Nobody Knows Your Secret

16

"This pot roast is really good, Hadley," Bill said.

Maury and Bill were over for the weekly Thursday supper at Hadley's.

"Thanks. I added some paprika and cayenne pepper to the spice rub. I figured we all could use a little jazzy pizazzy this late in the week."

"You got that right," said Maury. "This is the first night Bill's sat down to a real supper all week."

"Kyle's murder's got everybody on pins and needles," Bill said. "I feel like a hound dog chasin' my tail. You wouldn't believe how many false alarms have been called in this week. Somebody hears a twig pop after dark, and they're on the horn callin' the station. I can't blame 'em, though."

"I haven't slept a wink since Kyle was killed," Maury said.

"You haven't slept a wink since you were born," Hadley said. "But I know what you mean. I'm on high alert, myself. I hate being like this. My radar seems to go up with every unusual sound.

The house settles, Onus is antsy, and a thousand other little things I never used to pay any attention to have me stopping and listening and wondering if I should be wary. I really hate what this cad has done to our sleepy little village."

"Well," Bill said, "our little village hasn't been as sleepy as you might think for a very long time. It would turn your hair white to know the number of people around these hollows who are users. 

I go to homes every week where kids are dirty and moms and dads are strung out. Maybe they've gotten into a fight that turned bad. It makes me sick to see how drugs have messed up so many lives."

"I know," Hadley said. "When Kyle broke into the garage and stole all that stuff, I was mortified to learn he'd burglarized my home to pay for his drug habit. I knew he was a handful. But I thought it was alcohol. I had no idea."

"I know," said Maury. "It's easy to get lost in our little bubble and forget about the problems so many around us have and are going through."

"Virgie came to see me," Hadley said. "My heart broke for her. First that awful accident at the amusement park. Now this."

"I know," Maury said. "Claire was such a beautiful girl. I don't know how Virgie stood it. If something like that ever happened to Skip, I'd die. But a mother's love is strong. I guess that's what got Virgie through. She had to be strong for her daughter."

"But Claire was never the same," Hadley said. "She quit school. Just sort of drifted."

"Right into trouble," Bill added.

"I know," Hadley said. "Claire getting pregnant with Kyle only added to Virgie's problems."

"Don't you know I was shocked to hear who Kyle's daddy was," Maury said. "Cliff McKinney!"

"I don't think Claire knew who the father was," said Hadley. "And I don't think Cliff is Kyle's daddy. There's no resemblance at all between them. Cliff's sandy-haired and blue-eyed. Kyle was dark and swarthy.

And remember, Claire's always been easy. Kyle's daddy could be any truck driver who ever passed through the county. She's slept with any male who handed her five dollars."

"I know," said Maury. "It's awful to think about."

"I'm just surprised Kyle was born healthy," Hadley said. "That's the miracle, I think. Claire had to be eaten up with every venereal disease in the book."

"But Kyle grew up as wild as a buck," Maury said. "I held my breath that Skip wouldn't get hooked up with Kyle's crowd. They were older than Skip, but you know how the wild side appeals to kids."

"We've been very lucky," Bill said.

"Amen," said Maury.

"Anyway," Hadley said, "Virgie came by. She wanted me to help her find peace, she said. I told her I couldn't interfere with an active criminal investigation."

"Huh," Bill said. "You could take all the evidence we got, Hadley, and put it on the end of a pin. I know you won't say anything, but I gotta tell you, whoever did this was smart."

"Middle of the night," Hadley said. "No witnesses. In and out and away without so much as a bean-kiss-your-foot. That's gotta be tough."

"You said it," said Bill.

"Where you gonna start? It's not as if Kyle didn't have a list of enemies a mile long. Drug dealers, pot growers, druggie friends. It's not like he ran with the goodie-two-shoes crowd. And what about the people he's stolen from, owed money to? I don't know. The list seems endless to me."

"That pretty much sums up what we're up against," said Bill.

"Lou Edna says Virgie was always complaining," Maury said, "about Claire and all the pills she was on when Virgie stopped in every week for her wash and set down at the shop. Lou said that Virgie told her Claire used to tell her mama she never understood why Virgie was so upset. Lou said Virgie said Claire just laughed one day and said 'I've got a flash for you, Mama. It's a dirty little secret. The mailman delivers my drugs. What was the big deal?'"

"I think it's just too sad for words," Hadley said. "I really do."

"The mailman! I'm not surprised. But here's another thing," Bill said. "Kids get hooked on the meds that they steal from their parents. Then, when they can't get them anymore, they look for cheaper highs. For a lot of them, that means heroin or worse. It's really sad to see so many young lives ruined or ended too soon."

"It rained late the night Kyle was killed, didn't it?" Hadley asked. "I remember the rain was pouring so hard, it woke me up. That means tire treads were washed away. Lost in the mud. Gosh, Bill, you can't have anything to go on."

"The roast was delicious, Hadley," Bill said, "but I gotta run. I promised Elwin I'd stop by the office and see if he needed a hand. We've been busier than a band of fleas at a dog show."

"Don't worry, Bill," Hadley said. "I'll drop Maury home."

"Yeah. Run along, honey," Maury said. "I'll help Hadley clean up the supper dishes."

Bill gave Maury a quick peck on the cheek and headed out the door.

Bill sat in his car. 

He remembered the encounter he'd had with Candy and her two kids just last week. It was a hot, sunny day. Bill had just left the office to head over to the Spoon for a quick bite. 

Candy's kids had gotten away from her. The groceries she'd had in her bags were spilled all over the street. Candy was yelling at her kids to stop running, but the two little imps were deaf to her calls.