AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Believe what, Deputy?” said DuBose pleasantly.
“I ain’t talkin’ to you, woman, am I?” barked Gene.
“Miss DuBose is in town to help me,” said Jack.
“You mean to tell me you’re workin’ with this here n——?”
“I don’t appreciate your offensive language, Deputy,” said DuBose stiffly.
“And I don’t appreciate you being in my county,” Gene shot back.
Jack stepped in between them. “Okay, we’ll be moving on.”
LeRoy said, “They’re gonna fry both of ’em now we got the electric chair all fired up again.”
Gene got in Jack’s face. “Hey, I wonder if we can get you fried at the same time?” He glanced disdainfully at DuBose. “Maybe they can strap both of you on. Chocolate and vanilla sundae on fire,” he added gleefully.
DuBose edged up to Gene, who looked immensely pleased with himself. “Deputy, let me just tell you that I have been baited by white men far superior to you and they failed spectacularly. So someone with your decided lack of ingenuity and intelligence will have no chance whatsoever. But if you try to lay a hand on me, though I have given you no cause to do so, I will have you arrested. And then I will sue you for everything you have, everything your family has, and everything you or they might have in the future. And on top of that I will have a team of United States attorneys prosecute you for violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which carry a lengthy sentence in a federal penitentiary. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”
His patronizing grin vanishing, Gene took a step back.
LeRoy said, “Oh, we understand all right. And you understand this. You’re in Freeman County now. The federal government don’t count for shit here.”
She turned to him and coolly said, “Two flags fly at every courthouse in this country, including Freeman County, and the one on top is always the Stars and Stripes.”
Gene looked at LeRoy for a moment before turning to Jack. “Boys that came for you? They ain’t done, I can tell you that.”
“Well, I need to shoot the rest of that asshole’s ear off, anyway. You can tell him that, since I’m sure you know him.”
Gene and LeRoy got back into their cruiser and slowly pulled away.
DuBose said, “We need to really watch our backs now.”
“I’ve been watching both our backs ever since you got to town.” He opened his briefcase to show her his gun inside.
* * *
Tyler Dobbs lived in a ramshackle cottage a few miles from Jack’s parents. In the backyard was a small greenhouse and stacks of gardening supplies and tools. An old, rusted Dodge pickup was slant-parked next to the house. Its bed was piled high with tools and bags of seed and what smelled like manure. There was a trailer hitched to it that held a lawnmower and other equipment.
They got out, and Jack ventured over to the greenhouse and peeked inside.
“Hey, what the hell y’all doin’ here?” barked a voice.
Jack looked over to see a cornstalk of a man with a cold gaze and stubbly beard standing in the doorway of the cottage. He was holding a shotgun.
“Tyler Dobbs?” asked DuBose.
“Who wants to know?” he said.
Jack and DuBose walked over to Dobbs.
“Jack Lee and Desiree DuBose, attorneys for Jerome and Pearl Washington.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“You’re on the prosecution’s witness list. You have provided testimony to them against our clients. Because of that you have to talk to us.”
“Who says?”
