of the breezeway. “He announced
she was dead. According to Mrs. Muenster next door.”
“He must have heard it on the radio,” Mrs. Hoyt said. “Or he simply made it up to frighten people. To get more people to come to his show.”
“The radio wasn’t on when he came back,” Amy said.
“When he came back from where?” Flynn asked.
“I don’t know where. He was gone most of the day. He goes out every day. Of course they only
arrived on Monday. He said he went to the dime museum today.”
“Where were he and the old man before they came here?”
“Cairo.”
Joan said, “Cairo, Illinois that is.”
“Where else would it be?” Mrs. Hoyt retorted. “Those two are homegrown hucksters.”
Amy said, “According to Mr. Devereux they traveled the Continent before the war.”
“There is only one continent worth traveling and that is the United States of America,” Mrs. Hoyt
pronounced.
Flynn asked, “How long were they in Cairo?”
Mrs. Hoyt laughed jarringly. “It’s easy to see you’re a reporter, Mr. Flynn. You ask so many
questions.”
“A reporter,” Casey repeated in a funny voice.
“Well, well.” Dr. Pearson sounded amused.
David flicked his cigarette butt in the damp grass and slapped at a mosquito. “Reporters take
vacations too.”
“But you’re not on vacation,” Dr. Pearson said shrewdly.
“No,” Flynn admitted. “I’m writing a story on Herrin one year later.”
“Not much of a story there.” Pearson didn’t sound troubled about it, but then who in this godforsaken town did?
“Most people I’ve talked to seem to see it your way. The rest of the country still wonders whether
what happened here could happen someplace else.”
38
www.samhainpublishing.com
The Dark Farewell
“Of course it could. People forget about Ludlow now because that was before the war mostly. But
women and children died in that one. And that time it was the mining companies doing the shooting.”
“Gus covered the Ludlow story,” Amy said quietly.
“I remember.” Flynn looked her way although he couldn’t read her face in the dim light. Gus had
helped dig out the dead women and children killed in the fire set by the Colorado National Guard.
“These are evil, godless times,” Mrs. Hoyt pronounced.
“It’s not the gods who’ve forgotten—” Dr. Pearson broke off at the sound of voices inside the house.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Julian’s irritated voice carried clearly through the open
windows. Through the lace curtains they could see his silhouette and the silhouette of the old man as though they were watching a Punch and Judy show. Devereux senior had a fierce, unforgiving profile.
Julian had taken off his turban and his longish hair and ruffled collar gave him the aspect of a prince in a fairytale.
“You’re going to ruin us with that kind of prophesying,” the old man snapped.
“It wasn’t a prophecy.”
“Whatever it was, it has to stop. You’re frightening people. You’re frightening me . Prophesying is for…for lowlifes and scallywags.”
“It wasn’t a prophecy.”
“People walked out. People left the theater tonight.”
“I know. I left the goddamned theater.”
“Cursing and blaspheming. What devil possesses you?”
Julian said with sudden anguish, “Leave me alone, can’t you?”
Their voices faded as they went up the stairs.
“Well!” Mrs. Hoyt said at last.
“That guy’s nuttier than a fruitcake,” Casey observed.
“Maybe he’s telling the truth,” Joan said defiantly. “Did you ever think of that?”
Silence followed her words, so perhaps no one had.
Casey went upstairs when Flynn did.
“You didn’t say you were a reporter,” he said softly, as they reached the top of the stairs at the second level.
“Does it matter?”
“I guess not.” But Casey was giving him a funny look.
“What?”
“I don’t know.” Casey shrugged his wide shoulders.
www.samhainpublishing.com
39
Josh
she was dead. According to Mrs. Muenster next door.”
“He must have heard it on the radio,” Mrs. Hoyt said. “Or he simply made it up to frighten people. To get more people to come to his show.”
“The radio wasn’t on when he came back,” Amy said.
“When he came back from where?” Flynn asked.
“I don’t know where. He was gone most of the day. He goes out every day. Of course they only
arrived on Monday. He said he went to the dime museum today.”
“Where were he and the old man before they came here?”
“Cairo.”
Joan said, “Cairo, Illinois that is.”
“Where else would it be?” Mrs. Hoyt retorted. “Those two are homegrown hucksters.”
Amy said, “According to Mr. Devereux they traveled the Continent before the war.”
“There is only one continent worth traveling and that is the United States of America,” Mrs. Hoyt
pronounced.
Flynn asked, “How long were they in Cairo?”
Mrs. Hoyt laughed jarringly. “It’s easy to see you’re a reporter, Mr. Flynn. You ask so many
questions.”
“A reporter,” Casey repeated in a funny voice.
“Well, well.” Dr. Pearson sounded amused.
David flicked his cigarette butt in the damp grass and slapped at a mosquito. “Reporters take
vacations too.”
“But you’re not on vacation,” Dr. Pearson said shrewdly.
“No,” Flynn admitted. “I’m writing a story on Herrin one year later.”
“Not much of a story there.” Pearson didn’t sound troubled about it, but then who in this godforsaken town did?
“Most people I’ve talked to seem to see it your way. The rest of the country still wonders whether
what happened here could happen someplace else.”
38
www.samhainpublishing.com
The Dark Farewell
“Of course it could. People forget about Ludlow now because that was before the war mostly. But
women and children died in that one. And that time it was the mining companies doing the shooting.”
“Gus covered the Ludlow story,” Amy said quietly.
“I remember.” Flynn looked her way although he couldn’t read her face in the dim light. Gus had
helped dig out the dead women and children killed in the fire set by the Colorado National Guard.
“These are evil, godless times,” Mrs. Hoyt pronounced.
“It’s not the gods who’ve forgotten—” Dr. Pearson broke off at the sound of voices inside the house.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Julian’s irritated voice carried clearly through the open
windows. Through the lace curtains they could see his silhouette and the silhouette of the old man as though they were watching a Punch and Judy show. Devereux senior had a fierce, unforgiving profile.
Julian had taken off his turban and his longish hair and ruffled collar gave him the aspect of a prince in a fairytale.
“You’re going to ruin us with that kind of prophesying,” the old man snapped.
“It wasn’t a prophecy.”
“Whatever it was, it has to stop. You’re frightening people. You’re frightening me . Prophesying is for…for lowlifes and scallywags.”
“It wasn’t a prophecy.”
“People walked out. People left the theater tonight.”
“I know. I left the goddamned theater.”
“Cursing and blaspheming. What devil possesses you?”
Julian said with sudden anguish, “Leave me alone, can’t you?”
Their voices faded as they went up the stairs.
“Well!” Mrs. Hoyt said at last.
“That guy’s nuttier than a fruitcake,” Casey observed.
“Maybe he’s telling the truth,” Joan said defiantly. “Did you ever think of that?”
Silence followed her words, so perhaps no one had.
Casey went upstairs when Flynn did.
“You didn’t say you were a reporter,” he said softly, as they reached the top of the stairs at the second level.
“Does it matter?”
“I guess not.” But Casey was giving him a funny look.
“What?”
“I don’t know.” Casey shrugged his wide shoulders.
www.samhainpublishing.com
39
Josh
Similar Books
