I turned in that direction again, which didn’t take more than five minutes, and said, “Who said that?”
“I did,” Laura said with a warm, adoring smile as she rubbed my leg. Anna had dibs on my hand and arm.
They would just have to share.
“I feel like I just went fifteen with Foreman,” I said.
“You look it, too,” Merrill said. This time I didn’t attempt to look at him.
I looked up at Laura and said, “Anna, Merrill, this is Laura Matthers. Laura, this is Anna and Merrill.”
They all laughed. “We know each other pretty well by now,” Anna said.
“We’ve been in here looking over and praying for your white ass for the past three days,” Merrill said.
“I don’t remember.”
“You’ve been resting,” Laura said.
I was puzzled, which must have registered on my face.
“You been out cold, man,” Merrill said.
“What? For three days?”
They all nodded.
“How do I look?” I asked.
Laura started to speak, but Merrill beat her to it. “You look like you went fifteen with Foreman and him fighting with a tire iron.”
“You look ruggedly sexy,” Laura said. Anna nodded in agreement.
“That’s two against one for ruggedly sexy. Sure you don’t want to reconsider your assessment?”
“I calls ’em likes I sees ’em, boss. We never lie to a white man, boss. Nosuh.”
“You got a mirror? I’d like to judge for myself.”
“Doctor say no mirror for at least a month. He scared you off yourself if you see what you look like,” Merrill said.
By the time Merrill had finished saying that, both Anna and Laura were offering me mirrors. I tried to take one. It didn’t work.
“Here, let me,” Laura said as she held the mirror in front of my face. Anna backed away gracefully.
My nose was taped up with some sort of plastic device to support it. Both eyes were black. There were a few cuts and scrapes on my face, many already well on their way to healing. The underside of my chin was split open pretty bad, but there didn’t seem to be any stitches, just butterfly Band-Aids.
“A ruggedly sexy raccoon. Why am I not dead?” I asked.
“You look pretty bad, but it’s not worth ending it all just because you ugly,” Merrill said. “You’s ugly before.”
“I guess you’re right. Why didn’t they kill me? What happened?”
“Some loud Negro in a big-ass pimpmobile-looking car scared them off.”
“What were you doing driving your uncle Tyrone’s car?” I asked.
“He needed my truck to haul his old lady’s dresser. She leavin’ again. Twice every year he has to borrow my truck. Once to move her big black ass out and again to move it right back in. Come to think of it, it’s four times a year. Her ass is so big it take two trips each way.”
“How many years have they been doing this?” I asked.
“As long as I can remember. Anyway, Anna told me to look out for you. She say you could probably use a big, strong, handsome, black bodyguard ’bout now.”
“She was right. What took you so long to snatch me from the jaws of death?”
“You’s drivin’ everywhere. Never stopping. I didn’t know how long you’s gonna ride. I finally had to stop for gas.”
“That’s what I should’ve done,” I said.
“You can say that again.”
“That’s what I should have done. What happened when you pulled up in the pimpmobile? Did they come over and ask you for some ladies?”
“I made a lot of noise coming in-horn honking, firing a gun. They took off.”
“White flight,” I said. “It happens when you black pimpmobile-driving hoodlums move into the neighborhoods.”
“I suppose so.”
“Did you see who it was?”
“Sure did. Now they in your daddy’s jail. I’ve heard complaints of police brutality, but I said that police don’t be brutal to no white men, especially fellow law-enforcement officers.”
“Especially them,” I said.
“Skipper’s going to pay for what he’s done,” Anna said. “Merrill and I went forward with everything you had told us. He’s already been arraigned. Now he’s just waiting for a probable-cause hearing.”
“For what?” I asked.
“Murdering Johnson and Maddox, of course,” she said. She could tell by the look on my face that something was wrong. “Are you all right? What is it?”
“What other charges were filed against Skipper?”
“Just attempted murder, for what he did to you. The DA said that was enough. Don’t you think that’s enough?”
“No. It’s not nearly enough,” I said.
“Why?” Anna asked.
“Because he didn’t do it.”
“He tried to kill you twice,” she said emphatically.
“Yes, but he didn’t kill Maddox or Johnson.”
“Of course he did. Who else would have killed them?”
“I’ve got some ideas, but it doesn’t matter. I’m no longer involved. I’m suspended, and I feel like I’m lucky to be alive. They won. I quit.”
“I think he’s guilty,” Anna said. “Skipper’s the worst kind of cop. He’s rotten to the core.”
“He is rotten, and he’s guilty as sin, but he didn’t kill those men, and they’ll figure that out.”
“Who?”
“The inspector, FDLE, the sheriff’s department. Somebody.”
“And, if they don’t?” Anna asked.
“He get what he deserve anyway,” Merrill said.
“Right,” I said.
“No, it’s not right, and you know it. If you really believe Skipper didn’t kill them, you have to do something. You can’t just allow this to happen. You’re not even sounding like yourself.”
“Anna’s right,” Laura said. “You’re not a quitter. You have to see this thing through.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” I said, “but quitting is what I do best. I’ve been practically fired and practically killed, and I’ve had enough. If you all are so concerned about Skipper, go and do something about it. I’m not. I don’t have nine lives.”
“He’s just upset,” Anna said. “He’s been through so much.”
“That’s not it. You were right,” I said. “I had no business getting involved in the first place. I was meant to be a chaplain, and now I’ve screwed that up, too.”
“There are other jobs,” Laura said. “I’m just grateful you’re alive.”
“So you not going to do anything about Skipper?” Merrill asked.
“No. My religion forbids retaliation. I’ve turned both cheeks, and he’s pulverized them both. You going to do anything about him?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Are you going to do anything about your job?”
“Clearing my name, all that stuff? I don’t know. We’ll have to see what happens.”
“What about this?” Merrill asked and slung a newspaper on my chest.
“Merrill, no,” Anna said, “now’s not the time.”
I attempted to pick up the paper. When I had struggled with it for maybe five seconds, Laura picked it up and held it in front of me. It was the
