Mama Does Time

It was almost 10:30 by the time I pulled into the lot at the Himmarshee Police Department. I was getting a little too familiar with the place—a low-slung concrete block building painted a depressing shade of gray. Beside it, a chain link fence topped by concertina wire enclosed an exercise yard. Across the yard was the jail, where Mama was.

From what Henry had said, the state attorney’s office still had to review her case. She hadn’t seen a judge yet. So far, the only one who was saying she was guilty was the man who’d tossed her in jail: Detective Martinez.

“Pe

A uniformed officer tapped at my windshield. It was Do

“Where you at, Mace? That look on your face puts you about a thousand miles away.’’

“I was just sitting here thinking of what to do next.’’

“Listen, I’m sorry about this mess with your mama,’’ Do

“Thanks, Do

I shifted gears. “Listen, is there any chance of me getting in there to see her? I don’t want to get you in any trouble.’’

“You won’t get me into trouble, Mace.’’ Do

Do

“Sorry, Mace. Anyway, I don’t see a problem with you checking on your mama. With her advanced age and all, I’m sure you’re worried about her medical condition, right?’’

“Do

He leveled a hard look at me, and I got a quick glimpse of how scary he might be on the opposite side of some bars. “What I said, Mace, is that you’re worried about her medical condition, right?’’ Do

“Yeah, that’s exactly right, Do

Not three days earlier, she’d run three blocks with her pet Pomeranian in her arms after the dog got a hold of a poisonous toad. She couldn’t get to a hose, so she’d jumped in a creek to douse out Teensy’s mouth. Then she ran all the way back with a shovel to kill the toad. Mama’s weak heart, my elbow.

“You know I’d feel awful if that poor old woman died while in our custody.’’ Do

Do

At the jail’s back door, Do

A lingering smell of disinfectant, overlaid with spaghetti and meatballs, transported me back to Wednesdays in my grade school cafeteria.

“Lunch smells decent, Do

“Smells and tastes are two different things, Mace. Let’s just say we won’t be wi

I felt a pang of sympathy. Mama loves good food.

From the movies, I’d expected the clang of bars and the catcalls of inmates. But the only thing I heard was the jangle of Do

“Like I said, we’re quiet today. This here’s the women’s quarters. Men are on the other side of the building. Normally, you’d have to use the visitors’ room, but I trust you, Mace. Hell, you changed my diapers.’’

As Do

We kept walking until we entered an open area with cells lining the outer walls. An officer sat behind thick glass, watching a console with a bunch of lights and switches. The lock-up was quite modern for a little burg like Himmarshee. But that’s Florida: No money for schools; plenty of money for jails.

“Your mama’s in the last spot on the left down there,’’ Do

Unless it was an axe murderer, Mama would prefer the company. She can’t abide being alone, which is probably why she’s had four husbands.

“What’s the other woman like?’’ I asked.

“Younger gal. Not violent, or anything,’’ Do

“Was it?’’

“Who knows?’’ Do

I tried not to take offense. Do

“I swear, Ms. Deveraux, you are a stitch.’’ The same woman laughed again. “What happened after Teensy got stuck in the road tar? Did he turn all black?’’

I smiled. That was one of Mama’s favorite stories, as her pet Pomeranian made a tar-free recovery. She loves happy endings.

“Is there an i

“Oh, my stars!’’ Mama squealed. “It’s my middle girl, Mace!’’

She was dressed in a jail-issue smock and drawstring pants, as orange as the reflective vest on a highway worker. I pretended the ugly uniform just meant Mama had gone to work in the office of a doctor with bad taste in color.

“Mace, honey, I want you to meet my roommate.’’

I slipped my hand through the bars to grip limp fingers. Mama’s twenty-something cellmate kept her shoulders hunched and her eyes on the concrete floor. If I had to guess, I’d say she’d been knocked around some. Despite a pierced nose and a wide streak of purple in her hair, she looked like the kind of woman who’d just as soon disappear.