Chapter 25
Friday morning rolled around, and James made a detour from his regular drive to the mall. He turned down Lumpkin Avenue and pulled into the parking lot of the Gibsland Police Department.
He parked his car and rushed to the entrance.
The Detectives Room was semi-busy with three detectives that worked at their desks. They were George, Peter, and Marvin Appleby.
Marvin was forty-two years old and was Cindy' older brother. He had worked for the department for twenty years now and hoped to work another ten years.
Marvin sat behind his desk and read a report behind his desk and sipped on his cup of coffee.
James walked through the Detectives Room like he was on a mission.
He walked up to Marvin's desk.
Marvin sensed someone was there and glanced up from his report. "Hey, James. What brings you here so early in the morning?"
James glanced over his shoulder while he sat down in the chair by Marvin's desk. He felt the coast was clear. "There's something about my neighbor that you should know about," he said while he inched closer to Marvin.
Marvin looked a little disinterested, as he had a feeling where this was heading. "What's that?"
James inched even closer to Marvin. "I believe that my neighbor is the real Hud Hudson," he said in a whisper.
"What?" Marvin replied as he did not hear a word.
"I believe that my neighbor is the real Hud Hudson," he said a little louder.
"Who?"
"Henry "Hud" Hudson. The public enemy that was supposed to have been killed in a house explosion during a shoot out with the cops and FBI back in thirty-four."
Marvin looked at James and thinking he was nuts. "Hud Hudson?"
"Yes, the famous public enemy that killed my grandfather back in thirty-four during a bank robbery here in Gibsland," James replied and looked dead serious.
Marvin thought for a few seconds. "Oh yeah. Hud Hudson. I forgot about him."
"Like I said, I really believe my neighbor is the real Hud Hudson."
"Like the history books state, he died in thirty-four," Marvin replied.
"I know, but there was a doctor that died in fifty-eight and on his death bed, he claimed he gave Hud Hudson a nose job in thirty-five."
"So, what proof do you have?"
James looked over his shoulder. The coast was clear, but he inched closer and got in Marvin's face.
Marvin moved back a little as James getting too close was invading his private space.
"I peeked in his bedroom window last night. My neighbor has a similar bullet wound in his right upper chest muscle. And he had a burn mark on his right bicep. Hud Hudson had a "Hud" tattoo on in that same area."
"You peeked in his bedroom window last night?"
James nodded in agreement.
"You could be arrested for being a peeping tom."
"Please check him out. His name is Bernard Sanders and is around sixty-five or seventy something. He drives a nineteen fifty-three green Hudson Hornet."
Marvin looked at James' determined eyes. "I'll see what comes up."
"I'll call later," said James while he stood up and looked proud.
"Here we go again," Marvin said while he watched James strut away toward the door.
From his desk, the other detective, George glanced over at Marvin.
"So now your brother-in-law thinks his neighbor is a dead public enemy from the thirties?" George asked, then chuckled.
"Yeah."
"Maybe we could use him on the force," Peter called out from his desk and chuckled.
"That's all we need," said Marvin then he chuckled along with his coworkers.
Over in Bernard's kitchen, he walked over to his telephone that was now activated. He walked over to the wall, picked up the phone receiver and dialed in a phone number.
Bernard got a bit of a coughing fit, and his face turned beet red while he waited for the other person to answer.
"Hello," Wendy answered her end of the call.
"It's me, Bernard. I finally got my phone working at my house."
"What's your number?"
"Five, five, five, eighteen forty-two," he replied.
There were a few seconds of silence from the phone.
"I'll be on a Greyhound tomorrow. Should take me a few days to get there."
"Call me when you arrive in town, and I'll pick you up at the bus station."
"Okay. I'll see you soon."
Bernard hung up his phone. He looked a little ill, so he walked out of the kitchen.
Later that afternoon, James walked over to a payphone on the lower concourse of the mall.
He deposited a coin into the phone and punched in a number. He looked excited while he waited for the other end to answer.
"Detective Appleby. How may I help you?" came from the phone.
"It's me, James. What did you find out?" knowing Marvin would locate something suspicious about Bernard.
"I checked our computer, and nothing comes up on this Bernard Sanders. He's clean as a whistle," Marvin replied from the phone.
James looked extremely disappointed. "But. There has to be something criminal with this guy. I mean; he had a scar that looked to be a bullet wound."
"I'm sorry. We'll need more concrete evidence than a scar and burn mark."
"Thanks, Marvin."
"Now, James. Let me repeat myself. Leave that old man alone before he shoots you for being an intruder," Marvin said in his best detective's voice.
"I will," James said then hung up the phone.
He moped away down the concourse.
In the Detectives Room at the police station, Marvin hung up his phone.
George worked on some paperwork at his desk. He glanced over at Marvin. "Did you actually check up on his Bernard Sanders guy?"
Marvin glanced over at George with a smirk. "No way. I'm hoping this will stop James from being his normal snoop with this old man. I don't want to fill out the report on James being shot for being a peeping tom or intruder."
"I can understand that," George replied then returned to his work.
Marvin returned back to his paperwork.
James moped around the upper concourse of the mall.
He walked near the entrance to "Steve's Science Shop."
James stared at the entrance for a few seconds. Then his eyes lit up when he remembered something he saw in there the other day.
He rushed into the store.
James headed down an aisle where he recalled seeing that item of interest.
He stopped mid-way down the aisle, and his eyes lit up when that item was still at the bottom shelf.
He reached down to a bottom shelf and grabbed one of the three Fingerprinting Kit boxes. He gleamed while he looked the box over.
James looked determined while he rushed over to the cashier, where six other customers waited in line to pay for their item.
A little while later, James paid for his item and rushed out of the store with a Steve's Shopping Store shopping bag in hand.
He headed over to the bench across from the store's entrance.
James sat down at the bench. He removed a small pocket penknife from his pants pocket.
He removed the Fingerprinting Kit box from the bag.
He used his penknife and opened the box. He reached inside and removed the instructions. He started reading them with keen interest.
Meanwhile, across the country, it was morning in the Los Angeles area.
Traffic was thick on Interstate 10 and in some areas; traffic was stalled due to the enormous congestion of cars.
But traffic was moving at a good pace in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10.
In one of those eastbound lanes was a Greyhound Bus. It had "Albuquerque on the marquee at the front of the bus.
Inside that Greyhound Bus sat Wendy Henderson. She had dyed auburn hair and was of slender build and looked great for her age with her rounded chin.
She wore a lovely dress while she sat in deep thought on the bus by her window.
She stared out at the Los Angeles area while the bus headed east on Interstate 10. She was not going to miss this smog-filled city at all.
It was now evening, and James' shift of protecting the mall from criminals was over for the day. And he was excited about going home since he had a mission to complete later tonight.
James walked out of the mall entrances and headed through the lot with Steve's Science Shop shopping bag in hand.
He walked over to his Impala. He opened his driver's door then looked at his shopping bag in hand.
He walked over to the rear of his car and unlocked and opened the trunk. He placed the bag in the trunk, then closed it.
He walked back over and got inside his Impala. He started it up, backed out of his parking spot then drove away through the lot.
Back in Bernard's kitchen, he sat at the kitchen table. He drank a cup of coffee while he set his lockbox on top of the table.
He opened the lockbox, reached inside and removed an old and faded white envelope with the pre-printed address for the Meridian Star.
He opened the envelope and dumped out ten old black and white photos.
Bernard grabbed one of the photos and looked at it.
The first picture showed Hud Hudson when he was twenty-four years old. He relaxed with a cigar in his mouth while he relaxed in an Adirondack chair with palm trees and Oakwood Motor Court sign in the background.
Bernard smiled at the photo and dropped it back inside the envelope.
He picked up the second photo and looked at it.
This was a picture of a sandy beach and ocean.
He smiled as that brought back fond memories. He dropped that photo back in the envelope.
He picked up the third photo and looked at it.
This was a picture of Hud while he sat behind the wheel of a 1932 Hudson parked on a beach. It was a Brougham burgundy Major 8 four-door sedan with wire-rim wheels. He had his Colt 45 in his shoulder holster and had a mean gangster's stare.
Bernard smiled at the photo, as it brought back fond memories. He dropped that photo back inside the envelope.
He picked up the fourth photo and looked at it.
This photo showed Hud, Jack, Harold, and Willie with fishing poles in hand while on a fishing boat in the ocean.
Bernard smiled at the photo, as it brought back fond memories. He dropped that photo back inside the envelope.
He picked up the fifth photo and looked at it.
This photo showed Hud and the guys with diamond necklaces, diamond rings, and diamond bracelets on a kitchen table along with a plate that had one chocolate chip cookie on it.
Bernard dropped that photo back in the envelope.
He picked up the sixth photo and looked at it.
This one showed Hud, Jack, Willie, and Harold cleaning their sub-machine guns and pistols at a kitchen table. Ester was visible with an apron around her waist peeling a potato by the kitchen sink.
He dropped that photo back in the envelope.
He picked up the seventh photo and looked at it.
This photo was dirty. It showed Ester Walker and Hud Hudson while they cuddled naked in bed. His large penis was visible as well as her bare breasts and pubic hairs.
Bernard stared at the photo and glanced at her perky A-cup tits. This photo brought back some warm memories, and he could still hear her moans from orgasms in his head. Twenty years ago, looking at this picture would have given a rise in Bernard's pants. But not now as some things were not in original working order.
Bernard kissed that photo and dropped it back in the envelope.
He picked up the eighth photo and looked at it.
This photo showed Hud, Jack, Willie, and Harold while they looked mean on the front porch of a farmhouse. In the doorway of that house stood Ester in her panties and bra.
He dropped that photo back in the envelope.
He picked up the ninth photo and looked at it.
The photo showed Hud, Ester, Jack, Harold, and Willie sitting around a dining room table with a turkey dinner.
He dropped the photo back in the envelope.
He picked up the tenth photo and looked at it.
This photo showed Hud, Harold, Jack, Willie, Uncle Melvin and Ester standing in front of the Citizen's State Bank in Tupelo, Mississippi, with smiles on their faces.
He dropped that photo back in the envelope.
He then dropped that envelope back inside the lockbox.
He reached in the lockbox and removed and looked at a piece of paper.
On the piece of paper were five names and locations.
The first name was "Bernard Sanders, of Union Park, Indiana" crossed out.
The second name was "Elmer Brown, of Titus, Kentucky" crossed out.
The third name was "Abner Murray, of Daleville, Indiana" crossed out.
The fourth name was "Kent Osborne, of Vicksburg, Arkansas" crossed out.
And the fifth name was "Jimmy Peabody, Gibsland, Illinois" not crossed out.
Bernard tossed that piece of paper into the lockbox and closed it.
He got up from the table and walked over to the Jack Daniels whiskey bottle on the counter. He opened the bottle and took a healthy swig of whiskey. He coughed a little then took another swig of whiskey.
Meanwhile, across the country, that Greyhound raced east on Interstate 40 in the left lane through the Arizona desert.
Inside the bus, Wendy rested her head against the window and eyed the passing Arizona desert.
Back at James' home, he had his Impala parked in his driveway.
He had the trunk opened and removed his Steve's Science Shop shopping bag from inside it.
He closed the trunk then rushed around to the side of the garage.
He entered the garage through the side door.
James rushed around the items stored inside their garage. Most of these items were items collected from their various Air Force assignments.
He rushed over to a workbench and tucked the Steve's Science Shop shopping bag under the bench out of sight.
He rushed back to the side door of the garage and went outside.
James entered the living room through the front door.
"I'm home," he called out while he closed the door.
"Go wash up. Dinner's ready," Cindy called out from the kitchen.
James walked off and headed down the hallway.
The night rolled on by, and The Donny and Marie Show was on the TV.
Cindy sat on the couch and was engrossed in the show.
James sat at the other end of the couch and scanned through the pages of his "Is Hud Hudson Alive?" By Peter Diesel book.
Across the country in the Albuquerque bus station, Wendy ate alone in the restaurant that was packed with travelers. She looked so lonely.
Back in Gibsland, Bernard ate a ham and cheese sandwich while he drank a cup of coffee at his kitchen table. He was in deep thought.
Later that night back in James home, Cindy was fast asleep under the covers.
James continued to scan through his "Is Hud Hudson Alive?" By Peter Diesel book and looked to be in deep thought again.
He glanced over at Cindy.
He quietly got out of from under the covers. He got up and stood by the bed. He looked at Cindy. She did not move.
He gingerly walked to the door and headed out of the bedroom.
A few minutes later, and James entered his garage from the kitchen door.
He rushed over to the workbench and removed Steve's Science Shop shopping bag.
He removed the Fingerprinting Kit box and placed it up on the workbench.
He rushed over to the side garage door, opens it, and stepped outside with the box in hand.
James rushed through his back yard and stopped when he got to Bernard's back yard. He looked at the rear Bernard's house where the one-bedroom light was on.
"Now, James. Leave that old man alone before he shoots you for being an intruder," Marvin's voice echoed inside James' head as a reminder.
James looked nervous while the thought of being shot ran through his head.
He turned around and rushed back to his home.
After he secured his Fingerprinting Kit box back under the workbench in the garage, James went back to his bedroom.
He looked disappointed while he walked over to his bed and quietly slipped back under the covers.
Cindy rolled over the second James head touched his pillow. "Where did you go?" she asked, then yawned.
James felt caught. "Ah, I was thirsty, so I went to get a drink of water."
"Oh," Cindy replied, believing him. She rolled back over to her side and closed her eyes.
James stared at the ceiling and looked disappointed for chickening out.
It was night over in Albuquerque.
Inside the Albuquerque bus station, Wendy had some time to kill before her next bus left. So she looked around a store that sold books, snacks, and other New Mexico souvenirs.
She had her small suitcase in hand while she walked around the store checking out some snacks.
She walked over to the magazine rack on the wall. She scanned through them, and nothing piqued her interest.
She walked over to the paperback books on the wall next to the magazines. She looked at the books. Then one piqued her interest. She grabbed and saw the "Is Hud Hudson Alive?" By Peter Diesel title that had a copy of Hud's old mug shot on the cover.
She rolled her eyes and placed the book back.
She walked away then stopped while she thought about that book.
She turned around and headed back to the books. She grabbed that book and headed over to the cashier's counter, where a young cashier waited to serve the next customer.
Wendy placed the book on the counter.
The cashier took the book and rang it up on the cash register. "My boyfriend saw the documentary on this the other night. He actually believes this guy is still alive," the cashier said.
"How about that," Wendy replied and acted like that was fresh news.
"I personally think he's dead if you ask me," the cashier added while she looked at her register. "That will be three dollars and ten cents."
"How about that," Wendy said while she handed the cashier a five-dollar bill.
The cashier gave Wendy her change, then Wendy walked away.
"Bus to Oklahoma City is leaving in twenty minutes at gate thirteen," a male announcer's voice called out from the speakers in the ceiling.
Wendy walked off toward the gate area with her suitcase and new book in hand.