A Woman on the Place Read online

  CHAPTER FOUR

  IT WAS about nine o’clock that morning. Rhodes drove the pick-up truck into the closely-mowed front yard at Darl Hollister’s. He sat up high in the seat so he could see over the steering wheel. Will always let him drive the pick-up no matter where they went, even into Pine Flat. When Lena protested, Will always said, “The boy has got to know how to do things for himself, Lena. He’s got to rely on himself. I want him to know how to take care of himself no matter what happens.”

  They had not spoken this morning since Will asked him if he’d like to take a run over to Darl Hollister’s.

  Will had sat with his arm resting on the window, not even watching where they were going, deep in his thoughts.

  Rhodes looked at the huge fieldstone house. Three-storied with gables and a red roof that spattered red sunlight all over everything. The drive led right up to the wide stone steps and Rhodes parked the car there behind Darl Hollister’s bright new green Lincoln.

  “Come on in,” Will said. Rhodes followed him up the steps, waited while Will rang the doorbell.

  A colored man opened the door, showed his teeth in a big smile. “Good mornin’, Mist’ Will and Mist’ Rhodes. How yall this morning?”

  “Pretty good, Uncle Felix,” Will said. “You reckon Mr. Darl could talk with us awhile this morning?”

  “Shorely, Mist’ Will. Come right in.”

  Rhodes followed Will into the large brightly lit foyer. A semi-circular stairway led to the upper floors. Not much like the narrow stairway at home, Rhodes thought.

  Uncle Felix knocked softly at a closed door to the left of the foyer. They heard Darl say, “Come in.” Uncle Felix nodded at them and held the door open.

  “Mist’ Will and his son to see you, Mist’ Darl,” Uncle Felix said.

  Rhodes followed Will into the library. It was dark in there, with Venetian blinds drawn. Books lined the walls, the furniture was covered with dark leather. Darl Hollister stood up from a deep club chair and Rhodes was startled to see a highball glass in his hand at this hour.

  “Well, Johnson,” Darl said. “Been looking for you.”

  “Sorry I haven’t been over sooner.”

  “You could just mail the money,” Darl said.

  There was something in his voice that made both Rhodes and Will lift their heads, puzzled.

  “What’s the matter with you, Darl?” Will said. “You been hitting the bottle heavy this morning?”

  “I don’t think that’s any of your goddamn business,” Darl said. “Whatever you got to say, let’s say it and get it over with.”

  “Sure,” Will said. He took a few steps forward. “But you got a burr up your tail, Darl. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

  “I don’t think I have to tell you anything.”

  “You don’t. Not if you don’t care whether I know what you’re sore about or not.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Will’s fists clenched. “Look, Darl. You and I grew up together. Your old man had money, my old man died and left me broke when I was ten. It never made no difference before. Why should it now?”

  “That doesn’t make any difference now. Not with me.”

  “We’ve fished and hunted together.”

  “Yeah. Looks like we’ve hunted some of the same things. Look, Johnson, you came over here to pay me some money. Pay it, so I can get back to my drinking. I’m real far behind on my drinking — like you are on your payment.”

  “I came over to ask for a little time. I’d like to pay you today, but the only way I could would be to borrow the money from somebody else — and that don’t make sense.”

  “I don’t care where you get the money. Just get it.”

  Will stepped nearer. “What’s the matter, Darl? You’re not hard up, too, for God’s sake?”

  Darl laughed at him. “Whether I am or not is no concern of yours. You owe me a payment, I want to collect it.”

  He sat down behind his polished desk, set his drink before him. A tall slender man with fair hair and blue eyes, he was a couple years older than Will.

  “Like I said, Darl, there’s nothing I’d like better than being able to make the installment on that loan you made me.”

  Darl twisted the glass in his fingers, making lines through the sweatbeads. “Maybe you don’t understand, Will. It’s not a matter of your wanting to pay it or not. It’s due. Overdue. Looks like you’d see you’ve got to pay.”

  Will smiled. “Looks like it, except for one thing.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You just can’t get blood out of a turnip, Darl. You know that.”

  “I know something else. I can make that turnip wish to God he gave blood by the quart.”

  Will’s mouth tightened. “Sure you can. But what would you want to do that for?”

  “Maybe I’m sick and tired of waiting for you to pay.”

  There was a knock on the door. Uncle Felix stuck his head inside. “Mr. Enoch Gaines wants a minute of your time, Mist’ Darl.”

  “All right.”

  Enoch Gaines stepped into the room. A stocky man, he was a graduate of the University school of agriculture. Darl had hired him to oversee the Hollister farms and dairies.

  He said, “Just a minute of your time, Darl. It’s about the tomatoes. That whole field got burned in the cold last night. I don’t think we can save any of it.”

  Darl took a deep drink. “The hell with it,” he said. “Run the goddamn tractor through there, clear it and let the land rest. I knew damned well we’d never get tomatoes through February.”

  “We ought to try to save what we can,” Enoch said. “That will be a three thousand dollar loss, Darl.”

  Darl stood up. “I said to hell with it. I told you, Enoch, we wouldn’t get tomatoes. And we won’t. Next time you’ll listen to me.”

  Enoch sighed and backed from the room. He closed the door.

  Will laughed. “You’re just in one hellish mood this morning, ain’t you, Darl?”

  Darl sat down again. “I don’t like losses. I’m not in business to have losses. That’s why I’m sick of waiting for you.”

  “What are you talking about, Darl? I haven’t missed a payment yet. I admit I’ve been late on some. I’m not pretending it’s been easy every time to make those payments. That just wouldn’t be the truth. But you’re not interested in whether it’s easy or hard for me to pay up-just so I do pay.”

  Darl’s fist closed on the desk. “Well, there you are, Will. Looks like you’ve said it for me. All I’m interested in is you paying me.”

  “And that’s why I’m asking for a little extension on this note.”

  “And that’s why I’m telling you there’s no use asking.”

  Will stared. “What in hell are you talking about, Darl? I just need a little time.”

  “I’ve given you all the time I’m going to give you. Maybe you don’t understand, the minute you didn’t meet the payment date, that whole loan became payable right that minute. You understand that, don’t you?”

  “Sure. There’s that clause.”

  “You don’t suppose it was put in there to sound pretty, do you, Will?”

  “My God almighty. I never figured it one way or the other. That clause is something you can do. It don’t say you will do it, or you have to do it. My God, that clause is in loans made with banks, but damn few of them ever enforce it.”

  “Well, that’s my news for you. I’m enforcing that clause.”

  Will shook his head. “You’re joking.”

  “Am I?”

  “Well, damn it, you better be. Why, if you took a twenty thousand dollar farm because I can’t meet an eight hundred dollar note — it would be robbery.”

  “But if you don’t pay me back my money, that ain’t robbery?”

  Will spread his hands. “Damn it, Darl. Come out in the open. There’s a burr up your tail, and there has been ever since I walked in here. Now you know what that farm of mine is worth, and you know I can get more ou
t of it than anybody else. A little bad luck has put me on the bottom for a while. But’s that’s all it is. It’s not the money with you. You act like you got a real hate eatin’ at you, if you have, come out in the open with it.”

  Darl’s expression didn’t change. “Let’s just leave it this way. You don’t pay me that installment, I’m taking your farm.”

  “Damn you. You’ve gone nuts.”

  “Have I? Maybe I’ve good reason for going nuts.”

  Will looked around the room. He nodded. “Maybe you have. But what’s that got to do with me?”

  Darl stood up. His mouth twisted. “Don’t know anything about it, do you, Will?”

  “You act crazy, I know that. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Maybe I’ll tell you.” Darl picked up his highball glass. His hand trembled. “Anyhow, maybe by now you get the idea. I want you off that farm. I want you out of this country.”

  “Man, you’re nuts. Why?”

  “Stop putting on that injured act with me. I’m getting a belly full of it. Pay up — and get out — or just get out. But if you don’t pay up, I want you off that farm.”

  Will had to laugh. But there was no mirth in it. “Darl, you’re off your rocker. Why would I give you that farm for eight hundred dollars? I can get that. It was just that I didn’t want to — I’ll admit I’m in debt, and I hate to add another thousand to it, when with just a little time — ”

  Darl cut him off. “Suits me. Go broke the slow way, or the fast way. The fast way is best. It would be better. That way you’d get out of this country before I kill you.”

  Will breathed deeper. Rhodes took a step back toward the door. Nobody ever talked to Will like that.

  “Wait a minute. You better lay off whatever you’re drinking, Hollister. I thought you were my friend. I came as a friend to ask for a short extension on my note … But don’t start talking about killing me. I got no nice easy temper in the first place, and I’m already burned at what you said about taking my farm.”

  Darl waved his hand toward the door. “Get the money, Johnson. That’s all you got to do. That’s how easy it is.”

  Will turned around. “Come on, Rhodes.”

  He put his hand on Rhodes’ shoulder. Darl Hollister followed them out into the foyer. When Rhodes opened the door he heard a rustling sound beyond it.

  They stopped outside the door. Connie Hollister was going hurriedly toward the wide stairs. She was in a long trailing robe. She pulled it up from her feet so she could run better.

  “Connie!” Darl’s voice lashed after her.

  Connie did not hesitate. Her blonde hair was wild about her thin shoulders. She didn’t look back.

  For a moment Will and Rhodes stared at her as she fled up the stairs. Then Will touched his arm and they went out the front door. Even when they got down to the pick-up they could hear Darl’s laughter, a strange mirthless sound that had a sob in it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “WHAT you reckon is wrong with Mr. Darl today, Will?” Rhodes had both hands on the steering wheel. He sat up straight and did not take his gaze off the narrow black road.

  “I don’t know, son. Looks like when the devil gets on your tail there ain’t much you can do but say uncle.”

  “Where you reckon to get the money?”

  “We’ll take a run into Pine Flat. I can get the money from the bank. It’s just that I didn’t want to if there was some way to get by.”

  “You could get it from the concentrate people, Will.”

  Will shook his head. “That’s wrong either way, Rhodes. You know what a bunch of darkies and poor whites those people hire would do to a grove. I don’t have to tell you.”

  “No, sir. But the way you need money.”

  Will touched Rhodes’ shoulder. “Don’t you get all upset, boy. I can still handle it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Pine Flat’s main street was three blocks of tired old redbrick buildings bounded on the west by Highway 41-South and on the east by the tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line railway.

  Will pointed out a parking place in front of the Pine Flat National Bank and Rhodes pulled the truck into it. Will gave Rhodes a dollar.

  “I won’t be in the bank long,” he said. “I’ll meet you back here.”

  Rhodes walked along one side of Main Street from the railroad to the highway. He looked in the window at the hardware store, the collection of knives, fishing tackle and Winchester guns. The drug-store smelled good and his hand tightened on the spending money Will had given him. At the curb of the highway he stood for ten minutes watching the cars pause for the traffic signal and then race through Pine Flat. The people in the cars didn’t even look at Rhodes or the town. He counted the out-of-state license tags. Finally he crossed Main Street and started back on the walk along the other side.

  “Rhodes!”

  Rhodes stopped and turned toward the doorway of the Pasttime Bar. Cousin Tom and another man came out on the walk, blinking against the sun.

  “What you doing in town, boy?” Cousin Tom said. His face was sweated, and it was easy to see he’d been drinking.

  “Came in with Will,” Rhodes said.

  “Will in town?” Cousin Tom glanced at the other man and grinned. The man was as tall as Rhodes but rail-thin with a shock of cotton-colored hair and sun-faded blue eyes. His mouth worked continually. “This here is Ab Taylor, Rhodes,” Tom said. “Make his acquaintance, Ab.”

  Ab Taylor shoved out a thin white hand. Rhodes touched it, found it warm and moist, quickly dropped it.

  “Glad to know you, little fellow,” Ab said. “Where is Will Johnson?”

  “He’s over at the bank,” Rhodes said.

  “Why don’t we just amble over there?” Ab said.

  “Good idea. Will ought to be out in just a few minutes, shouldn’t he, Rhodes?”

  “He said he would.”

  The three of them crossed the street, passed the hardware and the drugstore. Ab and Cousin Tom leaned against the front of the pick-up truck. Cousin Tom seemed excited about something and kept watching the front of the bank. Ab took a match from his pocket and began to chew on it.

  Will came out of the bank. He was scowling and walked toward the pick-up without even seeing them.

  Cousin Tom said, “Will.”

  Will stopped, and it seemed to Rhodes he was shaking anger from his mind. He looked at them and did not smile.

  Cousin Tom laughed. “What’s the matter, Will? You look like you just lost the last friend you had in this world.”

  “I’m all right.”

  “Fine. Look here, Will, you know Ab Taylor, don’t you?”

  “Sure,” Will said.

  “We’ve hunted every swamp in this country together,” Ab said. “Ain’t that right, Will?”

  Tom said, “Ab has made me a little offer, Will. Chance to make some money. Enough to put me right back on my feet-just that fast.”

  Will bit his lip. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Tom — ”

  “That’s fine,” Tom said. “One thing I don’t like is a man trying to tell me what to do.”

  “I reckon you know you can get in a lot of trouble, Tom.”

  “Any chance at fast money is a gamble of some kind,” Ab said around his matchstick.

  There was a short silence. “Well, what was the point in telling me about it?” Will said. “You musta knowed I’d tell you to lay off. You’re pretty hot right now, Ab. Have you told Tom that? You know Tom’s been out of this part of the country for a long time. He might not know the trouble you been in.”

  Ab smiled wanly. “I explained all that. I told him that was why I was able to make him that offer. He ain’t known. He ought to be able to pull this delivery slick as a whistle and make himself plenty of money.”

  Will sighed heavily. “You brought that wife of yours a long way from home to get her in a mess of trouble right off, Tom.”

  Tom said, “Never mind worrying about my wom
an, Will. I can take care of my woman.”

  “All right,” Will said. “Come on, Rhodes, let’s go.”

  “Just a minute, Will,” Rhodes said. “What I really wanted to see you about was the borrow of about twenty dollars. Like you know I’m kind of short. And Rosanne needs some things. Reason I told you about Ab’s offer was so’s you’d know I’d be able to repay you in a day or so.”

  “I guess I can let you have twenty dollars,” Will said. “Though it looks to me like if Ab Taylor is offering you such a sure thing, he could advance you a lot more than that.”

  “I don’t do business that way,” Ab said.

  “I know you don’t,” Will told him. “That’s why Tom ought to have sense enough to stay away from you.”

  “When Tom gets back, I’ll pay him off,” Ab said. He sounded injured. “He understands that.”

  “Pay no attention to Will,” Tom said. “I never knowed he was afraid of nothing — but now I know what he’s scared of — ” he laughed loudly, “and that’s the business you’re in Ab! Old Will gets all white around the mouth when he thinks about it.”

  Ab laughed. “But I already knowed that there, Tom. You just don’t know Will near as well as I do. Will and I been drunk together, and hunted together. He tole me all about it one night in the swamps when we came up on a still by accident. Seems Will’s old man didn’t die when Will was ten year old — revenuers got him — eh, Will?”

  Rhodes stared up at Will. His chiseled features were taut, his cheeks bloodless. “Come on, Rhodes.” He started toward the truck.

  “About that twenty dollars,” Cousin Tom said.

  Will stopped, shoved his hand in his pocket. He drew out a folded twenty dollar bill. He straightened it and handed it to Tom.

  “Of course I don’t know why I feel bad asking you for money,” Cousin Tom said. “After all, it’s really Lena’s money. Cousin Lena wouldn’t mind lending me twenty, I know. It’s just that I don’t never like to ask a woman for money. I always been like that there and I guess I never will change.”

  Will’s face was whiter than ever, but he didn’t say anything. Rhodes got into the pick-up under the steering wheel and Will went around to get into it. At that moment Darl Hollister’s green Lincoln swerved into the curb beside the pick-up. Rhodes stared past Will. It was not Darl at the wheel. It was Darl’s wife. Connie motioned to Will, and she looked even paler than he did.