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Horatio swung around and saw a woman standing there at the end of the drive. She was young, short and chubby, wore a faded sundress and had a fat baby riding on her left hip. Her hair was dark and curly and in the humidity it clung to her head like a skullcap.
He walked toward her. “I sure hope so. I’m trying to find out about the people who used to live in this house.”
She stared over his shoulder. “You mean the bums, druggies or whores?”
He followed her gaze. “Oh, is that what it’s used for these days?”
“I pray to the Lord to strike the sinners dead.”
“I presume the sinners don’t come by in the daylight, just at night.”
“Well ain’t no law says we got to hide in bed when it gets dark. So we see the evil and evil it is.”
“Well, I’m really sorry about that. But I wasn’t talking about the, um, evil. I was talking about a family named the Maxwells; they lived here about thirty years ago?”
“We’ve only been here five, so I wouldn’t know, would I?”
“Anyone else here who might?”
She pointed a thick finger at the farmhouse. “Because of that evil, ain’t nobody want to stay too long.” Her baby gave a hiccup and spittle ran down its mouth. She wiped him up with a rag she pulled from her pocket.
Horatio handed her a business card. “Well, if you think of anyone who might be able to help me, you can reach me at that number.”
She studied the card. “You a shrink?”
“Something like that.”
“From Wash-ing-ton?” She said the word with a pronounced sneer. “This here’s Tennessee.”
“I have a big practice.”
“Why you want to know about these Maxwell folks?”
“It’s confidential, but I can tell you that it’s to try to help a patient of mine.”
“What’s it worth to you?”
“I thought you didn’t know them.”
“I know somebody who might. My granny. She gave us this house when she went in the nursing home. She lived there, oh, must’ve been forty years or so at least. Hell, Gramps is buried in the backyard.”
“That’s nice.”
“Grass grows real well over that spot, I tell you that.”
“I’m sure. So your grandmother’s at a nursing home. Near here?”
“State place, about an hour away. She couldn’t afford nothing fancy. That’s why she give us her house, so’s she could get help from the government. You know, so they wouldn’t know she had stuff.”
“Like assets to be used to pay for her care?”
“That’s right. Government screws everybody six ways from Sunday. We got to fight to get our fair share. Give it a few years and the Mexicans will run the whole damn place.” She looked to the sky. “Lord, strike me dead before that happens.”
“Be careful what you wish for. Do you think she might talk to me?”
“Maybe. She got good days and bad days. I try to go up to see her, but what with the baby and more kids in school, and gas ain’t exactly cheap is it?” She studied him. “So how much is it worth to you?” she asked again.
“Well, that depends on what she tells me.” Horatio took a moment to scrutinize her. “Let’s say if the information is good I’ll pay her a hundred dollars.”
