A Crying Shame: A Jesse Watson Mystery Read Online Free Page B

“Who is this?”
    “It’s me, Jesse.” I gave her a few seconds before I spoke
again. “Were you asleep? How can you sleep at a time like this? Have you heard
from Billy?”
    “Calm down, Jesse,” Mom said. “I haven’t heard from Billy.
Why, what’s the matter? Did something go wrong?” Her voice became more
distinct. “After y’all left, Claire and I had something to eat, and then I laid
down on the bed. And the next thing I know, you call. What time is it?”
    “It’s almost midnight and I told Billy to call the minute
he had the kids. D.C.’s only two hours from here and he’s been gone almost
four. I called all the numbers on the list he gave me and couldn’t get an
answer from any of them. I was hoping that either you or Claire had heard
something.”
    “Let me go see if Claire’s awake. I’ll call you back in a
minute, okay?”
    “Call me right back, please.”
    Ten minutes passed and then twenty and still no phone call.
    “What is with these people?” I said to the dogs as I paced
back and forth. “Don’t they realize I’m going nuts here?” I couldn’t stand it
any longer. I walked over to the phone and dialed Mom’s number. “Just wait
until I get someone on this phone! I’m going to give them a piece…”
    “Hello,” Billy said.
    “Hello!” I yelled at him. I was irate and at the same time I
was so glad to hear his voice. “What’s the matter with you guys? Don’t you
realize that I’ve been worried to death? You promised to call me hours ago!”
    “I’m sorry, Jesse.”
    “Is that all you can say? Where’re the kids? What happened
tonight? Why didn’t you call like you promised?” Tears began to pour out. I
felt sick to my stomach.
    “Calm down, `ge ya. Everything is all right. It went better
than we’d planned. You were right about Carl. He didn’t put up much of a fuss
even though he did stand his ground. I wasn’t threatening or anything. I talked
to Carl just long enough for Daniel and Robert to slip in the back door. We
were out of there in less than fifteen minutes. He said the kids were in bed,
so it wouldn’t surprise me if he still doesn’t know they’re gone. He doesn’t
seem to be the type who would go back and check on them after I left.”
    “What about Jonathan? Where was he?”
    “He was our lookout. He hid in the bushes.”
    “What would’ve happened if… oh, never mind. Are you coming
home now?”
    “We’re just getting ready to leave.”
    “We’ll talk about it when you get home. I want to know
everything.”
    An hour later, Billy walked in the front door. He looked
ragged and beat. I hugged him while he tried to take off his coat.
    “I was so worried that something had gone wrong. It’s awful
sitting home waiting for the one you love to come back from a mission such as
this. I should’ve been there with you.”
    “No, you shouldn’t have. I know how you are. You would’ve
made it worse. You would’ve been all over Carl. As it turned out, it wasn’t so
bad.”
    “Come on over to the sofa and let’s sit down. I want to hear
what happened. Can I get you something to eat or drink first?”
    Billy hung his coat on the rack by the door and then walked over
to the sofa. “No, I’m fine. On the way home, we stopped at Apple Jacks and got
something for the kids. I had a burger. I think it’s still talking to me.” He
sat on the sofa and stretched out his long legs. He crossed his arms and closed
his eyes. By the time I sat down next to him, he had dozed off.
    “Billy, come on,” I said as I shook him. “Let’s go to bed.
We’ll talk in the morning.”
    He rose from the sofa and headed to the bedroom. “I’m sorry,
but I’m too tired to talk, Jesse. This has been a long, long day.”
    “I know it has, Billy. Our life sure does have a lot of
excitement in it, doesn’t it? I mean, you drove all the way from Tennessee and then had to turn around and
drive to Washington , D.C. I’m surprised you can still walk.”
    “I