Sunset’s head turned as Hillbilly came into the room. Someone had hired him, maybe her father-in-law, or Henry. When he came in he entered like a king. You almost expected someone to roll a red carpet in front of him.
He stood at the back of the room opposite her and Karen, leaning against a wall, giving it a sweat stain. Even dirty and sweaty, with sawdust in his hair, his cap in his hand, she thought he looked pretty good. She tried to decide if he was twenty-five or a beautiful thirty-five.
Sunset watched the men idle about for a while, shaking hands, making sure to tell Marilyn how sorry they were about Mr. Jones.
Henry Shelby went up front. He had a way of walking that made you think of a man pinching something vital with his ass. He had on a black suit that smelled of naphtha. All of his suits smelled that way. His white shirt looked yellow in the overhead light. His black tie was wilted and fell over his chest like a strangled man’s tongue.
Henry said, “Let’s call this meeting to order.”
The men sat.
Henry looked about, eyeing the camp elders. He said, “We’re not going to bother with minutes or any fooferrah, we’re going to get right to it. Everyone knows why we’re here. With Pete gone, it’s time to elect a new constable. Things have got rowdy out in the community of late. Been a run on chicken stealing, for one. My chickens. And I want the hound that done it arrested.”
A few men laughed.
Henry grinned, feeling like he had made a pretty good joke.
“Truth is,” he said, “the community is growing. I think in a year or so, maybe less time than that, we’re gonna come together with Holiday and make a real town. Holiday wants to expand, and they’ve found oil over there. Oil is bringing in money, just like the mill. And it’s bringing in all kinds of lowlifes too. Gamblers, whores-”
A couple of men cheered.
“Very funny,” Henry said, realizing a couple of them knew how well he knew the whores. “It’s also bringing in grifters, thugs, you name it. Things are gonna get more out of hand, and instead of just having a constable here, a sheriff is gonna be needed eventually, and if Rapture and Holiday come together, there’ll be just one law. Maybe a chief of police, some deputies. If it don’t happen, we still need a constable around the community here. Now, I think it ought to be a young man, but not too young, and I think-”
“Henry,” Marilyn said, “I think someone else might have ideas.”
Henry turned, saw Marilyn sitting on a chair near the wall. “I’m sorry, Marilyn. You got someone in mind?”
“I do.”
“Well, go on. Give us who you think.”
“Sunset.”
The room went silent.
“What do you mean, Sunset?” Henry said.
“I mean Sunset for constable.”
Sunset said, “What?”
“That’s right,” Marilyn said. “You, dear.”
“Me?” Sunset said. For a moment, she thought she might pee herself.
“Sunset helped Pete keep records. Knew all about who was who. Didn’t you Sunset?”
“Well, yeah… I kept some records. Some.”
“You see,” Marilyn said.
Henry didn’t see. There were murmurs in the crowd. Henry said, “We know you’re upset over all this, but-”
“She should take over the job until Pete’s term is finished,” Marilyn said. “You aren’t forgetting he still had a year on his term?”
“But… he’s dead,” Henry said.
Marilyn’s face reddened. “I’m fully aware of that, Henry. Fully. But he had a year. That means whoever you pick takes his place until the year’s out. That’s the way it was worked up in the Camp Rapture charter. Sunset here can take his place, at his community pay, and at the end of the year, she wants to run for the job, she can.”
“But she’s a woman,” Henry said.
“She is at that,” Marilyn said. “Ain’t like a puppy. Don’t have to turn her over to know what kind of thing she’s got down there.”
There were laughs in the crowd.
“Would you say Pete was tough?” Marilyn said.
“Yeah,” Henry said.
“What about the rest of you?”
Bill, sitting in the front row with Don, said, “He sure beat the hell out of Three-Fingered Jack.”
“He beat the hell out of a lot of people,” said another man.
“He was tough as a nickel steak,” Henry said. “We all know that.”
“Tough,” Marilyn said, “but Sunset killed him.”
“Well, now,” Henry said, “nothing’s been said, but we was thinking we elected a new constable, maybe charges would be brought up on Sunset.”
Henry looked out at the crowd, eyed a few elders, hoping for support. They murmured agreement.
“Sunset may be kin to me by marriage,” Henry said, “but there’s a number of us think this thing looks wrong, a woman killing her husband for being a husband. And look at her. Going around with a goddamn gun in her belt.”
“So, you’ve heard the whole story?” Marilyn said.
“No. But the law should.”
“The law was my son. And my son is dead.”
“Then another law should hear the story. You don’t just make a killer the law.”
“Self-defense,” Marilyn said.
“Marilyn,” Henry said, “I’d think you’d be for the law looking into this. I don’t understand your thinking. Pete and your old man dead, and Sunset living here in your house. And we don’t even know the story she told is truth.”
“She didn’t beat herself up like that.”
“She could have got hurt in the storm.”
“Not like that.”
“Man ought to be able to beat his wife, she needs it,” one of the elders said.
“A man lays a hand on me, from this day forward,” Marilyn said, “and I’ll kill him.”
“I’ll second that,” Sunset said.
This garnered a long moment of silence. A moth that had gotten trapped in the house beat around the ceiling, looking for a dark spot. This gave an excuse for a lot of men to look at the ceiling.
“I say we let Sunset do the job,” came a voice from the rear of the room.
People turned to see who had spoken. It was Clyde Fox. He had removed his cloth cap and his black hair hung down, almost covered one of his eyes. He was big enough to go alligator hunting with stern language.
Henry felt his grasp on the meeting spinning out of control. He had come here feeling he had the situation by the balls, but now he was beginning to feel a grip tightening around his own scrotum.
“The storm didn’t punch Sunset in the eye and mouth like that,” Clyde said. “Reckon it’s like the lady told it.”
“That’s right,” Marilyn said. “And though it pains me to say it, my thinking is, ones deserve the sword get the sword. Even if it’s my son. And there’s this too. Sunset needs the job. She’s got Karen to take care of. It would help her get back on her feet. We’re a community first, aren’t we?”
“It’s a man’s job,” Henry said. “It ain’t for nobody getting back on their feet. Job calls for a man.”
“That could change,” Marilyn said.
“It’s not gonna change,” Henry said. “We aren’t running a goddamn charity here. This is a lumber mill community.”
Marilyn nodded as if Henry had said something she agreed with. “You been thinking, I reckon, that maybe, if Holiday and Camp Rapture unite, you might have a shot at something like mayor, since Holiday’s mayor run off. Am I right?”
“Well… it crossed my mind,” Henry said. “I think I’m qualified. Your father gave me the position I have at the mill based on my qualifications.”
“And marrying his sister,” Bill said.
There was a laugh from the audience.
“Let this cross your mind,” Marilyn said. “You think a woman getting on as constable in your camp would make you look bad, you ran for mayor, if the towns come together. Well, you ain’t the boss of this place to begin with. Just so it’s clear, I own most of the mill.”
Henry swallowed hard. “Well… yes, ma’am… but…”
“But what?” Marilyn said. “Let me suggest strongly that Sunset become constable. Pete had a couple men who helped him from time to time. Clyde being one. I say we let him help her. The other fella, I can’t remember his name. But he moved off. But we can find another. She can finish out the term, then you can elect whoever you want.”