Part 46 (1/2)

”Lemme finish tellin' you. I done told Hal and the rest. I said to myself, 'Hawk Lumpkin, whoever done that was pretty smart. He figgered we'd all think Ward went huntin' and just had a accident!' But he didn't figger on me! This mornin' it taken me just about a hour to get at the truth!”

”How's that?”

”You ever seen that scrawny-lookin' boy Ned's been keepin'?”

”Lots of times. They call him Little Stray.”

”Jodie, early this mornin', real early, I found that humpbacked young'un sittin' down by the road, his overall pockets just stuffed with empty shotgun sh.e.l.ls. I began to question the boy, and he just up and told me that Ned shot a young fox squirrel yesterday mornin' and stuffed it in Ward's coat!”

”You gonna believe what a little colored boy says?”

”Sh.o.r.e, Jodie. Little young'uns don't lie. They ain't learned it yet. They gotta learn lyin' from grown folks!”

Doctor Elton moved over closer to Mister Hawk. ”You don't think a jury would put any weight in what a young'un says about a squirrel do you, Mister Hawk?”

”Sh.o.r.e, Doc. I figger they would. It would prove Ned shot Ward!”

”No, no, I don't think so. I'm not saying who hid the squirrel, but-”

While the doctor was talking to Mister Hawk, Papa turned around to ask Mister Wes what he thought about Ned and the squirrel.

Mister Wes took a deep breath, and for a minute didn't answer Papa. Then he cleared his throat two or three times and said, ”I tell you, Jodie, Old Man Hawk's right 'bout that red fox squirrel bein' fresh killed. I'd done figgered that out myself. Like I was tellin' the sheriff here, that's how come me knowin' Ward didn't have no accident. Now, Jodie, I don't want you gettin' mad at me-and I hate to say it 'cause I never know'd you to harm a fly before-but me and the sheriff figger it was you that killed Ward!

He's come to arrest you!”

”Just do some more figuring, Wes. I didn't kill him!”

”You was over at Ward's place late Sunday evenin', Jodie! You can't deny that! I seen you pa.s.s my house. Then just in a little while I heerd shootin'. Then pretty soon you come back by, headed towards home-your shotgun lyin' cross your knees! Your wife was with you, and some young'uns in the back of the buggy! I seen you!”

”Yeah, Wes! I went over there! But I didn't go to kill Ward Lawson! Me and my wife went to take some vittles to his young'uns! And, as for the gun, that old rusty thing belongs to Miss d.i.n.k!”

”Now, Jodie! On top o' that, yesterday mornin' you was one of the first ones sayin' it looked like Ward shot hisself accidental tryin' to climb the fence.”

”Good Lord, Wes. We all thought that!”

”Me, I don't blame you for killin' him, Jodie! You had-”

”Now look here, Wes! You-”

”You had ever' reason-all the dirt Ward done you! Ever'body knows that!”

”Wes Bailey! Sure, I hated Ward's guts! But I didn't kill him!

Now if you want to see the man with the motive, you go look in a mirror!”

”Naw, Jodie, all that ruckus about the old feud didn't amount to nothin'.”

”I ain't speaking of the feud, Wes. I ain't wanting to talk what took place at your house Sunday night, but if you insist, I'll tell every last man standing in this store!”

”Hold on a minute, Jodie! Hold on! Let's- Let's not-We better talk this over! Sheriff, don't you aim-”

”Mister Jodie, regardless of what happened Sunday night, or what was said yesterday, or who killed this squirrel y'all been talking about, I'll have to ask you to come back to town with me for questioning. We've got to get to the bottom of this!”