The Crossing
Authors: Gerald W. Darnell
the Crossing
A Carson Reno Mystery
Gerald W. Darnell
the Crossing
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2011 Gerald W. Darnell
All Rights Reserved .This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Rita - Hostess Starlight Lounge
“Too late?
What do you mean too late?”
“What!” Was all I could think of to say!
“Yep, and now I’m ready for lunch!”
“When is the last time you saw Tammy?”
“Was Reverend Jeremiah Higgs there?”
“Good afternoon, Mayor,” I said. “May I buy you a drink?”
“Wow, Carson,” he chuckled. “Are you responsible for all this?”
“What?
Why would you say that?”
“First thing tomorrow morning, early!”
“None of us did,” I added, “but at least we don’t need a trial!”
The
Crossing
A Carson Reno Mystery
Written by
Gerald W. Darnell
the
Crossing
Copyright ã 2011 by Gerald W. Darnell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews, without written permission from the publisher.
Gerald W. Darnell
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Be sure to check out Carson Reno’s other Mystery Adventures
Murder in Humboldt
The Price of Beauty in Strawberry Land
Killer Among Us
Horse Tales
SU
nset
4
Cast of Characters
Carson Reno - Private Detective
Marcie – Peabody Hotel Operator
Andy – Bartender Down Under
Mason ‘Booker-T’ Brown – Head porter Peabody Hotel
Nickie/Ronnie Woodson – Owners Chiefs Motel and Restaurant
Tommy Trubush – carhop Chiefs
Florence (Flo) – waitress at Chiefs
Mavis – waitress at Chiefs
Dr. Barker – Gibson County Coroner
Jack Logan – Attorney /Partner
Leroy Epsee – Sheriff Gibson County
Jeff Cole – Deputy Gibson County
Scotty Perry – Deputy Gibson County
Elizabeth Teague – Airline Stewardess and friend of Carson’s
Mary Ellen Maxwell – Humboldt Socialite and owner of Maxwell Trucking
Judy Strong – Vice President of Maxwell Trucking
Gerald Wayne – Owner Wayne Knitting Mill
Nuddy – Bartender Humboldt Country Club
Larry Parker – Chief of Detectives Shelby County
Joe Richardson – Associate Drake Detective Agency
Tammy Whitmore Blurton – Humboldt resident
Sonny Blurton – Husband of Tammy Blurton
Barney Graves - Judge
Carl Menard – Humboldt Police Officer
Thomas Whitmore – Father of Tammy Blurton
Nora Whitmore – Mother of Tammy Blurton
Richie Whitmore – Brother of Tammy Blurton
Robert Henry Walker – Humboldt resident
Yarnell Walker – Brother of Henry Walker
Colleen Walker – Sister of Henry Walker
Bert Sappington – Insurance Investigator
Temple Truett – Memphis resident
Sandy Scarlet Rogers – Memphis resident
Jeremiah Higgs – Reverend Nazarene Baptist Church
Benjamin Abernathy – NAACP Attorney
Raymond Griggs – Humboldt Chief of Police
Richard P. ‘Dick’ Valentine – Former Humboldt Chief of Police
Tony Bailey – Humboldt Police Officer
L.D. Newell – Mayor Humboldt
Mike Barker - Alderman
Chip Falstaff – Captain Tennessee Highway Patrol
Billy Joe Bobbitt – White Demonstrator
Jerome Davis – Deacon Nazarene Baptist Church
Dedication
Leldon R. Darnell, my father
1920 - 2000
Contribution Credits
Elizabeth Tillman White
Judy Steele Minnehan
Mary Ann Sizer Fisher
Nickie Scruggs Lewis
Material Credits
Humboldt Public Library
Gibson County Historical Website
Humboldt Courier Chronicle
Strawberry Museum
Prologue
The racial problems of 1962 have found their way to the small West Tennessee town of Humboldt.
A white woman has been brutally murdered, and one of Carson’s childhood friends has been accused of the crime.
Carson’s friend is a colored man who once worked for his grandfather, but the accusations and problems extend beyond the crime and to the heart of this small community.
Carson finds a divided town; a town divided along the lines of race and the interference of outside groups, which makes this division even wider.
Challenged with defending his friend, Carson must find a solution before the two sides collide, which would definitely have devastating results.
Join Carson, as he faces one of his toughest challenges in
‘the Crossing’
.
Chapters
·
A Letter to the Readers
·
The Crossing
·
Introduction
·
A Train Called The City of New Orleans
·
Robert Henry Walker, Jr.
·
Humboldt
·
Bea’s Place
·
The Circuit
·
Tensions
·
Trouble Everywhere
·
Angels and Demons
·
More Bad News
·
Parades and Protest
·
Sex, Lies and Murder
·
Clean Up
·
Courier-Chronicle
Article Reprints
A letter to the readers
It seems some things never change, while others always are.
1962 is a year where everything seems to be changing and, unfortunately, a large majority of our country’s citizens are having a difficult time dealing with it.
My grandfather was a farmer and he owned and farmed many acres of land in West Tennessee.
As a little boy, I spent most of my summers riding with him in his old truck or sitting on his lap while he drove a tractor.
These were times that I cherish and will remember forever.
Because he owned a lot of land, my grandfather employed several families to live on this land and help with the farming.
These employees were called
‘Sharecroppers’
.
My grandfather furnished the land, the equipment and the housing.
The
‘Sharecropper’
did most of the work, and they actually ‘shared’ in the profits that came from selling the crops, thus the name,
‘Sharecropper’
.
These summers, when I wasn’t in the truck or on the tractor, I was usually at one of the
‘Sharecropper’
houses, playing with their children.
In addition to raising crops, raising children was also something they did very well.
All the families had at least four, and some had as many as ten kids – they liked large families!
And, of course, as the children got older, they were taken into the fields to help with the farming.
It was during one of these summers when I met Robert Henry Walker, Jr.
He was the seven-year-old son of Robert and Roberta Walker.
Henry, as he was called, was second youngest of the eight Walker children.
He had one younger sister, four older sisters and two older brothers.
They all lived in a small two-bedroom house, along with a grandmother and, what seemed like, a half-dozen dogs.
This was a close and happy family, and I spent many wonderful days that summer playing in the front yard of the Walker home.
Years later, as I was sharing this story with someone, they asked me that magical question, ‘were they colored or white’?
I didn’t know the answer.
I mean, I knew the answer, but I actually had to think about it.
That was just something I had never thought or cared about.
The fact that the Robert Henry Walker, Sr. family was colored was something that had never occurred to me.
I didn’t care and was surprised that anyone else did.
Carson Reno