In Hell: When Love Kills A Small Town Mystery

Chapter 21

"What about it?" Cash asked Coffin. "You were around here back then. You must remember something? Anything?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. I mean, it was a long time ago. It was horrifying, of course. Our little town had never experienced anything that shocking. Doors and windows were locked for the first time that I remember. And everybody was walking around with a shocked look in their eyes.

But things quickly settled down and got back to normal as much as possible. I think the fact that your father was ... er, found as he was and later died did a lot to put the whole thing to rest for a lot of people. I see you're wearing your mother's locket."

Cash's hand involuntarily touched the silver chain around his neck.

"Nice," said Coffin. "You were wearing it the morning of Miss Dixie's library re-opening ceremony. Your mother loved that piece of jewelry. Gosh, it's hard to believe all that was so long ago. Time really does fly. Once I was young, but now I am old."

"Yeah," Cash replied.

"I will tell you that I visited Clifford, oh, right after I returned," said Coffin. "A while back now. Didn't stay very long."

Cash's ears perked up.

"I'll be honest. I was shocked at his decline. I remember your uncle as the young foreman of the night shift at the plant. We'd work our butts off all week long and celebrate by taking in a drive-in movie and downing a few beers. God, those were the days," Coffin said and smiled at the memories Cash supposed were playing in the old man's head.

"Did he say anything like he was afraid or anything when you visited?" Cash asked.

"Clifford didn't say much of anything, Cash. He was only a shell of the man he used to be. I dropped by around midday, and he wasn't feeling any pain. He looked appalling. Smelled worse. He'd aged considerably. The liquor had hollowed him out, I guess."

Lori's eyes widened.

"Your uncle was plastered, Cash. It was hard to make out what he was saying. Of course, our conversation drifted back to the factory days. Clifford was the Ashlon's right-hand-man back then. He saw and heard things, naturally, that none of the rest of us did. He had this theory about your mother's death. He told me he thought Miss Dixie killed Maddie."

"Dixie Ashlon."

"Now, wait. Wait, son. He was pickled, remember, and he'd been saying some pretty paranoid things. I'm not sure that he wasn't delusional."

"But what did he say?"

"Clifford believed that Dixie was furious with your mama. The two had been real close, Cash, but after you were born, they just sort of drifted apart, if you know what I mean. A mother with a baby's got a lot on her plate. It happens. Friendships die. It's Life.

Clifford was real protective of Maddie. He tried to keep his eye out for her. Brotherly love, maybe. Anyway, the night Maddie died, Clifford told me he'd seen Miss Dixie and your mother arguing in Dixie's office earlier that day. He sort of burst in on them when his shift started, and he needed Dixie's final approval for a shipment processing order that was supposed to go out early the next morning."

"What happened?" Cash asked.

"Nothing. Clifford said both women acted sheepishly. Clifford went back out on the factory floor to start his shift. Later that night, he said he heard voices. He was on the other side of the building boning Rochelle Hennissy. That Rochelle was so horny back then, she'd give it away to any taker. But it was a hot night. All the doors and windows were opened. He heard these shrill voices. Angry ones. He couldn't swear to it, but he thought it was two women. He never heard Maddie scream. That's what he repeated most often to me. That he never heard his sister scream. I think that ate at Clifford like cancer, Cash."