Part 16 (2/2)

”But he wrote a letter,” Jules said, looking at Robert, not at Jimmy Caya.

”What letter?” Jimmy Caya said. ”What you trying to say, old man?”

”And we know that letter is true, don't we, Robert?” Jules Raynard said. ”Because we know what everybody else know in this parish, and that's he loved her. And because she couldn't love him back, because she knowed better, he killed himself. We know that, don't we, Robert?”

”What's going on here?” Jimmy Caya said.

”Something your kind could never understand,” Jules Raynard told him.

Jimmy Caya turned to Robert. ”Mr. Robert?” he said. ”Mr. Robert? Robert was my friend-my best friend. I loved Robert.”

”Well?” Jules Raynard said.

”n.o.body pay?” Robert said.

”Yes, you and Amma Dean,” Jules Raynard said. ”And everybody else who loved him.”

”And that woman?” Robert said.

”Kill her because she wouldn't run away with him?” Jules Raynard said. ”That's what you want kill her for? That's what you want put her in the pen for?”

”I said nothing 'bout no pen,” Robert said.

”Then walk over me and do it, Robert,” Jules Raynard said. ”And I'll accuse you of murder sure as I'm born to die. Yes, I stood next to you when you married Amma Dean; yes, I christened Robert. Yes, I carried one handle of Mr. Paul's coffin; one handle of Clarence's. But don't think for a moment I won't tell Guidry this was plain cold-blooded murder. And if Guidry won't do nothing 'bout it I'll go somewhere else. I'll tell what was in that letter, Robert.”

Robert knowed Jules meant what he said. For a moment he just stood there facing him. No, not to tell him to get out. Robert wouldn't 'a' dared tell Jules Raynard to leave that house. Jules Raynard was not a kin, but he was like a second father there. He had been coming to that house all his life. Robert knowed this. Even when he felt he ought to do something about Tee Bob's death, he knowed he couldn't walk over Jules Raynard to do it. He looked at Miss Amma Dean. Whatever she said, that's what he was go'n do. But she was just sitting there with her head bowed. Like she hadn't even heard them talking. Robert turned around quickly and went toward the window. Now, he just stood there looking out at the rain.

Jules Raynard looked at Jimmy Caya. ”Come out here,” he said. ”You foul the air in there.”

Jimmy Caya looked at Robert. ”Mr. Robert?” he said. Robert looked out of the window. Jimmy Caya looked at Miss Amma Dean. ”Miss Amma Dean?” he said. She kept her head bowed. ”Miss Amma Dean, I loved Robert. The Lord knows I loved Robert.” But she didn't look up. He looked at Robert again. But Robert still looked out of the window. He looked at the sheet that covered Tee Bob. He put his hand on Tee Bob's shoulder, then he came toward the door. Jules Raynard grabbed him in the collar and jecked him out in the parlor.

”You go'n tell me what went on today or you go'n tell Guidry,” he said.

He held him with one hand and slapped him hard cross the face. Then he pushed him down in a chair. Jimmy Caya sat there covering his face and crying.

”Bring me a chair,” Jules said to me.

I brought him the chair. He sat in it facing Jimmy Caya.

”Well?” he said.

”I didn't tell him nothing,” Jimmy Caya said, crying.

”No?” Jules said.

Jimmy Caya cried, but didn't say nothing else. Jules grabbed him again.

”No more than the rules,” he said, flinching back from Jules's hand that was already in the air.

Jules turned him loose. ”Explain them rules to me,” he said.

”She's there for his pleasure, for nothing else,” Jimmy Caya said.

”You told him more than that,” Jules said. ”Lot more. And you go'n tell it to me or you go'n tell it to Guidry. Well?”

”I didn't kill him by myself,” Jimmy Caya said. ”We all killed him.”

”You getting warm,” Jules said.

”Robert was my friend,” Jimmy Caya said. ”I loved Robert. I loved him.” He looked at Jules, crying. ”I loved Robert. Can't you understand nothing? I loved Robert.”

”Me or Guidry?” Jules said.

”I didn't tell him no more than what my daddy told me,” Jimmy Caya said. ”What my daddy's daddy told him. What Mr. Paul told Mr. Robert. What Mr. Paul's daddy told him. What your daddy told you. No more than the rules we been living by ever since we been here.”

”That's all well and good,” Jules said. ”But what did you tell Robert today, or are you waiting for Guidry? Guidry don't play, remember. And right now he owe me a big big favor.”

”Robert was my best, my only friend,” Jimmy Caya said.

”Well, I guess you want to talk to Guidry,” Jules said. ”And I warn you, that letter got your name everywhere.”

Robert came out the library and nodded for me to go in there. When I came in, Miss Amma Dean got up from her chair and went to look at Tee Bob again. Then she knelt down on the floor by his chair. I got down on my knees side her, and I said my prayers quietly to myself.

Sam Guidry showed up not too long after that. A tall, slim man. Dressed in a blue serge suit and a raincoat. The coat was wet, and it s.h.i.+ned in the light. Guidry came in very quiet, with his hat in his hand. Miss Amma Dean was sitting in a chair when he came in; I was sitting in another chair 'cross from her. After Guidry spoke to her, he raised the sheet and looked at Tee Bob. Not more than a few seconds, than he pulled the sheet back over his face. When he saw the letter opener on the floor, he looked at me. He had a hard and brutal face. He didn't ask you for information, he told you he wanted it. I just glanced down at the floor. He got a piece of paper and picked up the letter opener, then he wrapped it up in a handkerchief and put it in his pocket. He went back out, and I heard him and Jules talking. Next thing I heard him say was, ”Well?”

Sam Guidry looked at black people and white people in two different ways, but he must 'a' looked at Jimmy Caya the way he looked at black people, because Jimmy Caya started talking and wouldn't stop. After they heard his story, they told him to go on home. Then Jules and Sam Guidry came on down the quarters to talk to the girl. Ida was still there. They told Ida to go in my side of the house while they asked the girl some questions. Ida said with them big cracks in the wall, they might as well had let her stay in there because she could hear everything anyhow. She said when she heard that Tee Bob had took his life she had to hurry and cover her mouth to keep from screaming. But the girl didn't make a sound. If she did, it wasn't loud enough for Ida to hear. Ida said even when Sam Guidry told her her life depended on what she had to say, she still wouldn't say anything to him. He told her he wasn't go'n beg her, he had ways to make her talk. She still didn't say a word. Ida said it got quiet in there, and she wondered what they was doing. She didn't hear any scuffling, so they couldn't be hurting the girl. Maybe they was just waiting for her to start. Ida waited too. Then she heard a slap. She heard Jules Raynard say: ”That won't help.” Sam Guidry said: ”It worked before.” It was quiet again. Then Jules Raynard's voice, gentle, like a father talking to his child. He told the girl about the letter and she wasn't accused of nothing. Tee Bob had said over and over she was innocent of everything. And it was this, nothing else, that made her tell them what had happened. Ida heard it all from the other side. She had squatted down on the floor, with her ear to the wall, and she heard every word the girl said. She said when Mary Agnes got through talking, Guidry said: ”I want to know one thing-and this better be the true. Did he rape you?”

”No, sir,” the girl said. ”When I started by him, he grabbed me and swung me back 'cross the room. I struck my back against the wall and fell. I was almost out, and I saw him standing there over me. He looked scared. Then he turned and ran out the house. I heard Clamp calling me, and I tried to answer him, but I couldn't. Next thing I knowed, Ida was helping me to bed. But, no, sir, he didn't do that. Robert was too decent for that.”

”Then what he had to go and do a fool thing like that for?” Guidry said.

Ida said it was quiet in there a moment, then she heard Jules Raynard telling the girl not to ever say a word about this ever again. And they wanted her to get away from here tonight. He asked her if she had any money. She said she had some. He told her he wanted her to leave for New Orleans tonight, and he wanted her to leave New Orleans soon as she could. He told her not to tell n.o.body where she was going, not even him. Then he called Ida back 'round the other side. He told Ida to go find somebody with a car and tell him-he didn't care who-to take this girl to New Orleans, and take her there now.

Jules Raynard and Sam Guidry came back to the house and talked to Robert and Miss Amma Dean. I didn't hear what they had to say, but the next day the newspapers said they had no idea why young Robert Samson of Samson, Luzana had taken his own life. The newspapers said everybody thought he was so happy, knowing in a few weeks that he was go'n be the husband of the beautiful and cultured Judy Major of Bayonne, Luzana. Sheriff Sam Guidry was investsagating the matter, the newspapers said.

The coroner came and took Tee Bob away while I was still at the house. Then Jules Raynard brought me on home. When he stopped before my gate I started to get out the car, but I looked at him again.

”You a good man, Mr. Raynard,” I told him.

”Because I didn't let them kill her?” he said, over his shoulder.

”Yes, sir.”

”We caused one death already this evening,” he said. I sat in the back seat looking at him; he was looking out at the rain. ”Jimmy was right,” he said. ”We all killed him. We tried to make him follow a set of rules our people gived us long ago. But these rules just ain't old enough, Jane.”

”I don't understand you, Mr. Raynard,” I said.

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