Chapter 5

By the time I was half way across the bridge, I remembered my attorney hadn't called me back yet and I wondered why. I finally made it back to Sarah's place, only to see officers swarming all over the house and grounds. Tiny was there with a few of his friends and a big truck to move her things. I was glad she had called him, because I knew I could trust him and anyone with him. I had met him through Myrna right after I came over here from France. He was her sister's son and made three of me. I certainly wasn't a small man, but next to him, I looked like a midget. I knew he had a record, but in all of my dealings with him, he had never screwed me over. I knew he was deathly afraid of Myrna for some reason, and he knew I would tell her if he ever treated me badly. When I got out of the truck he came over to me immediately.

"Hey Jon, why didn't you or Sarah call me when the trouble started? I would have been glad to set it all straight for her. Man, I can't believe I missed out on all the action again. Now Sarah called me, then a couple of minutes later I got a call from Aunt Myrna telling me I better get over here to help Sarah with moving. Why are the cops crawling all over the place?"

I spent the next half hour telling him about all that had happened so far. He looked at me again before saying that he still should have been called.

"Jon, you know I would do anything for Sarah. If it wasn't for her, my daughter might never have graduated and gone to college. My daughter is on the Dean's List this semester and it's only her first year there. My wife and I are so proud of her. Jon, I have to tell you that Aunt Myrna is already planning a big supper for Sarah tonight. She says the poor girl looks too skinny and needs to gain a few pounds. She also said that you get to play host and help out with the meal."

"Oh God, Tiny, there she goes again, telling me what to do in my own house. Why don't you and your wife invite her over for an extended visit?"

"Are you crazy? Myrna and my wife in the same house? They would kill each other in the first ten minutes. If you think Myrna's bad, then you need to meet my Mrs. one time. I think they are both cut from the same cloth. Nope, you can keep her. I love her to death, but one of her is quite enough, thank you."

I looked at him and we grinned at each other in perfect understanding. I told him to stand by and I would find out if it was ok to start moving her stuff. When I went in the door, I was checked immediately for identification. I asked why there were so many officers to search just one house. I was politely told to ask the DA and then he said I could find him and Sarah in Sarah's apartment. He said, "The second door on the right" when I looked at him in a puzzled manner so I headed that way. When I walked into the room, Sarah was deep in conversation with a man I hadn't seen before. When she saw me, she jumped up and ran into my arms weeping.

"Oh God, Jon, I am so glad to see you! You're never gonna guess what they found in the basement. I can't believe I lived here for over two years and never knew or suspected."

"Calm down, it can't be that bad."

"Jon if I had known, I would never have stayed here. Every time I think about it I get the heebie-jeebies. I am only taking my two file cabinets and my stereo. The rest can stay here because I certainly don't want it now. I am so glad I am moving in with you today, Jon."

I got a funny look from the guy sitting on the couch before he grinned and stood up.

"Mr. Morgan, I am Jeremy Buxton, Assistant DA of the Arlington City Prosecutor's Office. I have finished with all of my questions for Miss Ferguson and she can move her stuff at any time."

"Mr. Buxton, I want to know, why you felt the need to question her in the first place? You know better and I will make sure your boss hears about it, as soon as I get outside and call him. Sarah is the victim, not the perpetrator of this mess. As distraught as she is, for you to question her without an attorney is way over the line."

"Whoa, Mr. Morgan! Sarah, my wife, and I, graduated from college together. I wasn't questioning her about this; I was asking her if she needed a place to stay for awhile. I think you misunderstood what I was saying. My wife and I would love to have Sarah stay with us for awhile. My parents gave me their country house as a wedding present, and it is big enough for ten people to live in. Sarah is our friend too, and we would love to help her out."

Well needless to say, I felt about two inches tall by the time he finished speaking. I apologized to him and explained that Sarah had a home with me for as long as she wanted or needed it. He sent one of the officers for Tiny and his crew. They had the file cabinets and the stereo loaded in less than fifteen minutes. Sarah had several boxes of CD's she had already packed. She decided to follow Tiny to my house, leaving me standing in the room with my thumb up my butt. I went out the door feeling like I had lost my best friend when I literally ran into one of the officers who had arrested Mr. Hammond earlier. I asked him what they had found in the house that had everyone so excited.

"You ain't gonna believe this shit, Marshal. He had his parents and an older brother stored in coffins in the basement. From the paperwork we have found so far, it seems they died several years ago and he has been getting their Social Security checks all this time. There is another body, but we haven't been able to find out who it is yet. That one has been down there for a long time. We are checking to see where his ex-wife is now and anyone else he has come in contact with over the years. Man, you should have seen that rookies face when he opened the first one. I bet he has nightmares for a long time to come."

He busted out laughing as he walked away from me. Knowing cops' sense of humor, I would be willing to bet the rookie would have a new nickname by the end of shift, if he didn't already. By the time I walked to my truck, I remembered what Tiny had told me about tonight's dinner plans and wondered if I could find something to do to stay away from the house for a few days. I had a lot of respect for Myrna, but sometimes she just got on my last nerve. As I got on the Interstate, I was grinning to myself, wondering if I could get her to retire or maybe go visit some relation for a few years. Then I felt ashamed of myself for thinking such thoughts, because I knew how much she cared for Sally and me. Now she had another girl to take care of whether Sarah wanted the attention or not. This got me to smiling again, thinking ahead about their first battle when Sarah wanted to do something that Myrna didn't like. I knew Sarah could usually hold her own against anybody, but I had a hunch that like me, she would lose the battle when it came to accosting Myrna about anything.