Roots of Murder by R. Jean Reid Page A

threats?”
    â€œNo, ma’am.” The sheriff had enough sense to recognize the undertone of fury in Nell’s voice, even if he didn’t seem sure what capitulate meant. “Not at all. Just that … Junior’s been in the hoosegow now for ’bout a month. Tanya’s gonna be struggling to take care of those kids.”
    â€œPerhaps there’s where the Brothers Jones could do something constructive,” Nell said coldly. “Assist with raising their nephews and nieces while Junior pays his debt to society.”
    â€œNow, Miz McGraw, I ain’t sayin’ that Junior don’t deserve what he gets … ”
    Nell cut in. “Good. I’d hate to have the Sheriff of Tchula County say that a drunk driver with two previous arrests doesn’t deserve to go to jail after he finally kills someone.”
    â€œBut I am sayin’ a little mercy might go a long way. Seems that Junior has finally learned his lesson and …”
    He said something more but Nell didn’t hear it, a blind fury coursing through her. “Fuck your mercy!” she suddenly shouted at him. “Your wife, your child. If they were the ones left dead on the roadside, how much mercy would you have? Don’t you goddamn ask me to have mercy! Junior will get out of jail someday. Thom will still be in his grave.”
    â€œNow, Miz McGraw,” the sheriff said. “I understand that you’re upset.”
    â€œDon’t you dare patronize me. I am not ‘upset.’ I’m fucking furious!”
    â€œNow, Miz McGraw,” he tried again.
    She cut him off. “Junior had two previous arrests to learn his lesson. I doubt he has learned much more than he doesn’t like being in jail.”
    The sheriff sighed again. He didn’t like emotional women either, particularly ones whose emotion was anger instead of something more feminine. “It’s not that you and I disagree. If it was my wife … jail would be too good for him. But the Jones boys, well, Junior learned his drinking from them and it worries me what they might do. You got two kids.”
    â€œAre you telling me that the law enforcement of Tchula County and Pelican Bay is helpless before the Jones brothers?” Even the sheriff couldn’t miss the sarcasm in Nell’s voice.
    â€œNo, Miz McGraw, not at all. But, well, Whiz ain’t the most active police chief we’ve had, and even if he was, we’re just lawmen, not guardian angels. Arrestin’ them after the fact might not be much of a help.”
    â€œIsn’t there a law against making threats?”
    â€œYes, ma’am, there is. But it’s Tanya making a claim they threatened and Miz Thomas is the only witness. They deny it, Tanya ain’t exactly gonna be a friendly witness.”
    â€œSo they get away with it?” Nell demanded heatedly, angry at both him and the fact that what he was saying made sense. “And someone threw a rock in the door this morning, with a threatening note. I suppose they get away with that, too?”
    â€œDid they do it? Yeah, who else. Can I prove it enough to do more than put them in jail for a few hours? I doubt it. Those boys are snakes and you don’t want riled snakes.”
    â€œNor do you,” Nell acerbically added.
    â€œI got a jail full of ’em,” he reminded her. “I’ll talk to those boys out on the porch, so all the neighbors hear. Tell ’em they won’t like jail and that’s where they’ll end up if anything happens to you. That’s the best I can do.”
    Nell suddenly felt exhausted, the anger gone, emptiness where it had been. She just wanted him out of her office. “Then I’ll have to settle for the best you can do.”
    â€œYou call both me and Whiz if they try anything.” With that, the sheriff escaped.
    Her office door had been open the whole time, so Nell knew, unless her staff had deliberately