CHAPTER
4
That morning in Henry Adams, after having breakfast with Lily and the boys, Trent drove out to pick up Bobby. In spite of his laid-back ways, Trent was anal about being on time, and finding Bobby dressed and ready to go pleased him. He glanced at the thin fake leather jacket the kid was wearing. It was totally inadequate for a Kansas winter, and by mid-January, newspaper might be warmer. But rather than begin the day by suggesting they go and look for something better and maybe upset the younger man, he talked football and cars as they drove out to the main road.
“It might be nice to cheer for a team that at least made the playoffs last year,” Bobby said referencing the Kansas City Chiefs. “Cowboys sucked big-time.”
“Yeah, well, the Chiefs blew a twenty-eight-point lead to the Colts and wound up losing forty-five to forty-four in last year’s Wild Card game. Might’ve been better if they hadn’t made the playoffs.”
“True.”
“You ever play?”
“I did. One game my freshman year in high school. Coach got on me about missing a tackle, and I quit.”
Trent glanced over.
“I wasn’t about him being all in up in my face screaming.”
“Ah.”
“Did you play?”
“Yes. Quarterback. All-State, three of my four years.”
“Nice. Jocks thought they were the shit, though.”
“Couldn’t tell me different.”
Bobby smiled.
“So you want to own a detailing business?”
“Yeah, I do. This guy I worked with had one. He’d let me help with the sprayers and stuff sometimes.”
“Did he do repairs, too?”
“No.”
“Do you know anything about engines, stuff like that?”
“No. No interest.”
“Ah.”
The car dealership had a few good selections on the lot, and due to all the business the owner had been getting from Henry Adams, he offered Trent and Bobby a good deal on a three-year-old crossover SUV with only fifteen thousand miles.
“Owned by an elderly man who only drove it to church and the grocery store,” the dealer explained.
Trent and Bobby both looked it over. “Can you drive a manual?” Trent asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Will this one work for you and Kelly, you think?”
“Yeah.”
Their decision made, they agreed to the offer and started the paperwork.
When everything was in order, the dealer said, “Give me about an hour to get it prepped and gassed up, and you can drive it home.”
The two men nodded and walked back to Trent’s truck, Bobby visibly shivering in the twenty-degree air. “Let’s go find you a coat while we wait.”
“I’m good.”
“No, you aren’t.”
Bobby stopped. “Look, man. You already bought me a car. I don’t need you buying me a coat, too.”
“I’m not trying to hurt your pride. Just offering a hand until you get on your feet.”
“You’ve helped enough.”
“Okay. Suit yourself, but I promise you, if my grandmother sees you shivering like that, she’s not going to want to hear your no, and neither will Ms. Brown.”
“You all let the women run you like that?” Bobby tossed back with a hint of belligerence.
Trent let the dig roll off his back and chuckled. “When they make sense, yes.”
“I’m good. No coat.”
“Up to you. I need to make a run. Do you want to come, or stay here?”
“I’ll ride.”
But when Trent pulled up to the county sheriff’s office, he sensed Bobby stiffen.
“Why are you stopping here?”
“Someone I want you to meet.”
“Who?”
“Will Dalton. He’s the county sheriff, and a friend.”
“Why do I need to meet him?”
Trent didn’t sugarcoat it. “Because you’re a big Black guy covered with tats, and I don’t want you profiled and pulled over every time you leave your house. That plain enough?” The rebellion in Bobby’s face was plain, but Trent ignored it. “You decide.”
Bobby’s eyes flared angrily for a moment longer, but without a word, he opened his door and stepped out.
They found Will seated at his desk in his office. He was in his mid-fifties, and his bulk was a testament to his years of playing linebacker at Kansas U. The face was weathered, the hair graying, and the blue eyes keen. He smiled at Trent’s entrance. Any surprise he may have felt upon seeing Bobby never showed. “Morning, Trent. How are you?” He rose and came around the desk to shake Trent’s hand.
“Doing good. Want you to meet Bobby Douglas. He and his wife and twin babies moved into town yesterday.”
“Good meeting you,” Will said, extending his hand. “Welcome to Kansas.”
“Thanks, and I don’t have any outstanding warrants.”
Will looked at Trent, who kept his face bland. He understood Bobby’s response was undoubtedly rooted in his past dealings with law enforcement, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
Will crossed his arms. “Did I ask if you had any warrants? Trent’s a pretty smart guy. I doubt he’d bring you here to meet me if he thought you’d be arrested.”
Bobby had the decency to appear embarrassed.
“So, let’s start over. I’m Will Dalton.”
“Bobby Douglas. Nice to meet you.”
“Same here. Welcome to Kansas.”
“Thanks.”
Will added, “You couldn’t ask for a better group of people to live with than the folks in Henry Adams. In fact, the wife and I are thinking about asking Ms. Brown if we can move there sometime down the road.”
Trent was pleased to hear that. “Really?”
He nodded. “After thirty years and all the kids, that old house of ours has seen better days. I don’t have the time or the inclination to fix everything that needs fixing.”
“You know you’d be welcome.”
“I do.” He directed his next words Bobby’s way. “I’ll be putting the word out on you to the agencies in the area, so you don’t get disrespected. That okay with you?”
For a moment the two eyed each. Bobby finally said, “Yeah. I’d appreciate that.”
“Here’s my card. If you run into a situation where you think you need my help, call me, and I mean that. If I can’t come right then, I’ll send my son Kyle. He’s with the FBI field office here.”
Trent saw that Bobby was blown back by that generous offer. He smiled inwardly. How many gang members, former or otherwise, were given such courtesy? He hoped Bobby had a better view of Will now.
The three of them spent a few more minutes talking about Bobby’s move and Kelly and the twins before Trent and Bobby shook hands with Will and took their leave.
Back in Trent’s truck, Bobby looked his way and said, “Thank you.”
“No problem. We take care of our own. Will’s a good man.”
“Not used to dealing with the police on a personal level.”
“Understood.”
“Sorry for being a jerk.”
“No apology needed. You were dealing from the only place you know. Nobody’s faulting you for that.”
Trent could see him thinking. Again, he wished he could read Bobby’s mind.
“Do we still have time to get that coat?”
Trent smiled. “Sure do.”
An hour later, after the purchase of a coat made to withstand the Kansas winter, a pair of boots to replace Bobby’s Nikes, gloves, and outerwear for Kelly, they were on their way back to the dealership when Trent’s phone rang, and Lily’s voice came over the sync. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, Lil. What’s up?”
“Is Bobby with you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I guess we can’t talk about how you rocked my boat last night.”
“Lily!”
Bobby grinned.
“What do you want, crazy woman?”
“Seabiscuit wants you to swing by her office. Says she has something she needs to discuss.”
“I suppose it can’t wait.”
“Not according to her.”
“Okay, let me pick up Bobby’s car, and I’ll go see what Her Horsiness wants.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“You’d better.”
As the call ended, Bobby asked, “Who’s Seabiscuit?”
“Astrid Wiggins. The mayor of Franklin, and a pain in the ass.”
“That was your wife on the call?”
“Yeah.”
“How long have you been married?”
“A little over a year. We were high school sweethearts but broke up after she went off to college.”
“But you hooked up again.”
“Yes. Twenty-five years later. When she moved back here we had a pretty rough time getting the knots untied, but we did, and it gave me new life.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d moved back here after living in LA for ten years. I have an engineering degree, two failed marriages, and was living here doing mostly nothing. Then Ms. Brown came to town, and a few weeks later, Lily. Nothing’s been the same since. Owe them both a lot.” Trent looked over at Bobby. “There’s an old saying that a man is only as strong as the woman who holds him. I’m strong. Real strong.”
The car had gone through its prep and was gassed up and ready when they returned to the dealership. After Bobby got in, Trent leaned down to speak through the rolled-down driver’s-side window. “Mayor Wiggins’s office is just a few minutes away. How about you just follow me there, and we’ll go back to town when I’m done? I doubt the meeting will take long. She hates my guts, and the feeling’s mutual. I’ll tell her you’re my new assistant.”
Bobby appeared wary. “You sure it’ll be okay for me to be there?”
“It’ll be okay with me. I don’t care if it’s okay with her or not.”
“Then I’ll follow you.”
When they arrived at the mayor’s office, her secretary, after eyeing Bobby with wide, fright-filled eyes, sent them right in.
“Well, hello, Mayor July. I—” The sight of Trent’s companion seemed to freeze her in midspeech.
Trent did the introductions. “Mayor Wiggins. My new assistant, Bobby Douglas.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Bobby.
Astrid appeared to be too busy staring to respond. Then, as if she didn’t feel the need to, she gave him a dismissive look and turned to Trent. “Thanks for coming. Have a seat, please. This won’t take long. Oh”—she turned to Bobby—“you can sit, too.”
Bobby replied tersely, “I’ll stand.”
Trent held on to his temper. Astrid Franklin Wiggins was a piece of work. Her family had founded Franklin back in the early 1900s. Up until a few weeks ago, the two neighboring communities had gotten along fairly well. But Bernadine’s rebuilding of Henry Adams, adding services and perks for the town that Franklin didn’t have, was giving Astrid fits of jealousy. Right before Thanksgiving she’d hired a young knucklehead to set loose cockroaches in the aisles of the new Henry Adams grocery store, which led to the Health Department shutting it down. She’d also incited a crazed bunch of gold seekers to riot, causing a lot of destruction in town. Astrid was Trent’s age. In high school she’d been the epitome of a mean girl. Twenty-five years later, she still wore the crown.
“I wanted to let you know that Franklin will no longer be able to make town services available to your people,” she began.
Trent chose to overlook the “your people” remark. She knew it was offensive and was trying to push his buttons. He refused to play. “Meaning?”
“Due to budget constraints, we’ll no longer be able to offer you any assistance from our fire department.”
She waited for his reaction. He didn’t give her one. “What else?”
“Our library’s going private as well, and will only lend books to our residents. Your people are no longer welcome in our continuing education classes or GED program. Effective immediately.” She gave him a smug little smile.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
He stood. “Have a nice day.”
He and Bobby exited.
Once they were outside, Bobby said, “Wow. What a bitch.”
“No kidding.”
“So what’s your town going to do?”
“Once Ms. Brown gets done cursing, she’ll probably open the vault and declare war.”
On the drive back to Henry Adams, Trent pushed his anger at Astrid aside. He knew Bobby was going to need employment. His original plan to put him to work in the garage was no longer feasible now that he’d learned the young man knew nothing about working on engines or anything else mechanical tied to repairing cars. Not even Bernadine was going to pay him for doing nothing, and from what Trent knew of him, Bobby wouldn’t accept that kind of arrangement even if it was offered, so Trent had another job in mind. He’d make the announcement during the town meeting.
Bernadine looked up to see Genevieve Curry peeking around the frame of her opened office door.
“Are you busy?”
“Never too busy for you. Come on in and have a seat. How are you this morning? Do you want coffee?” Bernadine was on her second cup.
“No, thank you. I’m on my way to help out at the rec. I just stopped by to let you know that I’ve officially gone back to my maiden name, Gibbs.”
After having her home razed as a result of the antics of her husband—Riley, the town’s former mayor—and his eight-hundred-pound hog, Cletus, she’d divorced them both. Getting all the paperwork sorted out had taken some time, especially after she found out Riley had been embezzling the money she’d inherited from her parents.
“I assume your lawyer’s handled the name changes on all your documents and accounts?” Bernadine asked.
“Yes, from Social Security to bank accounts.”
“Good. No word from Riley, I hope?”
Her face soured. “He called collect the other day, but I refused to accept the charges. I’m guessing he and that hog aren’t taking Hollywood by storm the way he’d envisioned.”
Bernadine agreed. He’d taken the hog to Hollywood hoping to make him a star like Arnold of Green Acres fame. The only reason he’d call was if he needed something, like maybe a bus ticket home. She wasn’t planning on accepting any collect calls, either.
“I’m hoping you aren’t going to take his calls.”
“You just read my mind.”
Genevieve smiled. “Good. Now, when do we ladies get to meet the babies?”
“I’m hoping Kelly and Bobby will be at tonight’s town meeting. If they come, I’m sure they’ll bring the twins.”
“I can’t wait.” Genevieve had no children, and she considered that fact one of the biggest disappointments of her marriage. Since being told the young family would be moving to town, she’d been chomping at the bit to meet them.
“Anything else on your mind?” asked Bernadine.
“Not really, but I think the next time Marie and I go to Vegas, I’m going to get a makeover. Nothing drastic, but getting rid of Riley has made me think about all the things I might have done or could’ve been had I not been his glorified maid my whole life.” She leaned forward and whispered. “Maybe I’ll be a cougar.”
Bernadine choked on her coffee.
Gen added, “Crystal suggested I listen to Beyoncé or Mary J. She said they’re very inspiring for the young women of today.”
Bernadine was pretty sure Genevieve had no business taking life advice from her seventeen-year-old daughter, but kept the thought to herself. “I like Mary J.’s music.”
“I do too. Amari’s going to help me pick out a new phone so I can put music on it, and a speaker to play it through when I don’t want to use the earbuds.”
“You certainly have the vernacular down, Ms. Gibbs,” Bernadine said sassily.
“I want to enjoy my golden years, so I’m reinventing myself.”
“You go, girl.”
Smiling, Genevieve got to her feet and zipped up her claret-red down coat. “I’m planning to do just that. See you at tonight’s meeting.”
“Bye.”
After Genevieve took her leave, Bernadine thought back on the cougar remark and laughed. While married, Gen had been a model of decorum, but after the divorce she’d turned into quite the feisty woman—to the point of treating Riley to a mean right hook at the Dog last year that left the former mayor knocked out cold on the floor. She was presently in a relationship with Mal’s best friend, Clay Dobbs, but it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Ideally, Gen would find someone to love her as fiercely as she longed to be loved.
Bernadine’s phone sounded with the opening notes of Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” and she smiled. Speaking of love . . . “Hey, Mal.”
“Hey, sweet thing. How’s turning the world going this morning?”
His voice always made her melt inside. “So far, so good. How’re you?”
“Wishing I was there with you instead of here working on the books.”
“Aww. How about we have lunch?”
“You really going to show up?”
She chuckled. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?” Twice last week, due to the weight of her workload, she’d had to cry off from their daily lunch date, and he’d been rubbing her nose in it since.
“No, I’m not. Fine older gentleman like myself is not used to being stood up by the woman he loves.”
“You’re a mess.”
“But I’m your mess.”
“Yes, you are, and I’m glad about it. I won’t stand you up. Promise.”
“Then that’s good enough for me. You have a good rest of the morning, and I’ll see you later. Love you, girl.”
“Love you more.”
Disconnecting, Bernadine sat back and smiled.
Lily stuck her head in the door. “My hubba-hubba hubby back yet?”
“No.”
“You looked awfully happy there. You must’ve been talking to the former gigolo of Graham County.”
Mal’s reputation as a lady’s man had been the stuff of legends. “Operative word is former.”
“And that’s a good thing. It takes a real woman to make an old player turn in his card.” Lily grew serious. “You’re exactly what’s he’s been needing all his life.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“Yes, he is. His son’s not too shabby, either.”
Bernadine agreed. In many ways Mal and Trent were as different as night and day, in others, alike as two peas in the pod. She and Lily were both blessed by the love of the July men.
Lily asked. “Any idea what Seabiscuit wants?”
“Only the devil knows.”
“True. Let me know when he gets in, if you see him first.”
“Will do.”
Turning to her e-mail, she opened a message from Gary Clark, the manager of the town’s grocery store. He wanted to know what was going on with Bernadine’s baby sister, Diane Willis. She’d moved in with Bernadine and Crystal this past fall after being served with divorce papers by her long-suffering husband because she was spoiled, demanding, and not a very nice person. She’d left town right after Thanksgiving to spend time with her son Marlon and his partner, Anthony, at their home in Maui. That was almost ten days ago. Bernadine hadn’t heard a peep from Diane since, and neither had Gary, her boss. He’d be looking to hire her replacement if she didn’t touch base soon, and Bernadine couldn’t blame him. She hoped that Diane had found employment in Maui and would thus be out of Bernadine’s hair, but she doubted she’d be that lucky. Although her sister had reconciled with her children and with Bernadine, she had a ways to go to completely shed her sometimes selfish attitude. There was no telling what her intentions were concerning her job or the future. Bernadine would put in a call to Maui later.
The next e-mail was from Sheriff Dalton. After reading the content, Bernadine sighed with irritation. Local law enforcement still hadn’t located Tommy Stewart, the skinny, smelly young man who’d showed up in her office a few days before Thanksgiving threatening to sue Henry Adams because he’d supposedly found a cockroach in a sandwich he purchased at the town’s new grocery store. When a review of the security camera showed him spreading roaches through the aisles like a perverted Johnny Appleseed, he disappeared before he could be arrested. Bernadine and her people were pretty sure Astrid Wiggins had put him up to the nasty stunt—he’d come within a hairbreadth of admitting as much. They were also convinced that Astrid had helped him fly the coop so she wouldn’t be implicated, but until he was found, the prosecutor could do nothing further with the case. Astrid—aka Seabiscuit, aka Secretariat—was determined to put Henry Adams in its place, and although Bernadine hated to admit it, she’d won that round. When local hermit Cephas Patterson left a bag of gold to Roni and Reg’s daughter Zoey this past summer, Astrid spread word of the boon, and every gold-seeking crazy in the state had descended on Henry Adams like one of the plagues of Egypt. A riot ensued, and the town was left to pick up the pieces of their nearly destroyed recreation center. Astrid had won that round, as well.
The only bright spot for Bernadine in this mini-war was a Thanksgiving Day newspaper article penned by Austin Wiggins, Franklin’s former mayor and Astrid’s soon-to-be-ex-husband. To get back at Astrid for booting him from office, Austin had confirmed in print that her family had paid him to marry her. He then left town with his girlfriend Lindy, a pretty, baby-voiced blonde who’d been runner-up in the county fair’s Ms. Heifer contest. Bernadine was sure Astrid was in the market for a hit man to put him away, but in the meantime, the mayor of Franklin been turned into a laughingstock.
Still, Astrid was a formidable opponent. Though Bernadine had no desire to go toe-to-toe with her again, she didn’t want to lose any more rounds. Astrid’s earlier call about wanting to meet with Trent made her wonder what ol’ Horse Face had up her sleeve this time.
It didn’t take her long to find out.
“She’s cutting all ties to Henry Adams,” Trent reported to her and Lily after he and Bobby had arrived and taken seats in Bernadine’s office, and Bobby and Lily had been introduced.
“What does that mean?” asked Bernadine.
Trent explained, and when he was done, Bernadine and Lily stared, stunned. “But we have a signed contract for their fire department’s aid,” Bernadine stormed.
“I know, but now that she’s mayor, she’s decided she doesn’t have to honor it.”
“That’s unconscionable,” Lily snapped. “Two of her citizens died in that fire last spring.”
Trent shrugged. “Guess she doesn’t care about that either, or the other folks in the county working on their GEDs, or our kids using the library, or the people enrolled in the continuing education classes. None of that.”
“Unbelievable.” Bernadine thought for a moment. “We’ll have to take up the slack. Let’s put this on the agenda for the meeting tonight and figure out a way to work around her.”
“Agreed,” Trent said. “I’ll be calling the Board of Regents to see if she can summarily exclude people from the GED program.”
“Good idea. Maybe they’ll slap her with a big fat fine.” She turned her attention to Bobby. “Did you get your car?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you. Met Sheriff Dalton, too. He gave me his card.”
“Good for Will. Were you with Trent at the meeting with Mayor Wiggins?”
He nodded.
“And your assessment?”
“She’s a bitch.”
“Give the young man a prize,” she said solemnly. “The monthly town meeting is at the Dog this evening. You and Kelly might want to attend so you can meet everyone.”
“I know. Tamar already said she wanted us there.”
“Sounds good.”
Trent stood. “I’m going to let Bob follow me back to his place just to make sure he knows the way. When I get back, we can talk more.”
She nodded, and the men left.
Once they were gone, Lily turned to Bernadine. “I say we go over to Franklin and set her hair on fire.”
“I’ll get the matches.”