A Crying Shame (67 page)

Something else hit the wall.

Jon decided to walk the grounds, first stashing his M-10 in the workshop, with the dead Link.

At the edge of the carefully tended grounds, Jon saw a man get out of a pickup truck and walk toward him.

The man's eyes widened when he noticed Jon's sidearm, but he said nothing about it. Rich people do funny things sometimes.
Sir? I'm Jamie Tymes; I work for Despair. There's a jeep parked down the road, ‘bout a mile down, 'longside one of our turn-rows. Been there all morning. Looks like it was there all night. Got that look, you know? Engine's cold as a hammer. It belong to you?”

No.” Jon squinted and could just make out sunlight bouncing off polished metal.
I don't know who it belongs to. If someone doesn't claim it soon, I'll call Mike Saucier.”

The workman relaxed. This big rough-lookin' dude knew the sheriff; called him by his first name. So everything must be all right.

Much work left to do before harvest?” Jon asked.

No, sir. We're done moppin' and with most of the sprayin.' Waitin' is the name of the game now. For a few more weeks, that is.”

I see,” Jon said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, counting out ten one-hundred-dollar bills. He handed them to the surprised man.
Miss Breaux wants you and the other hands to take the next week off. Full pay. This is a bonus. Divide it equally between the other men.”

Yes, sir,” the startled hand said, pocketing the bills.
But I don't understand, sir.”

We're expecting . . . company during the next week. And some of it will be quite unexpected, I assure you.” Jon was not really lying to the man.
We don't wish to be disturbed. It ... has to do with Paul Breaux's death.”

Oh. Yes, sir. Now I get it. When's the funeral?”

That's been delayed for a time. Some legal problems have arisen.”