Chapter Thirty-five
A knock at Luke’s door had him throwing his phone down and jumping up from the ratty couch in his shoddy bachelor suite. He’d been trying to make up his mind whether to call Honey or not. He went to open the door and saw Matt lurking. “Hey, buddy, what’s up?”
Matt stepped into the dump and looked around. “Why are you living here? We pay you enough. You can afford better than this, Luke.”
“Nah. I like it here. It’s quiet and cheap. Fine for now.” He waved Matt inside and headed to the fridge for a couple of cold ones. Handing one to Matt, he asked, “What’s up?”
Matt took a long sip, put the beer on the table, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Taking a wide-legged stance, his obvious anxiety made Luke clench his teeth. When he spoke, Luke tensed.
“Are you willing to perform at a private house party?” Matt’s unexpected coaxing made Luke blink.
“What?” Lighter now, he spoke without thinking. “We’ve never been asked to do anything like that before. Where’s this coming from?”
“I guess the woman who’s holding this shindig wants a western music band and has ties with the Opry. They gave out our name along with a few other groups. Turns out, we’re the only ones available. It’s a date we’re booked to perform at Nudies, but the manager says we can do it as long as we announce that we play there nightly.”
“Yeah, I’m not really interested.” Luke hated the thought of having to be nice to a lot of people he didn’t know. Seeing the negative effect his reply had on Matt, he backed off. “But it’s up to the rest of you.”
Matt scratched his head, and then ran his fingers through the thick red beard, a habit he had when nervous. “See… the thing is, they’ll pay three times what we normally make, and I imagine there’ll be a lot of bigwigs from the industry attending… if what they told me is true.”
Luke paid attention to Matt’s expression and grinned. “Why didn’t you just say you want to take it? If you guys are sold, I’m easy.”
Matt laughed. “Right. Like you’re a pussy cat. Are you kidding me? You terrify the rest of us half the time. We didn’t want to pressure you in any way, but I understand Mrs. Jackson throws lavish events at her mansion, so we’d be fools not to accept.”
“Lori Jackson?”
“That’s the one.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so right off the bat. When’s this big do happening?”
“In two days.”
“Seriously? Who backed out at the last minute?”
Matt laughed. “Can’t pull anything over on you, can I? Yeah the King and Cowboys were booked but two of them came down with Covid.”
“Well then, I guess I need to go shopping for a new shirt.”
***
Once Matt left, Luke went for a drive and used the burner phone to check in with Bill Flint, his boss.
“Any news on the location of the warehouse?”
“Nope. Dale’s got the crew following all the vehicles coming and going but nothing exciting. Word on the street is that the shipment got delayed. Guess the rotten storms we’ve had lately have messed with the delivery schedule. But something’s gotta give, and we’ll be ready when it does.”
“You sound defeated, boss. I got news that should put a smile on that sour puss of yours. Lori Jackson hired our band to play at her party this weekend. Being inside the house, I’ll make goddamn sure to take advantage.”
“What! That’s great news, Luke.” Bill’s voice suddenly roughened. “We’ve had a lot more deaths this week, and the mayor is getting itchy. Now the Governor has become involved. And both are riding my ass.” Flint’s voice settled. “How’d you manage the coup?”
“Pure fucking luck. Seems the other band she hired had to back out due to Covid, and we’re right here in town.”
“No matter. I’m stoked. I’ll get the judge on those warrants so we can legally place some transmitters.”
“Right. Get Dale to drop off the bugs tonight at the bar. I’ll place one in her office and anywhere else I can sneak into. Set up a van close by to pick up any conversations. We need to know when those drugs are arriving and from where. Also, listen for any info on who she’s working with here in town. From what I understand, she’s keeping her hands clean, so she has a pigeon doing the dirty work.”
“Will do. Stay safe.”
Luke hung up and sat back in his truck. He wanted to go and see Honey, yet he knew it was the last thing he should do. Right now, he needed to keep his mind straight and on his job.
Instead, he drove over to catch up with his pal Hamilton. Best place he could think of to spend his free time before duty called. Plus, Hamilton would know where the band could get some gear to wear for a fancy party.
***
Hamilton opened the door and his face brightened when he saw who waited on his doorstep. “Hey Lindy-lou? How are ya? Coming to see an old man like me now… that’s down-right sweet.” His welcoming arms opened and hugged her tight.
Once he let her go, she stepped inside and scoffed. “Like I don’t come as often as I can.”
Hamilton chuckled, his gruff voice tender. “Still. It’s nice when you do.”
“I’ve come bearing gifts.” She passed him a bag filled with a half dozen of her homemade, still warm corn muffins and some crab apple jelly she’d made last year. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in like this. You seldom come by the bar anymore, so I decided to try my luck that you were home.”
“Sugar, for you, I’m always home. Gosh, when I think of all those nights you kept me company while I whined and sniveled about my messed-up life. Never once did you put me down or make me feel unwanted. You’re one of the best barmaids in the city, girl.”
“And you’re the best guitar playing old fool I’ve ever heard. It was my honor to serve you.”
Ham laughed at the way she came back at him. “Come into the kitchen, and I’ll put on the kettle. Only time I get visitors anymore is when you or Luke drop by to check on me.”
Linda followed him to the next room and made herself at home, setting out mugs and fetching the sugar and cream while he filled his kettle. Once they were seated facing each other, with corn muffins and jam to share, Hamilton looked at her with rheumy eyes watching her from under bushy white eyebrows. “Now tell this old fool why you’re really here, and what you done want from me.”
Linda laughed at his teasing expression and decided she would tell him what had been on her mind since Honey Bolder had entered her life. Why that girl had made such an impression, Linda still couldn’t be sure. Probably had something to do with the baby she’d miscarried so many years ago. You’d think she’d have forgotten that vicious pain by now. But every time she came across a girl approximately the same age, who looked like Honey, she’d be back in the hospital room begging the doctor to save her baby.
“I can’t pull nothing over on you, can I? First of all, I’m here for a friend. In fact, it’s someone who seems to have caught Luke’s attention. I’m thinking there might be something brewing there. But I digress. Thing is, this girl, Honey Bolder, told me a story, and I can’t get it out of my head. I thought of you right away as someone who might be able to help solve the mystery.”
Ham settled back in his chair, wiping the crumbs off his hands. “I love a good story. Tell me.”
And so Linda did, explaining about Katrina’s death and how it affected Honey all these years. She added, “When the detective on the case called her recently to explain about this new information, I guess it really messed her up.” Linda became even more expressive at this point. “Ham, if you met this girl, you’d see what I mean. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her suffering.”
“I can hear it in your voice. Okay… let’s get this straight. You’re saying the prisoner’s last words were a confession?”
“Yes. To his doctor… who then called the detective with the story. The criminal admitted to killing Katrina, Honey’s sister, but wouldn’t give up the name of the person who’d been with him. Just that he still lived in Nashville and worked in a bar on Broadway. He’d died before the police could interview him for further evidence. From what Honey had been told, turns out the convict had been a student of Katrina’s. One she’d taught in high school.”
“Student. That means they were teenagers back then.”
“Sure. But remember, that was twenty years ago.”
“And the police have no leads. I find that hard to believe.”
“It happens. So many murders go unsolved. We both know that.”
“Yet they put one of them away.” Hamilton’s finger punched the table to make his point.
“Sure, because he was convicted of raping and murdering another woman which had put him in jail serving a life sentence. They didn’t know about Katrina until he confessed.”
“Right… right. Now it’s the other guy they’re looking for.”
“Yes.”
“So why come to me?”
“See… the only information the detective had about the partner in crime was that he worked in a bar on Broadway… Nudies to be exact.”
“Hold it. Are you saying he worked there back then or now? And what makes her think it’s Nudies? There’s a lot of honky-tonks been around for twenty years.”
Linda thought about his question before she answered. “Honey couldn’t tell for sure, but she thought from the way the detective framed the words, he believes he’s been around Nashville on and off since the incident, and that he’s a musician. And Honey saw Nudies circled on a list of bars they had attached to their charts. We both know a lot of the young guys played in different bands back in the day, and a few actually stuck it out.”
“Hell, girl, musicians move around so much, it could be any number of groups. Besides, the players are always quitting and hiring new people. Look at Country Heaven, Matt’s band that Luke’s with now. They had Zed for a long time as their lead singer. And when he went off the rails, they took on Luke. I can tell you a number of groups who’ve disbanded and then reorganized with new members.”
Linda looked defeated. “I know. It’s almost impossible, isn’t it? But I’d hope if anyone could remember a rebel in trouble twenty years ago, it would be you.”
“What’s the dead man’s name? The one who recently died?”
“Honey never mentioned his name, but I have a customer who’s a nurse at the same hospital where he’d been taken. She told me about a convict with pancreatic cancer who’d passed on about a month ago. At the time it meant nothing other than something to gossip about. But she came in yesterday, and I brought the subject up again and asked her his name. I pretended to know someone with the same cancer who had passed on at the same hospital. When she said he was Harv Branson, I wrote it down.”
“Harv Branson?” Hamilton’s complexion paled. He stood up abruptly and turned his back as he went to refill the kettle. His next words came out muffled. “No-ope. Name doesn’t ring a bell.”
Linda felt the sudden tension. But before she could follow up, another knock at the door heralded more company. “I’ll get it, Ham.” She left him leaning on the counter, his fists clinging to the edge. She could swear his eyes were closed, and his body trembled.
When she opened the door to see Luke leaning against the porch post, she almost cried with relief. “Oh bless you, Luke. I’m so glad you’re here. I think I’ve upset Ham, and I’m sick if I have.”
“Why? What did you say to him?”
“I asked him about a twenty year old murder, Honey’s sister Katrina.”
Luke instantly came to attention. “I thought they never caught the guy who did that crime?”
“That’s just it. She recently got news that one of the murderers confessed.”
“One of the murderers. There were more?”
“Harv Branson had a partner.”
Luke straightened as if he’d taken a bullet. “Sweet Christ. No wonder Ham’s upset. He’d taken that loser under his wing around the same time he started looking out for me and a few others. I was new on the scene but there were a lot of crazies back then, young kids looking for a cushy life. Ham had gotten himself clean and would hold out a hand to anyone needing help, especially his own family. Even started an addict’s group session in the back room of one of the old taverns shut down now.”
Hamilton’s hoarse voice suddenly reached them. He had come into the living room to see who else had come calling.
“I knew it’d be you, Luke. But we not talking about this here shit no more.” Hamilton’s shuffled walk seemed more painful than usual.
“Why, Ham? You had nothing to do with any murder.”
“No, but someone I care about maybe did. Someone I know who’s paid his debt to society. I ain’t saying nuther word.”
Luke’s warning gaze toward Linda had her secretly nodding back at him. She took his alarm seriously, especially after seeing the affect that name had on Hamilton.
Luke led the way back to the kitchen. “Fine. Let’s talk about the Titans. Football’s always good conversation.”
Ham trailed behind; his tone gruff. “Okay then. You can come in but I ain’t sharing my corn muffins. Linda baked ‘em for me. You go buy your own.”
Luke lifted the brown bag he’d been carrying. “Why you old skinflint. Then I might have to hide the hamburgers and fries I picked up at the new ‘In & Out’. Got enough for an army so Linda please join us.”
Suddenly, Ham piped up, “Fine. I’ll share.” He waved them forward, his expression brightening as he hustled back into the kitchen. Before Linda could follow him, Luke held her arm to stop her moving. In a lowered voice, he said, “We have to talk about this bombshell you just dropped.”
“Sure. But I’m all for the hamburgers first.”
“Okay, fatty. Lead on.”
She swatted him first, but her grin said it all. This handsome grump could get away with anything.