to dismiss it as a coincidence. A farmer’s wife usually doesn’t have much experience boosting cars.
Wade said, “Yeah. It’s a hell of a thing that my wife has to clean up after other folks, but it’s been a bad couple of years and we need the money.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, and I’ll finish up here as quickly as possible so you can get back to work. What was your relationship like with Everett Rawlins?”
“There ain’t much to say. We wasn’t exactly what you’d call close friends, but we got along okay, I guess.” Wade tried to sound casual.
I gave him a long thoughtful look and then gently said, “That isn’t what I’ve heard, Mr. Tice.”
“You calling me a liar?”
“No, sir, but I’m confused. You say that you got along okay with Mr. Rawlins, but other folks have told me that you were extremely angry at him for making your well go dry.”
With a sudden flick of his wrist, Wade Tice hurled the screwdriver blade-first into the ground. “Oh, I get it! Some rich farmer dies and the law can’t move fast enough to falsely accuse a poor man of his murder! Get off my land, you damn rich man’s whore!”
“I will, though I’m sorry you feel that way. But nobody is accusing you of murder.” I kept my voice calm, while taking note of how quickly and thoroughly Wade was losing his temper.
“Yet. And ain’t it amazing? That greedy bastard stole my water and the sheriff’s office couldn’t spare me the time of day! Civil problem, they said. Can’t do nothing. But, you sons of bitches pull out all the stops when a rich man stubs his freaking toe!”
“He didn’t stub his toe, Mr. Tice. He was ambushed and shot in the chest with a hunting arrow.” I turned as if to go back to the Aztek and then paused to add, “And come to think of it, the other thing I’ve heard is that you’re an expert bow hunter. A regular William Tell. Do you mind if I look at your bow and arrows?”
Wade Tice’s face was white with fury. “Screw you!”
“Ouch, that hurt,” I sneered. “What happened, Mr. Tice? Couldn’t you stand the fact that Mr. Rawlins had mortified you in front of everyone in the Food Lion? Is that why you put a big hunting arrow in his chest?”
“I told you, get off my land! And don’t come back!” Wade bent to snatch up the screwdriver.
Even though Tice had armed himself, I made no move to grab my gun. It’s a little-known fact, but edged weapons, and that includes screwdrivers, are far more lethal than firearms at distances of less than fifteen feet. If Wade decided to, he could stab me eleven or twelve times before I got the pistol from its holster. I decided not to do anything to further escalate the situation.
“I’m going, but let me offer a word to the wise,” I said, my voice suddenly deadly earnest. “At some point I will be back, and you don’t want to have that big old screwdriver in your hand when I arrive.”
Nine
I deliberately turned my back on the enraged farmer and limped to the Aztek. That was probably a stupid thing to do, considering that Wade Tice’s temper tantrum had just turned him into the prime suspect in Everett Rawlins’s murder. However, my pride took precedence over caution. I would rather have died than let Tice know he’d spooked me.
When I got to the car, I found Kitch lying on the backseat with his head between his front paws. He’d been frightened by the shouting, but he perked up when he saw me. By the time I was behind the wheel, Tice was gone, and I assumed he’d gone into the house to call his wife. He and Marilyn needed to get their stories straight before I could arrive to interview her.
However, there was a tiny chance that Tice wouldn’t be able to contact his wife immediately. The couple was obviously in dire financial straits, which might mean they couldn’t afford the additional expense of a cell phone. If so, Tice would have to telephone the hotel housekeeping supervisor and request that a
Wade said, “Yeah. It’s a hell of a thing that my wife has to clean up after other folks, but it’s been a bad couple of years and we need the money.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, and I’ll finish up here as quickly as possible so you can get back to work. What was your relationship like with Everett Rawlins?”
“There ain’t much to say. We wasn’t exactly what you’d call close friends, but we got along okay, I guess.” Wade tried to sound casual.
I gave him a long thoughtful look and then gently said, “That isn’t what I’ve heard, Mr. Tice.”
“You calling me a liar?”
“No, sir, but I’m confused. You say that you got along okay with Mr. Rawlins, but other folks have told me that you were extremely angry at him for making your well go dry.”
With a sudden flick of his wrist, Wade Tice hurled the screwdriver blade-first into the ground. “Oh, I get it! Some rich farmer dies and the law can’t move fast enough to falsely accuse a poor man of his murder! Get off my land, you damn rich man’s whore!”
“I will, though I’m sorry you feel that way. But nobody is accusing you of murder.” I kept my voice calm, while taking note of how quickly and thoroughly Wade was losing his temper.
“Yet. And ain’t it amazing? That greedy bastard stole my water and the sheriff’s office couldn’t spare me the time of day! Civil problem, they said. Can’t do nothing. But, you sons of bitches pull out all the stops when a rich man stubs his freaking toe!”
“He didn’t stub his toe, Mr. Tice. He was ambushed and shot in the chest with a hunting arrow.” I turned as if to go back to the Aztek and then paused to add, “And come to think of it, the other thing I’ve heard is that you’re an expert bow hunter. A regular William Tell. Do you mind if I look at your bow and arrows?”
Wade Tice’s face was white with fury. “Screw you!”
“Ouch, that hurt,” I sneered. “What happened, Mr. Tice? Couldn’t you stand the fact that Mr. Rawlins had mortified you in front of everyone in the Food Lion? Is that why you put a big hunting arrow in his chest?”
“I told you, get off my land! And don’t come back!” Wade bent to snatch up the screwdriver.
Even though Tice had armed himself, I made no move to grab my gun. It’s a little-known fact, but edged weapons, and that includes screwdrivers, are far more lethal than firearms at distances of less than fifteen feet. If Wade decided to, he could stab me eleven or twelve times before I got the pistol from its holster. I decided not to do anything to further escalate the situation.
“I’m going, but let me offer a word to the wise,” I said, my voice suddenly deadly earnest. “At some point I will be back, and you don’t want to have that big old screwdriver in your hand when I arrive.”
Nine
I deliberately turned my back on the enraged farmer and limped to the Aztek. That was probably a stupid thing to do, considering that Wade Tice’s temper tantrum had just turned him into the prime suspect in Everett Rawlins’s murder. However, my pride took precedence over caution. I would rather have died than let Tice know he’d spooked me.
When I got to the car, I found Kitch lying on the backseat with his head between his front paws. He’d been frightened by the shouting, but he perked up when he saw me. By the time I was behind the wheel, Tice was gone, and I assumed he’d gone into the house to call his wife. He and Marilyn needed to get their stories straight before I could arrive to interview her.
However, there was a tiny chance that Tice wouldn’t be able to contact his wife immediately. The couple was obviously in dire financial straits, which might mean they couldn’t afford the additional expense of a cell phone. If so, Tice would have to telephone the hotel housekeeping supervisor and request that a
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