Chapter 31

I had completed my milking duties but my folks still hadn’t returned with Willie Jackson and I was getting worried. Eventually, my folks returned with Monique, but no Willie.

“Where’s Willie, Dad?”

My father just scowled. “The Ledbetters said he was visiting school friends, but wouldn’t tell us who or where Willie was. I have a call out to Judge Hairston, but he had already left his chambers and won’t be returning until Monday.”

“Can we call the police?” I asked.

“I spoke to the court clerk and he’s trying to reach the judge at his home, but if I don’t hear back, I’ll try the police. I do have a signed order giving your mom and I temporary custody until the Sunday after Easter.”

“That man was deliberately keeping Willie from us. You should have seen the smirk on his face when he said that Willie wasn’t there,” growled Mom.

Monique was already in my arms. “I’m so afraid Tommy! I think Mr. Ledbetter might have done something to Willie! He looked so evil.”

My dad put a comforting hand on Monique’s shoulder. “Honey, I’m sure that Willie is okay. Mr. Ledbetter is acting childishly because he thinks I’m out to cause trouble for him. It’s clear Willie and the other kids are just a meal ticket to him and he thought he could get some of your mother’s estate out of fostering the two of you. Keeping Willie from us is just a way of getting back at us.”

“I’ll bet he was in the house,” I said, feeling my eyes narrow.

“Very likely, Son.” my dad agreed.

My mom nodded. “So, what are our options, John?”

“Let’s wait and see if we hear from Judge Hairston. If we don’t by 5:30, I’ll call the police and they can help to execute the order on the Ledbetters.”

At about a half an hour later the phone rang and my dad put it on speaker.

“Attorney Matthews, you’d better have a good reason to bother me at home. We’re getting ready to eat because our church service starts at seven.”

“I apologize, Your Honor, but the Ledbetters are in violation of your order.”

“They didn’t turn William Jackson over to you?”

“No. They claimed he was a visiting school friend, but would not say who or how we could contact the parents of the friend. Your order stipulated he be available for pickup at 3:30 PM, today and he wasn’t there.”

“Did you wait in case the boy came back?”

“We waited in the car another forty-five minutes, but he did not return. Based upon Mr. Ledbetter’s demeanor, I suspect that Willie was in the house.”

The judge sighed quite audibly. “Okay, Counselor. Return to the Ledbetters and I’ll write a new order to provide you a remedy and have a couple of officers serve it. I’ll authorize a search of the premises if the boy is not delivered into your custody. George and his wife are in violation of a duly signed court order.”

“Thank you, Your Honor and I’m sorry to have bothered you on Maundy Thursday.”

“Very well, Mr. Matthews. I don’t blame you. I’m sure this issue has snarled your holiday plans too.”

“That it has, Your Honor, but Willie is worth it.”

“That he is. Good night and have a Happy Easter.”

“You too, Your Honor.”

After the conversation, Dad hurried us into my Mom’s station wagon and the four of us quickly drove off to pick up Willie.

“I tol’ you the boy ain’t here, now get out!” yelled George Ledbetter at my dad. My mom, Monique and I looked on dumbly.

“And I told you that it was your responsibility to see that Willie was ready for us at 3:30.”

“It ain’t your place to tell me what my responsibility is, you cracker!”

I saw fire in my dad’s eyes. “Listen here, Ledbetter. I’m an officer of the court and I have served you with a duly authorized order signed by Judge Hairston. I can have your butt hauled into jail for this!”

I’ll say this for Mr. Ledbetter, after a momentary look of fear, he got belligerent again. “You and what army, Honky?!”

My dad grinned at the man with his best shark look and when I heard an approaching car, I saw why dad was grinning. A black and white cruiser pulled up on the street. “Oh, I don’t need an army, Ledbetter, I just need a couple of East Chilton’s finest to help me.”

When Mr. Ledbetter saw the police cruiser, I could see fear in his eyes, but his attitude didn’t seem to change. “I’ll tell them what I tol’ you. The boy ain’t here, so, get out!”

My dad shook his head as the police officers got out of the cruiser. “You know they’re going to search the house.”

“I ain’t gonna let them! They can’t come in here without a warrant,” grinned the large man.

“Look, Ledbetter, save yourself some trouble and get Willie to me right now. Otherwise, they’ll take you and your wife into custody and all of the kids will go into Social Services protection. Then you’ll lose your status as foster parents and may actually serve some jail time. Is that what you want?”

Ledbetter sighed and said softly, but loud enough for me to hear. “This ain’t over, Whitey!” He then spoke to the approaching officers “Good evening officers, I was just apologizing to Mister...” he said, pausing because he couldn’t seem to remember our family surname.

“Matthews,” supplied my father.

“Yeah, Matthews ... that the boy just returned from his friend’s house.”

“Please produce him at once, Sir,” stated a tall blond haired cop who looked a few years younger than my folks.

“Woman! Get the boy!” bellowed Mr. Ledbetter.

A minute or so later, Willie appeared with Mrs. Ledbetter. He was not carrying anything.

“Willie!” cried Monique, as she extricated herself from my grip and ran to hug her brother.

“Hi, Moany,” he mumbled looking at the ground.

“Hello, Willie. Where are your clothes and belongings, Son?” asked my father.

Willie mumbled something. But Mr. Ledbetter seemed to answer for him.

“He don’t need’em. The boy’s only goin’ for the weekend. If you wanna spend your riches on him for Sunday-go-to meeting clothes for the holiday, that’s fine with me.”

Dad looked at the cops. “We have made arrangements with Judge Hairston to return Willie to the Ledbetters the following Sunday.”

“That’s a lie!” bellowed Ledbetter.

The dark haired, olive skinned, officer with a name plate that read, ‘Martino’, looked at the paperwork he was carrying. “This is just an order that says that we are to remove the boy and turn him over to you. It does not specify a time of return.”

My dad handed the officer the original paperwork. “This is the original order. The order you have is just a ‘quick and dirty’ to act as a remedy. Your order allows you to search the premises for William Jackson if necessary, right?”

The blond officer nodded and I noticed that the big man’s eyes grew wide. We all knew he had dodged a serious bullet by cooperating with the officers immediately.

Officer Martino looked up at us after about a minute. “Attorney Matthews is correct. According to this order, the boy is not due back until Sunday, the twenty-sixth at four PM.”

“That can’t be right!” complained Mr. Ledbetter. “It’s gotta be a fake.”

I saw my dad’s eyes narrow. I almost blurted something out in anger, but my mother caught my eyes and shook her head.

“Mr. Ledbetter, I am an officer of the court and am held to a higher standard than a citizen like yourself. What you are accusing me of is a felony. So, if you are leveling an allegation at me, prepare to back it up, or I will be forced to call Judge Hairston. I can tell you right now he is not happy with you at all. Do you want me to bother the judge for him to clarify this order for you?”

Mr. Ledbetter glared at my father and shook his head.

“Willie, please get all of your clothes and other belongings,” stated my father.

“He don’t need that all that stuff for a week,” complained Mr. Ledbetter.

“Well, we’re bringing them just in case. Tommy and Monique, why don’t you help Willie.”

“I ain’t letting them in,” snarled Mr. Ledbetter.

My father scowled, but the blond officer Swensen put a hand on Dad’s shoulder. “That’s his right.”

My father nodded.

It took a few trips for Willie to carry all of his clothes and belongings to the porch. When he returned, I smiled at him. “Is that everything, Willie?”

“I guess,” he murmured.

Monique looked thoughtful for a moment. “What about Daddy’s watch?”

I saw the big man give Willie a glare. I glared back at the fat man.

“I...” started Willie, as Mr. Ledbetter moved closer to the boy and menaced over him.

It appeared that Officer Swensen had overheard this exchange and noticed Mr. Ledbetter’s demeanor. “Step away from the boy, Sir.”

The big man complied.

I looked at my future foster brother. “Willie, don’t be afraid. We won’t let anything happen to you. Remember our family motto.”

“You always love, who your loves love?”

I nodded, but added our other motto. “That and ‘family first.’”

A tear ran down his face and he looked at his sister. “Moany, he told me to give him Daddy’s watch for safe keeping.”

“I don’t know what he’s talkin’ about,” stated the fat man.

“What’s going on here?” asked my dad as he and mom returned from the wagon, having organized the back to fit Willie’s belongings.

“The boy claims that Mr. Ledbetter is holding his father’s watch for safe keeping and Mr. Ledbetter appears to be denying it,” said Officer Martino.

“Ledbetter, give the boy his watch back!” snarled my father.

“I tol’ you he never gave me nothin’.”

“You know, I’m sure Social Services has a receipt of all Willie’s belongings and I’d bet that watch is listed among them,” said Dad.

“Well, I ain’t seen the boy with no pocket watch, so I wouldn’t know nothing ‘bout that.”

I saw a gleam in Monique’s eyes and then I understood and grinned back. “Mr. Ledbetter, I never said it was a pocket watch,” stated my clever girlfriend, with a feral grin.

A look of fear passed over his face, but the fat man did what he seemed to do when caught in a lie. He blustered. “Sure you said it. You said it was a pocket watch.”

The officers looked at each other and collectively shook their heads. Then Martino responded. “No, she didn’t. Produce the watch immediately, Sir, or we will be forced to search the premises.”

“You can’t do that without a warrant.”

“Based upon your lack of honesty and cooperation concerning the boy, I think we have enough probable cause for a search for the watch. Considering we have permission to search the house for the boy, we can easily justify searching for the boy’s belongings too, under the circumstances,” stated Martino.

Over the next half-an hour or so, the officers looked and finally returned with two pocket watches. One was scraped up with what appeared to be a silver finish. The other was gold and in better shape.

“These are the only two pocket watches we found,” said Officer Swensen.

“That’s Daddy’s watch!” cried both Monique and Willie in unison while pointing at the gold watch.

“No it ain’t! That was my father’s watch!” yelled Ledbetter.

My mom grinned. “Check for inscriptions.”

Dad just beamed at my mom. So did I. She was so smart. “Good idea, Honey.”