It was almost 10:30 by the time I pulled into the lot at the Himmarshee Police Department. I was getting a little too familiar with the placea low-slung concrete block building painted a depressing shade of gray. Beside it, a chain link fence topped by concertina wire enclosed an exercise yard. Across the yard was the jail, where Mama was.
From what Henry had said, the state attorneys office still had to review her case. She hadnt seen a judge yet. So far, the only one who was saying she was guilty was the man whod tossed her in jail: Detective Martinez.
Penny for your thoughts, Mace.
A uniformed officer tapped at my windshield. It was Donnie Bailey, who Id babysat once upon a time. Looking at him now, all muscles and mustache, made me feel old.
Where you at, Mace? That look on your face puts you about a thousand miles away.
I was just sitting here thinking of what to do next.
Listen, Im sorry about this mess with your mama, Donnie said. I was on duty last night when they brought her over to the jail. Im gonna see she gets treated good, Mace. Dont worry.
Thanks, Donnie. I felt the threat of tears gathering behind my eyes. That means a lot.
I shifted gears. Listen, is there any chance of me getting in there to see her? I dont want to get you in any trouble.
You wont get me into trouble, Mace. Donnies chest puffed out, like a wild turkey in full strut. Im the one in charge this shift. I run the jail, and I say who comes and goes. Your Mamas minister already made his rounds. Family visits arent til later, but were pretty light on inmates right now.
Donnie glanced at me quickly to see how Id taken to Mama being called an inmate. I didnt take to it too well.
Sorry, Mace. Anyway, I dont see a problem with you checking on your mama. With her advanced age and all, Im sure youre worried about her medical condition, right?
Donnie, Mamas healthier than I am.
He leveled a hard look at me, and I got a quick glimpse of how scary he might be on the opposite side of some bars. What I said, Mace, is that youre worried about her
medical condition
, right? Donnie spoke loud and slow, like I was a particularly thick kindergartner he was trying to teach the alphabet.
Yeah, thats exactly right, Donnie. A-B-C. Im just frantic to think about how all this mess might be affecting Mamas poor old heart.
Not three days earlier, shed run three blocks with her pet Pomeranian in her arms after the dog got a hold of a poisonous toad. She couldnt get to a hose, so shed jumped in a creek to douse out Teensys mouth. Then she ran all the way back with a shovel to kill the toad. Mamas weak heart, my elbow.
You know Id feel awful if that poor old woman died while in our custody. Donnie did all but wink. Yall might get your cousin Henry to sue us and shut down the jail. And where would I be? Neither jail nor job.
Donnie hitched up his belt and shook a ring full of keys at me. I climbed out of my Jeep and followed him, through a locked gate and onto the concrete slab that serves as the exercise yard. There wasnt much to it: three rusty weight-lifting benches and a half-deflated basketball.
At the jails back door, Donnie worked a series of deadbolts. Then he leaned into the heavy steel with his shoulder. The door inched open slowly, and he stepped aside to let me walk through.
A lingering smell of disinfectant, overlaid with spaghetti and meatballs, transported me back to Wednesdays in my grade school cafeteria.
Lunch smells decent, Donnie.
Smells and tastes are two different things, Mace. Lets just say we wont be winning any blue ribbon awards for cooking.
I felt a pang of sympathy. Mama loves good food.
From the movies, Id expected the clang of bars and the catcalls of inmates. But the only thing I heard was the jangle of Donnies keys and a faint squeak from his shoes.
Like I said, were quiet today. This heres the womens quarters. Men are on the other side of the building. Normally, youd have to use the visitors room, but I trust you, Mace. Hell, you changed my diapers.
As Donnie led the way, I couldnt help but notice how nicely hed filled out since those diaper-wearing days.
We kept walking until we entered an open area with cells lining the outer walls. An officer sat behind thick glass, watching a console with a bunch of lights and switches. The lock-up was quite modern for a little burg like Himmarshee. But thats Florida: No money for schools; plenty of money for jails.
Your mamas in the last spot on the left down there, Donnie pointed across the interior square. We have space, but we have to give her a cellmate. Its procedure.
Unless it was an axe murderer, Mama would prefer the company. She cant abide being alone, which is probably why shes had four husbands.
Whats the other woman like? I asked.
Younger gal. Not violent, or anything, Donnie said. Shes in for check fraud. Says it was her boyfriend to blame.
Was it?
Who knows? Donnie shrugged. Just like theres not a guilty man in jail, theres hardly a woman who doesnt claim shed never have done it if not for some guy. Id go crazy if I listened to every inmate who claims theyre innocent.
I tried not to take offense. Donnie was as much as grouping Mama in with that guilty crowd. I kept my mouth shut and crossed to her cell. A low-pitched chuckle sounded inside.
I swear, Ms. Deveraux, you are a stitch. The same woman laughed again. What happened after Teensy got stuck in the road tar? Did he turn all black?
I smiled. That was one of Mamas favorite stories, as her pet Pomeranian made a tar-free recovery. She loves happy endings.
Is there an innocent old woman in here? Plastering a reassuring grin onto my face, I peeked in her cell. A gorgeous, innocent woman?
Oh, my stars! Mama squealed. Its my middle girl, Mace!
She was dressed in a jail-issue smock and drawstring pants, as orange as the reflective vest on a highway worker. I pretended the ugly uniform just meant Mama had gone to work in the office of a doctor with bad taste in color.
Mace, honey, I want you to meet my roommate.
I slipped my hand through the bars to grip limp fingers. Mamas twenty-something cellmate kept her shoulders hunched and her eyes on the concrete floor. If I had to guess, Id say shed been knocked around some. Despite a pierced nose and a wide streak of purple in her hair, she looked like the kind of woman whod just as soon disappear.
Mama would try to fix that.
Were becoming great friends, arent we, LaTonya? When we get out of here, Ive asked her to come visit us at Abundant Hope, Mace. Of course, our new pastors not real popular. But were hoping he works out.
Donnie said he came by already this morning. That was nice, I said.
Mama pursed her lips.
Whats wrong?
Im trying to warm up to him, I really am, Mace. But the man has a strange way of offering comfort. I mean, Im sitting in jail. Do you think this is the time I want to hear about his plans for selling his DVDs and growing our little church?
I raised my eyebrows. Mama answered her own question.
No, it is not. Hes so full of himself, I barely got a word in edgewise about my situation.
I sincerely doubted that.
Mama, if you dont like him, just tell Donnie you dont want to see him.
Her eyes got wide. I couldnt do that, Mace. Pastor Bob is my
minister.
Howre you getting along in here otherwise?
Mama brightened. Well, Ive been helping LaTonya with her colors. Were pretty sure with her brown eyes and skin tone, shes an Autumn. Its kind of hard to tell, what with that interesting shade of lavender in her hair.
LaTonyas eyes flickered up from the floor for a second as she touched her purple stripe. Its just like Mama to treat jail like a slumber party, all color charts and clothing tips. Im no expert, but those orange uniforms would flatter no onenot a Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.
Im glad to see you, Mama.
Me, too, Mace. But what happened to your hair, honey? It looks like a possum crawled in there and dug a nest.
I ignored the criticism. A woman who cuts her own hair cant afford to be too vain. But I ran a hand through it anyway to try and fluff the flat side. Ive got good news, Mama. Henrys working hard on getting you out of here.
Alarm registered on her face. Henry hasnt told his mama where I am, has he, Mace? That Irene will never let me forget it if he has.
By this time, the news that Mama was in jail was all over Himmarshee County, from the fish camps around Lake Okeechobee to the citrus groves that stretch to the north.
I doubt if Henrys said a word. Lawyers have to respect confidentiality. Its a law.
I brought Mama up to date on the criminal identity of the man in her trunk.
Poor Emma Jean, she said.
Didnt you suspect anything funny about her boyfriend?
I barely knew the man, Mace. Id only seen him once, briefly, when he dropped Emma Jean off at bingo. He never even got out of the car.
I told her about Police Chief Johnson getting involved.
He was the sweetest child in Sunday School, Mace. Loved cupcakes.
And I said my upcoming meeting with Martinez would give us a better idea of where things stood.
Now, dont make him mad, Mace. I know how you are. Just remember what I always say: you can catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Maybe it was the stress, but that last part set my blood to boil. Mamas constantly on me to be more charming, to smile more. She knows Id sooner eat dirt than flutter my eyes and flirt.
I lashed out. Yeah, we can see where all that honey has gotten you, Mama. Right behind bars. By the way, Im glad youre having a good time in here, discussing colors and all, but I hope you know youre in serious trouble. You better start thinking about something that will help Henry and the rest of us get you out of here. You cant expect us to do all the work.
Mama recoiled like Id slapped her. LaTonya lifted her eyes long enough to shoot me a dirty look.
Mace, Im perfectly aware of where I am. Mama said softly, her voice laced with hurt. I dont live in a dream world. I know Im in trouble. But thats the difference between us. You worry and stew and make things worse. I put on the happiest face I can. I try to make the best out of things, even the worst things. And I trust the Lord to sort things out. Its the way Ive always gotten by. Its the only way I know.
I swallowed, hard. Im an awful daughter. My sister Marty would never be so mean; though Maddie might. I heard squeaky shoes and felt a tap on my shoulder.
Mace, you need to get going. Donnie couldnt have come at a better time. Were about ready to serve lunch, and believe me, you dont want to be around here for that.
I ducked my head, surreptitiously brushing away tears. Its okay, Donnie. I was just fixin to leave anyway.
I started to walk away, and then turned back to the cell. Im sorry Im so horrible, Mama. I love you. You know that, right?
Shed always taught us, never leave mad. You never know which breath is your last.
Mace, Im as sure of your love as I am of the sun. Stop fretting.
I promise you, youre going to be home soon. Teensys going to be driving you to distraction again before you know it.
LaTonya glanced up, rewarding me with a smile.
Detective Martinez is going to figure out this whole mess is a misunderstanding, I said. Hes going to charge in here himself and cut you loose.
I know lying is wrong. But Mama always said its not a sin if you lie in order to save another persons feelings.
A uniformed stranger sat at the receptionists desk in the police lobby. Emma Jean probably needed time to recover from the shock of finding out that A: her boyfriend had been murdered; and B: he wasnt who she thought he was.
The woman manning the desk had close-cropped hair and a husky build. A red-and-black tattoo peeked out from under her shirt sleeve. She was reading a copy of
Field & Stream
magazine. There was not a chance in hell shed ever wear a kitty-cat pin or pour her bosoms into a pink bustier.
Excuse me.
She looked up from the magazine, staring at me like I was something shed dragged into the lobby on the bottom of her shoe.
Im looking for Detective Martinez. He asked me to stop by to see him.
Actually, hed summoned me, like he was a medieval duke and I was a serf. But I was determined to be on my best behavior, so I didnt dwell on that.
With a monumental effort, the woman put down the magazine and picked up the phone. She punched in a few numbers, then barked, Its Officer Watkins. Tell Martinez theres a woman up here to see him.