David Baldacci - Hour Game

King stepped forward and extended his hand to Junior.

"Junior, I'm Sean King. Harry Carrick hired us to work on your behalf."

Junior eyed Lulu, who nodded, and then he very grudgingly took King's hand and squeezed. Michelle saw her partner wince before the big man let go.

"This is my partner, Michelle Maxwell."

Lulu studied both of them very closely. "Harry said you'd be coming by. I just got Junior out, and I don't want him to go back in."

"I ain't going back in," growled Junior. "'Cause I ain't done nothing wrong."

As he said this, the little girl in his arms began to quietly cry.

"Oh, dang," he said, "Mary Margaret, now don't you cry no more. Daddy ain't going no place 'cept home." The little girl continued to sob.

"Mama," called out Lulu, "come and get the children, will you?"

Priscilla appeared at the door, minus the gun, and shooed the older children inside before holding out her arms for Mary Margaret and taking the sobbing girl.

She glared at Junior. "Well, I see they let anybody out of jail these days."

"Mama," exclaimed Lulu sharply, "just go inside and see to the children."

Priscilla put down Mary Margaret, and the little girl fled into the trailer. Priscilla nodded at King and Michelle. "This slick-talking feller and his chickie come 'round asking a bunch of questions. Say they're working for Junior. I say you should fire a bullet over their heads and tell them where they can go."

At the "chickie" slur King automatically grabbed Michelle's arm to hold her back from throttling the older woman. "Ms. Oxley," he said. "Like I said, we're here on Junior's behalf. We've already been to see Remmy Battle."

"Well, la-di-da," said Priscilla Oxley, who finished this statement with a snort. "And how's the queen today?"

"Do you know her?" asked King.

"I used to work at the Greenbrier Resort over in West Virginia. She and her family came there right regular."

"And she was… demanding?" said King.

"She was a royal pain in my fat ass," declared Priscilla. "And if Junior was dumb enough to steal from a witch like that, he deserves whatever he gets."

Lulu pointed a finger at the woman. "Mother, we have things to discuss with these people." She looked up at the front door of the trailer where Mary Margaret was listening and trembling in her distress. "Things the children don't need to hear."

"Don't you worry about that, honey." said Priscilla. "I'll fill 'em in on all their daddy's shortcomings. Only take me a couple of months."

"Now, Mother, don't be going and doing that," said Junior as he studied his large feet. He was a good foot taller than Priscilla Oxley, though he didn't outweigh her by all that much, and yet it was clear to both King and Michelle that the man was terrified of his mother-in-law.

"Don't you call me Mother. All the things Lulu and me done for you, and this is how you repay us? Getting yourself in trouble, maybe going to the electric chair!"

On this, Mary Margaret's sobs turned into earsplitting wails, and Lulu erupted into action.

"Excuse me," she said politely but firmly to King and Michelle.

She marched up the steps, grabbed a fistful of her mother's dress and pulled the larger woman into the trailer along with Mary Margaret. From behind the closed door they could hear muffled cries and angry voices, and then all became quiet. A few seconds after that, Lulu reemerged and closed the door behind her.

"Mama sometimes goes on when she's been drinking. Sorry about that," she said.

"She doesn't like me much," said Junior unnecessarily.

"Why don't we sit over here?" said Lulu, pointing to an old picnic table on the right side of the trailer.

Once settled there, King filled them both in on the visit to the Battles'.

Lulu said, "The problem is that." She pointed to the large shed behind the trailer. "I've told Junior a million times to put a door and lock on that thing."

"Old story," he said sheepishly. "Working on everybody else's house, ain't got time for my own."

"But the point," continued Lulu, "is that anybody can get in there."

"Not with old Luther back there," Junior said, nodding at the dog that had emerged once more from the shed and was barking happily at the sight of his owners.

"Luther!" said Lulu incredulously. "Sure he'll bark, but he won't bite, and he'll roll over like a baby when somebody brings him food." She turned to King and Michelle. "He has buddies coming over all the time to borrow tools. When we're not here, they leave little notes and let us know when they're gonna be bringing the things back, and sometimes they never do. And Luther sure as hell never stopped one of 'em."

"They'll leave a six-pack as a thank-you," offered Junior quickly. "They're good old boys."

"They're old boys all right, just don't know how good they are," said Lulu hotly. "One of them might've set you up."

"Now, baby, ain't none of them gonna do that to me."

King cut in. "But all we have to show is reasonable doubt. If the jury thinks there's an alternative out there, well, that's good for you."

"That's right, Junior," said his wife.

"But they're my friends. I ain't gonna get them in trouble. I know they ain't done nothing to hurt me. Hell, there ain't no way they coulda broke into the Battles' place. And let me tell you, they ain't gonna go up against Ms. Battle, that's for damn sure. I ain't got no college degree, but I'm smart enough not to take the woman's damn wedding ring. Shit, like I need that grief?"

"You don't have to do anything against your friends," said King emphatically. "Just give us names and addresses, and we'll check them out very discreetly. They probably all have ironclad alibis, and we can move on. But look, Junior, friends or not, unless we find other possible suspects, the evidence against you is pretty persuasive."

"Listen to him, Junior," said his wife. "You want to go back to jail?"

"Course not, baby."

"Well, then?" She looked at him expectantly.

Junior very reluctantly gave the names and addresses.

"Now, Junior," said King delicately, "I need you to be straight with me here. We're working for your attorney, so everything you say is confidential, it goes no further." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Did you have anything to do with that break-in? Not that you did it yourself, but might you have done something to help somebody else do it, maybe even unknowingly?"

Junior stood, his hands balled into big fists. "Okay, asshole, how 'bout I mess up that face of yours!" he roared.

Michelle half rose, her hand sliding to her holstered gun, but King motioned for her to stop. He said calmly, "Junior, my partner here was an Olympic athlete, holds multiple black belts and could kick both our butts with her feet alone. On top of that she's holstering a nine-millimeter cocked and locked and could put a round between your eyes at fifty feet much less five. Now, it's been a long day and I'm tired. So sit down and start using your brain before you get yourself hurt!"

Junior glanced in surprise at Michelle, who stared back at him without a trace of concern or fear on her features. He sat, but his gaze kept skipping to her as King continued. "We don't want to be surprised down the road. So if there's anything you haven't told us or Harry, you need to correct that right now."

After a long moment Junior shook his head. "I've been straight with you. I didn't do it and I got no idea who did. And right now I'm gonna go see my kids." He rose and stomped into the trailer.

WHEN KING AND MICHELLE walked back to their car, Lulu went with them.

"Junior's a good man. Loves the kids and me," she said. "He works hard, but he knows things don't look good for him, and it's drilling a hole right through his belly." She let out a long sigh. "Things were going good, maybe too good. My job's going great, and Junior's got more work than he can handle. We're building a new home, and the kids are doing real good in school. Yeah, maybe it was all going too good."