Inherit the Lightning by Bud Gundy

Author:Bud Gundy [Gundy, Bud]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781636792002
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2022-05-01T21:01:39+00:00

Chapter Seven

Harrison County, Ohio

Present day

Welcome to Cadiz Township

Birthplace of Clark Gable

“Clark Gable?” Darcy says from the passenger seat of Jake’s pickup.

“He was an actor, wasn’t he?”

“He played Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.”

“My mom and sister must have watched that movie about a hundred times, but all those ladies running around in poofy dresses talking about love and marriage…I’m more of a Star Wars guy.”

Darcy chuckles. “I’m right with you.”

They drive on, past trailers with sturdy vinyl siding and single-family homes. Bright plastic toys scatter across spacious lawns, carved from woodlands pressing in on every side. They pass a row of enormous old houses, gracious living for the local gentry of a previous age, now chopped into multi-unit dwellings, judging by the number of vehicles.

Ahead, magnificent towers rise over a small downtown. At the main intersection, they stop at a red traffic light.

Lining the streets on all sides, pristine older buildings evoke a frontier spirit. The brick and wood command respect and promise safety, fairness, and fidelity. It looks like a movie set, except for signs promising discount prices and dollar values. The streets are lazy with scattered traffic and no pedestrians beyond an old lady walking a small dog. Yet the echoes of long-ago endless bustle and noise still reverberate.

Jake points. “I think that’s our courthouse.”

The lawn of a square rises to a summit holding an enormous building sheathed in pale stone. Jake parks in front, and they pause to admire the courthouse’s riotous combination of classical symmetry gussied up with gothic and Victorian flourishes. A central clock tower rises highest. Arched windows parade along the top floor, announcing the noble work within, while square windows below suggest no-nonsense bureaucracy. A staircase sweeps up to a Greek portico sheltering the main entrance.

On the wide lawn, the statue of a passionate man makes a crucial point with a raised arm, the kind of politician who understood his obligation to live up to the standards of such a stately structure. Or at least they used to pretend they understood.

Inside, the main corridor features mosaic floor patterns and idealized wall paintings of local landmarks. It smells of old paper and dust, perhaps accounting for the hushed reverence of a library. They soon reach the recorder’s office, with county deeds and titles.

A beautiful Black woman works behind the counter, curls bouncing past her shoulders. Her smart outfit is molded to her voluptuous hourglass figure. She gives an old white guy at the counter a skeptical smile. “I told you, Mr. Griff. I’m too liberal to get elected to Congress from this district. First thing I’d do is raise your taxes.”

Beaming, Mr. Griff waves off her concerns. “Your family’s been living in these parts for as long as mine. Who better to put the screws to you but old neighbors?”

She laughs as Darcy and Jake walk up. “How can I help you gentlemen?”

Mr. Griff turns their way with tiny shuffles. “Say, fellas, what do you think? Doesn’t she have a face for Congress?”

Jake cocks his head.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.