Dumping Grounds (Joshua Stokes Mysteries Book 1) (20 page)

Wickedness abounds in this world, of that Joshua had no doubt. He had been in law enforcement far too long for his eyes to be blinded to it.

Small children saw no danger; that was why there were grownups to look out for them. However, he felt grownups should know the difference, be able to see it in situations and people, and know to avoid it if possible.

He was not saying dumb people deserved to be taken advantage of; dumb people were like children, they were gullible. Someone needed to look out for them too.

For some people, even smart people, there was no learning the difference between good and evil, especially when it concerned people they cared about, they wore blinders.

Some people were just plain evil, and folks who knew them well, still failed to see it.

Part of human nature is that people wear blinders where there loved ones are concerned. Joshua felt that many wore blinders where Tom Stringer was concerned.

In the last couple of hours, he had seen just how ruthless and uncaring Tom was toward others…

Within twenty minutes of his call for help, half of Wilmer and Moffettville had driven by Tom’s house trying to see what was going on. Their desire to know what happened obvious on their faces.

Some people were not the least bit reserved in showing their curiosity; they did not mind poking their nose where it did not belong. They outright stopped to ask what happened. Some of them had probably followed the deputy’s patrol cars, because they had the lights and sirens going as they sped to the residence.

The only people’s feelings Joshua was concerned about, were Tom’s family, his sisters and his mother; the old man had died several years back.

Joshua had a lot of respect for their father and their mother. He wondered how such good people could have spawned such rascals as Tom and Willie.

Pearl was a notch under them by his estimations. The rest of them seemed stable. Joshua was glad he had never had any children of his own. He would hate to think how they might have turned out.

“Lay back, Sheriff Stokes. I cannot treat this wound, if you don’t lie still,” Bonnie scolded. Bonnie Huggins was the emergency room nurse who rode the local ambulance. Joshua turned back on his side, grimacing as he did.

He was ready to get up and walk around.

“You are darn lucky it didn’t get past that rib and puncture your lung!” she exclaimed as she plucked the bullet out from under his skin and dropped it into a pan. “Darn lucky too, that there ain’t any bones broke. You have some tough ribs!” she exclaimed, “Could of been worse, a lot worse,” she said shaking her head. “You really need a couple of stitches in this wound, Sheriff. Turn the wrong way too quick and you might just bleed to death. You have to watch for infection too.”

“Can’t you just stitch it up,” Joshua asked. He knew Bonnie was chattering so much, because she was nervous.

“Why heck no, Sheriff, I ain’t no doctor.”

“Well then, you will just have to bandage it good and tape it up; I’m not going to the hospital.”

“I’ll do the best I can, Sheriff. Now, just be still a couple more minutes.” Bonnie said as she cut tape into small quarter inch strips, which she used to pull the two sides of the wound together. “This should pull it together and still let it get air. I will give you a shot of penicillin too, just don’t tell anybody; it could get me in trouble!”

“Yes, Ma’am, I mean no Ma’am, I won’t say anything.”

Someone walked up to the back of the ambulance drawing Joshua’s attention. He leaned his head to the side so he could look at them; it was Hannah, Tom’s sister.

“Are you alright, Sheriff,” Hannah asked. Joshua could tell that she was genuinely concerned, even though her brother lay dead, killed by him, not fifty feet from the ambulance. Tom’s body lay covered with a blanket waiting the arrival of the coroner.

“I’m sorry, Hannah. I never meant for it to go down like this.”

“I know you didn’t, Sheriff. I’ve known you all my life. I know you wouldn’t a shot Tom if you didn’t have to. I just hope Mama understands that too.”

Joshua did not know how to respond or even if he should respond. Hannah may have been thinking that last sentence aloud or it could have been a forewarning of some sort, he was not exactly sure what she meant by it.

“I’m fixing to go tell Mama. Tom’s wife called me and I told her under no circumstance to call Mama.”

“Like I said, Hannah, I hate that it happened, but I had no other choice.”

“I know, Sheriff, because I knowed Tom. It’s like the old saying goes. Ain’t no rest for the wicked. Tom was wicked. He was always contemplating something bad to do to others. Willie, he was just troubled and liked women and drink, but Tom, Tom is… was, evil. Sometimes, I believed he was the devils own spawn. I think Willie was the only person Tom ever really give a shit about.”

“Tell your mama that I’m real sorry, Hannah. I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me,” Joshua said sadly, and he truly meant it. Without another word, Hannah turned and walked away. Joshua laid there, his mind going over the events of the shooting. He knew he was going to have to write a report and he dreaded it.

He still needed to go out to the McGregor place and tell Roy that Cassie was dead, and that she was
not
fooling around with Tom, but that Tom had killed her because she rejected him when he made a pass.

He also needed to make sure that Joe Dyas’ family, his children knew that he was a hero, and that he died trying to protect Cassie Bohannon.

He also needed to notify Mister Bohannon about Cassie, but that was something he could assign to his deputies. Joshua knew that no matter what he wrote in his report or told folks, the facts would be twisted around to fit whatever folks wanted to fit them to. People had a habit of making up stuff to seem more important than they were.

“Ain’t no rest for the wicked… I reckon I might be wicked too, seems I never get enough rest,” Joshua mumbled aloud without realizing it.

“Aw, you ain’t wicked Sheriff. You’re just a servant of the people. Servants don’t get no rest you know,” Bonnie said softly, patting his side, which made him grimace again.

“Are you about done with me?”

“Yes, Sir, done as much as I can do; the rest is up to you and the good Lord.”

“Thank you, Bonnie. I appreciate your patience with me. I know I’m a pain in the ass, but I don’t like doctors or hospitals.”

“But, nurses is fine, huh?”

“Yes, Ma’am, mighty fine,” Joshua said, mustering a smile and giving her a wink, which caused her to blush.

“You take care now, Sheriff, and if you need me you just holler.”

“I will indeed, if I need to.” Joshua climbed out of the ambulance just as a news crew drove into the yard. “Damn buzzards, they even beat the coroner out here,” Joshua mumbled as he walked toward John Metcalf.

“Glad to see you didn’t get yourself killed,” Metcalf said as Joshua neared him.

“It was a close call though, Hoss. Closer than some of the others if you ask me; but what I wanted to tell you was that Joe Dyas died trying to keep Tom from molesting Cassie after she rejected his advances.”

“Sheriff, what do you want us to do about this news crew?” Deputy Cook asked as he walked up, interrupting his and John’s conversation.

“Just tell them there was an altercation and alcohol was involved, and that is all we know at this time. Keep it brief and simple, and under no circumstances try to answer any other questions. You hear me,” Joshua said firmly, making Cook have eye contact.

Joshua knew how the reporters were and some of them would blow it all out of proportion if it suited them.

“Yes Sir, will do,” Deputy Cook said, pivoting on his heel and heading in the direction of the waiting press.

“Look, John, you are good at your job. You wrap this up out here; I am headed to inform Roy about Cassie-”

“So, Roy’s alive!”

“Yes. He was on his way to Houston, Texas, when all that went down at his house. He takes his daddy out there every few months to visit with Race McGregor, who is in prison out there for smuggling people and drugs across the border. I found Roy out at his daddy’s place; they had just got back from Texas.

I told him to stay put until I come back to let him know it was all right to leave.”

“Good job, Sheriff. You’re damn good at your job. That ought to help when reelection comes up.”

“I’m retiring, John. I’m getting too damn old for all this shit,” Joshua said placing his hand on his ribs. “Yep, too damn old.” About that time, Deputy Jim Davis came striding up to Joshua and John.

“Sheriff, I was just talking with the dispatcher and she told me that Pearl Carr came into the station today and filed a missing persons report on her daughter Emma. Seems she might have been missing for a few days now.

The dispatcher said something about Pearl working graveyard and the other kids being gone to school when she got home and they didn’t know she was missing until today, when her mama was off work.”

Joshua’s conversation with Pearl at the truck stop comes back to him as he listened to Davis give the details.

The thought had already crossed his mind that something wasn’t right with what Pearl had said about Emma’s employer calling about her not showing up for work.

“Davis, I hate to say this, but it will have to wait a bit. When you get through booking Johnny Treble, go have a talk with Pearl Carr. Get all the details she can give you on her daughter. Talk to her brother and sister too; maybe they will know something.

Tomorrow morning, go talk to any of Emma’s friends and coworkers that you can get up with. See if any of them know her whereabouts. I have to go talk to Roy McGregor.”

Joshua was about to pull out of the driveway when Cassie Bohannon’s car drove in. It was Roy and his father, Royce. Word had already reached them somehow.

Roy slammed on brakes and rolled his window down.

“I was just on my way out to talk to you.” Joshua told Roy.

“I am glad to see you’re alright, Sheriff. We heard you’d been shot!” Roy exclaimed and before Joshua could respond, he saw the reporter and cameraman fast walking toward them.

“Meet me out at the old hotel by the trestle,” he hollered to Roy and then took off out the drive.

Roy wheeled around, almost taking the cameraman with him, and followed Joshua to the river. Once parked, Joshua got out of his car and then stretched as best he could, considering how sore his ribs were.

While he was stretching, Roy and his father drove up, both got out of their vehicle too.

The first thing Joshua noticed was the fifth of whiskey that Royce held in his hand.

Joshua needed a drink; he needed it bad. He reached out toward Royce and Royce handed him the bottle. Joshua turned it up and took several swallows before he stopped to take a breath. He handed the bottle back to Royce and then turned to Roy.

“Roy, Cassie is dead” he blurted out. “She was murdered by Tom Stringer.”

“Motherfucker, I knew something was going on between those two,” Roy exclaimed, reaching for the whiskey bottle his father held.

“No, Roy, you’re wrong; it wasn’t like that. Cassie might have flirted with Tom, but she did not want anything to do with him, sexually. She was just flirting, probably trying to make you jealous; women like attention, Roy, especially from their men folk.

When Tom and Joe delivered the flowers, Tom made a pass at Cassie, she rejected him. Her rejection pissed him off, so he tried to take what he wanted. That was when Joe came in and tried to stop him.

Tom killed Joe, and then killed Cassie.”

“Do you mean to tell me that that nigger gave his life trying to save Cassie from being raped?”

“Yep, that is exactly what I’m telling you.. Joe Dyas was a good family man; he respected people.

He might not have been a very big man in the physical sense, but he had a big heart; it cost him his life.”

Joshua not only said all of that for Roy’s benefit but also for Royce’s benefit; Royce held a biased opinion of black folks.

“I hate to cut this short, you two, but it had been one hellava long day. I am ready to get to the house,” Joshua said as he tried to stretch his side once again. It felt as if it was drawing up into a tight knot.

“All right, Sheriff. I appreciate all you done, taking a bullet and all; saved me from having to kill that son-of-a-bitch myself!”

“It’ll be hard enough to pick up the pieces as it is, Son, you still got a long row to hoe,” Royce said, and Joshua knew Royce was right. People were not forgiving and they did not forget easily either.

Roy had had nothing whatsoever to do with Tom’s death, but some would blame him just because Cassie was his woman and she was involved.

“Worry about that when it comes to it. Just take it one day at a time, Roy, and try to stay out of trouble. I’m getting too damn old for all of these hard days and late nights.”

“Aw hell, Son, You’re still a pup,” Royce said friskily, “Suck it up and keep a goin’, you got many a good year ahead of ye.”

“I hope so, Royce, I truly do. I’m gonna head home, you two stay safe,” Joshua said as he got into his patrol car and headed home.