A Crying Shame (47 page)

I'll go in with you. We'll close off the office, then secure the den, the kitchen, and two hall bedrooms. We'll stay close, I assure you. I won't let anything happen to you. Now, where is the pistol you used last night?”

Sheriff Saucier has it.”

You have another?”

All types of guns in the house.”

He took her hand in his. Her slim hand was cold from fear. Jon smiled at her.
Let's go inside.”

Inside the huge old plantation house, with its columns and breezeways and continuous wrap-around porch, once over her initial fright at reentering and reliving—if only momentarily and in her mind—the nightmare of the previous night, Linda stood by and watched Jon work. She had shown him her brother's workshop, and he had busied himself boarding up windows and closing off doors. He removed the outside latticework, making it practically impossible for the Links to climb up to the second floor. He replaced the front door with a door he found in the workshop, then boarded up the part of the double picture window that had been shattered by the thrown shotgun and the angered crazed Link. When he was satisfied he had done all he could do with the materials at hand, he went to the gun cabinet and picked up a snub-nosed .38 for Linda.

He checked it, asking,
You've fired one of these before?”

Yes, but I prefer that automatic.” She pointed.
That one.”

She pointed out a .380 ACP, built on the style of a German Luger. Jon checked it, filled a clip, then filled a spare. He found a holster that would fit the weapon, and a belt. He handed the equipment to her.

From now on,” he told her,
this is part of your normal dress. White women in Africa have long grown accustomed to firearms as part of their day-to-day dress. So shall you as long as you live here and the Links have not been contained.”

Yes, sir.” She smiled.

Her smile was not returned. Jon Badon was all business; he was working at his chosen vocation.

Jon prowled through the large gun cabinet, finding an over/under twenty-gauge, then filling a shell-belt. He said,
Come on, let's see what you can do with these weapons.”