Chapter 60

Back onboard the plane, I sat up front with Ron. I had my satchel with me, and as soon as we were in the air, I wrote a check for twenty thousand. I pulled the check out of my checkbook and handed it to him. I had a brown-paper grocery sack, folded inside my satchel and counted the bundles of hundred dollar bills. There are fifty bills to the bundle and I put seven bundles in the paper sack, then folded the top down and placed it beside his seat.

“Place your hands lightly on the yoke of your controls, Josey. Just to get the feel of it, as I fly the plane. When I pull back on the yoke - the nose of the plane lifts - when I push the yoke forward, the nose of the plane points downward. When I turn the yoke to the right, the left wing flaps lift - at the same time as the right wing flaps lower. This causes the right wing to dip lower and the left wing to raise - as if we’re banking to make a right turn. The tail rudder is controlled by the foot pedals, and helps the plane make a turn as if we were returning to the island.”

...”I have no doubt, Jillian will see you fly this Grandaddy plane within a month.”

“Does Jillian need to fly you and Janet back to Jackson today?”

“No ... Our daughter, Janette is supposed to be at the airport when we land. I’m sure she is by now, since we weren’t planning to land on that river island - but I’m sure glad we did. Maybe the new owner will let Janette and me hunt deer this fall.”

“The new owner is extending an open invitation to you, Janet, and Janette, to come up any time - to hunt, fish, or just to get away for a week or so. Now that I’ve seen it, I plan to go back and explore that hunting lodge. I could see guns, bows, rods and reels all along one wall. We need to check that place out good, and hire a caretaker to stay there, before someone discovers it and breaks in.”

Once we were on the ground, Rondo and I helped Ron and the two men in the airport ground crew turn the plane to the side, and tie it down.

We were walking over to Josalyn’s car when I saw her and Jillian talking to Janet - and a younger version of Janet.

“This has to be your daughter.”

“Yes, she and Josalyn were in high school together. She’s been friends with Jillian and Josalyn for years.”

“I suppose she’s a pilot also?”

“You guessed it. You wouldn’t happen to need another female pilot, would you? Janette is only a few hours away from getting her upgrade to larger planes. She wants to fly commercial one day.”

“I was about to tell you that I’d leave it up to Jillian, but here the three of them come and I can tell by the way they’re laughing, they have plans.”

Jillian told me, “Josey, we want you to meet Janette Adamson, Ron and Janet’s daughter.

“Janette, this is Rondo Billy Parker, Josey’s farm manager...

“Josey ... I have a favor to ask of you,” Jillian told me, smiling that same smile that nearly got her fucked in the motel the day we first met.

“Name it. If I can make it happen, count it done.”

“We want you to hire Janette, and let her be my co-pilot until she has the hours she needs to pilot planes this size.”

“Hi, Janette. I’m pleased to meet you. Your dad was just telling me about you, and he asked if I needed a co-pilot. I hope you brought your clothes, you have just been hired.”

She reached out with arms wide, and with her parents watching, we gave each other a really good, hello hug that made me feel very welcome. “Thank you, Josey. I didn’t bring any extra clothes, but Jillian and Josalyn told me they would take me by the store where you buy all your clothes so I can I buy enough to last until I can bring my clothes from home.”

I turned to Jillian with my arm still around Janette’s shoulder, “Jillian, you and Josalyn take Janette to Yungs and get her what she needs. Tell Yin to put this on my bill.”

She looked at me, “Josey, I can’t let you buy my clothes. I have money.”

Josalyn told her, “You may as well get in the car with us so we can go buy you some clothes ... You’re never going to win this argument with Josey.”

After we said our goodbyes to Ron and Janet, I told Jillian, “Rondo and I have to be at the courthouse at 2:00 but we’ll see all of you at the house later today.”

We had forty-five minutes to spare and I drove straight to the courthouse hoping to catch Judge Skelley.

Lois told me that he’s in his office, but he’s on the phone.

“Lois, I want you to meet my farm manager, and my best friend, Rondo Billy Parker.

“Rondo, this is Lois Walker, Judge Skelley’s secretary, and a good friend of Stella and Kellie.

...”Lois, do you have the deed for that island, Judge Skelley wanted to sell?”

“I sure do. Have you decided to buy that too?”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to see him about.”

“I see he’s off the phone now. I’ll buzz him and tell him you’re here.

“Josey is here to see you, Judge Skelley...

...”Yes Sir, I’ll send them right in. Rondo is here with him, too.”

“He said come on in ... Uh, Lou Ann said to tell you HI, if I see you. Hi Josey, from Lou Ann.”

“Tell her HI for me too. I’ll holler at you one afternoon before long.”

...”Josey, come on in and have a seat.”

“Your Honor, this is Rondo Billy Parker, my farm manager and he’s also become my best friend.”

“Rondo, it’s always a pleasure to meet Josey’s friends. I’m sure you know by now, he has many female friends and few male friends.”

He was laughing, and we laughed with him.

“What can I do for you, Josey?”

“I want to buy that island and I need the keys to the lodge door. We flew over the island and landed on the airstrip to have a look.”

“You hired someone to fly you over there?”

“We made a deal to buy a DC-3 from a friend of Jillian’s in Jackson, and they flew it up here...

“Judge, you wouldn’t know anyone who owns a boat and motor, they want to sell. One that’s big enough to run on the river. There are three wide-bottom boats over there with twin motors on them, but we need another boat to go across and bring one back.”

“Jason had a boat that he stored in the garage under that apartment he rented. I have all his keys here on this ring - those that I could find, anyway. You’ll just have to search for the right key to fit each lock. As for that boat, it’s yours. I don’t want it and I’m tired of hunting down property, that boy owned. I have another list of other parcels of land, and even more properties, which Lois and I have discovered. She has a copy of them with locations, and brief descriptions - if you want her to run off a mimeograph copy for you. If you see anything on that list you may want, just call her and she’ll fix you right up. I want you to have it all, so I won’t be bothered with trying to peddle everything off one at a time.”

“Sir, you’ve seen the list, make me a price and I’ll pay you sight unseen. You have trust in me - and I have trust in you.”

“Josey - it’s times like this, that I really do wish Jason could have been more like you... There are some really good properties, and three more, quarter-section farms, which happen to join your farm, or one of the farms you’re already buying from me. I’ll take thirty-five thousand and tell Lois to write up all the deeds. There are twenty-six total properties, counting the three farms I just mentioned, plus that island you want.”

“I have my satchel here, would you take cash?”

“You have thirty-five thousand in cash on you?”

“Yes Sir. I wasn’t sure what the plane was going to cost, so I brought plenty.”

“Well, just count out thirty thousand cash, and we’ll call it even ... If Lois runs upon anything else of value, I’ll tell her to put your name on it and call you.”

“Sir, there could be something really valuable that you haven’t found. Are you sure about doing it this way?”

“Josey, Wendy is on my ass to get rid of everything Jason had his name on and I promised her I would. If you discover something else, or if Lois calls you about another small property, tell her you’ve already paid for it, and she can write up the deed. I’ll tell her the same thing when you leave...

...”Rondo, it was good meeting you. I’m sure you’re getting a good, first-hand look at Collins County and the residents here. Josey knows them all.”

“Good to meet you too, Your Honor.”

Lois was on the phone when we went out. I took her notepad and a pencil, then scribbled a note. She read it and her face turned red as she laughed with her hand over the receiver.

We were on our way to Mona’s office when Rondo asked, “What was that you wrote on the notepad? I saw my name, but that was all.”

“I told her to be sure and let you and me know when they have that naked party at Kellie and Stella’s.”

When we went to meet Mona, she was in her outer office. With a wave of her hand, she led us out the door onto the courtyard where we had done the other television interview. “You two look like stars in some television show made in Texas or Arizona - dressed like that.”

I was laughing at that, when I asked her, “They won’t be asking a lot of questions this time, will they?”

“No, this is just a swearing-in ceremony of two famous deputies. They told me they’ll add their own commentary before they put it on the air. I’m glad you guys are wearing your guns. I want everyone to know - we’re fully armed and ready here in Collins County. Now - I need your badges, so I can pin them on you, when I swear you in.”

“Famous deputies? Yeah Right!”

“Hon, you and Rondo need to watch the news at five o’clock, and again at ten o’clock. You’ll see what I mean.”

There were three television crews here today - one from Jackson, and two from Memphis.

There was nothing really, to this little ceremony. Mona read the oath in sentences and we repeated each line. She had two women deputies holding bibles for us and when it was over, Mona pinned our badges on.

The odd part came after we were sworn in. There were three girls who came up to us and asked for our autographs – while the cameras were still on us. I looked at Rondo and shrugged my shoulders before we signed our names.

“Let’s go see about that boat Judge Skelley told us was in the garage under Jason’s apartment.”

“I see you have a trailer hitch, but do you have an inch and a half ball?”

“No, are you sure that’s what size it takes? We can run by NAPA and get one.”

“Let’s take a look first. Most all boat trailers have an inch and a half, ball-hitch on them.”

The chain was looped through the double wooden doors of the old garage, locking them together. The lock on the chain was a Master Lock. That helped when I culled through the keys, trying each Master key until I found the one that fit. The doors were dragging so bad we had to lift them to get them to swing open.

“Would you look at that?” Rondo said as we looked at the fancy fiberglass speedboat with the canvas cover over it.

“Here’s the ball lying on the trailer tongue. Inch and a half - just like I thought. Do you have any wrenches with you? We’ll have to tighten this ball on your hitch, or we could lose the trailer.”

“I don’t, but lets look around this old garage and inside the boat. Someone took that ball off their hitch, and maybe they left the wrench.”

Rondo took the canvas cover off the boat and climbed inside to look. I looked all around the wall, and in every box and sack, until I came back up the other side near the door. There was a twelve inch Crescent wrench hanging on a nail.

“Here it is.”

“Good - back your car in. I’ll put the ball on, then line you up with the hitch.”

When I pulled out of the garage after we had the trailer hitched, the back bumper of my car dragged on the pavement.

“We need to stop at the house and pull this boat and trailer with my truck. Your car is too low anyway, even without a load on it.”

“We need to check the gas in the tanks and see if the battery is hot while we’re there.”

“There’s a receipt for fifteen gallons of gas, in a compartment beside the seat. It’s dated last December 20^th

“We’ll check both tanks. If we need more gas, we’ll get it at the shop when we stop to get your truck. We can check the engines too while we’re there, to make sure they’ll start.”

“If this boat was run on the 20^th, I’m sure the batteries are still hot.”

“I sure hope so. I don’t know a damn thing about these big outboards. The only outboard motor I ever used was an antique, 7 1/2 Elgin Uncle Ralph had. That little motor is probably still over at Granny’s farm-shop...