Page 33 of Letters Book Two
“Get on with it, Wall Street. He loves you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Perry
The next morning when I relieved Mrs. Howard, the police were speaking with Clint about what he remembered. Mrs. Howard and I were standing near and trying to listen in on the investigation.
“Ma’am, this is a private concern. I’d appreciate it if you’d step aside and go about your business,” the young officer asked her.
I watched the color drain from her face as she closed in on him. “Go aboutmybusiness? This all happened atmybusiness, young man. My husband is dead because of allthisbusiness you’re speaking of.” She walked nearer to the officer. “And you listen here,Todd, I know your momma and daddy. I even wiped your ass when you were an infant at church a number of times too. You want me to get on the phone with your daddy, son? Because I will, as sure as God is my witness.” Mrs. Howard crossed her arms. The kind, sweet woman I had met a few months back also had an ornery streak. And this whole unfortunate affair had her on her worst behavior. “Now, I’m sorry, son, but I am not going anywhere until you all figure out who did this to my grandson.”
“Mrs. Howard, you aren’t related to Lucas Jenson. You ain’t got no rights on him, ma’am.”Uh-oh.He’d made a serious mistake with that assumption.
She unfolded her arms and grabbed him by the earlobe and squeezed hard. Officer Todd Martins was as red as a ripe tomato by then. He tried, unsuccessfully, to squirm away from her ear pinch, but she wasn’t letting go. The other officer was grinning wide and shaking his head at her in good humor. “You listen to me, Todd Martins. And let me be extra clear so you can get this through your knuckleheaded skull. “Lucas Jensonismy grandson! I don’t need no fancy paperwork to prove that. End of story!”
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am.” He rubbed his earlobe and looked sheepishly at the rest of us.
“That’s right, young man. Youaresorry!” Mrs. Howard held her head high and waltzed over to her grandson and adjusted his gown and tucked his unkempt hair behind an ear. She bent down and moved her crossword puzzle out of the chair, turned around while straightening her skirt, before unceremoniously sitting down. “We’ll see who I’m related to, won’t we?” She let out a huff and went back to her hobby.Note to self, don’t cross that woman.
The other officer got back to Clint and the interrogation. “What do you remember, Clint? Did you see anything that you can recall?”
Clint, a little better at sitting up, had regained a bit of strength over the past twenty-four hours. He had a sour look on his face. “I can do you one better. I know the person that knows who did this shit.” He carefully lifted his arm and pointed at Officer Martins, the recent assault victim of Mrs. Howard. “Grab that notepad and I’ll tell you what I heard and who said it to me. You’re gonna wanna write this shit down.” He waited for him to retrieve the pad. “Ok, so the dude I fought at Lucas’s place was not the same guy that told me about the hit on Lucas. Hopkins can answer your questions about the attacker. And if he don’t, give me a coupla weeks, I’ll beat it out of him.”
We all sat around and listened to Clint tell the story. He mentioned some guy named Johnny Hopkins that he’d had a beer with a month or so back. He told the officers that it was then that he first heard a threat aimed at Lucas. “Hopkins tells me that the Tilton clan, over at the capital, have been snooping around about having Lucas hurt, maybe even worse than hurt. I don’t know what they’re pissed at him about though. I’d just walked into Billy’s bar and saw Hopkins and some junk-yard-dog-looking thug, chewing the fat. I sat at the table, had a beer or two, and saidheyto Hopkins. I didn’t recognize the other dude.” Clint started coughing and tried to reach his cup of water and the straw. He couldn’t, so I held it for him. “Thanks, Wall Street.” I placed the cup back on one of those tables that slides over the hospital beds, and he continued. “So, I proceeded to pull up a chair right in the middle of this nasty fucker telling Hopkins about how he could make some money off of bashing Lucas. Hopkins told him to fuck off, but he sure as hell had my attention. I left and started keeping guard around Lucas that very night.”
“And you don’t know this other guy’s name? Never seen him before?” the investigator asked, scribbling in his pad.
“Nope. Never seen him before, but I work with Hopkins. He knows who he is. Gauran-fuckin-tee ya that!” Clint paused like he had remembered another tidbit. “Come to think of it, the dude at the bar, not Hopkins, but the mean one. He was missing a couple of teeth. Not his two front ones though.” Clint opened his mouth and pointed at the spot where the assailant’s teeth were missing. “It was two of ‘em, just to the side of the middle ones. He looked like a meth head. It was dark in Lucas’s place that morning, but I’m sure it’s the same guy. I had him pinned against the wall during our fight, I saw him up close. The creep was on something too. I’ve been around enough addicts to tell.”
Clint grabbed the side of his head and grimaced. “Whoa, man. Something ain’t right.”
I reached for Clint and held his hand. “You ok, Clint?”
“Just tired is all, I guess. I felt weird, dizzy like. Maybe I’m done spillin’ the beans for now. Find Hopkins’s friend and you’ll have the snake that did all this.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
The officers stood, thanked him and said to call if he thought of any detail, no matter how small. As they exited, Chad wandered in. Him and I had been sharing a hotel near the hospital and taking turns checking on the guys. He, like me, was worn out, but he never lost his optimism or desire to see his men get well.
He immediately looked at Clint and knew he was off somehow. He walked over and grabbed his hand and held it in both of his. “What’s wrong? You don’t look right, Clint. What did they want?” He glanced to the door and to where the police had just exited. “You remembered something, didn’t you?”
“What’s up with you, man? You got some Spidey sense or what?” Clint asked, giving me a look that asked,who is this guy?
“Just you wait, Clint. Hang around him much longer, and you’ll see how weird it can really get,” I said, laughing at the chagrined look on Chad’s face.
Chad waved a dismissive hand at me. “Whatever.” He turned back to Clint. “Have you eaten yet?” And away Chad went on his newest mission. And don’t think for a minute that he’d lost track of Lucas. Not a chance! Mrs. Howard was here, so he could devote all of his cosmic energy on the new man he’d just met. And from the looks of things, somethingout of this worldwas happening in Chad’s cosmos.
Mrs. Howard shrieked. “Perry! Come here!” I jumped, startled, and looked at her. She was leaning into Lucas’s face. “His eyes were following me, Perry. He mouthed something to me. Look. Look close... he did... he’s in there.”
I ran across the room and gently slid between her and the bed. “Lucas, baby. Can you hear me?” I stood motionless, waiting for something, anything. There was nothing there. “Lucas, I’m here baby. I’m here. We’re all here.” I grabbed his hand. “Baby, squeeze my hand. Come on! You can do it, Lucas. I’m right here. Please. Please squeeze it, baby.”
Chad joined us bedside as Clint turned his reclined head to us. I felt the slightest pressure on my hand and turned to the rest of the room. “He’s here. He did it. I felt him. He squeezed my finger.” Tears streamed down my cheeks.Thank you, Jack. I know you’re here, Jack. Thank you.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Lucas
Iheard voices in the distance. I was going to run to them, but then they were right in front of me. I could see their shadows.“Grandma? Is that you?”Could she hear me? I tried to form the words. My mouth was so dry, I couldn’t speak. I needed her to hear me. I recognized the familiar, loving voice. I instinctively knew this wasn’t Momma.
I’d given up on finding Momma. Her and Lachen never did show up at the beach. I heard a voice I knew, but I was struggling to make out the face. Mrs. Howard? Grandma? I turned away and looked behind me at an image in the far corner. It was my angel, Jack. He was nodding his head, yes, and waving as he faded into the wall. I’m trapped, Jack. Don’t go.
Then a scream. Grandma, it is you. Why can’t you hear me? I felt a tugging on my body. Sleep wanted me. The beach wanted me, and I was willing to go. I’m still trapped here.
“Lucas, I’m here, baby. I’m here,” he said, and my hand felt warmer. This isn’t Jack. Take me with you please. I’m trapped here.
