Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction (44 page)

Martha
Maye went still as a statue. The color drained from her face. “You mean to say that John Ed’s behind all this? No, I can’t believe it. It can’t be.”

“
I’ll bet there’s proof in the floorboards at the bank. Willy must be workin’ for him, but what I don’t know is how they knew that
we
knew.”

Martha
Maye blinked back tears. “I know how they knew.”

“
How?”

“
After y’all left with the trunk last night, I thought Henry Clay acted kinda strange. He was real antsy, ya know? And then, all of a sudden he had to go home and check on somethin’.”

“
You mean you think Henry Clay was in on it?”

“
I don’t know, I’m just tellin’ ya what happened last night,” Martha Maye said.

“
So you think one of them was at my house last night, watching us?” She thought of Jack and her rolling around on the floor and blushed. “Oh my . . . “

The
ladies heard a car drive up outside, and they looked up to see Henry Clay getting out of his car.

“
Well, shave my legs and call me smoothy,” Martha Maye whispered, bug-eyed. She stared out the window at Henry Clay like she was in a trance. “I heard Willy say he was callin’ the boss. Now Henry Clay shows up here. Tessie, you don’t think . . . “

“
Yes, I do think, Martha Maye. I think Henry Clay’s in this up to his eyeballs. Quick—get back under the tarp, and try to make it look like you’re still tied up. I’m going to grab a crowbar and hide on the side of the truck. Hopefully, they’ll think I’m still in the trunk. If we get the chance to get Henry Clay alone, I think we can take him. If you can, try to distract him and get him to turn his back to me. Just say . . . oh
I don’t know…
trunk
. When I hear you say that I’ll fly out and, whomp,” Tess made a practice hit into her palm, “I’ll hit him over the head. Hurry up, he’s coming. Oh, and don’t act like you know anything. Act like you think he’s here to save us.”

Martha
Maye lay back down, while Tess closed the trunk lid, covered her back up with the tarp, then climbed over the side of the truck and crouched down.

Loud
voices came from the office, but Tess couldn’t hear what was being said. Suddenly, the voices got louder, and Tess heard Henry Clay say, “Stay here. I wanna talk to ‘em first.”

First?
She heard footsteps coming toward the truck.

He
peeled back the tarp, and Tess could hear rustling and then, “Oh Henry Clay! I’m so glad you’re here! You gotta save us! Those men . . .” she began crying.

“
Shh . . . shush now, Mart. It’s gonna be okay. Tell me what
happened.”

Martha
Maye quickly relayed the events of the past thirty minutes, leaving out the fact that she knew Tess had been in the trunk, or that she was no longer in there.

“
So . . . what’s in the trunk?”

“
I don’t know. Why would they want it? Why’d they grab me and truss me up like a chicken?”

“
Martha Maye. I’ve known you all my life and been in love with you for over half of it. I think there’s something you’re not tellin’ me. Spill it.”

Martha
Maye sniffed, and her voice grew hard. “Why don’t
you
spill it, Henry Clay? Tell the truth, and shame the devil. Your granddaddy killed mine, didn’t he?”

Tess
heard feet shuffling. He let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, Mart,” he said softly. “Well, he and Brick Lynch. I don’t rightly know who actually pulled the trigger. But my granddaddy had aspirations of becomin’
president of the bank, and your granddaddy was goin’ to ruin that for him. He had to do it.” 

“
Oh no he didn’t, Henry Clay. Just like you don’t have to do this. Have you taken leave of your senses?”

“
Martha Maye, I promised him. I promised him I wouldn’t let the world find out it was him. I wanted to stop all this from gettin’ out, to save my family’s reputation, and because I love you.”

“
And I suppose you wantin’ to be governor dudn’t have anything to do with it.”

“
A scandal woulda ruined any chance of that, it’s true. I wanted to be somebody you’d be proud of. Things just got outta hand, is all. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“
You can stuff your sorries in a sack, mister! You ain’t right in the head. But even so, I know you don’t wanna hurt either of us. You gotta come clean and end this nonsense.”

“
Either of you? I thought you said you didn’t know what was in that trunk.”

“
Henry, stop your jibber-jabberin’. You can put a porcupine in a wood chipper, but you will not make maple syrup.”

“
What’s that supposed to mean?”

“
Means you are who you are. You gotcherself into a heap of poop, and you ain’t gonna come out smellin’ like a magnolia. What are
you gonna do? Kill Tess
and
me? And then what? You’ll have to kill Jack, and then Mama, and then—” she broke off and whispered,
“Butterbean.” She took in a shaky breath. “It’s time to stop all this,
Henry.”

Tess
peeked around the truck.

“
All right. If that’s how you feel.” Henry Clay stood with his hands on his hips and barked, “Willy!”

“
Huh?”

“
You cut the electricity off to these bay doors?”

“
Duh.”

“
Don’t you sass me, boy. Didja lock ‘em?”

“
Well, no, you didn’t say to do that.”

“
Do I have to tell you everything? Come out here, lock the doors, and throw me the key. Then you go find Jack. And Pickle. Bring ‘em on back here. Take my car.” Tess heard the sound of keys being caught in a hand.

Her
legs, back, and neck were hurting from being locked up in the trunk and from squatting behind the truck, so she knelt on her hands and knees, craning her neck around the back of the truck to see what was going on. She saw Henry Clay swipe his hand over his face, and she ducked back behind the side of the truck. Hearing squeaking and feeling the truck rock a bit, she figured he’d sat down on the tailgate. She thought about trying to strike him from that position, but decided against it.

Willy
locked both garage doors, and said, “Heads up, boss.”

Tess
heard a key fall on the concrete floor. Looking under the truck, she saw it had landed at Henry Clay’s feet, and Martha Maye got to it before he could. 

“
Let me have it, Martha Maye.” The truck rocked as Henry Clay stood up.

“
Why? So you can kill us?”

Crouching
on her hands and knees, Tess watched under the truck as Martha Maye’s feet moved backward toward the front of the bay.

“
Who says I’m gonna kill you?” He stepped toward her. She took another step back, and he followed, as did Tess, duck walking.

“
Well, what
are
you gonna do?” Martha Maye asked, continuing to back up toward the front of the truck.

“
I haven’t quite figured that out,” he said, following her.

“
While you’re figurin’, can we let Tess outta that TRUNK?” 

Tess
had slowly worked her way around the back of the truck, holding the crowbar, as they were moving toward the front. At the word, “trunk,” she leapt up and with all her might, hit Henry Clay over the head with the crowbar. He fell like a sack of potatoes.

The
office door sprang open, and Joe Bob called out, “HC?
Everythin’ okay out here?”

Tess
stepped over Henry Clay, putting her finger to her lips and
motioning to Martha Maye to keep moving toward the front of the truck. As Joe Bob came out to check on Henry Clay, they tiptoed to the front of the car that was up on hydraulics.

“
HC! Buzzard on a buzzsaw! What’d they do to you?”

When
Joe Bob bent down to check on Henry Clay, the women made a dash for the office. They pushed the big metal desk in front
of the door, just as he reached it and started pounding. Tess pulled
Martha Maye down in front of the desk two seconds before bullets started pelting the door.

Idjit
: noun \ idj-it\ idiot

He was acting like an id
jit.

[ 
July
2010  ]

“Cut the light off, Jack,” Lou said, as she walked ahead of Jack and Pickle out of the bookstore.

“
Lou, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding Martha Maye,” Jack said to reassure her.

“
She’d best be at home.” Lou locked the bookstore door. Without another word she took off to find Martha Maye as fast as her Easy Spirit Oxfords would allow.

“
I need you to think, Pickle. Where do you think Henry Clay might have taken Tess?”

“
I don’t know, sir. I really don’t. But if I had to guess, I’d say Willy’s in on it. I seen ‘em together, and here he comes.” He pointed down the street to Willy, who had parked and was walking toward them.

He
walked the half block to his prey, calling, “Mr. Wright!”

Wearing
a black denim jacket and black jeans, he walked up to Jack and said in an overly friendly tone, “Just the man I was lookin’ for. And if it idn’t his trusty sidekick, Boy Wonder. I’d say it’s very fortuitence . . . fortuit . . . lucky I found you, too.” 

“
It’s a hundred and forty-six degrees out here, Willy. Why’re you wearin’ a jacket?” Jack looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion. 

Willy’s
smile turned from friendly to threatening. He pulled a gun, keeping it partially hidden beneath his jacket, and said, “
Gotta keep this little piece of metal outta sight, Jack
. Now come on, let’s go.” Willy motioned with the gun for them to walk toward Henry Clay’s car.

“
Forget it, Willy. I’m not goin’ anywhere with you. And Pickle’s goin’ home.”

“
I don’t think that would be in the best interest of y’all’s health. Pickle, don’t you make a move, except over to that there car,” Willy snarled.

“
Uh, Jack, idn’t that Henry Clay’s car he’s drivin’?” Pickle pointed toward the Cadillac.

Jack’s
head whipped around from Pickle to Willy. “What in tarnation have you done with Tess?” Jack narrowed his eyes, still not budging.

“
Ah, the lovely Mizz Tess. That’s one fine woman, let me tell you. Had she chosen me over you, things might have turned out different. But she didn’t, and here we are—”

Jack
lunged for Willy, but the gun came up between them. “GUN trumps fists every time, Ratchetfoot.”

Jack
backed up slightly, glaring at Willy. “If you’ve so much as touched one hair on her head . . . “

Willy
laughed. “Ha! It don’t look to me like you’re in much of a position to be threatenin’ me, mister. Looka who’s got the gun and looka who don’t.”

Jack
started at Willy again, but the little man poked the gun into Jack’s stomach and said, “Ah, ah, ah! Mind your manners! I already killed one idjit this week. I don’t mind a’tall makin’ it two . . .” he glanced at Pickle, “…or three,” he said with a menacing grin.

“
Leave Pickle out of this,” Jack said through gritted teeth.

“
No can-do, buckaroo. Kid knows too much.”

“
Is John Ed in on this, too?”

“
Aw, hell no. That old coot’s a gutless wonder. Naw, he probably suspected who it was but didn’t want to find out he was right.”

“
So who did the mugging? You or Henry Clay?” Jack asked. “I mean, I need to thank whoever it was for the bump they put on the back of my head.”

“
Well you can thank me for that bump, Jack. Want another one? How about two this time? One, if you don’t stop askin’ so many questions and another one if you don’t start movin’ toward that car.” Again, he motioned with the gun, but this time he jerked his head toward the car too.

“
Where is she, Willy? What have you done with her?” Jack hissed.

“
Well if you’ll get in the car you can see for your galderned self.” Willy was getting exasperated.

“
Buddy, I will come back from the grave to personally take you apart piece by piece if you’ve so much as touched Tess with your pinky.”