Silk Stocking Road

Early spring, 1936

            “Nigger, don’t let the sun go down on your head in this county,” Agent Jim Connors read the sign just outside of the city limits of town. “What a warm welcoming. So this is De Leon?” he asked, glancing out the window at the fields that were barely dotted with green.

“Yep,” Agent Cal McKleen made a heavy sigh. “This is DeLeon.”

Connors tossed out his cigarette butt, and then rolled up the window. Quickly he pulled out another Lucky Strike and lit it, his third one in the last hour. Smoking was his way of keeping his nerves calm, but hardly ever did it work.

 “You from here, right?” he asked, cracking the window for the smoke to escape.

“Yep,” Cal answered.

“This could be interesting,” he said.

“How’s that?” Cal questioned.

“Well, seeing that you’re from here many folks may not be so friendly when they find out why you’re here,” Connors explained.

“That will be their problem. I’m here under the direct order of the Texas Governor. I have a job and I intend on doing it.”

“It’s been awhile, maybe they have forgotten about you.” Connors took a long draw from his cigarette.

“People around here don’t forget. That’s evident by that sign back there.”

“Just how long has that sign been there?” Connors inquired.

“Oh, about sixteen years,” Cal said as he casually pulled out a cigarette.

“Sixteen years?” shocked Connors.

“Yes, sir, sixteen years. Light me,” Cal instructed.

“Are you sure people around here don’t forget or just hold some sort of grudge?”

“Both, and be prepared when we step on those toes.” Cal took a puff from his cigarette.

“Aw, heck Cal, you know I can handle whatever people dish out,” Connors said, “especially small minded ones.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Speaking of knowing people,” Connors reached for the back seat and retrieved a file. “You know anything about this Sheriff Neal, besides his name?”

“Yeah, he’s a real prick,” Cal answered.

“And you know this from experience?” Connors asked while reading.

“Sort of, I know he can be bought off whenever possible.”

“If he’s so bad, why do the people keep electing this man?”

“I have a feeling we’ll find out in this investigation that those elections were probably fixed, among other things.”

“Boy, this investigation is going to be the most interesting case yet,” Connors commented.

“You said that about the last case. What makes this one any different?”

“Because we are investigating Cal McKleen’s hometown. A man who doesn’t say anything about his childhood or girlfriends or anything.”

“Well don’t get too excited,” Cal said. “I had an average childhood like anybody else around here and girlfriends were too many to count.”

“Still, i