Breakaway

     Who would have guessed Mavis Calhoun’s sixty-nine year old body could release a scream loud enough to wake up almost every one of the 752 sleeping souls in Breakaway, Georgia?

     Her seventy-year-old widowed cousin and housemate, Dora Winslow raced into Mavis’ room as fast as her spider-veined legs could go.

     “Mavis Jean! What in the hot blazes are you screaming about?”

Dora would have lost her upper dentures if she had not clutched her mouth so tightly when she stepped across the threshold.

     Mavis’ screams diminished as her eyes focused on her cousin and not the bloody nude corpse in her bed.

     “My God Mavis Jean that’s Royston Gilkey. What’s he doing in your bed?”

     “Not much of anything at the moment.” She slid out of bed and put on her black slippers.

     “Don’t be a smart mouth Mavis Jean Calhoun. You know what I mean.”

     “I know Dora Faye. Let me get myself together first.” She put on her rimless bifocals with trembling hands. She walked toward her cousin, and then slowly turned to look at the dead man. Looking at his face, you would have thought he was asleep. However, the large hole in the back of his head perched on the blood soaked pillow told a different tale.

     “Don’t just stand there Dora Faye, go in your room and call Sheriff Anderson.”

     Dora frowned as she eyed the black teddy her cousin wore.

     “You need to put a robe on Mavis Jean before anyone gets here.”

***

          “Now tell me again how long Mr. Gilkey had been here before you found him?”

     “I didn’t find him Frank. I woke up and he was in the bed just as you saw him. Dead.”

     “Well he wasn’t dead when he walked in there with all his clothes off now was he? What time did he come to your house?”

     “Around midnight.”

     Sheriff Anderson grunted, “That’s a little late for entertaining company wouldn’t you say Mavis?”

     Dora nodded her head fervently in agreement until an evil look from Mavis stopped her.

     “Don’t start with me Franklin Delano Roosevelt Anderson. I entertain whom ever I want whenever I want. You just do your job and find out who did this to Royston.”

     “I am doing my job Mavis Jean Winslow Calhoun. It’s just that we were raised together and no self respecting woman would entertain a man in her bedroom.”

     Mavis squinted at the man she had promised to marry over fifty years ago. However, a weak moment with Charlotte Carlson in his father’s truck ended that promise. He blamed Mavis because she wanted to be pure on their wedding night and Charlotte Carlson was everything but pure. Two months later Charlotte became Mrs. Anderson when she announced she was expecting his baby. Three years later, she dropped their son off at Frank’s job and left with a man she had been seeing in the next town. Breakaway never saw or heard from her again.

     “Watch your mouth, Sheriff Anderson. It’s not as if I was entertaining a whole troupe of men in my bedroom.”

     He sighed, tilted his hat back and positioned his pencil over the crumpled yellow pad.

     “What time did you wake up this morning?”

     “Must have been around six, six-fifteen. Just like I do every morning.”

     “I wouldn’t know.” The still bitter man mumbled. Mavis pretended not to hear.

     “You woke up, saw the body, and screamed. Ms. Dora came into the room, and then she called us. Is that right so far?”

     “Yes it is.”

     “Ms. Calhoun was you and the victim lovers?”

     “Why yes Sheriff we were lovers, passionate lovers.” She smiled batting her lashes.

     Dora gasped.

     The sheriff abruptly stood. “Get dressed Mavis. We can finish this at the station.”

     Before she could reply one of the town’s three deputies called from the bedroom.

     “Sheriff, I believe we found the murder weapon.”

     “Murder weapon?” Mavis and Dora stood up.

     “Wait right here.”

     As the sheriff walked into the bedroom Dora sensed fear in her cousin for the first time.

     “Murder weapon? What is he talking about Dora? I didn’t kill Royston.”

     “Of course you didn’t. That Redding boy has been watching too much television. I found the murder weapon my foot. That’s just pure hog...”

     The three revolvers in separate plastic bags made Dora’s voice catch in her throat.

     “Are these your guns Mavis?”

     “Ah yes, yes they are. But I did not shoot Royston. Frank you know me.”

     “I did a long time ago. Mavis Jean Winslow Calhoun; I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Royston Gilkey.”

***

     Dora squinted as she dialed the number to their family attorney, Horace Hall.

     “Horace will get this mess straight.”

     “Horace will get what mess straight Dora?”

     Dora quickly hushed her twin sister as she left her name and number with Horace’s secretary.

     “Cora Mae, where have you been?”

     “I was down at the lake fishing. You know today’s my fishing day and early morning is the best time to go.”

     “I forgot with so much happening. Cora, you need to sit down I have something to tell you.”

     “What is it Dora?” She placed the basket with the three perch and two bass inside of the white porcelain sink.

When Cora sat down, Dora took her sister’s rough hands into her soft manicured ones.

     “Mavis has been arrested.”

     “What? Arrested? What in the blue blazes are you talking about Dora Faye? Is this one of your crazy jokes?”

     She laughed hitting her sister’s hand.

     “It’s no joke Cora. Frank Anderson locked her up for killing Royston Gilkey.”

     “Royston Gilkey! Why would Mavis kill Royston Gilkey? He was my boy friend.”

     “What?” Dora, shocked, walked over to the cabinet and got out the bottle of Crown Royal. She filled a small glass and threw the honey colored liquid down her throat. She blew out a hot tangy breath.

     “What are you talking about Cora Mae? When did Royston become your boy friend?”

     “Well you don’t have to look so surprised. We’ve been seeing each other for about a year or so.”

     “A year?" When? Where?”

     “Never you mind the particulars. I can’t believe he’s dead.” She began to cry into a paper napkin she pulled from the ceramic rooster holder.

     The ringing phone interrupted Dora’s second nip.

     “Hello? Oh hi Horace. We have had more drama this morning than one of those darn talk shows. You have? What are we going to do? I cannot leave Mavis in jail. Okay Horace, I’ll see you then.”

***

     Dora stepped out of the shiny black BMW that had belonged to her late husband Douglas Winters. They had been married for forty-eight years. Right after his funeral, she shocked the tiny town by using her maiden name again.

     “It might spoil my chances of getting married again. I saw it on one of those talk shows.” She had told her dumbfounded friends.

     She strolled up the sidewalk to the only two story building in Breakaway. The Edifice.

     The five men who founded the town in 1922 wanted an impressive name for the building. After much debate and deliberation, the word edifice surfaced. They all agreed The Edifice had an elegant and sophisticated sound to it. The structure housed several offices, including the sheriff and the mayor along with the courtroom, five jail cells and the post office.

     When she entered the building all conversation ceased so abruptly, you could have tripped over it.

     Daisy Thatcher was the first to find her tongue. She was the court reporter and head secretary at the courthouse.

     “Good afternoon Dora.”

     “Afternoon Daisy.”

     The other town folks mumbled their salutations, but some were a bit shamed faced because of the words they had just been saying about the Winslow women.

     She walked down the short corridor and took a seat on the highly polished wooden bench to wait for Horace. By the time Dora had removed her white dress gloves, the ornate door opened and Horace Hall stepped out amidst a small throng of people.

     “Afternoon Dora. Been waiting long?”

     “Long enough for me to remove my gloves.”

     “Dora you always were the epitome of class and sophistication in this tiny metropolis.”

     “Thank you Horace. Now what are we going to do about Mavis?”

     “That’s why I wanted to meet you here instead of my office. Judge Carter is sending someone down to the hole to get her now.”

     “The hole?” Dora began to fan herself with a handkerchief.

     “Calm down Dora. That’s just the name they call the cells because they’re down in the basement of the building.”

     “I don’t think I ever knew this building had a basement.”

     “Here she is now.” Horace stood and Dora followed suit.

     A lanky frazzled hair young man accompanied Mavis.

     “Dora, do you know who this is?”

     “Of course I do Mavis, its Anthony Kingston, He’s David and Frieda’s grandson. How are your folks doing?”

     “They’re fine.”

     “Tell them I said hello.”

     “Yes ma'am.”  He nodded to them before walking away.

     “I can’t believe he is a deputy at the jail.” Dora exclaimed when he was out of ear shot,” I remember he was always getting beat up, running home crying to his momma like a little girl.”

     “Well he loves it. All those same bullies come in here drunk and he gets to handle them.” Mavis nudged Dora with a wink.

     “Okay ladies, now that we’ve gotten the latest update on Anthony Kingston, we need to sit down and discuss getting Mavis out of here.”

     As they were walking down the hallway, Mavis asked about Cora.

     “She’s very upset. She said Royston Gilkey was her boyfriend.”

     Horace and Mavis stopped in mid step. “What?”

     “She told me they’d been seeing each other for about a year.”

     “Oh this is incredible! Do you think your sister could have done this terrible thing?” Horace whispered.

     “Certainly not! Cora Mae wouldn’t hurt any living creature. She’s not just my sister she’s my twin. We know things about each other without even saying it.”

***

     “Why didn’t you know Cora Mae was sleeping with Royston Dora Faye? Since you two are so connected?”

     The two women were on their way back home. Mavis’ first hearing was in two days.

     “I didn’t know he was Cora’s boyfriend, just like I didn’t know he was yours. I cannot believe two women past their primes carrying on like horny teenagers. Disgraceful.”

     “I am not past my prime missy. Dr. Logan said my body was just like a hot forty year old woman.”

     “How many hot forty years old have you seen in this town? How would half-blind, senile Dr. Logan know anyway? Anything with a heart beat he thinks is hot.”

“Don’t be a player hater Dora Faye.” Mavis snapped her fingers in her cousin’s face.

“You need to stop watching all those hippy hop shows Mavis Jean. You sound like a complete idiot. Don’t be a player hater. What you got anybody want to play with anyway?”

“I wished you could have asked Royston Gilkey. He could have told you things that would’ve made your ears bleed.”

“They already are.”

***

     “Sheriff Anderson, when you arrived at the Calhoun resident who did you see inside?” Horace strutted to the other side of the small seldom-used courtroom.

     “I saw Mavis Calhoun, her cousin Dora Winters-Calhoun and the deceased, Royston William Gilkey.” He read from his crumpled notepad.

     “Isn’t there someone else who resides there?”

     “Yes there is, Cora Mae Winslow. But I didn’t see her.”

     “Uh huh. So for all you know Cora Winslow could have committed this crime, correct?”

     There was a loud gasp from the overly packed room. But

none as audible as the one from Cora as she shot up to her feet.

     “I object. I didn’t kill Royston, I loved him.”

     Judge Carter beat his gavel, “Cora, you’re not a lawyer so you can’t object to anything. Now sit down before I have you thrown out of here.”

     “Don’t you talk to me like that Bertram Carter; I’ve known you since grade school. I am the one who introduced you to Lena Ann. Horace how can you ask him a question like that? I told you Royston and I was in love.”

     “Okay that’s enough. Doug, remove Miss Winslow from this court room immediately.”

     The bailiff approached Cora. Dora grabbed her arm.

     “Can you follow me this way please, Ms. Cora?”

     Cora glared at the judge.

     “Okay, I’ll go. Bertram, you’ll hear from me later or maybe I’ll just give Lena Ann a call.” Cora walked out of the courtroom with her sister still holding her arm.

     The seldom-used gavel silenced the murmurings.

     “I think we should call this a mistrial. Ms. Winslow’s outburst could have a negative affect on the outcome of this case. I have to look out for my client’s welfare.”

     “I’d agree with you Mr. Hall if this was a trial but it’s only a hearing. Does the defense have anymore witnesses?”

     “No, we don’t.” Horace snapped his briefcase closed.

     “Whew hoo.” Shouted Quincy Steele.

     “Mr. Steele, control yourself. You are a prosecuting attorney, not some thug on the street!”

     “I apologize to the court, Judge Carter. This is my first murder. I’m a little excited.”

     “Well save your excitement for tomorrow. This court stands adjourned until ten tomorrow morning.”

     Everyone scurried out with the hottest gossip in Breakaway since 1956 when the coach from the high school football team was caught in his office with the principal’s wife. Six months later, she gave birth to a boy with the same sandy red hair. She and the principal soon divorced and she left Breakaway with the coach. Two days later, the principal, in a highly inebriated state jumped from the top of the school. He only broke his leg, but enough folks considered him a nut case so they carted him off to the mental hospital in Milledgeville.

***

     “Now Cora, do you want Mavis to end up in the state prison for the rest of her life?”

     They were sitting in the kitchen eating lunch.

     “Of course not Horace. It’s just that you got me so gosh darn upset I couldn’t control myself. However, I did not kill Royston. I loved him.”

     “I am trying to be as delicate about this whole situation as I can, Cora Mae. Were you and Royston…ah intimate?”

     Dora and Mavis leaned across their ham sandwiches waiting for her response.

     “You mean s-e-x?”

     “For goodness sakes, Cora Mae! Why you got to spell it out like we all a bunch of children? If you added all four of our ages together we’re older than the United States!”

     “Well I’m just not crude like some people, Dora Faye.” She cut her eyes at Mavis.

     Mavis savagely bit her sandwich causing Cora to jump.

     “The answer to your question Horace is no. Royston and I were not intimate. We had a spiritual relationship. It went beyond s-e… intimacy. It was intellectual.”

     Only the sound of a distant train whistle could be heard before the room erupted with laughter. Cora stood up.

     “Laugh if you want too, you bunch of jackals. I know what Royston and I had was real. We were going to get married!” She stomped from the dining room leaving everyone with his or her mouths on the floor.   

***

     Deputy Redding handed the sheriff a large manila envelope.

     “What is it Red?”

     “Well I sent the gun and the coroner’s report to Atlanta. You know my cousin Dewey works in the forensic lab up there. Now according to him, this is how Royston Gilkey was killed.”

     After reading the report and looking at the computer-generated pictures, Sheriff Anderson sat back in his chair.

     “Well I’ll be hog tied and bar-b-qued.

***

     “What do you want now Frank?”

     “I just want you to know Red and Anthony are out on your property.”

     “On my property for what?” Mavis blocked the front door.

     “Listen, Mavis. I know you didn’t kill Royston.”

     “I already told you I didn’t Frank.

     “Can I ask you something…Sweet pea?”

     Mavis swooned. She had not heard that endearing term in over fifty years.

“Sure Frank.” Her voice became laden with affection.

 “Did you love him? Did you love Royston Gilkey?”

 “No Frank, I didn’t. We were both lonely. We were never lovers like I said before. We both missed the feel of a warm body. We mostly talked.”

     “Why didn’t you ever talk to me? 

“Oh Frank, you was so bitter after Charlotte left you. Then I married James. After he passed I thought you were seeing Daisy Thatcher.”

     “Daisy Thatcher? You can’t be serious.” He leaned down and whispered. “Now don’t let this out Mavis, but

Daisy and Judge Carter have been fooling around for years.”

“No! You’re pulling my leg! Does Lena Ann know?”

     “Not only does she know she doesn’t care. She’s been in love with that whiskey for so long I think she’s forgotten her and Carter are even married.”

     “You hear something new everyday.”

     The two hugged and laughed until Cora, Dora and Horace entered the room.

     “Well isn’t this cozy? What are you doing out here Sheriff?” Horace said folding his arms.

     “Looking for something.”

     “Looking for what?” Dora walked closer to the sheriff who had made his way in while he was laughing with Mavis.

     “I’ll let you know when we find it.” He tilted his hat, winked at Mavis and walked out the door.

     “What is that all about?”

     “Frank knows now I didn’t kill Royston.”

     “He does? How?”

     “I don’t know Horace. But I guess we’ll soon find out.”

     “What is he looking for Mavis Jean?”

     “I honestly don’t know Dora. He just said Red and Anthony were looking around on the property.”

     “Dora Faye where you running off to?”

     Horace and Mavis looked at each other as Dora ran down the hall way and out the back door.

     “Mavis Jean, what’s going on?”

     Mavis put her arm around her trembling cousin’s body.

“I don’t know Cora Mae. Let’s put the kettle on to make a pot of tea.”

     As Mavis was squeezing lemon into Horace’s cup, the back door flew open. Mavis dropped the whole lemon into the delicate china cup with a plop. The tea splashed Horace full in the eye.

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt Anderson what are you doing to Dora Faye?”

 “Oh my God he has my sister handcuffed!”

 “Alright. Alright everybody calm down before I take the whole lot of you to jail.”

Dora hung her head and began to weep. Cora put her arms around her sister.

 “Dora Faye, what’s going on?”

 “That slime. That no good, low life, lying piece of slime.”

 “Who are you talking about Dora?”

Dora raised her silvery mane and shook it, regaining her composure.

 “Royston Gilkey, who else?”

 “Royston? What did he do to you Dora?”

 “He was my…my lover.”

Horace sunk into his chair, “Was Royston screwing everybody in this house?”

 “Horace! The women shouted in unison.

 “Royston and I were in love.” Cora said reaching for a paper napkin to combat her tears.

     “We were just friends. Dear old friends.” Mavis looked at Dora and Cora, “I’m sorry I lied. We were never lovers.”

     “You’re a liar Mavis, I saw you. I saw Royston in your bed!” Dora tried to pull away from Frank’s grip.

     “You were spying on us?”

     “How could I spy on what was mine? Royston and I were going to get married. We were leaving this little nothing town and moving to Savannah.”

     “He told me the same thing. I was giving him money to put away for us.” Cora reached for another napkin.

     “I was giving him money for the exact same thing.”

     Everyone looked at Mavis.

     “Oh no. I never gave Royston a dime. But he did talk about Savannah. He was buying a burial plot up there. He said he wanted to be close to the ocean.”

     “You mean he had us paying for his grave? That’s morbid!”

     “But why did you have to kill him Dora? He was the first man I truly loved.”

     “I’m sorry Cora, I didn’t know about you and him. Royston always came to see me late at night when you two were asleep. He made me promise not to tell anyone about our relationship. He said you two would be jealous.”

     “He told me the same thing.” Cora sniffed loudly.

     “The other night after he left, I heard his car come back. I thought he might have forgotten his hat or something. However, he tipped around back. I went into the kitchen, saw him tap on Mavis’ window and she let him in. I went out to the gazebo and watched you two. I was disgusted.”

     “All we did was talk, Dora.”

     “But why was he naked?”

     Mavis placed her hands on her flushed cheeks. ”He just liked to cuddle and talk in the nude.”

     Frank cleared his throat and Mavis gave him her most apologetic smile.

     “Well after I saw you two cuddle as you put it. I sat out there until you both fell asleep. I slipped into your room and got your gun from the drawer. I started to shoot you both, but I remembered you didn’t know about Royston and me but he did. I opened your window so I could shoot through it. I knew the gun would make a noise so I waited for the 4:15 train to come through. I…I shot him. Then I put the gun back in your drawer.”

     “Oh Dora Faye, I wished you would have said something to me. Royston and I were just two old lonely people who liked to talk.”

     “But how did you know it was me Sheriff?”

     “We knew Royston had been shot from a distance because of the way the bullet entered but didn’t exit his skull. When we checked the guns, only one had been fired. But there were no fingerprints on it. Red here sent it to Atlanta with the details we had. When the report came, it read there was a bit of blood on the hammer were someone’s hand had been caught. We also found fibers from a white glove. What we didn’t know was where the white glove was until Dora came outside and tried to dig it up from where she had buried it beside the gazebo. Then I looked at her hand.”

     Frank raised her hand and the tiny red crescent cut was still visible.

     “I’m sorry Mavis, Cora. Dora Faye Winslow Winters Winslow; I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Royston Gilkey. You have the right…”

***

Mavis stepped out of the bathroom and posed before the open door. The light silhouetted her body through the sheer white gown.

     A low whistle cut through the air.

     “Mavis Jean Anderson, you are beautiful.”  Frank pulled the cover back and patted the empty spot beside him.

     Mavis sauntered slowly over to the huge king sized bed that took up most of the space in the honeymoon suite of the Granger Hotel right outside of Breakaway.

     “Dr. Logan said I had the body of a forty year old.”

            “You have the body of a goddess. Wait a minute. How would Dr. Logan know? He’s an eye doctor.”

      “Hush Frank. We’re not here to talk about the past. We’re not here to talk at all.”

The End