Sintown Chronicles I: Behind Closed Doors

by David O. Dyer, Sr.

  “Like I told the detectives who came to the house last night, I saw him twice in the clinic about my pregnancy. That was it."

  “Oh? Someone said you met him for lunch in the diner a couple of times."

  “Well, yes, I did. The first time he wanted to talk with me about my intention to have an abortion. That was when he told me that you, Jo, want a baby but cannot have children of your own. The second time, yesterday afternoon, he told me he was going to approach Dr. McGee about letting you have the baby. He said Dr. McGee and her lawyer sister would know how to handle things legally."

  While Jo was preparing supper, Leora placed a telephone call to an old friend living in a Florida retirement village. After exchanging greetings and catching up on personal histories, Leora said, “Sunny, in addition to checking out this Swanson woman with your police chief friend, see if you can turn up anything on a man named Alfred Young. He is, or was, a nurse practitioner."

  When Leora retired for the night, she wrote on the first page of a legal pad borrowed from Randy:

  The murder of Alfred (Al, Spud) Young -

  Found floating in Lake Norman—naked—hands bound behind back—bullet hole in back of head

  Mob execution?

  Detective Borders—looks stupid—an act—probably brilliant

  Penny Swanson—knew deceased as medical advisor only?—I doubt it—knows more than she is telling—could see it in her eyes—is trying to extort money for baby from Randy and Jo?—who gave her the idea?—Alfred (Al, Spud) Young?

  Leora slipped the legal pad under her mattress, carefully placed her rimless bifocals on the bedside stand and dropped off into a pleasant sleep, completely forgetting to take her sleeping medication.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Leora was not pleased that it took a week for her to get settled in, her bank accounts transferred to Dot and to purchase a new car, but she smiled contentedly as she drove the hunter-green Toyota through the streets of Dot. Getting Randy to agree to let her drive was more difficult than she expected. She promised that she would turn in her driver's license if she should have an accident caused by an attack. Buying a Toyota just like theirs obviously pleased both Jo and Randy. The only differences were color and the CD player that Leora did not have added to her vehicle.

  The new car aroma was intoxicating. She was determined not to let anyone ruin that rich fragrance by smoking cigarettes in her vehicle—not even herself. She pulled to the side of the road and consulted her map. She confirmed that she made a wrong turn at the last crossroad, made a U-turn and drove to the home of Billy Morgan's mother.

  The haggard looking woman was just getting out of her beat up old pickup when Leora arrived.

  “Mrs. Morgan?” Leora greeted.

  “Who wants to know?"

  “My name is Leora Nickels—Randy Nickels’ mother,” Leora said as she offered her hand.

  “Don't rightly reckon I know no Randy Nickels,” Mrs. Morgan replied as she reached into the cab of the truck for a bag of groceries, ignoring Leora's proffered hand.

  “Let me help you with that,” Leora said, taking the bag from Billy's mother.

  Mrs. Morgan looked at her visitor a moment, then retrieved a second bag from the truck's cab. “Name's Vera,” she said.

  As the two women approached the rundown shack in which Vera lived, Leora said, “My daughter-in-law, Jo Nickels, is the one who is going to adopt Penny Swanson's baby."

  Vera pushed open the unlocked front door and snapped on the naked light bulb dangling from the living room ceiling. “Didn't know Penny was expecting."

  “Yes. The baby is due in August."

  The women carried their burdens to the kitchen of the four-room house. “Set, if you like. I got no refreshments to offer you."

  “I understand Billy is living with Penny and helping her with the greenhouses."

  “I don't know about the helping part. Seems to me like he does all the work and she gets all the money. I reckon she spends some of it on him."

  “I should think,” Leora said, “that with as many greenhouses as they have there would be plenty of work to keep both of them busy full time."

  “Don't think so. Billy's strong and loves to work with plants. He's not real bright, but he knows more about raising vegetables than Penny does."

  “So you think Billy does all the work but Penny doesn't pay him a salary?"

  “You can see I am poor folks. After Billy moved in with Penny, I asked him to help me out a little. He said she didn't pay him no money."

  “Then why do you let him keep living with her and working for her?"

  “You wouldn't understand. Penny's the only person who ever cared anything about Billy, except me. She learned him to read and play basketball and talk right. Billy likes her. He's happy. I can't do nothing for him."

  “Do you think Penny is having sex with Billy?"

  “Haven't thought about it, but she probably is. He's a good-looking boy. He used to take his thing out and whack it several times a day. Didn't matter where he was or who was watching. He don't do that no more. She's probably keeping him satisfied like I used to do for his pa."

  “Do you mind if I smoke?” Leora asked.

  “Not if you'll give me one. I ain't smoked a cigarette all day.” Vera produced an ashtray and put it on the kitchen table for the two of them to share. “You think Penny's baby might be Billy's and you don't like it worth a shit, do you? Don't want no retarded grandchild, do you?"

  “To be perfectly honest, I do think Billy might be the father and, no, I don't want a retarded grandchild. Do you think you could ask Billy if he's the father?"

  “Ain't never talked with Billy about sex and ain't never going to. Why don't you ask Billy or Penny?"

  “I haven't met Billy yet. Penny told me a tall tale about who the father is. Her story is so unlikely I don't believe it."

  “Who'd she say? Amos Stone?"

  Leora's eyes widened.

  Vera laughed. “If that's the man she named you can believe it. The bastard and his friend, Pete Harlow, used to do me here, and here, and here. They'd stick pins in my nipples and whip my behind with belts. They even took movin’ pictures of the whole thing."

  Leora's eyes bulged. “Why..."

  “Why would they want to do me? I had a nice figure back then."

  “No,” Leora responded. “Why did you let them do those horrible things to you?"

  “Didn't have no choice. My old man owed Mr. Harlow a bunch of money. Making a whore out of me was the only way we could pay off the debt. My old man made me do it, but I got even. I killed the son-of-a-bitch."

  “What?"

  “Well, maybe I didn't kill him, but I could have saved him when the tractor turned over on him, but instead I just went back home and left him to die."

  Leora touched Vera's hand. “You've had a hard life."

  Vera shrugged her shoulders. “It's God's will."

  “You don't believe that, Vera."

  “No, cause I don't believe in God no more. If there was a God he wouldn't have let that Amos Stone do what he done."

  “Then you think Amos might be the baby's father?"

  “Could be. He probably made Penny do him in exchange for room and board. Is that what she told you?"

  “Something like that.” Leora dug into her purse, but Vera stopped her.

  “Don't take charity, but I thank you all the same. If you need housecleaning done, let me know. I'm good and I give an honest day's work."

  “I do have to leave now, Vera, but I may have some work for you before long. I'm trying to talk my son and daughter-in-law into buying a new house. We're all going to be pretty busy and could use some help with household chores.” Leora made her way through the bleak living room, intentionally leaving her pack of cigarettes on Vera's kitchen table.

  * * * *

  “Good morning,” Leora said when Penny finally opened the door.

  “What the hell do you want?” Penny asked.

&n
bsp; “I want to talk with you a few minutes."

  “What about?"

  “The baby."

  “I don't have anything to say to you.” Penny started to close the door.

  “If you want money for your baby you'd better talk to me. Randy and Jo don't have the resources. I do."

  “What do you want to know?"

  “May I come in?"

  Penny hesitated and then stepped aside. Leora took off her coat and sat on the sofa. “Are you having sex with Billy Morgan?"

  “Hell, no. What do you take me for?"

  “I take you for a lying two-bit extortionist. That's what I take you for, and somewhere in all this, Al Young is involved. You're probably having sex with no telling how many men in Dot, you killed Mr. Young, and your baby's father is the retarded boy you have living with you."

  “You're full of shit, you old bitch. Get out of my house."

  “I'll pay the fifty thousand if you can prove that Billy is not the baby's father."

  “I told you that my uncle, Amos Stone, is the father."

  “And I don't believe you. From what I've heard, Amos Stone was not that kind of man."

  “You want proof, you old biddy? You keep your ass right where it is. I'll give you proof."

  Penny unlocked the study door and went inside for a couple of minutes. When she emerged, she was waving a videocassette. “Here's your damn proof,” she said. She switched on the TV and VCR, inserted the tape and punched the play button.

  Penny sat down beside Leora. “The white-haired man is Pete Harlow. The steel gray-haired man is my uncle."

  “How do I know that is your uncle?"

  “There's his damn portrait on the wall,” Penny yelled.

  Leora agreed that the man in the portrait was the man on the videotape. She thought the woman in the tape looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place her. Leora watched the woman's clothes stripped away and her struggling body strapped onto a table, legs splayed. Stone sexually assaulted the woman vaginally and the other man brutally attacked her orally. She forced herself to watch as the two men urinated on the weeping woman in the video. Two pair of pliers appeared in the men's hands and Pete Harlow began to pinch the woman's nipples while Amos Stone ripped away her pubic hair.

  Leora could not stand the sound of the woman's screams. “Turn it off,” she said, covering her ears. “Turn it off."

  Penny clicked off the VCR. “Satisfied?” she asked smugly.

  Leora took a deep breath. Vera was telling the truth, she thought.

  “Well, you old bitch,” Penny hissed, “are you satisfied now?"

  “Did you get the idea for extortion from Amos Stone or Alfred Young?” Leora asked.

  “You've worn out your welcome,” Penny said as she walked to the door and opened it.

  Leora climbed into her Toyota and breathed deeply of the new car scent. She slowly drove away from the house, noticing for the first time the numerous greenhouses to the side and rear of the structure. She found an old logging road between the trees that lined the side of Penny's front lawn and pulled into it far enough to hide her car from the road. She got out and carefully made her way through the woods.

  She slipped inside the nearest greenhouse and paused to catch her breath. Along the back of the Plexiglas tent-like building, she spotted a row of green cabinets. After carefully checking to make certain she was alone, Leora made her way to the cabinets. Open padlocks dangled from all the doors. She examined the cabinets, one by one, and found all but the last to be empty. In the final cabinet was a crumpled piece of paper. She unfolded and read it.

  Penny,

  You've found it. Now destroy it all—the tapes and the money. Don't look at the tapes. Believe me its best for you not to see what's on them. Burn the money. It's filthy money. It can only bring you grief.

  You must be asking yourself why I didn't destroy the tapes and the money myself. I have no answer other than I am a weak man. Don't you be weak, Penny. Destroy it all.

  Love,

  Uncle Amos

  Leora exclaimed under her breath, “Holy horsehair!” She neatly folded the note and placed it in her pocket. Hearing sounds just outside the entrance to the greenhouse, she dropped down on her hands and knees and crawled under one of the supporting tables on which vegetables were growing. She was in the shadow of the table and hoped she would remain unseen, but she could clearly see Penny and a man she did not know come through the front entrance.

  “You're sure Billy's not here?” the man asked.

  “I told you. I sent him with the produce truck to Charlotte. He'll be gone at least another hour."

  “Penny,” the man said. “I understand why you are blackmailing me for five thousand a month. I'm cool with that. What I don't understand is why you insist on seeing me every week."

  “Simple,” she replied as she began to remove her clothes. “You have a nice dick and you know how to use it. Now get out of those jeans and make me a happy woman, Timothy Dollar."

  Holy horsehair! Leora thought. That man is Tim Dollar himself. The little slut is extorting money from him too. Hmm. He has a fine looking erection. Can't say as I blame her for wanting that. I wonder, could Tim be the child's father?"

  “Sorry I'm late, Jo. I was enjoying riding around so much that I lost track of the time,” Leora said as she slid into the booth at Dot's Diner opposite her daughter-in-law.

  “Don't tell me you've just been riding around for the past four hours, Leora."

  “Well, not the entire time. I did go back to the house I want you and Randy to buy and looked it over again. I wanted to talk to Mr. Dollar about it, and I did find him, but he was very busy."

  Jo started to inquire about the wry smile on Leora's face, but Dottie Frank interrupted.

  “Hello, Jo,” Dottie greeted. “It's nice to see you again. You too, Mrs. Nickels. Now what are you folks having today?"

  Leora's mouth dropped open. I wonder if her pubic hair ever grew back? she thought.

  * * * *

  Mack strolled down the center aisle of the sanctuary and spoke to the elderly woman sitting on the front pew. “Hello,” he said. “I'm the preacher here, Mack McGee. May I help you?"

  An hour later, Leora climbed into her new Toyota and breathed deeply of the wonderful aroma. “Holy horsehair!” she said aloud. “His eyes were filled with terror when I mentioned Penny Swanson to him. Sure as shooting he banged her too while she was his secretary. I wonder if he still does? Could he be the father? Is she blackmailing him too? The little slut has quite a racket going on."

  * * * *

  “It's so good to see you again, Angela. How do you like practicing medicine in Dot?” asked Leora when led into the tiny office of Dr. Wood.

  “I love it,” Dr. Wood responded, “and Mary Lou McGee is just wonderful to work with. Of course, she has seemed a bit despondent since Al Young's death. She even told me she felt like her world has come to an end. It's probably just that time of the month,” she joked.

  “I'm glad you're happy. You deserved something better than the old folks home. Speaking of old folks, will you be my doctor again?"

  Dr. Wood smiled. “I would if I could—you know that. You were my favorite patient."

  “I can be again. I've decided to move in with Jo and Randy after all."

  “That's wonderful,” Angela replied, perfect white teeth against her chocolate complexion making her smile absolutely delightful. “Of course I'll be your doctor again."

  “I'm feeling better than I have in years. This is a personal, not a professional, visit."

  “Uh-oh,” Angela laughed.

  “I need some information."

  “Playing detective again?"

  “Yes, but this time it's for real. I need to know who the father of Penny Swanson's baby is."

  “Leora, I know, but I can't divulge that information. Penny wants to keep the father's identity secret. She was Al Young's patient. Dr. McGee has taken over. She saw Penny the other day and immediat
ely afterwards told all of us to keep everything in Penny's file strictly confidential. Come to think of it, that was the first time I noticed how depressed Mary Lou seems to be."

  “Is the father Billy Morgan?"

  “So that's it. You're afraid the baby may be retarded."

  “Of course I am."

  “Well, I'm not going to reveal the father's identity, but you can stop worrying about the father being Billy Morgan."

  “I know who Penny says the father is, and I've uncovered some evidence that indicates she may be telling the truth, but I've also uncovered evidence that the father could be two other men in addition to Billy."

  “Come on, Leora,” Angela kidded. “Your imagination is working overtime."

  “Maybe,” Leora laughed. “What can you tell me about Alfred Young?"

  Angela dropped her smile. “That's a sad case. I liked the man and he seemed to be a very competent nurse practitioner."

  “Did he have any enemies that you know of?"

  “None."

  “What was his relationship with Penny Swanson?"

  “As far as I know, it was purely professional. He definitely is not the baby's father if that's what you are driving at. He came to Dot about the same time I did. Penny was already pregnant."

  “There was no social relationship that you know of—perhaps extending back to an earlier time?"

  “You're barking up the wrong tree, Leora."

  “Probably."

  Angela saw the disappointed look on Leora's face. “There is one thing about him that may interest you. He was a lousy record keeper."

  “What do you mean?"

  “We did a drug inventory two days ago. Some powerful narcotics are unaccounted for. It looks like Al was giving them out to some of his patients without recording the fact. We know that Sandra Dollar received some of the drugs. She came in yesterday asking for a refill."

  “Holy horsehair!” Leora said as she entered the wonderfully scented atmosphere of her new car. “Dr. McGee and Mrs. Dollar are also mixed up in this mess somehow."

  * * * *

  “You've had a busy day, Mrs. Nickels,” Detective Borders said as he placed a paper cup of tasteless coffee on his desk in front of her. He sat down and fingered the wrinkled paper. “You've done a better job on this investigation than we have. All we've come up with is an unlikely tale from a very unreliable informant."