What a Peach - A Southern Story

By Chris James

Chapter 7

It had been real quiet upstairs for the last hour or so during Doc's visit and Charlie wondered what the boys had found in his attic. He settled back down on the couch.

"Brad," he called up the stairs," What are you guys up to?"

A moment of silence and then Brad called back down. "Hang on, Charlie. We'll be down in a few minutes."

It was ten minutes later when Brad finally came down. He had a smile on his face that just wouldn't quit. "Are you ready for this?" he announced. He looked back up the stairs. "Charlie, meet Danielle."

The young girl that came down the stairs was totally believable. In fact, Danny seemed to be quite comfortable in his disguise as a girl. From somewhere they had found a wig that changed the shape of the boy's face completely. Charlie thought he remembered the yellow dress his sister used to wear but he wasn't sure. Danny even had on a pair of matching shoes and a purse.

"I'd go a little easier on the makeup but you look great," Charlie said. "I don't even think anyone will know you're a boy. So how did you manage to get rid of that, uh, bulge in the front between your legs?"

"Brad did that," Danny said, "He strapped me down with an Ace bandage we found in the bathroom."

"Oh, bet that ain't comfortable," Charlie said.

"I'll probably die if I pop a boner," Danny said, and they all laughed.

"Where did you get the wig?" Charlie asked.

"It was up there in a box, we found that first," Brad said.

And Charlie remembered it had belonged to his mother. The chemotherapy treatments had made all her hair fall out and she got the wig to wear to church. His mother was never a vain woman, not even at the end, but she wore it to keep people from staring at her bald head.

"It looks very convincing," Charlie said. Thank you momma, Charlie thought and he looked up at the ceiling towards heaven.

"Now I need your help, Charlie," Brad said. "I want you to shave my head."

"Aw, already? I won't have anything to run my fingers through."

"It has to happen if we want to change my looks," Brad said. He held up the electric clippers Charlie kept under the bathroom sink. "I think it will be easier on us both if you do it."

The whine of the clippers filled the room as Charlie watched Brad's golden locks fall onto the newspaper he had spread on the floor in front of the couch. In just a few minutes the boy had nothing but stubble from ear to ear.

"I'm sorry guys," Danny said," This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid..."

"If the bear hadn't shit in the woods you wouldn't have stepped in it," Charlie said.

"But that's what bears do, they eat and shit. Boys make mistakes and then they become men and keep on making mistakes, that's just life. The real test of a man is not to make the same mistake twice. Don't blame yourself Danny, or should I say Danielle, roll with the punches and learn from it."

"Understood," Danny said.

Brad ran upstairs to look at himself in the mirror. "Holy shit," they heard him yell. Charlie held a swatch of blonde hair. It might be a while, he thought as he placed it in the candy dish on the coffee table.

Danny and Brad cleaned up the hair clippings. "Wish I could grow a beard," Brad said, "Then I would really look different."

"You'll be in your twenties before that fuzz on your face looks anything like a beard," Charlie said.

"I say we pierce his ears three or four times. I saw some earrings upstairs that will do. Hey, Brad, didn't you have pierced ears before?"

"Yeah, but they got infected. I stopped wearing the rings and the holes just closed up."

"Did you find any clothes up there that might fit you?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, but they were in a trunk and I think they might be your brother's. I wanted to ask you before I touched any of that stuff."

"Thanks for asking but it doesn't matter anymore. Take what you want."

Brad rushed back upstairs to see what he could find. Danny sat on the couch with Charlie. "So you think I'll pass for a girl?"

"You do drag very much?" Charlie asked.

"I have, although not much in front of Brad. I know he thinks I'm weird."

"You find it hard to be gay around him?"

Danny thought for a moment. "At first we were just two little boys playing around and sex was a game. I've always known I was different but just couldn't tell Brad about it. When things got bad we had each other and I've always loved him for being there. He told me what he feels for you and I respect that. Brad needs you Charlie; he's never had a strong guy in his life."

"I was worried you might resent me," Charlie said.

"In my own way I love you too Charlie, you saved my ass. I can understand what Brad sees in you and I think it's the right thing for you both. I'm still a mixed up kid and I can't offer Brad anything like a normal life."

"How did you get so wise Danny?"

"Living on the street makes you grow up fast. Everyone is hustling all the time, for a fix, a job, a piece of ass, it never stops. It wears you down until the only thing you have is your mind. Guys have used me so often I feel like an old man inside."

Charlie knew that Danny was telling him like it was. He was hurt in so many ways and so it seemed natural to wrap his arms around the boy and hug him.

"Promise me a few things, will you?" Charlie asked. "Promise me you'll go back to school and use that wisdom you have to make yourself a better man. You'll always have a place here with us and I want you to visit when ever you can, I'll buy the tickets.

And last, don't ever give up. You are Brad's dearest friend and that makes you my friend as well. If things ever go so bad you feel like giving up just come back and live with us, you'll always be welcome."

Danny squeezed him hard and Charlie knew the boy was trying to keep from crying. He imagined that Danny was probably beyond that kind of emotion because of all the things that had happened, but maybe he was wrong.

The embrace lasted a long time, long enough for Danny to fight back any tears he might want to hide. But then the boy groaned.

"You've given me an erection and my balls are about to bust," Danny moaned.

"I hear I have that effect on young boys," Charlie said.

"You're a sweet man, Charlie Brown, no wonder Brad loves you."

"Did I hear my name," Brad said as he came down the stairs. "And what's this?

I leave the room and you two start making it behind my back?"

"Just practicing," Charlie said. "Damn, look at the radical change."

With the stubble of blonde hair and dark oversized clothing Brad's appearance had changed enough to make him look considerably older.

"I figure we get some brown hair dye and do the eyebrows and what's left up top. Maybe I'll let Danny pop a couple of holes back in my ears too. Think this will work Charlie?" Brad asked.

"You won't look like any picture the cops might publish, but then there's Lyle to worry about remember?"

"So we tell him that Brad is in Florida and that I'm Andrew, his older brother. Andrew is my middle name. Say for instance the Barnsley's just couldn't put up with my punk shit anymore and you brought me back here to straighten me out. Hard work on the farm and all that stuff," Brad said.

"Ok, we'll give that a try," Charlie said. "So Wednesday we take Danny to the bus in Statesboro, get you some hair dye and let me visit the Doc." And I wonder if life will settle down after that, Charlie asked himself?

The pain pills Doc had given him made Charlie loopy so he tossed them in a drawer. A little pain was good for the soul, he told himself as he hobbled around the house. With the boys there he didn't have to do much, these kids were pretty self sufficient and better yet, they knew how to cook.

After dinner they sat at the kitchen table as Danny proceeded to pierce Brad's ears with ice and a sharp needle. After a few minutes the deed was done and Brad sported two gold rings in each ear. Charlie had never considered making any more holes in his body. God and a few enemy soldiers had done enough of that already. He wondered if Lamont's guard would ever see again after the flash-bang went off in his face.

"I suggest we catch the late news and see if they have anything new on the situation in Miami," Charlie said.

They all sat on the couch in the living room and watched the last fifteen minutes of the hourly CNN news. There was nothing new on the Miami story except a rehash of the morning report and the promise of more to come tomorrow. At ten o'clock Charlie switched over to the local report wanting to see if the Atlanta station had picked up on anything.

The weather was the lead story, more hot days ahead as local businesses geared up for the fair the following week. Oh well, Charlie thought, he would have to wait until tomorrow. But just as he was about to change the channel a picture of the runaway boy from Statesboro flashed up on the screen.

The three of them sat in silence as the reporter informed them that the body of fourteen year old Joshua Mills had been found in the woods off the Interstate 95 exit ramp just south of the Carolina boarder. Police were not releasing any details except to say that there was evidence that the boy had been murdered by persons unknown.

The report switched to a scene in Statesboro showing the front of a nicely kept home with several police officers standing in front and a group of television cameras set up. The door of the home opened and a police official stepped out into the glare of the camera lights.

The official held his hands up and shook his head at the cameras. "Folks, there won't be any comments from the Mills family this evening. The boy's parents are still in shock and have asked that they be allowed to grieve for a time before making any statements. I have been asked to make a short statement since the coroner's report just came in an n hour ago.

"Joshua Mills, the fourteen year old son of Thomas and Barbara Mills, was found late this morning by a truck driver who stopped his rig on the exit ramp of Interstate 95 to check the security of his load. Apparently he happened to glance towards the nearby woods and saw a bare foot sticking out of the underbrush. He called the state police on his truck radio and reported the body at ten-twenty this morning.

"The coroner has made the following finding. Joshua was strangled sometime on Sunday night and his body was dragged off the ramp and into the woods in an attempt to hide it. Now what I'm going to say will upset you folks, but Joshua was sexually assaulted before he was killed. The crime lab will get DNA samples from the victim and I promise you when we catch this criminal it will be used as evidence to convict. I personally hope the (bleep) gets the death penalty for such a horrible crime.

"I'm sorry for that profanity, ladies and gentlemen, but I have kids at home and this kind of criminal running loose in our community scares me to death. I urge parents to keep an eye on their children and report any unusual suspicious persons to the nearest police department. Unfortunately we have no clues to give you about the perpetrator of this crime. That's all I have to say at this time."

The man stepped back from the cameras and shook his head in disgust at several reporters who tried to get him to say more. Back in the studio the picture of Joshua Mills was still up on the screen as the reporter looked in total shock. The station immediately switched to a commercial and Charlie turned off the television.

"What a shame, "Danny said, "He was a cute kid."

"That's why he's dead, I'm sure," Brad said. "Sickos always go for the way a boy looks, I ought to know. What do you think, Charlie?"

"I just want to know what this quiet little corner of the state is doing in the news all of a sudden. I've been here thirty years and nothing like this has ever happened before. Oh we had a preacher get busted for fondling some little girls up in Statesboro about ten years ago but never the rape and murder of a boy."

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense. Say some pervert picks the kid up on the highway and bumps him in the butt. Why kill him, why not just roll on and leave the kid?" Danny said.

"Maybe the kid knew the guy? I heard that most perverts pick on their family or kids of people they know," Brad said.

"Or maybe the boy would be able to recognize the guy if he saw him again, maybe the guy would be easy to spot," Charlie said. "I got a bad feeling about this."

"What are you thinking?" Brad asked.

"What if the guy were easy to identify because of what he wore, say a uniform?"

"You mean like a cop?" Danny asked.

"You mean like Lyle? You think Lyle did this?" Brad said.

"I don't want to say he did, I don't even want to think about it," Charlie said." But he is acting strange and I don't like the way he was looking at you, Brad. Lyle's always been a little crazy but I thought he had calmed down since he joined the sheriff's department."

"But you don't know he's done anything, do you?" Danny asked.

"No, I don't know anything for sure. We'll let the cops handle this one but I plan to keep an eye on Deputy Lyle and that SOB better keep off my property or I just might mistake him for a varmint."

Tuesday morning dawned and Charlie awoke from a fitful sleep wishing he'd taken one of those pain pills the night before. Brad was still asleep beside him and he could hear Danny snoring softly across the hall. What was that smell?

With a sniff Charlie determined that he needed a bath. The boys had showered since they returned but he'd never had the chance to bathe. Maybe he could sneak down the hall and clean himself. He swung his legs out of bed and winced at the pain which shot up his leg. He felt Brad move in the bed behind him.

"Where are you going?" Brad asked.

"Bathroom," Charlie replied.

"We still have the jar over here if you have to pee."

"Thanks, but I really think what I need is a bath."

"How can you get in the tub with that bandage on?

"

"I don't know, but I'll have to fake it," Charlie said.

Charlie tried to stand up and fell back against the bed. Whoa, his head was swimming in circles. He spread his hand out to steady himself and tried to stand again. This time he grasped the dresser and hauled himself up, but before he could take a step Brad was there beside him.

"Thought you could use some help," Brad said.

"I guess you're right, thanks."

Leaning on the boy, Charlie managed to hobble down the hall where he lowered himself to the edge of the tub.

"How about we put your leg in a trash bag and seal off the top?" Brad suggested.

"Might work, let's try it."

With his leg encased in a plastic bag Charlie was able to sit in a tub of hot water while Brad washed him with a hand cloth.

"I feel like a big baby," Charlie said.

"Actually, this is fun," Brad said, "and kinda sexy."

"I smell like a wet dog and you find that sexy? To each his own, I guess," Charlie said.

"Shut up and close your eyes."

Brad poured a pitcher of water over Charlie's head and then began to lather his hair with shampoo.

"Why do you think Lyle would go after that kid?" Brad asked.

"I think he has a sick mind," Charlie replied. "After we had that fight in high school I realized how much he had tried to control me when we had sex. The last time we did anything it felt like he was angry and he tried slapping me around. There was just something about him I didn't trust so I called it off. Then he had that charge with the young boy which got him kicked out of the Army. I wish I knew more about what really happened back then."

"You think he has a rape fantasy? Lamont sure did, it was like he had to hurt me to get his kicks," Brad said. "Tilt your head back."

Brad rinsed the shampoo out of Charlie's hair with several pitchers of water.

"What if Lyle had caught me up on the Interstate?" Brad said. "I might have been his victim instead of that poor kid."

"Don't remind me," Charlie said. "I feel like I need to do something, but what?"

"You're in no condition to do anything," Brad said.

"I wasn't thinking about challenging him to a soccer match."

"Then let's take this apart and plan it like a mission," Brad said.

"I don't want you involved in this," Charlie said. "If Lyle is the killer I just want enough information to turn him over to the cops. We're not planning another mission."

"No, I was just saying we need to study him first. Make a list of the pros and cons just like we did for Florida."

"The pros and cons of what?" Danny said standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I gotta pee."

Charlie and Brad watched as the boy dropped his boxers and began to piss like crazy in the toilet. Danny looked over and grinned. "Enjoying your bath?"

"He smelled bad," Brad said.

"Sure, I always bathe my boyfriends. Pros and cons anyone?" Danny asked again.

"Lyle the killer deputy," Brad said. "Like how did he get the kid and where did he do it?"

"You pull up to some kid who is hitchhiking and say get in the squad car butt wipe, it would work on me," Danny said.

"I don't think the kid was a hitchhiker," Charlie said.

"You're probably right, he wasn't a runaway. Did you see that house? Who the hell would run away from all that money?" Brad said.

"I don't think he was in the squad car at all," Charlie said. "Lyle owns a pickup with a small camper on the back."

"Oh shit, a traveling bedroom," Danny said.

"Exactly," Charlie replied. "I would love to get a look inside that thing right about now."

"Sorry, Charlie, but you can't walk," Brad reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. But if there is any evidence that's where we'd find it."

"Evidence? Like what?" Danny asked.

"Blood or whatever he used to strangle the boy, a rope maybe?" Charlie suggested. "They said he was found strangled. Hate to bring this up but when you strangle someone they usually piss and shit themselves."

"The trucker said he saw a bare foot sticking out of the brush," Brad said, "Where did the boy's shoe and sock go?"

"Now you have an idea there," Danny said, "We should go looking for them."

"There is no we in any of this," Charlie said," It's too dangerous for you boys to get involved."

"Then how do you suggest we get the evidence?" Brad asked.

"I don't know, but I don't want you to get hurt. If Lyle is the one then he won't have any problem killing again to save his own ass," Charlie said.

"Is the camper at his house?" Danny asked.

"Yes, he keeps it on the side of his garage because it's too big to fit inside."

"Didn't you say his wife was a customer of yours?" Brad asked.

Charlie nodded the affirmative. Brad raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Then why don't we deliver her some peaches and ask her to bake us a pie?"

"Is this part of a plan to get in that camper?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, you and I keep her busy while Danny checks out the camper. He can hide on the floor of the truck until we're inside and then he can sneak out and take a peek. All we need to do is give Danny like five or ten minutes and we can leave."

"What if it's locked?" Charlie asked.

"Danny can get through any lock, can't you Pokey?"

"You got that right," Danny said.

"Why did you call him Pokey? Now I remember you calling him that during the rescue," Charlie said.

Danny blushed and Brad started laughing. "Because when he was little he used to poke that rod of his into things. Can't tell you how many times I woke up with that thing poking me."

"And you loved every minute of it," Danny said.

"Cute, very cute," Charlie said. "Now can you guys help me get out of this tub before I start to wrinkle?"

The boys helped Charlie back to the bedroom where they eased him down until he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Still hard to move around," Charlie said. "Maybe I should get myself some crutches tomorrow."

"Crutches? You got a pair of those up in the attic," Brad said.

"Really? Guess I forgot about those," Charlie said. "Can I get dressed now?"

"Aw Charlie, I was just getting to enjoy the view," Danny said with a laugh.

They dressed and Danny went up to find the crutches they'd seen. After a few adjustments the crutches worked perfectly. "Great, now I can move," Charlie said with a smile.

"All right, now it's Pokey and Gimpy," Brad laughed.

"Let's kill him slowly," Danny yelled as he chased Brad down the stairs.

"Hey, I forgot how to maneuver these things down stairs," Charlie called out, but the boys were gone. He slowly took one stair at a time but he was sweating when he got to the bottom.

While the boys made breakfast Charlie tried to figure out if they should even become involved in the murder case. He imagined that if Lyle felt cornered or even suspected their interest that he would have a fight on his hands. Ordinarily he wouldn't worry about going up against the man except that now he was severely handicapped.

All his guns were registered and legal. All except for the fully automatic Mac-10 he had hidden in the pit under the Caddy. He was sure the boys couldn't handle any of his rifles so he wouldn't even make that a consideration. Maybe he should take one of the rifles out of the box and set it someplace handy. But what was handy to a cripple?

No, if it came to a gunfight he was better off keeping Lyle at a distance. The best weapon for that would be the.30-06 with a scope. He could hit his own mailbox with that from the front door. Mail, damn, he hadn't checked the mail in three days.

He sent Brad down to the mailbox on the electric cart. When he wasn't back in five minutes Charlie began to worry. Finally he heard the wheels crunching up the drive and Brad came running through the front door empty handed.

"Charlie," he gasped, "Lyle is sitting across the road in his car."

"Did he see you?" Danny asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"No, I stopped and pulled in behind the trees before I even got to the mail box. Something told me not to go charging out on the road so I stopped back from the gate posts. I was walking through the trees when I caught a glimpse of the sun shining off the side mirror of his car and I hit the ground. He had it pulled back behind the brush across the road. He's hiding out there, but why?"

"He's suspicious by nature," Charlie said. "But if he thinks you're still around I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks up here just to see for himself. He won't be stupid enough to do it in broad daylight so we'll keep a watch out for him tonight after it gets dark."

"Do we have to hide?" Danny asked.

"Just stay indoors and keep away from the windows," Charlie said. "Have either of you ever fired a pistol before?"

"I have," Danny said, "But it was only a small gun."

"You won't be required to hit anything, just make a little noise if I tell you to," Charlie said. "Oh Lord, do we have to do the stairs again?"

"We can carry the box down here, Charlie," Brad said.

"Thank you, that's all I ask."

Brad and Danny carried the gun box down the stairs and put it on the floor beside the kitchen table. Charlie spun the lock and opened the lid.

"Holy Mary," Danny said, "You got some guns."

Charlie removed a small revolver, something he always figured as a backup piece small enough to fit on a jacket pocket.

"This is for you Danny. It isn't loaded yet so just hold onto the box of cartridges until I tell you to load. Brad, I'll give you the .9mm Glock."

"Cool," Brad said.

"Wrong answer," Charlie said. "Guns are not cool and pistols are little more than defensive weapons. Pull that little slide down and the magazine pops down." Brad did as he was told. "I'll give you seven bullets and they go in like this." He showed Brad how to load the magazine. "Since this is an automatic all you do is pull back the slide like this and start squeezing the trigger for every shot. The little button under your thumb is the safety and it is on so leave it that way until you're ready to fire."

"Push the button up and it fires, right," Brad said.

"Exactly. Automatics have a tendency to creep up as you shoot. Aim a little below the target when you pull the trigger. Glock's have a little kick but you can handle it, trust me. Now go put the gun on the shelf inside the pantry door, that's your backup position and we'll all know where the weapon is. Sorry you can't practice with it."

Brad did as he was told and Charlie watched Danny load the revolver. "This is a .35 caliber, no match for a .44 magnum like Lyle carries. Both you guys will not confront him with a weapon in your hand or you'll be dead. Danny will keep his pistol upstairs in the drawer of the nightstand next to his bed."

"I don't need practice," Danny said. "I fired a Glock before."

"Both your guns are for making noise and not much more. Brad understands the advantage of confusion and even small gunshots in the dark sound like cannons. But I want your promise that no one fires without my command, agreed?"

"Yes sir," both boys answered.

"What will you use?" Danny asked.

"My wits, I hope. But if that fails I will take the M-14 any day in a firefight."

Charlie picked up the short barreled semi-automatic carbine. "This one is a copy of the military issue I used to carry. We had to sleep with our rifles so often mine had come stains all over the butt."

Danny's mouth dropped open and Brad didn't know what to think. "That's a Marine homo joke guys, you can laugh now."

"Ok, funny," Danny said, but he didn't mean it.

Charlie filled the magazine of the rifle and slapped it into place. "This will go under the couch on the floor where I can get it without getting up on this damn leg. Now take the box back where you found it."

When the boys came back downstairs Charlie motioned them across the kitchen to the pantry door.

"See the knot in the wood grain over there in the floor on the left? That's the trigger for the latch on the trap door I built into the floor. Brad put your finger on the knot and give it a hard push." The boy did as he was instructed and a section of the plank flooring popped up revealing a hinged door. "From here you can drop into the crawl space under the house. Lots of creepy stuff down there I imagine but you never know if they will be easier to deal with than a maniac up here. Just pull down on the handle and the door locks back in place. The grate on the side of the house is only about four feet away and it opens up under the back porch. You can exit into the yard under the stairs."

"You planned that real nice, Charlie," Danny said. "I'm gonna put one of these in my house someday."

"Somebody go turn on the television and we'll see if they have our pictures yet," Charlie said.

He pulled the slide back on the M-14, chambering a round and then set the safety. Carrying the rifle into the living room he had Brad slide it under the front of the couch.

The television was on to the CNN news channel but the story was about a rocket attack in Palestine. They had to wait twenty minutes before the Miami story popped up.

"At a press conference which ended this past hour, Miami police have released video tape of the robbery attempt at the Walgreen's drug store in Coral Gables taken by the store's security cameras."

The shot was from high up and far away as the figures of three people stood in the aisle of the store. The two closest to the camera had their backs turned but it was obvious that they were young boys. Charlie's profile was dim considering how far it was from the camera. Then Brad vanished from the picture and the guard came into the frame approaching Danny as Charlie moved to intercept. The mustache and golf cap were a good disguise, Charlie thought, his features were well hidden.

Brad reappeared and then a flash followed by smoke which filled the aisle and obscured the camera's clarity. Through the smoke Charlie saw his arm lash out as he threw the knife but the camera didn't see it. The guard fell and then the smoke got in the way of anything further.

The encounter with the second guard was from a different angle and all that could be seen of Charlie was his back. The gun in the man's hand was very obvious as he pointed at Charlie and then pulled it up. Charlie's move with the flash-bang was obscured with his body and he was sure the cops wouldn't know what to make of it. The final part of the video showed the gunman's hand coming down and the flash as he fired off several shots at the floor. Smoke made the whole scene hazy and unclear.

"Police seem to think the man in the hat was trying to escape the gunmen as they set off smoke bombs to mask their robbery. Both gunmen are still in police custody at an undisclosed hospital. The man in the hat may have been wounded since police found blood stains at the scene but he ran out of the store before police arrived and he hasn't been identified.

"Police are asking the man to come forward and contact Miami detectives. Since he isn't charged with complicity in the crime, police would like to question him about the two gunmen involved. As for the two boys seen early in the tape, police have released composite sketches, shown here, in hopes that someone will recognize them and contact police."

Two drawings appeared on the screen and Charlie let out a laugh. Brad was pictured with short hair since all of his blonde tresses had been tucked up under the baseball cap. The sketch had his nose and eyes all wrong, the effort by the artist would be useless to law enforcement. Danny's sketch unfortunately was pretty close and that would cause some problems. It was a good thing that he was going to travel in disguise as a girl.

"Well, we made out pretty good so far," Danny said.

"Just give them time," Charlie cautioned," When they get into those movies you made they will figure it out. And did you notice there is no further word about Lamont."

"Do you think they let him go?" Brad asked.

"I can't imagine why they would. Maybe the Feds have him now. That would cut off the news flow."

"Lamont's gonna go down hard," Danny said with a smile. "Serves the bastard right."

"At least Lyle won't have a good picture of us from Miami," Charlie said, "But I don't think that's an issue with him at the moment."

"Do you really think he'll sneak up here tonight?" Brad asked.

"He almost has to if he wants to get any answers about you being here. There is no good reason for him to be sitting down there at the end of the driveway unless he is stalking you."

"But why me?" Brad asked. "That's spooky."

"You were born cute, that's your curse," Danny said.

"It's not the whole reason. If he could get to Brad he would be getting revenge on me," Charlie said. "But he'll be cautious and it won't take much to spook him. Of course by now he knows I'm laid up with this wounded leg and that might give him some courage."

"So we gonna shoot him up if he comes tonight?" Danny asked.

"No, I don't want to hurt him yet. We'll shoot at him or around him and watch him run like a chicken shit."

"So how are we going to get out of here tomorrow and check on that camper if he's sitting down there?" Brad asked.

"I'll just drive over to Mrs. Winters and go out the back gate into her pasture," Charlie said. "We'll come back to the highway around the corner and he won't see us at all. But right now I think I'm going to take the cart down to my mailbox and fetch the mail."

"He'll see you," Brad said, but then he smiled. "You want him to see you on crutches, you're baiting him."

"Very good. I tell you Danny, Brad is going to make a fine soldier in my little Army. He helped plan the strategy that saved you or did I tell you that already?"

"I kinda figured that out when I first saw him in the pool," Danny said.

Charlie hobbled out to the porch and slid into the cart. "Back in a few minutes, but if I'm not you guys hide in the crawlspace and take the Glock with you." The cart puttered away and Brad stood guard by the front window and Danny watched the back from the kitchen door.

A few minutes passed and Charlie returned on the cart. "He wasn't there anymore. Maybe he went home for lunch?"

"He left the stakeout? What a lousy cop," Danny said.

"I'm sure this isn't an official stakeout, Danny. Lyle is out on a limb here, he's probably supposed to be doing something else," Charlie said.

"So report him," Bead suggested.

"Get real," Danny said. "What are they going to do, slap his wrist?"

"If he trespasses I can legally put a load of buckshot in his ass but then we won't get a chance to look in that camper, will we? I just think you two better be prepared to stay upstairs tonight while I see if he's going to come over here."

"Aw, Charlie," Brad said.

"Look, we haven't finished your disguise yet and Danny isn't supposed to be here, right? It'll be dark by eight-thirty and if he's going to come Lyle will be here before ten. There's a late Braves game on the tube tonight and Lyle is a baseball fan. I'll wait on the front porch and see if he shows up. If not we just go to bed and tomorrow is another day, ok? Enough said, you guys go find something to do."