Stepping Out on a Limb

By Bobby A. Troutt

Copyright 2012 Bobby A. Troutt

Smashwords Edition


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Table of Contents

One Night Stand
Junction 447, US Highway 10
Exit 537
The Withering Vine
The Curse of the Scarecrow Murders


*****


Stepping Out on a Limb

One Night Stand

One night in 1973, a dark blanket of night hung over the restless city of Atlanta.  As the rain poured, the sirens screaming from the darkness drove a haunting cry throughout Atlanta’s underground.  The traffic was backed up for blocks as Thomas Grisham sat in the back of a cab trying to make it to the underground to hit the night scene.  He was only in town to attend a convention.  He had been there for a couple of days and wanted to enjoy his last night in town before he left the next morning.  A friend from his hometown had insisted he check out the hottest spot in Atlanta, a club called The Shades of Night.  Finally, through the falling rain, he could see the sign of the club.  He told the cabby he could walk from there.  He paid him, got out of the cab and headed down the street toward the club.  Fortunately, the pouring rain had turned into a soft drizzle.  When he entered the club there was a crowd of people talking, laughing and drinking.  It was so loud he could hardly hear the music.  The air was filled with smoke, the smell of whiskey and the sweet smell of perfume from the ladies inside.  He made his way to the bar and motioned the bartender for a drink.  Carefully, his eyes scanned across the room to see what was going on.  There was a lot of drinking going on and a little bit of dancing; the aroma of sin filled the air.  The excitement of the night was so strong and the sinful bit of lust weighed heavily in the room.  Slowly, he raised his glass to toast the night and then took a big sip.  Did he feel lucky?  You bet!  As he slowly lowered the glass from his mouth, his eyes met hers.  There was no need for either of them to say a word.  Their eyes said it all.  She was gorgeous and it appeared she was by herself.  With a slight tilt of her head and a sinful wink, he knew his night was about to get better.  He took another sip of his drink, sat the glass on the bar and slowly walked toward her.  When she saw him walking toward her, she reached up and slowly moved her hand through her hair.  Her hair accented her smile and created a sparkle in her eyes.  He could tell she was pleased by the way she looked at him and she was even prettier to him up close.
“Do you want to dance,” he said when he leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“Not really,” she replied.  “But, I’d love to go to a quiet place and talk; just you and me alone.”
 “A quiet place,” he said as he lit a cigarette.
“Yeah, quiet,” she replied.
He reached over to button up a button on her blouse, but she then took his hand and placed it over her heart instead.
“What do you feel?” she asked.
He stood still a moment and then responded, “Your heart is really beating fast.  A quiet place,” he repeated again.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she replied.
“Let’s make it even more interesting, okay.  Are you game?”
“Sure,” she replied.
“Let’s make it more intriguing and spice it up a bit,” he said.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
“No names, no information and no strings attached.  We will both play it blind; we will not question each other about anything.  Most importantly, we will leave everything at the door when we say our goodbyes.  This moment is ours if you want it.”
She reached down and placed her hand on his knee.  They looked at each other and with their eyes they agreed it would be their moment without saying a word.  He helped her put on her jacket as they headed out the door.  Once outside, he motioned for a nearby taxi.  When they got in, the cabby asked where they wanted to go.
Thomas replied, “I’m not sure, I’m not from around here.”
“A quiet place,” she said.
“Oh, okay,” replied the cabby.  “I know the best quiet place in Atlanta.  And by the way, everyone calls me Cookie.”
Cookie threw the meter arm on and pulled out into the traffic.  Across the city sped the cab, dodging in and out of traffic.  They turned onto Barefoot Road just outside Atlanta.  Not far down the road, they pulled into a motel called Shady Inn.
“Now, you wanted a quiet place.  Here you are; this is it.  I recommend room 23.  It has a good view of the city.  Plus, I’ve had my quiet moments there too.  Just tell them Cookie sent you.”
“Alright, Cookie,” replied Thomas, “thanks,” he said as he paid him and got out of the cab.
Cooke gave him his business card with his private number on it and told them they could call him when they were ready to go back into the city and he would come back and pick them up.  They told him that would be great.  As Cookie drove off and disappeared into the night, they went into the office to get a room.  Thomas asked the manager if room 23 was available.  Luckily, it was.  They took the key and made their way to the room.
“It is quiet,” she said.
“Almost too quiet,” he replied.
But, the night was young and it was theirs.  While she went into the bathroom to freshen up, he bent the blind down and looked out the window.  He noticed there were not many cars out.  When he heard the shower come on, he undressed, slipped into the bathroom and eased into the shower with her.
“Naughty boy,” she said.  “I like that.”
From the shower, to the bed and onto the floor, they indulged in their moment.  It was their night with no regrets and no strings attached.  They enjoyed every passionate moment.  Once they settled down, they knew they had to end it.  They called Cookie to come and take them back to the city.  When they arrived back in the city, they said their goodbyes.  After they kissed goodbye, he turned and walked away.  After a few steps, he stopped and turned to ask her name but he paused for a minute.  He changed his mind, turned back around and faded off into the night.  She started to shout out her name but instead whispered Michelle. But, he was too far away to hear her.
Early the next morning, Thomas headed back to Chattanooga and Michelle went back to Memphis.  When she got back home, she found her house had been ransacked and her daughter, Heidi, was nowhere to be found.  Immediately, she called the police and they sent over a team of policemen to investigate the matter.  When the police arrived, they searched the house and tried to find out what had happened.  They speculated that her daughter had probably had a wild party while she was out of town.  But, it turned out that wasn’t the case.  There had been three other cases in the past six months involving the disappearance of three other girls.  It looked like they all just disappeared into thin air.
Michelle knew Detective Reynolds in charge of the cases.  An APB had already been put out on a Wesley Powell, a convicted murderer and drug dealer who was also involved in human trafficking and blackmail.  In the underworld, he was well known for abducting young girls and boys to sale them overseas in Europe and Asia.  Detective Reynolds and a team of officers had been working on the cases for the last six months.  They were closing in on him fast and ready to make their move.  With the help of the foreign agents, they had gathered enough evidence to make a bust.  But, finding this guy was proving to be hard to do.  One minute he was within their reach and the next minute he was gone.  But, Detective Reynolds knew he would eventually show up somewhere and they’d get him.
Detective Reynolds informed Michelle that Heidi would have to be missing seventy-two hours before she would be considered a missing person.  Michelle already knew that.
“I’ll put an all points bulletin out on her after seventy-two hours,” he said.  “But, I’ll see what I can do now.  Try not to worry, just pray and hope for the best.”
The last time Michelle had talked to Heidi was about twelve hours before she got back home.  Michelle knew time was crucial.
A few days later, in Chattanooga, Thomas was sitting in his office when he received an unmarked envelope.  When he opened it, he found some naked photos of him and the woman he had the one night stand with in the motel in Atlanta.  There was no note or blackmail letter with them.  There were only photos, but they said it all.  But, who in the world would blackmail him?  Was it her, his one night stand?  No, surely not.  After a few minutes of looking at the photos, he realized they could destroy his job and the chance to get back with his wife.  For the last year, they had been separated because of an office affair with his secretary.  He didn’t want this latest incident to get out.  He had to stop it before it went any further and destroy all the photos in the process.  But, how could he get it done?
The next day in Memphis, Michelle went out and got into her car to go to work.  When she started to put her purse in the passenger’s seat, she saw an unmarked envelope.  She quickly opened it because she thought it might be something pertaining to her daughter.  But, there were nude photos of her and her one night stand in Atlanta.  Cautiously, she looked around but didn’t see anyone.  Just great, she said to herself.  What else in hell is going to happen?  A missing daughter, now this.  As she thought about it, she wondered if it was her one night stand trying to get money out of her.  But, she didn’t know who he was or where she could find him.  She relived the night of the one night stand over and over in her mind.  The more she thought about it, the more things started to make sense.  She knew if she could find Cookie, she could probably find the answer to her question.
Meanwhile, the search for her daughter continued.  Michelle had more on her plate than she could handle.  However, her daughter was her top priority.  But, she didn’t know what she was going to do.  So far there hadn’t been any request for money.  But, she knew it was just a matter of time.  Then she remembered her old boyfriend, Eddie, who used to work for the Atlanta Police Department.  She hoped he would help her, but she had her doubts.  She searched for Eddie’s number and finally found it.  She wondered if it was still good.  She called him, but there was no answer.  She tried several more times but there still was no answer.  She started to think he had changed his number.  Later on that day, she tried again and he answered.  They chatted a while before she told him what was going on.  He told her he would be glad to help and he’d get right on it to see what he could find out.  He told her he’d keep in touch.
Thomas was also trying to figure out what he needed to do.  He tried to think of the best way to go about it without getting the police involved.  He had a friend that was a private eye, Bill, who had helped him several times before.  He decided to give Bill a call and ask him to come over so he could explain everything to him.  Shortly, Bill arrived.  Thomas filled him in on the situation and showed him the pictures.  Bill agreed to take the case and immediately left for Atlanta.  A couple of days later, Thomas received a call from Bill.  He had found the cab driver, Cookie, and had him under surveillance.  Bill also found out that Cookie had close ties with a guy named Wesley Powell.  He had heard Chattanooga authorities were investigating him for human trafficking.  But, they were having a hard time tracking him down.  There were two cases of girls missing in Chattanooga and three from Memphis.
“Have you talked to Cookie?” asked Thomas
“No, not yet,” replied Bill.  “I’ve just been following him.”
“I have a deal that I would like for you to offer him,” said Thomas.  “I want you to see if he will accept it for all the pictures, negatives and anything else pertaining to the blackmail.”
Bill told Thomas he would offer him the deal and he’d get back with him as soon as he talked with Cookie.  The next day, Bill stopped off to get a pack of cigarettes and ran into an old friend he hadn’t seen in years.  It was Eddie, Michelle’s old boyfriend.  They both lit up a cigarette and reminisced about the days of long ago when they worked cases for the Atlanta Police Department.  Eddie told him he was working on a blackmail ring operation in the area for a client.  Bill asked him if one of the guys was named Cookie and drove a cab.  
“Yes, how do you know?” asked Eddie.
Bill replied, “I’m working on the same thing for my client.”
“You’re kidding me,” Eddie said with a chuckle.  “Hey, maybe we can work together like old times.”
“Why not,” replied Bill.  “Let’s get a bite to eat and we’ll compare notes.”
“That sounds good to me.  Do you remember that little hamburger stand not far from here?”  asked Eddie.
“Yeah,” replied Bill, “I do.  You mean it’s still open.”
“Yep and they’re still serving the best southern hot dogs around,” stated Eddie.  “I’ll buy.”
They compared notes and strategies but they never asked each other about their client’s crimes.  When Eddie looked at the photos, he didn’t recognize Thomas but he knew without a doubt that the woman in the pictures was Michelle.  But, he didn’t tell Bill that she was his client.  Within hours, they made their move on Cookie.  They questioned him about the blackmail racket and threatened to bring him in.  Bill and Eddie offered him a deal he could hardly refuse.  Bill and Eddie told him if he agreed to work undercover with Detective Reynolds and the Chattanooga and Memphis police to bring Wesley Powell in they would have the blackmail charges dismissed and he would go free.  Bill told him he wanted all the photos, negatives and anything else pertaining to the blackmail of his client and Eddie’s.  Also, if he agreed to the deal they would get in touch with the Atlanta police and have the blackmail ring shut down and they would keep his name out of it.  If he didn’t cooperate, they would make sure he spent the rest of his life in jail.  Cookie wasn’t dumb; he knew how deals went.  He wanted Wesley just as bad as they did because he had killed his brother.  Cookie was out for Wesley’s blood, but Bill and Eddie didn’t know that.  Now, he could take care of him with the law on his side so he accepted the deal.
Wesley had double-crossed Cookie’s brother in a drug deal; he kept the drugs and the money.  He brought drugs into the country from Mexico by way of the gulf and up through the bayou.  From there the drugs were loaded onto tractor trailer trucks and delivered to a place north of Chattanooga.
Bill and Eddie took Cookie into the Atlanta Police Department and he cooperated with the police.  Bill called Thomas like he said and within hours Bill was on his way back to Chattanooga and he had Cookie with him.  Eddie called Michelle and told her the blackmail situation was over and there was no need for her to worry anymore.  He told her whenever she was in Atlanta to give him a call because he’d like to see her again; she said she would.  She was so relieved the blackmail was over.  But, she still needed to find her daughter.
The feds had taken over the case of Wesley Powell.  Detective Reynolds and the Chattanooga police were now working together with the feds to get Wesley.  Thomas kept the deal with Cookie under wraps.  He believed he had a sure thing, but didn’t want anyone to blow it.
Little did anyone know, Michelle was working to get to Cookie as well.  She believed Cookie could also help find her daughter.  She didn’t let anyone know that one of the missing girls was her daughter.  She knew if the police found out she wouldn’t be allowed to work on the case.  Within hours she was one a flight to Chattanooga.
Cookie kept his word; the blackmail pictures were never exposed.  There was some talk about it and a lot of hearsay, but nothing ever developed.  Everyone wanted to get Wesley and get those girls back.
The next day, Michelle went to the federal building in Chattanooga to talk with the judge about working as an assistant on the Wesley Powell case.  When she got there, she told the judge’s secretary she would like to talk with him.  His secretary knocked on the judge’s chamber door and told him that a Mrs. Michelle Hewitt was there to talk with him.  The judge, who’s back was to the door, told her to send her in.  As Michelle stood in the doorway, a voice from behind a high back office chair told her to come in.  When she started to speak, the judge slowly turned and looked at her from the side of his chair.  Briefly, when their eyes met, they both relived that night in Atlanta.
“You’re a judge,” she said.
“And you’re a prosecutor,” he replied.
It was so awkward.  They didn’t say a word.  They both were at a loss for words.  The judge rested his face in his hands and Michelle started laughing.
She said, “I have to laugh to keep from crying.  After all this time, I finally know who you are.  I’m Michelle.”
“And I’m Thomas.”
“How have you been?” she asked.
“I’ve been doing well and you,” he said.
“I’m not doing as well as I was in Atlanta but I’ll make it,” replied Michelle.
“So you want to assist the federal DA with the Wesley Powell case.  May I ask why this case is so important to you?”
“Well, I’d rather not say at this time.   Like you told me in Atlanta, no strings attached and no questions.  I would like to leave it that way for now.”
“I see,” he said.  “I’ll grant your request but only if you let me buy you dinner.”
“It’s a deal,” she said, “but, no more motel rooms.”
“I guess you heard about the blackmail,” he stated.  “I wanted to contact you but I didn’t know who or where you were.  I wanted it to stop as soon as possible so I took care of it.”
“Thanks, Thomas, for working the blackmail out for us,” she replied.  “It has been a bad time for me ever since I returned from Atlanta.”
“Well, it’s over with now,” assured Thomas.  “And now if we can convict this Wesley Powell we will be doing even better,” he said.  “Oh, by the way, the US Attorney called me yesterday and they said they have agreed to let you work on the case, but only if I don’t have a problem with it.  You know you have your work cut out for you.  The feds are arranging everything.  Cookie will meet with Wesley tomorrow night and he’ll be wearing a wire.”
“Do you think Cookie can pull it off?” she asked.
“He’ll either do it or get killed,” he replied.  “Plus, there will be federal agents nearby.  He should be okay.”
“Will the feds let Wesley be tried in your jurisdiction?” she asked.
“Yes, but at first they didn’t want to.  Eventually, they agreed that since the two original abductees were from Chattanooga he could be tried here.  But, as you know, we have to get him first.”
Nightfall seemed to fall early that night as Cookie pulled up in the parking lot of an empty warehouse.  He waited for a few minutes but didn’t see any sign of Wesley.  There wasn’t a soul around.  About thirty minutes later, the shadow of a man appeared upon his car.  Before he knew it, Wesley had opened the back door of his car and got in.
“What’s going on, man,” Wesley said as he leaned toward the front seat.  “I heard you wanted to see me.”
“The police know you had something to do with the disappearance of those girls here and in Memphis,” Cookie replied.
“So, what’s that to you,” he said.  “Are you setting me up, punk?”
“Somehow, they connected me with you,” Cookie replied.  “And they have a deal for you.”
“What kind of a deal?” he laughed.  “They don’t have nothing on me.  If they did, they would have already gotten me.
“They want the girls back,” said Cookie.
“I don’t know where they are,” he replied as he reached over and grabbed Cookie by the hair.  “I’ll kill you just like I killed your worthless brother.  You need to stick to driving cabs.”
“You do know where they are.  I’d kill you right now if I had the mind to,” he replied.
“Huh, like I killed your brother.”
Cookie squeezed the steering wheel as tight as he could and held his tongue.
“Just say I did know something, what’s in it for me?” Wesley asked.
“The feds said if you help them get the girls back they would offer you a plea bargain for a lesser crime and time.  Eight years in prison with the possibility of parole in three years.  Or, you could possibly walk free,” explained Cookie.  “What about it?”
“What if I don’t?” Wesley inquired.
“They’re going to get you one way or another, dead or alive,” threatened Cookie.
“I don’t know,” Wesley replied.  “Listen, I’ll get in touch with you within the next couple of days.  I need to take some time to think this over,” he said before he got out of the car and casually walked away.
“He’s either thinking about it or he suspects it’s a bad deal,” Cookie whispered into the microphone.
The feds started to take him then, but they didn’t want to mess anything up.  They had him thinking so they decided to wait and see.  Everyone wondered if Wesley would take the deal.  But, they were also concerned that he would leave town and disappear.  The feds kept an eye on his every move.  It was hard to say what he would do.  All they could do was wait it out.  Finally, Wesley sent word for Cookie to meet him.
When he met with Cookie he told him that he wanted the plea bargain in writing and signed by the judge.  He explained to him that it was going to be hard to find the girls.  He said he would do his best to get them back, but it was going to take some time.  He told him it was more than likely too late for the two girls from Chattanooga because they were probably already in the system overseas.  But, he’d still see what he could do.  He was a little more optimistic about the girls from Memphis.  He told him he would get back with him in a couple of days.
Wesley turned himself in and took the plea bargain.  The feds put Wesley in a room, guarded by a guard, equipped with a computer so he could try to locate the girls.  The feds, Cookie and Michelle watched from behind a two way mirror in the adjoining room.  Wesley hacked his way through several false sites; they were piggyback sites that bypassed him through the net and helped him get to the sites he needed, all the while keeping his location hidden.  He typed in his secret code that opened up a hidden underground world of human trafficking.  Next, he typed in a number code and his password to get behind the net wall to communicate with a buddy of his.  Wesley gave his buddy the information he needed to search for the girls so he could locate them.  About three hours later, his buddy contacted him for some more information.  Two hours later, his buddy had located the girls from Memphis.  They were about to board a ship that would carry them to an overseas underground.  His buddy put a hold on the three girls and told Wesley that the girls would be returned to Memphis within the next twelve hours.
What a relief it was to everyone that they were alright.  Michelle held back her emotion because she didn’t want anyone to know that one of the girls, Heidi, was her daughter.  She left the room and went to the bathroom to let go.  She laughed, cried and thanked the Lord that Heidi was safe and on her way home.  Michelle got on the next flight to Memphis to be there for Heidi when she arrived back home.  Heidi was home within twelve hours, just like Wesley said.
A few weeks later, Wesley’s trial was held.  The United States Federal Court of the State of Tennessee vs. Wesley Powell, docket #242179, was presided over by Honorable Judge Thomas Grisham.
The trial opened, witnesses were called, evidence was presented and everything was good.  It was an open and shut case until Wesley’s lawyer received some bazaar information pertaining to the case.  He asked to approach the bench and Judge Grisham allowed him; the DA approached the bench also.  After a minute or two, the judge called for a recess and said that court would reconvene at one o’clock.  Wesley’s lawyer, the DA and his assistant all went back into the judge’s chambers.  Wesley’s lawyer had found out that one of the girls was the Assistant DA’s daughter.  Judge Grisham asked Michelle if she was out of her mind.
“Do you know what you have done?” he yelled.  “We could have a mistrial on our hands because of a conflict of interest; he could actually walk free.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” she cried.  “But, all I wanted to do was get my daughter back and make him pay for taking my baby girl away from me.  Things happened so fast that I couldn’t think straight.  I didn’t know what else to do.  I’m sorry; I know better.  But, my daughter’s life was at stake and so was mine.  I’m so sorry,” she said.
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” he asked.
“I don’t know why.  I guess I was afraid for my daughter.  I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again.”
There was a moment of silence before they left the judge’s chambers and went back into the courtroom.  Wesley was found guilty by the jury and sentenced by Judge Grisham.  He received eight years to be served in Bushy Mountain Federal Prison and would be eligible for parole in three years.  But, Judge Grisham surprised everyone when he called for a mistrial because of a conflict of interest.  He then dismissed the jury and told Wesley he was free to go.  The courtroom was stunned.
There were a lot of unanswered questions in Wesley’s case.  Did Judge Grisham know about Michelle’s daughter?  Were he and Michelle in it together to get to Wesley?
A couple of days later Wesley was found dead.  Who killed him remains to be said.  Was he killed for revenge in the death of Cookie’s brother?  Was it Michelle revenging the kidnapping of her daughter?  Or, was it one of Wesley’s many enemies?  It is possible that Cookie got an under the table deal to revenge the death of his brother?

*****

Stepping Out on a Limb
Junction 447, US Highway 10
It was pouring down rain one night in 1970 as John Rose was approaching Junction 447 in Stone County, Kentucky.  Just up ahead he could see the flashing lights of the police cars and other emergency vehicles up ahead; there had been a wreck at the intersection.  As he slowly drove by, he glanced over at the two cars involved.  One of them was a limo that had burned and was still smoking from where the firemen had put it out.  The driving rain blew sheets of rain across the road, making it hard for him to see.  Apparently, the other car had run the stop sign and plowed into the limo.  They were putting one body into one of the ambulances; it was completely covered with a sheet.  They were also putting another body in the other ambulance.  John couldn’t help but notice that the limo looked like Samuel’s limo.  Samuel was his half-brother.  But, before he could get a good look, the officer directing traffic motioned for him to keep moving so the ambulances could get out.
Deep into the night sky, the thunder roared and the lightning tore its way through the darkness leaving a flicker of light on the wreckage behind.  The ambulances left the scene and took both victims to Patterson High East Memorial Hospital.  John drove on toward the Rose’s mansion which was located a few miles down the road from the intersection.  It just so happened, John was running late for a family meeting that Samuel had called.  If he had been on time, a few minutes earlier, he might have been involved in the wreck.  
Samuel had called the family together to discuss his will.  Upon arriving, John noticed several members of the family were already there.  When he entered, he noticed everyone was sitting around talking and drinking some of Samuel’s prime stock of whiskey.  He could tell right off when he entered the room that it was full of pride, greed, jealousy and the atmosphere was arrogant.  They didn’t care anything about Samuel.  All they wanted was his money and what he had, which was a lot.  John wasn’t any different.  Samuel had done well for himself and John thought it would be nice to have a little to play around with for himself.  John kept moving around the room trying to see if Samuel was there, but he didn’t see him.  He asked a couple of people if they had seen him.  All they could tell him was that he’d be there shortly.  Then John saw Ron, Samuel’s full-brother and his half-brother.  A few years ago Samuel’s ex-wife married Ron.
“Why, hello, John,” welcomed Sandra, Ron’s wife.  “I’m so glad you made it.”
“I bet you are,” replied John.  “Good to see you again, Ron.”
“Likewise,” stated Ron.
“Is Samuel here yet?” John asked.
“Oh, you know Samuel has to make a grand entrance,” she said.  “You know I was married to him for twenty-three years.”
“Yeah, I remember,” he said.  “And you’re still after his money.”
“Now, John,” replied Ron, “we’re all guilty of that don’t you think.”
“Probably so,” he said.  “By the way, I came upon a wreck at the intersection just down the road from here.”
“You did,” Sandra replied.
“The limo involved looked like Samuel’s,” he stated.  “But, it was raining so hard I couldn’t tell for sure.”
“Oh, I hope it wasn’t Samuel,” replied Ron.
“Me, either,” Sandra responded.
“I bet,” John said sarcastically.
“Excuse us,” they said, “there is some of the family we haven’t seen in a long time.  We’ll see you later.”
“Sure,” John replied.  “You all may want to spread the word that Samuel may have been involved in a wreck.”
Shortly, John heard someone across the room say oh my God, I hope not.  He slowly sipped on his whiskey as he looked across the room.  He saw Stella, his niece who was a stripper, Samuel’s playboy son, Roger, Becky, his daughter, who was always strung out on something, cousin Dale who liked the men and Samuel’s stepson, Chase, who probably owed every bookie from there to Florida.
What a circle of people, he thought to himself as he swallowed the last drop of whiskey from the glass.  As he raised his arm, he motioned with his hand for the waiter.  “I’ll take another over here.”
The word had spread quickly around the room that Samuel may have been in an accident.  About that time, the phone rang.  A hush fell across the room.  Everyone was afraid to answer the phone.
“Hello,” John said when he picked up the receiver.
It was Billy, Samuel’s chauffeur.  He called to let everyone know they had been involved in a wreck and Samuel was in the hospital in ICU.  He told him the doctor said it didn’t look good.  John informed everyone of what Billy said.  They all quickly got their hats and umbrellas and headed to the hospital.
“I hope he’ll be alright,” one of the family members said.
“Oh, you know Samuel,” said another, “he’s tough.  He won’t ever die.  He’s too low down and mean.”
  When they arrived at the hospital, Billy was waiting for them in the waiting room.  He gave them the details of the wreck and told them what he could about Samuel’s condition.  He warned them that it didn’t look good and that Doctor Bentley, Samuel’s personal physician, would be out shortly to talk to everyone.  As they waited, talk was short amongst them.  John knew they were all vultures waiting for Samuel to die so they could get his money.  He noticed that not one tear had fallen from their eyes, not even a sniffle or clearing of anyone’s throat.  It just didn’t seem like they were too concerned about Samuel’s fate.  In fact, Chase continued running his numbers with his bookies.  One of the nurses even had to come out and take care of Becky because she was having withdrawals.  Finally, Dr. Bentley came into the waiting room.  Sandra immediately ran over to him.
“How is he, Dr. Bentley?” she asked.
“Not very good,” he replied.  “He’ll be lucky if he makes it through the night.”
A few tears filled her eyes and then as she fell back into Ron’s arms.
“He has been burnt over sixty percent of his body, mostly the top half.  We had to do emergency surgery and put him in a medically induced coma to keep him comfortable.”
“Can we see him?” she asked.
“For now, only you and Ron,” replied the doctor.  “The others will have to wait until sometime tomorrow.  I warn you Sandra, he’s covered in bandages and he has tubes everywhere.  You will not be able to recognize him.”
“Okay, Dr. Bentley.  I think I’ll be alright; I just want to see him.”
Sandra, Ron and Dr. Bentley disappeared down the hall to ICU.  When they entered his room, he was covered in bandages from head to toe with all kinds of tubes running in him.  Sandra started to reach out and touch him but Dr. Bentley stopped her.  She couldn’t recognize the man she had shared several years of her life with.  She couldn’t change those years.  But, she hoped her future, in her heart, would be brighter.  Ron never said a word as he took Sandra in his arms and led her out.  The others asked Sandra how he was doing.  But, she could only repeat what the doctor had said earlier; it didn’t look good.
The long night in the waiting room started to take its toll upon them.  John wondered if they were really there out of concern for Samuel or if they were waiting it out to get their share of his money.  It was about ten minutes after two in the morning when a warning alarm went off in ICU.  It startled everyone.  They tried to see what was happening but all they could see were the doctors and nurses running down the hallway.  About twenty minutes later, Dr. Bentley came into the waiting room with a look of despair on his face.
“I’m so sorry, Samuel has passed away.”
A hush fell over the room as everyone looked at each other.
“Ron it’s time to go home,” Sandra said.
Luckily, the rain had moved out.  One by one, they left.  John was sure they were all rushing to call Samuel’s lawyer, Donald Creekmore, to find out when the reading of John’s will would take place.  He knew them all too well.  He also knew that Creekmore wouldn’t get much sleep that night.
“John, do you know who you would like to contact to take care of the body?” asked Dr. Bentley.
“Yes, I’ll see to it,” he replied.
The hospital pronounced Samuel dead and the funeral home took his body to be cremated.  John picked up the ashes, went to a bathroom, dumped Samuel’s ashes into the commode and flushed them away.  He had fulfilled Samuel’s request.  After the death of Samuel, Billy, Samuel’s chauffeur, left.  He had been with the Rose family for thirty years.  But, after Samuel’s death, he felt it was time to move on.
John was right.  Creekmore told him that all of the family members called him the night Samuel died wanting him to read the will as soon as possible.  Unknown to them and a little odd, Samuel had already set a date for the reading of his will.  However, there had been rumors that Samuel had cancer so that may be why he had everything arranged in advance.  John was astonished with Samuel, a self-made millionaire.  John was a little different than the others in the family and Samuel knew it.  Out of all of them, John was Samuel’s favorite.  John respected Samuel, but he didn’t always agree with him.  They had butted heads more than once through the years.  The one thing that John remembered about Samuel was that when anyone asked him how he felt, he’d always reply that he felt like a quarter.  Samuel, as long as John could remember, always had a quarter in his hand that he rubbed and rotated with his thumb and forefinger.
About a week after Samuel’s death, they found Stella dead.  She was found in her car in the back of a strip joint with one end of a hose hooked to the tailpipe and the other end inside the window of the car.  There didn’t seem to be any foul play; she died of an apparent suicide.  Stella had been raped when she was a teenager by some boys in high school.  She never could get over it, especially since the law let the boys go.  After Samuel’s death, there were two more unusual accidents that happened.  Chase’s luck ran out on him; he owed a lot of people.  He was found shot to death in an alley and the police believed it was a mob killing.  Roger, the playboy, was killed while he was in bed with another man’s wife.  Not long after that, John got a call from Becky.  She wanted him to meet her at a little community restaurant called the Butter Bean.  After she hung up, John had a good idea that she wanted money for drugs.  A few hours later when he pulled up in front of the restaurant, he saw Becky standing by the phone booth.  She looked awful; she had dark circles around her eyes, her hands were trembling and she had a troubled look in her eyes.  He told her he’d buy her something to eat.  When the waitress brought her plate, a meat and three vegetables, she started cramming the food in her mouth.  She sensed John staring at her so she stopped and started picking at the rest of it.  She didn’t have a lot to say.  She figured John knew why she called him.  He tried to get her to go to rehab to get some help.  She paid his advice no never mind.
“Let me take you home,” he suggested, “so you can at least get cleaned up.”
But, she shook her head no.
“How much do you need?” John asked.
Becky never answered.  She pushed the plate back, stood up quickly and rushed toward the door.
“Becky!” he yelled.
It was too late; she was already out the door.  He looked out the window and saw her get into a car with a couple of boys.  John wandered why she acted so strange.  Thinking back on it, he sort of believed that she was setting him up to be robbed but changed her mind.
The week slowly went by and the time for the reading of the will arrived.  Donald Creekmore had everyone meet in his conference room for the reading of Samuel’s will.  Sandra, Ron and John were the only family members left and they couldn’t find Becky.  When John arrived, Creekmore told him and Sandra that Dale had been hit by a car while he was changing a flat tire the night before; the accident seemed suspicious and was being investigated like the other killings that had taken place.  The police were baffled with the case, but suspected his death was accidental.
“I’m glad you all could make it.  It is a bizarre situation regarding the other heirs, don’t you think,” he stated.  “Samuel and I have been friends for years and I’m glad to share with you his last will and testament,” he said as he opened a sealed envelope and brought out several documents.  “I Samuel David Rose III of sound mind have left the following to my ex-wife, Sandra, and her husband, Ron, the total sum of $250 each.  John shall receive the remainder of my estate.”
Sandra slammed her hand down on the desk and cried out, “That’s it; that’s all!  Can you believe that, Ron?  Two hundred and fifty measly dollars is all I get.  I was married to him all that time and he thinks no more of me than that.  Where did it all go, Creekmore, in yours and John’s pocket?  I want to contest this will!” she yelled.
“Now wait a minute,” Creekmore replied, “Samuel’s wealth had diminished over the last fifteen years.  Most of it went to back taxes, bad business deals, lavish spending, bad loans and bad overseas investments.  His fortune was nearly bankrupt and destroyed by fly by night deals.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” she said.
“I thought he was a better business man than that,” declared Ron.
“He was at first,” John said.  “Through the years he took too many chances on risky deals, especially on the foreign market.  His back taxes alone took depleted most of his fortune.”
“If $250 is all that I’m to get, you can keep it.  I spend that much alone on shoes a month.”
“I’m sorry,” Creekmore replied.  I didn’t know myself until about a month ago.”
“How much is John’s share?”
“Well, I really don’t know.  The entire estate has to be sold and everything has to be paid before I know for sure.  Oh, yes, I nearly forgot.  John here’s an envelope that Samuel asked me to give to you at the reading of his will.”
John took the envelope in his hand and slowly opened it.  Sandra watched as he took the worn quarter and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.
“I feel like a quarter,” he said.
Sandra and Ron got up and stormed out of the conference room.
“It will be a while before I get everything cleared up,” Creekmore said.  “I’ll let you know as soon as I’m finished.”
“That’s fine,” he replied.  “Take your time; I’m not in any hurry.”
Within minutes after John got back home, the police were knocking at his door.
“May I help you?” he asked.
“Are you John Rose?” the officer inquired.
“Yes, I am,” he replied.
“We have found your niece, Becky, dead from an apparent overdose.”
“Where at?” he asked as he dropped his head.
“About a mile down the road from the Butter Bean Restaurant., we need you to identify the body,” the officer requested.
“Okay,” he agreed.
There never seems to be an end, John thought.  So many lives touched by others and such a waste of lives.
While on his way back from identifying Becky, he stopped off and told Sandra.
“It was just a matter of time,” Sandra said.  “I expected it at anytime.  The whole family is screwed up.  Why in God’s name did I ever marry into it?”
He thought to himself, the money, but he didn’t say it out loud.  Three weeks went by and Creekmore, with the help of some friends, settled the Rose’s Estate.  John did better than he thought he would.  Everything was kept concealed, except Sandra and Ron’s inheritance and they are still raising hell over it.  However, there was nothing either of them could do about it.  John received quite a little nest egg and Samuel’s lucky quarter; he was pleased.
It had been three years and life in the south of France couldn’t have been any better for Samuel and Billy his chauffeur.  The two of them and Samuel’s doctor had staged Samuel’s death so Samuel and Billy could have a life together.  They had been lovers for years.  Samuel had lost some money through the years but he was smart enough to stash a little nest egg in one of the foreign banks under an alias name.  The two were inseparable.  They enjoyed the high class living, the wine and their privacy.  Billy was the reason Sandra, Samuel’s ex-wife, left him.  She had caught them in bed together.  The staged death couldn’t have gone off any smoother without the help of Samuel’s doctor.  Through the years Samuel had donated a lot of money to the hospital and had also paid off several malpractice suits against his doctor.  There was only one loose end in their plan.  Dale, Samuel’s cousin, had been having an affair with Billy.  Dale somehow found out that Samuel was still alive and living in the south of France with Billy.  When Billy found out Dale knew, he went back to the states and killed Dale to keep their secret from coming out.  After Dale’s death, more suspicions were raised about the other family members that had been killed.  Did Samuel stage revengeful accidental deaths for them all?  It would be hard to prove considering the situations and circumstances of the deaths.  Eventually, the cases became cold cases and forgotten about.
While in France, Billy found a new love; a French woman named Ezibella.  He had been having an affair with her for a year with Samuel’s knowledge.  When Samuel found out, he threatened to tell her everything and destroy the relationship between her and Billy.  Billy was not going to let that happen.  So, he arranged for Samuel to meet him on the rocky coast near Marseille.  They got into a fight and Billy pushed Samuel over the cliff to his death.  But, Billy was unaware that someone witnessed the entire confrontation and was later arrested.  When he was arrested, he made a plea bargain with the French authorities for a lesser sentence.  He told the whole story to the authorities of Samuel’s staged death.  The French authorities contacted the US authorities about the case.  In the states, Samuel’s doctor was arrested, tried, convicted and sent to prison.  Billy was tried and convicted of second degree murder.  Under French law, he received thirty years in prison.  When he finished serving his time in France, he was sent back to the states and tried for the death of Dale.

*****

Stepping Out on a Limb
Exit 537
The fading light of day rested in my eyes as I hitchhiked down the road toward Cobb County, Tennessee.  The fall of night was upon me as a blanket of darkness slowly moved in.  The air was still except for the slight breezes that the passing cars and trucks created.  The smell of the night air lingered, sometimes creating a warm chill.  The road ahead stretched out for miles; all I could see was an endless highway.  The beat the passing cars and trucks made as they passed drove me onward.  The night before, I had taken refuge under an overpass until dawn.  After a few hours of sleep, I arose early to continue on my way.  Plus, I did not want the police to fine me for loitering.
That night as I walked on, I neared an exit where a streetlight flickered on and off.  The highway was adorned with red taillights, white headlights, white streetlights, a yellowish glow from the moon and the yellow-gold signal lights of drivers getting on and off the exit ahead.  A few feet ahead I saw a green and white sign that read Exit 537, Daylight and Flatt Wood Road, Next Right.  I stuck out my thumb hoping to get a ride.  But, I guess since it was dark, it was probably hard for drivers to see me; I turned and walked on.  I was hoping I would have better luck in the little town of Daylight.  I was tired; I had been walking for the last two days.  I did catch a ride with a couple of truck drivers along the way.  I was thankful for that.  You know, they say, people don’t pick up hitchhikers like they used too.  I could understand that in that day and time.  Before too long, I reached Exit 537 and started down the ramp.  I was weak, tired and didn’t have much money.  Really, I just needed to rest.  Then, out of nowhere, a car hit me, knocked me over the guardrail and down into the ditch.  I didn’t hear the car come to a screeching stop; I couldn’t see the taillights or if they even hit their brakes or slowed down.  I laid there in the ditch mangled and broken.  I reached up and felt my face when I felt something warm running down it.  Lord, I thought, I am going to die.  In the distance, I could hear the screaming sirens.  I was sure they were coming for me.  I didn’t know how they would find me down in the ditch.  I tried to get up but my legs were numb and heavy.  My arms were bent behind my back and my voice was too weak to cry out for help.  Oh, God, what am I to do?  I don’t want to die this way, a hitchhiker in some far off place.  My body ached and my head raced.
I closed my eyes and there before me was a beautiful clear light.  It was so bright it took my breath away.  It was so heavenly; my inner body came forth from my broken fleshy body that laid in the darkness of the ditch.  Slowly, I was able to stand up with no aches or pains.  I was no longer broken but whole once again.  When I looked back, my broken body still laid on the ground; it was so lifeless, still and cold.  I turned and walked up to the guardrail, climbed over it and started down the road.
I started seeing visions before me.  I squinted my eyes and that’s when I saw her, my oldest sister.  She was nine and I was two.  She had dressed me up and was pushing me around in a doll buggy.  I thought to myself, things have really changed a lot since then.  Summers seemed so long back then.  It was a time of an innocent and carefree life.  Little things didn’t really matter all that much.  The big things, well I was so young I couldn’t do anything about them.  Playing was my biggest obstacle and my greatest concerns were rolling in the grass on a hot summer day, swimming in the creek or just walking in the rain.  In the summer, the rain seemed to fall so lightly except for when there were summer thunderstorms.  I looked around to the back of the house, the same house where I played Annie over so many times, and saw a little boy in the backyard taking a bath in a washtub.  I looked and looked again, it was me.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an old white headed man put me on a bicycle and give me a push.  I held on for my life.  I was crying and trying to hold the bike up at the same time.  I could hear him yelling pedal, pedal, pedal.  That’s how I learned to ride my first bicycle.  I laughed and cried.  The old man was my Popeye, my grandfather and best friend; he died when I was seven.
The next vision that appeared to me was of me driving a black VW all alone down the road one night.  It was so dark; I had never seen it so dark before.  While I was driving, I sensed something evil in the back seat.  I couldn’t see what it was, but I definitely sensed its presence.  My headlights only lit up the road so far.  Everything else surrounding me was enveloped in darkness.  Then I came upon a glowing clear light beside the road.  At first I couldn’t make out what it was because the light was so bright.  However, the closer I got the more clearer it became.  It was Jesus hitchhiking beside the road.  At first, I was afraid.  I didn’t know what to do.  I didn’t know if I should stop or go on.  The evil presence was still in the back seat.  I had to do something but I didn’t know what.  So, I pulled over and stopped.  When I looked around he was already in the passenger’s seat.  He came through the closed door and his heavenly glow surrounded him and only him.  I wanted to speak, but knew no words.  I continued down the road.  He never spoke a word.  As I drove on, I became wet with sweat and very disturbed.  It’s odd how some things stick with you through the years.
The next vision was of my high school graduation.  My classmates and I were all gathered on the football field.  As the speaker delivered his speech, I sat there that day with no earthly idea of what lay before me.  I was not prepared to face the real world.  Even if I did my best, I would still fail.  They called my name and I walked across the stage and received my diploma.  After I received my diploma, I took my seat and watched as my classmates received theirs.  I wondered how many of them I would never see again after that day.  I also wondered how many would make it and how many wouldn’t.  I stopped suddenly by the road.  I cried out, “Oh, Lord what are you telling me?  Why Lord are these things appearing before me?  Lord, will you give me a second chance?”  The cars sped by with a few honks, but not at me.  I stood and watched the taillights of the cars that passed me by.  The flickering lights lit up the night like glitter.
My eyes filled with tears as I faced yet another vision as I stood beside the road.  Fall had come and it was if summer went to rest.  The leaves were so brilliant in color they would take your breath away.  The dressings of fall set the mood for autumn.  The coolness of the air warned that winter was near.  The fields were adorned with bales of hay and cutoff tobacco stalk stubs which were left from the cutting of tobacco.  The barns housed the tobacco until it was ready to be cured and stripped.  As I continued to watch the vision, I saw a huge bonfire with several people standing around it.  Everyone was laughing, clowning around, roasting weenies and marshmallows and drinking cold drinks, priced at six cents each, out of glass bottles.  Yes, I do remember that.  I laughed so hard I nearly cried.  Yes, yes, there have been plenty of good times.  It seemed so long ago when I played spin the bottle and post office, hoping to steal a kiss.
I walked a little further; the light of the cars were so bright I could hardly see.  I came upon a church with two houses behind it.  One house was cheerful, happy and safe.  But, the other was not as fortunate.  Darkness lingered about it and it was sad, depressing, scary and evil.  I looked into a room of the happy house.  Surprisingly, I saw my family all together and talking.  I waved and yelled, but they could not hear or see me.  I was six at the time.  Then I turned and looked into the window of the sad house.  I saw myself in the bedroom standing beside the bed.  Chills ran down my spine.  I looked again and saw an older boy there in the room with me.  He came over to me.  I quickly turned away and have never been the same.  All my life I have carried that moment on my shoulders.  I guess I’ll carry it to my grave.
The next vision took me to a graveyard beside a church.  Mama and Daddy were standing in front of the markers talking.  Mama was so pretty and Daddy looked so handsome.  It was hard to believe they had been gone for so long.  Daddy must have said something funny because Mama started laughing hysterically.  It was so good to see her laugh again because the last time I saw her she could barely grin.  I prayed to the Lord to tell me what it all meant.  I had seen enough and I was ready for whatever the outcome might be.
Then in the sky a vision opened and I stood in my backyard beside some fruit trees I had planted.  I had one apple, one plum, one pear, one cherry and one peach.  I had always wanted some fruit trees.  I eventually saved up enough money to get some.  My wife and I had been laid off for quite some time.  But, with the Lord’s help, I was blessed with some fruit trees.  I had planted them at the edge of the yard and it had been about two years.  They had been doing great until one day I noticed my plum tree had become sickly.  It wasn’t doing as good as the others.  I did everything I could to keep from losing it.  I even went to the agriculture place and asked them for advice.  I didn’t want to lose it and I did everything they suggested I do.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work.  So, I prayed and asked the Lord to spare my plum tree.  Day after day, I prayed but it didn’t seem to do any good.  Several weeks later, a friend came by and I told him about my plum tree.  We went down to the trees and he looked the plum tree over.  He didn’t know what to do either.  I told him I had been praying to the Lord for him to spare my plum tree.  My friend looked at me with a puzzled look and told me it wasn’t a plum but a pear tree.  He then showed me my plum tree.  I didn’t know what to say.  The plum tree had outgrown all the other trees.  I was so wrapped up in the tree I thought was a plum, I hadn’t even noticed.  I thanked the Lord and then started praying for the pear tree.  The Lord pulled it through and it still lives to this day.  It’s the only one left to this day.  (We moved a few years later.)  Yes, I do agree, the Lord does work in mysterious ways.
As I followed the next vision, I knew not what to expect.  I saw my wife on our wedding day, along with my stepdaughter and grandchildren; those memories were sealed and never revealed to me.  I continued to follow the light which carried me further down the road.  As I journeyed onward, the sky opened with thunder and lightning.  I stood there that night as giant drops of rain fell from the sky upon me.  I had never felt so clean before.
As the lightning tore through the darkness, I saw yet another vision inside a tiny raindrop that was followed by snow.  I was in no way ready for winter.  The bitter chill, ice and the harshness of the cold always left me in want.  However, the snow, I have to say, was fun.  Snowball fights, building snowmen and sledding were the highlights of winter.  But, packing in wood and coal was not my idea of fun.  Neither was getting up on cold winter mornings to a cold room and floors from where the fireplace had gone out during the night.  Christmas was what winter meant to me.  I had some really good ones until I found out the truth about Santa Claus.  But Christmas went on in spite of it all.  After we took down the tree and all the decorations, I was ready for spring.
The light of the vision began to close out.  There was no awakening of spring, only the hopes of a new beginning.  Finally, the light was gone and I awoke from my sleep.
I was so tired; I took refuge under an overpass so I could get some sleep.  It seemed like I had walked for miles.  The sun was bright and the traffic was heavy.  You would think with that many drivers on the road, someone would have stopped.  I walked until the sun slowly set.  I was tired and hungry.  I figured I would stop at the next exit and get me something to eat.  I walked a little further; I could see the exit sign ahead.  The green and white sign beside the road read Exit 537, Daylight and Flatt Wood Road, Next Right.  The day had almost passed me by and the blanket of night was slowly unveiling.  As I neared the exit, I could see the lights from the small community of Daylight.  There was a truck stop and restaurant just up ahead of me.  As I was headed down the ramp, a car hit me, knocked me over the guardrail and down into a ditch.  I laid there, not able to move.  My legs were numb and my face was bloody.  In the distance, I could hear sirens screaming.  I lifted my head a slight and saw a car pulling over beside the guardrail with its flashers on.  A woman got out and stood at the guardrail.  I knew if I could just hold on for a few minutes more the ambulance would be there to help me.  I slowly closed my eyes; a coldness had come over me.  I took a deep breath and whispered, “I’m going to die.”

*****

Stepping Out on a Limb
The Withering Vine
The valley of Uz sat between two mountains called Stoney Point located near the plains of Omar.  The embedded valley lay toward the north between two mountains and the plains of Omar laid to the south.  Uz was enriched with a flowing river that fed the valley from the winter snow that melted off the mountains.  The spring, summer and fall rains also filtered off the slopes of the mountains and brought water to the valley.  The plains of Omar were a little different.  The dry grassland saw little to no rain throughout the year.  The wind blew constantly across the plains; it dried the earth into a dust.  There was a small community in the valley named Flat Rock.  It was no more than a spot in the road.  It was hidden and secluded in the midst of Uz.  The meadow was adorned and enriched with beautiful flowers, trees, birds and many other things.  The small spot of land was as a bouquet dressed in lacy flowering trees and shrubs.  The river flowed smoothly and quietly about it until it pooled up here and there creating swirling waters.  
In the meadow of Uz lived a young man named Aaron.  He lived in a small farmhouse on Fieldstone Road just a mile or two from Lost Valley.  Aaron was a tiller of the ground.  He was a humble man, yet young in the Lord.  Year after year, his crops produced an abundance of fruit, berries and grains.  He sold his record setting crops to the market to make a living for himself.  But, he also shared his blessings with others.  The Lord had blessed him and the valley; he prayed daily.  The valley was overwhelmed with the richness and blessings from the Lord.
“It is good,” the young man said.  “Let it be known that it is good.”
As the Lord watched over his land and vineyard, all was well in Uz for a long time.  As the seasons passed, Aaron became needy.  Out of the south, from the plains of Omar, a storm robbed and stole the blessings, crippling the land.  The storm left the valley of Uz naked and barren, a wasteland.  The bitter winds of the plains drove the fruit, berries and grains to ruin.  The vines in the vineyard were raped of their life.  They were left bruised, torn, beaten and withered.  The angry stir of the winds cheated the river; it became nothing but a dry bed.  The tall dark shadows of the mountains darkened the valley of Uz.
“Why, Lord, tell my why this tragedy has befallen on me?” the young man cried out unto the Lord.
The Lord did not reply.  Day after day, he searched and searched his heart for an answer.  But, there was no answer.  As he looked out across the valley at the naked land, his tears fell upon dust.  With the scorching hot sun bearing down onto the ground, the tears quickly dried up and disappeared.  The valley lay in ruins at his feet.  The dry hot breeze from the plains blew the dust from the breast of the valley.  Aaron prayed daily but there was no answer.  Slowly, he became bitter and his heart became like stone.  Daily, he looked up toward Heaven with a hopeful heart.  Unfortunately, his heart became harder and he eventually looked up no more.  
The vineyard was diseased and infested.  The worms found pleasure in the dead vines.  The fruits, berries and grains were no more than wilted hulls bleached from the day’s sun.  Aaron set out from the meadow to find anyone in Uz.  After searching, he found no one but himself.
“Lord, I don’t understand why this has befallen me.  Tell me, Lord, what have I done?”
But, there was no reply.  There was only the howling of the wind from the plains of Omar.  Quickly, he raised his fist toward the sky.
“I hate you, God,” he cried out.
 As the hot wind and dust began to stir, it blew hard against him and across the barren valley of Uz.  The wind ceased and a dead silence fell across the valley.  Aaron lowered his fist, turned and walked away.  Out of nowhere, a man with a crooked leg appeared.  He asked Aaron for a drop of water.  Aaron checked his water supply and he only had two drops left.  Aaron gave the man a drop and he took the last drop.  Quickly, the man turned to him.
“My son, my son,” the man said, “maybe you are looking too hard and it’s causing you to fail to see.”
Before Aaron could turn to answer him, the man was gone.  He was nowhere in sight; he had disappeared as quickly as he came.  I wonder who that was, thought Aaron as he looked around everywhere for him.
As time went on, Aaron looked no more toward Heaven.  He tried to put the pieces of his shattered life back together.  The more he tried, the messier it became.  The valley became drier.  The land turned to dust and traveled away in the wind.  Aaron had given up all hope, cast away all his dreams and lost all sight of his vision.  For years, he struggled to regain it all.  He worked from dawn to dusk, day after day, planting, replanting, sowing and plowing.  But, there was little use for the land.
 Years passed; the young man was now old.  He was able to survive throughout the years because the land had brought forth just enough to see him through.  There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t think about how the valley used to be.  He longed to see the woven green grass of the fields bend over a slight from the gentle winds and the abundance of fruit, berries and grains laying in the fields, ripe and ready for the harvest.  The crisp brisk breeze from the mountains enhanced the flower buds.  Memories were all that he had and they were fading with age.  He treated himself from time to time as he reminisced about the still moments of years gone by.  Throughout the years, his heart became bitter and hardened.  However, deep down, there was still a drop of good in it.  
There came a time that Aaron stood in the field under the open sky.  He looked up once again unto Heaven into the face of God.  The Lord saw his face and also the good in his heart.
“It is good,” the Lord said.
“Lord, forgive me,” he cried, “for my ways and the things that have brought this upon me.  I pray that you will forgive me because I am blind and cannot see.  Have mercy, oh, Lord, I pray that I may live again and know you once again like I did before.”  
Slowly, he dropped his head.  As he looked down, he watched the sun scorch the vine at his feet.  Then he watched as a worm cut off the vine from the root and caused it to wither.  From the fruit of the withered vine, he took two seeds into his hand.  Then with a still voice, the Lord spoke to his heart.
“Aaron, my precious child, the world is cruel and it holds tragedy for all.  It is unfair and unjust.  You have to be strong and endure.  Plant the seeds so they may grow and bring forth their fruit from the land and your heart will be pure as gold.”  
Aaron stood upon a giant rock that had been hollowed out by the south winds.  He looked south toward the plains of Omar and saw that it was a barren wasteland, a dust bowl of emptiness.  The south wind had been wicked.  It had blistered and destroyed everything around it.  To the north of the two mountains of Stoney Point, he saw hopes, dreams and answered prayers.  In the valley of Uz that lay between the two mountains, he saw a naked and starved land hungry for life.  In his hands were the two rough seeds.  As his hands trembled, he gently squeezed them.
“Yes, yes, yes, I say it is good,” he said as he clinched the seeds in his fist.
Aaron took the seeds and did as the Lord had commanded.  The seeds from the withered vine, in its season, brought a bountiful crop.  Once again, it was time to harvest the rich and fertile land that had brought forth fruit, berries and grains to the greatest potential.
As the valley grew in richness and blessings, Aaron’s heart, too, began to change.  The bitterness in his heart was slowly dying just like when the bitterness of the worm took the life out of the vine and its fruit.  The love, patience and long-suffering began to fill his heart.  Aaron carefully looked around the valley and it was home like he once knew.  His heart became pure as gold.
He lifted his eyes up toward Heaven and looked upon the Lord and said, “Lord, it is good again.”

*****

Stepping Out on a Limb
The Curse of the Scarecrow Murders
It was the summer of 1958 in the little town of Witcher Hollow located in Macon County, Tennessee.  Macon and neighboring counties eagerly awaited rain to relieve them from the long drought.  The creek beds had dried up, the wells were dry and the ground was so hard it had cracked.  The hills were slim and the hollows were deep.  The once green stalks of corn stood paralyzed in the field from the heat wave.  They had turned brown and the leaves were dry and crumbly.  The drought had taken its toll, not only on the crops but on everyone.  The scorched fields were held captive by the heat.  The only relief was the dry wind that slowly stirred about.  There was no sign of rain in sight.
It so happened, around that time, that a peddler named Bo McDuffee was passing through Witcher Hollow on Willette Road.  He had setup his wagon on the side of the road for a few days to try to make a few sales.  Several people stopped to see what he had.  A lot of the women bought clothing material, jewelry, broaches and pins.  The men mostly bought knives, guns and tobacco products.  Bo wasn’t too attractive.  He was burnt over the majority of his body.  In 1943, when he was eleven, he was burned in a house fire.  One half of his face was scared, both of his hands and the lower part of his right leg were burnt; he also walked with a limp.  To some people he looked like a monster.  He sold and traded items of all kinds including pots, pans, trinkets, bottles, knives, and so on for a living.
Derrick Miles, Eddie Miller, Adam Lester and Joseph Singleton were the troublemakers around the county.  They spent most of their time causing trouble.  Eddie and Derrick had been to prison and had only been out a short while.  Adam was Eddie’s cousin and Joseph was a lot different than them.  He wasn’t like them; he just got involved with the wrong crowd.  The boys were always involved in mischief.  They stayed in trouble with the law because they liked to have fun at other people’s expense.
It was late in the evening when the boys arrived at Bo’s wagon.  As they made their way around the wagon, they talked smart to him, called him a monster, cursed and laughed at him.  They banged some of the pots and pans together, trying to scare him.  But, Bo didn’t say a word.  He had encountered their kind before.  Usually, they would have their fun and move on without causing too much harm.  Bo didn’t want any trouble so he tried to ignore them.  Derrick and Eddie though were different.  They had devilish ways about them that caused them to go too far at times.  When Derrick and Eddie saw that Bo wasn’t afraid of them, they picked up some of the glassware, threw it down and broke it, trying to coax him to react.  The boys started ransacking his wagon, breaking things and throwing stuff, eventually turning over his wagon.  But, Bo stayed calm.  The more the boys did, the more Bo held back and the angrier Derrick and Eddie became.  Frustrated he couldn’t get Bo upset; Derrick walked over to him and slapped him in the face.  Bo just gritted his teeth.  Then Derrick spit in Bo’s face.
“Let’s go,” spoke up Joseph.  “He’s not going to fight back.  Come on, guys, that’s enough.”
“Listen to the little sissy,” Derrick teased.  “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Joseph replied, “He hasn’t bothered anyone.  Let him be before things get out of hand.”
Eddie reached over and took a homemade straw broom from the wagon, set it on fire and touched the wagon with it.  Bo stepped up and tried to stop him but Derrick and Adam grabbed him.  It took everything they had to hold Bo back.  Finally, they were able to tie his hands behind his back.
“We have to get out of here,” yelled Adam.
“Yeah,” replied Derrick.  “Joseph, you stay here and try to put the fire out.”
Derrick, Adam and Eddie drug Bo down through the cornfield while Joseph took the water barrel off the wagon and tried to extinguish the fire.  It was so dry, the wagon burned to ashes within minutes.  Even though the fire was out, Joseph worried that Sheriff Hawkins and some of the townspeople would be able to see the smoke from town.  Joseph waited and hoped the other boys would soon return.  He could only imagine what Derrick and Eddie were doing to Bo.  Joseph was afraid for him.  He knew what Derrick and Eddie were capable of; Adam he wasn’t sure of.  
Derrick, Eddie and Adam drug Bo deep into the cornfield.  When they reached the middle of the field, where a scarecrow was hanging on a post, Adam and Eddie held Bo while Derrick hit him in the stomach.  By the time it was Eddie’s turn at Bo, he was bloody and broken.  Just when Eddie was about to take a swing at him, they heard someone coming and, at the same time, so did Joseph.  Joseph took off running through the field and Derrick, Eddie and Adam took off running toward the road.  Bo lay on the ground; he could barely move.  For some reason, Adam stopped, went back and set the cornfield a fire.  Unexpectedly, Bo reached up and grabbed Adam by the leg; Adam did everything he could to get away.  But, the fire quickly spread around them.  Bo was somehow able to hit Adam and he fell to the ground, hit his head and died instantly.  The flames stretched upward toward the dusky sky and the corn popped in the heat of the fire.  Bo didn’t know what to do.  He lay on the ground dazed and confused.  Everywhere he looked he saw flames; the smoked hovered around him and he could hardly see.  By the time Joseph reached the middle of the cornfield it was engulfed in flames.  He saw Bo lying on the ground.  He tried everything he could to reach Bo.  But, the flames grew more intense.  Quickly, Joseph made his way through the flames to him.  He reached down to pick him up and that’s when he noticed Adam laying not too far from him.  However, it was nothing he could do for him; he was already dead.  With all his might, Joseph picked Bo up and carried him through the wall of fire.  Both of them choked and gagged on the smoke and the intense heat singed the hair on their heads.  Only by the grace of God were they able to make it through the flaming field.  They could see people trying to put out the fire.  But, there was nothing that could be done.  It was already out of control.  All they could do was watch and let it burn itself out.
Joseph and Bo made it to the backside of the cornfield out of harm’s way.  As soon as they reached safety, they collapsed to the ground.  Worn, exhausted, hot and covered with smoke, Joseph laid there with his eyes closed and tried to catch his breath.  However, when he opened his eyes and looked around, he didn’t see Bo anywhere.  Joseph looked out across the blazing field; he thought he saw someone wandering through the flames.  He thought it was his imagination until he heard the most haunting cry.  It sent chills down his spine and the hair on his head and arms stood up.  Terrified, Joseph took off running.  He had to find Derrick and Eddie.
Hours later, after the fire burnt itself out and most of the smoke had cleared away, Sherriff Hawkins and the townspeople stood at the edge of the field.  They were amazed at what they saw.  One by one they cautiously made their way into the field, looking for any clues that would help them understand the tragic event.  As they searched the field, all hope seemed to be lost until someone cried out.
“Over here!” yelled one of the men.
Quickly, everyone rushed over to the man that yelled out.  They stopped in their tracks when they saw the charred body burned beyond recognition.  They wondered who it was as they stared at the black hunk of flesh that lay at their feet.  The sheriff sent one of the deputies to call it in.  He asked everyone to spread out and look for any evidence they could find.  Within minutes, not far from the body, laid a scored lighter with the initials A.L. inscribed on it.  The sheriff took his handkerchief, wrapped it around the lighter and put it in his pocket.
“There’s something over here,” another deputy yelled.
But, as they sifted through the pile of ashes, they didn’t find any bones only a few pieces of charred fabric.  It didn’t appear to be another body.
“It’s probably what’s left of a scarecrow,” Sheriff Hawkins said as he poked at the pile of ashes.
The townspeople were relieved it wasn’t another body.  Within hours, the county coroner had removed the body from the cornfield and everyone had headed home.  It took three weeks for the coroner to determine who the deceased was.  Adam Lester was identified by his dental records.  His family took it hard.  The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the side of his head.  It was speculated that he fell and hit his head on a rock or possibly on the side of the post where the scarecrow hung.  It was still a mystery as to why he was in the middle of the cornfield.
Sheriff Hawkins worked tirelessly on the case.  He questioned almost everyone in Macon County and some in the surrounding counties.  Some suggested that Derrick, Eddie and Joseph may have put Adam up to setting the field a fire as a dare.  But, Derrick, Eddie or Joseph weren’t talking.  They claimed to know nothing.  Another person of interest the sheriff wanted to question was Bo, the peddler.  But he hadn’t seen Bo anywhere.  Some of the townspeople had come to the conclusion that the boys killed Bo and took his wagon into the cornfield and burned it which set the field a fire.  The sheriff wondered if they were right, but he didn’t have any proof.  But, knowing the boys as he did, he wouldn’t have put it past them.
Sometimes late at night, haunting screams can be heard coming from the cornfield.  The townspeople believed the haunting screams coming from the cornfield at night were the screams of the peddler crying out for help.  At any given time of night, when driving down the roads of Macon County, the field appears to be on fire and smoke can be smelled for miles along with the smell of burnt flesh.
The sheriff didn’t have enough strong evidence to prove the boys were involved.  He figured Derrick and Eddie had played a practical joke that went bad.  He knew they were bad about bullying but he didn’t think they would go as far as to kill someone.  He had tried to question Joseph but he was talking.  Sheriff Hawkins had a gut feeling that Joseph was hiding something.  He knew Joseph was a good boy; he didn’t want to pressure him too much.  He figured Joseph’s conscience would eventually get to him and he’d come forth with information.  The sheriff never did understand why Joseph ran with Derrick and Eddie anyway because they were nothing but trouble.
As the weeks went by, Adam’s death was ruled an accident.  The sheriff had come to a dead end in his investigation.  He didn’t close the case but it did become a cold case.  The sheriff hoped he would get some new leads or new evidence to make the case his top priority again in the future.  Eventually, the haunting screams stopped and the town of Witcher Hollow was quiet once again.
Joseph had stopped running around with Derrick and Eddie.  They had moved away from Witcher Hollow.  From time to time they passed through driving recklessly.  Sometimes they stopped at the local bar and had one too many drinks which caused trouble.  As the years went by they also settled down.  In fact, everyone and everything in Witcher Hollow settled down.
It was late September; the drought had passed and things were greening up.  The town looked better than it had in years.  It seemed like Witcher Hollow was picture perfect.  Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.  The haunting screams returned one night without warning.  It had been fifteen years since the death of Adam Lester.  The fires also started back up.  At first they were small brush fires.  It made the sheriff and the townspeople wonder if Derrick and Eddie had resurfaced and gone back to their old ways.  But, Sheriff Hawkins sensed it was something different this time.  Even though they had moved back to Witcher Hollow, he didn’t believe it was them; it wasn’t their M.O.
It so happened, one night, Derrick disappeared when he was coming from his barn.  His wife had seen him walking back toward the house but when she took her eyes off of him for a second and turned back around, he had vanished.  She waited for a while because she thought he had gone over to the neighbors.  Later on, she got worried and went over to the neighbors to see if he was there; he wasn’t so she went back home to wait for him.  That’s when she noticed his truck was still in the driveway and that really made her uneasy.
During the time of Derrick’s disappearance two more fields, closer to town, were set a fire.  The townspeople, once again, rushed to put them out.  They battled the fire, heat and smoke the best they could.  As Derrick’s wife stepped outside onto the porch to wait for him, she looked toward town and noticed the light from the fires glowing in the sky.  Afraid, she ran into the house to call Eddie.  But, his wife told her he wasn’t there.  Eddie’s wife told her he had been gone for three hours.  She was worried because he had told her he’d be home in an hour.  Worried for their safety, they both decided to call the sheriff.  When they called, they were told he was out fighting the fires.
“Maybe they’re helping fight the fires,” stated Derrick’s wife.
“Maybe,” replied Eddie’s wife, “but seems like they would have called us and let us know.”
“You’re right,” agreed Derrick’s wife, “it’s not like them.  Why don’t you come over here and we can wait together.”
“Sure, I’ll leave Eddie a note and let him know where I am just in case he returns.  I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The winds pushed the fires through the fields, driving them closer and closer toward town.
“If we don’t get a handle on this soon,” cried the sheriff, “the whole town could go up in flames.  Hey, we need some more water over here and bring some more shovels,” he demanded.
The wives of the two missing men stood upon the porch and watched the glow of the light from the fires.  They watched the flames shoot up toward Heaven as tiny cinders from the fires lit up amongst the roaring black smoke.
The townspeople struggled with the fires.  Joseph was right there with them helping fight the fires.  Once they got the first field under control, Joseph ran across the backside of town to help fight the other fire.  That’s when he saw a man throwing torches in one of the store windows.  He couldn’t tell who it was because the man’s back was to him.
“Hey,” cried out Joseph, “what are you doing?”
The man stopped and stood still.
“What’s wrong with you?” asked Joseph.  “Are you crazy?”
The man slowly turned toward Joseph and the light from the torches revealed the man’s face.  Joseph looked at him hard; his heart nearly beat out of his chest.
“Bo, Bo McDuffee, is that you?” yelled Joseph.
“Joseph,” he replied.
About that time some of the other townspeople were headed to fight the other fire as well.  When Bo saw them, he ran off into the night.  Joseph didn’t say a word to the others.  It wasn’t long before they had the last field contained.  As they sat around resting and catching their breath, two men walked up and had Bo by each arm.  Exhausted and tired, the sheriff looked up at Bo the peddler and didn’t say a word to him.  He ordered his deputy to lock him up.  When everyone seemed to be at ease and everything quieted down, there came a cry from across the field.  Quickly, they got up and ran to see what was wrong.  When they reached the person that had cried out, they saw them standing next to the charred body of a man tied to a scarecrow pole.  No one knew who it was at the time until a few weeks later when the coroner positively identified the body; it was Derrick Miles.  Eddie Miller had also been found, in the other field, that night; he was tied to a scarecrow pole as well.
When the sheriff told Derrick and Eddie’s wives what had happened, it brought them to their knees.  Derrick’s wife had a nervous breakdown and spent several months in the hospital.  Eddie’s wife stayed sick from that time on.
From that day on, the murders were called the scarecrow murders.  Bo McDuffee was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated first degree murder and three counts of felony arson.  It was possible he would receive two consecutive life sentences or the death penalty.  However, there was not much evidence found at the crime scenes; everything had burnt up.
According to the coroner, Derrick and Eddie had been beaten.  Both of them were burned alive.  Their tongues had been cut out, most likely to keep them quiet, and their legs had been broken so they couldn’t get away.
The murders were the talk of the county.  Even though Bo was locked up, people were afraid to stay out after dark.  They were afraid he would escape.  Rumors and speculation spread about as quickly as the fires had.  Everyone was certain Bo killed Derrick and Eddie for revenge since they had terrorized the county for years.
People were still convinced they could hear the haunting cries of the souls of all the deceased searching through the darkness of the night looking for their burnt bodies so they could find peace and rest.  When it rained, the faint smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air; the stench hovered over the town.
Bo’s trial was held in Lafayette, the county seat.  They had no trouble finding a jury; people were basically volunteering to serve.  Within a week, the jury was selected.  Unfortunately, Bo had already been tried and convicted in the townspeople’s hearts because they were filled with a lot of anger and hostility.  It was going to be hard for him to get a fair trial.
Finally, Bo’s day in court arrived.  Killer Monster Stands Trial and The Fall of the Beast was a couple of the front page headlines of the local newspapers.  The usual old men were sitting outside the courthouse whittling.  People came from all around to Macon County to attend the trial.  The courtroom was full and everyone was whispering and talking about what they thought was going to happen during the trial.
“All rise.  Hear ye, hear ye, Honorable Judge Franklin D. Thomas presiding, the state of Tennessee vs. Bo McDuffee, docket #9673-0-A2.  You may be seated.”
As soon as everyone was seated, there was a loud sound outside the courtroom window.  The bailiff immediately went to the window to see what it was.  He saw a crow perched on the outside windowsill cawing.  The bailiff pecked on the window, scaring the crow away.  He looked out the window to see where the crow went and that’s when he noticed a bunch of crows on the ground cawing.
“It’s a bunch of crows.  I have never seen so many in all my life,” he said as he walked back to take his position in the courtroom.
The judge slammed the gavel down and said, “Court is now in session.  Prosecution and defense, are you ready to make your opening statements?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” they replied in unison.
“Prosecutor, you may proceed with your opening statement,” stated Judge Thomas.
The district attorney, Victor Coons, presented his opening statement.  The defense attorney, Willie Mitchell, followed afterward.  The jury listened intently to both of their opening statements.  From time to time, they could be seen glancing over at Bo.  Bo never looked around; he stared straight at the judge.  He never showed any remorse; the expression on his face never changed.
“You may call your first witness, prosecutor,” the judge instructed after the defense’s opening statement.
“The state calls Sheriff Hawkins to the stand.
After Sheriff Hawkins was sworn in, Mr. Coons asked him to share with the jury the events that had taken place.  Sheriff Hawkins explained the events, facts and evidence; the jury and courtroom listened with all ears.  The sheriff’s testimony was very harmful to Bo’s case.
“No further questions, Your Honor,” stated the prosecutor.
“Your witness,” instructed Judge Thomas to Mr. Mitchell, the defense attorney.
“Sheriff Hawkins, you have been the sheriff around here for quite awhile,” stated Mr. Mitchell.
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
“I would say you are a pretty good judge of character, right sheriff.”
“I guess,” he replied.
“Please, then, tell the courtroom about your dealings with Derrick and Eddie.”
“Objection,” cried the prosecution.  “The deceased is not on trial here.”
“Sustained,” stated the judge.  “Get to your point, counselor.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” Mr. Mitchell replied.  “I’m trying to make the point that Derrick and Eddie were known bullies and troublemakers.  They pushed my client, Bo, to do things he might not have done otherwise.
“I object,” shouted Mr. Coons.  “Bo McDuffee is a grown man; he has a mind of his own.  He should be held accountable for his actions, just like me and you.  No one forced him to kill those two men.  He took the law into his own hands and he should suffer the consequences.”
“Objection overruled,” said Judge Thomas.  “Counselor, rephrase your question.”
“Sheriff Hawkins did Derrick and Eddie stay in trouble with the law.”
“Yes,” replied the sheriff.
“Sheriff, would you say that Bo McDuffee killed Derrick and Eddie for revenge?”
“I object,” shouted Mr. Coons.  “The defense is trying to lead the witness to a conclusion.”
“Objection sustained.  Sheriff Hawkins you do not have to answer that question.  Counselor, I’m warning you.”
“No further questions, Your Honor.”
“Mr. Coons, you may call your next witness,” instructed Judge Thomas.
Mr. Coons called Deputy Phillip Hinton and then Deputy James Barbara to give their account of the facts and evidence of the case.  Their accounts were identical to those of Sheriff Hawkins.  The defense had no questions for the deputies.  However, he did make a motion to the judge requesting that Bo McDuffee receive a mental evaluation.  Judge Thomas called Mr. Coons and Mr. Mitchell to the bench.  Judge Thomas whispered to them that he would allow Bo to be sent for a mental evaluation over the weekend and then directed them to return to their seats.
“Mr. Coons or Mr. Mitchell, do you all have any more witnesses at this time?” asked Judge Thomas.
“No, Your Honor,” they replied.
“Very well, court is dismissed,” said the judge.  “We will not reconvene until Monday morning at nine o’clock.  Have a good weekend.”
“All rise,” stated the bailiff as the judge left the courtroom and retired to his chambers.
That afternoon, Bo McDuffee was taken by the sheriff’s department to Nashville for a mental evaluation.  In no time, it seemed the trial was back in session; the weekend had gone by so fast.  The prosecutor called some more witnesses and presented some more evidence for the state and then rested his case.  Mr. Mitchell presented the mental evaluation to the court which revealed that Bo McDuffee was mentally competent to stand trial.  But, it did prove that Bo suffered from a touch of delusional disorder, going in and out of reality.  He also had schizophrenia tendencies and suffered mood disorders of bipolar one.
The defense called Joseph Singleton to the stand.  Joseph took the stand and the defense questioned him about the evening he, Derrick and Eddie visited Bo’s wagon.  Joseph told him everything that happened at the wagon and about the fire in the cornfield where Adam was killed.  The courtroom listened as the eyewitness of the event told his account of what happened.  He said he helped Bo get out of the burning field.  But, when they were out of harm’s way, Bo took off and he never saw him again until that night when he saw him torching the store in town.
“No further questions, Your Honor,” stated Mr. Mitchell after Joseph finished his testimony.
“Mr. Coons, it’s your witness.”
“No questions, Your Honor.”
“Call your next witness, Mr. Mitchell.”
“The defense calls Carl Singleton.  Mr. Singleton,” said Mr. Mitchell, “would you please tell the court and jury what you told me a few days ago?”
Mr. Singleton went on to say that he and his family had moved to Macon County in 1933.  His wife was pregnant with their third child in 1932; she had the first two children before they were married.  He wasn’t for sure if the baby was his.  He didn’t know and it was hard for him to accept the not knowing.  They moved to Macon County to try to save what was left of their marriage.  He stayed with her even though he knew she was a whore.  Unfortunately, things didn’t work out.  Things went from bad to worse when he left her and the three children; he moved away to another nearby county.  After he left she started prostituting to make ends meet.  They finally got a divorce and he remarried and had one child, Joseph.  In 1943, he heard that some of the townspeople were trying to run her out of town.  So, he went to warn her.  But, by the time he got there her house was in flames.  He fought his way through the angry mob to see if he could get her and the kids out.  He made his way to the back of the house and found a way in through the back door.  Fighting the heat, flames and smoke, he found the third child, Bo, in the fallen debris; his body was badly burnt.  He took off his coat and wrapped the child in it and crawled back out the door.  The child was just barely alive.  He laid him over near the well and went back in for the others but he couldn’t find them.  When he went back to check on the boy, he was gone; he was nowhere in sight.  He believed that Bo was his son, which made his son and Joseph half brothers.  His ex-wife and the other two children were murdered by the angry mob, the townspeople of Witcher Hollow.  The town had lived with the secret all those years and nothing was ever done about it.  All that was saved that night was the third child, Bo.  That night, Bo stood at a distance, out of sight, and watched as his house burned to the ground.  He watched the glowing sparkles and cinders rise from the smoldering ashes and inhaled the smell of burnt human flesh that filled the air.  By the time Mr. Singleton finished his testimony, the courtroom was completely silent.
“No further questions.  The defense rests.”
“Mr. Coons, you may cross examine,” said Judge Thomas.
“No questions,” he replied.
“Let’s take a thirty minute recess.  Mr. Coons and Mr. Mitchell, I’d like to see both of you in my chambers.”
Within thirty minutes court was back in session.  Mr. Coons, the district attorney, presented his closing argument.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, bad things happen to all of us.  That is just the way life is.  I am sorry about what happened to Bo during his childhood.  But, that is not the reason we are here today.  Regardless of Bo’s past, it does not and will not justify the murder of three people.  You have heard testimony from both sides of this case.  There is no evidence that supports anyone taking the law into their own hands.  We have laws to live by and obey.  I hate what has happened to Bo, but he has to be held accountable for his wrongdoings.  I agree an injustice was handed down to Bo when he was young.  But, Adam, Derrick and Eddie were also served an injustice.  We all know two wrongs don’t make a right.  I believe here today, with the evidence and facts, there is no doubt that the verdict should be guilty.  I believe it has been proven in this courtroom, without a shadow of doubt, that Bo is guilty of the murders of those three men.  Of course, he says he’s not guilty and asks for mercy from the court.  The state is asking for the death penalty.  Please take the testimonies and evidence that has been presented in this courtroom and search your hearts and agree to a guilty verdict.  The prosecution rests, Your Honor.
Mr. Mitchell stood up and addressed the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen an unfair judgment will not change things.  An eye for an eye is not the answer.  I fail to believe that giving him the death penalty is the right thing to do.  Taking another man’s life will not make up for the loss of Adam, Derrick and Eddie.  All you will do is make it four deaths instead of three.  I plead today that, if at all possible, you spare the life of Bo McDuffee so he can get the help he needs and live with the wrongs he has committed.”
Then all of a sudden a pecking sound could be heard at the window.  A crow was perched once again on the outer windowsill, pecking on the glass.  But, as the bailiff walked over to the window, the crow flew off.  To this day, no one understood why the crows acted so strangely.
Anyway, after Mr. Mitchell finished his closing argument, the jury went in to deliberation.  It only took a couple of hours before the verdict was in.  Mitchell knew then that it was bad news.  The jury foreman passed the verdict to the bailiff.  He took it to the judge.  After he read it, he gave it back to the bailiff and he handed it back to the jury foreman.  Bo and the attorneys stood and faced the foreman.
“We the jury finds Bo McDuffee guilty on all counts; three counts of aggravated first degree murder and five counts of aggravated arson.”
The judge dismissed the jury, set a sentencing hearing for the following week and adjourned the court.  At the sentencing hearing, Bo was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.  Judge Thomas stated that Bo would spend the rest of his natural life in prison.  After Judge Thomas dismissed the court, the officers escorted Bo back to jail.  He would be transported to Riverbend, a maximum security prison in Nashville.  Within a couple of days, around three o’clock a.m. the officers left Lafayette in an unmarked van and transported Bo to Nashville.  But, when they were going through Bethpage, a drunk driver crossed over in front of them, caused them to lose control and wreck.  The van rolled several times and came to rest upside down in a creek.  The officer that drove the van was dead and the other officer was trapped; the man in the car was also dead.  Bo only had a few bruises and small cuts.  Bo smelt gas and managed to get out the back door.  He ran off but stopped when he heard the officer yelling for help.  Bo ran back and pulled him away from the van just seconds before it exploded.  When Bo heard the sirens, he took off and disappeared into the night.
Five years later, after the accident, the remains of a human skeleton were found not far from the small community of Gravity Hill in Wolf Hollow.  They were believed to be the remains of Bo McDuffee.  There were no more screams or burning fields in the night.  To this day, the murders of the three men are still called the scarecrow murders.  About all that is left is the haunting caw of the crows in Macon County.  Sometimes it even sounds like the crows are laughing.

*****

Discover other titles by Bobby A. Troutt at Smashwords.com
Beyond the Truth
A Cry in the Wind
Thistles and Thorns
Dead Limbs and Leaves
Troubled Waters
When Autumn Falls
When Time Was
Bittersweet
Sycamore Tales