The Crusader Ch. 05

Stopping his truck in front of the house, Rollie got out and walked to the back of the truck. He lowered the tailgate and one by one drug the Dillard boys out, letting them fall to the ground. Rollie turned back toward the porch and nodded at James.

"Mr. Dillard."

"Rollie. What you got there?"

"Your boys were trying to make a point." Rollie looked down at the two on the ground. "Don't think they got the job done though."

"What point was that?"

"They told me to stop trying to find Julie. They also ordered me to get out of town."

"Damn young fools," James said. "You never did take orders very good, even when you was a youngin." The older Dillard looked Rollie in the eye. "I never told them to run you out of town. They was suppose to find out why you wanted to find Julie."

"Don't follow orders too well do they? By the way Eddie owes me a $100 for a new driver's side window."

James walked over to Eddie and took his wallet out of his back pocket. He took all the money and handed it to Rollie. Then he walked over and took Jimmy's wallet and repeated his actions.

"Guess you'll have to be satisfied with $85," James said with a little smile. "That's all they had on them." The smile slipped away and James asked, "You come to take Julie back to that no account husband of hers?"

"No sir. I just want to talk to her."

Dillard gave him a skeptical look. "I suppose those other two Dixon sent down here just wanted to talk to her too. When I came into the general store one of them had her by the throat. That's when I taught him not to man handle a woman. Don't think they'll make that mistake again."

"I heard about them. But I give you my word Mr. Dillard; I only want to talk to her. You can be with her if you like. Just set the time and place."

Dillard motioned for Rollie to follow him. As he passed his two sons on the ground he nudged first Jimmy and then Eddie with his foot. "Y'all quit laying around and go do your chores. Danged kids today are just plain lazy."

Stepping onto the porch he pointed to a chair for Rollie and sat back in his big rocking chair. "Tell me what's goin on Rollie and I'll decide if I'll let you see Julie."

Rollie gave Dillard a hard smile. "Not trying to challenge you Mr. Dillard but I'm going to talk to Julie before I leave; with your help or without it, I'm going to talk to her."

Dillard nodded and said, "What for?"

"As you probably know Julie and her husband, Thomas Dixon, are getting a divorce." Dillard nodded and Rollie continued. "Dixon said Julie took a bunch of important papers, a file folder, when she left. He wants those papers back before he'll agree to the divorce."

"Never had use of divorce laws, me and the missus been married nigh on to 40 years. But I understand this is a no fault state so I don't see how Dixon can stop a divorce."

"You're right Mr. Dillard, but Dixon's got the money and the attorneys to drag it out for years. All he wants are those papers and not to have to pay Julie a million dollars."

"What million dollars. Julie never said nothing about no million dollars."

"Dixon told me that Julie said she wants a million dollars and signed divorce papers for that file." Rollie paused for several seconds thinking. Dillard waited on him. "I think maybe I've been played for a fool Mr. Dillard. I think Dixon lied to me."

"Julie never said nothin about no money," Dillard repeated.

"Would you let me talk to her?"

Dillard looked at Rollie. After a little while he asked, "You carrying?" Rollie nodded. "Give it to me and I'll get the girl over here." When Rollie hesitated, Dillard added, "I believe you're a man of your word Rollie but it's been over 15 years since I saw you. People change and I got to protect mine."

Rollie reached behind his back, pulled his Glock from its holster and handed it to Dillard. The old man laid the pistol on an end table then he surprised Rollie by taking a cell phone out of the chest pocket of his overalls. He punched a speed dial number and waited for a few seconds.

"Come to the house. Rollie's here and I think you need to talk to him," Dillard said. He closed the phone and returned it to his pocket. "She'll be here in about fifteen minutes. Want a beer while we wait?"

Rollie had just finished his beer and Dillard finished his second one, when Julie walked around the house and stepped onto the porch.

"Hello Rollie," Julie said. "It's been a long time. Wish I could say it was good to see you but well...you know."

Julie Dillard Dixon had grown from the gangly, freckle faced, little red headed girl into a striking woman. She still had freckles across her nose but they were scattered and gave her face a childlike innocence. This is no country bumpkin, Rollie thought as he looked into her cornflower blue eyes. She's an intelligent, resourceful woman with a very sexy body.

Julie's red hair had deepened in color to a deep auburn and hung down her back to her waist. Lot of hair for it to hang down that far, Rollie noticed. I can understand why Dixon wanted her.

"Hi Julie. You're a hard one to find," Rollie replied. "Apparently your husband didn't tell me the exact truth about you leaving. Why don't you tell me your side?"

"Well...Thomas didn't want a wife he wanted a trophy he could parade in front of his friends and business associates. Every time I tried to help or discuss important things with him, he told me to do what I do best and leave the thinking to the grownups."

"What did he say you did best?"

"Look beautiful." Julie blushed and added, "Those are his words, not mine."

"This is really none of my business, but why did you marry him?"

"Thomas is a good looking, rich man and he can be very charming. I guess you could say he swept me off my feet. Anyway after a little over a year I told Thomas that if we weren't going to be a real married couple I wanted a divorce and wanted to go back home." Julie held up her finger for Rollie to wait and went into the house. She returned with three beers and handed a bottle to her father and Rollie.

Julie took a big drink of her beer. "He told me I couldn't have a divorce because it would make him look bad in front of his friends and business associates." Julie snorted. "See what kind of a marriage we had?" She paused for a few seconds. "I told him it was a no fault state and I didn't need his permission but he said he'd tie me up in court for years."

She looked down for a moment and then looked at her father, "He said he'd make things hard for my family." Rollie looked surprised and Julie added, "Mama got sick two years ago and Daddy had to take out a mortgage on the farm to pay the doctor bills. Thomas said he would get the bank to foreclose and take the farm away." Julie stood and walked to the porch rail. "That's when I took that file and ran home."

"That's when you told him you wanted a million dollars and a divorce for the file," Rollie stated.

"I never asked for any money," Julie replied angrily. "All I wanted was out."

Rollie studied Julie for a little. He could see by her eyes that she was telling the truth. He sighed. "I've been mislead Julie."

Again Julie held up her hand for Rollie to wait and went back into the house. She returned with a laptop, turned it on and set it in front of Rollie. "Thomas wouldn't talk to me so I sent him this email."

Rollie saw that the email said exactly what Julie had told him. It told Dixon that she had the file, "important papers", is what she called it and that if he didn't give her the divorce she'd give the file to a local TV station. The email didn't say anything about money or a settlement, just that she wanted a divorce.

Julie watched Rollie as he read her email. She could see the exact moment that Rollie found out for sure that Dixon had lied to him. Rollie's eyes got cold and hard and opened wide, his lips pressed together in a thin line, and his ears seemed to lay back a little flatter like a big cat about to attack. Julie thought I don't think I'd like to be Thomas when Rollie gets back to St. Louis.

Rollie's next question surprised Julie. "What's in the file Julie? Why is Dixon so anxious that it not become public knowledge?"

"I don't know; I haven't read it. I only know he kept it in a special hidden safe in his home office. He'd take it out once in awhile, read something, laugh, and put it away. Thomas always had a smile on his face when he walked out of his office after looking at the file."

Rollie smiled at Julie. "How'd you get hold of it if he kept it locked away?"

"I'm not the naïve little country girl that Thomas thinks I am," Julie replied returning Rollie's smile. "I was poking around in his office one day when I heard him unlocking the door. Thomas had told me never to go into his office for any reason, so I hid. The window curtains are heavy cloth and run floor to ceiling so I slid in behind them."

Julie grinned and then laughed. "The safe has a digital keypad for the combination and I saw the sequence as Thomas punched it in. I waited until he returned the file, locked the safe, and left the office. It was easy to open the safe; that was the night I left."

Dillard snorted with laughter and Rollie chuckled. Julie went into the house and returned with three more beers.

"You have the file with you?" Rollie asked.

Julie shook her head. "It's someplace safe. Figured if Thomas or some of his men found me I could bargain my way out of trouble."

"I'll have to have the file Julie."

"Can't do that Rollie. If I give up the file Thomas will never give me a divorce."

"You've already left Dixon. Why do you have to have a divorce? Just go on with your life."

Julie blushed, smiled and asked, "You remember Jack Barnes?" Rollie nodded. "He and I used to date before I moved to St. Louis. Jack asked me to marry him but I just had to go to the big city." She took a long drink from her bottle. "Since I came home, Jack and I have been seeing each other. I want to correct the mistake I made back then. Jack and I want to get married and raise a family. I can't legally do that unless I get a divorce."

Rollie thought for a little while. "Do you trust me Julie?"

Julie looked into Rollie's eyes and then looked at her father. She turned back to Rollie and nodded.

"Give me the file. I'll take it back to Dixon and get him off your back." He held up his hand to stop her response. "I'll also make sure he signs the divorce petition before he gets anything."

It seemed like a couple of minutes but it was only seconds before Julie nodded. "Meet me out at the north end of Cavander Bay tomorrow morning at 8. I hid the file in that old cave that we used to play in." Julie looked hard at Rollie. "I hope you can get me clear of this Rollie."

"I give you my word Julie. By this time Monday afternoon the divorce petition will be filed and all you'll have to do is wait for it to be final."

Cavander Bay was actually an offshoot of Current River. The river made a sweeping turn against a rock bluff and sometime in the distant past a channel was cut or opened through the bluff. A small part of the river continued along the bluff while the main body of water continued on its way south.

The "Bay" was a body of water about one hundred feet long and forty wide. It was up against a high bluff with natural springs flowing into the water from under the cliff. It was a great place to fish if you could put up with the cottonmouth water moccasins that were the only poisonous water snakes in America. For some reason they found the place to be irresistible; possibly because of some chemical element from the springs or the slow water compared to the river.

Rollie stopped his truck at the end of the old grass covered road near the north end of the "Bay". He started up the faint path that led to the cave that Julie had mentioned. There was no one waiting for him.

Have I been played, Rollie thought? Did Julie and Mr. Dillard promise to meet me here so that Julie could run away? Rollie's questions were soon answered. Julie and Mr. Dillard looked out from behind some large boulders at the base of the cliff.

"Wanted to make sure you were by yourself," Dillard explained. "I know," he said holding up his hand. "You gave us your word, but like I said before people change over the years."

"I haven't Mr. Dillard. I'm still the same guy that admitted to driving his ATV through your crops."

The men smiled at the memory. Rollie had been racing his ATV against his friends on a dirt road that led around one of Dillard's fields. Trying to make up time, Rollie cut across the corner of a field. Later as the young men rode back at a slower speed, Rollie saw the damage he had done to the crops in the field. He could see the wide path of destruction that his ATV caused. That afternoon Rollie went to Dillard's house and admitted what he'd done. He worked for Mr. Dillard for a month during harvest time to pay for the damage.

Julie came out of the cave toward Rollie holding a thick manila file folder held together with two large rubber bands. Just as she handed the folder to Rollie, a voice yelled to them.

"We'll take that file Chambers."

Rollie turned and saw a two men walking toward them. They were dressed much too nicely to be from the country. The smaller of the two stumbled on a tree root and swore. One on one or even one on two, Rollie was sure he could take them. The large revolvers that the men held made it an uneven fight.

"I told Dixon I'd get the folder. No need for you two to get involved," Rollie said. As he talked he put his hand behind him and motioned Julie and her father away.

"That's fine Chambers, but we don't work for Dixon. Our employer's name is in that folder and he doesn't want to take the chance on Dixon's good nature. Now hand me the folder."

Julie broke for the cave and the man turned and aimed his pistol. Before he could shoot, the loud report of a rifle shot echoed from the bluff. The gunman crumpled and fell to the ground. The second man turned his pistol toward Rollie but never completed the turn. Rollie drew his .45 but from over his shoulder he heard the sharp sound that a .357 makes. The man quickly joined his companion on the ground.

Rollie turned and saw Dillard with a smoking pistol in his hand. Stepping out from a big oak tree, Jimmy held a .308 Winchester deer rifle. Eddie stood beside him with a double barrel shotgun. Dillard gave Rollie a grim smile.

"Damn reloads make a lot more smoke than factory loads," Dillard said. "Reckon I'm gonna have to change the power I use." He looked up at Rollie. "Wasn't that I didn't trust you Rollie, but you never know what'll happen up here with all these snakes." He pointed at two cottonmouths swimming across the water and then at the two men on the ground.

"Guess we ought to get Sheriff Steel out here," Dillard said. "Don't want these two contaminating the countryside."

Rollie and the Dillard's had spent most of Saturday talking to and being questioned by Sheriff Steele. "Hell of a mess Rollie," Steele said. "Why didn't you come to me if you thought there would be trouble?"

"Thought I might have a little trouble with Mr. Dillard but we talked things over and he agreed to let me see Julie." Rollie shook his head. "I didn't plan on outsiders getting involved Mr. Steele. Would have come to you if I'd know those two were in town."

As he left the Sheriff's office Rollie talked to Julie. "I'll have the divorce papers filed on Monday and they'll send you copies at your dad's place."

"Thank you Rollie," Julie said and hugged him.

"I expect you'll be more than a trophy wife for Jack."

"Maybe we'll name our first son after you," Julie teased.

Rollie waved goodbye and went back to Smalley's cabins. That evening Jake, Stella, and Rollie had supper together; again at the Big Spring Café.

"We could have gone to the steak house over to the Lodge at Kelly's Landing," Jake said.

"Could have, but I wanted another good home cooked meal," Rollie explained. "I can go to a steak house just about anywhere but home cooking like this is something special."

"So you coming back to stay Rollie?" Stella asked. "Be nice for the old crew to be together again."

"It surely would girl." Rollie sat for a moment looking out the big picture window that overlooked Current River. "I've enjoyed this trip even considering the reason I came. And I intend to spend more time here, but I live in St. Louis now. I'm going home."

Late Sunday morning Rollie parked his truck in front of Thomas Dixon's house. He was admitted to the home and led to the living room where Dixon joined him very shortly.

"I see you got the file," Dixon said pointing to the folder in Rollie's hand. "Let's have it."

"Couple of things need to be settled first Mr. Dixon." Rollie held onto the folder. "First I need to be paid. Eight days makes it $1600, add in my expenses and $2000 should handle it."

It was evident that Dixon didn't like to be dunned for money. He frowned at Rollie but walked over to a small desk in the corner of the room. Dixon took a checkbook from the center draw, wrote a check for $2000, and handed it to Rollie.

"You said a couple of things," Dixon said. "What's the other thing you want?"

Rollie reached into his jacket pocket and took out the divorce petition. "You need to sign this and let Julie go. We won't talk about you lying to me about her demanding money from you. She doesn't want anything but out. Sign the papers Mr. Dixon. I'll witness it so it will be all legal and binding."

Dixon's anger showed in his red face but he took the papers, signed them, and thrust them back at Rollie.

"Now give me the folder and get out," Dixon ordered.

Rollie tossed the folder to Dixon and turned to leave. He'd almost made it to the front door when he heard Dixon yell and come rushing through the entryway.

"There's a report missing from the folder Chambers. Where is it?"

"I pulled the unauthorized investigation of Major Taylor. It's in a dumpster somewhere around Fredericktown."

Dixon stared at Rollie for several seconds and then smiled. "I've got a copy of that report. I'll just put in back into the file." He turned to walk back into the living room.

"Speaking of copies Mr. Dixon, I made a copy of every piece of paper in that folder. If that report on Major Taylor is released, I'll see that all the other information is brought to light too," Rollie told him.

He walked to the door and turned. "I don't think the people in that folder would be too happy with you if all that stuff came out in a newspaper article. Two men have already died trying to get that folder. Think before you get yourself in a hole," Rollie said with a threat in his voice.

Rollie stopped at Uncle Bill's Pancake House for a late breakfast. As he waited for his order he picked up his cell phone and made a call.

"Captain Mallory, please. Tell him it's Rollie Chambers." A few seconds later he said, "Pete, that report you were worried about."

"Yeah?"

"It doesn't exist anymore. Talk to you in a few days." Rollie closed his cell as his breakfast was brought to his table.

Sure glad to see home, Rollie thought as he parked his truck in his driveway. He was surprised and a little alarmed to find that his front door was unlocked. Rollie put his suitcase down, pulled his pistol, and slowly and quietly advanced to his living room.

"I wondered when you'd get back," Jessica said. She was sitting at the breakfast bar with a sandwich and a glass of ice tea in front of her.

Rollie was shocked to see her. The last time they'd talked Rollie figured it would be at least a month before they would see each other. He hadn't been looking forward to that meeting because he felt it would be the end of their relationship.