Mellow Side of FHH (Part 3)

I needed to make a run to Walmart anyway. The county offices are on the other side of Hillary in the old part of the town but, that's only about a mile. I decided to stop at the Van Hallen County offices first because I was going to get some milk and frozen food at the store.

Sally Zipple has been the Records Clerk for 14 years. She is a nice looking, full spectacled lady, who apparently doesn't get out much. "I'm been working here since I got out of high school. I took over when my mother retired and you're only the second person to ask to see county records."

"Who was the other?" I shoudn't have asked.

"Judge Bobby Pritcher. He died from a fishing accident he was in. The night after he got me to fetch him the sheriff's closed investigation on cock-fighting. The one in back of the Hillary Plumbing Supply and Beauty School two years ago."

"Plumbing and Beauty....? Never mind."

"Oh, it was a mess, blood everywhere. I don't mean Judge Pritcher, that was just a Number 2 hook in his right thumb: the cock-fighting."

"The judge died from a fish-hook?"

"Oh, yeah. The Medical Examiner ruled it a suicide but, don't nobody think so."

"They don't?"

"No, no. It was a homocide."

"A homicide?"

"Oh no, everyone knew Judge Pritcher was gay. My Gawd, he wore a pink shirt under his robes."

"A fish-ho...."

"Got infected, went into the hospital and then got himself a staph infection."

"How is that suicide?" I knew I was going to regret asking. Now I know what a deer caught in headlights feels like. I couldn't make myself move.

"Oh, it was while the sheriff was in his hospital room talking to him. He even brought flowers. Judge Pritcher grabbed the sheriff's pistol and shot himself three times. Twice in the head."

"Why did the sheriff close the case on the cock-fighting in the first place?"

"Caus' he was running it is why. Makes no sense to arrest yourself, silly."

"Does the sheriff have anything to do with the wastewater plant in Fairhaven Harbor?"

"Oh, no! Daddy retired after that. Besides, no one over here has anything to do with them over there. They's all yankees or rich."

"I'm not a yankee or rich and I live over there."

Sally took off her glasses, shook out her hair and casually untied the top of her blouse. "You got a boat? I love boats. I'd do anything to get a ride on a boat."

I couldn't help but say it out loud, "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Not at all, honey. Between working all day and taking care of daddy at night, he's got that alls-highmers.... What's a lonely girl to do?"

"Do you have any records on the FHH Utilities District."

"Sure, baby. I got annual audits, state compliance records, applications for federal grants and a hugh new file on corporate sponsorship on a double-blind study on community safety and utilization of public utilities."

"That last one. Can I see it?"

"What's worth to you, sweety?"

"Ah, what do you want?"

"I want a lot but I'll settle for a boat ride. At night. Just me and you big boy."

"Let me see the records first." I spent the next two hours combing through them. It was very interesting. Confusing at first but, soon the legalese and double-speak began to make sense. This was big. Really big."

"Well," asked Sally,"was it worth it?"

"You got your boat ride, Sally.... Say, you don't own a Mustang do you?"

"Yes, I do. A two-tone cherry red and white 1967 convertible, with white leather pony interior" her smile was as wide as Texas and she had all of her teeth.

This was worth a ride.