If I thought for one miserable minute......

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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#64
"The hell," Brett growled. "What was that ba-----'s problem?"

"He hit Grandma so hard that she fell to her knees, and he cut her cheek." Clora repeated. "What a evil man he was."

"I've always considered myself a Christian man, but I can't believe the rage I feel," Benny confessed. "I knew from the moment he spoke who he was. I should have shot him, but to my shame, I couldn't. If Inky hadn't gone for his throat, I would have." Benny stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against Ev's pickup. He felt like a failure, he froze when he should have been in action. He had been unobservant when he should have maintained a high alert.

Benny thought he would have to have a talk with himself at a later date, he was seriously doubting his ability to be a worthy lawman. Lainey might think he was the best thing since sliced bread, but Ben didn't think much of himself.

"Brett, ya gotta know that Wayne may not make it through this round sane. He's a dude with nobody home."

"Burning the cabin might do it," Brett mused thoughtfully. "He put his heart into it," he shrugged with weariness.

"Grandma said to ask about Cheryl; and Brett, you might come visit Trey. He's asking for you constantly. By the way, he knows about Abby so you're not faced with telling him." Clora put her hand on Brett's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Thanks Clora, I owe you a big one. Let me know when you are ready to head for home. I grabbed a duffel of my junk from the diner, so basically, I'm homeless if Grandma won't have me." Brett managed to look hopeful and pathetic at the same time.

"Lainey's Dad is totally on top of his game. He had a ambulance on the way here 2 hours after we hit Portland, so I'm assuming Cheryl is in good hands, but we haven't heard anything. Oh yeah, I've got Treys clothes and his bull. So I'll bring them out.

"Bull?" Benny thought he had heard wrong.

"Yeah, a stuffed toy longhorn that he sleeps with." Brett made a face, but didn't say anything more.

A piercing whistle reverberated through the evening dusk. Benny sounded two shorts blasts and turned to say, "J's got a problem, I'll see you guy's later."

Benny hot footed it over to the Sheriff's office, where J was plastered to the radio. "Hey there are some pissed off people high up on the food chain over Pete's death. Alan," he said with a catch in his voice, "seems to have been phased out without a backward glance. Expendable, comes to mind."

"Sorry man, that was a shitty way to die. I'm just plain sorry it was my dad." Benny said with misery in his voice.

"Alan was a ass, he nearly cost me my family," Jennings said coldly. "He never did say who was after us, or particularly why. Thanks for caring, but I feel like he deserved all that he got,"

There wasn't much that Benny could say to a statement like that, so he asked about the radio communication instead.

"The Feds are putting down martial law. No one out and about after dark or before dawn." J repeated verbatim. "Riots and gang violence is spreading. But then, we already think we have looters."
 
Phantom

Phantom

Contributing Member
PacNorWest said:
Wab54
This story is book #2 of the Saga of Evie.
Most of the questions you have are in book #1 Pride Goeth Before a Fall.
Click to expand...

Pac wouldn't "Oh for Pete's Sake!" really be book1 with "Pride" being book 2 this one book # 3

or do you consider that as a part of Pride Goeth Before a Fall?


Two more great chapters by the way
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#65
"Blast it!" Sandy swatted at her head as a burning ember landed in her hair. She maneuvered the backhoe further away from the fire. The left outrigger kept loosing pressure and dropping, if she wasn't right alert it was down to the ground before she knew it. The packing must have blown out, but she supposed Ev was aware.

The cabin was gone, burned to below the foundation and cleansed of the horror that had occurred. It was shocking how quickly it burned. Sandy now had an inkling of why Grandma was so paranoid about fire, if it had been their house there would have been no stopping the conflagration. She felt a new respect for nature and it's power.

Sandy made it back to the house with one overhead cab light as the rest of the lights were burned out. No more dark travel for her.
The barn doors were still open and she backed the hoe in, the top of the bend just squeaking under the door top.

Lainey met her at the door, "Are you OK, we were worried cause it took you so long."

Once in the door and in the light, Evie could see her youngest granddaughter was smoky and stinky from burning. She had guessed what had happened and approved, telling Sandy," That was tough but necessary. I'm glad you did it."

"Did what," Lainey was confused.

"I burned the cabin." Sandy said flatly. "Nobody should ever have to see what went on there. It was the the depraved insanity of a lunatic."

"But,....but I thought that man was your father; and your son..." she looked at Evie and puzzled the situation around in her mind.

Evie said softly "What ever he had been, he wasn't that any more. To do as he has done, a person would have to be possessed by the devil himself. Pete was no more than a stranger, and I don't fault the kids for not considering him kin. He was a monster."



"WHAT!" Inga shrieked as Doc recited to her the particulars to be written up for the death certificates. Stunned, she had to sit down. Her brother, how sick could a person get.

"Does Mom know," she questioned Inghram as he clinically detailed the injuries. "Yes," he replied shortly. "Listen, if you can't write this as I go through, let me get someone that can. I'm not doing this twice." he said with finality.

"Gram, I'm sorry. It's just that......" Inga's voice trailed off. "I can do this, let me get a breath of fresh air first."
She ran down the hall to the bathroom and emptied her stomach. A moment of clean air outside, helped greatly. Brett and Clora were standing by the pickup, talking quietly and they looked up as Inga burst outside, gulping for air.

"Oh," Inga said embarrassed to be caught in a weak moment. "Don't mind me, I just......"

"We know," Clora sympathized. "We've already got rid of breakfast, several times over."

"If you're here to see Wayne, Gram has him sedated. I think he is going to be sent out to a locked facility. We can't care for him here," Inga said sadly; "he's a danger to himself and others.

"With all he's been through," Brett interjected, "It's a wonder he's made it this far. The knife to the lungs would have killed a lesser man."

"Maybe his mission in life was to save us from our father," Clora speculated, but looked out at the peacefulness of the small town, gaining a sense of normalcy from the every day or night as it was getting to be happenings.

"You guys gonna be at the café?" Inga asked. "See you there in a while, if you will be." and she was gone to help her husband finish the gruesome task.


Tammy buttonholed them the minute they walked in the cafe. "Sit over here," she urged. "I really need to talk to you guys, urgently!" she seated Clora and Brett in the corner and brought them waters and menus. "I'll be right back," she whispered.

As in any cafe, Tammy's right back stretched into 20 minutes. "What in God's name happened out there?" she slid into a chair opposite the brother and sister, thumping plates of spaghetti and meatballs on the table for their supper.

"No way can I tell you and eat," Clora warned. "I can tell you, that Davis did himself proud. He was ready to protect us with his life, and woke out of an exhausted sleep to be on high alert. Quite an old boy," Clora approved with a smile.

"I wasn't there," and Brett told of his adventure taking Kent and Mary Lou through the back roads. "That guy got to Portland and started making things happen. I now have the opinion that money really talks, and if you have the backbone to throw your weight around, the sky's the limit. Lainey is so much different than her parents, it's a wonder she wasn't adopted."

Clora understood Brett was being facetious, but the thought struck her as entirely possible. Lainey was different than her parents, vastly so, as a matter of fact.

Clora liked and appreciated Lainey in the friendship they had developed as teachers, but the more she thought about it, Lainey was very different from the superficial woman she had been. It's probably Grandma, Clora reasoned. Grandma has that affect on everybody, she supposed correctly.

And the fact that Benny and Lainey seemed to be hitting it off, well, that was OK. They were both good people.

Brett passed his hand in front of Clora's face several times, indicating they were waiting for a response from her miles away mind.

"Do you want any dessert?" Brett impatiently asked. "Tammy has some peach pie that looks pretty good."

"No thanks, I'm still queasy in the stomach," Clora replied honestly. "This has been the day from hell."

The faint wap, wap of rotor blades grew closer and louder. A helicopter was landing at the ball field. Stan from the garage stood up to investigate. "National Guard or Army," he announced, and everyone went back to eating.

In a bit, Benny opened the diner door and waved a 'come'on' at Clora, beckoning her and Brett to accompany him outside.

"I'm sending the bodies out," Benny began without even a hello. "Clora, can you handle the questions on the other end for us, as next of kin, and Wayne is being shipped out for mental evaluation. Brett, normally I'd ask you to do this, but I need a deputy here to help us keep law and order. Big problems coming our way. Jennings has to ship out tonight and rejoin his force, and the problems are piling up." Almost out of breath and one of the longest speeches Clora had ever heard Benny make, was over and he waited for them to make up their minds.

Clora shrugged. "OK, but I've got nothing with me. Not even a coat."

Brett didn't hesitate. He pulled five hundred dollars from his wallet and folded them in Clora's hand. "My chauffeur money," he explained hastily. "Just don't take any wooden nickles in return."

"Thanks," Clora reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Lead on MacDuff," she teased Benny. "A chariot ride is just what I needed tonight."

"Here, take my jacket," Brett offered the scruffy looking Levi coat, the one he never parted with. Clora caught it as she tried to keep up with Benny. "Thanks," she called over her shoulder.

The copter was already loaded with two black body bags, and Wayne secured with handcuffs and leg chains. Clora frowned at the sight. She wasn't sure that was appropriate or necessary, but Wayne soon proved the wisdom of the precautions. Clora was directed to a seat by one of the few men she had to look up too, and he made sure she was strapped in correctly.

As the noise of the revving motors increased, Wayne started twitching and jerking as if he were in a seizure. His teeth flashed and he tried to bite anyone that came near. Clora talked to him, but the noise drowned out conversation. The tall young man passed out headmuffs to protect sensitive ears, but Wayne banged his head on the floor and bounced them off.

For her first helicopter ride, it was the most miserable trip Clora had ever taken.
 
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kua

Veteran Member
So sad for this to happen to Wayne but good he can get the help he so desperately needs. Sounds like things might be just settling down for our little valley for a while, if, if, if, if no more natural calamities happen. Great job Pac.
 
Phantom

Phantom

Contributing Member
Wow they keep comming and comming ....

I wonder if Pac isn't related to the Energizer bunny! that could explain.....Pinky/junor.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#66

Sandy shut the bathroom door and headed straight for the shower. She had wasted precious minutes getting the old generator to fire. Sourly, she heaped a bout of misery on whoever let the old Generac run out of fuel. It was a pig to prime and get restarted, and she had been in no mood to baby it along.

The hot water heater hadn't had long to heat, so Sandy started at the top with shampoo and finished a short time later with the foot brush. The water was chilly by the time she was done, but that was alright; it matched her mood.

Wrapped in her bathrobe and her hair in a towel, Sandy raced to the kitchen to join the family for supper. Trey was cutting up as she got there. Loudly protesting that he didn't like ham and beans and ickbread. Sandy grabbed him by the arm and double timed the youngster into the living room. Before he could protest and she could reconsider, Trey got a solid smack on the hind end.

"Enough," Sandy bellowed. "Get to the table, sit down, apologize to Grandmother, and eat your supper. OR you're going to bed hungry!"

Trey's transformation was instantaneous. He completed her demands and said plaintively, "do I have to eat ickbread? I don't like it."

"If you mean cornbread, no you don't have to. But you do have to use your manners." Sandy turned to catch Christy sticking her tongue out at Trey as the little darling rolled her eyes.

Bursting out into laughter, Sandy ruined her stern attitude. "Enough of that," she warned Christy, "eat your supper."

Lainey and Evie had started grace, and were left swiveling their heads to catch up with the latest development. Evie raised her eyebrow at the two youngest children and they folded their hands, waiting like perfect angels for Lainey to finish her praise.

Sitting next to Trey, Sandy slathered a lot of butter and honey on her cornbread and dished up a huge scoop of beans and ham in her bowl. She ate contentedly, enjoying every mouthful. Trey sat there wiggling, until he couldn't stand it another minute. "Aunt Sandy, could I please have some?" he said secret like, so no one else could hear.

"Sure, you want a taste first?" she asked.

Trey considered, and said 'yes."

Sandy had no doubt that Grandma's cornbread would win him over, it was blue ribbon good. Trey ate three pieces, but going a little light on the beans. Sandy smiled at Evie, happy to have settled the dispute so quickly.

"Grandma, what do you have planned for tomorrow? I have a job at Ev's I have to do first thing in the morning, and then I was wondering about walking in and having Doc look at your face. That cut is awful red."

Evie agreed, "I'd like to get caught up on the news, and see if anyone might be making a shopping trip. I believe the road out the back way should be open. We can work out who would go, but I could use a few things. Lainey, how about you?

"Humm, most definitely I need some supplies, and maybe a couple of changes of clothes,"Lainey started working on a list in her mind.

"HEY, what about me!," Trey said in a very loud voice. "Me and Christy need candy and gum." he informed the group in a very assured voice. "It's about time we had some ice cream too."

"We'll work on lists tonight after supper," Evie promised, the activity positive and proactive energized them all.

"Hey Lainey," Sandy was thinking out loud as she cleared the table, "You need to catch the horses tomorrow so we can check their feet. They might be over growing their horseshoes."

"That would be a good thing for Christy and Trey to help me with," Lainey looked at the two upturned faces, eager for any type of adventure.

Evie was thinking ahead to a hour of blessed silence. Her huge smile beamed out on them all. "Wonderful." she said meaningfully.
 
R

Rabbit

Has No Life - Lives on TB
It doesn't matter what else is happening in this story, dinner at Evie's table is always a sweet touch of belonging and down to earth normal. I love this story Pac, thank you.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#67
Jennings sat hunched next to Clora in the copter. He noticed she watched Wayne closely, rubbing something in her pocket in a nervous fashion. Of all the Hanson children, she was the most curious. She had the calm demeanor of her Grandmother, and spoke no more than Benny did, she was one good sized woman, not fat, but big. She had those brown eyes that seemed to measure everything she saw.

Finally J reached over and grabbed her wrist, withdrawing her hand. He didn't expect to have the small switchblade flicked open in his direction. Clora's expression didn't change much, but he well understood not to do that again.

Well, that settled the question of what she was doing, and also the answer to the question of whether she trusted Wayne. Suddenly J felt better about the interrogation he knew she was going to have. She had the poise and intelligence to handle it.

Alan had expressed an interest in her, but Clora had ignored him completely. Good judge of character, Jennings added to her roster.

There was another set of eyes that were watching the Viking built woman. Interested because there were very few women that looked him in the eye. Mark Linderman was a Sargent in the Guard, called up to help in the natural disaster. Oh yeah, he liked what he saw. The guy beside her grabbed her hand, and then dropped it like a hot potato. Mark saw a glint of steel, and surmised she had pulled a knife on the pushy jerk.

The trip took 40 minutes to reach Portland. There was a line of black suburbans with tinted windows waiting on the tarmac as the military unit was given preference in the landing order.

Mark wasn't required to help the passengers unbuckle and step out, but he did out of the goodness of his heart. That and the urge to get close to the brown haired lady one more time.. He checked her left hand for rings and there were none, so he gave her his best winning smile.

Clora returned the smile and watched as a pair of First Responders hustled over to assist Wayne. They were careful and professional with the man, he looked bewildered but strained hard against his restraints. Clora was about to tell Wayne good by, when a touch at her elbow had her turning around.

"Miss Apperton-Hanson," the man was tall and beefy with mirrored sunglasses. Stern faced and obviously carrying by the bulge under his arm, he used steely fingers cupped around her elbow to move her in the direction he wanted. "Please come this way."

The Suburban had black out windows in the back, and no door handles inside. Clora sat down, belted herself in, and waited. A woman dressed the same as the first gentleman, opened the opposite door and sat down. She belted in, and deliberately turned her head to look out the window, precluding conversation.

Clora raised her eyebrow at the woman's rudeness, but said nothing. It occurred to her she might be filmed as she sat there, so she stiffened her spine and looked straight ahead.

Sargent Linderman casually looked over the flight roster to find out who that good looking woman was. He wanted to find out more about her.


Tammy McCann flipped the closed sign up, sighing in weary exhaustion. She had been a waitress in college, but she didn't remember the shifts being this long; or the dishes being such a mountain of work. Her kids were good help, but she missed Davis and J. What rotten luck that J was gone and Davis still out of commission in the clinic, both at the same time.

The Sheriff and the big guy she had bought the diner from, walked in and sat down. Biting her lip to keep from sarcastically mentioning that the sign was flipped over, Tammy smiled and asked the gentleman what they would like.

"Coffee and a burger, no onions," Benny requested. Brett nodded, and Benny said "make that a double please."

The grill was still hot enough that the burgers were done in a couple of minutes. Tammy wondered where Brett put all the food. He had finished his plate of spaghetti earlier, finished the plate that his sister had pushed around and had a piece of pie.

Now he was eating a burger. No wonder he owned a cafe. He had to buy his food wholesale or go broke.


Davis gratefully swallowed the sleeping pill Doc offered with a glass of water. He was so agitated and jumpy feeling inside, he knew this was the only way to have peace tonight. As he grew sleepy, he wondered for the fiftyest time how the hell Alan let that Hanson b-----d get the drop on him. What had his son been thinking.
 
Phantom

Phantom

Contributing Member
Damn don't dare log out cause another chapter or two is posted :sht:

Not that I'm complaining ......I'm just saying .....
Damn if you relax for a sec you miss another new one. :spns:

Things don't look good on several fronts right now.

Never a dull moment at Evies table.
 
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debralee

Senior Member
Wow..was gone for few days and come back to find several new chapters. What a story!! Pac how do you write such emotional chapters? So many things going at one time and still you keep it all straight. All I can say is GREAT JOB!! and Thank you very much.
Hope your hubby is doing well.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#68a

Inga and Doc sat in the kitchen with cups of tea. Inga looked with displeasure at the stack of unwashed dishes and the pans littering the sink and counter. "Sometimes Gram, I really need a housekeeper. I'm not keeping the clinic clean as it needs to be, the bookkeeping doesn't get done on time, and after a day like today; I am exhausted inside and out. Do you suppose I'm getting old."

"In my professional opinion," the good Doctor pontificated in a deep voice, "I think you need more rest. I prescribe the hiring of a able bodied woman to clean, cook and bow down to your every whim."

Inga laughed and touched the back of her hand to her beloved husband's cheek. "No wonder I love you, you goofy man." Only Inga would dare to put Inghram Phillip's name and goofy in the same sentence. The proper and starchy Gram was not jolly, or humorous, but to Inga, he was her world.

"Tomorrow," Inga yawned deeply. "Let's wait till tomorrow to look for a housekeeper. I'm sleepy."

Gram looked in on Davis and the older man was sleeping. His condition had been worrisome when he came to the clinic. Blood pressure high, rapid heart, nervous shaking and the clammy sweats. Davis had been monitored for heart problems, and Doc wasn't sure he was out of the woods yet.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#68b

Evie was up early the next morning. First a prayer for the day, then a prayer for Pete's soul. Evie felt heartsick for the behavior of her son. So much damage, so much hurt, so unnecessary.

Evie was praying so hard that she forgot the coffee perking on the woodstove. The barely pourable sludge was potent, even by Evie's standards. Standing at the sink, she cut the quivering darkness in her cup with half water. There was a spatter mess to mop up on the cooktop, and some on the floor.

Evie could hear Sandy stirring and she put the tea kettle on to heat. Sandy came to the kitchen dressed and sat to talk with her Grandmother. "There is a disaster at Ev's. All of his wieners, sows and hogs have been slaughtered. They have funny signs carved on them, the same as the ones on the cabin walls. I think,........Pete did it." she faltered and then swallowed hard. "Grandma, I don't understand it. I simply don't. Why?"

"Well," Evie reached for the words, "I believe the people of a certain religion consider pigs and dogs to be very unclean animals, they do not keep or handle these animals. I believe they think people who do keep pigs and dogs to be as unclean as the animals, and consider them not worthy of life."

"OK Grandma, why not just spit it out." Sandy stuffed her hands in her pockets and paced up and down the kitchen. She made one loop around the table and almost tripped over Junior. She opened the door and almost shouted, "Outside you darn mutts!" and shut the door on the last dog tail hairs to get passed the frame.

"Easy please," Evie requested, "Whatever is thought and done now will not affect the past, only the future."

"Yeah," Sandy said a bit snarky, "I get the pleasure of burying a boatload of bloated hogs that probably mean a terrible loss for the guys that own them."

"I agree, it's a terrible problem. Have you picked a spot away from the wells and natural drainage.?" Evie asked.

Sandy fixed a cup of tea before she answered. "I think I will need to use 3 spots. I wonder about burning them first."

"Probably the best way," Evie mentioned sadly.
 
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Deena in GA

Administrator
_______________
It's always a pleasure to come here and find more posts by you, PNW! Great job!!! Mark sounds interesting - hope he stays in the story. You have built a whole community in your stories that we feel we live in.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#69

"Sandy, what do you say to us walking into town this morning and asking Benny and Brett for help. I could hang around town with the kids and keep them out of the way. I don't have any doubts that you can operate the backhoe, Ev taught you well. It's just that those animals are so large. I bet the boar weighs near 600 to 700 pounds. That's heavy for one person" Evie suggested.

"It would be a relief to have help, I can tell you for sure. I'm not looking forward to the whole shebang." Sandy said with relief.
"It was hard enough to burn the cabin I don't think I'm cut out to do this kind of work."

"It would be a wonder if you were. Honey, this has been such a huge emotional roller coaster, it's a miracle we all arn't a little nuts." Evie sympathized with feeling. "Any time you want to talk, or if you want time to be by yourself, you know we will do all in our power to help."

"Yeah, I know. That's the only thing that keeps me going," Sandy sighed. " Maybe I will talk to Clora today, depends on what the guys want to do. What do you think is the matter with Wayne? He sure is acting strange."

"Sandy," Evie tried not to let her suggestions sound like lecturing; "you need to realize that Wayne may have gone over the edge with all this killing and bloodshed. He had a pretty fragile grasp on realties, and it may be gone. Maybe forever....."

"Would it be bad of me to think he's a bigger problem than I can handle?" Sandy asked like she was dreading the answer.

"I am afraid for all of us, with Wayne as hair trigger scary as he is," Evie replied honestly. "I can't have him around when the children are here. He's not capable of dealing with the noise and/or questions they have. Please do not bring him back here." she warned Sandy as gently as possible.

"I feel like I'm abandoning him in his time of trouble, but he's getting to the point he won't listen to me." Sandy fretted. She mumbled something that sounded like, "maybe it's for the best." but Evie let it float away without comment.

Trey wandered in and wanted to sit on Sandy's lap. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he huddled close to her. Sandy smoothed his hair away from his face, and put her arms around him. He sat really still, enjoying the closeness.

Evie winked at Trey's little face peeking around Sandy's arm, and he bravely tried to wink back. "You're getting better, it won't be long now." Evie teased gently.

"Shall we have pancakes for breakfast? Do you want to wake Christy and Lainey up? Trey was gone in a flash, a mission he delighted in performing.

They had breakfast and walked into town. The events of late yesterday were shocking and unexpected.



Clora sat composed and interested in her surroundings. The people conducting her de-briefing were polite and courteous, but brisk and distant. She answered their questions as truthfully as she could. Some of the answers she simply didn't know, and told them so.

The one guy, Henry was his name, really seemed hung up on the fact their mother's had been triplets. He asked essentially the same question over and over, apparently unsatisfied with her answers. Clora could only tell him that Evie had hired a private investigator to look into their parentage so Benny's name could be cleared for his criminal justice degree, and her's for a background clearance for her teaching degree. Scarce information, but they passed.

Finally tired of his incessant probing, Clora asked if he had any different information. She said all three of them were interested in further information concerning their mother's, and if he had any, she would appreciate knowing.

Henry clammed up, abandoning his line of questioning. Soon afterward, the rude woman who had accompanied her in the car was in the room asking for a DNA sample. Clora thought about it for a bit. "I have no objection, but I want to know the reason and the possible future ramifications. May I have some legal council on this please?" she requested.

"I don't see why you are being so unreasonable." the woman snapped; giving Clora the first clue that there might be more involved than was meeting the eye. Watching the agent, Clora inventoried her reactions just like she would watch the children she taught.

It was all there, the slight nervous tic's, the eye avoidance, the distance she kept from Clora, and the hostility she displayed. Clora reflected on Henry's behavior. He had some of the symptoms, but evidently was more experienced.

"May I have a paper and pen, while I'm waiting for council?" she asked. "I have some questions I want to write down." That request earned her a dirty look from the woman as she flounced out of the room. Now that's not very professional, Clora thought.



Benny and Brett finished the mountain of paperwork just as Evie, Sandy, Lainey and the two kids arrived at the Sheriff's office. Trey was overjoyed to see Brett, running into his arms, hugging him fiercely. Big and tough Brett had tears in his eyes that he couldn't hide. "Hi guy," he whispered in a voice thick with emotion. "You being a good kid?"

"Oh yes," Trey said positively. "Aunt Sandy and Grandma say I am very good. Gooder than Christy, cause she wets her pants and I don't."

Christy fussed up like a banty hen and protested loudly. "I only did once, I got's gooder manners than you do. You're a boy!" she said as if that settled the matter.

"Cool it," Sandy ordered quickly, forestalling a shouting match. "No more."

It was Sandy's turn to have tears in her eyes, when she found out Wayne had been sent for evaluation. There were a couple of quick nose blows and a few hiccups as she tried to compose herself. "Doc should know," she theorized. "He's level headed about such things. Where's Clora?"

Evie was alarmed when it was disclosed that Clora had gone to take Pete's body to autopsy. "Isn't that kinda rough?" she asked Benny.

"Likely so, at least that was Jenning's opinion," Benny said tiredly. "Tell me about the problem with Ev's hogs. I can't believe it was all of them."

"Just a minute," Evie interjected "Trey and Christy would you like to go to the diner for a donut and soda?"

Of course they did, they were pulling on her hands, urging their Grandmother to hurry.
 
K

kua

Veteran Member
This is some story you are weaving. Now we get to worry about Clora while she is in the hands of the authorities. Sounds like they have some ulterior motives for their line of questioning. So glad you have time to post so frequently. Imagine the story just pulls you along so you have no options but to write it out. We are sure grateful for that. But take care of yourself and Mr. Pac as well.
 
bad_karma00

bad_karma00

Underachiever
I'm caught up now in Clora's 'interview'. Well, okay, I'm caught up in the whole thing, now. It's like they're my neighbors, and I want to know what's happening to them.

They're much nicer than some of my real neighbors, LOL!

Thanks PAC!
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#70
Davis lay awake for several minutes, gathering information on the status of his day. His second thought was that he hoped it wasn't going to be as rotten as yesterday. He got dressed and told the tiny blonde that he was going to the diner for breakfast. She nodded and told him to come back any time he felt stressed.

Davis walked through the cool morning, enjoying the freshness. The world seemed better here, it had it's share of problems but the mountain breeze cleansed most of the lingering negative energy every night. Yes, Davis concluded, the world was positive here.

He walked in the crowded cafe not finding any open seating. The Grandmother of the Hanson clan was there with two young children. She looked up, noticed his dilemma and motioned him over. The children were carefully eating a donut apiece. Not a crumb was wasted as they held the treat securely and chewed slowly.

Davis smiled at the memory they invoked. He could remember eating a pastry in town when he was younger. His Great Aunt Tillie, complete with hat and white gloves took him shopping and they had high tea in town. His treat was eaten with a knife and fork, under Aunt Tillie's strict supervision of course, and it was the most buttery, tender and sweet tasting morsel he had ever tasted. The tea was awful, bitter and nothing like the almond baklava that had just melted in his mouth. Since then, Davis had eaten the treat in the authentic country it originated from, and it still wasn't as good as that first delight.

Smiling from the depth of his treasured memory, Davis accepted the offered chair and sat down. Miss Evie was a country treasure, he reasoned. Just like his Aunt Tillie, she kept a tight rein on two squirming, happy children, without saying much.

Tammy came rushing over to pat him on the shoulder, and ask what he wanted to eat.

Davis had his order ready. "Two scrambled, wheat toast and tea. Thanks Sweetie." he replied, as Tammy put his tea cup on the table.

"I know you," Trey looked at him quizzically. "You and that lady bought daddy's diner."

"Correct," Davis agreed. "Do you miss living here?"

"Nah," Trey stopped long enough to take a big drink of his soda. "Dad and Mom were always working and fighting. I like being at Grandma's and playing with Christy, even though she is a girl."

Davis swallowed his smile. "I can see that she is a girl, but she does play cars with you, doesn't she?"

"She does, but she doesn't make very good motor noises. She goes brrrpt when she should say broooomm."

"That could be serious," Davis finally had to laugh. "Have you tried asking her to say broooomm?"

"Yeah," Trey said solemnly. "She said girls don't say broooomm, they say brrrpt." he looked mean at Christy. "Then she wouldn't play with me all afternoon. Sometimes I don't like girls." he said with conviction.

Evie cleared her throat and Trey suddenly took a big bite of donut, too busy to say anything more. Christy was grinning like a Cheshire cat, daintily taking small bites of her treat and quiet sips of her soda and she practiced being the princess.

"Good morning," Evie said to Davis.

Suddenly, Davis decided that yes indeed, it was a fine morning. And he said so.




Benny, Brett, Sandy with Lainey staying at the office to answer the phone and radio, rushed back to Ev's place. Whatever Sandy had told them, in no way measured up to the stark reality of the slaughter. Benny had brought two five gallon cans of precious gas to contain the contamination, and they moved the putrid carcasses to the open pasture.

Two hours later they finished scraping the blood soaked soil from the pen and used the backhoe to bury the pig remains in a deep pit.

"Such a stinking waste," Brett stated the obvious when they were finished. "So senseless."

Benny looked at the empty pens and thought of the economic blow this was going to be for Ev and Cheryl. Together they did the chores, and since she had help, Sandy asked the boys to transfer two of Ev's sacks of home ground chicken feed to the hen house. She lugged two metal cans over, and they filled them for her convenience. Why Ev had his chores set up so cumbersome, she didn't know, but she sure needed to zip through them faster than she had been.

Benny and Brett walked the fence lines and observed the cows and calves and the creek pasture with the yearling's. Sandy cleaned inside the house, saving the pillow stuffing that had been flung around the interior.

They made plans to fix the broken window and went to Evie's to check on the dogs. On the way into town, they detoured to the cabin site. Both men stared at the throughly job Sandy had done, and Benny held his sister while she cried.

The Sheriff's SUV was miserably silent on the way back to town. All three Hanson children understanding a break in their childhood had happened. It could never be the same.



The lawyer the government provided acted like a combination of the Three Stooges all in one. By the second answer to her questions, she decided this idiot wasn't wrapped too tight and knocked at the questioning room door. Henry answered and Clora pushed him back out into the hall.

"I'm going to find a lawyer that has sense and uses it. I need to make a phone call." and she marched down the hall to the receptionist desk and called Benny at the Sheriff's office.

Lainey answered the phone and in rapid terms, Clora let her know what was happening. "Benny's not here," Lainey replied, "but for the right's to your story, I know someone who will provide you with the best council possible. It would be in the papers, however."

Clora asked the receptionist for a number her family could reach her at, gave it to Lainey and asked her friend to talk with Benny, Brett and Sandy and get back to her. Clora then went to the cafeteria and ordered a sandwich and tea. The bustling room held a goodly amount of people she found interesting to study.

Just for orneriness, when she was finished; Clora took several napkins and wiped out her tea mug before putting it in the dirty dish bin. She slowly and completely wiped the sandwich paper and folded it neatly and put it and the napkins in her pocket. It wasn't hard to feel the burning stare of the woman assigned to shadow her, Clora thanked her penchant for detective novels. This was fun.
 
N

nancy98

Veteran Member
Thanks

The story changes locations back and forth so fast and so often I have to go back and re-read the paragraphs several times.
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#71
Benny threw up his hands and glowered at all present. He was not a happy Sheriff to find out the very man he tried to remove from Evergreen might be the only way his sister would receive adequate representation.
He stomped out of the office, searching for Davis. He couldn't get ahold of Jennings; the man was out in the field, so his dad would have to do.

Davis looked over his shoulder to see the Sheriff stomping in the diner. The young man stopped short when he discovered his Grandmother seated at the same table; but Benny had a mission that needed completed.

"Mr McCann, I need to talk with you please," Benny requested. Davis pulled over a chair from the adjoining table and motioned for him so sit down. "OK young man, what can I do for you?" Davis replied with dignity.

Benny explained the problem, Davis took a swallow of luke warm tea and prepared to deliver the bad news. He personally didn't want the sleazy slime ball of a Kent Lawrence any where near his family, or having a scent of the story at all.

The subject was closed when Evie said "absolutely not, as much as I like Lainey, I do not want her father back here. Benny would you please come outside with me." Evie said please, but it was not a request, it was a order.

"What ever Clora needs, I can supply," Evie punctuated her words by waving her forefinger in Benny's face. "This is a family matter and will be treated as such. Drive me home, I will give you enough money for a retainer for a knowledgeable lawyer."

"Grandma," Benny protested, "a lawyer like she needs will be $600 + an hour."

"Then that's what she will get," Evie firmly replied. "Someday I will explain to you where this money came from, but defending your sister will make good use of bad money." Evie climbed in the SUV and sat primly in the front seat clutching her purse.

Benny stuck his head in the office door and yelled for Sandy to go get Trey and Christy from the diner, and that he'd be back shortly. "Brett," he continued, "Stay with the radio, I'll be back in 30."

Benny nearly swallowed his teeth when Evie pulled a stack of bills from under the kitchen cabinet mop board. "This is ten thousand," she offered the neatly bound stack to him. "I have a paper sack you can put it in, it wouldn't do to have it on display. Do you or Brett want to go to Portland to tend to this problem. I really believe," and she shook her finger one again at the Sheriff, "This is a problem the men of our family should be involved in."

Benny felt a little shook up. That was the closest Grandma had ever come to criticizing him for his actions. Benny knew for certain Clora wouldn't think that she needed help, but he did the wisest thing. "Yes Ma'am," he said respectfully. "I'll leave this afternoon,"

Evie smiled and patted his arm. "I knew I could count on you. You have always done the right thing." The matter was settled. "If you need more money, call into the office and get me a message, there is enough," she said calmly. "Now I need to get back to town to get those two young rascals. Tell Benny I need to talk to him about Trey."



Clora went back to the questioning room. "You're fired," she told the astonished, bumbling lawyer. "You are either playing a not so clever game, or you are incredibly stupid and inept. Goodby." The man, who prided himself on being a superb actor, walked out with his dignity in shreds.

Henry and a cadre of advisor's huddled together trying to figure out how that simple country girl had seen through their clever ruse.
That conclusion brought up the fact that perhaps she was far more clever than they were expecting. The female agent told about Clora carefully removing all traces of her DNA from the tea cup, and that fact gained Clora a new level of suspicion.

Clora sat looking out the window, watching the cars make the interchange between I 84 and I 5 freeways. The roads were busy but not as frantic as they used to be, before the economic downfall. Portland was as green/gray as home and the softness of the rainy sky and the absence of noise let Clora go half sleep.

It was an hour before there was a knock on the door and Henry announced she was wanted on the phone. "This is Clora," she identified herself in her calm, assured way.

"Hi, It's Benny. Grandma is dispatching me to be there with you, I'm catching a ride with a guard plane, how do I find you?"

"Call this number, I believe I'm in some kind of secure office complex, and I can look down on the I 84 and I 5 interchange. So that's a general area. See you when you get here, bye." Clora smiled her thanks to the receptionist.

On her way back to the room, she bumped into Henry who was hovering like an experimental craft in the hallway. "My brother will be here late tomorrow , do you want me to stay here tonight?" Clora smiled at him, confounding the agent.

"Ahh, we have facilities here," he stammered, at a loss with how to deal with this woman. Henry believed she would have been quite happy sitting in a chair all night. "I'll make arrangements," he offered. "The cafeteria is open till 7 and open again at 6 tomorrow morning. Do you need anything?"

Clora knew he asked out of duty or politeness, but she said primly, "It was such a rush when the plane came in, I left home with nothing. I had to borrow my brother's coat, and if he hadn't stashed some money in the pocket, I couldn't even eat. So any thing you have, I would appreciate."

Clora thought let him figure this out, it will give him something to do. It didn't really, Henry dumped the problem on the junior agent and told her to take care of it. Lisa, the junior agent thought she was a little overqualified for babysitting, and resented every minute she ushered the woman around the complex.

For the night, the room was like any standard motel issue, adequate and mostly comfortable. Clora unbound her hair and enjoyed a long hot shower. She tried to erase any traces of her DNA, but knew she wasn't 100% successful. They would have to really scramble, to collect much in the line of viable cells.

The next day was long and boring, waiting for nothing to happen. Benny didn't show until noon the next day, walking into the room with a distinguished looking gentleman that looked faintly like some one Clora had seen before.

"Clora, this is our attorney, Borg Linderman. Mr Linderman, my sister Clora Hanson. "Hello," Clora looked puzzled for a second and then said, "You must be relation to Mark, I met him on the plane. There is a strong resemblance."

"Indeed," the heavily accented voice said smoothly. "My son."

"Now tell me, what has happened up to now?" he switched from pleasa
nt to all business in the blink of an eye.

Clora explained all she had observed, and finished with," I'm not opposed to giving a DNA sample, I just want to know why.....before hand."

Linderman stood and opened the door, "May we speak with Henry Wright," he requested of the plainclothes police man standing guard.




Evie gathered up the unruly grandchildren, Sandy, and headed for home. She needed a cup of coffee to settle her nerves. Christy and Trey were hyper with sugar donuts, pop, cake and very little real food in the mix. Sandy had spoiled them terribly. Evie was hoping the walk home would tire them out enough to sleep sometime tonight.

Sandy was sorry she had been so lenient with the goodies. Christy was a real monster child when fueled by sugar.
 
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