Page 86 of Small Town Hunter

“You had a malfunction with the cameras,” says Mamie. “Everything happened so fast, but you saw him reach for his gun.”

“Ma’am, he’s not c-carrying a gun.”

“He grabbed yours,” says Mamie. “He went crazy and threatened to shoot everybody in here. Right?”

The Reverend moans, shivers, and then goes still.

Did Mamie kill him?

“See? You see it. He saw it,” Mamie says, pointing at Crocodile. “Trina saw it. We all saw it. Now get this cell openright this minute.”

“But, Ma’am, she’s got the only key,” pleads the jailer.

“There’s a master key in the file cabinet on the left hand side,” Mamie snaps. “My daddy always kept it there. They haven’t changed a thing about this place in seventy years. Now where is Sheriff Dooley? I need him down here right away.”

“Like I was telling His Holiness, Ma’am, he’s at a birthday party,” the jailer says, staring at the Reverend in horror.

“Well,get him on the phone. Tell him Jerrod’s daughter is here and remind him who got him that position in the first place.”

“Ma’am, my job… I have a wife and kids t-to feed…”

“And I have five thousand dollars if you zip your lip and do as I say,” Mamie barks. “Now!”

The jailer flees.

“Good to see you, sister,” says Crocodile. “I see you haven’t changed.”

“I’ll talk to you in a minute, Anderson,” Mamie snaps at the pimp, poking her ears with the fingers on her free hand. “I didn’t come to mess around with you. Damn, I forgot how loud a gun was. I hope I didn’t kill that son of a bitch.”

“Alright, alright. Handle your business. You’re still fine as hell, by the way. I regret the way things turned out between us, but you might consider giving a man a second chance.”

Mamie rolls her eyes. “Take it to the government, boy.”

“Alright, alright, do your thing and then we’ll talk,” says Crocodile comfortably. “You know, in exchange for my testimony.”

“There won’t be no trial here,” says Mamie firmly. “I just need to have some words with the Sheriff. I swear this town has been going to the dumps ever since I left. Now, Trina,” says my sweet grandmother, turning back to me. Her eyes take me in: bloodstained, shivering, and holding onto a barely-consciousgiant like my life depends on it. “Babygirl, would you mind telling me what in thehellis going on here?”

THIRTEEN

CRASH

The world swings back into focus a third time, and though I’m in a world of pain I’m still aware something’s wrong about this moment. Something’s changed.

I sit up, a cushion at my back and a soft warm light surrounding me. Smell of alcohol and disinfectant.

Heaven don’t smell like that.

Hell, neither.

“Crash? Crash! Oh sweet merciful Lord!Crash…”

As soon as my bumfuzzled eyes land on Sarah Jane she starts sobbing hysterically.What the…She’s holding my daughter. Ruby’s face crinkles in confusion and she starts whimpering. I don’t ask any of the questions jumping onto my tongue; I just put my arms out. Sarah Jane hands me my kid. Almost at once Ruby stops crying, but my sister is still boo-hooing into a tissue. I try to recall when I ever saw my sister cry.

“I’ll give you a minute,” says the strange woman sitting next to Sarah Jane. I know I’ve never met her before in my life, and she’s not dressed like a nurse. She rises stiffly and leaves the room.

“SJ,” I croak. “What the fuck is going on?”

“You’re in the h-hospital,” says my sister. “You’ve been out for a week. I thought you were going to die.”

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