Hello. My name’s TJ Byrd and it’s come to my attention that several falsehoods and downright lies have been spreading about me since my momma got killed. Now to set the record straight, and I don’t have longer than a minute, I had absolutely nothing to do with my mother’s murder. The real reason me and Ladarius left Mississippi was on account of being harassed by the sheriff and his people who were sure we were guilty from the word go. The only thing I’m guilty of was washing blood from my momma’s clothes and helping her bust free of town after two men attacked her outside the Southern Star. And now, just this morning, I saw that dirty, lowlife son of a bitch Chester Pratt, who, by the way, owes me a great deal of money, go on local TV to spread lies about me and Ladarius McCade making threats on him and my momma’s life. This all’s on account of them wanting to ship me up to the Wings of Faith School in Missouri in an effort to brainwash me and make me wear long skirts and my hair up in a bun. But that damn dirty lie has shown me that Mr. Chester Pratt, owner of Bluebird Liquors in Jericho, Mississippi, is hiding something. Something like the fact that my momma gave him nineteen thousand dollars of my money without telling me. Sure would be convenient for ole Chester if I wound up in some prison. Think about that, y’all. Just think about it.

“Good,” Chastity said. “Just perfect.”

“Are you sure?” she said. “Want me to do it again?”

“No, ma’am,” Chastity said. “That was raw and real and hit the mark. I’m not going to trim one second of it. Good light. Sweet face. You’re what my grandma called wholesome.”

They shot the whole thing in one of the dozens of guest bedrooms, nothing much more than an unmade bed, a chest of drawers, and a big leather chair. Someone had hung framed pictures of flowers and fish up on the wall. It could have damn well been anywhere.

“And what about the kidnapping part?” TJ asked. “When are we going to do that?”

“Next post,” Chastity said. “Figure we’d shoot that shit down in the cellar. That way my daddy can’t really tell we’re at Firefly. Maybe tomorrow morning. Right when folks are just reaching for their phones.”

“I don’t know.”

“Sure you do,” Chastity said. “We already decided. Don’t go back on it now.”