“Rodney Herbert is a politician first and a prosecutor second. He’ll use anything he can to discredit you in hopes of hurting your brother,” Cat said in disgust.
John leaned forward and his face in his hands.
“All I did was try to help her,” he said.
Cat took his glasses off and leaned backward.
“I know but she can’t see that. She wants to hurt you. Avalene’s forgetting that her husband and Doby Buchannan drug the flu back here with them from Virginia,” Cat said. “And I have this,” he added as he pulled out an envelope.
“What is it?” John asked.
“It’s an injunction barring you from practicing medicine in Kentucky until this matter is resolved,” Cat said in resignation.
John’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“How long will that take?” He asked.
Cat shrugged.
“Who knows? My advice is get a good lawyer,” he said.
John nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll do that. I need to call Bob too and let him know about this so he won’t be blindsided,” he said.
“It’s a damn shame,” Cat said in disgust as he tossed the envelope on a nearby writing desk.
***
Two weeks later, Junior pulled into the circle driveway in front of the Milner Estate. Joe stood outside to greet the special guest.
Junior got out of the car and hurried around to open the door. A bewildered looking woman stepped out.
“Mrs. Brummett, I’m Joe Milner. Let me offer my condolences on the passing of your husband,” he said as he took her hand.
“T—thank you Mr. Milner,” Avalene said as her head turned taking in the vastness of the estate.
“Would you like to step inside for some coffee? Mr. Herbert is here and I thought you would appreciate some privacy when he speaks with you in...more detail,” Joe said.
“You’re very kind,” she said as Junior turned his head to roll his eyes.
Joe extended his arm for her to take and Avalene joined him in walking into the mansion.
“That is a lovely dress. I do like the way that light blue pattern brings out your eyes,” Junior overhead Joe saying as they stepped away.
He leaned back against the car and looked around. The place was a great deal quieter with Lee gone. Even though it was quieter, it didn’t mean it was a better place. Joe was just as devious as his fugitive older brother and the newest Lee.
Junior was like everyone else in Crystal Springs. He heard the claims the Brummett woman was making and knew they were as false as Joe’s flattery. Doc Fulton was a good man and a good doctor. Junior didn’t know what was in the works but he knew if Joe was involved it wouldn’t be good for the Fulton family.
An hour and four cigarettes later, Avalene and Joe reappeared with Rodney Herbert in tow. Joe repeated his earlier niceties and helped her into the car. He motioned for to drive away.
Joe then turned to the prosecutor.
“Does she have a case?” He asked.
“Hell no,” Herbert said.
“Is there anything you can do to...see that she does?” Joe asked.
“It’ll be tough and it damn sure won’t be cheap,” Herbert said.
Joe pursed his lips and looked at the other man.
“Even for an old friend?” He asked.
“I’m not going to be the one to cost you. The cost will come in lining up enough of the right witnesses. Him and Doc Carter have helped a lot of people around here; enough to cast reasonable doubt against a conviction.” Herbert said.
“Doc Carter. I do believe I heard he’s the one who got Fulton started here in Crystal Springs,” Joe said.
“That’s the way I understand it. Why?” Herbert asked.
“Maybe if you threatened Carter with an investigation and the threat of prison for him and his wife...maybe that would be a way to get to Fulton,” Joe suggested.
“Even if he does help I don’t see us getting a conviction,” Herbert said.
“I’m not worried about a conviction. I want his medical license. I want to run him out of town in disgrace unable to do what he wants for a living. I want him to know what it feels like to be an outcast; always on the outside looking in. It’s a special kind of prison from which there’s no escape,” Joe said.
Herbert nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said.
***
A young Meyer Lansky sat across from Lee at a table in the backroom of a gaming house in New Orleans. He pointed to a third man at the table.
“This is my friend Ben Siegel,” Lansksy said, nodding to the handsome young man to his right.
“And whaddya do here?” Lee asked.
Siegel shrugged.
“I help Meyer wherever he needs me,” he said solemnly.
“So, what do you think of our little setup?” Lansky asked Lee.
“I like it. A lot of class for a clip joint,” Lee said.
“Hey! This ain’t no clip joint! Nobody gets cheated here!” Siegel said as he lunged across the table.
“Ben please,” Lansky said soothingly. “This man is a guest and a partner.”
Lee looked shocked by the sudden anger of the young man. He liked the boyish—looking hothead.
“No offense intended. We put up a lot of money. I just want to be sure it ain’t getting pissed away,” Lee said.
“This is a money maker,” Siegel said defiantly.
“I agree with my passionate friend. You will not regret your investment,” Lansky said.
“So you got some more of these places getting to open in Florida,” Lee said casually.
“Yes. Miami is a fabulous opportunity,” Lansky said.
“What if the Milner family wanted a piece of the action?” Lee asked.
“They would be welcome to buy in just as they did here,” Lansky said with an easy smile.
“Bigger stake available?” Lee asked.
“Always. Chance for bigger profits too,” Lansky said.
Lee smiled.
“We’ll be in touch. Now, if you good folks will excuse me, I believe I have a friend waiting in my room,” he said.
“Yeah, Marguerite’s a good worker. You have a real eye for talent,” Siegel said as he lifted his tumbler of scotch.
Lee nodded and smiled again.
***
Ed sat behind his desk in the old mine shaft and carefully read a ledger sheet.
“Numbers are pretty good all things considered,” he said.
Hill sat and chewed on a cigar. He didn’t dare light it inside the shaft.
“With so many men out of work they’re still finding ways to buy liquor,” he said. “I guess a man will always find a way to pay for his vices,” he said.
Ed looked up at him and saw the cigar. He started to say something and then his expression changed.
“You know something Hill? You’re a genius,” Ed said as pulled a tablet of paper from the desk and started scribbling.
“She-it, I tell Mae that all the time but she don’t wanna hear it,” Hill said with a chuckle.
“Tell the kid to get the car ready. I need to get back to the house. I got some calls to make,” Ed said.
Less than thirty minutes later, Ed was at his desk in his living room, holding the candlestick telephone in his right hand.
“I’m gonna get a cup of coffee. You want one?” Hill asked as he headed toward the kitchen.
Ed nodded before he started talking on the phone.
“Dill? This is Ed. I need you to do something for me. Check and see if any of the closed distilleries in Kentucky are up for sale. And check on any available tobacco farms – especially the ones with lots of acreage. Yeah. And get back to me as soon as you can,” he said and then placed the receiver on the hook.
Hill sat the mug of hot coffee next to Ed’s left hand.
“Whadya got cookin’ now?” He asked.
Ed smiled.
“Prohibition ain’t gonna last forever. W
e can start barreling our liquor and storing in a warehouse. When prohibition ends, we’ll have product ready to go,” he said.
“Makes sense. How about the tobacco farms?” Hill asked.
“We’re going to start growing it and selling it. With what you smoke alone will keep us in business,” Ed said.
“I thought we was already makin’ good money,” Hill said.
“We are but it never hurts to make more,” Ed said. “And it will all be legal.”
John and Cat sat across the desk in Rodney Herbert’s cramped office in the Fuson County Courthouse. Both men were stunned by the offer the Commonwealth’s Attorney just made.
“That’s my deal gentlemen. Take it or leave it,” Herbert said.
Cat took his wire frame glasses off and shook his head in disbelief.
“How can you prosecute me and my wife? We haven’t done anything but try to help people?” He asked.
“Not only did you introduce Mr. Fulton to the community and add him to your practice, you allowed him to continue to practice medicine even when he was intoxicated,” Herbert said he held up a small stack of papers. “These are sworn statements from people who say that Mr. Fulton was drunk when he treated them. You and your wife are guilty of abetting his misconduct and you’re very lucky to get what I’m offering.”
John looked at the floor.
“We helped a friend just like we helped a lot of people around here. Just like Dr. Fulton,” Cat emphasized the word doctor, “has helped so many people in this community. Do you know how many people in this county would be dead without him?” Cat asked.
Herbert smirked.
“Forgive me if I doubt the veracity of your statement Dr. Carter. Mr. Fulton,” he emphasized the word mister, “couldn’t help his own wife. Maybe if he’d been sober he could have done something before it was too late.”
John looked up.
“I want you to understand something Herbert. You can take my license. You can lock me up. But if you ever mention my wife again, you won’t live long enough to see either of those things happen,” he said as the prosecutor blanched.
“Are you threatening me Mr. Fulton?” Herbert asked.
John shook his head.
“No, I’m simply making a promise to you,” he said.
“Make up your minds. Take the deal or I go to the grand jury. How bad would that look for your brother — not that this sorry episode will help him any,” Herbert said.
Cat shook his head again.
“Are you actually willing to hurt this whole community just for petty politics?” He asked.
“Criminal malpractice is not petty politics,” Herbert said.
“So if I surrender my license to practice medicine you’ll leave Dr. Carter and Vicki alone?” John asked.
“You have my word,” Herbert said smugly. “But I can’t control what the press will say and how it will affect your brother’s campaign. In the end it probably won’t much difference. He’s a Democrat so he’s already beat in this district.”
“No. We’ll take our chances with the grand jury,” Cat said.
Herbert looked at him in shock.
“Y—you’ll lose,” he said.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But I am not going to let this go without a fight. It might cost us and it might cost Bob but it’ll cost you too,” Cat said.
John looked over to his mentor.
“Cat I appreciate what you’re doing but —” the older doctor cut him off.
“No, if Mr. Herbert wants to play politics, we’ll play politics,” Cat said.
“I can’t let you do this,” John said.
“You better listen to him Dr. Carter,” Herbert said.
“Bullshit. This ain’t about you John. This about some tinhorn politician wanting to throw his weight around,” Cat said.
“I’ll give you until tomorrow to reconsider. After that, I’ll make sure neither one of you will be allowed to treat a sick mule in Kentucky,” Herbert said.
The two doctors left the courthouse and made the short walk back to their office. Unbeknownst to them, a man waited on the corner and watched them enter the office. The man stepped inside the City Drug Store and walked into a phone booth.
As Cat started explaining things to Vicki, the telephone rang.
“It’s for you,” Vicki said as she handed the phone to John.
“This is Dr. Fulton,” John said as he silently wondered how much longer he could say that.
“Doc, I gotta talk fast. This is Junior. There’s something you need to know.”
As Junior spoke, John’s expression changed from curiosity to a wide smile.
Did you love Moonshine, Coal, and Hope: A Kentucky Yarn? Then you should read Stolen Memories: Assassin's Redemption by Richard Allen Evans!
Dr. Adam Eastland, an aging history professor has a secret: He is a government-trained assassin known as the "Ghost" and he was involved in some of the most infamous murders of the 20th Century. He is called upon to do a job for an old client - kill a member of a prominent Tennessee family.
Beau Fullbright is a detective in a rural East Tennessee county who is finally starting to see his life come together when he crosses paths with the Ghost and a family as corrupt as it is powerful.
It's a wild ride as Fullbright finds love and becomes embroiled in the investigation of the man who killed Martin Luther King, Jr.
The story kicks off the first book of the Stolen Memories series.
About the Author
Richard Allen Evans is a sports journalist originally from Kentucky now residing in East Tennessee.
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