Free Unraveled by Reavis Z Wortham Page A

still air. “Nossir, but thankyee. Just came by to see y’all for a minute and tell you we’re lookin’ into the wreck.”
    â€œIt was murder, John.” Those around the old man nodded. “We done heard there’s rubber thick on the road where someone run our girl through the guardrail. You need to be out looking for a car or truck with creases down the sides.”
    â€œCain’t say that yet, Hollis. All we know is they went over the dam.”
    His eyes grew moist. “I dearly loved that gal. Bringing her into this family was the only good thing Tylee ever done. Them Clays’ll be mad about it, sure as shootin’. I already heard they’re sayin’ we had something to do with it. They’ll be laying for us.”
    Ned shook his head. “I thought y’all buried that hatchet years ago.”
    Hollis stared off into the trees. “Some did.”
    John studied the raw, dusty boards at his feet.
    A thick man in unbuttoned overalls thumped the legs of his chair to the floor. “There’s gonna be trouble, all right.” He sounded like a fire and brimstone preacher.
    â€œWhat makes you say that?” Ned tried to place the man but came up empty. “You know something the rest of us don’t?”
    A middle-aged man in suit pants and a white shirt spoke up. “We never had no business with any of them since the Trouble, but when her and Rubye went to work for him, it all came back.”
    â€œNow don’t go bringing the past up, Willie.” John frowned at the big man. “Let it lay. Have they done anything to any of y’all yet?”
    A younger man with thick forearms spoke up. “I done seen cars I don’t know driving slow up and down the road last night. You need to do something about it, John.”
    The big deputy wiped sweat from his eyebrow. Ned and John were baking in the direct sun. “Nothin’ to do yet, Bryce. It looks like a pure accident when she didn’t make the turn over the dam. If we learn something different, we’ll let you know.”
    A woman holding a hip baby spoke up. “White law won’t help us find out what happened. You’re gonna have to do it for us, John.”
    â€œThat ain’t true.” Ned shook his head. “I’ll do everything I can.”
    She raised an eyebrow. “Everything?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œThen why you here now, a day and a half after she was killed? A full day and a half after you already went to them white people’s house?”
    The truth was that Ned couldn’t bear to talk with two grieving families on the same day, and then with Mark showing up, it had slipped his mind. He realized how it looked and was ashamed.
    John took the focus back on himself. “Avon, that was my fault. Him and Sheriff Parker talked to the Clays first, but I couldn’t get over here ’til now and Mr. Ned wanted to come with me. You know I woulda been by yesterday if I could and Mr. Ned here, well, he had some family business to take care of this mornin’,” he waved a hand toward the cars behind him and the house full of grieving people, “and y’all know about family.”
    She backed off and Hollis sighed. “Well, I appreciate y’all checking on us.”
    John tilted his straw hat up on his forehead and wiped at the sweat again. “Bury your dead, and I’ll do everything I can to find out what happened. Just y’all don’t take it on yourselves, no matter what. Stay away from the Clays.”
    â€œIf they’ll stay away from us.” Hollis rocked and sipped at the sweating jar.
    Ned didn’t like that comment at all. “I’ll come by and check on you, too. Y’all call me if there’s trouble.”
    â€œAin’t got no phone.”
    Ned wasn’t surprised. “Well, somebody close by does.”
    â€œI do.” Avon shifted the baby to her other hip. “But