The Crusader Ch. 05

The Diner was on the south east corner of Tower Grove Park and only about five or ten minutes from Rollie's apartment. It was a refurbished old time diner that had been expanded into the building next door. The fixtures were reproductions of the tables, chairs, and counter from an old time eatery from the 1940s.

Pete waved at Rollie to join him at the table against the back wall. The waitress came and took their lunch order as Rollie sat down.

"How you holding up with Jessica gone?" Pete asked after greeting Rollie.

"It's a little rough right now Pete. She's really tied up in the new job and we haven't got to spend much time together." Rollie took a drink of his iced tea. "We're sort of on hold for a while; at least until she gets settled in." Rollie paused as the waitress brought the order and refilled the ice tea glasses.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you Pete, but what's going on? You didn't call me to talk about my love life."

Pete grinned. "I guess I trained you as a detective too well. You're right, I've got a favor to ask."

"Anything you need Pete."

"I want you to help Thomas Dixon with his problem."

Rollie stared for a moment, surprised that Pete even knew about his meeting with Dixon. "Why? What's so important that I help Dixon?"

"It's a long story"

"I've got the rest of the day open Pete."

"Let's finish lunch and take a walk into Tower Grove Park," Pete suggested. "I can tell you the story without worrying about someone overhearing us."

About 30 minutes later Pete and Rollie sat a bench overlooking one of the small lakes in the park.

"I'll ask again Pete, why should I help Dixon?"

He told you about the file that his wife ran off with right?" Rollie nodded. "Well some of the information in there that will hurt a good police officer."

"Who?"

Pete hesitated. "Major Rod Taylor. What I'm going to tell you has to stay between us Rollie, no one else can know about it."

"I give you my word Pete."

"When Taylor was a rookie cop, that was 25 years ago, he took a bribe from a small time hood and let the guy walk on a numbers running bust. After he thought about it, he admitted what he'd done to his training officer. His Sergeant told him not to do it again but to keep quiet about it. Taylor followed the advice; he didn't want to end his career before it even got started."

Pete had been looking out over the lake and now turned toward Rollie. "Taylor's been a good cop, good for the Department. He's not one of the brass hats you talked about and he's always stood up for the rank and file cops. There is a confidential report, written by Taylor's Sergeant, in that file of Dixon's. The statue of limitations has expired for the bribe but if that report goes public it will ruin Taylor's career. All for a mistake a young cop made 25 years ago."

"How did you hear about that report Pete?"

"Dixon came to me, after you turned him down, and wanted me to send a couple of my detectives after the girl." I explained to him my men would have no jurisdiction outside of St. Louis." Mallory looked up at Rollie. "I told him I would try to get you to change your mind."

Major Taylor went to bat for us during the "Campus Rapist" case, Rollie thought. He told the brass hats and bean counters to leave us alone. Without Taylor's help I don't think we would have caught the perp. He's stood behind and supported others too.

"Okay Pete. I call Dixon and tell him I'll take the job. The guy's an ass but I admire and like Major Taylor more than I dislike Dixon. I've got to talk to Jess Saturday evening; I'll leave Sunday morning."

"Thanks Rollie. Let me know if I can help with anything."

They walked back to the diner, got in their cars and left. When Rollie got home he dug Dixon's card out of the trash and made a call.

"Mr. Dixon, Rollie Chambers. If you still want me, I'll take the job."

"Good, good. I'm glad."

"My rate is $200 a day plus expenses. If I don't do the job you don't pay, but you have to pay the expenses. If that works for you, I'll get started Sunday."

"That's fine Rollie. Let me say how pleased..." Rollie hung up while Dixon was still talking.

"I may be working for you but I don't have to like you," Rollie said to the phone.

Saturday evening Jessica called and they talked for almost two hours. Jessica had already reluctantly agreed with Rollie that until she was established in her new position they would put things on hold for a while. They would still talk every few days but there would be no more trips until things settled down.

"While you're getting a handle on your end, I've got a case to work on. I'll be out of town for a week to ten days; maybe longer," Rollie told her. "Call my cell if you need me or I'll try to call you when I get a chance."

"Out of town? Where are you going?"

"Van Buren. Guess you could say I'm going home."

"It's unusual for a small place like that to need an investigator, isn't it?"

"I'm working for a man here in St. Louis and the trail leads to Van Buren. Shouldn't be much of a problem and at least I'll get to spend some time where I grew up. Actually I'm looking forward to seeing the old place. I don't have any family left there but two of my best friends still live there. It'll be good to see them."

"I won't bother you while you're working Rollie but please call me when you can."

"Talk to you soon Jess. Bye."

The sign read:

Van Buren
Gateway to the Ozarks
Established 1830
Population 1026

It had taken Rollie three and a half hours to make the drive from St. Louis that Sunday morning. As he got closer to his hometown, he felt a calm come over him; in spite of the reason for him coming back. Before he actually got to the town, on a whim, he made a sharp right turn onto a graded gravel road and followed it to the top of a wooded hill. He found the turn off to an overgrown, dirt road that was just two worn spots through the grass.

Rollie followed the old dirt road he remembered from his youth along the ridge line of Watercress Hill. The road stopped near the edge of a cliff that overlooked Current River and Van Buren. He got out of his truck and walked to the edge of the almost vertical bluff and sat down. He saw several groups in canoes and inner tubes floating on the clear spring fed river and there were four or five families having picnics by the water.

It was very early summer, late May actually, and the weather was warm without the stifling humid heat that would invade the Ozarks during July and August. This is the perfect time of year to visit, Rollie thought. Wish I was here just for a visit. He shook his head and continued his thought. I know I'm going to piss some people off before this is all over.

Rollie sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff for almost an hour thinking about his life as a boy in this little town. He reminisced about the hunting, fishing, and running the river in a john boat with his friends. He thought about all the people he'd known and wondered which ones still lived in the area.

"Time to go," Rollie said out loud. He walked back to his truck and retraced the drive back to the main road. Just before he came to the city limits sign, he turned off into the parking area in front of Smalley's Cabins. It wasn't like the more modern motels with the rooms in a line down a long building.

Instead Smalley's rented individual cabins, unattached buildings all on their own. Basically they were small houses for travelers who need more room than most motels offered or who wanted to be isolated from other people. Most of the cabins would sleep 6 to 8 people, but the room rate was the same if you had 2 people or filled up the cabin. The place had been better than 30 years old when Rollie lived in town.

There were a couple of newer, more modern motels or lodges he could have chosen but Rollie chose Smalley's because he would be more isolated and because he had fond memories of running with the Smalley boys. But in spite of how much he loved the area he wasn't there for a vacation; he had a job to do.

Rollie walked into the office and tapped on a bell sitting on the counter. A tall slender woman about his own age came from the living area wiping her hands on an apron.

"Can I help you?" She asked without looking up as she untied the apron.

"You can tell me where that no good, dog stealing, Jake Smalley is," Rollie answered.

The woman looked up with fire in her eyes. When she saw Rollie, she grinned. "Jake's out stealing a huntin dog somewheres I reckon." Then she came around the counter and hugged Rollie. "Rollie Chambers, as I live and breathe. Ain't seen you in what, seven or eight years? How you been?"

"Hello Stella," Rollie replied returning the hug. "Closer to ten years I think."

Stella and Rollie had been in the same classes in school until Rollie's parents sold their farm and moved to St. Louis. Who knows if we hadn't moved maybe Stella and I would have gotten together, he thought. But then again probably not; we'd always been more like buddies than romantic interests.

"Jake, quit feeding your face and get out here," Stella yelled back into the living area behind the office.

"What's so important you gotta interrupt my lunch?" A large man said as he came up front to the counter. He looked and saw Rollie and Stella still in a hug watching him.

"I'll be damn. Rollie Chambers. What are you doing here?"

"Hi Jake. Good to see you. Got a cabin for a weary traveler?"

Jake came around the corner, put a bear hug on Rollie and lifted him off his feet. Rollie wasn't small at 6'2 and 200 pounds but Jake Smalley's 6'6 and 300 pound frame made Rollie look like a boy. "Hell yes. I guess we can find a corner of the barn for you. How long you want to stay?"

"Don't know just yet. Does the Big Spring Café still have that great family style supper on Sunday nights?" Jake nodded and Rollie said, "I'd be pleased to have you and Stella join me for supper this evening."

Later that evening as they waited for the fried chicken dinner to be served Stella asked, "So what brings you back home Rollie?"

"Let's enjoy our supper and I'll tell you later."

For the next hour the three friends talked about the intervening years, former friends of Rollie's and who still lived in and around Van Buren. During their conversation, Rollie asked about the Dillard's among others. He didn't ask about Julie by name.

"Ya, old James Dillard is still around," Jake said. "Reckon he's too ornery to die. Those two boys of his, Jimmy and Eddie, are still runnin wild around the county. Although Sheriff Steele makes em behave around town."

"About a month ago, his daughter Julie came back to town," Stella added. "She married some guy that was older than her and moved to St. Louis. Did you ever run into her there?"

Rollie shook his head, hiding his interest in Julie Dillard.

"Anyway," Stella continued, "Apparently her marriage wasn't all it was supposed to be because she's getting a divorce from what I hear."

"Who'd she marry?" Rollie asked. He wanted to see how much about Julie and Dixon was common knowledge in the little town.

"Thomas Dixon. He's some kind of big cheese in city government. Personally I think Dixon just wanted a trophy wife and Julie fit the bill." Stella paused. "You probably don't remember her Rollie; she's five years younger than us." Rollie again shook his head. "She's a pretty little thing. I bet Julie isn't more than 5'2 or 3 but she's got a woman's body and all that long natural dark red hair hangin down her back. I can see why an older man, or a young one for that matter, would be taken with her."

"Trouble is Julie is sort of naïve and didn't fit in with Dixon's crowd," Jake added. "Course that's just the talk runnin around town." He smiled, a little embarrassed by the look Stella gave him. "That's what I heard at the barber shop," he defended himself.

Rollie looked at his two friends for several seconds. These two are my closest friends here, he thought. We went to school together, played together and had each other's backs for a lot of years. I don't really feel good about misleading them.

"Julie's the reason I came back," Rollie admitted.

"How's that?" Jake asked a half second before Stella could.

"I've been hired by Thomas Dixon to find her."

"You gonna take her back?"

"Not my job. She's got something that belongs to Dixon and he wants it back. That's what I came for."

Jake signaled the waitress for another cup of coffee then stared at Rollie. "You might want to be careful how you contact her. A couple of fellas came to town about two weeks ago lookin for Julie. Old man Dillard and his boys didn't take kindly to them askin about her. Beat the hell out of them and run them out of town. The Sheriff was over to Winona and it was all over 'fore he got back."

"I hope to talk to Mr. Dillard, explain what I want, and stop any trouble before it begins," Rollie said with a grim smile. "Besides he may find out that I don't run off too easy.

It was near 8 PM and the Smalley's had to get back to the motel. Their part time help needed to get home so she could do her homework for school the next day. It was a short walk from the café to the motel office where Rollie said good night and went to his cabin.

Early the next morning, Rollie was having his breakfast at the Big Spring Café. Sheriff Steele entered and made a beeline for Rollie's table. Rollie saw him coming and stood to greet the lawman.

"Thought you'd still be an early riser," Steele said as he shook hands. He motioned to the waitress for coffee and sat down.

"Good to see you Mr. Steele." Rollie had known the man since he was twelve; from before Steele was elected Sheriff. He'd remained Mr. Steele to Rollie even after he became Sheriff.

Sheriff Steele and Rollie had one run in when Rollie was 16. There was three miles of Highway 60, east of Van Buren, known as Pender's Stretch. The road was well paved, very wide, and straight as an arrow. It was a favorite place for the youngsters, and some not so young, to see how fast their cars could go.

One evening Rollie had his dad's car and decided to see how fast the old Ford was. As he topped 100 MPH, he saw red lights in the rear view mirror. Rollie was young, and maybe a little foolish, but he wasn't stupid; he pulled over to the side of the road.

Sheriff Steele walked up to the driver's window and motioned for Rollie to get out and follow him back to his patrol car. He didn't speak; he just motioned with his hand for Rollie to sit in the police car. Rollie smiled as he looked at Steele remembering the ass chewing he'd gotten that day.

Steele's final statement was, "What are your Dad and Mom going to think about your actions? They trust you with their car so you and your friends can go to the show or whatever and you act like any other idiot." After several seconds he said, "Y'all go on home now and if I ever catch you doing something stupid like this again, well, you won't like the consequences. Now git."

Sheriff Steele never told Rollie's parents about the encounter and Rollie never gave him a chance to show his displeasure again.

"Nice to see you Rollie. Sorry to hear about your folks." Steele took a sip of the too hot coffee. "Why'd you come back home?" As Rollie started to answer, Steele continued. "And don't bother giving me a story about wanting to get in touch with your roots or whatever. You've had a lot of years to do that and this is the first time you've come back to Van Buren."

Rollie gave Steele a small grin. "Never could put anything over on you Mr. Steele."

"I'd say it's got something to do with Julie Dillard. She comes back home and a couple of weeks later two men from the city follow her. Don't know for sure but I'm pretty certain Mr. Dillard beat the hell out of them and sent them home with their tails between the legs. And now coincidentally you show up." Steele returned Rollie's grin. "Thing is, I don't believe in coincidences."

"I'm working for Julie's husband, Thomas Dixon," Rollie told Steele.

"You come to take her back?"

"No sir, fact is I think she ought to stay here. But she took something with her that Dixon wants back. That's why I'm here."

Steele finished his coffee and stood. "Just remember Rollie, I hear you're not a lawman anymore. Don't start trouble in my town." He turned and left the café.

"Guess that's plain enough," Rollie said aloud after Steele walked away.

By Thursday Rollie still hadn't found Julie. He staked out her father's place but gave it up after two days. He spent another day trying to get some answers from the townsfolk. Rollie may have been born in Van Buren, but other than a few friends he was considered an outsider now.

Rollie pulled his truck up to the gas pumps at Red's Sinclair Station. As he pumped gas, Red Stanton came out to see him. The station had been the first gas station in Van Buren, opened by Red's father. Rollie had worked part time for the elder Stanton for the last two years he lived in the town.

"Heard you were home," Red greeted Rollie as he washed the windshield. Rollie just nodded. "Heard you were lookin for Julie Dillard?"

"Yes sir. I'm working for her about to be ex-husband."

"Best be careful. Dillard and his boys won't be happy that you're askin around town for her."

"Can't be helped, I guess. I need to talk to her and I aim to before I leave."

Rollie and Jake spent Friday afternoon fishing and playing on the river. Later they landed and tied off Jake's boat and he returned to help Stella at the motel. Rollie walked to his truck and saw that he had company. Jimmy and Eddie Dillard were leaning on the hood of the truck.

"Howdy Jimmy, Eddie," Rollie said, nodding at the two men. "Good to see you after all these years."

"Cut the crap Chambers," Jimmy the older of the brothers ordered. "We want you to stop looking for Julie. In fact we want you to leave town and go back to where you came from."

"Boys, I came from here. I was born and raised here just like you."

"You're from the city now Chambers. You don't belong here anymore," Eddie replied. "Now get in your truck and head out."

"Remember when we were kids and running together? I didn't like taking orders then; I don't like it anymore now." Rollie walked to the driver's side of his truck and stopped. "I'm going to talk to Julie before I leave so deal with it."

The two Dillard's came around the front of the truck at Rollie; Eddie was carrying a wooden bat. Rollie ducked behind his door. The swing missed him but did connect with the driver's window, sending glass flying all over. Rollie stood and opened the door hard into Eddie, knocking him to the ground.

Jimmy rushed into the fight and just as quickly backpedaled, trying to keep his feet. The short right hand from Rollie almost knocked him down too. Eddie was on his hands and knees trying to regain his feet. Rollie took two steps and kicked Eddie arms out from under him; Eddie went down and didn't move again.

Turning to face the charging Jimmy, Rollie blocked a wild haymaker. He stepped inside the punch and hit Jimmy with another short right hand. This time Jimmy did go down. Dillard tried to get up but couldn't. Rollie looked at the damage to his truck and frowned. He got Jimmy into a firemen's carry and dumped him into the bed of the pickup; Eddie joined his brother very shortly.

Rollie drove up the hill leading from the river to town and turned east. Three miles past the city limit sign he turned onto a gravel road and followed it to the Dillard place. The patriarch of the family, James Dillard, was sitting on the porch with his foot braced on the rail leaning back in his chair. James was over 65 and his hair was gray but he still had a strong, work hardened, lean body. His face was weather beaten and tanned the color of old leather which made his blue eyes stand out.