“He might have, Henry. I don’t know. You saw the tape. We may have seen a botched attempt at euthanasia. An unexpected drug reaction. I can’t see my father screwing up such a thing, but he might cover for someone else who did. A family member, maybe. I just spent half an hour talking to Dad, and he stuck to the doctor-patient privilege pitch like the Maginot Line. What do you think happened?”

“I think it was straight-up murder, and the Double Eagles did it.”

This assertion hits me like cold water in the face. “The splinter group of the Klan you’ve written about?”

Henry nods. “In 1968, the Double Eagles warned Viola that if she ever returned to Natchez, they’d kill her. They kidnapped and murdered her brother, Jimmy Revels, and I believe Viola saw enough to put some Eagles behind bars. She may even have seen them kill Jimmy, or Luther Davis.”

“How do you know this? I’ve never read it in your stories.”

“Viola told me about the old warning two weeks ago, but she wouldn’t go farther than that. But today, right after I talked to you, I interviewed the first Double Eagle ever to go on the record about any of their crimes. He’s positive that some of his old brothers killed Viola to fulfill that threat.”

My breath comes a little shallower. “Does he know that for a fact?”

“No. He’s out of the loop these days, as far as they’re concerned. But I believe he’s right.”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Only circumstantial, I’m afraid. But that’ll change soon.”

Not what I’d hoped for, but … “Who is this Double Eagle?”

“I can’t tell you that. Not yet.”

Henry’s refusal hits me with delayed effect, like the pain of a puncture wound. “Are you serious? We need to get this guy in front of a district attorney. Or some FBI agents, at least.”

“That’ll never happen. He only talked to me on the condition that I not print anything until after he’s dead—which from the looks of him won’t be long.”

“Henry, Shad means to charge my father with murder tomorrow. First-degree murder.”

“I was afraid of that. But you don’t have to worry. Your father’s innocent. There’s no way he’ll even go to trial for this crime. A week from now, I’ll have nailed the Eagles for it.”

“A week in the county jail could easily kill my dad. Please tell me who this guy is. I’m a former prosecutor. I have a lot of experience persuading reluctant witnesses to turn state’s evidence.”

“Maybe so. But you’re not the prosecutor here or across the river. You can’t offer immunity in exchange for testimony.”

“A district attorney can.”

“The DA hates your guts.”

“Shad Johnson hates my guts. But what about the Concordia Parish DA?”