Gator Aide by Jessica Speart Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Speart
it. You couldn’t trust that bastard nohow. He’d skin the hide off anyone who wasn’t looking sharp. That sack of shit tried to cheat me more times than I can remember. He’s lucky he got outta here with his dick in his hand. Thinkin’ back on it now, I shoulda cut it off. Maybe Valerie would still be around today.”
The air was quiet but for the rattling of tins and glass settling on Marie’s trash pile.
“Do you think Hillard Williams killed her?”
Marie stood up, not bothering to brush off the wood chips and bugs that clung to her dress. Picking up her shotgun, she threw the second bottle of beer onto the heap, somehow missing the tangle of children who were playing among the refuse.
“You best be going now.”
Lifting her shotgun, she aimed it straight at me. There would be no more questions today. Digging in my pocket, I pulled out a card and pen, and scribbled my home address and number on the back.
“If there’s anything else you think of, I can be reached here.”
Marie didn’t waver as I put the card down on the ground and backed away, keeping my eye on her until I felt safe enough to turn around. The children moved aside to clear a path, then fell in line, following me in silence as I walked to my car, started the motor, and pulled away. Then all hell broke loose in the yard once more, as if I had never been there. I rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of Marie as she disappeared into the wooden shed, closing the door firmly behind her.
Four
Dry lightning crackled in the late-morning heat as I headed back toward the office. With the rain coming quickly, day turned to night around noon. Along with thunderclouds, a thick white fog rolled in, and driving along the road became a more daring game of chicken than usual. Cypress trees appeared out of nowhere, gaunt skeletons beckoning me into the nearest ditch. A phantom bridge with no beginning or end floated above a field of sugarcane, held up by invisible hands. The world flickered in front of me to the tune of worn-out wipers as I thought about Marie on my slow crawl toward Slidell.
Picking up Charlie’s bad habits, I grabbed a candy bar and Coke for lunch on my way back to the office. My health food days in New York seemed a lifetime ago, when I had worked out six times a week and wouldn’t touch anything made with sugar. But I figured as long as I didn’t start hitting the Old Grand-Dad, I was still okay.
Walking down the hall at work, I heard the usual duck calls ring out loud and clear from behind. The pile of paperwork had grown on top of my desk; it needed to be taken care of… someday. Clipped to my phone were pink slips with messages. One of them was from Jake Santou. Not wanting to admit it, even to myself, I was pleased he’d phoned. There was something about the man I found intriguing.
Pushing the other messages aside for the moment, I returned Santou’s call. He picked up before I’d heard the first ring.
“Yeah. Santou here.”
For a southern guy, he reminded me a lot of New York.
“It’s Rachel Porter.”
Before I had a chance to add anything else, Santou cut in.
“Yeah, Porter. I’m glad you called back. Remember the offer I made last night? Well, I’ve got a meeting scheduled with the political hot dog who’s gonna win the next mayoral election, Hillard Williams. It’s for later this afternoon. Want to come along? It’ll give you a good dose of the local color. You might even pick up a pointer or two on the case.”
The name set off a fireman’s parade of alarm bells in my brain. If Williams was one of the first on Santou’s whodunit list, it seemed obvious that what Marie had told me was true. It also appeared that Valerie and Hillard Williams had been more than just a well-kept secret. I decided to play fair and fill Santou in on my meeting with Marie, and in what context Hillard Williams’s name had come up.
“Yeah, it’s something I’m checking out. This is a small town,
chè
r
e
. Lots
The air was quiet but for the rattling of tins and glass settling on Marie’s trash pile.
“Do you think Hillard Williams killed her?”
Marie stood up, not bothering to brush off the wood chips and bugs that clung to her dress. Picking up her shotgun, she threw the second bottle of beer onto the heap, somehow missing the tangle of children who were playing among the refuse.
“You best be going now.”
Lifting her shotgun, she aimed it straight at me. There would be no more questions today. Digging in my pocket, I pulled out a card and pen, and scribbled my home address and number on the back.
“If there’s anything else you think of, I can be reached here.”
Marie didn’t waver as I put the card down on the ground and backed away, keeping my eye on her until I felt safe enough to turn around. The children moved aside to clear a path, then fell in line, following me in silence as I walked to my car, started the motor, and pulled away. Then all hell broke loose in the yard once more, as if I had never been there. I rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of Marie as she disappeared into the wooden shed, closing the door firmly behind her.
Four
Dry lightning crackled in the late-morning heat as I headed back toward the office. With the rain coming quickly, day turned to night around noon. Along with thunderclouds, a thick white fog rolled in, and driving along the road became a more daring game of chicken than usual. Cypress trees appeared out of nowhere, gaunt skeletons beckoning me into the nearest ditch. A phantom bridge with no beginning or end floated above a field of sugarcane, held up by invisible hands. The world flickered in front of me to the tune of worn-out wipers as I thought about Marie on my slow crawl toward Slidell.
Picking up Charlie’s bad habits, I grabbed a candy bar and Coke for lunch on my way back to the office. My health food days in New York seemed a lifetime ago, when I had worked out six times a week and wouldn’t touch anything made with sugar. But I figured as long as I didn’t start hitting the Old Grand-Dad, I was still okay.
Walking down the hall at work, I heard the usual duck calls ring out loud and clear from behind. The pile of paperwork had grown on top of my desk; it needed to be taken care of… someday. Clipped to my phone were pink slips with messages. One of them was from Jake Santou. Not wanting to admit it, even to myself, I was pleased he’d phoned. There was something about the man I found intriguing.
Pushing the other messages aside for the moment, I returned Santou’s call. He picked up before I’d heard the first ring.
“Yeah. Santou here.”
For a southern guy, he reminded me a lot of New York.
“It’s Rachel Porter.”
Before I had a chance to add anything else, Santou cut in.
“Yeah, Porter. I’m glad you called back. Remember the offer I made last night? Well, I’ve got a meeting scheduled with the political hot dog who’s gonna win the next mayoral election, Hillard Williams. It’s for later this afternoon. Want to come along? It’ll give you a good dose of the local color. You might even pick up a pointer or two on the case.”
The name set off a fireman’s parade of alarm bells in my brain. If Williams was one of the first on Santou’s whodunit list, it seemed obvious that what Marie had told me was true. It also appeared that Valerie and Hillard Williams had been more than just a well-kept secret. I decided to play fair and fill Santou in on my meeting with Marie, and in what context Hillard Williams’s name had come up.
“Yeah, it’s something I’m checking out. This is a small town,
chè
r
e
. Lots