Chapter 35
Back at Marvin's home, he was still in his living room and was almost finished with his dinner and beer. He was also still engrossed in the Charley Angels TV show that was ready to reveal the climax of the episode.
The phone in his kitchen rang and rang.
Marvin looked irritated with its ringing and decided to ignore it. The phone continued to ring and ring.
"Shit," Marvin said while he got off his couch.
"Why can't you leave me alone, Cindy?" he said while he stormed out of his living room and headed to the hallway.
Marvin entered his kitchen where he headed over to the ringing phone.
He picked up the phone. "Okay, Cindy. I'll look for my dumbass brother-in-law," he blurted out when he answered the call.
"This isn't Cindy. It's me, Roger Nichols," he replied from the phone.
Marvin looked interested. "Hey, Roger. Sorry about that. Cindy bugged me earlier about her husband not returning home from work."
"That's okay. So how's Cindy doing?"
"Great, why the call so early?"
"I got the results of those fingerprints you sent me," said Roger.
Marvin looked surprised. "Already? That was quick."
"You were lucky. One of our fingerprints experts up here is Kenny Williams. He was actually with Agent Ricky Kelly when they tried to take down Hud and Ester before that house exploded in thirty-four. That shook up Kenny, so he moved into the fingerprinting area after that. Since he's going to retire next week, he wanted to check these out himself."
"What did you find out?"
"You're not going to believe this. I didn't know at first. Well, our Agent Williams found a match, and they belong to that famous public enemy Henry "Hud" Hudson and Ester Walker."
"Are you sure?"
"We had two other fingerprint experts verify them. But of course we would like to get a hold of these two to really make sure," said Roger.
"I can put that in work and send out some officers and detain the pair for questioning," Marvin replied.
"That would be great, as Agent Williams has a vested interest in this."
Thanks, Roger, I'll check this out and get back to you."
"Call me the second you detained the couple, and we'll send some Agents down to Gibsland."
"I will," Marvin said then hung up his phone.
Marvin looked a little surprised while he stood in the kitchen. "James, you're a genius," he said, then rushed out of the kitchen.
A little while later, Marvin rushed out of his front door.
He rushed over to his parked unmarked Chevrolet Impala in the driveway.
He got inside his car, started it up, and backed down his driveway.
He raced off down the street with his tires screeching a little.
Back at the cemetery at Jimmy Peabody's grave, James removed a small leather satchel from the hole he dug above the rotten wooden casket.
Bernard smiled when he saw the satchel. "Come to papa," he said, then snatched the satchel out of James' hand. He felt the satchel and looked satisfied.
James started filling the hole back up with the dirt.
Bernard opened up the satchel and saw it still contained his diamond necklaces and rings in perfect condition. He was extremely happy.
Off in the background, the cemetery peeked out of the window of his building and eyed James and Bernard by Jimmy Peabody's gravesite. He looked suspicious, especially when he saw the Colt 45 in Bernard's hand. He decided that it would be best if he stayed out of view.
Back at James' home, Cindy sat on the couch while the Wednesday Night Movie was on the TV. She did not pay attention to the movie because she was worried sick about James.
There was a knock on the door. Cindy jumped startled. The knock continued.
Cindy got up and rushed over to the door believing the police arrived with the bad news that James was seriously injured in a car accident.
She quickly opened the door and saw Agnes standing outside, looking concerned.
"Agnes, what are you doing here?" Cindy replied a little relieved it was not the police providing lousy news.
Agnes looked over her shoulder, and the coast was clear, so she looked back at Cindy. "I saw James in that Hudson with Hud Hudson and Ester Walker earlier today. They parked inside his garage then closed the door earlier tonight. Then I saw James and Hud Hudson leave a little while ago with James driving. They haven't returned," Agnes said then looked over her shoulder again to make sure Hud and Ester were not sneaking up on her.
Cindy looked at Agnes, not sure she heard correctly. "Did you say, Hud Hudson and Ester Walker?"
Agnes nodded in agreement and looked serious.
"Thank you, Agnes. I'll call my brother, the detective. He can find James and this so-called Hud Hudson," Cindy said then closed the door suddenly opened it back up. "Why are you moving?" she asked while Agnes stepped away from the front door.
Agnes turned back and looked at Cindy and appeared a little scared. "I'm afraid Hud and Ester are in town to kill me."
"Why would they want to do that? They don't even know you," Cindy replied and thought that was a strange reason to sell your house.
"I know something about them. Something that happened a long time ago and could help identify them for who they really are," Agnes said and looked serious.
"Okay, Agnes. I hope you sell it fast," Cindy replied, then closed her door.
Cindy peeked out her living room window curtains and watched while Agnes rushed back across the street to her house. She did not know whether to believe Agnes was dangerous or delusional.
Cindy closed the curtains and stood there not knowing what to believe, but she knew there was something strange going on tonight. And James was probably in the thick of it.
She walked away and headed to the hallway.
Back at the Gibsland Cemetery, Bernard cautiously watched James while they got back inside his Hudson.
"You did good kid," Bernard said then gave James a friendly pat on the back. "I might let you and your wife live."
James started up the car.
"Home James," Bernard said in a smart-ass tone.
James placed the car in gear, made a U-turn, and headed back down Grant Avenue.
While James drove down the street, Bernard got another wet coughing fit. He rolled down his window and blew out a huge chunk of phlegm out into the wind.
It was a quiet and boring night back at the Gibsland Police Station.
Sergeant Vick Carter worked at the front desk. He sipped his coffee while he glanced at some reports. The phone on the desk rang. He picked it up.
"Gibsland police department. How may I help you?" Sergeant Carter answered the call.
"Yes, Ralph Burrows here. I'm the caretaker down at the cemetery. I want to report two guys digging at a grave here at the cemetery. One was wearing some type of police uniform. He was a young guy, and the older man just watched with a pistol in hand," he said from the phone.
Sergeant Carter rolled his eyes. "Did they steal a dead body?"
"No. Looks like they took a box or some kind of leather item out of the ground. They filled in the hole then left with that item in an old green car," Ralph replied.
"Did you get a tag number of the old car?"
"No. Like I said, the old guy had a gun. I wasn't about to get shot," Ralph replied and sounded a little nervous.
"Okay, we'll send an officer over to the cemetery to get a statement. Remain there," Sergeant Carter replied.
"I'll be waiting," Ralph said then hung up his end of the call
Sergeant Carter hung up the phone and sipped his coffee. He yawned.
He picked up the microphone from the police dispatch radio and proceeded to make a call to send out a unit to the cemetery to investigate.
James drove the Hudson down, Montvale with Bernard's Colt 45 pointed at his right side.
He stopped by Bernard's driveway.
From James living room window, Cindy peeked out the curtains and saw Bernard's Hudson. She also saw James while he backed up the car up Bernard's driveway. "He just had to get involved," she said and got scared.
She rushed away from the window.
Over at Bernard's house, Wendy opened the garage door. James backed the Hudson into the garage. Wendy closed the garage door.
Over in James' kitchen, Cindy could not take it any longer. She rushed over in a panic to the phone. She dialed a number and looked impatient while it rang and rang.
"Answer your phone, Marvin!" she called out and started to feel sick worrying about James.
His phone rang and rang and rang.
She hung up her phone and stood there, not knowing what to do. Her phone rang and startled her. "James! Where are you?" she blurted out into the phone the second she picked up the receiver.
"Cindy, it's me, Marvin. I was calling for James. I have some interesting news for him," Marvin replied.
"James' not here. My neighbor told me she saw him riding in my neighbor's car. They left a little while ago and just returned," she told him.
There were a few seconds of silence from the phone. "Marvin, are you there?" Cindy asked, thinking she lost him.
"Listen, I want you to calmly get out of your house," Marvin said and sounded serious.
"Why?"
"I don't have time to explain. Just get in your car and come down to the station where it's safe," Marvin said then hung up his end of the call.
Cindy stood there and looked a little bewildered at the phone. She hung up the phone then rushed out of the kitchen.
She rushed down the hallway and rushed into her bedroom.
Over in Bernard's bedroom, James sat on the bed and looked scared to death.
Wendy sat on the bed next to James with her Thompson sub-machine gun in hand while she eyed James.
Bernard entered the bedroom wearing leather gloves and had his Colt 45 in his right hand.
"Do we have time for me to give him his last meal?" she asked Bernard then blew James a kiss.
Bernard looked at Wendy's horny grin. "Not now baby, your pussy can wait until we get to the hideout. Besides, I want his wife to watch you sit naked on his face."
Wendy looked a little disappointed. "Baby, I'm going to be the best piece of pussy you'll ever remember," Wendy said then she leaned over and forced a French kiss on James' lips.
Bernard chuckled.
"Watch him while I go get his wife," Bernard said while he shoved his Colt 45 into his right pants pocket.
Wendy nodded in agreement and ran a hand through James' hair.
Bernard walked out of the bedroom.
Wendy forced another French kiss on James.
James fought from vomiting into Wendy's mouth, knowing this would piss her off, and he would be shot right there.
Cindy exited from the front door in a panic.
She rushed over to her Monza, got inside, and immediately started it up.
Cindy backed her Monza down the driveway; the second Bernard exited from the side door of his garage.
She raced her car off down Montvale in the other direction from Bernard's house.
Bernard walked to his driveway and watched while Cindy's Monza raced off down, Montvale in the opposite. "Damn it!" she said then something caught his attention in the opposite direction of Montvale.
He looked, and his eyes widened with concern the second he saw three Gibsland police cars race down the street and headed toward his home.
"This ain't fucking good," said Bernard then he rushed over to the side door of his garage.
He rushed back inside the garage.
In Bernard's bedroom, Wendy straddled James' and ground the crotch of her panties into his crotch. "This is how I'm going to fuck you later," she moaned out pretending to have an orgasm.
Bernard rushed inside the bedroom.
"A bunch of fucking cops are coming down the street, and I have a bad feeling about this," he said then saw Wendy on James' lap.
"Ah, man. Not now!" she said, then got off James.
She picked up her Thompson sub-machine gun off the floor. "What should be done?"
Bernard paced for a second while he pondered their situation. "Hey darling, want to go out in a blaze of glory? Like the old days? I don't want to spend the rest of what little days I have in prison," he said and looked serious.
Wendy thought about his proposal for a few seconds. "Why not. Life has been boring for the past forty-four years," she replied and looked serious.
"You read about these in your fucking books. Now you're going to experience it real-time," Bernard told James then he grabbed James's shirt and yanked him up to his feet.
Bernard coughed while he rushed James out of the bedroom with Wendy behind him.
Outside Bernard's house, the police cars were parked along the street in front of his house.
Six police officers got out of their cars and gathered by the lead one to briefly discuss their strategy for confronting the two in that house.
Marvin's unmarked Impala pulled up and parked behind the last police car.
From across the street, Agnes sat in her chair and peeked out her living room window. Her eyes lit up with joy the second she saw the three police cars parked in front of Bernard's house.
"It's about time!" she said and watched while Marvin got out of his car and walked over to the six police officers.
"Watch who you shoot at, I received information that my brother-in-law might be in there. And he's probably being held, hostage." Marvin told the six police officers out by the lead car.
Then the sound of glass breaking was heard, and by the time the officers knew what that meant, Thompson machine gun and Colt 45 pistol fire came out of Bernard's broken living room window.
Bullets sprayed the other side of the police cars. One of the police officers dropped to the street dead.
Other bullets shattered Agnes' living window. She was not injured but peed in her panties while she dropped to her living room floor.
Back on the street, Marvin and the five other police officers dove behind the police cars for protection. They whipped out their pistols and waited for a few seconds.
Marvin and four of the police officers cautiously peeked over the hoods and trunks of the cars.
More machine gun and pistol fire came from the living room window and sprayed the police cars and shattered most of the door windows.
Marvin and the five police officers opened fire with their pistols at the living room window from over the hoods and trunks of the cars.
It was quiet inside the house.
The police officers cautiously waited behind their cars for signs more firing from the living room window.
One of the officers slowly opened his car door and reached inside the car.
"This is the Gibsland police. Please put down weapons and step out of the house with your hands in the air," he said from the speaker of the police car.
It was still quiet inside the house.
The five police officers looked at Marvin for some direction.
"Let's wait a few seconds," Marvin told everybody.
They all nodded in agreement.
Then the sound of a car gunning its engine was heard from inside the garage.
Bernard's Hornet smashed through the garage door, sending pieces of broken wood everywhere.
Bernard drove with James between him and Wendy in the front seat.
While Bernard raced his Hornet down his driveway, Wendy fired her machine gun out the rolled-down passenger window for their protection.
Bullets sprayed the front of the police cars.
Marvin and the five police officers crouched down and opened fire at the Hornet while it made a screeching left turn out of the driveway and onto Montvale Street.
Inside the Hudson, James was scared to death while he heard the police bullets hit the car.
Then some bullets shattered the rear window. Blood and pieces of Wendy's brain splattered on the front windshield. Wendy slammed her forehead up against the dashboard.
Bernard looked and saw the blood and pieces of brain on the windshield. Then he saw her blank stare and a bloody hole in the back of her head. "Ester!" he screamed out, knowing she was dead.
More bullets penetrated the rear of the Hudson while Bernard raced down the street.
"Shit!" Bernard cried out while he slumped forward against the steering wheel and stomped on the gas pedal at the same time.
James saw a bloody hole on the right rear shoulder of Bernard's shirt. He sensed the moment was right.
He swiftly took his left foot and smashed on the brakes.
The Hudson screeched and fishtailed all over the street.
The Hudson crashed into a parked 1975 Ford Galaxy along the street.
James slammed his head into the dashboard and passed out.
A few minutes passed, and Marvin and the five police officers cautiously waited for any signs of a threat from the Hudson.
It was quiet from the car, so Marvin and the officers cautiously inched their way toward the Hudson with their pistols ready to fire if needed.
All up and down Montvale, the neighbors that were nearby spied out their living room windows. This was the first time they witnessed a real-life police shoot out.
The cautiously arrived at the Hudson with their pistols ready to fire back at any signs of a threat.
Marvin saw Wendy slumped dead up against the dashboard. James slumped against the dashboard, moaning in pain, and Bernard slumped up against the steering wheel moaning in pain.
One of the officers cautiously opened the driver's door, removed Hud's Colt 45 out of his right hand then turned off the engine. He removed the car keys.
Marvin saw that old black lockbox on the rear seat. He opened up the back door, reached inside and removed the box.