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Back Legacy of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The boy sighed and looked more like he was twenty-five than seventeen. “It would be hard, Dad, but I miss my friends from Pulaski too.” He lowered his voice. “Mom was the one who hated it. Mom and Mammy and Pops. We always loved the town.”

Bo sighed. “There are a whole lot more black folks in Huntsville.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Lila said. “You and Momma taught us to treat everybody the same. Black, white, or purple.”

Bo chuckled. “That’s true, honey, but sometimes the rest of the world doesn’t act like it should.”

She frowned. “Pulaski is home, Daddy.” She paused. “And even though Mommy didn’t like it, I have more memories of her there than here. All I remember about here is her getting shot.” The girl’s lip began to tremble, and Bo saw that T. J. had looked away, not able to take the pain of his sister’s tears. Bo leaned in and hugged his daughter’s neck. “I miss her too, baby.” Then, feeling his son’s hand on his own neck, Bo put his arm around T. J. and brought them in for a group hug. “I love you guys. I’m sorry I’ve made such a mess of things.”

After they finally had all let go of the embrace, Lila spoke again. “Will you think about it, Daddy?”

Bo set his jaw and gave a firm nod. “Yes, I will.”

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At 8:00 p.m., Bo drove the leased Explorer into the dealership lot at Terry Grimes Ford/Buick. He cut the ignition and walked through the double doors in front.

Before he’d even finished his first step inside, he heard a voice to his left and a man rushing toward him with a stack of papers. “Mr. Haynes, I’m Chase Robinson. Mr. Grimes had to leave, but I have all your paperwork—”

“Save it, Chase,” Bo said, talking loud enough for the other patrons in the display area to hear him. “The brakes were loose, the tires slipped all over the road, and the damn thing wouldn’t start after my meeting in Decatur. I wouldn’t wish this piece of junk on my worst enemy.”

“But, Mr. Haynes. You leased the car.”

Bo smiled. “No, I didn’t. You see my signature on any of those documents?”

Chase gazed at the documents, his face turning red. “But you told Mr. Grimes . . .”

Bo slapped the kid on the shoulder. “Tell him I changed my mind.”

fleuron

In the parking lot three minutes later, Bo climbed into the passenger-side cab of Booker T. Rowe’s Ford F-150 pickup truck.

“You’re having a hell of a few days, cousin,” Booker T. said.

“Wide ass open,” Bo whispered, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window seal. The adrenaline had started to wear off.

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