The Silence of Darkness (American Back Roads Stories Book 1) by Bradley James Tall

Author:Bradley James Tall [Tall, Bradley James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2019-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

“Ozzie, you’ve got to remember why you were out driving your John Deere tractor the night Hector disappeared. We have 45 minutes until the hearing. I’m no lawyer, but your late-night ride down the road with no explanation is a key piece of evidence against you.”

Professor and pupil sat on opposite sides of the same table, in the same room, as their two previous meetings at the Justice Center.

Ozzie was in the mood to joke. “This orange jumpsuit makes me look like an Allis-Chalmers tractor, don’t ya think?” The orange jumpsuit was not all that made Ozzie look a whole lot different. He had shaved, showered, and his long hair was now pulled back into a short ponytail, and his body odor lacked the usual combination smell of dairy barn and beer.

“Ozzie, we can’t waste time.” Paul remained insistent, ignoring Ozzie’s humorous reference to the bankrupt Allis-Chalmers company that built all orange farm equipment, feeling desperate to help, under-manned this time. Agitated with their under-prepared position, his hands shook.

“Ok … ok, but Professor, I plain as shit can’t remember a thing about that night. Hector came over … except … he was weird … edgy.”

“Then you do remember something. Edgy? How so? Come on, tell me something more.”

“Like, he was scared …”

“Or, maybe he was scared of someone … someone who threatened him. Maybe someone was chasing him?”

With a jerk of his head, Paul leaned forward, adding another subject to the discussion, testing Ozzie’s memory further. “Maybe he was scared of Conrad and Philly coming over? You said he didn’t like either of them…”

Ozzie moved his head back and forth … frowning. “Hector never would have thought those idiots would come to my house, not after the way I kicked the both of them out and told them never to come back.” Looking across the table at Paul, his eyes widened, as if his long hibernation from the truth finally ended. “Like I told that fat-ass detective … Conrad and Philly never were there that night … never … never.”

Paul spun out of his chair. “So, based on what you say, Hector had another reason to be edgy that night. Ozzie, make sure you stick to your story that you never saw either Conrad or Philly. Then, it’s a matter of their word against yours. And, if I get those boys on the stand in a trial, well, I’ll tear them apart.”

Ozzie laughed. “Now, that’s the attitude of the man I hired to defend me.”

Paul smiled, starting to feel more comfortable. “I can do this … I can do this.”

Still laughing, Ozzie’s head moved back and forth, up and down, while Paul circled the table doing his best defense attorney act. Their refreshing good humor stopped as the door to the room opened. A gray-haired man in a pin-striped suit entered, carrying a legal folder looking mostly empty, and an attitude commanding attention.

“Mr. Ozman,” he said while extending his hand to shake.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Gaylord Black of the law firm Hanson, Black, Holder, and Tillman.

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