Free Dark Waters by Susan Rogers Cooper Page A

‘I guess you’ve got my number.’ Jean’s comments on Lucy’s attire were nicer than those on Esther’s but not as nice as those on Rose’s. Lucy was wearing one of those cocktail dresses (difference being, I think, the length – this one hit her at the knees), black like Esther’s, but with sparkly things on the top and the bottom made of some silky material. I thought she looked fine, but Jean said the dress wasn’t that expensive. Well, she said it looked cheap, but I hate to report it when my wife sounds like a snob. Which she does, occasionally.
    Since the women were all huddled around the phone, I introduced Lance to the Tulias.
    The phone got passed to Rose, who spoke to one of her boys.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ Lucy asked.
    â€˜Everybody’s talking to their kids,’ I said. ‘Johnny Mac said the pavilion stays open until one o’clock and we told him we’d come get him then. Rose and Esther are telling their kids the same.’
    â€˜Lord, I’m a rotten mother!’ Lucy said, digging in her purse for her phone. ‘I didn’t even think about calling Janna!’ She dialed her phone and got her daughter on the first ring.
    I ignored her conversation as Mike and I pulled up two extra chairs for our table. Finally, after all the mothers had secure knowledge of their children’s whereabouts, we could relax and order more drinks. Except my phone rang in Jean’s hand. She answered it, said, ‘Emmett, he’s on vacation!’ Then she sighed and handed me the phone.
    I excused myself and went to the bar’s bathroom where it was pretty quiet. ‘What now?’ I asked.
    â€˜Sorry to call so late, but I’m at a murder scene,’ he said.
    â€˜No shit?’ I said. ‘Who got killed?’
    â€˜Darby Hunt,’ he said.
    I sat down in a stall. ‘Is this a joke?’ I asked.
    â€˜I’m serious as a heart attack.’
    â€˜What happened? I asked.
    â€˜Somebody fired through his mama’s front window, got him right between the eyes,’ Emmett said.
    â€˜Damn good shot,’ I said.
    â€˜Yeah, well in this state, that doesn’t exclude anybody.’
    â€˜I hear ya.’ I sighed. ‘Shit, Emmett, there’s not a damn thing I can do about this—’
    â€˜I know that, Milt, for God’s sake! I’m just keeping you informed.’ He sighed too. ‘I talked to him late this afternoon. I noticed he had a new motorcycle and a new TV in the house, and wondered where he got ’em. He said a lady friend gave ’em to him as a get out of jail gift. Guess who the lady friend is?’
    â€˜I have no idea,’ I said.
    â€˜The principal at Petal’s school,’ Emmett said.
    â€˜Jesus H. Christ on a bicycle,’ I said.
    â€˜Guess who starts public school next week?’
    â€˜Any leads on who killed old Darby?’ I asked.
    â€˜It was a rifle – we’re getting ballistics on that now. No footprints in the packed dirt in his mama’s front yard, no cigarette butts or candy wrappers or other shit. I’m afraid I’m gonna have to talk to the McDaniel family.’
    â€˜It’d be hard not to. They’re your most likely candidates. Keep me posted,’ I said and hung up without a goodbye. I sat there on the toilet for a few moments, pants up, wondering why I decided I could possibly take a vacation. Then I remembered: I never decided that – Jean and Johnny Mac had decided it for me. When you’re a cop for a big city, it’s no big deal taking time off, but when you’re the top cop in a small county, it
is
a big deal. A
very
big deal. I had to say, as much as I liked the food, I’d rather be home finding out who killed the killer.
    I finally got up and made my way back to the table. More chairs had been pulled up, leaving an empty seat between my wife and Rose Connelly. I pulled it out and sat