Historical
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 22
Gerald did not regain consciousness until nearly ten o’clock that night. He was laying on barren ground next to a half rick of split hickory nut wood. His head was pounding, and he was sick to his stomach. The combination of the two made him vomit when he rolled over onto his stomach. He continued to heave until nothing else came out, then he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and slowly stood.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 23
Saturday, March 13 When Marshall awoke the day after stopping at the camp in Little Rock, he found that Woodie had already left. For Marshall, it was just as well because he had decided during the night that he was going to Texas as he had planned. He might get to California someday, but not just yet.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 21
At 11:30, just about the time Cubby Lawrence was in the police station, Gerald Borden was going to his locker at Wynne High School to get his lunch. Like James, he attended the city’s school even though he lived much closer to the Fortner Crossing Community School. He didn’t have any plans to go to go to college as James did, however. His parents simply thought he might get a better education in the larger school.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 20
Friday, March 12 Homer Lampkin did not have a single clue connecting Marshall Bentwood with the murders of Prichard and Lawrence. But he did have a gut feeling. And he had learned over the years to at least listen to those feelings.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 19
Marshall estimated there were maybe thirty-five people in the camp. All but a couple of the older ones had stopped in the midst of whatever they were doing to eye them as they came into the camp. After an uncomfortable few seconds, one of the old-timers approached Marshall and the Scoggins’.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 16
Normally, Lampkin would have called the County Sheriff and turned whatever there was at Wittsburg over to him. But he knew that Sheriff Tallmadge was out of town and there were no deputies headquartered in the town, other than himself. A law from years before stipulated that the Wynne Police Chief was also automatically a Cross County Deputy Sheriff.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 17
Thursday, March 11 Gerald was trying to sleep, but it was useless. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Al Lawrence’s mangled head. Even though Lampkin had told him not to be in town for a while, much less at Sully’s, he was there when he heard about the shootings. He was watching the old guys at the domino tables when some man came in and said there had been a shooting out at Beebo’s curve. Gerald knew instantly that it was either Lawrence or Prichard.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 12
Wednesday, March 10 Neither Homer Lampkin nor Officer Ralph Barnes liked having to call in the Arkansas State Police. In the case of murder, though, they had little choice. Wynne was too small to have anything resembling a criminal investigation unit, so the Chief had to call in and use the expertise of the state of Arkansas.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 13
Funerals during the depression weren’t the elaborate affairs that they were before or after the 1930’s. At least not among the masses. There was little enough money to take care of the living much less the dead. So services were usually kept simple and even Spartan in most cases.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
The Ridge: The Whisper of the Leaves - Chap. 11
Marshall leaned back against the trunk of what was left of a lightening struck oak as he watched and waited. The “coon” had disappeared into a rot-hole forty feet up a hundred year old hickory-nut tree. Marshall’s forehead light and rifle were leveled on the opening.
By Dan Brawner4 years ago in Fiction
