but i just couldn’t get to the bottom
of ira hirsh’s shooting
and i couldn’t let go,
especially with things in town the way they
are with the klan.
detective came over from boston, a mr. wood.
it didn’t take him long to uncover all the dirty little
things that were going on here,
the letters sent to mr. hirsh
threatening to tar and feather him
if he didn’t move out of sara’s place.
it was merlin van tornhout wrote those letters.
i thought i knew merlin. he’s got some roughness to him,
but i never thought he’d try killing anyone.
especially with that little girl on mr. hirsh’s lap.
but merlin disappeared the night of the shooting.
what else can i think?
detective wood says it was merlin for sure.
says he come up on foot around dusk,
peered through the keyhole in the kitchen door,
saw mr. hirsh seated at the table
with esther on his lap.
thought he could get two with one shot.
says merlin fired through the door
as soon as sara left the kitchen to put the dishes away in the pantry.
just doesn’t sound like merlin van tornhout.