Read Online Fraidy Hole: A Sheriff Lester P. Morrison Novel by Warren Williams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Warren Williams
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body J.O. You’d remember that, I know.”
“Don’t remember no girl like that.”
“Uh huh. Thing is , Billy Ray, J.O. here has this annoying tendency to break the law from time to time. There was a DUI—at least one that I know of—twice for aggravated assault, and what was that other thing J.O.? Something about a rape wasn’t it ? ”
Mecham tensed. “Hey, don’t be starting that shit again. That was bogus and you know it. That little bitch was lying from the git-go.”
“Way I heard it, ” Lester added , “was that she dropped the charges. There was talk that she’d been threatened, her and her kids both.”
“Lies, like I said.”
“Yeah, well, been nice talking to you , J.O. , but I know you got to get home. Let me get your door for you. Wouldn’t want you to aggravate that sore arm.”
J.O. pressed it, the beer talking now. “Hey, I’m not ready to go home, not yet. I’ve done nothing wrong. You got no right…”
Billy Ray gave J.O. a quick but forceful shove in the middle of his back. “I think this might be one of those times you should quit while you’re ahead , Mr. Mecham.”
Mecham glared at both the men, holding it as long as felt he could get away with it, and then got in his pickup, slamming the door so hard that both lawmen winced, half expecting the glass to shatter. Lester and Billy Ray watched the Dodge spray gravel, then heard a chirp of rubber as the wheels hit solid pavement.
Lester followed the taillights as they faded into the distance. “He’s a mean son of a bitch that one, drunk or sober, but worse when he’s drunk, much worse. If we find that Melissa was actually here last night, we best not forget about him.”
“We could stop him,” Billy Ray said. “I doubt he could pass a sobriety test. Another DUI would set him back a bit.”
Lester thought about it. “I’m gonna let him slide for now. I’ll be talking to him again, see if his memory improves when he’s not so soused and mean. Besides, J.O. isn’t hard to find, drunk or sober.”
The wind had died and the air was cooling down. A light overcast hid the usual abundance of stars, normally so brilliant and visible in this end of the state, absent of light pollution from any major town or city.
“You think that about wraps it up for today , Sheriff?” Billy Ray asked. “I’d like to take in that football game tonight in Boise City. Thought I’d swing by and pick up my buddy Jason. He wants to see it too. Looks like the Bobcats have a pretty good team this year.”
Lester said nothing in reply, standing quietly, thumbs hooked in his belt, taking in the smells of the country, feeling the land. He checked the sky, horizon to horizon, and wondered if any rain was in the forecast.
Finally, “Get in the truck , Billy Ray.”
Chapter 9
The cellar, or as Melissa was now calling it, the fraidy hole , was once again losing what little precious light remained, and much too quickly. The dark ness was moving with frightening speed from the back wall, across the floor, toward the girl perched high on the stairs . Melissa’s butt was aching from the long hours of watching and waiting on the hard and narrow steps . Her voice was hoarse and raspy from yelling, her hands raw from beating on the bottom of the rusty steel door. Despite her efforts and vigilance, the only things she had seen through the narrow opening for the past nine hours were the same grasses, weeds , and blue sky with an occasional cloud to break the monotony. Three times she had big trucks pass by—semi’s it sounded like—the roar of the diesel engines carried by the wind. That was when she had screamed the loudest, so loud that for a few minutes, Melissa was afraid she had torn something in her throat. But the trucks didn’t stop, didn’t even slow down. It was a futile effort of course. She knew her voice could never be heard above the drone of the engines and the whine of the big tires, but she had to try
“Don’t remember no girl like that.”
“Uh huh. Thing is , Billy Ray, J.O. here has this annoying tendency to break the law from time to time. There was a DUI—at least one that I know of—twice for aggravated assault, and what was that other thing J.O.? Something about a rape wasn’t it ? ”
Mecham tensed. “Hey, don’t be starting that shit again. That was bogus and you know it. That little bitch was lying from the git-go.”
“Way I heard it, ” Lester added , “was that she dropped the charges. There was talk that she’d been threatened, her and her kids both.”
“Lies, like I said.”
“Yeah, well, been nice talking to you , J.O. , but I know you got to get home. Let me get your door for you. Wouldn’t want you to aggravate that sore arm.”
J.O. pressed it, the beer talking now. “Hey, I’m not ready to go home, not yet. I’ve done nothing wrong. You got no right…”
Billy Ray gave J.O. a quick but forceful shove in the middle of his back. “I think this might be one of those times you should quit while you’re ahead , Mr. Mecham.”
Mecham glared at both the men, holding it as long as felt he could get away with it, and then got in his pickup, slamming the door so hard that both lawmen winced, half expecting the glass to shatter. Lester and Billy Ray watched the Dodge spray gravel, then heard a chirp of rubber as the wheels hit solid pavement.
Lester followed the taillights as they faded into the distance. “He’s a mean son of a bitch that one, drunk or sober, but worse when he’s drunk, much worse. If we find that Melissa was actually here last night, we best not forget about him.”
“We could stop him,” Billy Ray said. “I doubt he could pass a sobriety test. Another DUI would set him back a bit.”
Lester thought about it. “I’m gonna let him slide for now. I’ll be talking to him again, see if his memory improves when he’s not so soused and mean. Besides, J.O. isn’t hard to find, drunk or sober.”
The wind had died and the air was cooling down. A light overcast hid the usual abundance of stars, normally so brilliant and visible in this end of the state, absent of light pollution from any major town or city.
“You think that about wraps it up for today , Sheriff?” Billy Ray asked. “I’d like to take in that football game tonight in Boise City. Thought I’d swing by and pick up my buddy Jason. He wants to see it too. Looks like the Bobcats have a pretty good team this year.”
Lester said nothing in reply, standing quietly, thumbs hooked in his belt, taking in the smells of the country, feeling the land. He checked the sky, horizon to horizon, and wondered if any rain was in the forecast.
Finally, “Get in the truck , Billy Ray.”
Chapter 9
The cellar, or as Melissa was now calling it, the fraidy hole , was once again losing what little precious light remained, and much too quickly. The dark ness was moving with frightening speed from the back wall, across the floor, toward the girl perched high on the stairs . Melissa’s butt was aching from the long hours of watching and waiting on the hard and narrow steps . Her voice was hoarse and raspy from yelling, her hands raw from beating on the bottom of the rusty steel door. Despite her efforts and vigilance, the only things she had seen through the narrow opening for the past nine hours were the same grasses, weeds , and blue sky with an occasional cloud to break the monotony. Three times she had big trucks pass by—semi’s it sounded like—the roar of the diesel engines carried by the wind. That was when she had screamed the loudest, so loud that for a few minutes, Melissa was afraid she had torn something in her throat. But the trucks didn’t stop, didn’t even slow down. It was a futile effort of course. She knew her voice could never be heard above the drone of the engines and the whine of the big tires, but she had to try
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