Coach by Walt Sautter (most difficult books to read txt) đ
- Author: Walt Sautter
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âGive him a ride back? Why would Coach do that after all the shit Ricky let out about him?â
âI donât know. Iâm just tellinâ what Freddy told meâ, answered Tojo.
âAnd why would Ricky leave his hat there? Iâm sure he wouldnât leave it again after he just went up there to get it.â
âI donât know. Iâm just tellinâ ya what I heard.â
âDo they have anybody sayinâ any of this is true?â
âThe Chief had Flash in his office for about an hour the other day. Flash told âem that Ricky said he lost his hat up by Coachâs the night you guys went there. He said Ricky was all upset about losinâ it.â
âWhy did the cops bring Flash in, in the first place?â I asked.
âI think they said that Flash was tellinâ everybody how he drove you guys up there that night. You know the Flash, how he likes to tell stories about everything, including himself.
Then too, you know, Flash always has a thing goinâ around about him that maybe heâs a queer, so the Chief kinda used that to get him to say what he wanted him to say. He just said if Flash didnât cooperate heâd get some kids to say that he queered âem and then Flash would go to jail. So, I guess it worked and he told âem about Ricky losinâ his hat and all.
So, I donât even know if itâs true. Did he leave his hat at Coachâs like Flash said?â
I paused.
âYeah, itâs true but he promised he wasnât gonna tell anybodyâ, I replied.
âYou shoulda known better. Flash tells everybody everything and besides he had the cops pressuring him.â
âI guess.â
âYou donât really think Ricky would kill anybody, do ya?â I asked Tojo.
âNot really! But what Iâm thinkinâ donât count. Itâs what the cops think that counts.
I guess they figure, first of all heâs a nigger and second he moved up here from the city. They probably figure any nigger cominâ from the city like that wouldnât have any problem killinâ somebody.â
He paused his conversation.
âAnd they do have some guys sayinâ that he might of done itâ he continued.
âWho? Flash? He didnât say Ricky killed anybody, he just said about him losinâ his hat up at Coachâsâ I replied.
âWell, yeah but they got Moose tooâ he answered.
âMoose! What the fuck does he have to do with it?â
âThey bought him in and talked to him too. He told Chief that he picked up Ricky right by Coachâs just around the time his wife found him. He said he picked him up and gave him a ride back to town. Then when Moose asked him what he was doing out there he says he went to get his hat.â
âWent to get his hat! Then why didnât he have it with him when Moose picked him up?â I asked rhetorically.
âI donât know man, I donât know. Thatâs just what he said.â
âAnd by the way, doesnât Mooseâs sister, Minnie work for the police?
She works right in the Chiefâs office there, right?â
âSure does,â answered Tojo.
âThink maybe thatâs got somethinâ to do with what Moose said?â
âCould be,â answered Tojo again.
Again a long pause in the conversation persisted.
âWell, no matter what, Rickyâs got a shit load of trouble goinââ, Tojo sighed.
âSure does!â I agreed.
The next day was a Saturday and I had decided that I would go to the town jail and visit Ricky. I walked up town and stopped at Ralphâs Drugstore and bought a pack of Camels. I knew Ricky only smoked a little but every movie I ever saw showed the visitor offering the guy in jail a smoke. I figured that was the way it was done and it would make my visit more official like.
When I got to the police station I went to the front desk and asked to see Ricky White.
âAint no Ricky White hereâ came the reply from the chubby woman behind the desk.
âWas here but they moved himâ she continued and picked up a smoldering cigarette from the ashtray for another drag.
âYeah, heâs up at county nowâ she added, with an exhale of smoke slipping out between the words.
âIf youâre gonna go up there you better call ahead. You just canât show up any old time and see him. They got visitorâs hours up there.â
âHow come they took him up there?â I asked.
âDonât really know. Somethinâ about security and stuffâ she answered.
âYou a friend of his?â
âYeah!â I answered.
âYou shouldnât be admittinâ that so easy. Heâs got a mess of trouble and a lot of people in this town arenât taken too kindly to him after what heâs been charged with. I think thatâs why heâs up at county. Thatâs just my guess from I what been hearinâ. But then again, like I said I donât really knowâ she concluded and took another long drag.
I left the police station and went to the closest pay phone back at Ralphâs. I got the number of the county jail and dialed.
âVisiting hours, two to four on Saturday and Sunday.â
The clock across the street on the bank read one thirty. I left Ralphâs, walked to the edge of town and stuck my thumb out. Several cars passed. Within minutes, a blue Chevy pulled over and the driver waved me forward. I ran to the waiting car, jumped in and began the fifteen miles ride to the jail.
It was a gray, stone building with barred, steel framed windows. I hesitated for a moment and then ascended the steps, through the large double metal doors to the main desk.
âIâm here to see Ricky White,â I announced with a slight stammer.
The man at the desk said nothing, just began to shuffle through the deck of file cards before him. After several seconds, he stopped, withdrew one of cards, examined it carefully and then spoke.
âRelative?â he recited in a mechanical voice.
âNo, friendâ, I replied.
âHe knows your cominâ?â
âNoâ, I again answered and with that he arose and motioned for me to follow him.
We walked down a long corridor, through a chain link gate, which slammed ominously behind us, and into a dingy visiting room. My escort silently motioned for me to be seated in front of one of the several plate glass windows, which lined the rear wall of the room. About ten minutes had passed and then Ricky appeared and seated himself on the other side of glass. He bent forward and spoke through the round, mesh covered opening in the glass partition.
âWhat the fuck are you doinâ here?â he asked with some surprise.
âI should ask you the same thing,â I answered attempting to be as laid back as I could.
âIâm gettingâ a bad rap hung on me, thatâs what Iâm doinâ here.â
Then he continued soberly, âYou know I could never have done what they say. You know that.â
âYeah, I knowâ, I replied.
âWhat kinda stuff did you hear Beamy?â
With that I relayed the entire story that was told to me by Tojo the day before. Ricky sat silently, behind the heavy glass partition, nodding his head periodically in agreement as I spoke.
âYeah, thatâs all about right. What Tojo told ya is pretty much itâ he replied at the end of my story.
âWhat happens now?â I asked.
âDonât know! They charged me and I guess a trial is next. I got a lawyer they gave me. My dad says we canât afford a lawyer on our own so we gotta take what we get. His name is Harrington Gerity. Name sounds like heâs pretty smart, huh?â
âYeah, sounds smart to meâ, I agreed.
He hesitated for a moment and cast his eyes downward.
âSure hope heâs a good oneâ, he then added.
Chapter 9
âCrowd Demands Highburg Trial Venueâ the headline of the weekly Highburg Herald read.
âA protest drawing over two hundred local residents marched in front of the town police station demanding that the trial of accused murderer Richard White be held in Highburg. The present plan will hold that trial at the county court in Stanton.
One of the signs carried by the protesters read, âCoach Lived Here, Coach Died Here, We Want the Trial Hereâ. Another said âJustice for Coach, Justice for Highburg, Justice in His Townâ.
An unnamed official said that in light of the fact that county elections are to be held next month, the demonstration is having a definite effect and the trial may be moved to Highburg. Additionally, the source indicated that jury selection might be made from Highburg citizens.
Whiteâs father vehemently objected to the suggestion that the jury be made up town residents.
âI fail to see how a jury made up of the victims ex players, friends and idolizers can yield a fair assessment of the facts in my sonâs caseâ, he stated.
The final decision as to the venue and jury pool will be made by the end of the week. In the meantime, the suspect, Richard White is being held in the county jail at Stanton.â
âHey kid, you gonna buy that paper? This aint no library!â
The voice came from behind the drugstore counter at Ralphâs.
I quickly refolded the newspaper and placed it back on the rack.
âGive me a coke, smallâ, I replied, walked over to the counter and wrestled a nickel from my pocket.
I sat, sipping the soda, thinking about what I had just read.
It didnât sound good!
I was sure Mr. White was unfortunately correct.
It was a strange sight. A huge tent covered the doors of the firehouse. It was the tent that was erected every year in the park for the Fourth of July celebration in the event of rain. They had secured its opening against the outside wall of the firehouse and parked the fire engines at the side of the building so as to convert the interior into one large room.
I walked up and peeked in through a small opening in the canvas. Two men were busily arranging row after row of folding chairs. Tomorrow night it would be packed. From what I had heard, not a soul would miss being here. The trial would begin at six oâclock sharp and only two hundred people would be admitted, first come, first serve. A contingent of state cops would also be present as security and the trial itself was expected to last for several days.
The next day arrived and I arose anxious and unnerved. I had been called to Principal Robertsonâs office the day before and told to be at the firehouse by four oâclock. I was to be a witness.
School ended at three oâclock and I went be to the firehouse immediately.
When I arrived, a dozen or so people had already lined up, most of them elderly, retired souls eager for relief from the daily boredom. They queued up and waited at the tent entrance. By the time five thirty arrived, and entry began, the line was well down the block.
I peered out from the door of the room to which I was assigned. I watched the first few enter as they raced, as quickly as they could, to the seats at the front of the makeshift courtroom.
A primitive railing constructed with a series of sawhorses, draped with black cloth separated the sitting from the area occupied by the judge, lawyers and jury. The judge was to be seated on a raised platform consisting of old wooden pallets and plywood, again fitted with a black, cloth covering. On each side of the railing stood a rigidly erect, state cop bearing a somber stare.
The room filled and the
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