On Emma's Bluff by Sara Elizabeth Rice, edited by davebccanada (audio ebook reader txt) 📕

the inevitable. Sooner or later he would be alone in his own home. He thanked Harvey for the ride and listened to the repeated warnings. Then he gave in and made his way home.

"Oh shit," he expelled his breath once inside the front door. In the living room he went from switch to switch throwing on every light. The room remained dead still as if like Lacey it was waiting for something to happen. Lacey turned on the television and then quickly flipped it off again, realizing that the noise from it would drown out all sounds from the rest of the house.

Determinedly, Lacey made his way from room to room turning on all lights as he went. Methodically he looked in all closets, under beds, and then checked all the windows making sure each and every one was locked.

Once this task had been completed another dark dread struck him. There was no alcohol in the house. Would he ever be able to get some sleep?   Even though his car had been searched and returned home earlier that day, he could not find the courage to go outside, get in the car and drive to town for beer. He could not remember the last time he had fallen to sleep without consuming at least three beers first.

With blind hope he made his way back through the now well lit house hoping to find some forgotten cans in the refrigerator, but no such luck. He paced the ugly linoleum floor scavenging through his mind about a solution to this dilemma. Eventually he realized his need for booze and sleep was overcoming his undefined fear. "Hell I am feeling scared just cause I got me a case of the shakes," he told himself. There ain’t nothing I got to be scared of."

Without loosing a step, Lacey made his way the hall closet and grabbed his shot gun. In a quick and accurate movement he broke open the barrel and loaded it with buckshot. With a click he closed it and swung it over his shoulder. "No sir, I ain’t got nothing to be scared of." He marched from his house into the night.

Back in the middle room of Lacey's house a breeze stirred. The dust ruffle that covered the bottom of the antique bed fluttered out. A wet bony hand slid out briefly to test the floor. Lying on her stomach, face turned to one side, Viola heard Lacey leave the house.

Just before dusk Liz called home to say that she would be late getting back to the house. Roy had gone to Yazoo with a group of men to go through books of mug shots to see if anyone looked familiar. In the Bluff strangers never went unnoticed. One didn't go through the Bluff to get to anywhere else. It was where the road ended. And other than those who lived there, there was little reason for anyone to visit the Bluff. But since there were no leads going to look at picture books in Yazoo seemed better than doing nothing. All of this Liz explained to Barbara Lee over the phone before adding that she would be staying at the Humphries house until Roy got back.

"That's fine, mamma," Barbara Lee said coldly. She was ready to get off the phone. "Of course we'll be fine."

It was then decided that Barbara Lee would call Beth Riggins over in Rolling Fork and see if Beth could come and pick up Barbara Lee for their trip back to school. Barbara Lee was certain that she could push her mousy sorority sister into doing this. In fact she would even get her to stop by the Humphries so Barbara Lee could get some money from her mother. Maybe she would tell her mother about Emma then. She could hardly bear the thought of letting her cousin off the hook for a whole week.

The conversation ended with Liz begging Barbara Lee to double-check the windows and doors and to not allow any strangers in the house. All of this was lost on Barbara Lee who was more bored and inconvenienced by the murders than anything else. She hung up the phone and dialed Beth's number.

In a saccharine voice she laid it on, "Oh Beth, it would be wonderful of you to come so out of your way to pick me up. You know I have always hoped we could commute together more often."

Roy Wilson sat cramped in a small over heated file room in the police station in Yazoo City. Lou Hutchins and Raymond Penn leafed slowly though volumes of mug shots along with him. The men were amazed at the sheer quantity of pictures.

"These must go back to the 1950's." Lou Hutchins griped.

"All these black faces look alike to me," Raymond Penn complained.

Roy also found the task tedious but he just didn't say anything. He didn't know what he was suppose to be looking for, just a familiar face? He felt the pressure that was growing in the Bluff about catching the killer, but this seemed a waste of time. He was getting tired of listening to his companions complain.

He had talked to Liz an hour earlier and she had been encouraging and supportive. Give that Liz a disaster and she could always rise to the occasion, Roy thought. "She should have been a nurse," such thoughts often entered his mind during these times. He was and had always been extremely proud of her.   He loved the way she was so open and willing to help people in the community.   He knew that some folks only saw her as gossipy and even thoughtless, but he saw her soft caring warmth beneath her loud mouth austerity. He wished he were home with her right then. Even after years of marriage, when he was distraught he took comfort from holding her close.

"This could be him." Lou pointed to a bearded man with bulging eyes.

"Where did you ever see that fellow?" Raymond asked.

"I don't know. He just looks sort of familiar, that's all."

"He looks like everyone else to me."

"Yeah." Lou took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I am ready to go home and have supper."

"Me too."   Raymond agreed.

"Did we get through all of em?" Roy asked.

"Another day." Lou stood up.

"Another dollar." Raymond added mindlessly.

"Well I would rather get my part over," Roy said, "I might just take a break and stretch my legs and then see if I can't at least get through this stack."

"Yeah, you do that. We're leaving." Lou told him.

With grunted good byes the two men left.

Roy got up and walked down the hall. He decided he would call home to check on the girls. A policewoman in a starchy blue uniform directed him to a phone on an unused desk. Roy placed the call collect.

"Daddy, where are you?" Barbara wanted to know right off.

"In Yazoo City, baby. Did you talk to mama?"

"Yes sir. She called a while back."

"How are you going to get back to school?" he asked. He had almost forgotten it was Sunday night.

“Oh Beth Riggins was nice enough to offer to come and get me.”

"That was awful nice of her. You be sure to offer to pay her for her gas." he instructed her.

"Yes sir." Her father was the one person in the world that Barbara Lee truly respected.

"Honey, I am sorry that I didn't get to see you much this weekend. I'll make it up to you."

"That's all right, Dad."

"How's Emma?"

"She's fine." Barbara Lee's tone went icy.

"Well you two watch out for each other. You are my best girls."

Barbara Lee winced as she heard this. "Don't worry, Dad. I am watching out for Emma."

"Barbara Lee."

"Yes sir?"

"I love you, you know that?"

"Yes sir," she was all smiles at that moment. A touch of something close to real warmth brought tears to her eyes. "See ya soon, Daddy."

It was close to eight o'clock before Beth Riggins showed up at the Wilson’s. The poor girl had taken a wrong turn and gone for miles out of her way. She was still angry with herself for letting that pushy Barbara Lee bully her into a ride. "If she weren't such a snob, I know she could have ridden back with Jimmy Richardson. He does live right her in the Bluff." Beth told herself. "She just doesn't like to be seen riding in an old beat up truck."

When she got to the house Beth was further distressed to find that Barbara Lee was not even finished with her packing. She even asked Beth to help.

"Just fold these sweaters and put them in here." Barbara Lee threw a small canvas bag on to the bed. "You know it is going to be turning real cold soon." She ignored Beth's peeved expression.

It turned out to be more than thirty minutes before Barbara Lee was all primped to go.

"Barbara Lee, it is only going to be you and I in the car. You don't need to put on all that make up." Beth finally complained.

"Oh Bethy, you are such a doof. You never know when you may be seen." Barbara Lee smiled with her bright red lips.

Barbara Lee was irritated when they got out to the car and she found that the back seat was already piled high with Beth's stuff.

"Where did you expect me to put my things?" she demanded to know.

"I think there is some room in the trunk" Beth offered.

After ten minutes of pushing and cramming they finally managed to get Barbara Lee's mountain of luggage fitted in the trunk.

"Now, if we can just stop by the Humphries so I can get some money from my mother." Barbara Lee said as she slammed the passenger door closed.

"Well, if we must." Beth was blinking in rage at this.

"We must." Barbara Lee answered brightly.

The trip to the Humphries was spent in silence. Beth was too mad to speak and Barbara Lee was too caught up in her own spiteful plans to care.

When they got there Beth followed Barbara Lee inside. Even so late the living room was lined with well meaning friends of the family. None of the Humphries were actually in sight. Presumably they were closeted away in their grief or just already gone to bed. Beth was impressed by the large turnout of respect. Women were in the kitchen clearing away dishes and a few well-dressed couples were shaking hands and saying their good byes.

"Barbara Lee," Liz spoke to her daughter across a filled room. "What are you doing here honey?"

Well I wanted to come by and at least pay my respects too," she said clearly and then in a smaller voice, "plus I need a little cash for next week."

"Oh honey, I entirely forgot about that." Liz jostled away looking for her purse. When she re-entered the room a moment later she carried with her a small wad of bills. With out counting them she slipped them into her daughter's shoulder bag.

"This should do. I'll put more in your account next week."

Barbara Lee, not bothering to even introduce Beth, was trying to convey to her mother a ‘I need to talk to you’ look.

"Is something the matter?"   Liz asked obtusely.

"Ah, well I was just hoping we could have a little time to talk over that ‘problem’ I mentioned this morning." Barbara Lee said meaningfully.

"Honey, I am sorry about that, but right now is just not a good time. I promised I would help find a place for the out of town relatives to stay and...." She held up her hands as if to say, ‘there is just so much to do’.

"Mamma," Barbara Lee whined.

"Can it wait?" Liz implored.

"Yes, it can wait." Barbara Lee finally gave up.

"Great. Call me next week darling. I'm sorry. It's just that..."

"Never mind." She bent to offer her mother her cheek to kiss.

“Thanks for understanding." She held her girl's face in her hand. "Have a good week at school."

"Yes ma’am." Barbara Lee sighed in exasperation. Still ignoring Beth she walked out the front door.

When