Divine Justice

"HCDJ?"

"Yep."

"That's Judge Mosley's car."

"What does HCDJ stand for?"

"Here comes da judge." She said this as though Stone were an idiot for not having figured it out on his own.

"By the way, did you get everything you needed at Willie's trailer?"

"Excuse me?"

Stone said, "I think you left a bottle of Tylenol at Willie's trailer. I had it with me, but then I lost it." He stared at her pointedly and then rubbed the back of his head. Why be subtle at this point?

Shirley looked like Stone was pointing a gun at her. "I didn't leave anything behind."

"You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. And I use Advil. Have ever since they had that pill scare with Tylenol."

"Willie thought there were pills left in the bottle, but when I found it, it was empty. And now it's gone. Maybe someone wanted it."

"Wanted an empty bottle? What for?"

"Well, there might have been some residue in there."

"Residue of what?"

Stone could tell she was lying. It was in every twitch of her face and shake of her voice. It had been her. She'd tried to kill her own son.

Now, who threw me into the snake pit, because it wasn't Miss Court Clerk with her stilettos and Pall Malls.

"You can't believe anything Willie says. Boy's always high."

"He was high on a stimulant, not a depressant. But the hospital said he had oxycodone in his system. That's a depressant."

"Willie doesn't know half the crap he's on. Probably forgot he took it."

"Or somebody wanted it to look that way."

She looked at him sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that somebody might have wanted to make it look like he'd OD'd accidentally."

She scoffed, "Why would anybody waste time trying to kill Willie? I mean, what'd be the point. It's not like he's got any money."

"That's not the only reason to kill somebody."

"What then?" She said this almost fearfully.

"Willie told me he'd asked Debby Randolph to marry him. Did you know about that?"

Shirley flushed at this information. She fumbled in her purse and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "No, I guess Willie didn't see fit to tell me that, his own mother."

"I take it you knew Debby?"

"Everybody in Divine knows everybody else," she said resignedly as she lit up.

"Would anybody in town have a problem with that happening?"

She blew smoke out and stared up at him. "What the hell does it matter to you? You're not from here. You don't know us. And just because you helped Willie doesn't mean I have to answer your damn questions."

"I thought you might want to help me, in case someone is trying to kill your son."

"Mister, no one is trying to kill Willie."

"But seeing as how he almost died and he says the drug that almost did him in he didn't take. Well, it does make you wonder."

She glanced at the wall of large boxes stacked a half dozen high and ten across. "I got a lot of work to do."

"Right. You want some help? I hire out cheap."

"I think you need to leave. Right now."

Stone turned and walked out.

As soon as he'd left another door opened and Judge Dwight Mosley walked slowly into the room. His tie was undone and his shirtsleeves were rolled up.

"Shirley, was someone here? I thought I heard you talking."

"Just to myself, Judge. Just to myself. You know how I get sometimes."

"Yes, I know." He smiled and went back through the door.

Shirley puffed on her cigarette, staring thoughtfully at the wall.