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“What you tryin’ to say, Mr. Lee? He only done that asleep.”
“I know. But they might say that Jerome might be out of his head sometimes.”
She started rocking faster. “He done fought for his country. That’s why he got him nightmares.”
“I’m not sayin’ they’ll bring it up, but Jack just has to be ready if they do.”
“Well, I don’t know more than what I told you. When he awake Jerome is the most gentle person I know. Helps me whenever I need it.”
“A good soldier and a good man.”
“Speakin’ of, how is Mr. Jeff doin’? You ever hear from him?”
“No,” said Frank. “Look, is there anythin’ else you can think of that might help?”
“Like what?”
Frank searched around in his head. “Does Jerome know anybody that might want to hurt the Randolphs? Anybody they didn’t get along with?”
“No, least not that he told me. Pearl might know.”
“So nothin’ you can think of?”
“Well, now that you mention it, Jerome did say somethin’ strange had happened.”
“What was that?”
“Man come ’round to talk to the Randolphs one day.”
“What man? What did he want?” asked Frank.
“Jerome said he was a white man in a fancy car and carryin’ a black bag. He was workin’ near the house and heard some noise, like folks arguin’. Then the man, he come runnin’ out and scoot off in his car. Then Mr. Randolph come out the house and shake his fist at the car. Jerome asked Mr. Randolph if everythin’ was okay and Mr. Randolph said somethin’ like ‘Nobody’s makin’ me leave my home.’”
“When was this?”
“Oh, a few months back.”
“What do you think it was about?”
“Got no idea. Randolphs lived in that house fifty years or more. I can’t see nobody makin’ ’em leave. You think that man might have come back and killed ’em?”
“I don’t know. But I’ll sure let Jack know about it.”
She gave him a calculating, sideways glance. “And about Jerome’s nightmares?”
“Jack needs to know if he’s goin’ to defend Jerome real good.”
He took his leave as Miss Jessup went back inside.
Frank had just reached his truck when Daniel appeared out of the darkness. He had no time to reach to his rear waistband before the man slammed him against the truck, knocking him down. He felt his back screaming in protest with the impact.
“You still here, mistuh, and I told you to get on with yourself,” said Daniel. “You disrespectin’ me or what?”
Frank slowly and painfully got back on his feet. “I’m just now leavin’.”
Daniel pushed him up against the truck again and Frank felt the side mirror dig into his back. He cried out in pain. “Look, I got no quarrel with you.”
“Well, I got a ‘quarrel’ with you.” He undid the top buttons on his shirt and pulled the fabric away.
