Liz Burgoyne came in the sun parlor from the patio to see Jackie Nevada waiting, getting up from the sofa, and it made Liz think of Raylan, the time she walked in and he asked her about Cuba stealing kidneys. Liz crossed the room in jeans and cowboy boots offering her hand, saying:
“Jackie Nevada. Harry’s told me about his poker-playing buddy. He makes you sound like a little girl, but you’re quite something else, aren’t you?” Liz smiling now. “Harry mentioned you’re wanted by the police?”
“It’s a misdemeanor thing,” Jackie said. “I didn’t show up for a hearing.”
“Picked up in a raid,” Liz said. “Harry told me about it. He said you like Manhattans, is that right?”
Jackie said, “If that’s what we’re having.”
T hey were both on the sofa now, the nearly empty pitcher on the cocktail table, both smoking cigarettes.
“You ever cheat?” Liz said.
“Why do only women ask that? You mean at poker.”
“Or on a guy.”
“Poker, I’ve never had to.”
“You’re that good?”
“You have to work with another player. Didn’t you see Rounders? They cheat playing with a bunch of cops. I’ve never cheated on a boyfriend either. Right now I don’t have one, but I live with seven guys. You know what they think is funny? Farting.”
“Why do guys love to fart?”
“They’re expressing themselves.”
“You hop in the sack with any of them?”
“Nope. There’s some fooling around, girls come for a party and we get high, but I don’t recall anything really inappropriate. You might hear a girl tell some guy to quit grabbin her ass. We have great parties.”
Liz said, “You like to go down on guys?”
“Not guys, no. But I have polished the occasional knob.”
“Wow,” Liz said. “You’re not bashful, are you?”
“You know what I’m talking about or wouldn’t of asked.”
“You have to meet some of my friends from olden times, they’d love you.”
“I’m not a lay,” Jackie said. “I’ve only gone to bed with three guys in four years, ones I thought I was serious about.”
“What happened to them?”
“They graduated.”
Liz poured the rest of the Manhattans.
“You like to do it standing up?”
“I never have,” Jackie said. “In movies they look like they’re ringing the bell, but I think it would be uncomfortable.”
Liz said, “I bet I know the movie you’re thinking of. The girl walks in the bar-”
“That’s the one.”
“She can’t get any attention and yells out, ‘Who’s a girl gotta suck around here to get a drink?’ ”
“She gets into the cute guy’s pants, in the booth.”
“Then you see them in back doing it standing up.”
“You ever do it with a black guy?”
“No, and I’m not racist,” Jackie said. “Or maybe I am and don’t know it. I’ve never had any chills and thrills yet when I meet black guys at parties. I know you have.”
“Our driver at the time,” Liz said. “Harry thought was from West Africa, so Cuba always had to put on an accent, one he picked up from cabdrivers.” She said, “I can’t imagine Harry trying anything with you.”
“Why?” Jackie said.
“He’s too old. He might ask you to strip, promise he’ll just look.”
“Would that upset you?”
“Not in the least, if he can pull it off.”
“He sure goes to the bathroom a lot.”
“His tired kidneys,” Liz said. “And here’s your boyfriend now.”
Harry came in from the hallway telling Jackie, “I got three guys so far want to play you: my friends the breeders, Ike and Mike, and a World Series of Poker pro they dug up called Dude Moody.”
Jackie was nodding.
“He’s been at the final table. I think he won a couple of bracelets. They call him Moody Blues or just Blues.”
“I said to Ike and Mike, ‘For Christ sake, what do you guys need help for?’ And there’s a guy in town I asked to stop by. You met him, Liz, Raylan Givens? The marshal lookin for that driver we had. He called, I asked him to come by for a drink and say hello.”
Jackie said, “Harry, don’t tell him I play poker, okay?”
J ackie watched Raylan take off his hat shaking hands with Harry and they stood talking for a few minutes. Now they were coming over to the sofa, Raylan saying, “Don’t get up, ladies, you look comfortable.”
“We have had a couple,” Liz said. “Raylan, it’s so good to see you. It seems to me that you and I sat here having martinis one time. Harry, where were you?”
“Tendin business. I believe I was helpin a foal come into the world. She’s still lookin like a possible.”
Jackie saw Raylan stare at her for a moment and turn to Liz again, Liz saying, “This time my guest said she might try a Manhattan. They seemed to’ve worked just fine.” Jackie wondering how she’d be introduced. These people got in conversations and forgot she was there.
Not Raylan.
Harry said, “Liz makes it sound like she’s never had a Manhattan.”
Jackie watched Raylan smile, being polite, watched his eyes come back to her. She said through her buzz, “Hi, I’m JaHi, Ickie.”
Raylan came over to shake hands telling her not to get up, but she did and stood with her feet planted.
“Harry’s latest partner,” Liz said.
Raylan gave her hand a nice squeeze and said, “Is that right?”
Jackie told herself she’d get out of this or she wouldn’t, and said, “Harry’s my banker, he stakes me to poker games, but doesn’t pay too much attention.” Smiling then to show she was being funny. “He has no idea how we’re doing.”
No one laughed. Liz said, “If you’ve been playing no-limit for the past week, you’re winning, or Harry would’ve left you off somewhere.”
Harry said, “You make me sound heartless.”
“I’ll bet,” Liz said, “she’s up at least a hundred grand.”
Raylan said, “You play poker as an occupation?”
She said, “I’m not sure. I’m looking at it.”
“You were in a game,” Raylan said, “in Indianapolis recently that was raided, weren’t you?”
Jackie said, “You know how much I lost?”
Harry said, “You never want to be in a game when the cops bust in. They take all the cash and chips as evidence. What happens to the dough after that?” Harry said to Raylan. “Maybe you can tell me.”
“Isn’t part of my job,” Raylan said.
“I’m always careful,” Harry said, “pickin games for Jackie. What I do is call the chief of police, tell him who I am, and say I want to play some poker without gettin in the way of a raid. I ask him if there’s a police fund-raiser I could help out.”
Liz asked Raylan if he had time for a drink. He said, glancing at his watch, he’d better get back. “We’re tryin to locate a guy wants to shoot me on sight.”
Liz said, “I’d think you’d have them lining up.”
“Well, some are dead,” Raylan said, and looked at Jackie. “I’d like to hear more about what you’re doin. I haven’t played a lot of poker but’ve always had a good time. Are you stayin here by any chance?”
“Till we hit the poker trail again,” Harry said. “Jackie’s takin on some guys tomorrow in a big cash game.”
Raylan touched his coat pocket and said, “Excuse me,” taking out his cell phone and turning away.
Jackie watched him, telling herself it was a case they were putting him on and he had to leave right now, forget about her walking out of jail, and heard him say, “Come on, you’re kiddin.” He turned his back to them now and stepped away to listen. Come on, you’re kiddin, his voice raised but not much, was all she heard. She watched him fold his cell and come back to stand with her as he told Liz and Harry, “I’m sorry, but that was my job callin.”
“About the guy who wants to shoot you?” Liz said.
“Something else,” Raylan said. Then paused, like he was getting around to what he wanted to say. “You don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with Ms. Nevada.”
Liz said, “I hope you’re not going to cuff our guest. Are you?”
“I’m not arrestin her,” Raylan said. “There’s something I’d like to talk to her about.”
Jackie gave Liz a shrug and walked out to the hallway with Raylan.
“Where we going if you’re not turning me in?”
“I want to talk to you,” Raylan said. “The first time I came here I said, ‘This’s a sun parlor? I’d like to see what they call the living room.’ Liz told me it’s been a sun parlor for eighty-five years.”
Jackie stopped. “If you’re not arresting me, where we going?”
“Forget about Indy,” Raylan said. “I’ll appear at your hearing and tell the court you owed a shylock and was hopin to pay him out of the twenty grand you blew.” Raylan, turned enough to see the Burgoynes watching, said, “Come on,” and they continued walking down the hall, Raylan telling Jackie, “I stopped at Butler and saw your picture in the yearbook. I said to myself, Whatever it was, you didn’t do it.”
“I have no idea,” Jackie said, “what’s going on.”
“I want to take you out,” Raylan said, “if you’re not playin tonight. You are, I’ll come and watch.”
She said, “Like a date?” Thought for a moment and said, “You know those two girls who were murdered? I’d love to see where it happened.”
“There’s nothin there now butthere no police tape.” He paused a moment and said, “Hey, you want to come with me? I’ll show you a scene hard to believe.”
I n the car now Jackie said, “My first murder scene. I’m excited.”
“It isn’t called a homicide yet,” Raylan said. “I’ll warn you, don’t get too close to this one.”
“Liz said to remind you, I’m a poor college student just trying to get by.”
“Playin poker,” Raylan said. He believed it put her out in the world so their age difference didn’t mean a thing.
“High stakes every evening,” Jackie said. “Hands become a story you’ll be telling weeks later, about a guy who’s trying to scare you out, raises and reraises, going for it. Thirty-odd thousand in the pot when we come to the flop. You know he’ll bet. But I think he’s bluffing. I’ve got two pair, jacks and tens. Either one shows up I’ve got a full house. He bets fifteen thousand. I see him and raise him ten. The poor guy, he’s playing a girl when the truth hits him: he’s about to get cleaned out. There’s an advantage in being the only girl at the table. It makes the guys act cool and want to show off. Harry’s problem, he can’t tell when they’re bluffing. I think they always become quieter, like they’re holding a serious hand.”
Raylan said, “What’s the flop?”
Jackie said, “You haven’t played much hold ’em, have you?”
P olice cars lined the drive, uniformed officers stood around in St. Elizabeth’s lobby, residents watching, asking each other what in the world was going on. A city detective waiting for Raylan took him through the halls to Ms. Culpepper’s room, telling him, “Our response on this was less’n twelve minutes. Anybody in the room when it went down is still in the room.”
Raylan asked him, “What was the weapon? I believe I was told a shotgun.”
“A Remington 870 with a slug barrel, one load fired, one still in the chamber. It belonged to her deceased husband, Otis.”
Raylan said, “They let her keep a loaded shotgun in her room?”
“It’s the first thing we asked. If she didn’t have the slugs hidden, somebody went out and got ’em for her. We haven’t asked about it yet.”
“I was told Boyd Crowder came with Ms. Conlan.”
“That’s right. He brought documents he wanted the old nted thewoman to sign.”
“How about Carol, Ms. Conlan?”
“She’s still lying where she fell, I think blown off her feet. The slug hit her in the chest and messed it up some. Nothing’s hardly been touched. Mr. Crowder says the old woman fired the shotgun under her quilt and it set the quilt afire.”
“Where’s the gun?”
“Being checked for latents.”
“You know Boyd’s prints are on file.”
“We’re already inquiring.”
Raylan turned to Jackie and took her into the room with him.
B oyd was at a window on the other side of Ms. Culpepper in her rocker, a new quilt over her legs, her eyes looking dazed or stoned.
Boyd turned to Raylan saying, “Finally… Man, I’m the one told ’em to get the marshals and ask for Raylan. He’ll tell you I’d never use a shotgun on a woman. Would I?”
“Not ordinarily,” Raylan said. “Boyd, you didn’t shoot her, did you?”
“You ask me that,” Boyd said, “knowin, or soon to find out, I never touched the gun? I gave Marion, bless her heart, some of her medication right afterwards.”
Raylan saw Jackie start to look down at Carol’s body, next to the bed, and turn away quick. He watched her go to Ms. Culpepper and take her hand, crouching down to speak to her, Jackie knowing more about life than any twenty-three-year-old college girl, exposed to the world having Reno for a dad. It seemed to have been a pretty good thing.
Boyd said, “I was at the table gettin out papers for Marion to sign and bam, the quilt catches fire and I see Ms. Conlan fall against the nightstand knockin things over, I believe her soul leavin her body before she hit the floor.”
Raylan said to Boyd, “I bet if I retraced your steps last evening, I’d find myself in a gun shop buyin shells.”
“And I bet a hundred dollars you wouldn’t,” Boyd said.
“You have a wino buy ’em for you?”
Boyd said, “Raylan, leave things lie, all right?”
Raylan motioned for Jackie to come over.
“What’d she tell you?”
“She said if anybody cares,” Jackie said, “God let her blow out that woman’s lights the same as the woman did Otis’s. She said she spoke to God about it and God told her forget it, she’d done all right.”
Jackie gave a shrug looking at Raylan. She watched him step over to Carol’s body lying by the bed, bloody from throat to chest; watched Raylan stoop down and use two fingers to close the woman’s eyelids and crouch there looking at her.
Once he got up he motioned to her and they left the nursing home. He did speak to the city detective again, but was quiet in the car driving away. Jackie waited.
Finally she said, “What’s wrong?”
“I knew her pretty well,” Raylan said. “Enough that I didn’t much care for her. She was the company and did whatever she wanted.”
“But seeing her dead,” Jackie said, “was different.”
“Killed with a shotgun.”
“By an old lady. You think she’ll go to prison?”
“I doubt it. But you don’t know which one to feel sorry for.”
“Indiana they speak Hoosier,” Jackie said. “Come down here you’re in a different country.”
“Coal country,” Raylan said. “Carol’s from West Virginia, she shouldn’t of been surprised.”
Jackie said, “Ms. Culpepper said the company woman came in and told her how nice it was to see her again, and Ms. Culpepper shot her.”
“Being cordial,” Raylan said, “instead of wondering what the hell that was under the blanket. You live down there you get to know people’s ways. You hear Boyd? He said, ‘I never used a shotgun on a woman.’ Carol knew everything but who we are. She was good at sounding West Virginia when she wanted but, I’ll say it again, she didn’t know our ways.” He looked at Jackie and said, “You want to get a beer? It might do you good.”