from your own son,” Adam chided.
“It’s not the worst thing I ever did,” she retorted.
“I reckon not. All this time I thought one was stolen. You’re the one who told us someone broke into the house and stole it,” Adam said.
“I lied. It was my boy. I asked Abel to give his brother one, but he just laughed at me. Laughed at me, his mother and all. So I stole it and gave it to Cain.”
Evelyn turned and walked back into the kitchen.
“That accounts for three … no, four of the Lugers,” I said. “Lucinda had one, Betty Jo had one, Mina Beth Cody maybe had one, and Cain had one.”
“Don’t forget Abel kept one for hisself,” Adam added.
“Okay, that would be all five,” I said still wondering. “We need to verify that Mina Beth Cody received one of the Lugers.”
“Don’t know for sure,” Adam said. “But, it’d be my guess.”
“Any one else you can think of that he might have given one of the guns?”
“Nope.”
“Thanks for your cooperation,” Starnes said. “We need to be going.”
“Don’t rush off, you two can stay and have some stew with us.”
“We wouldn’t want to impose on you. You’ve been kind enough to answer our questions and allow us to look around,” she said.
“You’re welcome to stay and eat,” Adam said to us. “Eve, you got enough stew for these two hungry ladies to join us?” he called out in the direction of the kitchen.
“You know I do, Adam. Tell ‘em to wash up. Vittles are ready. I’m takin’ the bread out of the oven at this very moment,” she called back.
As we turned to go to the bathroom to wash our hands, Adam pulled us aside.
“One more thing,” he began, “Abel didn’t use guns like his brother as far as I know. I’ll bet you he was savin’ that fifth gun in case he ever met another woman he liked. He did like the women, you know.”
I figured that Adam was speaking about the gun that Evelyn had stolen and given to Cain.
Adam chuckled at what he thought was a funny comment.
Chapter Forty-One
Halfway through Evelyn’s scrumptious stew composed of chicken, lamb, beef, c
arrots, potatoes, green peas, field peas, green beans, corn, and some other vegetables I did not recognize, I thought of the photograph sitting on Abel’s desk as well as the comment that Adam had made to me about what you look at when you look at that photograph.
I put my large spoon down and stood up.
“With your permission, I need to be excused for just a moment. May I go back to Abel’s room and look at something?”
“Sure,” Adam said. “Just don’t stay too long and let your stew get cold. That cornbread will get cold, too.”
“Be right back,” I said and left the kitchen.
I picked up the photograph and stared at the background behind Mina Beth’s naked body. I think it’s easier for a woman to look past a naked feminine form. Starnes entered the room.
“Couldn’t keep your mind off the photograph,” she said.
“Yeah, but not what you think.”
“I’m thinking nothing in particular. What’s on your mind with this photo?”
“Look at that background,” I said and handed her the framed photograph. “I missed it the first time.”
“Quite understandable,” she said. “I wish I had a body like that. What is it I am looking … holy cow!”
“Yeah. That’s what I’m looking at.”
Behind the lovely body of Mina Beth Cody was the campfire where we had found the discarded sleeping bag, a pair of old boots, empty tin cans beans, and some empty bottles of Old South Whiskey. Partially obscured by the loveliness of Mina Beth but still visible was the sleeping bag and one of the boots. On the ground near her left foot was a bottle of Old South Whiskey. The screw top was missing and it appeared that the bottle was empty.
“Hand me that stack of comic books in front of you,” I said to Starnes.
“You didn’t go through these earlier?”
“No, I just made a quick scan and noted that they were comic books.”
“You looking for something in particular?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” I said as I opened the fourth one down and found an envelope of photographs. I laid out the pictures one at a time on the desk.
When Blood Cries Page 21
