Blood Cries Chapter 11

About This Novel; Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10

1972

Sheriff Maddox crouched beside the open driver’s side door of a white Chevrolet Caprice.  The suspected victim—female, black, approximately 38 years old, slumped against the steering wheel. Cause of death was not immediately apparent.

Deputy Sheriff Ford crowded in beside him. 

“Same as the last one,” the sheriff noted.

“What we’re dealing with here is a brazen son of a bitch,” Ford said.

“Find me some physical evidence this time,” Sheriff Maddox said.

“We’ll do our best, Sheriff.”

Sheriff Maddox stepped into the empty highway and lit a cigarette.  He glanced at the car parked against a tree, watched Ford snap pictures with his camera.  He’d had the same experience once before.  

The last time it was less than a mile from the spot where he now stood and on the same road.  Ford was right, he thought.  They were dealing with one brazen son of a bitch.

The Sheriff flicked his cigarette into the street.  “Pick him up,” he said.

Ford pointed his camera lens at the ground while he processed the command.  “I’m way ahead of you, Sheriff.  I called Alvin on the CB, told him and Tommy to swing by the Reverend’s house, but he wasn’t there.  You want us to set up a stake-out?”

“I want him off the street,” the Sheriff said.

“I’ll have Alvin and Tommy set up a stake-out then,” Ford said.

“That might be best,” said the Sheriff.
 

3 AM

Inside Melvin’s bedroom, the telephone rang.  Doris reached across her husband to answer the phone.  She placed the receiver on Melvin’s neck, gave him a shove, and collapsed onto her pillow. 

Melvin felt the long plastic arm connecting the speaker and receiver across his neck and opened his eyes.  He picked it up with thumb and forefinger, held it in the air, and looked at it until it came into focus.  Then, he placed it against his ear and closed his eyes again.

“Hello,” he said.  “Yeah…  Uh huh…  Uh Huh… Okay… I’ll be there.”   He hung up the phone.  His breathing settled into a natural rhythm.  

His eyes snapped open.  He turned his head toward his wife.  She opened her eyes.

“I just had the craziest dream,” Melvin said.  “I dreamed Reverend Baxter called me again and told me his wife had died again and he needed a lawyer.” 

“That was no dream,” Doris said.  She closed her eyes again.  “That just happened.” 

Go to Chapter 12