Read Online Mississippi River Blues by Tony Abbott - Free Book Online Page A

their heads.
    â€œI heard people say that if he was to get free, they’d find him and hang him, anyway,” said Huck.
    That stopped conversation for a while.
    â€œLet’s go to him now,” said Tom. “At least we can make him feel better.”
    That sounded good to all of us, so together we sneaked between the buildings until we were behind the jail. Tom went to the barred window and peeked in. “Muff?”
    The balding head rose up slowly behind the bars, blinked, and grinned at us. A strange pain stung my throat and chest as I saw the poor guy in there. Like Frankie, I really wanted to bust him free, but the story didn’t seem to want to go there.
    Huck passed some tobacco and matches through the bars, and Muff looked as if he would cry at the kindness of it.
    â€œYou’ve been mighty good to me,” Muff said. “Better than anybody else in town. And I won’t forget it. Often I’ve said to myself, I used to mend all the boys’ kites and things and show them where the good fishing was and befriend them when I could, and now they’ve all forgotten old Muff when he’s in trouble, but Tom don’t and Huck don’t, they don’t forget him! And I don’t forget them! Well, boys, I’ve done an awful thing. I was drunk and crazy at the time, I guess, and now I’ve got to pay for it with my life. It’s only right …”
    We so wanted to tell Muff that he was innocent, but we settled for asking him if he had seen any lost page with a scribble on it in the jail. He shook his head. Finally, we all left the place, miserable and sad and feeling wrong about the whole thing.
    â€œThe author’s not going to let this happen, is he?” Frankie said as we headed out to the main street.
    â€œIt looks like it,” I said.
    â€œBut this is so wrong!” she said. “All the evidence will point to Muff being guilty. Everyone will be too afraid of Stinkhead Joe to say anything. He’ll just be sitting there in the courtroom like some kind of …”
    â€œMurderer?” I suggested.
    â€œExactly.”
    Tom frowned. “I’ll meet you all inside the courthouse. There’s something I have to do first.” He slipped through the gathering crowd and disappeared.
    After some minutes, Huck, Frankie, and I finally squeezed our way into the back row of the crowded courtroom, which was jammed wall to wall with townspeople. I looked around for Tom, but couldn’t spot him.
    Just as we sat down, Muff Potter was brought in, looking worse than ever. His eyes scanned the crowd, then he winced when he spotted Stinky Joe, sitting motionless in his seat, his eyes as steely and cold as ever.
    â€œPoor Muff,” I said.
    When the judge called the first witness, it turned out to be that guy who had seen Muff washing. The man claimed that Muff never washed, so he must be guilty. The crowd murmured agreement with that.
    When given the chance to ask the witness some questions, Muff Potter’s lawyer said, “No questions.”
    The next witness was the guy who had found the knife near the doctor’s body. Again, Muff’s lawyer had no questions for him.
    When the third witness identified the knife as Muff’s, and Muff’s lawyer still said, “No questions,” I got mad. “Why isn’t the doofus asking any questions?” I whispered to Frankie. “I’ve seen enough courtroom scenes on TV to know that you’re supposed to make the witnesses seem wrong. Even I could do a better job.”
    â€œDevin, I don’t think so—”
    But I couldn’t watch Muff take the rap for a crime he didn’t commit. I leaped up, and pounded the desk of Muff’s lawyer. “What kind of lawyer are you, anyway?”
    â€œA trial lawyer,” he said.
    â€œWell, stop trying and do something!”
    â€œI object, Your Honor.”
    â€œDid you hear that, Judge?” I said.