guys asked me. How it was I found the body, all that. What Floyd was doing here. He looks over the crime scene and asks if they lifted Floyd's prints. One of the sheriff's detectives says, `We know who he is. Jesus Christ, don't you? It's Floyd Showers. He ratted somebody out and got fuckin popped for it.' This JohnRau has a suit and tie on, a nice way of handling himself. He's reserved, never raised his voice once. He said he wanted the prints sent to Jackson. Meaning the Criminal Information Center. JohnRau told me later they have a method of handling prints nowlike you put 'em in a machine and the guy's sheet comes out."
Vernice said, "How do you remember all that?"
Charlie said, "You remember what you want to remember," turning his head to look at Dennis. "One of the local dicks says, `We can tell you anything you want to know about this piece of dog shit.' JohnRau looks at him and says, `I want him printed.' What I'm getting at," Charlie said to Dennis, "JohnRau wasn't taking the word of the Tunica sheriff's people for what happened. He didn't act superior to them. As I said, he never raised his voice or even said much. But you knew he was taking over the investigation and they better do what they were told. He's a low-key type of person and smart, the kind you better watch."
Vernice said, "What're you telling him that for?"
Charlie was wearing a sportshirt hanging open over his T-shirt. He took a business card from the pocket and handed it to Dennis. "This is the guy. He wanted to come out and talk to you this evening. I said why not wait till tomorrow? I told him you were beat from working twelve hours getting ready for your show, and you didn't know anything anyway. I told him I was the one hired Floyd Showers for you." He turned to Vernice. "Man's name was Showers and looked like he never took one in his life. Floyd was a miserable sight, years beyond saving."
Dennis looked up from the business card. "Where do I meet him?"
"At the hotel. He'll come by some time in the morning. I said come in the afternoon and see the show."
"What'd he say?"
"It'll most likely be around eleven." Charlie squinted then. "I ran into this colored guy staying at the hotel? RobertTaylor, doesn't have a bad arm. He's in seven-twenty. Wants you to call him tomorrow. You know this guy?"
"He saw me dive," Dennis said, his eyes holding on to Charlie. "He was looking out his window and saw me dive."
Vernice subscribed to the National Enquirer, preferring it over other supermarket tabloids because "they get deeper into the stories and're better written." She kept back issues she hadn't had time to read on the screened porch, saying, "They come every week, but it seems like near every day."
Dennis had a couple of microwaved Lean Cuisines for supper, both chicken but different, and came out on the porch to look through a few Enquirers. He sat by a lamp reading, not sure if the sound he heard was the hissing in his ears from diving-a constant sound when he thought about it-or insects out in the yard. Sometimes he thought it sounded like steam from a radiator. He had read a few stories, finished "Jennifer Lopez Warned: Leave My Puff Daddy Alone," and was starting on "Jane Fonda Finds God" when Charlie came out to the porch.
"This RobertTaylor saw you dive, huh? What else?"
"He saw ArlenNovis and the other guy ... What's his name?"
Charlie hesitated but then told him, "Junior Owens. They call him Junebug."
Dennis said, "The guy that runs the honky-tonk, but it's really Arlen's?"
"Jesus Christ-she tell you everything's going on? That woman sure likes the sound of her own voice."
"Charlie, all Robert saw were two guys talking to me up on the perch. He wasn't watching when Floyd was shot."
"But he was in the crowd come out to the crime scene." Charlie sounding hoarse keeping his voice down. "He knows what happened now and he can put you there."
"He won't," Dennis said.
"How do you know?"
"Robert's got his own agenda."
"The hell does
Vernice said, "How do you remember all that?"
Charlie said, "You remember what you want to remember," turning his head to look at Dennis. "One of the local dicks says, `We can tell you anything you want to know about this piece of dog shit.' JohnRau looks at him and says, `I want him printed.' What I'm getting at," Charlie said to Dennis, "JohnRau wasn't taking the word of the Tunica sheriff's people for what happened. He didn't act superior to them. As I said, he never raised his voice or even said much. But you knew he was taking over the investigation and they better do what they were told. He's a low-key type of person and smart, the kind you better watch."
Vernice said, "What're you telling him that for?"
Charlie was wearing a sportshirt hanging open over his T-shirt. He took a business card from the pocket and handed it to Dennis. "This is the guy. He wanted to come out and talk to you this evening. I said why not wait till tomorrow? I told him you were beat from working twelve hours getting ready for your show, and you didn't know anything anyway. I told him I was the one hired Floyd Showers for you." He turned to Vernice. "Man's name was Showers and looked like he never took one in his life. Floyd was a miserable sight, years beyond saving."
Dennis looked up from the business card. "Where do I meet him?"
"At the hotel. He'll come by some time in the morning. I said come in the afternoon and see the show."
"What'd he say?"
"It'll most likely be around eleven." Charlie squinted then. "I ran into this colored guy staying at the hotel? RobertTaylor, doesn't have a bad arm. He's in seven-twenty. Wants you to call him tomorrow. You know this guy?"
"He saw me dive," Dennis said, his eyes holding on to Charlie. "He was looking out his window and saw me dive."
Vernice subscribed to the National Enquirer, preferring it over other supermarket tabloids because "they get deeper into the stories and're better written." She kept back issues she hadn't had time to read on the screened porch, saying, "They come every week, but it seems like near every day."
Dennis had a couple of microwaved Lean Cuisines for supper, both chicken but different, and came out on the porch to look through a few Enquirers. He sat by a lamp reading, not sure if the sound he heard was the hissing in his ears from diving-a constant sound when he thought about it-or insects out in the yard. Sometimes he thought it sounded like steam from a radiator. He had read a few stories, finished "Jennifer Lopez Warned: Leave My Puff Daddy Alone," and was starting on "Jane Fonda Finds God" when Charlie came out to the porch.
"This RobertTaylor saw you dive, huh? What else?"
"He saw ArlenNovis and the other guy ... What's his name?"
Charlie hesitated but then told him, "Junior Owens. They call him Junebug."
Dennis said, "The guy that runs the honky-tonk, but it's really Arlen's?"
"Jesus Christ-she tell you everything's going on? That woman sure likes the sound of her own voice."
"Charlie, all Robert saw were two guys talking to me up on the perch. He wasn't watching when Floyd was shot."
"But he was in the crowd come out to the crime scene." Charlie sounding hoarse keeping his voice down. "He knows what happened now and he can put you there."
"He won't," Dennis said.
"How do you know?"
"Robert's got his own agenda."
"The hell does
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