Chapter 85

First thing we did was drop off the rental car. "You know your lawyer is pretty good to get this truck released. I would have thought that the cops would want to hold it as well," Buddy said.

"She is the Swamp's lawyer, not mine," I said.

"They sent you a lawyer, even though you no longer work for them?" he asked.

"I'm sure I will get the bill. I am also sure they are in containment mode. How better to contain it than to have their lawyer manage it. It also works in my favor. There are things I don't want the cops to know," I explained.

"Ah makes perfect sense. I will have to remember that," Buddy suggested. "I guess I will have to buy a car, since I don't have a way to get around independent of you."

"I have a vehicle that one of us can use to get around and it won't cost you anything. Mostly I guess we will be traveling together anyway," I replied. "They have my get out of town bag, so I need to stop at an ATM machine. Do you need any walking around money?"

"No I'm good," he said. "But I do need some clothes."

"Oh my, I do love to shop," I said it while making the infamous bootleggers U turn on the county road. I did it just because I could. The centrifugal force penned him to the passenger door.

"Next time I drive," he said quite seriously.

I took another look at him then said, "You know you look like a movie villain. You are going to scare hell out of these good old boys."

"It don't work that way. They see I'm not as tall as they are, so they want to show their buddies how tough they are," he said quite seriously. "I can hardly ever go in a redneck joint without leaving with a bruised knuckle or two."

"I hope you can find something to wear in the Walmart store," I said. "You don't look easy to fit.

"I never been in one of those to be honest. I don't shop much. I'm way to hard to fit for a department store," he said.

"Well you are in for a treat," I said with a smile. "Now turn into some whinny girl on me. Just pick out what you like and go with it."

I parked the truck outside the entrance in the first non-handicapped space I could find. We got out then locked my suitcase in the front seat. Once inside Buddy did pretty well with the socks, underwear and pull over shirts.

"Since it's summer there isn't a problem with sleeves being too long. That is usually my biggest problem with shirts. I am going to have a problem with the slacks you know," he said.

"Just get the waist and ass to fit, I can get them hemmed for you," I said remembering the signs in my dry cleaner's windows, the one about doing alterations.

"Hey I really like these carpenter jeans. Lots of pockets and I feel like a real country redneck in them,"

"It's a good thing you didn't chose the bib overalls. First of all they are ugly as hell. Second you would look like shit in them." Shopping with Buddy was a chore, but we got it done without too much bullshit. We got him a running suit as well as a ton of tops, shorts and lots of jeans.

When we were in the line with two buggies, I asked, "You want me to pay?"

"Not this time, maybe later," he answered with a twinkle in his eye. I left him in the check out line to purchase a burn phone and a shotgun.

Once we were in the truck I drove straight out the parking lot at Walmart. I was able to get into the drive in at 'Dry Cleaning by Kim' with ease. Some old lady who definitely was not the Kim type took the five pairs of jeans and measured Buddies instep.

She wanted him to pay in advance but I refused to allow it. We have had the discussion before, I thought. She had the clothes, so she knew we were coming back. If we had her money, I figured she would get the work done quickly. So it was a stand off until I started packing to leave. The older woman relented because I was a regular customer. She explained the jeans would be completed in two days.

Buddy had some shorts he had bought, so he wasn't going to be running around naked, thank god. He also bought two net laundry bags at Walmart, the kind that allowed ventilation for damp clothes. I decided after getting a look at them that I wanted one of those for myself.

"So I guess we need to get to the fish camp," I suggested. It was half an hour later that we found ourselves in the sandy parking area in front of the residential looking building.

"Looks like he is expanding," I said pointing out the foundation holes a few feet from the fish camp building.

There was no one around, so I called Miss Sadie. "Miss Sadie your nephew isn't here."

"Yes I know. He said to go on in and pick out a room. There are no other guests yet. The fishermen won't be in till Friday after work. So you got your 'pick of the litter' till then. He said he would be there first thing in the morning to work out the details."

"Fair enough. Since he is your nephew I won't worry about him treating us fair," I said. I said it to boost her ego. I wasn't worried anyway. We had no choice.

"So pick one," I suggested to Buddy.

"Gee this is a dump. They are really going to charge us rent on this pit," Buddy said.

"I would bet my ass you have slept in worse," I said.

"Not sure I ever paid to sleep in one worse than this," he replied with a chuckle.

"If you don't have a preference, how about we just share one of the rooms. I would feel better, considering I'm not sure if they are still after me," I said honestly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. I hear you don't much care for pistols," he said.

"They tend to make my skin tight clothes bulge," I said.

"Good point, so we will just have to be careful and plan ahead," Buddy suggested.

"I did buy a new shotgun at Walmart. It's going to be a while before I get mine back," I said. "I left it in the truck cause we had so much shit of yours to bring inside. I just forgot it."

"Well get it. It will be nice to have it around the house," Buddy said. "Like I said we will still have to plan ahead."

"Fuck you Buddy," I said angrily since I thought the buying of the shotgun was planning ahead.

"Now?" he asked.

Okay, I shouldn't have but I laughed. "No not now," I said. "Let's pick a room." The little house, with just a minimum of renovations, had gone from a small family house to a fish camp with three bedrooms and one bath. The former living room was the new entrance hall and one of the bedrooms. The two former bedrooms from the old house were still bedrooms. The bath was still the bath without a tub just a shower stall. The old kitchen was a room used for storing fishing gear between trips to the river. It would still function as a kitchen without a stove. It had running cold water and a small refrigerator.

Buddy and I needed only one room, so we took the living room conversion. It had three sets of bunk beds. They were no more than shelves with innerspring mattresses. He took a look and then said, "We are going to need sleeping bags or something."

"Shit this is crap. Let's check the closet in the hall out there," I suggested. Inside the closet we found blankets but no sheets. "Well we won't freeze but I'm going to sleep in my clothes."

We drove out for food. I was tempted to go find some sheets, but decided not to bother. After a dinner at Dairy Queen we drove back to the fish camp. It was quiet as hell and the stars were bright. Since I had stopped for a six pack of beer we sat outside in the warm night air.

"So Buddy, what happened to all your clothes. Did the airline lose your bag?" I was just making conversation.

"Had a fire at my place," he said as if it were answer enough.

"What caused it?" I asked.

He waited a while before he answered, "Thermite grenade."

"Oh," I said. Then added, "Do you fish?"

"A little now and then," he added with a grin.

"How do you know about the Romani?" I asked.

"We have a lot of them in France during the summer months. They come in and some settle in the area where my family lives. They can be like weeds in a garden. Some times they need to be eliminated."

"Well these are American weeds I think," I said.

"All weeds are alike," he said.

"Except the kind you smoke," I added. We were still on the porch with the beer when my old phone rang. "Hello," I replied.

"This is Rita, I'm at the Rural Police sub station in Williamston. What should I do now?" she asked. I had put her on speaker so Buddy could hear.

"Tell her to meet us in Mossberg, she can stay with us," he said. I grinned at Buddy.

"Rita why don't we put you up where I am staying till they release my house?" I said.

"Sounds reasonable," she said. I grinned again.

"Meet me in front of my house. You will recognize it by the crime scene tape and the cop car in front," I said.

It was a half hour later when I met the woman who was pushing fifty with flaming red hair. She had those grandmother boobs and wide ass of an older black woman. I had to admit that her dye job was excellent and meant to be recognized as a dye job. "You must be Rita," I said extending my hand.

"And you are Rose also known as Iris. The cops know about your second ID Miss Seabold. They are going to have some difficult questions for us tomorrow. So let's get to your Motel and check me in," she suggested.

"Fair enough. Have you met Buddy, he is another Swamp Rat," I said.

"Buddy it's good to know I won't have to pull my punches around you," she said.

I was regretting my decision to have her stay with us. She had way too much class for the fish camp, I thought.

Her first reaction to the place was to ask, "Where the fuck is the idiot with the banjo?"

"Oh you like movies?" I asked.

"Sure, doesn't everyone?" she answered.

"I don't," Buddy said.

"You know Buddy, if it were just me and Rose, I would panic at the sight of this Place. With you here, I feel much more comfortable," she said.

"That's because you haven't seen the accommodations," I suggested.

Rita proved to be a good sport. She seemed to be kind and gentle. I guessed that she could handle what would surely be coming the next day. She used the bathroom, then returned to the porch rockers to make phone calls and check her email with the phone.

"So what do you think of the sleeping arrangements?" Buddy asked.

"Buddy, I have worked for Sylvia Porter since long before she headed the Swamp thing, so I can sleep on the fucking ground. I don't like it, but I have done it," she answered.