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gested they were planning to put action to their attitudes. Charli
plopped into the car s heat, dumped Bonnie in the passenger seat,
slammed the door, and locked it seconds before one of them pressed
his palm against her window.
Charli laid on her horn.
Mommy! Bonnie bellowed.
Don t worry, Baby, Charli exclaimed and wondered if that even
meant anything to Bonnie anymore.
Mommy stop! the child exclaimed.
But Charli didn t let up until an older gentleman trotted to her
rescue. The two cowboys raced to their vehicle. She lifted her hand
off the horn, scrambled from the car, and strained to get their license
plate number: BJT 30D. Charli mentally repeated it until she had it
memorized.
They didn t hurt you, did they? the man asked.
No. Charli shook her head and stepped around her opened
door. They were just being obnoxious.
A plump lady wearing a pantsuit and fresh makeup strolled to the
man s side. Like his wife, the man was in dress clothes, and Charli
suspected they d just come from church as she had. She thought she
remembered seeing them at a multi-church Christmas celebration
last year. Of course, Bullard was so small most the population saw
each other several times a year. Nonetheless, she never remembered
seeing the likes of those crude men.
Did you get their license plate number? The lady gazed toward
the truck, now turning at the next block.
Charli nodded. Yes. I was thinking of giving it to the police.
Her mind darted to Jack. She hadn t planned to call him again unless
TEXAS HEAT « 99
it was a dire emergency, but Charli didn t want to take the chance of
the men following her or showing up again.
I strongly suggest you do, the man said. I also suggest turning
it into the store manager and letting him know everything. You are
Charli Friedmont, right?
Yes. She rested her hand atop her door s warm frame.
You poor dear, the lady crooned and patted her hand.
Charli s fingers curled against the door as her mind fought to
piece together the last few minutes. In her fervor to get away from
the cowboys, she d dismissed the phone call from Pat, but now she
began to suspect this might be Pat s sister and brother-in-law.
She gazed from the man to the woman and asked, Are you by
chance Pat Jonas s sister?
Yes. Pat told us you were here.
I was just on the phone with her. She told me you were coming.
Charli swiped at her bangs.
Mommy, I want to go, Bonnie said.
Charli looked inside the car to encounter her daughter s startled
gaze. She d climbed into the driver s seat. Her sucker lay in the pas
senger seat. The Sprite was precariously perched on the console. And
Bonnie was clinging to Charli s skirt.
Go ahead and crawl in the backseat. I ll buckle you in, Charli
encouraged.
But it s hot back there, she complained, a stream of sweat trick
ling down her cheek.
I know. I know, sweetheart. Look, everything s just fine. Go
ahead and crawl back there, and I ll start the car and turn on the air
conditioner. Mamma won t be long.
Okay, Bonnie said, and for once Charli was glad she didn t
have to wrangle her into the task. Bonnie twisted to climb to the
back when Charli remembered the Sprite. Wait! she squawked and
retrieved the drink before Bonnie toppled it.
100 » Debra White Smith
I m sorry, she said toward the couple, only to realize they were
no longer there. They d walked to the newspaper stand and were
purchasing a paper.
Odd, she thought before reaching into the car, cranking it, and
turning the A.C. on high. Then, Charli opened the back door,
handed the Sprite to Bonnie, and helped her into her seat belt. She d
just shut Bonnie s door when the couple arrived with a newspaper
in hand.
We were about to buy this for you when we saw the men, the
gentleman said and extended it to Charli.
Her forehead wrinkling, she took the paper and read the head
lines, Local Woman Arrested for Embezzlement. Charli s mug shot
claimed the front page. Her temples began to throb. The parking
lot spun. The paper trembled in her hands. And those cowboys
comments now made sense. They d called her cover girl and asked
if they could borrow some money. In all the upheaval, she d never
thought of her arrest making headlines.
She hadn t subscribed to the paper since she had Bonnie because
she never had time to read it anyway. She often joked that the Red
Army could seize Bullard and she d never even know about it. Pres
ently, she regretted her lack of interest in current events.
Furthermore, something from today at church now made per
fect sense. When she d walked into her small Sunday-school class, all
chatter had stopped. The teacher, a mature lady who adored Charli,
was hurriedly shoving a newspaper under her Bible. Charli had in
terpreted the breathless pause as the normal fallout of the news of
her arrest. So she d taken the initiative, smiled, and told them she d
survived jail with all her teeth intact. The nervous chuckling that
followed ushered in a good round of support and encouragement.
Every one of them said they believed in her innocence. But not one
of them had the heart to mention the cover story not even the
Jonases.
TEXAS HEAT « 101
By this point, Charli was too numb to even cry. There didn t
seem to be any end to the repercussions of her arrest. Now the whole
community knew what had happened. And even though she was
innocent, Charli wanted to crawl underneath her car and melt into
the concrete.
Dear? the lady prompted. We re sorry to have to show you
this, but we convinced Pat that ignorance is not bliss in this situa
tion. You need to know.
Y-yes, you re you re right, Charli stammered and lifted her at
tention to the lady. Thanks for letting me know. Those those men
called me cover girl. Now I know why.
They should be shot, the man growled.
Ross! his wife exclaimed.
Well, it s the truth, he snapped and reached into his hip pocket.
He pulled out his billfold, flipped it open, removed a card, and ex
tended it to Charli. My name s Ross Lavine, he said.
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