Alafair Tucker 01 - The Old Buzzard Had It Coming

look surprised. They were still standing in front of the house when Naomi came out onto the porch, just in time to hear her mother condemn herself. Naomi stood next to Alafair with a dish rag in her hand and listened without expression. Was she moved? Alafair couldn’t tell. The big solemn eyes regarded her mother with a blank resignation that made them look a thousand years old. Alafair’s heart ached with pity.
    “What did you do with the gun, Miz Day?” Scott was asking.
    “I throwed it in Bird Creek,” she told him without hesitation.
    Scott glanced at Alafair, let his gaze slide over Naomi, then back to Mrs. Day. “I’m sorry things turned out this way, Miz Day,” he said. “What arrangements do you want me to make for the kids?”
    “Are you going to let John Lee out right now?”
    “I reckon I’ve got no more reason to hold him,” Scott told her.
    Mrs. Day nodded. “Him and Naomi here can take care of the kids for a few days. I’ll have him parcel them out to my kin soon as he can.”
    Scott nodded. “I’ll be taking you into town, now,” he explained, as though to a child. “You’ll have to spend the night in jail, Miz Day, ’til we can get you on over to Muskogee in the morning. The judge will explain the charges to you there, and then you can enter a plea.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “That means that after he tells you what crime you’re charged with, you tell him whether you are guilty or not guilty.”
    “I’m guilty.”
    “No, Miz Day,” Scott said patiently. “Don’t tell me. Tell the judge. In fact, I think you’d better not do any more talking right now. I talked to Lawyer Meriwether about representing John Lee. I expect he can represent you, now. We’ll get him over to the jail as soon as we get back.”
    “What ever you say, Sheriff,” Mrs. Day acquiesced placidly. She turned to Alafair. “Miz Tucker, can we hitch your horse to our buggy? I don’t have no transportation since the mule disappeared.”
    “The mule is found as of this morning,” Scott informed her. “John Lee can ride it back this afternoon.”
    Mrs. Day looked relieved, even smiled a little. “Oh, good,” she said. “He’ll be needing it.”
    “I’ll be glad to let you borrow my horse right now,” Alafair interjected. “But wouldn’t you rather ride her in and let me stay with the kids?”
    Mrs. Day shook her head. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather take the buggy and ask if you’d come along with me, you’ve been so kind and all, and I ain’t sure what will be happening. Naomi can get the kids some supper. They’ll be all right ’til John Lee comes home.” She didn’t even glance at Naomi, still standing in silence at Alafair’s elbow.
    “Can Missy draw a buggy?” Scott asked Alafair.
    “She’s drawn light rigs in her day,” Alafair assured him.
    Scott nodded. “All right then, we’ll do as you want, Miz Day. Alafair, if you’ll help Miz Day get some things together, I’ll hitch your horse to the buggy and we’ll get to moving.”
    Alafair and Mrs. Day walked up the porch steps with Naomi trailing behind, as Scott disappeared with the horse toward the barn. “Miz Day,” Alafair said to her urgently, “what is this? I didn’t tell you about the little gun so you could condemn yourself. You don’t have to do this. We can find whoever really did it. Your kids need you.”
    Mrs. Day paused with her hand on the screen door handle. “No, Miz Tucker, you don’t understand. I really did do it. When you told me what you knew, about somebody finding the gun in the woods, I knew it was just a matter of time ’til the sheriff figured it out. Besides, I thought for a while John Lee had got clean away, which I’d miss him, but then I could have stayed with my children. But when I heard he was caught, well, I couldn’t let him take the blame any more.”
    Alafair blinked. Was it true? It made sense, but nothing the woman had done or said until the moment she confessed had led Alafair to suspect her. Though a great barrier to her daughter’s happiness had just crumbled, she took no joy in the woman’s confession. “This is a sad thing, Miz Day,” she finally observed.
    Mrs. Day looked up at her, not at all sad. “Yes, ma’am, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m only sorry because I have to be leaving my babies, now. John Lee will be all right, being nigh grown as he is, and I expect my folks will divide the others among them. They’ll probably have better