Windward Review Vol 21 (2023): Myths and Hauntings

fishing around under the gravel. He pulled his hand back up, and the
bayonet was in it. A moment later, Kavanaugh got the strangest look
on his face. It was part surprise, but mostly just confusion, like he
didn’t know for sure what was happening.
We both fell, and that must’ve been when I hit my head.
Don’t you get up. I let you go, you’re gonna keep comin’ after
my babies, and I can’t have that. This ends here. Now, tonight. You
stay down.
#
#
Jamal told the coroner’s jury that he didn’t remember anything
after he’d been punched. Given the defensive nature of our injuries,
and the generally low regard for Kavanaugh in the community, the
verdict of accidental drowning was both quick and final.
When it was over, the sheriff pulled us both aside in the parking
lot. “I wanted to thank you for keeping it simple in there,” he said.
“That was smart. I know for a fact you two weren’t ever mixed up with
that lowlife.”
He paused as the dead man’s wife and daughter came out of
the building and walked to their car. They stared at us as they passed.
I felt sorry for them, but the sheriff assured me not to worry. “The
church will look out for them. If they’ll take the help.”
Once they’d left, he turned back to us. “What I also wanted to
say is that I’ve been doing this long enough to know when somebody’s
not telling me the whole story.”
Jamal and I glanced at each other and then back at the sheriff.
He saw that, of course, and he obviously wasn’t going to leave until he
got what he wanted.
“It was Old Connie,” Jamal finally said.
“Okay, now, you stop right there,” the sheriff said. He took off
his cap and rubbed his forehead, then stared at his shoes. “I don’t need
to hear any more of this,” he said without looking up. “Best we not
bring it up again. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” we agreed.
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