Shred of Evidence

The usual collection of tale mongers had their tongues in hyper overdrive when Randall Weeks walked into Sid’s Diner. He weaved his way through the chatter, sitting down in his regular spot, just as Sid’s wife, Ruby, placed a cup of coffee on the counter in front of him.

“What’s got everyone in an uproar today?” asked Randall, shaking a cigarette out of his pack. Flicking his lighter, he watched the flame torch the end, then grinned as he saw Sid clutch his stomach and run to the men’s room.

“Haven’t you heard?” said Ruby. “They say that Griffin kid was arrested this morning for setting a fire at the high school. I couldn’t hardly believe it. That’s the same kid who rescued his mother when their trailer caught fire last year.”

“Don’t surprise me none.”

“And why’s that, Randall? Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

“If folks around here took the time to listen with their eyes instead of their ears, they’d know the things I know. You don’t see me sitting here day after day working my tongue to a frazzle over things that don’t concern me.”

“So tell me, what’d your all-hearing eyes see that makes you believe Robbie Griffin set that fire.”

“Cause he set the fire that almost killed his mama.”

“That’s a lie if I ever heard one. Robbie called 911 and saved his mother’s life. He was a hero. Channel 16 said so.”

“Just because Channel 16 says so, doesn’t make it gospel. I don’t suppose that any of you fine folks noticed that after the fire, Robbie’s mother never touched another drop of beer and the boy didn’t sport any more black eyes?”

“You mean to say she was beating him? You lived right next door to him in that trailer park and you never once reported the abuse?”

“Report to who? Half the people in this town knew what she was doing and not a one of them lifted a finger to help that boy. Besides, the kid needed to learn how to save himself. Weren’t nobody in this town gonna do it for him. As for that fire today? I’ll wager that the only room that got burned was Hubbie Wilson’s classroom.”

“How could you know that? I thought you didn’t know anything about the fire,” said Ruby.

“I didn’t, but I’ve seen Hubbie pestering them boys up at the trailer park. The whole lot of them are scared shitless to be alone with him. I was kinda hoping he’d have a go at Robbie, cause that boy has learned how to take care of himself. I’m guessing Robbie won’t be doing a bit of jail time for setting that fire once the truth comes out. That’s if the honorable town fathers actually let him tell the truth. It’d sure be a kick in their shorts if that bit of information hit the six o’clock news.”

“You mean Hubbie’s been…? Oh, my God. If you knew what he was doing why didn’t you report him?”

“Hubbie Wilson’s a damn pillar in this town, and he was smart enough to confine his diddling dick to the trailer park boys. The kids nobody in this town care about. Who woulda believed me if I started pointing a finger at Hubbie and his doings. I knew Robbie could handle him. And who better to point a finger at a pervert than the town hero?”

“And how could you know that child could take care of himself?”

“Cause I’m the one who taught Robbie about using a little hell fire against them that wrong you. Ain’t nothing that a little fire can’t cure. Just ask your husband.”

“What’s any of this have to do with Sid? There isn’t a better man in this whole town than my husband,” said Ruby, picking up Randall’s empty cup.

“Yeah, picture of propriety, Sid. That bastard slammed his dick twixt my wife’s legs, figuring she was just another trailer trash whore. He beat her up pretty bad when she didn’t give it up willingly. And all you fine upstanding folks figured I done it. You really should pay more attention to your husband, Ruby. Maybe you would have noticed that Sid ain’t been taking any late night drives since his snazzy little ‘vette caught fire. Did he tell you that I held my shotgun on him till that fire was licking at the gas tank?”

The coffee cup slipped from Ruby’s hand, shattering as it hit the floor.

“I didn’t think so. That’s not the sort of thing a “good” man tells his wife,” said Randall slapping a dollar bill on the counter. “Best close your mouth, Ruby, you’re catching flies.”