“It started a month after we got married,” she admits quietly, sniffling through her tears and still refusing to look up at me. “You know he’s the mayor of Bald Knob, right?”
I nod, not saying anything as she takes a deep breath and continues.
“I know it’s a small town, but he’s still under a lot of pressure all the time. It’s hard being the wife of the most popular man in town, and you know I like to keep to myself. All those functions we have to attend and parties we have to throw at our house, and then there’s voting year when things get even more stressful and hectic…”
She’s making excuses for the rat bastard and I can’t stand it. I want to scream at her, I want to shake some sense into her, and I want to stand her in front of a mirror and remind her that plenty of husbands have stress, but they don’t leave their wives looking like she does right now. But I don’t do any of that. I know it’s not what she needs. What she needs is my confidence and one more swift push in the ass for old time’s sake.
Leaning forward, I hit the red call button on the bed railing.
“What are you doing?” Emma Jo asks when the static voice of a nurse comes through the speaker next to the button asking what we need.
“Could we get a doctor in here immediately? Ms. Jackson is ready to leave, and we need to get the discharge paperwork started,” I talk toward the speaker.
The nurse confirms that she’ll send someone in right away and I push up from my chair, pulling the blanket off of Emma Jo’s legs as I go.
“I’m busting you out of here,” I state, answering her question as I bend down and wrap my arms around her waist to help her out of bed, careful to move her slowly and not hurt her ribs.
“Payton, I can’t go home. He’s out of town today, but he’ll be back tomorrow night.”
Her voice is even more quiet and timid than normal, and now it’s shaking with fear.
“Good. We have time to change the locks and file a restraining order. And when he shows up tomorrow, I’ll be nice and rested and full of enough coffee to tell him to go fuck himself,” I reassure her, trying my best to keep the rage out of my voice as I leave her leaning against the edge of the bed and go to the small closet to grab her clothes.
“But people will see me. They’ll know,” she whispers uneasily.
When I pull out a white Bald Knob Wildcats t-shirt and see splatters of blood on the neck, chest and arms, I forget all about keeping the anger out of my voice so I don’t freak her out. Tossing the shirt into the garbage can next to the closet, I walk back over to Emma Jo and squat down to my rolling suitcase, pulling out a pair of black dress pants similar to the ones I’m wearing and a peach sleeveless sweater, handing them to her as I stand back up.
“So, let them see you. Let them know that the man they elected to run that town is nothing but a dickless pussy with shit for brains,” I speak through clenched teeth when she gently takes the clothes from my hands. “Maybe if we’re lucky, the whole town will turn on him and burn him at the stake in the middle of the town square. If not, I’m just gonna need a hell of a lot more coffee so I can be in the right frame of mind to plot his death.”
Exhaling loudly, I give Emma Jo a reassuring smile. When she returns it and asks me to help her get changed in the bathroom, I know I definitely made the right decision getting on that plane. Everyone in Bald Knob might like Jed, but if he comes anywhere near my friend, Jed is dead.
CHAPTER 4
Recorded Interview
June 2, 2016
Bald Knob, KY Police Department
Deputy Lloyd: I know this is a difficult time for you right now, Mrs. Godfrey, but I need you to answer the question.
Starla Godfrey: I just don’t know if my heart can take this right now, Buddy.
Deputy Lloyd: Mrs. Godfrey, this is an official sheriff’s office investigation on record. Could you please not use my first name?
Starla Godfrey: I am eighty-years-old and I’ve earned the right to call anyone whatever I please. I think we should discuss the fact that you’ve been living here for three months and I have yet to see you attend a service at Bald Knob Presbyterian.
Deputy Lloyd: Mrs. Godfrey, please try and focus. We brought you in today because you are a witness to one of our suspects threatening the victim. I need for you to tell me exactly what you heard Miss Lambert shout the night of the murder.
Starla Godfrey: That girl got herself all citified and does a lot of yelling now. She yelled at my poor Bo Jangles when he took a tinkle on her foot. He was so terrified I couldn’t get him to go outside the whole next day.
Deputy Lloyd: Weren’t you the one who placed a call to Mrs. Jackson’s home right before the body was discovered and told her that Bo Jangles was outside barking at something in her backyard? So, you must have been able to get him out at some point, which would make your statement false. I need to remind you that this is a sworn testimony you’re giving here today, Mrs. Godfrey.
Starla Godfrey: Don’t try to trip me up with your fancy detective words, Buddy Lloyd. I’ve seen every episode of Cagney and Lacey, and I know what you’re trying to do here.
Deputy Lloyd: I’m not trying to trip you up, ma’am, I just need you to answer the question. What did you hear Payton Lambert shout at the victim on the night he was murdered?
Starla Godfrey: I’m a good Christian woman, young man, and I could never repeat what she said. Let’s just say it had something to do with removing a man’s body part and killing him with it.