Countdown (25 page)

‘Harmon just called,’ Jewel said as she walked in and took her place on the chaise lounge.

‘So did Milt. What did yours have to say?’

Jewel shrugged but her expressive lips were in a downward position. ‘Not much. He’s having a great time.’

‘Missing you?’

Jewel sighed. ‘Not so you’d notice.’

Jean used one crutch to lever herself up from the bed and hobble to the chaise. She pushed Jewel’s legs down and sat at the end of the lounge. ‘You’re right. He doesn’t care that you’re not there. He’s probably planning a divorce,’ she said, looking directly at her sister-in-law, her eyebrows raised and a grin playing across her lips.

Jewel missed those cues; instead, her eyes got big and tears quickly brimmed in them.

Jean patted Jewel on the leg. ‘See how silly that sounds?’ Jean laughed. ‘I’ve never seen a man so in love with his wife after this many years of marriage. You doofus!’

‘Did you just call me a doofus?’ Jewel said.

‘Why, yes, I believe I did.’

Jewel leaned forward and hit Jean on the arm. Jean laughed. ‘I’ll call you more than that if you don’t snap out of it! Be thankful he’s having a good male bonding experience. It’s time Harmon and Milt got better acquainted. Just the two of them.’

Jewel shook her head. ‘Well, I hope that’s what’s happening. Milt never did like Harmon. Ever since I was a kid.’

‘He’s been over that for years. And he has regrets, you know that.’

‘His one real regret,’ Jewel said, ‘was insisting I marry Henry when I got pregnant with Leonard, but I don’t regret that. I wouldn’t have my two other children if he hadn’t insisted.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t imagine how different my life would have been if I hadn’t married Henry. No, Milt should never regret that. I don’t.’

‘Listen,’ Jean said, her head bent, ‘I was thinking that I probably won’t go home tomorrow. I’ll go to the airport with you but then take a taxi back to town and find a hotel.’

‘That conversation outside the elevator yesterday, right?’

Jean shrugged. ‘I guess.’

‘No. I’m not going home either and neither of us can get much done if we’re in a hotel downtown instead of here in the house.’

Jean laughed. ‘I think we might have outstayed our welcome.’

‘How?’ Jewel demanded. ‘We’re hardly ever around the family! I think that’s been our first mistake! We need to interact with them more. And, by the way, you were right the first time. I’m sure Paula was sexually abused. And I think it’s still going on.’

We were watching Sunday night TV when the phone rang. I left the living room to answer it in the kitchen. ‘Hello?’ I said cleverly.

‘Sheriff, what in the hell kind of a place are you running down there?’ came an irate voice.

‘May I ask who’s calling?’ I said pleasantly.

‘This is Harry Joyner! I just talked to your clerk and I have a big question,
Sheriff
. Why isn’t my client on suicide watch?’

‘Pardon me?’ I asked, somewhat confused.

‘Suicide watch, you ignoramus!’ he shouted.

Now I’m not sure if ‘ignoramus’ is the same as calling me a bastard or a son-of-a-bitch, but it felt kinda like it. It’s against the law in this county to call an officer by anything other than a G-rated name. I wondered what the judge would say about ‘ignoramus’?

‘Why would we have him on suicide watch?’ I asked.

‘Because, you idiot’ – he said, just as I was thinking, yeah, maybe I should call the judge – ‘he just tried to commit suicide!’

‘Again?’

‘No!’ There was a deep sigh on the other end of the line. ‘Earlier. With the OxyContin. At the hospital.’

‘Hum. Well, we don’t keep Oxy-whatever in the cells – or at the station at all, truth be known. We took his shoelaces and he wasn’t wearing a tie. The cheap linens the county gives us don’t actually tear – they don’t burn either, just let off a toxic gas – so I don’t see how he can hang himself. Nothing in there to stab himself with. If you’re thinking he should be having someone in there watching him twenty-four/seven—’

‘That’s exactly what I’m thinking!’ Harry Joyner yelled at me.

‘Well, OK, then, I’ll let my deputy know you’re on your way down and to put some extra linens in the adjoining cell. Sound reasonable?’ I asked.

There was silence on his end of the line for about a full minute before he said, ‘You’re a real piece of work, Sheriff.’

‘Thank you. I’ve been told that before,’ I said.

Then he hung up on me. I didn’t call Dalton. I didn’t expect Drew Gleeson’s brother-in-law was headed our way.

Next morning, when I got to the shop, I was glad to see that Gleeson was still alive – not that I thought he wouldn’t be, but a little part of me wondered if he had a lighter or matches and if the fumes from the bed linens really did give off a toxic gas. Be just my luck.

Anthony and Nita were on day duty and I sent Anthony out to get the pizza delivery guy who had been in the cells with Darrell, and Nita out to get Jasper Thorne, Drew Gleeson’s EMT partner. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but you just never know. That’s why we law enforcement professionals keep plugging away – interview anybody who coulda seen anything; follow down every possible lead. Question everything.

Nita and Jasper Thorne got to the office first. I had Nita set up the equipment in the break room, get Jasper the soda of his choice and take him into the interrogation room – which this time really was just an interview room. But I wanted it all on tape, just in case I missed something – or Nita, watching from the break room, missed the same thing. Always have back-up. It’s in the handbook.

I went in and Jasper stood, a Dr Pepper in his left hand. We shook. ‘Thanks for coming in, Jasper. I appreciate it,’ I said, taking a seat as Jasper resumed his. ‘I suppose you heard about Drew?’

‘Yes, sir,’ he said. ‘I heard.’ No editorializing on Jasper’s part. This was gonna be a long interview.

‘Why do you think he did that?’ I asked.

‘I wouldn’t rightly know.’ And, as an afterthought, ‘Sir.’

‘He into gambling, drugs, alcohol?’ I asked.

Jasper shrugged. ‘I have no idea,’ he said.

‘Did you know he was having an affair with Joynell Blanton?’

‘Who?’

‘Joynell Blanton. You know, the wife of the dead guy,’ I said, trying not to grit my teeth. ‘And please stop fucking around.’

The use of the ‘F’ bomb got his attention. ‘We aren’t exactly close, me and Drew,’ Jasper said. ‘I don’t know about any girlfriends or anything.’

‘But did you suspect?’ He didn’t respond. ‘Surely something he said or did over the past month or so led you to believe something was up one way or the other?’

Again, he shrugged. I decided to change the subject. ‘Do y’all carry digitalis in that bag y’all tote around all the time?’

He shook his head, a look of confusion on his face. That’s the way I like to do it – keep ’em on their toes. ‘Digitalis? No, sir. We don’t carry prescription drugs of any kind. If somebody needed that they’d get it at the ER, not from us.’

Well, shit, I thought. Score one for my wife. ‘You know of any reason why Drew would have digitalis on him?’

He shook his head again. ‘No, sir. Can’t imagine why.’

‘So he hasn’t been out of sorts since the time around the tornado last weekend?’

‘What do you mean, out of sorts?’ Jasper asked, obviously stalling. I know he knew exactly what ‘out of sorts’ meant.

‘Depressed? Moody?’

Jasper straightened up in his seat. ‘I’m not sure what you’re going for here, Sheriff. What exactly are you accusing my partner of?’

‘Right now he’s been arrested for stealing OxyContin from the hospital to try to kill himself.’

‘You think he didn’t try to kill himself? You think he wasn’t depressed? You think he was gonna try to sell that shit or something?’ His voice was getting louder and louder, and then he stood up. I stood up too, in case he took a swing at me. ‘I’ll tell you something! Yeah, the boy was depressed! So depressed he busted out crying, and yeah, it was over some woman! Coulda been that Joynell. He wasn’t stealing those drugs for any other reason than to off himself, Sheriff, and you and I both know it!’

‘Please have a seat, Jasper,’ I said, pointing at his vacated chair. He sat. I sat. ‘When exactly did he bust out crying?’ I asked.

‘When we were on our way to Bishop right after the tornado struck,’ Jasper said. ‘He had to pull over he was so upset. He just sobbed and sobbed and I didn’t do diddly squat to help him,’ he said, hanging his head. ‘I shoulda done something.’

I patted his hand. ‘There was probably nothing you could have done, Jasper. Did he ever mention Joynell or any other woman?’

He shook his head. ‘Naw, and I never saw him with anybody. Hell, it coulda been a guy for all I know.’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Drew’s gay?’ I asked.

Jasper shrugged. ‘Hell if I know. Who can tell nowadays? I’m just saying, I didn’t know diddly squat about his love life, except it obviously wasn’t going too well.’

It was my turn to stand up. I held out my hand and Jasper stood and shook it. ‘Thanks for coming in, Jasper. You’ve been a big help.’

‘I don’t see how I could be. Hey, can I go back and see Drew?’ he asked.

I shook my head. ‘Not right now. He’s on suicide watch,’ I said, thinking that sounded good.

It obviously did. Jasper nodded. ‘I understand,’ he said, and headed out the door. Nita was out there to meet him and drive him back to the hospital.

J
ean and Jewel came down to breakfast on Monday morning to find Vivian already there, tea and a croissant in front of her. Dru was slouched in a chair, her dirty, bare feet ruining the silk upholstery, a cup of her chi tea in both hands. Constance was at the buffet getting scrambled eggs and fruit. Jean propped one crutch against the wall and headed to the buffet on the other, leaving a hand free.

‘Don’t do that, my dear,’ Vivian Carmichael said. ‘Constance, ring for someone to help her.’

‘Thank you, Vivian,’ Jean said, ‘but I’m fine.’

Vivian sighed. ‘Well, if you don’t mind looking like an idiot, who am I to say otherwise?’

Jewel swung around, her face set to tell the older woman off, but Jean grabbed her arm, shaking her head slightly. Jewel frowned and turned back around.

‘Mother, you really know how to piss people off, don’t you?’ Constance said as she headed to the table.

‘What? I was just stating the obvious,’ Vivian said.

‘Oh, wow!’ Dru said, her tone sarcastic. ‘We can state the obvious now? That’s great! OK, here goes—’

‘Drusilla!’ Constance scolded.

Dru put down her tea and yelled, ‘Hey, Martha! Where’s my food?’

Jean and Jewel, plates loaded, headed to seats at the table just as Megan came in the room. True to form, Megan was immaculately dressed in crease-pressed khakis and a pink Polo shirt, with a white cardigan tied around her neck. Her blonde hair gleamed under the lights and her make-up was so perfect it almost looked as if she wore none – almost. In contrast to her twin, Dru was wearing baggy cut-offs, a torn sweatshirt a la the eighties movie
Flash Dance
, no makeup, was barefooted and still suffering from bed-head.

‘Good morning, darling,’ Constance said to Megan.

‘Morning all,’ Megan said, smiling at each person individually. Each person except her sister, whom she totally ignored. ‘I’m surprised you two are still here,’ she said, addressing Jean and Jewel. ‘I thought your plane left this morning.’

Jean sighed in preparation for the deceit she was about to perpetrate. ‘I got a call on my cell late last night. They’ve canceled our flight – not enough people. And there’s not another one until tomorrow.’

‘Not enough people?’ Constance said, frowning. ‘On a Monday? Monday flights are usually SRO for the business types. Oh! Do they have business in Tulsa?’

‘Of course,’ Jean said with a forced laugh. ‘But we don’t want to overstay our welcome. If we could get a ride into downtown, Jewel and I can try to find a hotel.’

Vivian slammed down her tea cup. ‘I won’t have it! I won’t!’

‘Mother?’ Constance asked.

‘You actually questioned the validity of our guest’s statement and I will not have it!’ Turning to Jean and Jewel, she smiled, but it never reached her eyes. ‘You will of course stay here. When is your flight tomorrow?’

‘Not until six in the evening, but we can’t continue to impose—’ Jean started.

‘No imposition at all, my dear. None at all. We’ve loved having you here. It’s brought a part of Paula home that I never got to know well. Her college and medical school years are a mystery to me. I hope we’ll have time to sit and chat about my darling Paula as she was when you knew her,’ Vivian said.

‘I’d enjoy that, Vivian,’ Jean said, the smile not as forced as she’d thought it would be.

Martha the cook came in with Dru’s breakfast – eggs Benedict again – and all conversation dimmed as they turned to their food.

Jean and Jewel had talked long into the night confirming the identities of the two voices they’d heard outside the elevator. The protester was obviously Dru – Jean would recognize that shriek of hers anywhere – and the other they both agreed had to be Constance. What the fight was about was still a mystery. But the sisters-in-law had worked up a plan. Jean would follow Dru out of the breakfast room and attempt to get her alone for a chat, while Jewel did the same with Constance. They’d rehearsed the night before, coming up with potential scenes, questions and responses. They only had a day and half left, and they both knew they should have been doing this from the beginning, but the business of burying her old friend had taken Jean’s mind away from her true mission.

Now she was ready. She was going to find out the truth if it killed her.

As I walked Jasper Thorne out of the interrogation room, Nita came out of the break room to drive him back to the hospital. They were walking to the side door, where Nita’s cruiser was parked, when it opened and Anthony came in with the pizza guy – whatever his name was.

‘Sheriff,’ Anthony said, ‘this is Ronnie Jacobs who works for Bubba’s Pizza and Pasta. He’s the one who made the delivery the night Darrell Blanton was killed.’