Page 91 of Justice for Samara

“It is. I don’t need a car warranty, and I don’t?”

“No, ma’am. I know. I’m not calling about anything like that. I’m calling about your daughter, Samara.”

The woman’s voice was acerbic when she asked, “What about her?”

“My name is MarjorieEdwards. My son?”

“That deputy.Chiefdeputy. I don’t want my daughter having anything to do with him, or him with her.”

“Mrs.Futrell, they’re grownups, and if you?”

“No. I’m responsible for her care right now, and that’s my prerogative.”

“Michael could easily take care of?” And the phone went dead.

Marjorie sat there for a second, stunned. Then she said aloud there in the room alone, “She hung up on me.” In a second or two, she yelled, “She hung up on me! Oh, no. Nobody treats MarjorieEdwards that way. Nuh-uh. I won’t put up with that kind of rudeness or disrespect. Not in this lifetime.” She punched in a number and waited.

“Hey, Marjorie! Did you call?”

“I sure did, and she hung up on me!”

She heard a chuckle on the other end of the line. “I thought you sounded pretty worked up!” Carter said.

“Darn tootin’! Nobody hangs up on me! How rude! I’m not taking that lying down. I wanted to appeal to her as one mother to another, but she’s done gone and pissed this mother off.”

“Why, Marjorie, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk like that!” Carter said, laughing.

“Yeah, well, when somebody hurts my boy, I’m a mama bear, and this mama bear is gonna fix this mess once and for all. I’m going to that hospital.”

He stopped laughing. “Uh, Marjorie, I’m not sure you should?”

“CarterMelton, I’ve known you all your life. Known your mama all of mine. Now tell me, what do you think she would say if this happened to her?”

Carter let out another sour chuckle. “She’d sound pretty much like you do now.”

“Then watch my smoke, son, ’cause they done lit my fuse.”

“I’ll be sure to stay out of the way then. Please don’t do anything you’ll get arrested for.”

Marjorie snorted. “Yeah, well, maybe I will.”

“I hope not.”

“You’ll bail me out.”

Carter sighed. “Yeah, if Michael won’t, I will.”

“You’re a good man, CarterMelton. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t let my son work for you.”

That set Carter laughing again. “You know, anybody else and I’d tell them it wasn’t your say, but I really think you could make Michael just sad enough that he was born to get him to do most anything you wanted.”

“See? You know me pretty well! Okay, then. Thank you. I’ll let you know how it goes down.”

“Please do. And be careful.”

“Always. Thanks again. Bye.” In three minutes, Marjorie had made yet another call. CarterMelton wasn’t the only one in town who had a few tricks up their sleeve. They’d never come up against a foe as formidable as the widow of WilsonEdwards.

They won’t know what hit ’em, she thought and chuckled to herself. The Futrells were about to meet their match.