Desert Heat

“Done already?” she asked.

Daddy Jim nodded. “It wasn’t much.” “Would you like some coffee? Je

The old man sighed. His eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from lack of sleep. “No, tanks,” he said. “Reckon I’d better head on home. Mama’s taking this real hard. I shouldn’t leave her alone for very long at a stretch.”

“Is she all right?” Joa

Jim Bob shook his head. “You know Eva Lou,” he said wearily. “She’s fine as long as she’s busy doin’ for somebody else, but this morning, I think it finally hit home, what with the rumors and all.”

“You’ve heard them, too?” Joa

Daddy Jim shrugged. “Heard some of ‘em last night right here from old Clayton Rhodes. I didn’t pass ‘em along to Mama, though, ‘cause I was afraid they’d like to kill her. Wouldn’t you know somebody called her up bright and early this morning to talk about it? And it was on the TV news as well. To hear them talk, it’s like it’s all cut and dried, like Andy’s guilty as sin when he’s not here to defend himself. It don’t seem fair to me that you’re i

The old man strode away from her a few paces and swiped savagely at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. In all the years she’d known him Joa

Alter a time he straightened his shoulders d drew a deep breath. “Where’s it go

“I am,” Joa

Jim Bob Brady looked at her earnestly. “So you don’t think he did all those things, either, you?”

“No.”

“But what do we do about it?”

“Try to prove they’re wrong,” Joa

“How?”

“I don’t know. By going to the bank and finding out where the money came from to buy my ring, for one thing,” she replied. “By finding out exactly when Lefty O’Toole was murdered and by showing conclusively that Andy was nowhere around when that happened”

“Have you seen this note they keep talking about?” Jim Bob asked hoarsely. “The suicide note?”

“Not yet, but I will. He wouldn’t do that, Daddy Jim.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Jim Bob Brady returned. “Don’t you think I know my own son well enough to say he’d never do such a thing, never leave his wife and child to make it on their own?” His voice cracked and he stopped for a moment.

“But how do you convince somebody else?” he continued. “I called Dick Voland last night after Mama fell asleep. I called then because I didn’t want her knowin’ what I was up to. I asked him straight out about hirin’ a private investigator to look into this matter. Do you know what he says to me? He tells me to save my money and not bother. They must think they’ve got a pretty good case.”

“Except for one small thing,” Joa

The dim light of hope seemed to switch back on in Jim Bob Brady’s eyes. “Do you think we’ll we be able to prove it, Joa

The old man’s tremulous hope caused a sudden stiffening in Joa

Jim Bob Brady shook his head. “I can’t tell u what it would mean to Mama, if you found out Andy didn’t do all those awful things,” he said.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, then he went on. “Thank you, Joa

“Daddy Jim,” Joa

“Maybe so,” Jim Bob Brady agreed. “In fact, don’t have a doubt in the world. The point, you shouldn’t have to. Not right now. Besides, bein’ back out here takes my mind off my troubles, helps me think about other things.”

If that was true, if coming out to do chores was therapeutic, Joa

“I promise,” he said quickly. “I may look old and all wore out, but I can still heft me a mean bale of hay now and then.”

Behind them the screen door on the back porch banged open. “Mom,” Je

“She wants to go to school today,” Joa

“I’m headed that way myself, Je

Je

He asked the question awkwardly, as though he knew he had no right to ask but found himself powerless in the face of his agonizing need to know.

“We’ll be fine, Daddy Jim,” Joa

He sighed with relief. “I’m real happy to or it. Maybe it’ll help me sleep a little better tonight, but then again, maybe not.”

Once more the screen door banged. Je

Je

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “Mama and me were both pretty upset way back then when you and Andy turned up pregnant and all. We thought you was too young and crazy get married and make it work, to make a go of it, but you did, by God.

“You were still just a kid, Joa

Joa

“Good,” he said. “I just wanted you to know.”

With that, he pulled his hand from his pocket and held it out to Joa

Joa