Page 82 of More Than a Fling

Pepper wiped her eyes, smiling through her tears. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

The officers had politely stepped back for the reunion but were now ready to wrap up their interrogation. “Virgil, we have your statement, if we have any more questions, we’ll get back with you. You’ve been most helpful. Concentrate on getting stronger, ya hear?” Officer Connie Gibbons said.

“Thank ya,” he said weakly.

They both nodded to Pepper and left the room.

“Virgil?” Pepper said.

“Ferget you ever heard that,” he grinned, weakly as if even that took too much strength.

“I don’t think I can,” she smiled at her friend. “But I can keep it between you and me.” She winked.

“I promised to go and get Gabe and Annie after the police left. I’ll be right back.”

“I hain’t goin nowhere I reckin.”

When Pepper went to find Gabe and Annie, they were right outside of the waiting room, talking with Officer Gibbons.

“Fill me in,” Pepper said.

“It was Cal, all along.” Gabe said unable to disguise the shock and hurt from his voice.

“Cal? No way!”

“Yes way,” Annie said.

“What, why, how?” Pepper sputtered.

“They don’t have all of the facts nailed down, but apparently it was a scam to collect on insurance money. Midnight was supposed to perish in the fire and Cal’s boss was going to cash in. We’ll know more later. Seems as if Slim was a witness and had to be silenced. Cal had a last-minute change of heart and couldn’t go through with it.”

“Through with what?”

“They came here to the hospital to finish him off.” Gabe said.

“What? Oh my God! Thank you, baby Jesus, that they failed!” Pepper exclaimed. “I’m in shock. Cal was beginning to feel like family.”

“Tell me about it,” Annie said. “I went out one night, and I met a couple of guys from Kentucky at a bar, said they were here on business. Later that week I ran into Cal sitting at the diner talking with them. He claimed he didn’t know them, random run in with fellow Kentuckians. I’m certain it was connected to this. At the time I didn’t give it much thought.”

“Wow, arson, attempted murder, insurance fraud…my head is going to explode,” Pepper said.

“I must be nine kinds of a fool,” Gabe said.

“Don’t even go there! We were all fooled. Quintessential all-American guy: warm, charismatic boy next door. He had his act down,” Pepper said.

“I’m still in shock,” Annie said. “To think I danced and partied with him while all the time he was up to no good. It does kind of make you doubt your ability to discern truth from lies. I thought he really cared about us.”

“Yeah me too,” Gabe said glumly.

“Let’s go back and visit with Slim for a little while,” Annie suggested.

Slim had his eyes closed when they entered the room but when Gabe touched his arm, they flew open. They shared a moment of connection as Gabe squeezed his bony arm and said, “Slim I gotta tell ya, you had me pretty scared there. I’m glad you’re back to the land of the living.”

“When that feller was comin at me with that there syringe, I knew I was goin be meetin my maker. Gots to admit, I weren’t ready jist yet. I tried tellin ya, I jist didn’t like im. Somin weren’t right about im.” Slim closed his eyes, his face still deathly pale.

“I should have listened,” Gabe said quietly.

“I was lookin’ at his file whenever you came in yer office and caught me red-handed.”

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