Mama Rocks the Empty Cradle (10 page)

But when I got there, the creep wasn’t on our porch anymore. I cracked the front door wide enough to see him walking toward the blue Ford that was parked in our driveway.

Midnight came tearing up the driveway. The man stopped and stared at the attacking animal. Midnight barked and leaped at him. The big black dog threw himself on the man, rearing up with his forepaws on his chest. The creep patted Midnight’s head. The dog barked and wiggled and licked his face.

I stood with my can of oven spray in hand, speechless.

“Good to see you, boy,” the man said. I was shocked; his voice was actually gentle. He began walking toward his car, Midnight following close at his heels. The stranger patted the dog again. Midnight wriggled with joy. Moments later, the blue Ford had pulled out of our driveway into the street.

I memorized his license number. But not before I noted that the infant carrier was no longer in the backseat.

“Simone,” Mama hollered. “Who was at the door?”

I didn’t answer her; I was thinking that it’d never crossed my mind that I’d see this scab at my own house.

Mama called again. “Simone, who was at the door?”

I hurried into her bedroom. “You won’t believe this. You remember I told you about the guy who threatened me on the Cypress Creek road?”

Mama nodded.

“The creep who had Morgan in the backseat of his car,” I added enthusiastically.

“Yes, Simone,” Mama said patiently.

“He just rang
our
doorbell.”

“Are you sure?” Mama asked.

“He was driving the same car—This time,” I said proudly, “I’ve got his license number. Call Abe, Mama. Get him to check it out for us.” I lifted up the receiver and dialed the sheriff’s number, then handed Mama the telephone.

A cloud passed over Mama’s face. Without speaking, she put the phone down on its receiver.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Simone,” she said, her tone gentle, practical. “Give yourself a minute to calm down. Then we’ll talk about what just happened.”

I slumped down in the chair next to Mama’s bed. My heart raced; I was so pissed I felt a little dizzy. A ripple ran across the bedroom window, a breeze from the vent of the air conditioner.

Mama’s voice was soft. “Tell me again, what happened on the Cypress Creek road?”

I recounted the incident.

“And the same man came to our house a few minutes ago?”

“It was the same creep,” I insisted. “And Midnight actually liked him.”

Mama smiled. “Maybe, just maybe, the man
wasn’t
trying to threaten you on the Cypress Creek road.”

“He was, too!” I snapped.

“Why would he come to our house to hurt you?”

“I don’t know,” I conceded. “I just know he rang our doorbell and,” I showed Mama the oven spray can I was still clutching, “I was going to put his lights out for good.”

“You might have blinded an innocent man.”

“Yeah, right,” I said, sarcastically.

“Simone, your father knows plenty of guys from all over Otis County. Some of them are his close buddies, others are acquaintances. This so-called ‘creep,’ as you call him, could have been coming to talk to James. Before we jump to any conclusions, let’s ask James about this guy, okay?”

“That creep can’t be one of Daddy’s cronies,” I protested.

“Young lady, the only thing you can get when you hurry is trouble. Let’s wait and talk to your father. He’ll help us get to the bottom of what that feller has on his mind.”

“That man could very well be the same creep who was with Timber when Abe and Rick went chasing after him—”

Mama cut in. “We won’t know until we’ve asked James, will we?” she asked, with a certain kind of emotion. I understood her tone. Despite the fact that at times my father drinks too much, Mama was
convinced that he was quite capable of taking care of her and me.

I opened my mouth to argue with her. Reading my mind, she fastened her eyes on me. “James will find this young man, learn his intentions.”

“You win,” I said. “We’ll wait until Daddy gets home.” I looked down at the can of spray, then back into Mama’s eyes. She smiled. I giggled. We both started laughing. Mama tried to stop laughing by putting her hand over her mouth, but she laughed again. I held up the can of oven spray and kept laughing. Tears streaked our faces and the laughter kept coming. I’d think I had gained control, then I’d look at Mama and be off again. I guess I didn’t look like the fiercest protection Mama had ever had. Still laughing, I finally got up and put the can into the kitchen cupboard where it belonged.

We were eating lunch when Mama said, “At least that little incident this morning was worth a good laugh.”

“I’d rather go to a comedy club,” I said.

“You’re not still upset?” she asked.

“No,” I said, resignedly. “I admit it—I overreacted again.”

Mama smiled. “You feel all right about taking me to see Abe?”

Her smile was contagious. “As long as I’ve got my oven cleaner handy,” I joked.

“You sure you don’t mind going into town?”

“I’m back to myself again. Besides, I think you’re right. Daddy can handle that creep.”

“I keep thinking,” Mama said, “about how you said Midnight liked the young man.”

“That crazy dog acted like he was a long-lost relative.”

Mama looked concerned, but she didn’t say any more about it.

Before we left the house, I made a phone call. “May I speak to Yasmine,” I said, once I’d gotten the Atlanta number I’d dialed.

“Just a minute,” a woman on the other end of the line said.

A few seconds later, Yasmine was on the phone. “Yasmine,” I said.

“Simone, are you back in Atlanta?”

“No. I’m still in Otis.”

Yasmine’s voice dropped. “Oh.”

“Listen, girlfriend,” I said, trying to keep my voice controlled. “I’ve been thinking about our last talk and … well, to be honest, I don’t believe either of us said all that we need to say to each other.”

“Simone, you’ve decided
not
to go with me, haven’t you?” she asked.

“I haven’t made up my mind,” I lied.

There was silence.

“I want you to come to Otis,” I told Yasmine. “Come Sunday night, spend Monday here with me.”

“What good will that do?”

“We could talk. I promise that before you leave, I will make a decision.”

“You’re not going with me.”

“Three more days is all I’m asking,” I told her. “Monday is your day off. Spend it with me here in Otis. After that, well—”

“You’re not going to change your mind. I can tell from the sound of your voice, Simone.”

“Please,” I pleaded.

“Okay,” Yasmine reluctantly agreed. “I’ll come down on Sunday night.”

I took a deep breath, then let it out loud enough for her to hear.

“Simone,” she said, “you don’t know what this thing is doing to me!”

“Hang in there,” I told her, then said a quick good-bye and hung up. The truth is I still didn’t know what I was going to say to Yasmine when she arrived in Otis. I only knew that we had to talk. We had to say things that would help our friendship through this crisis.

T
he sheriff rubbed his eyes. He looked tired, like he’d missed a couple of nights’ sleep. As usual, his office stank of cigarette smoke, but he didn’t light up while we were there. “I’ve caught up with Joe Blake and Sonny Clay,” he told Mama after she had been seated. “They both can account for themselves. But Les Demps left town the day after we found Cricket’s body. It seems that Cricket had a thing going whereby she’d get these guys in some kind of situation that they didn’t want people to know about. She’d somehow take their pictures. She guaranteed herself steady money by promising to keep the pictures to herself.”

“I figured that,” Mama said, with a nod. “I know a few other people in this town who’re into that kind
of thing. Fact is, though, if the men they mess with would stay away from them there wouldn’t be any secrets to keep.”

“Now, Candi,” Abe said. “You and I both know that ain’t likely to happen no time soon. Anyway,” he continued, “I found out that Cricket and Les spent all day Monday in Savannah.”

“And Clarence Young found Cricket’s body in his apartment early Tuesday morning,” Mama said.

Abe nodded.

“Did you check out Clarence’s alibi?” Mama asked.

“I’m having trouble reaching the guy he was suppose to be working with. Right now, I ain’t ruling Clarence Young out as a suspect either. By the way, Timber has been spotted again.”

Mama leaned forward.

“He was in another car but with the same feller. They were on that stretch of road to Darien,” Abe said. “A farmer called me, but by the time I got there, those two were long gone. Seems like that rascal is playing hide-and-seek with me.”

“I think Timber is hanging around ’cause Morgan is still somewhere here in town,” Mama said. “Rose told me that he was crazy about that child. And it might be that Timber didn’t kill Cricket,” Mama added.

“Then why won’t he come in and talk to me?” Abe asked. “I done let it be known around the county that I’m not looking to arrest him, that I just want to talk to him about Cricket, that’s all.”

Mama shrugged. “He’s probably scared.”

“Can’t be too scared,” Abe insisted. “Seeing he don’t mind being seen driving in and about the county in broad daylight.”

“Abe,” Mama said, “I’m thinking that Timber had another girlfriend. Somebody who might be keeping Morgan for him.”

“I’ve talked to Timber’s mother, Dollie Smith, about Timber’s habits. Dollie told me that Timber was crazy about Cricket and little Morgan, that he wanted to marry Cricket but she’d have none of it. Dollie swears that Timber ain’t never looked at another woman. Course Ellie Barker, the clerk at the hardware store, told me that Timber had somebody who was always giving him money. Said Timber bragged to her more than once that there was one person in Otis he could count on, and no matter what happened to him, that person would be there for him.”

“Sounds like he was talking about his mama,” I said, thinking that was exactly the way I felt about mine.

“I’ve talked to Steve Folks, the manager of Winn Dixie, and Mack Larson, the manager of Piggly Wiggly. They promised to have a meeting with their checkout clerks, tell them to be on the lookout for that baby. I also told them to watch to see if anybody comes in the store acting funny, you know, nervous.”

“That’s a good idea, Abe. Those clerks know everybody in town. But there’s something stirring in
my mind,” Mama admitted. “Cricket’s sister knows something that can help us, but she’s confused. Or maybe scared, I’m not sure which.”

“Rose never let anybody get too close,” Abe replied.

Mama stood up. “Have you heard from the lab about the second skull Midnight brought home?”

Abe frowned. “Nothing yet,” he said. His expression made me wonder whether he’d taken the time to send the second skull to the lab.

“I’m anxious to see that report,” Mama told him. “And let me know when you talk to Les Demps. I’m going to stop by the hardware store and talk to Ellie Barker before Simone and I go back home.”

“Don’t look like we’re any closer to finding that baby than we were a few days ago,” Abe told Mama disappointedly.

“We’re close,” Mama said reassuringly. “We just don’t know how close we are.”