Creepers (5 page)

With that thought, Yancy sped up a bit, eager for this task to be finished.  If only he had the balls just to throw the beer and smokes out the window as he drove by the house.  If only.  Old man Dixon still had his gnarly old fingers in a lot of pots around town, and until Yancy left there could be hell to pay.  Yes, he still had to be careful, at least for now.  So he would drop the stuff off for Donald, and leave as quickly as he could.   Then Yancy would head over to see Terri.

He could finally see a whole new life for himself, and it all started tonight.  Simple things needed doing; that was all.  Avoid the Dixons.  Avoid the Ungers, at least as much as he could.  Get Terri to love him as much as he loved her.  Move to Memphis.  Simple my ass, he thought.  It was going to be hard as hell, but he could do it.  He was a new and improved Yancy, and he was going to ‘get ‘er done’ as his favorite comedian would say.

It was near dusk when Yancy pulled up in front of Donald Dixon’s place.  He stepped out of the car with the most resolve and determination he had ever had.  It felt good.  It felt empowering.  Yancy had a plan, and if that plan worked out right, tonight would be the last time he would have to see Donald Dixon or Ricky Dixon, or Toby and Tom Unger for that matter.  If everything worked out he would never have to see any of them again.

While Yancy Clower was dropping off beer and cigarettes to Donald Dixon, Officer Jack Fisher had just pulled up to Jesse Johns’ house.  The old farm house was weathered and well worn, much like its owner.  It had a rusted tin roof and clinging vines growing over half of it.  A lush green carpet of vines draped most of the old homes around here; they helped to keep the house cool in the summer.   There was a front porch that ran the length of the front of the home and seemed as welcoming as Jesse was.

An old wooden bench and two well-worn rocking chairs sat on that covered front porch.  Jesse Johns sat in one of the rockers while Terri Dixon sat curled up on the bench.  Beside her, a lazy cat napped.  They looked up at Jack’s approach, and he could tell that Terri was still a bit upset.  It tugged at his heartstrings, and he hadn’t expected that.  For some reason, he felt drawn to Terri.  She was a beautiful woman, but that wasn’t it entirely.  There was something else.

Jack knew as much about Terri’s life as Jesse did.  It was a small town after all.  So maybe it was admiration, he thought.  No, not entirely.  While he did admire how she pulled herself up and out of an impoverished life, that wasn’t it.  Until this summer, until now, he had always just seen her as a kid.  She was a few years younger than him, and he hadn’t given her a second thought in school, but now.  Now he saw her for the woman she was.  For the strong, confident, yet vulnerable woman she was.  It’s as if Jack had just opened his eyes.  Or maybe he was just full of crap, and it had just been a very long day, he thought.

Jack shook his head and climbed out of his cruiser.  “Evening Reverend, Miss Dixon,” he said as he reached the porch.

“Howdy Jack,” Jesse said.  Terri only looked at him anxiously and gave him a wan smile.  The cat barely looked up and licked the back of one paw.

“Do you mind if we go inside and talk?” Jack asked.

“We surely can,” Jesse offered and stood up from the rocker, “I wanted some tea at any rate.”

“Do you have some news?” Terri asked as she too stood.

“Yes and no,” Jack replied,

Both Jesse and Terri looked a little confused at his cryptic response.  Jesse opened the screen door, and the three of them entered.  Immediately upon entering Jack removed his hat and held it in his hands.  Jesse moved past him and directed the officer to the kitchen.  There Jack saw that the kitchen was as neat and clean as the living room, neat but livable.  He sat down at the old table but continued to hold his hat, rotating the brim in his hands and staring at it intently.

“We have sweet tea, and sweet tea,” Jesse offered, “I hope you’re okay with that.”

Jack smiled and said, “Is there any other kind?”  Unlike other parts of the country, in the south tea was sweet, syrupy sweet.

Terri helped Jesse prepare three glasses with ice and lemon.  The whole time she kept her eyes on Jack.  She knew he had something to tell them, and it appeared he was struggling with it.  Terri’s curiosity was nearly killing her when she sat his glass of tea in front of him and sat down across the table from him.  Her eyes never left him, even as she sipped her beverage.  “Talk!” she wanted to scream out, but she only sipped her tea.

Jesse sat down between the two, and Jack took a long drink from his glass.  He let the icy liquid bathe his throat and finished half the glass before he set it back down.  In reality, he was stalling.  Jack wasn’t sure how to proceed, or what he could, or even should say.  He looked at Terri, then over at Jesse, then back at Terri.  Finally, he decided to lay it out for them.

“First of all,” he said, “I thought I told you to keep your doors locked.”

“We were right on the porch,” Terri defended.

“That isn’t good enough,” Jack replied, “not now.”

“Why?” Terri asked, “What’s going on?”

Jack continued, “I think something bad has happened to Sheila Eckers, something atrocious.”  He paused to collect his thoughts then said, “I think Sheila is dead Terri.  I think she’s dead, and your brother is missing.”

Terri sat there considering then said, “Did Ricky kill her?”

“That’s what most of the police think,” Jack replied, “But I don't believe that.  I know Ricky, and he’s a lot of things, but not even he would do what was done in that house.”

Terri was surprised.  She half expected this whole thing was that someone had killed either Ricky or Sheila.  If it was Sheila, then she was ready to jump on the ‘Ricky did it’ bandwagon too.  “Okay,” she said, “tell me everything you know.”

Jack took another sip of his tea and said, “It appears that Sheila may have been tortured.  All we found was some skin and a finger.  There weren’t any signs of a struggle, just one torn out window screen.  None of their friends or family has heard from either Sheila or Ricky since late Friday night.”

Terri was stunned and even gagged a little.  With a trembling hand, she sipped her tea and said, “Her finger?  Was it cut off?”

Jack continued, “That’s how it appeared.  We’ll know more after the state boys get through with the evidence.”  He thought carefully for a moment then continued, “That’s why I don’t think Ricky had anything to do with it.”  He paused then added, “That’s not Ricky’s style.”

Terri nodded and said, “I understand.  Ricky is a lot of things, but creative isn’t one of them.”  She could fully understand if Sheila had been shot or beaten, but Jack was right, this wasn’t Ricky’s style.  “So what about Ricky,” she added. 

“At the very least he is a person of interest,” Jack said.  He swallowed hard then continued, “At worst; he may be a victim.  I think there is someone far worse than Ricky could ever be out there.  But until we find Ricky we won’t know for sure.  In the meantime, I would feel a lot better if you were very careful.  You and the reverend are as isolated as Sheila was, and I would just feel a lot better.”

Finally, Jesse piped in, “We’re okay son, God is with us and we have each other.”

“God has little to do with this Reverend,” Jack replied.  “If you had seen it…” he trailed off.

“God has everything to do with everything,” Jesse countered.

Jack gave Jesse a warm smile and said, “Either way; I would feel better if you took precautions.”

“Don’t worry Jack,” Terri offered, “We will.”  Then she added, “What about my father?”

“I saw him this afternoon,” Jack said, “And let him know what was happening.  He didn’t seem too upset about Sheila and wouldn’t give me any information about Ricky.  Do you think he could be hiding Ricky there?”

“Yes,” Terri said flatly.  “If Ricky’s running that old man would do anything for him.  But I thought you said you didn’t think Ricky did it.  Why would he be running?”

Jack said, “He might have gotten scared, or threatened, something like that.  Maybe he saw something.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put anything past Donald,” Terri said.

“Me either,” Jack agreed.  Then he reached across the table to put one of his hands on one of Terri’s and asked, “What about you?  How are you doing?”

There was honest caring in his eyes, and Terri could see it.  It caused her heart to flutter, and she said, “I’m okay Jack, really.  We are only family in that we are related.”  She turned to look at Jesse and said, “Jesse is my family now.”  She turned back to Jack and said, “My relationship with the Dixon men ended years ago.”   She thought about it then added, “I’m just sad for Sheila.”

Jack squeezed her hand lightly and surprisingly; Terri squeezed back.  Jack said, “If there’s anything I can do for you, will you call me?”

Terri smiled and said, “You can count on it.”  Jack returned her smile and for the first time in years Terri felt a little of that school girl crush come forth.

Jesse had been watching the two of them intently and smiled inwardly. If there was one thing old men could still do, it was spot young people who had a spark.  It did his heart good to see that spark.  Terri needed a man in her life, a man other than him.  It seemed to Jesse that God had brought these two together with this tragedy.  Jesse figured he could help out God’s will a little and let the young folks be alone.  He stood up and took his tea to the counter beside the refrigerator. 

Jesse poured himself another glass of tea and said, “I have some work to do up in my room, so I’m going to retire for the evening.  Would either of you like some more tea?” 

Before either Terri or Jack could give an answer Jesse was refilling their glasses.  He gave Terri a devious smile and a wink, and then left the room.  Terri stared at him for a moment then turned her attention back to Jack.  Only then did she realize that they were still holding hands.  Embarrassed, Terri pulled her hand back.

“Do you want to sit on the porch?” Terri offered.

Jack smiled and said, “That would be nice.”  He added, “I can’t remember the last time I sat on the front porch with a beautiful girl, sipping tea.”  The moment he said it, Jack thought it was inappropriate, but it was out there now.  He quickly turned away from Terri and moved toward the front door.

Terri responded, “Me either.”

Jack smiled again.  Damn, he felt like a teenager.  There was a giddiness he hadn’t felt since high school.  Jack couldn’t explain it; he only knew that he didn’t mind it.  He then wondered if Terri was feeling something similar.  Either way, her remark had put him back at ease, and he was thankful for that.  Jack reached the screen door and held it open for Terri.  As she passed by, he wasn’t sure but he thought he noticed a smile on her face as well.

The outside of the house wasn’t any cooler than the inside of the house, but there was a breeze.  It was turning into another hot and muggy night, and Terri’s face glistened.  The breeze on her damp skin did cool Terri down somewhat, and she felt more comfortable now.  In the breeze were also the sweet aromas of kudzu and honeysuckle blossoms.  Terri also thought there might be the scent of magnolia mixed in with it.  Either way, it made Terri smile.

Terri sat down in one of the rockers and Jack sat down in the other.  The lazy cat had gone.  Terri sipped her tea and looked at Jack.  He was as handsome as she remembered and just as sweet she thought.  Soon, her mind was filled with thoughts of adolescent adoration as old memories resurfaced.  Middle school and high school it seemed were just yesterday, and she was sitting next to her childhood desires.  Terri felt warm and happy.

Terri finally broke the silence and asked, “What have you been up to Jack?  It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.  Fill me in on the life of Officer Jack Fisher.”

Jack looked down at his glass and said, “There’s not much to tell.  You know, small town and all.  I’d rather hear about you.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Terri replied, “I asked first,” She said with a smile.

Jack cleared his throat and said, “Okay, you win.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  Jack thought for a moment then started, “Well after high school I joined the Marines.  You know how it was; the service was about the only way to get out of this town.  At least for me it was.  I so wanted to get out of this place and see the world.  Be judged on my accomplishments, and not the color of my skin.  The military just seemed to be the fastest way of doing it.”

Terri nodded in agreement.  She too knew how oppressive it was in Lusaoka Mississippi.  The poverty and the racism weighed you down.  The air was thick with it.  So thick it made your chest burn.  Terri knew this town all too well.  What it was capable of and what it had been like for her, and she wasn’t the child of a mixed marriage.  Life in Lusaoka had been hard for Jack, she knew, but she had never realized until then how much harder it must have been for him.

“The military was good to me,” Jack continued, “mostly.  There was still the same racism there, but there was more opportunity to get away from it.  I became military police, and I liked that.  I was planning on going career, and then my mom took sick.  So I did my tour.  After I got discharged I moved back home.  I had to come home to help the family.  Shortly after that my mom died.”

“I’m so sorry Jack,” Terri interjected, “I didn’t know.”

“That’s okay,” Jack replied, “It’s been a while now.”  He took a sip of his tea and continued, “Anyway, when I got back home I needed a job and there just happened to be an opening in the Sheriff’s office.  It was a long shot, but I figured what the hell.  Well, it turns out the Sheriff’s office had been looking for a black officer on account of the ‘political correctness’ of it.  They hadn’t been happy with any of the local boys, too dark I guess.  But I fit the bill just right.  They could say they hired a black officer, but I’m not so dark as to scare all the white folks.”  He thought for a moment then continued, “I guess a half black, half white cop was just easier for these folks around here to stomach.”

Terri stared at Jack.  “I’m sorry,” was all she could say.

“Nothing to be sorry about Terri,” Jack replied, “It was my choice.  And now I feel like I make a difference here.  It’s been hard, but most of the folks around here respect me or at least the badge.  The Sheriff is a reasonable man, and I have friends on the force.  I’m happy enough I guess.”  Jack took a long drink of his tea and said, “I’m sorry I dumped that all on you.  I don’t know why I did that.  I’ve never said that stuff to anyone.”

Terri smiled and squeezed his hand.  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, “I’m glad you did.”