CHAPTER 3

John was unsure about how to handle Ms. Lily. Why hadn't someone called to set up her bail after she made her phone call? He intended to free her if she agreed to show up on Wednesday for the hearing. But he hadn't heard from her relatives thus far.

And the hour was closing in. He had to call Alice.

Before he could enter the number, his daughter ran in with Dolittle, her yellow Lab, trotting behind her. Her short blond hair was pulled back into a ruffled cap, and she was wearing her usual outfit of jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt. She reminded him so much of Sarah that he could not help but feel even more depressed. She had dark brown eyes with green specks just like him.

"What's taking so long, Daddy?" Her large eyes, which were shining like the rarest of gems, as she placed her elbows on the desk and cupped her face. He had never imagined being able to love someone as much or as deeply as he did, but he did—just as he had loved her mother. He will do anything for his daughter, including the end of the world. In an instant, he would sacrifice his life for her. She was and will continue to be his entire world until the day he died.

He forced the lump in his throat down. "I have a situation here at the jail." Looking outside, he noticed her bicycle. "Does Grandma know where you are?" Whenever Alice was en route to his office, his mother would typically call.

Alice gave an apathetic shrug "Grandma doesn't know where i am half the time."

"Really?" He reclined in his chair.

"Shoot." Alice made a finger-snap motion. "Curtis says I'm the sharpest knife in the drawer, and sometimes I cut myself."

Alice wasn't in danger because she was known to everyone in town. Alice leaving the house without permission, however, was against the regulations. His daughter was spending way too much time at the Curtis and Hardy Stark's barbershop in town. They were old cowboys who had migrated to town because they were sick of spending so much time in the saddle were old cowboys. They opened the one and only barbershop. Alice had picked up their lingo and enjoyed hearing their stories.

It was difficult to correct his daughter. She had him so completely under control that he pretty much let her get away with anything. In Alice eyes, he had to be more powerful.

He had repeated that to himself countless times. Just last week, he had been summoned to the school as a result of Alice punching a student in her class. She was told by the boy that she was a lovely girl. Apparently, those were combative words. Alice was a tomboy who resisted acknowledging her gender. Despite their frequent discussions about it, Alice insisted that she was just Alice and not a female.

He was terrible at being a father.

Alice was an introvert, which disturbed him. She lacked peers her own age; all of her buddies were older. He also needed to deal with that issue right away.

Dolittle rounded the desk and gave John's leg a kiss. John gave the dog a head scratch. "So, you left the house without telling Grandma?"

"Well, Daddy, it was like this." Her brown eyes grew serious and he just wanted to kiss her sweet, pixie face. "Grandma was telling Sharon during her Sunday poker game that she needed to have her cataracts removed since they were making it impossible for her to see anything. You are aware of Sharon's dislike of being told what to do by Grandma. When I yelled that I was going to find out what was keeping you so long, they were engaged in a loud debate about things like minding your own business."

"I see." John understood that none of the ladies in his life were under his control. On Sunday mornings, his mother played the organ at church before spending the afternoon playing poker with her friends.

He had informed them that they couldn't play for cash because gambling was prohibited in Texas. But according to what his mother told him, the winner received free Tuesday bowling as well as a free lunch while the others had to pay. He didn't know what the ladies were doing half the time, and most of the time he preferred not to. He would rather not have to lock up his own mother.

He pointed towards Alice, trying to be as harsh as he could. "Make sure Grandma hears you the next time."

When John spoke firmly, Dolittle stiffened and became on guard. Since they kept him since he was a puppy, they quickly came to the conclusion that he was a lazy dog who did very little, hence the name. However, he was protective of Alice and would face a lion to defend her.

John stroked the dog's head to reassure him that Alice wasn't in danger.

"Sure. No problem" Alice said. "Are you ready to go now? The catfish are biting today, according to Hardy. He says he caught one this big." She extended her arms as far as could.

Virgil has a penchant for fish tales.

"Uh no, Daddy." Alice violently shook her head. "Virgil is not a liar."

Arthur emerged from the rear room with a large armful of blankets. Alice ran to him. "Arthur, what are you up to? There is too much heat for blankets."

Arthur leaned down and whispered, "We have a female prisoner and I'm fixing her some privacy."

"Oh." Alice sprinted for the jail down the hall before John could stop her. He sprang to his feet right away. However, Dolittle blocked his path, and he nearly stumbled over him.

Alice peered at Ms. Lily through the bars. "Why are you dressed that way, exactly?"

"Stop gawking, little girl". the woman said. "This isn't a sideshow."

Alice frowned as her face wrinkled up. "I'm not a girl. I'm Alice."

"To me, you look like a girl."

"You're a girl," Alice remarked.

"Well, Alice-with-a-gender-issue, go away and leave me the hell alone."

Alice covered her mouth with her palm. "Oh, you said a bad word"

"Like I care. Leave, you brat."

Alice placed her hands on her hips. "I hope my dad lets you rot in here because you're not nice."

"Do you not understand what 'go away' means?"

Alice made a tongue-out motion. She was yanked aside and escorted back into the office by John. "You are aware that talking to prisoners is improper."

"What did she do, Daddy?" Alice released his grip and turned to face him while looking up.

John had no intention of responding to that question. Alice didn't need to know. He glanced at the clock. Nearly four. Now is the time to go fishing.

"Arthur, me and my daughter are going fishing."

"Yay!" Alice leaped to her feet.

"Call me on my cell if anyone calls about Ms. Lily, and I'll come back and handle it,"

"You're gonna leave me here with her?" his left eye twitching, which always happened whenever he was nervous.

John fumbled around for his hat. "Is that a problem?"

"No...well..." To prevent Alice from hearing, Arthur covered his lips with his hand. "What if she assaults me when i hang the blankets? I don't want to hit a woman."

John caught sight of his watch. "Wait until Sadiq's shift begins at five. Surely, you two can manage one woman."

Arthur made a head nod. "I agree, sir."

Indicating the bail book, John said, "Trae's and Richard's wives are coming in with bail money, so let them go then."

"Sure thing, Sheriff." Arthur winked at Alice. "Catch a big one, little bit." Alice was known as that by everyone in town.

As he left the room, John shook his head. One sassy blonde turned his workplace upside down.

He hoped that her powerful mother would arrive shortly with a lawyer and remove Ms. Lily from his sight.

For good.

FOR THE FIRST TIME in years, John wasn't having fun fishing . What was happening in the office, he kept wondering. He also pondered Charlotte Lily. Why was she being so obstinate and irate? She had the air of sophistication and beauty, but on the inside, she was a disobedient adolescent out to prove something. What? He pondered.

He drove Alice home at dusk and then went to the jail to see how things were going. Alice begged to accompany him, but he refused. She also stayed there far too long. He would soon need to establish guidelines for his child—and enforce them—otherwise, she would become the wildest child in Horseshoe.

When he entered, Sadiq was sitting at the desk. He jumped to his feet right away. In his early twenties, Sadiq was somewhat overeager. He always aimed to please, which at times was a little draining. Sadiq, though, was devoted to his work, and John trusted him completely.

"How is it going?" John enquired while slouching in his chair.

"Okay, I guess. Richard and Trae have left. Tosin is annoying as usual and wants to be let go."

"And Ms. Lily?"

Sadiq rubbed his forehead. "She declined dinner, claimed not to consume rubbish. She also spoke a few harsh things about you. Although she has a negative attitude, that woman is really attractive."

John disregarded that. "Has anyone made a call regarding her?"

"Not a soul."

Damn. Where was this powerful mother? He stood up and walked over to her cell. The bars had blankets strewn about them, but there was none draped over the door. He could look in. She wore pink capris, a sparkling tank top, and sandals as she sat on the bottom bunk. Although she had changed into new attire, the rebellious look on her face remained the same.

"Would you like to try your mother again? No one has contacted us." Like his parents had taught him, he was as amiable as he knew how to be.

"Don't worry, you will," with a lift of her perfectly arched brow. "And you can bid farewell to that gleaming insignia on your chest. My mother will have you for breakfast.".

He rubbed his jaw, noticing a shadow at five o'clock. Once more, he pondered what had transpired to cause her such bitterness. "Have you ever heard that honey attracts flies more effectively than vinegar?"

"You might try catching some of these bugs in here, but I'm sorry; I'm not familiar with your tiny country sayings. Locking me up in such a disgusting place is undoubtedly against the law and unhealthy as well."

His friendly demeanour soured. John gave a hat tip. "Goodnight, Ms. Lily."

"Go to hell." She shot back.

THE NIGHT WENT ON and Charlotte continued to check her watch. Henry is coming. Henry is coming. By ten o'clock she realized he wouldn't be there. A tear rolled down her cheeks and she quickly slapped it away. She refused to cry. She wouldn't cry because of that Mayberry sheriff.

In the cell, the little lightbulb's shadows were gloomy. She could not be experiencing this. She had intended to binge drink and have a good time with her sorority sisters till she was unable to witness her lovely mother with that man. How could she possibly wed Lewis Thompson?

He was so dissimilar to her polite, educated father. Lewis ran an oil business and wore cowboy boots. So impolite. Similar to the sheriff of this one-horse town.

She had to decide what to do. Henry would likely leave her to simmer all night and then show up in the morning. What if he didn't, though? He had every right to be enraged with her. She needed to apologize to her mother. It would then be over, this horrible nightmare.

She had her phone with her. The sheriff had forgotten to take it. She entered her mother's phone number despite her brother's admonition. Once it rang, it went to voice mail. No doubt. Her mother was away on her honeymoon.

Charlotte battled her anger as it rushed through her. She was helpless in the present. Lewis was the husband of her mother. She started to leave a message. What would she say, though? How could she justify her actions? She couldn't even explain it to herself.

Good behavior. Good manners. When she made the decision to run, she left those behind.

She slowly set the phone on the bed and took a quick look at her gloomy surroundings. 'Ohmygod!' She was detained and imprisoned. It stingingly smacked her in the face all of a sudden. She needed to get out of this place. She wasn't a criminal.

"Hey, fancy lady, ya sleep?" the man named Tosin asked

"Leave me alone." she commanded.

"Ya got a guy?"

Could she possibly be in a worse backwater? "Shut up."

"I got a place on the river, even got runnin' water."

Was this idiot for real?

"I wanna marry up and I'd be good to ya, might even put in a bathroom for ya. Whaddaya say, fancy lady?"

"The only thing I want is to get out of this jail."

"I'll get you out of here."

That caught her attention. "How?" She wanted to take the word back right away. Had she gone utterly insane?

"I got ways."

"Just leave me alone, okay?" She had no desire to associate herself with this crazy individual. She jumped as soon as she felt something touch her ankle and tucked her feet under the cot. It was probably a roach. er skin crawled with revulsion. How was she going to make it through the evening?

"Hey, Sadiq." Tosin yelled. "I'm feeling sick."

"Tosin, get to bed!" The deputy yelled back.

"I'm going to vomit. The food must a been bad."

"You're testing my patience this evening."

The concrete resonated with loud thuds. The deputy was approaching the cell.

She stood up and looked outside to see what was happening. She had a gut instinct that the man wasn't ill. Why was he doing that?

"I too have a fever. Feel me"

The deputy stuck in his hand to touch Tosin's forehead. Tosin's strong arm suddenly extended as the deputy moved, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him up against the bars. The deputy sputtered, coughed, and jerked before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

'Ohmigod! What did the man do?' Charlotte wondered if Sadiq was alive. He was so still. She restrained a scream.

Tosin knelt down and reached through the bars for the deputy's belt-mounted keys. He pulled them back, his beard flashing a wicked smile. Then he reached for the gun and tucked it away in the soiled, tattered waistband of his jeans. He opened the door after quickly inserting the key into the lock.

She gasped in horror as he stepped over the deputy's body and unlocked her door. No! No! She retreated a few feet and started searching for something to use as a weapon. Nothing but her high heels were present. She knelt down to get one as he approached her, a sparkle in his bloodshot eyes.

He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her up into his body before she could reach it. "I get you out of here, lovely woman, I told ya."

She was unable to breathe because her scream was stuck in her throat. The man licked his lips with joy and had a bad body odor. She felt goosebumps run down her spine when his shaggy, grayish beard brushed against her cheek like a Brillo pad.

She realized he was taking her with him as he yanked her out the door. He wasn't even phased when she kicked back with her feet and struck him in the shins.

"Let me go, you beast!"

"Ya want outta here, so I'm taking ya to my place.. Ya are now mine."

"What?" Her body began to tremble in fear. She desired to leave, but not in this manner.

"The sheriff won't look for us and may not even try. He'll be happy to see you go, fancy lady."

"Her breath came in shallow gasps as he lugged her struggling body to a back door."

'Where's the sheriff?' went over and over in her head like a prayer before a disaster. Her only hope lay with him. Moments earlier, she had vowed never to look at the man again; now, however, he was the only person she wished to see.

Even worse, she didn't know his name.

Tosin opened the door with ease and dragged her outside into the steamy summer night. The gentle breeze carried the lovely perfume of crepe myrtles, which was comforting and enveloping in contrast to the terror that gripped her. The strong lighting that was illuminating a parking lot caused her to blink. A rusty old truck and her car were surrounded to the left by an eight-foot chain-link fence.

She was hauled toward the double gates by Tosin. She exerted all of her efforts to slow him down. She bit his arm and dug in her heels, but it didn't work. He had a powerful, smothering arm over her neck.

He pulled the rifle out and fired at the chain as they approached the gates. At the sound, her ears rang and her racing heart pounded against her ribcage. But she maintained her composure. Barely. At the very edge of her throat, she was screaming hysterically. Someone would respond if they heard the shot, right?

She clung to that idea.

While still dragging her, Tosin kicked through the gate and sprinted for the truck. She fully unleashed the screams after realizing that this was her last chance.

He opened a door, put a filthy palm over her mouth, and lifted her onto the seat as if she were a rag doll.

"Let me go, you lunatic!"

"Stop it." He threatened her with the gun. "If not, I'll shoot you."

Her throat constricted.

"Git over," he growled.

She suddenly realized that this was actually her final chance. She hurriedly slid over the ripped upholstery to the passenger side with the intention of opening the door and bolting.

The truck smelled of rotten food and excrement and was covered with rubbish. Paper cups, newspapers, and soiled clothing were all over the seat and the floor.

As she looked for the door handle, she forced herself not to breathe due to the odour. There wasn't one; instead, there was only a gaping hole. No! No! She frantically ran her palm once again along the interior of the door. Nothing.

"Gimme ya hands."

She turned around and noticed that the truck door was shut and that he was inside. A little rope was in his large hands. She went cold.

He repeated, "Gimme ya hands," once again.

"No." Her back was to the door.

He seized her hands and swiftly wrapped the rope over them before she could react more. He jerked the rope so hard in one motion that it slashed into her skin. She found it difficult to breathe deeply.

She was frozen by fear as Tosin adjusted some wiring beneath the dash. Tosin let out a terrifying victory chuckle and slammed the stick shift into drive as the truck sputtered to life after a few moment.

When he pressed the gas pedal, they sped past the gate and into the night since the truck was reversed into a parking space.

Panic rose in her anew. She had no idea where he planned to take her. She kept assuring herself that the sheriff will arrive.

She had previously told herself that, she realized with grating awareness. She had anticipated Henry's arrival. He had not.

Her father had always made sure she had all she needed. She only needed to be his little princess and the joy in his life. He handled all of her issues and concerns. She was adored, spoiled, secure, and safe.

Then again...

For once in her life, she was on her own.

JOHN COULDN'T sleep. It didn't feel right for him to leave Ms. Lily in custody. Tosin was as annoying as a man could be, and he was probably going to tease Ms. Lily all night. Where was the powerful mother of Ms. Lily?

Always believing in his intuition, he sensed that he was required at the jail. It could have been his conscience. He pulled on some jeans, some boots, and a short-sleeved shirt. He would feel more at ease after performing one more inspection of the prison, and perhaps he could then go asleep.

Haetel, also known as Hae, his mother, was in the living room watching an old Elvis film. There was Elvis memorabilia all throughout the house since she was an enthusiast. John made such a fuss about it that she now keeps the majority of it in her room. To say the least, his mother was peculiar. He had a vibrant childhood and was familiar with all of Elvis Presley's songs. John steadfastly declined to discuss his middle name.

"Mom, why are you still awake?" She rose to a sitting position. At sixty-eight, his mother was still in good health, despite being prone to depressive episodes. He was frustrated by those periods of silence, so he turned up the Elvis music, and soon she was acting like herself again.

She responded, "I could ask you the same thing," while shoving short, permed grey locks away from her forehead.

"I must return to the jail."

She added, keeping her gaze fixed on the television, "Alice says you have an arrogant city lady locked up."

"Yeah. I must see how she is doing."

"Go. Go." She shooed him off. "I don't want to miss this Ann-Margret scene."

She had at least 100 times watched the film, but that was his mother—she resided in Elvis Presley's time zone.

"Tell Alice I'll be back as soon as I can if she wakes up."

Hae murmured, her eyes fixed to the TV, "She never wakes up." It's "Viva Las Vegas."

With a sardonic look, he put his hat on his head and walked out the back door.

Ten years prior, Marcel John Stark, his father, had passed away from lung cancer; up until a month prior to his death, he had smoked two packs every day. He had been a kind, caring father despite occasionally being a little stricter than John would have preferred, especially when John was a teenager.

His father had been a highway patrolman and shared John's current belief in regulations and discipline. But for some reason, John struggled with parenting his own child. His mother wasn't much of a help either. Hae Carson was a laid-back individual who cherished the present. She didn't place a lot of importance on discipline.

She'd lost a son to meningitis when the boy was just five years old. That was before John had been born and his father had told him that his mother had never been the same afterward.

She had been grieving for a full year and no one could reach her, his dad had said , and then one day, she began singing "Kentucky Rain" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" She had heard Elvis's records over and over, and John's father had let her be. The eccentricity of his mother grew throughout the years, and she'd found comfort in it. But now that she was content, John was happy to have her in his life as a support system for difficult times.

She had a slightly different perspective on the world, but who was to judge what was good and wrong? He probably returned to his childhood home primarily because of her. Elvis tunes and all, he needed a little of her kind of madness in his life. He climbed inside his car and drove off toward the jail.

In the Carson family, too many people had passed away. Perhaps that explains why he was so forgiving of Alice. Because life may be taken from them in an instant, he urged them to enjoy every moment. And he desired that each memory be treasured.

He heard a muffled sigh as he entered his office. A flash of unease swept through him. Sadiq was lying on the floor when he entered the jail. Both Ms. Lily and Tosin had left. Damn everything to hell!

He knelt and felt for a pulse. A sigh of relief escaped him as he discovered it. Once again moaning, John assisted Sadiq in sitting up.

"Are you alright?"

Sadiq stroked his neck. "I got suffocated by that scoundrel."

"Tosin?"

"Yeah."

Sadiq stumbled to his feet with John's assistance. He slouched onto a chair as soon as they entered the office.

"What happened?" John queried.

"Tosin claimed to be ill and to have a temperature. I...I fell for it. He had me around the neck before I knew it.. I'm so sorry, John."

"Did he take Ms. Lily?"

Lamar stopped moving. "Is she gone?"

"Yes."

"I overheard them talking." Lamar rubbed his neck.

"About what?"

"I.. Oh, Sheriff..." Lamar's complexion was a grayish tint, and he was trembling.

"Take a deep breath" John said as he reached for his phone to dial Becky Lilliard, the nurse. They relied on the nurse for small situations because Horseshoe didn't have a clinic.

"Becky, this is John. I urgently need you at the jail."

"Be right there."

"Keep taking deep breaths," he told Sadiq.

He immediately dialed Arthur's number after that. "Get to the jail right away." Time was of the essence, he felt.

John grabbed Sadiq by the waist and pulled him up to a cot in the rear room as he was about to slide out of the chair.

"Relax, and try to breathe normally."

"I can hardly breathe, and my throat hurts."

Becky walked in the door carrying her bag.

"Back here" John called.

She checked Lamar's pulse and inquired, "What happened?"

"Tosin almost choked him to death."

She glanced at John. "When will you take action against that man?"

"Tonight," he answered. Because of his weakened mental state, he had let Tosin Oglo get away with too much, but kidnapping a prisoner was completely out of bounds. At the very least, he assumed she had been abducted. Tosin might have been persuaded to release her by Ms. Lily. Two prisoners would then be on the lam. It wasn't good for his department in any case.

Arthur rushed the door while continuing to tuck his shirt into his pants. "What's going on?"

John reached into the gun safe for his rifle. "Tosin attacked Sadiq and then ran away. Also gone is Ms. Lily. I'll find out whether they're together or not even though I don't know."

"Holy sh*t! There has never been a jailbreak."

That also didn't sit well with John. "Dial Bubba and ask him to keep an eye on the office. Use your truck with the four-wheel drive and head to Jeff Oglo's house and inform him that you will be passing through his land to get to Tosin's house. Inform him that I am riding a horse through the back entrance. It should be faster. I'll meet you at Tosin's.

"Okay."

John gave him a gun."Be careful, and watch your back." The Machi's farm, which abutted Oglo's acreage, was the only short route to Tosin's. John pulled for his phone and fumbled about for Collins Machi's number as he turned away from the office.

Collins answered on the second ring.

"This is John. I'm sorry to trouble you so late at night, but I need a fast horse."

He was buddies with Collins. When the Carson family relocated to the neighborhood of Bramble to take care of his mother's mother, they briefly attended school together. Collins used to compete in rodeos, but he had since retired and had a family with his wife.

"You got it."

John liked that about Collins. No questions. He was aware that John wouldn't inquire unless it was crucial. "I'll see you in about ten minutes."

John swerved onto the dirt road that led to the Lady Luck Ranch, hoping his instincts were right and Tosin had hightailed it to his shack and moonshine still on the river. And he hoped Charlotte Lily had not traveled with him. However, that would imply that Ms. Lily had convinced Tosin to unlock her cell and release her. She would be a prisoner who had fled. He felt a tremendous knot in his stomach.And it had a name. Charlotte Lily.

He had a gut feeling he would later regret ever having laid eyes on the woman.