still air. âNossir, but thankyee. Just came by to see yâall for a minute and tell you weâre lookinâ into the wreck.â
âIt was murder, John.â Those around the old man nodded. âWe done heard thereâs 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
âCainât say that yet, Hollis. All we know is they went over the dam.â
His eyes grew moist. âI dearly loved that gal. Bringing her into this family was the only good thing Tylee ever done. Them Claysâll be mad about it, sure as shootinâ. I already heard theyâre sayinâ we had something to do with it. Theyâll be laying for us.â
Ned shook his head. âI thought yâall buried that hatchet years ago.â
Hollis stared off into the trees. âSome did.â
John studied the raw, dusty boards at his feet.
A thick man in unbuttoned overalls thumped the legs of his chair to the floor. âThereâs gonna be trouble, all right.â He sounded like a fire and brimstone preacher.
âWhat makes you say that?â Ned tried to place the man but came up empty. âYou know something the rest of us donât?â
A middle-aged man in suit pants and a white shirt spoke up. âWe 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
âNow donât go bringing the past up, Willie.â John frowned at the big man. âLet it lay. Have they done anything to any of yâall yet?â
A younger man with thick forearms spoke up. âI done seen cars I donât know driving slow up and down the road last night. You need to do something about it, John.â
The big deputy wiped sweat from his eyebrow. Ned and John were baking in the direct sun. âNothinâ to do yet, Bryce. It looks like a pure accident when she didnât make the turn over the dam. If we learn something different, weâll let you know.â
A woman holding a hip baby spoke up. âWhite law wonât help us find out what happened. Youâre gonna have to do it for us, John.â
âThat ainât true.â Ned shook his head. âIâll do everything I can.â
She raised an eyebrow. âEverything?â
âYep.â
âThen 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 peopleâs house?â
The truth was that Ned couldnât 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. âAvon, that was my fault. Him and Sheriff Parker talked to the Clays first, but I couldnât get over here âtil 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 morninâ,â he waved a hand toward the cars behind him and the house full of grieving people, âand yâall know about family.â
She backed off and Hollis sighed. âWell, I appreciate yâall checking on us.â
John tilted his straw hat up on his forehead and wiped at the sweat again. âBury your dead, and Iâll do everything I can to find out what happened. Just yâall donât take it on yourselves, no matter what. Stay away from the Clays.â
âIf theyâll stay away from us.â Hollis rocked and sipped at the sweating jar.
Ned didnât like that comment at all. âIâll come by and check on you, too. Yâall call me if thereâs trouble.â
âAinât got no phone.â
Ned wasnât surprised. âWell, somebody close by does.â
âI do.â Avon shifted the baby to her other hip. âBut