Only the Truth by Pat Brown Page A

bit now, too."
    I felt proud. I had made a baby and when I put my hand on Charlene's stomach
I could feel it swelling up under my hand. I never was much good at making
anything and it was a nice feeling knowing I had finally done something.
    "Tell her I'll be down in a couple of days. My foot is almost
better."
    Mr. Green got up to go.
    "All right. I've got some work to do."
    I reached out and shook his hand.
    "Thanks for New Big Dog. That was real nice of you."
    Mr. Green nodded.
    "I'll tell Charlene to expect you soon. Take care."
    New Big Dog ran up beside me and we watched Mr. Green walk back down the
path to his car. It would be the last time I saw him.
     
    ********************

     
    I didn't make it to the jail until Friday. I tried twice, once on Wednesday
and once on Thursday, but my ankle still hurt me too much. By Friday, I thought
I could make it and I found myself a big stick to help take the weight off of
my foot if the going got too rough.
    New Big Dog came with me. I tried to tell him to stay but he wouldn't take
no for an answer and trotted along behind me. Maybe they would let me bring him
into the jail so Charlene could see him. She will like him, I can tell. He
might cheer her up and keep her from being mad at me for not showing up for
almost a week.
    It took me near two hours to reach the edge of town. I never walked so slow
in my life and now that I was walking on pavement, my foot was really starting
to hurt me. I limped along, putting more of my weight on the stick, yelling at
New Big Dog to come back every time he raced off to check out a new sight.
    I only passed a few people that afternoon as I neared the jail. I tried to
say hello to each of them but they seemed not to hear me. Then when I came into
the waiting area of the jail, a guard rushed toward me and immediately told me
New Big Dog couldn't come in. He wasn't very nice about it. I didn't bring any
leash with me and I hated to just leave him in the street. I told him to sit
and stay and he slumped down against the building and looked at me with
"don't leave me here" eyes. I gave him a pat but I didn't have a
choice. "Just stay. I'll be back in a bit." I left my walking stick
next to him so he'd know I'd return.
    I went on inside but I didn't get more than a few feet when the Sheriff
grabbed me by the arm and shoved me into a small office they have up front for
talking to people who probably don't want to talk to them at the moment, but
just want to see who they come to see. He pushed the chair away from the metal
table and shoved me into it
    Sheriff Hathaway didn't look any too pleasant.
    "What are you doing here, Billy Ray?" He practically snarled at
me, his bushy eyebrows coming close together like they were defending his eyes.
    I shook my head. I thought a policeman ought to be able to figure this one
out. Maybe he was messing with me. The Sheriff's stare made me nervous.
    "I'm here to see Charlene, like always," I stuttered. "I know
I haven't been here for a week but my foot got messed up." Maybe she told
the Sheriff she didn't want to see me. Maybe she was mad at me for not finding
a way down the hill. I kind of wondered why Mr. Green hadn't offered me a ride
but I guess he didn't want to have to make the round trip twice to get me back
home once I was finished visiting Charlene.
    "Is that right?"
    Something seemed really wrong.
    I shifted from one side of my chair to the other.
    The Sheriff raised an eyebrow. "You want to see that woman, that murderer, that poor excuse for a human being?"
    The small room was hot. The words of the sheriff burned into me. I wanted to
get out of there, but he had shut the door and he was a cop so I just sat
there, feeling his hatred for me. I didn't know why he suddenly hated me so
much, so much more than the day he arrested me for killing the old man.
    I attempted a diversion. "Is Mr. Green here today?"
    The sheriff sniggered. "Yeah, right. At least
he knows when to call it quits."
    I felt a cold sweat