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“What! That’s great news, Luke.” Bill’s voice suddenly roughened. “We’ve had a lot more deaths this week, and the mayor is getting itchy. Now the Governor has become involved. And both are riding my ass.” Flint’s voice settled. “How’d you manage the coup?”
“Pure fucking luck. Seems the other band she hired had to back out due to Covid, and we’re right here in town.”
“No matter. I’m stoked. I’ll get the judge on those warrants so we can legally place some transmitters.”
“Right. Get Dale to drop off the bugs tonight at the bar. I’ll place one in her office and anywhere else I can sneak into. Set up a van close by to pick up any conversations. We need to know when those drugs are arriving and from where. Also, listen for any info on who she’s working with here in town. From what I understand, she’s keeping her hands clean, so she has a pigeon doing the dirty work.”
“Will do. Stay safe.”
Luke hung up and sat back in his truck. He wanted to go and see Honey, yet he knew it was the last thing he should do. Right now, he needed to keep his mind straight and on his job.
Instead, he drove over to catch up with his pal Hamilton. Best place he could think of to spend his free time before duty called. Plus, Hamilton would know where the band could get some gear to wear for a fancy party.
***
Hamilton opened the door and his face brightened when he saw who waited on his doorstep. “Hey Lindy-lou? How are ya? Coming to see an old man like me now… that’s down-right sweet.” His welcoming arms opened and hugged her tight.
Once he let her go, she stepped inside and scoffed. “Like I don’t come as often as I can.”
Hamilton chuckled, his gruff voice tender. “Still. It’s nice when you do.”
“I’ve come bearing gifts.” She passed him a bag filled with a half dozen of her homemade, still warm corn muffins and some crab apple jelly she’d made last year. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in like this. You seldom come by the bar anymore, so I decided to try my luck that you were home.”
“Sugar, for you, I’m always home. Gosh, when I think of all those nights you kept me company while I whined and sniveled about my messed-up life. Never once did you put me down or make me feel unwanted. You’re one of the best barmaids in the city, girl.”
“And you’re the best guitar playing old fool I’ve ever heard. It was my honor to serve you.”
Ham laughed at the way she came back at him. “Come into the kitchen, and I’ll put on the kettle. Only time I get visitors anymore is when you or Luke drop by to check on me.”
Linda followed him to the next room and made herself at home, setting out mugs and fetching the sugar and cream while he filled his kettle. Once they were seated facing each other, with corn muffins and jam to share, Hamilton looked at her with rheumy eyes watching her from under bushy white eyebrows. “Now tell this old fool why you’re really here, and what you done want from me.”
Linda laughed at his teasing expression and decided she would tell him what had been on her mind since Honey Bolder had entered her life. Why that girl had made such an impression, Linda still couldn’t be sure. Probably had something to do with the baby she’d miscarried so many years ago. You’d think she’d have forgotten that vicious pain by now. But every time she came across a girl approximately the same age, who looked like Honey, she’d be back in the hospital room begging the doctor to save her baby.
“I can’t pull nothing over on you, can I? First of all, I’m here for a friend. In fact, it’s someone who seems to have caught Luke’s attention. I’m thinking there might be something brewing there. But I digress. Thing is, this girl, Honey Bolder, told me a story, and I can’t get it out of my head. I thought of you right away as someone who might be able to help solve the mystery.”
Ham settled back in his chair, wiping the crumbs off his hands. “I love a good story. Tell me.”
And so Linda did, explaining about Katrina’s death and how it affected Honey all these years. She added, “When the detective on the case called her recently to explain about this new information, I guess it really messed her up.” Linda became even more expressive at this point. “Ham, if you met this girl, you’d see what I mean. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her suffering.”
“I can hear it in your voice. Okay… let’s get this straight. You’re saying the prisoner’s last words were a confession?”
“Yes. To his doctor… who then called the detective with the story. The criminal admitted to killing Katrina, Honey’s sister, but wouldn’t give up the name of the person who’d been with him. Just that he still lived in Nashville and worked in a bar on Broadway. He’d died before the police could interview him for further evidence. From what Honey had been told, turns out the convict had been a student of Katrina’s. One she’d taught in high school.”
“Student. That means they were teenagers back then.”
“Sure. But remember, that was twenty years ago.”
“And the police have no leads. I find that hard to believe.”
“It happens. So many murders go unsolved. We both know that.”
“Yet they put one of them away.” Hamilton’s finger punched the table to make his point.
“Sure, because he was convicted of raping and murdering another woman which had put him in jail serving a life sentence. They didn’t know about Katrina until he confessed.”
“Right… right. Now it’s the other guy they’re looking for.”
“Yes.”
