Mockingbird at Midnight

By Grayson LaGrange

Nobody is good here. A story that explores some of the more taboo possibilities of the human animal. Set mostly in the country, this disturbing story should keep you reading for it's short duration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grayson LaGrange
• Release date: Oct 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9798985006803

Book preview

Mockingbird

at

Midnight

֍

Grayson LaGrange

Copyright © 2021 by Grayson LaGrange

Smashwords Edition

Cover art by Grayson LaGrange

All persons, places, and events in this book are fictitious.

Any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.

It was three in the afternoon and the taxi pulled up to a gravel driveway where a mailbox read in all caps, COSTA. Earl and Kathy sat there on the front porch of their late-model double wide. They each had a glass of lemonade with a few ounces of vodka. Earl was working on his second and Kathy nursed her first. Kathy had a photo album in her lap. She flipped through slowly, every now and then picking one out of it’s sleeve and handing it to Earl, saying things like, Now who does she favor? Precious, and Look at that towhead. Earl would eye the pictures for a few seconds and put them down on the table in front of him, forming a little pile.

Don’t reckon he’s seen em since bout den. Earl was Charlotte’s father, remarried to Kathy since before Amber, his first granddaughter, was born. He was fond of Jim. He thought a man ought to be able see his children, a sentiment shared by Kathy but not Charlotte. At least, not in her case. Jim was a good manipulator and Charlotte’s family was a little caught up in his act. From the porch they could see a figure in the back seat reach a folded wad of money to the driver before slapping him on the shoulder twice as the passenger door swung open. The two got up and made there way down the porch to greet Jim. Smiles all around as the heavily tattooed, man of about five nine strode from the taxi to the house. He had a fresh buzz cut, a light-colored coat of stubble across his face, jeans, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. He appeared to be in great shape compared to the last time they’d seen him.

Jim spoke in Earl’s direction as he walked toward the older couple. Whadaya say old-timer?

Don’t be talkin ta my wife like that, ya hear.

Kathy gave a laugh. Earl and Jim embraced in a good, tight hug like you get when you haven't seen someone you like for ten years. A few good back slaps, and Earl acknowledged Jim’s bulked-up physique. You been hittin the weights.

Kathy made her way between the two impatiently, Awe, we missed you, she said, sticking out her cheek at him as he turned to her from Earl. He planted his lips firmly on her cheek for a decent kiss. Come ohn up, come, come, as she patted him on the back three times encouraging him to walk ahead of her and behind Earl who had turned back toward the porch. As Earl was going toward a fold-out chair propped against the trailer, she said, Get him one of those chairs, Earl. Putting an arm out to grab a chair and unfold it before she finished her sentence, he and Jim shared a smile. How was the drive? Can I get you something? We’re having vodka, she spoke, in rapid succession as she walked into the house.

Take mine, Earl said, unfolding the chair to sit in.

A beer, raising his voice slightly to the open door as he took Earl’s old seat. Still into the open door, It was a relief. Seein all those familiar spots. All those farms and houses.

Yeah, I’ll bet it was, she shouted at the porch, understandingly. She pulled a beer from the bottom drawer of the fridge before stepping back onto the deck and placing the can in front of Jim.

The Murphy’s place burnt, ha? motioning his thumb and looking north in the direction of the old burnt trailer, and the fresh picture it left in his mind.

Yeah— from Kathy, as Earl cut her off.

Yeah it must’ve been two years now. They set up a new one back in a little further. You can make it out come December.

Plopping her wide ass down in her chair she said, Oh look, look. She handed Jim a small stack of photos she had there in front of her. They’re so beautiful. Amber’s a little firecracker. She thumbed through a few more to find another girl, the youngest of his two daughters. And Beth is so cute. She should start growin any day now. She handed him another picture. She was happy to be the one to hand them to him. Happy for his reaction as well.

Hot dog, as he shuffled through them slowly, thinking how good looking they were. Thinking how they were gonna be his ticket to get Charlotte back. Look at that. He held one up toward Kathy.

She smiled leaning in a little and said, She fills in that dress some'n else, duhn she?

It was a photo of Amber in a light blue, almost white, dress with little asters all over it. Light, dirty-blond hair running down to the base of her back, a pretty face, she looked like Charlotte at her age. Her side-set, thirty-six, C-cup breasts poured out from the top. She was done growing at five foot four and she had a tight, toned, milk-white body, lightly freckled, head to toe. A hundred fifteen pounds with blue, hazel eyes.

That'ns a heartbreaker, Earl said.

They kept talking about Amber, Beth and Charlotte, showing him recent pictures, and filling him in on their lives. They told him how the girls summer for a while at Lynn’s, their grandmother’s place, a couple hours up the interstate. That’s where they are now. Jim remembered Lynn, Earl’s ex-wife. They told him how Charlotte was happily remarried to Bobby Alverson. They got two daughters themselves. They got seventy-odd acres over there in Ginger Holler. She stays home during the week watching the kids and homeschooling. Weekends she’s over at Barnstrom as a janitor, part time. Bobby’s got him a job drivin eighteen-wheelers, makin good money.

After a few hours, many more pictures, a few more drinks, and some burgers, dogs, slaw, beans, and chips, Jim called a cab. He said his goodbyes, and made his way to the Bent Shovel Motel, closer to downtown. His head was spinning with booze and joy looking down at the piece of paper with Charlotte’s name and phone number in black ink. He adjusted his half-swollen cock in the rear of the cab as he leaned his head on the rest of the back seat.

The driver pulled up, collected his fare and small tip, and Jim slid out the rear passenger door. The old metal sign out front had white letters on a red backdrop which read, Bent Shovel Motel, and underneath that, Vacancy. The driver pulled off as Jim walked to the double glass doors at the entrance and pulled open the right side, where a bell announced his presence to the lady at the front desk. The motel was a stone’s throw from downtown. Downtown was a few small blocks that ran north and south with little more than a bar, a gas station and a few buildings. Two and three story’s tall, the bottom was a diner, restaurant, a few antique shops, the local insurance, bank, and a drug store. The top floors were used as storage by the owners of the buildings, and a few of them were fashioned into apartments that were sparsely rented. After securing a room, Jim made the short walk to the bar downtown.

In short order, Jim acclimated himself to everyday life as a free man. He got a job as a cook at the Early Bird Diner. The place was open during the week from five in the morning to three in the afternoon. He had the early shift. He wanted it that way. He was a cook when he was in prison and was able to get a good reference from more than one of his overseers there. He’d managed to charm and befriend a few of the guards with his hard work and good behavior. He had a truck too, an old Chevy he got off