Mickey the Monkey

Chapter 2 - Big City Crime Wave

Cotton was working hard to formulate a plan. "We'll set a trap and catch that rascal. I reckon we could sell it to a zoo, don't you?"

I didn't answer, but gave it a thought. We collected our stuff and skedaddled. Along the way we ran into Lenora. She was in our class at school and though I'd never let on to Cotton, I liked her. He didn't care much for girls and ordinarily I didn't either, but I found Lenora the exception. She called out and hurried up to catch our pace.

"Watch ya'll up to in such a hurry? Looks like you're running from something."

"What does it look like we're up to, puddin' head," Cotton said holding up his fishing rod. "We're going fishing."

Ignoring the rebuff she petted Lindy and shadowed us as we walked. She turned her attention to me. "Hey, Ray Daniel."

"Hey, Lenora."

She walked with us as we hastened, it being a good ten minutes to the bay. "Is everything alright? You two look like you've seen a ghost."

"We're fine," I answered. "Just in a hurry to get fishing since it's so late."

"Can I come? I'm through with chores. My mom wore me out this morning with all her worry."

Cotton rolled his eyes at the thought of her joining us. I jumped in before he could say anything. "Sure, come on. What's your ma so worked up about?"

"She lost her rolling pin last night and the way she remembers it, I was the last person who had it. But that was days ago and I put it back in the drawer where it belongs."

"Rolling pin," muttered Cotton. "Ray Daniel's folks just lost a pin cushion and ball peen hammer. Pin, pin peen," he said in rapid fire, trying to be funny.

"That's odd," Lenora said. "Because my Raggedy Ann doll disappeared, too. I found Raggedy Andy in the backyard with his arm tore off! I also overheard Ezra Anderson telling Mister Styron that his best lariat's gone missing."

"His best one?" I asked. "How many does he have?"

"One."

"If that don't beat all," Cotton said. "His arm tore off?"

She nodded.

"I'll be durned," Cotton said. "And old Ezra. If he ain't lassoing things, he's recitin' poetry. Or drinking. Without that lasso, I expect he'll be spouting even more poetry and doing more drinking."

The three of us walked along not saying a word.

"Looks like we got us a big city crime wave going on," Cotton said, breaking the silence.

"Just like one of those Ellery Queen shows on the radio," Lenora added.

"Only different," Cotton said as he kicked a rock.

"Yeah, it's different alright," I said. "Instead of stealing gold and jewels or murdering a fellow, our thief's stealing hammers and pin cushions. And tearing off doll's arms."

We walked on toward the bay and down to the marina.

"Hey, Mister Waller, how are you!" Lenora called out to the man managing the marina.

"Hey yourself, Lenora. You ought to know better than to hang out with those two," he said with a laugh. "I'm just kidding, boys. Ya'll doing okay?"

"We're fine, Mister Waller," Cotton answered. "Anybody catching anything this late in the day?"

"Last couple hours been pretty dead. Nobody's come in since noon with anything worth talking about. But ya'll usually do okay by the mangroves, even this time of day."

"Sometimes. Depends."

"I reckon," Mister Waller added. "Hey, ya'll ain't seen nothing suspicious going on? Any strangers about town?"

The boys exchanged a quick glance not lost on Lenora.

"Us? Suspicious?" Cotton said. "No sir, we haven't seen nobody suspicious. Have we, Ray Daniel?"

"No. Not a soul," I agreed.

Waller took his hat off and scratched his head. "Well, keep an eye out. Some stuff's missing around town and it's mighty peculiar. Not stuff that's worth much. Just little things."

"Like what?" Lenora asked.

"Well, Tom Phillips is missing one paddle from his canoe and his cherished ukulele. Albert Johnson left his deck of cards on the table over yonder to get a pack of cigarettes and later found the deck missing the ace of diamonds and two of hearts. And Sanchez said the double 9's from his dominoes can't be found no place."

"Hmm. That is peculiar," Cotton said. "Who do you reckon's behind..."

But before he could finish, Ezra Anderson came into view, walking toward them with a distinctive alcoholic list. Never one for shyness, his baritone voice famous around town for reciting Shakespeare and poetry of the new age, bellowed forth.

"Scopes got a bum rap I'm telling ya...mumble, mumble...we're ALL animals, Man and Woman alike...no bettern' monkeys!"

We held our tongues. Ezra passing through was always like a summer storm. Full of thunder and lightning, but if you kept your head down for a few minutes it'd likely blow over.

But he continued.

"Mister Darwin, Mister Darrow, where are you in our time of need? If ever there was a time..." He stopped mid-sentence, pulled a flask from his hip pocket, took a healthy swig, staggered, and collected his thoughts. His bloodshot eyes caught sight of us. Aware now of an audience, he stared at us through those bleary hazel eyes and smiled benevolently.

"Oh, hi children. Hi Reverend...where was I? Oh yeah, if ever there was a time..." He stopped again and looked at us real serious. "You good people have not seen my lariat have you? It seems to have vanished into thin air."

Mister Waller spoke for us all. "No, Ezra. We ain't seen it. Lots of stuff 'round here's going missing and it's perplexing lots of folks."

Ezra straightened best he could with head cocked. "Do tell." Then adopting his best oratorical tone he said, "There was larceny in his heart, but his legs were honest...least that's what my friend Bugs Baer once told me," he said in a rich booming voice. "And what, pray tell, Sheriff, are you doing to apprehend this scoundrel?" he said addressing Mister Waller again.

Waller gave us a glance. We grinned. In the last thirty seconds Waller had been bestowed with two occupations, neither of which fit his own as marina manager.

"Well, Ezra," he said with a sarcastic tone, "I've called in the State Police and we're pulling together a posse. There's two hundred good men right this minute combing the woods from here to Biloxi tracking the culprit. I expect we'll have an arrest anytime, followed by a fair trial and a hanging."

"Your Honor!" Ezra said snapping to attention and giving a salute. "Judge, the country's in fine hands under your capable regime. Once my lariat's recovered I trust you'll notify me?"

Three professions.

"You'll be the first person we call, Ezra."

"You are a gentleman, sir," he nodded, "And a scholar. Judge, children, I bid you good day. And good hunting."

Then Ezra moved on, his shoes raising a small cloud of dust as he shuffled down the street.

© RDBrooks 2015

Cover art painting by William Skilling (1892-1964)