see, you’re part of the whole problem . . .”
Lucas stood up. “If you could talk to your friends and see if anyone knows this lady and her gray-eyed son, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
“I’ll do that, but you should spend some time looking into your own soul, and thinking about your part in this vast conspiracy that’s coming down on us all,” Likely said.
“I’ll do that,” Lucas said. “Use my card, though, and call me if you hear anything, even if it doesn’t seem like much.”
—
LIKELY TOOK HIM to the door and watched as Lucas pulled away from the curb, then touched the cell phone in his pocket. He didn’t really believe in cell phones, but he’d gotten old, and he still liked to ramble around in the woods on his own. If he had a heart attack out in the woods, or on the river, having a cell phone was a practical kind of comfort.
Even as he touched it, though, the thought occurred that he shouldn’t use it to make the call to the mother of the gray-eyed boy. Davenport was certainly a government agent of some kind and they’d be watching his phone. What he needed was a pay phone.
Where, he wondered, would he find a pay phone in this day and age?
Something a person like himself should know . . .
—
THE PAY PHONE was hanging on the wall at Walmart.
Likely walked half the aisles in the store, looking for anybody who might be watching, and saw nothing suspicious. Of course, there were cameras. He’d have to take the chance, he decided.
He’d found Marlys Purdy’s phone number in his files, hoped it would still work. After one last look around, he dropped some quarters in the phone and dialed. Marlys said, “Hello?”
“I don’t want to say my name or your name, but you come to my house every three months with pies. You know who this is?”
“Yes?”
“There was a man here looking for you and a gray-eyed son,” Likely said. “All he had was a description and a poor picture of the man. He thinks you may be conspiring to . . . do something to a . . . lady candidate. I’ve got to be careful here, no names.”
“I understand. Does he have names?”
“No. All he has is some basic descriptions. He said the candidate from the North saw you and a fellow he believed was related to you, and passed along the description. If he starts asking around among our people, he’s going to find you. I won’t ask if . . . you know . . . you’re planning something. I’m already in enough trouble, lying about not knowing you.”
“I appreciate that,” Marlys said.
“You better more than appreciate it. Your action isn’t . . .appropriate. That’s not a strong enough word, but you know what I mean. I won’t ask if you’re planning something, but I’ll tell you, if you are, you better quit it.”
“Things are getting desperate. Everything is out of control,” Marlys said, a pleading note in her voice. “If we don’t do something now . . . four years from now may be too late. We can already see how things are going this year, and we have to do something this year.”
“Mar . . . I’m sorry, that’s crazy talk. You have to stop and think,” Likely said.
“You think I haven’t thought about this? I’m more scared and more worried than you are, Joe, but not about myself. About the whole country—”
“Careful about names . . .”
“I’m sorry. But look—we need to talk about this. Maybe I’m too isolated out here,” Marlys said. “The only place I get to talk serious politics is the beauty salon.”
“I’ll talk anytime you want—but you know what my position has to be. No violence. No violence. Violence is the true root of all evil, worse even than money. If John Kennedy hadn’t been killed, if Lyndon Johnson hadn’t taken us into Vietnam, can you imagine what this country could be? If Reagan—”
“Old fights, old fights,” Marlys said. “But . . . let’s talk. There’s time. I’ll talk to my boy, see what he thinks. Maybe
Lucas stood up. “If you could talk to your friends and see if anyone knows this lady and her gray-eyed son, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
“I’ll do that, but you should spend some time looking into your own soul, and thinking about your part in this vast conspiracy that’s coming down on us all,” Likely said.
“I’ll do that,” Lucas said. “Use my card, though, and call me if you hear anything, even if it doesn’t seem like much.”
—
LIKELY TOOK HIM to the door and watched as Lucas pulled away from the curb, then touched the cell phone in his pocket. He didn’t really believe in cell phones, but he’d gotten old, and he still liked to ramble around in the woods on his own. If he had a heart attack out in the woods, or on the river, having a cell phone was a practical kind of comfort.
Even as he touched it, though, the thought occurred that he shouldn’t use it to make the call to the mother of the gray-eyed boy. Davenport was certainly a government agent of some kind and they’d be watching his phone. What he needed was a pay phone.
Where, he wondered, would he find a pay phone in this day and age?
Something a person like himself should know . . .
—
THE PAY PHONE was hanging on the wall at Walmart.
Likely walked half the aisles in the store, looking for anybody who might be watching, and saw nothing suspicious. Of course, there were cameras. He’d have to take the chance, he decided.
He’d found Marlys Purdy’s phone number in his files, hoped it would still work. After one last look around, he dropped some quarters in the phone and dialed. Marlys said, “Hello?”
“I don’t want to say my name or your name, but you come to my house every three months with pies. You know who this is?”
“Yes?”
“There was a man here looking for you and a gray-eyed son,” Likely said. “All he had was a description and a poor picture of the man. He thinks you may be conspiring to . . . do something to a . . . lady candidate. I’ve got to be careful here, no names.”
“I understand. Does he have names?”
“No. All he has is some basic descriptions. He said the candidate from the North saw you and a fellow he believed was related to you, and passed along the description. If he starts asking around among our people, he’s going to find you. I won’t ask if . . . you know . . . you’re planning something. I’m already in enough trouble, lying about not knowing you.”
“I appreciate that,” Marlys said.
“You better more than appreciate it. Your action isn’t . . .appropriate. That’s not a strong enough word, but you know what I mean. I won’t ask if you’re planning something, but I’ll tell you, if you are, you better quit it.”
“Things are getting desperate. Everything is out of control,” Marlys said, a pleading note in her voice. “If we don’t do something now . . . four years from now may be too late. We can already see how things are going this year, and we have to do something this year.”
“Mar . . . I’m sorry, that’s crazy talk. You have to stop and think,” Likely said.
“You think I haven’t thought about this? I’m more scared and more worried than you are, Joe, but not about myself. About the whole country—”
“Careful about names . . .”
“I’m sorry. But look—we need to talk about this. Maybe I’m too isolated out here,” Marlys said. “The only place I get to talk serious politics is the beauty salon.”
“I’ll talk anytime you want—but you know what my position has to be. No violence. No violence. Violence is the true root of all evil, worse even than money. If John Kennedy hadn’t been killed, if Lyndon Johnson hadn’t taken us into Vietnam, can you imagine what this country could be? If Reagan—”
“Old fights, old fights,” Marlys said. “But . . . let’s talk. There’s time. I’ll talk to my boy, see what he thinks. Maybe
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