big log. “Looks like she’s going to start,” he said. “There surely is something about a fire that holds you, the way it turns and dances, always rising. You can see what you want in a fire, if you get my meaning.”
“You can see things,” Roebuck said in a low voice.
Ellie came in and sat down in the webbed chair, taking a sip of Roebuck’s beer. “Should be ready to eat pretty soon. What’ve you two been talking about?”
“About what a homebody you are,” Roebuck said. “How you like to sit by the fireplace back home—in Chicago.”
“Sure,” Ellie said. “We don’t go out much.”
“You folk got any kids?” Boadeen asked.
“One,” Roebuck said quickly. “A boy in junior high.”
“That’s great,” Sheriff Boadeen said earnestly. “We never had kids. Then my wife died nine years ago in a highway accident. Damn drunken driver doing a hundred miles an hour. He didn’t even have insurance.”
“That’s too bad,” Ellie said.
“Surely is.” Boadeen nodded his head soberly. “She was a real good woman.”
Ellie stood. “I guess that rare steak should be about ready. Excuse me.”
Boadeen’s eyes darted to watch her walk back into the kitchen, then he looked up at Roebuck. “You’re a lucky man.”
Roebuck was well aware of what the sheriff was really thinking, but he forced himself to smile. “Thanks,” he said, and he could see the subtle mockery in Boadeen’s pale eyes.
“Food’s ready!” Ellie called, and they went into the kitchen to sit at the tiny formica-topped table.
Roebuck saw that Sheriff Boadeen was one of those people who ate with impeccable manners, possessing the ability to hit his mouth with unerring accuracy without looking at his food.
“You surely do this steak credit,” Boadeen said, looking admiringly at Ellie as he severed another piece of meat with his steak knife.
Ellie acknowledged the compliment with a brief smile.
Boadeen was still looking at her as he lifted his fork to his mouth.
“Do you really have much trouble out here?” Roebuck asked.
“You’d be surprised.” Boadeen turned his gaze on Roebuck. “It ain’t all in the big cities, the agitation and the commie inspired unrest. They have control of some of the newspapers and T.V. stations, you know, and folk out here read and watch T.V.”
“What kind of trouble have you had?” Ellie asked.
“Well, at the Danton high school not long ago they tried to have these lectures on sex education. Some of the things they went into I wouldn’t tell you about because we’re eating.” He speared a bite of steak with a vengeance. “No, the commies and long-haired radicals haven’t forgotten the folk in the small towns. I’ve got the statistics to prove it!”
“Do you think the communists were behind those sex education lectures?” Ellie asked, buttering a roll.
“I surely do! This Dr. Luther who was giving the lectures is from Detroit, and I know people there who tell me he consorts with suspected communists.”
“The last communist I saw,” Roebuck said calmly, “went down in flames while I was looking at him through my gun-sight. Straight into the Yalu River. I almost felt sorry for him.”
“I say good riddance to him. Pass the pepper please, Ellie.”
“You sure don’t like communists,” Ellie said, handing him the shaker.
“Don’t like lawbreakers of any kind. But these communist agitators are the worst I ever seen. Somebody’s got to stop them from spreading their seeds of insurrection and their Maoist lies.”
“You seem to know a lot about international politics for a county sheriff,” Roebuck said. “It seems a little out of your line.”
Boadeen laughed and looked down at his plate. “I’ll tell you, Lou, this sheriff thing can be just a rung on the ladder. If the wind blows right I plan to run for County Supervisor next year, and then who knows what?”
“We wish you luck,” Ellie said.
“Why, thank you, Ellie. By gosh, it’s still a
“You can see things,” Roebuck said in a low voice.
Ellie came in and sat down in the webbed chair, taking a sip of Roebuck’s beer. “Should be ready to eat pretty soon. What’ve you two been talking about?”
“About what a homebody you are,” Roebuck said. “How you like to sit by the fireplace back home—in Chicago.”
“Sure,” Ellie said. “We don’t go out much.”
“You folk got any kids?” Boadeen asked.
“One,” Roebuck said quickly. “A boy in junior high.”
“That’s great,” Sheriff Boadeen said earnestly. “We never had kids. Then my wife died nine years ago in a highway accident. Damn drunken driver doing a hundred miles an hour. He didn’t even have insurance.”
“That’s too bad,” Ellie said.
“Surely is.” Boadeen nodded his head soberly. “She was a real good woman.”
Ellie stood. “I guess that rare steak should be about ready. Excuse me.”
Boadeen’s eyes darted to watch her walk back into the kitchen, then he looked up at Roebuck. “You’re a lucky man.”
Roebuck was well aware of what the sheriff was really thinking, but he forced himself to smile. “Thanks,” he said, and he could see the subtle mockery in Boadeen’s pale eyes.
“Food’s ready!” Ellie called, and they went into the kitchen to sit at the tiny formica-topped table.
Roebuck saw that Sheriff Boadeen was one of those people who ate with impeccable manners, possessing the ability to hit his mouth with unerring accuracy without looking at his food.
“You surely do this steak credit,” Boadeen said, looking admiringly at Ellie as he severed another piece of meat with his steak knife.
Ellie acknowledged the compliment with a brief smile.
Boadeen was still looking at her as he lifted his fork to his mouth.
“Do you really have much trouble out here?” Roebuck asked.
“You’d be surprised.” Boadeen turned his gaze on Roebuck. “It ain’t all in the big cities, the agitation and the commie inspired unrest. They have control of some of the newspapers and T.V. stations, you know, and folk out here read and watch T.V.”
“What kind of trouble have you had?” Ellie asked.
“Well, at the Danton high school not long ago they tried to have these lectures on sex education. Some of the things they went into I wouldn’t tell you about because we’re eating.” He speared a bite of steak with a vengeance. “No, the commies and long-haired radicals haven’t forgotten the folk in the small towns. I’ve got the statistics to prove it!”
“Do you think the communists were behind those sex education lectures?” Ellie asked, buttering a roll.
“I surely do! This Dr. Luther who was giving the lectures is from Detroit, and I know people there who tell me he consorts with suspected communists.”
“The last communist I saw,” Roebuck said calmly, “went down in flames while I was looking at him through my gun-sight. Straight into the Yalu River. I almost felt sorry for him.”
“I say good riddance to him. Pass the pepper please, Ellie.”
“You sure don’t like communists,” Ellie said, handing him the shaker.
“Don’t like lawbreakers of any kind. But these communist agitators are the worst I ever seen. Somebody’s got to stop them from spreading their seeds of insurrection and their Maoist lies.”
“You seem to know a lot about international politics for a county sheriff,” Roebuck said. “It seems a little out of your line.”
Boadeen laughed and looked down at his plate. “I’ll tell you, Lou, this sheriff thing can be just a rung on the ladder. If the wind blows right I plan to run for County Supervisor next year, and then who knows what?”
“We wish you luck,” Ellie said.
“Why, thank you, Ellie. By gosh, it’s still a
Similar Books
