(no subject)

35.
“The Blue Plate Special”

If Setonville was a wide space in the road, Locksley was a traffic island. The sign at the edge of town said, “Locksley, the choice for the future.” When you got within the limits you saw what the choice was. Next to the “Locksley Diner” was the “Locksley Food Mart.” The choice of Locksley was if you wanted to cook it yourself or if you wanted someone else to do so.

There were two cars in front of the Food Mart and four cars (one car and three trucks, actually) in front of the diner. Locksley, it seems, had made its choice.

The most significant thing Pappy saw right away was that the car was an official FBI issue. This was, at the very least, a surprise. “But,” he thought, “At least I can be sure that Archie’s here.”

Entering the restaurant Pappy saw Shelley, or Shirley, or whatever her name was, behind the register. She was trying to get his attention as he looked around the room. When he saw Archie in a back booth, the old man waved at the waitress and let her know he wouldn’t need to be shown to a table.

The FBI agent looked much more physically fit than the last times that Pappy had seen him. His hair was cut and his skin was tanned. His smile, though, seemed a bit forced.

He stood and put out his hand to shake Han`s as his old friend approached the table.

Hannibal took his hand and then slid into the booth beside him.

“So, why the covert meeting?” The old man asked.

“I have a few things I need to tell you,” Archie said, “But, maybe we’d better order first, just to insure our privacy.”

Han looked up and saw Shelley standing over them, with her pad ready to take an order.

“What’s the ‘Blue Plate’ special this morning?” Pappy asked her.

“Two eggs, any style, three strips of bacon, a slice of ham, hashbrowns and a small stack of pancakes.” She recited for the twentieth time this morning.

He looked at Archie, and after the agent nodded, Pappy said, “Two of those, if you will. Plus coffee and I’d like a large glass of milk. How much will that come to?”

“$2.10, without tip,” She said, lingering on the word tip with almost a weary lack of expectation.

The waitress walked away and the two men sat in silence for a time.

“Pappy,” Archie said, “I have some truth to tell you, and neither of us is going to be happy with it.”

“Damn,” Pappy thought, “I’m going to have to shoot him.”

 

© 2005 by C. Wayne Owens

(no subject)

36.
“Truth Comes Hard”

“Have you found out something about Wiley Earl? Was there something in the autopsy? Are you back at the FBI?” Pappy found the questions coming fast, almost without his ability to contain them.

“Yes, I am back in the FBI, but that’s something I want to talk to you about a little later,” Archie admitted.

“Well, what about Wiley?” Han pushed.

“They did do an autopsy, and they found a lot of drugs in his system. It is amazing he wasn’t dead years ago.” Archie showed a bit of true amazement as to this. “He had a body full of amphetamines in devastating levels. He was soaked in them.”

“Amphetamines? What would they do,” Pappy queried.

“They would have wound him up like a revving engine. He probably hadn’t slept for days at a time and the damage to his system seems to say that he had been doing them, heavily, for some time.

“The stuff that was in him is something the kids call ‘speed.’ They take it to stay up all night to study. But continued use can destroy your ability to control your emotions and lay to waste any reasoning facilities you might have had.”

Pappy thought about that, and thought about the ritualistic patterns of the murders.

“Would he have been able to plot and carry out those killings, in that way?” He asked.

“It would hinge on the percentage of time he was ‘straight.’ On the drugs he could have carried out ritualist things, but it’s doubtful he could have plotted and carried out the capture and killing of the victims.”

“So, do you think he did it?” Pappy asked haltingly.

“I don’t think he did it alone,” Archie said, and then stopped as the food arrived.

The steaming plates were laid down before them, followed by the drinks.

Archie pulled his wallet out of his jacket pocket and took out a $5 bill. He handed it to Shelley and said, “Keep the change.”

The girl hesitated, as if waiting for the “but’ that never came. She gave him a “come hither grin” as she put the bill in her apron pocket and walked away.

The two ate the huge meal without saying another word.

Pappy thought his appetite might be larger since he was right about the case not being closed.

As they finished the last of the food, Pappy sat back in his booth seat.

“You said there was more,” The newly sated old man advanced.

“There is, but you may not ever speak to me again once I tell you,” The FBI agent said, and Pappy saw real pain in his eyes.

This truth was going to be big.

 

© 2005 by C. Wayne Owens

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