ancient history

“I don’t want to see you at my door. I done told you that.”

“That was fifty years ago, Earl. I loved him, too. He’s dead, and we’re all but dead. It’s time to let bygones be bygones. Please let me in. I need your help.”

     She was still a pretty thing. Her silver curls set off those eyes, as green as the swells over the sandbar. The other old women had run to fat, but she was still as trim as the day he had found her with him. He didn’t let her in. But he stepped outside.

    “This murder,” he said.

    “This murder in our back yard. I want to know what you heard or saw.”

     He looked out across Great Salt Pond. “Those police come around. Mainly asking about you. They reckon our Chief of Police can’t be trusted to vouch for you.” His mouth twitched. “I told them you looked to be off Island. No lights on.

     “Did you see anybody near my place?”

     “No.”

    “Anything unusual?  Did you see or hear anything Wednesday? Wednesday night?”

     “Heard your damn dogs barking their heads off. Woke me out of a sound sleep. Not the first time, either! Dogs! Who needs ‘em!”

      “Now, Earl, I know perfectly well you feed my dogs. Tucker and Sister wouldn’t rush over to your place almost every day otherwise.”

      “Maybe a crust once in a while.”

      “When were they barking?”

      “Seemed like all night long. I didn’t look at the clock. Too tired. But I guess they started about midnight or so.”

       “You didn’t hear anything earlier?”

       “Seems like I didn’t hear nothing after the carpenters knocked off. Knocked off late, as I recollect. Practically dark.”

       “Hmm. Shingling?”

        “Damn nail guns.

   There was a boat yesterday. One of those cigarette boats. I was making my sandwich for my dinner when I saw it out the window.  Maybe eleven o’clock. Odd. Not many boats in New Harbor yet.”

     “What about earlier?”

     “Nothing. Never heard the boat come in. No more questions, old woman. Those kiddie cops already drove me crazy, and now I have you after me too.” He turned away and opened the door.

      “I’m sorry, Earl.” She spoke abruptly, and he turned and looked her in the eye for the first time in 50 years. “Not about what happened back then, but that you got mixed up in it. There’s a lot of water under that bridge. Islanders have to stick together now.”

     He went inside, and the screen door slapped shut.